There aren’t any recreational counselors on the U.S.S. Enterprise. On those irrelevant Saturday nights when someone like Angie would ask his friend what he wants to do tonight, Marty, I end up going down to the video library and spending the evening hours there all alone, systematically viewing every film we’ve got on file. Every now and then I run across a piece of Gene Kelly celluloid, or something equally inspirational, and I feel this twinge, but I tell myself, hey, Doc, it’s not meant for you. You can be content with just two weeks of fantasy a year. Some people just aren’t cut out for more than that. After all, if God had meant for you to soar, he’d have given you Gene Kelly’s feet.
Afterwords
My First Story
John J. Ordover
The first story I ever wrote was a Star Trek story. Not the one in this book, which was written several years ago when Kevin Ryan first told me that Pocket Books might publish a Star Trek anthology. My first story was written in the summer between eighth and ninth grades, scrawled out in my terrible handwriting on page after page of a yellow legal pad.
I wish I could remember what it was about. All I can remember is that it starred Kirk and Spock, and that they beamed down to a hostile planet. Oh, and then suddenly a force field snapped up that wouldn’t let them beam back to the ship.
I don’t remember the rest of the story—who the bad guys were, what the problem was, or how Kirk and Spock were going to get out of this one. But I do remember what it felt like to write a Star Trek story. Because I remember it, as soon as I could, I gave fans who write Star Trek a chance at having their stories professionally published.
I’ve written lots of things now. Dozens of short stories published everywhere from Amazing Stories to Penthouse magazine, and even an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (“Starship Down,” with my pal David Mack), but I’ll [440] never forget lying on my bed in a hot summer room writing dialogue for Kirk and Spock, and what it felt like to write phrases like “Kirk to Enterprise” and “Captain, I canna do it!”
To all of you who wrote stories that were not chosen for this anthology, think about this: You’ve done more than ninety-nine percent of the people who say they want to be writers do. You wrote something and sent it in. We’re going to run this contest again next year (see the back pages for details) but this is hardly the only place your writing can appear. Check the science-fiction magazines like Analog, Asimov’s, and Fantasy and Science Fiction. They publish great stuff (even if it isn’t Star Trek) and someday your name could be on one of their covers or in one of their tables of contents.
And to all of you whose first professionally published story appears in this volume, congratulations. Your goal is to make sure your first story isn’t your last.
A Few Words ...
Paula M. Block
Just so you know, I watched first-run Original Series episodes of Star Trek while I was attending high school. I’m that old. And, in fact, I wrote “The Girl Who Controlled Gene Kelly’s Feet” twenty years ago, during a period when I was deeply entrenched in Star Trek fandom. Although I loved Star Trek, I didn’t know anything about fandom until around 1974, when I saw a classified ad in the school newspaper at Michigan State University mentioning a Star Trek club. I went to a meeting out of curiosity and met a lot of people who could actually identify episodes by looking at a picture of Mister Spock’s left ear. I was impressed. I didn’t even know there were pictures of Mister Spock’s ear.
There was hardly any merchandise in those dark days. I had a well-thumbed version of Stephen Whitfield’s The Making of Star Trek, and some of the James Blish books, and that was about it. But these people had a lot more. They had been to Star Trek conventions. I vaguely recalled reading an article in TV Guide about a Star Trek convention that had been held in New York and had thought at the time that it might be cool to attend one. I had no idea that I would someday be working on con committees, writing and editing [442] fanzines, and becoming good friends with many of the people who were the BNFs (Big Name Fans) of Star Trek fandom.
Those were really fun days. Fandom was like the extended family I’d never had. Everyone was warmly accepted into its ranks, no matter what race, creed, religion, or dress size you had. And fanzines—those hand-mimeoed or offset printed pamphlets of amateur fiction—were the training ground for my future career in publishing. I met a variety of incredibly talented writers, artists, and intellects along the way. Lori Chapek-Carleton and Gordon Carleton and the rest of the Landing Party crew in East Lansing; Paula Smith and Sharon Ferraro in Kalamazoo; Connie Faddis in Pittsburgh; Joyce Yasner and Devra Langsam in New York; Judi Hendricks, Jan Lindner, and Jackie Paciello Truty in Chicago. There are a lot more, but John said to keep this under five pages. (However, just for the record, I will mention that I also met my wonderful husband through fandom, although he wasn’t actually a fan. It’s a long story.)
I wrote a lot of Star Trek stories for the fanzines, and the feedback that I got from the editors and, more importantly, the readers, helped me to polish my rough skills considerably. (“Gene Kelly’s Feet” was for Paula Smith’s fanzine, “Menagerie,” so thank her if you like it.) It was on the basis of a fanzine story that I got my first professional writing assignment, a series of humorous diet columns for the Chicago Sun-Times. And long after I had stopped writing for fanzines, it was my experience in fandom that helped me to get my job at Paramount Pictures.
