The 34th Rule (ISBN 0-671-00793-9), published January 1, 1999, is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel written by Armin Shimerman and David R. George III. The story in the novel was an allegory for the internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War, and was inspired by George Takei's experiences during that period. It had originally been pitched as an episode to Deep Space Nine, but was subsequently turned into a novel.