Longtime Star Trek tie-in novelist David Mack is no stranger to the current franchise television production team, as he was responsible for kicking off the Star Trek: Discovery novel series with 2017’s Desperate Hours, a tale which had the author staying in communication with the series’ nascent writers room to line up his USS Shenzhou story to the show’s plans for its on-screen debut.
Now, as the Star Trek television franchise continues to expand to new frontiers, Mack has announced that he’s working with the next wave of Trek creatives as a consultant on the forthcoming animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Now it can be told (because my agent secured me permission from the production company): I am excited to be working as a consultant on two new Star Trek animated TV series — Lower Decks, and another whose details remain classified. And that's all I can say about that. #DreamJob
— David Mack (@DavidAlanMack) July 9, 2019
Though Mack announced his participation with the upcoming show on social media today, he stayed mum on the exact nature of his role, though he did share on Facebook that he “won’t be creating the new stories, just offering advice and notes to help them be the Trekkiest that they can be.”
Replying to questioning fans hoping to see some of the author’s novel-based characters and content appear in Lower Decks with a simple clarification:
That’s not in my job description. They create; I merely advise.
— David Mack (@DavidAlanMack) July 9, 2019
He also made it clear that he is NOT part of the series’ writing staff, noting in a subsequent tweet that he’s an outside consultant only:
I am NOT in the writers room on either animated series. I am NOT providing writing services to either show. I am an outside consultant, and my services are strictly advisory in nature.
And about that other, “classified” show he mentioned in his announcement? Well, we’re pretty certain he’s referring to the still-untitled animated series in development for Nickelodeon, as that show’s creative leads, Dan and Kevin Hageman, jokingly joined in the Twitter conversation:
— Dan & Kevin Hageman (@brothershageman) July 9, 2019
We expect to learn a whole lot more about Star Trek: Lower Decks at next Saturday’s Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic Con, where series producer Mike McMahon will be appearing on stage to show off a first look at the show.
Keep checking back to TrekCore for all the latest news in Star Trek animation!