By 1989, there was a lot of Star Trek merchandise out there, particularly books, and Paramount’s licensing [443] division needed someone with a professional publishing background who was familiar with Star Trek, to review the books, comics, and magazines being produced by their licensees. The old adage about being in the right place at the right time (and with the right qualifications) proved correct, and I was offered the job. Eight years later, I’m still here. It’s a crazy world, all right. Over the course of my professional career, I’ve written diet columns, biotechnology updates, and automotive trend reports; I’ve also headed up the international section of a trade magazine and been the staff editor for Chemical Week magazine. And I can firmly state that my present job is definitely the most fun (although the folks at Chemical Week were a wild and crazy bunch!).
Some of you may be wondering just what it is that we do over here in licensing. It’s very simple. We try to make sure that each and every product is true to the spirit of the movie or TV series it is based upon, because we know that if we don’t, you folks will notice. In the case of Star Trek publishing, we make sure that Captain Kirk sounds like Captain Kirk, that Data employs the appropriate technology when he does something to the ship’s computer, that the stardates referenced match up with the ones we heard in episodes, that the story lines seem like something that actually could happen on the series, and so forth. I followed those same guidelines while reviewing the submissions to this book, and was very pleased with the quality of the stories. But then, having come from the same “gene pool,” so to speak, I expected no less!
I have to point out that my story, “The Girl Who Controlled Gene Kelly’s Feet,” breaks all manner of rules. It doesn’t contain a regular Star Trek character. It sets an [444] unestablished precedent (the idea that an android is serving on the Original Enterprise). It’s implausible (the fact that this android would remain undetected by someone as astute as McCoy). It’s way too focused on certain twentieth-century movies and personalities. And it goes way over the specified word count for the contest. So if this were a submission, I’d have some problems with it. But you’ll notice that it’s in a special section devoted to rule-breaking. I hope you enjoy it all the same.
The real reason I had for writing this “Afterword” was partly to thank Lori for running that ad in the Michigan State News, and more importantly, to let you all know that the things you do now can influence your life later on. So keep on writing, or drawing, or making costumes, or whatever it is you like to do. Get good at it. If you really like it, make it your profession. Think about doing things t
hat aren’t about Star Trek, too. Ironically, if I hadn’t learned how to write about recombinant DNA and the gross national product of Finland, I wouldn’t have had the professional background that I needed to get this job. Just remember, Star Trek is a way of life, but it isn’t the only way of life. It’s a big universe. Be open to everything. And keep reading. Everything. Be literate—it’s the true key to the future, and it’s already in your grasp.
Contest Rules
Strange New Worlds IV
1) ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
No purchase necessary to enter. Enter by submitting your story as specified below.
2) CONTEST ELIGIBILITY:
This contest is open to nonprofessional writers who are legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) over the age of 18. Entrant must not have published any more than two short stories on a professional basis or in paid professional venues. Entrants under contract with a literary agent (or who work for a book publisher) are not eligible. Employees (or relatives of employees living in the same household) of Pocket Books, VIACOM, or any of its affiliates are not eligible. This contest is void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law.
3) FORMAT:
Entries should be no more than 7,500 words long and must not have been previously published. They must be typed or printed by word processor, double spaced, on one side of [448] noncorrasable paper. Do not justify right-side margins. The author’s name, address, and phone number must appear on the first page of the entry. The author’s name, the story title, and the page number should appear on every page. No electronic or disk submissions will be accepted. All entries must be original and the sole work of the Entrant and the sole property of the Entrant. Foreign-language submissions are not eligible. All submissions must be in English.
By entering, entrants agree to abide by these rules and warrant and represent that their entry is their original work and grant to Pocket Books the right to publish, promote and otherwise use their entries without further permission, notice or compensation.
4) ADDRESS:
Each entry must be mailed to: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, Star Trek Department, Pocket Books, 1230 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10020.
Each entry must be submitted only once. Please retain a copy of your submission. You may submit more than one story, but each submission must be mailed separately. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish your entry returned. Competition runs from January 1st, 2000 to October 1st, 2000. Entries must be received by October 1st. 2000. Not responsible for lost, late, stolen, mutilated, illegible, postage due, or misdirected mail.
5) PRIZES:
Simon S. Schuster will own all rights to the winning entries. Each winner will be required to execute a contract granting Pocket Books all such rights.
[449] One Grand Prize winner will receive:
Simon and Schuster’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Publishing Contract for Publication of Winning Entry in our Strange New Worlds Anthology with a bonus advance of One Thousand Dollars ($1 ,000.00) above the Anthology word rate of 10 cents a word.
One Second Prize winner will receive:
Simon and Schuster’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Publishing Contract for Publication of Winning Entry in our Strange New Worlds Anthology with a bonus advance of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00) above the Anthology word rate of 10 cents a word.
One Third Prize winner will receive:
Simon and Schuster’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Publishing Contract for Publication of Winning Entry in our Strange New Worlds Anthology with a bonus advance of Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) above the Anthology word rate of 10 cents a word.
All Honorable Mention winners will receive:
Simon and Schuster’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Publishing Contract for Publication of Winning Entry in the Strange New Worlds Anthology and payment at the Anthology word rate of 10 cents a word.
