Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher is returning to Star Trek, at a time I'd argue he's needed most. While we wait for new shows to arrive on the 2026 TV schedule, a new novel has been released that puts Beverly Crusher's eldest child back in the limelight after we missed out on seeing him in Picard Season 3.
Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate is now available to buy, and I'm certainly psyched to read it after hearing how much author Dayton Ward will incorporate characters from Picard Season 3, as well as other classic moments from the franchise. For those who have been petitioning for the Legacy spinoff, this may be the closest we get to seeing that happening.
How Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate Brings Back Wesley Crusher
For those who aren't current on the past few years of Star Trek, Season 2 of Picard reintroduced Wesley and revealed he's officially become a Traveler after leaving with them in The Next Generation. As we saw in Prodigy Season 2, Wesley was able to seamlessly jump between moments in time and bring others with him.
Article continues belowThat's exactly what Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate will highlight, as he'll take Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Raffi Muskier with him through time to stop whatever is attempting to alter key moments in Starfleet history. Conveniently enough, those moments are some of Trek's most-celebrated episodes, so expect a lot of callbacks while reading.
As noted above, the newest Star Trek novel hails from prolific franchise author Dayton Ward, who has written numerous Trek books and short stories since the late 90s. As someone who loved his novel Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures, I can't wait to check out this latest story. Other fans may know him for his Strange New Worlds anthology contributions and his various The Next Generation novels.
This Is The Novel We Need In A Time Where Star Trek's Future Is In Limbo
With it seeming as though Paramount Skydance is looking to retool Star Trek on the television side, it's important to see a novel like Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate already making waves within the fandom. Specifically, I like that it sounds like an adventure that will blend both the newest and old elements of the franchise and show just how well these storylines mesh together.
The only thing I'm upset about is that this book serves as a reminder that Star Trek: Prodigy is not available to stream via Paramount+ subscription alongside all the other Trek shows and movies. Season 2, without question, delivered the biggest arc we've seen for Wesley in the entire franchise, and it would be great to revisit that while reading through this novel.
Aside from that, I do love that creatives continue to give Wil Wheaton a redemption arc as Wesley Crusher, given the blowback the character received from fans during The Next Generation days. It's cool the character is now the closest thing Star Trek has to Doctor Who's Time Lords, though let's not forget there's still a chance Time Lords exist in Trek.
As mentioned, Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate is available to purchase right now. I plan to dive into my copy soon and then start brainstorming a series pitch for Wesley Crusher revisiting meaningful moments throughout Trek history.
