History Literature / StarTrekNewFrontier

* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: Calhoun in ''End Game''

** From ''Double or Nothing'' (and remember that Creator/PeterDavid wrote for [[Series/BabylonFive Babylon 5]]):

* ShootTheHostage: A virtual example. In ''Stone and Anvil'' Mackenzie Calhoun's solution to the [[UnwinnableTrainingSimulation "Kobayashi Maru"]] is to blow the ''Maru'' out of space, taking the Klingons with it. He reasons that either:

* RedemptionEqualsDeath:[[spoiler: Selar]] in ''Treason''.

* PowersViaPossession: In ''Treason'', when Kalinda becomes possessed by Si Cwan, she gains all of his fighting abilities and intellect...and absolutely {{Squick}}s Robin and Xyon out.

-->“So let us be clear with one another, Admiral. I have one life, not nine. I have never been killed by curiosity, my parents do not live in a cat house, my mother did not rock me as an infant in a cat's cradle, the preferred Caitian method of self-defence is not cat-boxing, I do not deposit my earnings into a kitty, if I am trying to be delicate about a subject I do not pussyfoot around - shall I go on?” Naturally, later in the book, Shelby thinks it'll be great to share such a joke with M'Ress as "she's sure to like it."

* MightyGlacier: The Brikar species, of which security chief Zak Kebron is a member. So much so, they're practically immobile in normal gravity unless they have anti-gravity devices available. Of course, this being Star Trek, that's usually not a problem.

** A running one that stands out is the characters calling attention to the difference between the original series and Star Trek from ''The Next Generation'' onwards, such as pointing out the changed characterisation of the Romulan and Klingon races.

* {{Expy}}: Captain Calhoun has been stated, [[WordOfGod by Word Of God,]] to be based on the historical William Wallace who was a teenager when he did many of his great deeds.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Peter David wrote the first three ''Star Trek the Next Generation: Starfleet Academy'' books in 1993, and they contain several of the New Frontier characters as cadets (alongside the Next Generation crew at the academy). This was years before the New Frontier books were written. Also, his 1991 novel ''Vendetta'' features Shelby with her background details from the New Frontier series (including her first name, Elizabeth, which she was never called by in "Best of Both Worlds")- and her superior, the ''Excalibur''`s original captain, albeit here commanding the ''Chekov''. This character was killed offscreen just prior to the New Frontier series and was mentioned in the first book.

* Janos: An uplifted Mugato from TOS' "A Private Little War" who fears losing his genius.
* Morgan Primus: A combination of every Star Trek character ever played by Creator/MajelBarrett.

* ShoutOut: Oh, lots.

* UnreliableNarrator: Kebron in "Stone Cold Truths".

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Some of the Thallonians. Many, like Si Cwan, shave their hair. Also, a Thallonian's hair yellows as he ages.[[note]]Which someone should have told the cover artists, as they continually depict Kalinda (who's younger than Si Cwan and normally described as having a shaved head like her brother) as a blonde.[[/note]]
* YouSeeImDying: Rajari, when Soleta tracks him down in ''Requiem''.

* Mark [=McHenry=]: The brilliant but lazy helmsman who can fly the ship in his sleep (and literally does at times). [[spoiler: He is actually the son of Odin.]]

* RememberTheNewGuy: Mueller, who was on night shift until she became a major character. Hash and Gold were with her on the night shift, as well, and Doc Villers became Shelby's CMO on the ''Trident''.

* Mark McHenry: The brilliant but lazy helmsman who can fly the ship in his sleep (and literally does at times).

* Xyon: A {{Expy}} of Han Solo that has a relationship to one of the crew.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: The Overlord of the Redeemers does this to Calhoun twice to try and stave off the Black Mass. First, he puts a High Priest on an unsuspecting world (see DeadManSwitch below), but Calhoun is able to send Janos to sniff him out. Then he kidnaps Selar and Burgoyne and strands them on an ice planet, and won't give them back until the job is done.

* DeadManSwitch: The Redeemer virus. The death of a High Priest by anything less than natural means releases the deadly virus into a planet's biosphere, destroying all life. The Redeemers station a High Priest on every conquered (converted) world; the high blasphemy of an attack on the Priest is therefore punished immediately with genocide. In one unfortunate case in the ''No Limits'' anthology, a planet is accidentally wiped out when the High Priest breaks his neck after slipping in a pool of water while climbing out of the bath...

* DoomsdayDevice: The Redeemer virus, as mentioned above under DeadManSwitch.

The series uses a combination of original characters and guest stars from the TV series. Other than borrowing some one-shot characters, there is little connection betweeen this series and ''Franchise/StarTrek'' {{Canon}}. This fact allowed a freedom to let characters grow, change and even die years before the mainstream Trek lit settled into a more inventive phase (which was not allowed to fully let loose until after ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''). Basically, ''New Frontier'' was ahead of its time by Trek standards. There is also a very strong continuity to the stories that is nigh impossible with a series written by many authors, as David has written every novel and most of the short stories in the series. Many of the earlier books have a very strong Soap Opera feel to them as well, something that is pretty much unique in the Star Trek universe.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: Calhoun and Mueller have good scars, despite Calhoun sterilizing his ''with a laser welder''.

* {{Expy}}: Captain Calhoun has been stated, by WordOfGod, to be based on the historical William Wallace who was a teenager when he did many of his great deeds.

* {{Expy}}: Captain Calhoun has many qualities with Conan the Barbarian.
** WordOfGod claims Captain Calhoun is based on the historical William Wallace who was a teenager when he did many of his great deeds.

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: The Y chromosome [=McHenry=] apparently got from his mother...

* OurElvesAreBetter: The Selelvians. They're graceful, beautiful and have the most aesthetically appealing starships. They seem to glow with an inner light and are ridiculously attractive. They're also up to no good.

* LukeYouAreMyFather: Xyon is introduced to the reader through a mission involving Si Cwan's lost sister. Xyon is introduced to his father through a right hook and a declaration that his full name is Xyon of Calhoun.

* PurpleEyes: Calhoun; though purple is a common eye color for Xenexians.

Additionally, the first three ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration: Starfleet Academy'' books focus on characters who would later appear in this series. In fact, many Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novels make a ContinuityNod or three to the series. It rarely reciprocates (Except for a few cameos in other Peter David-written Trek novels), and later books offer different fates for certain characters than the "mainstream" novel continuity, but ''New Frontier'' can largely be counted part of the mainstream Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse through BroadStrokes, due to the sheer number of references and cameos.

** Plus, there are the transporter chiefs of the ''Excalibur'' and the ''Trident'', who are [[Series/{{Charmed}} identical sisters named Halliwell]].

* YouFailBiologyForever: The Y chromosome [=McHenry=] apparently got from his mother...