'The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko' reveals untold history of Starfleet’s fearless war captain (exclusive)

The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko
"The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko" will be released in October 2023. (Image credit: Titan Books)

It's high time that the stoic Capt. Benjamin Sisko was given his moment in the "Star Trek" limelight after the character's classic run on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." 

Now the character brought to life by actor Avery Brooks can be seen in IDW Publishing's newly launched flagship "Star Trek" comic book series, where he returns from the Bajoran wormhole to save the galaxy from mysterious god killers.

To add to the Sisko-centric offerings and salute the 30th anniversary of "Deep Space Nine," London-based Titan Books is presenting a new, 304-page fictional prose novel titled "The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko" this fall, written by veteran "Star Trek" journalist and author Derek Tyler Attico.

Related: 'Star Trek' movies in order: Chronological and release

Cover of "The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko."

Credit: Titan Books (Image credit: Titan Books)

Here’s the official synopsis:

Benjamin Sisko tells the story of his career in Starfleet, and his life as a father and Bajor’s Emmissary of the Prophets. Charting his rise through the ranks, his pioneering work designing the Defiant-class, his critical role as ambassador and leader during the Dominion War, and his sacred standing as a religious leader of his adopted home.

Discover the hidden history of his childhood and early career in Starfleet, and the innermost thoughts of the man who discovered the Gamma Quadrant, made first contact with the wormhole aliens, and united Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan forces to defeat the Dominion Empire. See Sisko’s personal take on his confidants Lieutenant Dax and Major Kira Nerys, the enigmatic Garak, and his adversaries, Gul Dukat and Kai Winn, as well as his fatherly advice for his son Jake. 

From the pages of Anselm to the writings of Benny Russell, from father to son, Sisko’s story is a unique phenomenon in Starfleet and human history, told in the unique way only he can.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Avery Brooks as Capt. Benjamin Sisko in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." (Image credit: CBS/Paramount)

For Attico, composing a gratifying autobiography for a legacy character like Benjamin Sisko was an honor that turned out to be both exhilarating and challenging.

"It has been 30 years since the premiere of 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,' and Captain Benjamin Sisko is still unlike any captain we've seen before," Attico told Space.com. "He has a healthy relationship with his father and is an older brother with three younger siblings. He's been a widow, has a son and is happily remarried. The Bajoran people say he's the Emissary of their Prophets, and his birth mother exists outside of linear time. With all this in his life, Ben Sisko still has a sense of balance rarely seen or shared among Starfleet captains.

"Ben is already a complex man with a rich history and a strong sense of character, duty and family when we meet him. So as I constructed his origins, I knew that his family and the experiences that molded Ben needed to represent the authenticity, strength and love we see in Sisko as an adult. 

"And in creating Ben's past, questions needed to be answered. Why didn't we ever see his siblings? What is New Orleans like in the 24th century? What was it like building the USS Defiant? These are just a few of the questions I've asked and answered. 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko' will have something in it not only for fans of Sisko and 'Deep Space Nine' but for everyone that enjoys 'Star Trek.'"

Titan Books' "The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko" arrives on Oct. 10, 2023.  

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Jeff Spry
Contributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.