There will be no more than twenty (20) Honorable Mention winners. No contestant can win more than one prize.
Each Prize Winner will also be entitled to a share of royalties on the Strange New Worlds Anthology as specified in Simon and Schuster’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Publishing Contract.
6) JUDGING:
On or about November 15th. 2000, all eligible entries received will be judged by a panel of judges.
Submissions will be judged on the basis of writing ability and the originality of the story, which can be set in any of the Star Trek time frames and may feature any one or more of the Star Trek characters. The judges will include the editor of the Anthology, one employee of Pocket Books, and one employee of VIACOM Consumer Products. The decisions of the judges shall be final. All prizes will be awarded provided a sufficient number of entries are received that meet the minimum criteria established by the judges. The judges reserve the right not to award any prize in the event there are no qualified entries submitted.
7) NOTIFICATION:
The winners will be notified by mail or phone on or before January 1st, 2001. The winners who win a publishing contract must sign the publishing contract in order to be awarded the prize. All expenses on receipt and use of the prize, and all federal, local, and state taxes are the responsibility of the winner. A list of the winners will be available after January 1st, 2001, on the Pocket Books Star Trek Books website, www.simonsays.com/startrek/, or the names of the winners can be obtained after January 1st, 2001, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a request for the list of winners to WINNERS’ LIST, STRANGE NEW WORLDS. Star Trek Department, Pocket Books. 1230 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10020.
8) STORY DISQUALIFICATIONS:
Certain types of stories will be disqualified from consideration:
[451] a) Any story focusing on explicit sexual activity or graphic depictions of violence or sadism.
b) Any story that focuses on characters that are not past or present Star Trek regulars or familiar Star Trek guest characters.
c) Stories that deal with the previously unestablished death of a Star Trek character, or that establish major facts about or make major changes in the life of a major character, for instance a story that establishes a long-lost sibling or reveals the hidden passion two characters feel for each other.
d) Stories that are based around common clichés, such as “hurt/comfort” where a character is injured and lovingly cared for, or “Mary Sue” stories where a new character comes on the ship and outdoes the crew.
9) PUBLICITY:
Each Winner grants to Pocket Books the right to use his or her name, likeness, and entry for any advertising, promotion, and publicity purposes without further compensation to or permission from such winner, except where prohibited by law.
10) LEGAL STUFF:
All entries and any copyrights therein become the sole property of Pocket Books and of Paramount Pictures, the sole and exclusive owner of the Star Trek property and elements thereof. Entries will be returned only if they are accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Contest void where prohibited by law.
No transfer or assignment of prizes allowed. In the event of [452] unavailability. Pocket Books may substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Winners must sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability and a publicity release, which must be returned within fifteen (15) days of prize notification attempt or an alternate winner may be selected. Pocket Books shall have no liability to any person for any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising out of the acceptance or use of the prizes.
TM, ®, & © 2000 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
About the Contributors
Landon Gary Dalton (“A Private Anecdote”) was born on August 7, 1963, in the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he still resides. He graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. He is extensively involved in local church work and is an avid comic book collector.
Keith L. Davis (“The Last Tribble”), forty, is a family physician currently res
iding in Wellington, Ohio, with his wife, Lori, and their two children. He attributes his interest in writing to his educators at Fairview High School and Hiram College. He is presently working on novels within and outside the Star Trek universe.
Phaedra M. Weldon (“The Lights in the Sky”) has worked in the printing industry for over thirteen years. Seventy percent of her weekly life is spent in front of a Mac, whether at work or, in the evenings, writing. The [454] other thirty percent is divided between reading and Colin, with Colin getting first dibs.
Dayton Ward (“Reflections”), a Florida native, was transplanted to Kansas City during his career with the Marine Corps. Now he’s a computer systems engineer there, living with his wife, Michi, along with a cat that thinks she’s a dog and a dog that thinks he’s human.
Dylan Otto Krider (“What Went Through Data’s Mind 0.68 Seconds Before the Satellite Hit”) has been a promotion assistant for a TV station, a movie theater spy, and owner of a video movie and arcade game distribution business. He currently works as a promotions manager at the University of Chicago Press.
Jerry M. Wolfe (“The Naked Truth”), a longtime Trek fan, lives in Eugene, Oregon, where he writes science fiction and fantasy when not teaching mathematics at the University of Oregon. He is also a “Wordo,” a member of the Eugene Professional Writer’s workshop. Star Trek: The Next Generation: “The Naked Truth” is his second published story.
Peg Robinson (“The First”) is forty. She has a wonderful husband and daughter, and four pushy cats. She was born in the former Panama Canal Zone and has lived in too many places since. She does the housewife thing, some amateur theater, reads, and works on her writing. The rest is silence ...
[455] Kathy Oltion (“See Spot Run”) became a Star Trek fan as a child in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She met her husband, author Jerry Oltion, in a creative writing class in college. They now live in Eugene, Oregon, where Kathy works in a medical laboratory and writes. She has also sold fiction to Analog magazine.
STAR TREK: Strange New Worlds I Page 37
