While the Star Trek novels have always adhered to the canon created by the TV shows and movies, they’re not canonical themselves. But they do, ironically, have their own canon, complete with their own ongoing storylines. In the following email interview about his new Trek tale, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light (paperback, Kindle), science fiction writer Dayton Ward not only discusses the inspirations and influences on his sci-fi space opera story, but also how it serves to connects David Mack’s Star Trek: Section 31: Control and Mack’s upcoming Star Trek story, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Collateral Damage (due out October 8).