Series co-creator Keith R.A. DeCandido has announced major changes planned for the Starfleet Corps of Engineers series of eBooks, including a relaunch of the series in 2006 and a shift from mass market to trade paperback print collections.

In a post at the TrekBBS, DiCandido said that the What's Past storyline would be extended to six parts from the planned four, but that after a final story by himself - eBook #66, scheduled for release in July 2006 - Star Trek: S.C.E. would come to an end.

The series will then be relaunched in November 2006 under a new name, Star Trek: Corps of Engineers, beginning with a story by series regulars Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore that will bring in a new character and reintroduce the established premises of the series. DiCandido explained the name change as stemming from the need for "a more descriptive title, since all too often the reaction of folks...is 'S.C.E.? Wuzzat???'" and since Pocket Books "thought Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers a) was too long and b) repeated the word 'star' twice in a long title."

"Old Soldiers", the first story in Corps of Engineers, "will be designed to be a jumping-on point for new readers", added DeCandido, who said that the setup for the new character would unfold in the What's Past arc. "With the numbers getting up into the 60s, we thought the series was a little intimidating for new readers to try to catch up, so we'll be dropping the ordinals." In addition, stories about the Da Vinci crew will no longer be monthly but will alternate to include eBook stories from other areas of the Star Trek universe.

To coincide with the series relaunch, Pocket Books will also relaunch the printed S.C.E. adventures as a trade paperback line. "While this means a higher cover price, you will get more book for your buck," noted DiCandido, who said the paperback reprints will contain six to eight stories rather than the four-per-volume found in the mass market paperbacks. S.C.E. Book 8: Aftermath will arrive in in November withBook 9: Grand Designs planned for Spring 2007 and an additional volume each fall and spring.

For more details read DiCandido's original post at the TrekBBS.

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