Dayton Ward: To Defy Fate.

Wesley Crusher has always been a polarizing figure in Trek fandom — TNG's boy genius, adored by some and a source of groaning for others. But his arc from teenage prodigy to full-fledged Traveler is one of the franchise's more underappreciated journeys, and Picard season 3's finale left a perfect opening: what exactly was Wesley up to in the weeks following the Borg crisis? Dayton Ward answers that question with To Defy Fate, a novel that puts the former wunderkind squarely at the center of a sprawling story touching timelines, civilizations, and the nature of fate itself.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan sit down with Dayton Ward, author of Star Trek: Picard: To Defy Fate. We discuss the choice to lead with Wesley, the novel's driving antagonist and what makes her such a compelling character, mysterious figures like Kovich and what their presence means for Trek's larger tapestry, the complex web of timelines the book navigates, and what it ultimately means — and costs — to defy fate.

Check out cover artist Callum Seymour on Instragram - @seymourdraws

News

Cover Reveal (2:55)

Feature: Dayton Ward

Dayton 400 (5:42)

Why Wesley? (6:36)

Journey's End Prologue (11:39)

Kovich (12:59)

Writing a Hardcover (16:38)

Bookend with The Last Best Hope (19:02)

Likara's Convictions (22:22)

The Metron Kid (28:26)

Timelines (31:36)

Quintessential DS9 Theme (36:13)

The Picard-Crusher Guy (39:56)

Last Things First (45:27)

The Narada Incursion (47:00)

Defying Fate (49:01)

Margaret's Fingerprints (51:23)

Cover Art (54:38)

Dayton's Future (56:16)

Closing (58:13)

Hosts

Jonathan Koan and Casey Pettitt

Guest

Dayton Ward

Production

Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)