Remembering Mission to Horatius

"Mission to Horatius": until "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", it was the first Trek adventure in which both Janice Rand and Pavel Chekov appear.

I had a weird/joyful experience with "Mission to Horatius" (1968). One Christmas, my grandmother gave my brother and I a "Whitman Authorized TV Editions" book each one Christmas. I received "I Spy" ("Message from Moscow" by Brandon Keith), based on a show my Dad really loved on TV, and my younger brother received "Star Trek", based on a show we knew about, but did not watch as a family. I had a stint in bed, confined with a bad flu bug, and I finally read both books (and many other unread books on our shelves). I quite enjoyed "Mission to Horatius", but the rat story reminded me too much of "The Trouble With Tribbles" when I eventually saw that episode in 1975.

The Whitman books eventually moved to "the toy box" in my brother's room. After our teens, my brother moved out and I discovered Trek via "The Motion Picture" in December 1979. A few weeks later, I was rummaging second hand stores for Bantam and Ballantine Trek tie-ins, and found a bagged "Mission to Horatius" for about $AU 70.00 - a huge amount, especially in those days. I couldn't get home quick enough. A quick rummage through "the toy box" of stuff my brother had left behind... and there it was. Such a thrill, even though I knew the store had overinflated their price.

Eventually, Pocket Books would release an authorised "facsimile edition" reprint (1996):

More recently, I decided I needed the Whitman "Green Hornet" title ("The Case of the Disappearing Doctor", also by Brandon Keith) for my "Batman '66" collection as well, resulting in several weeks of frantic eBay patrolling. (I think I also have a copy of "Mission Impossible: The Money Explosion" by Talmage Powell, in storage. It was sent to me by a friend, who had noticed that Leonard Nimoy appeared on the cover as his character, Paris.

Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 27

Week 27: Style

"Steampunk style." Self-portrait sketch in red, black, silver and gold Sharpie markers, with watercolour highlights. No pencil, no eraser!

Update:

Week 27: Style II

Freehand cut silhouette and lettering collaged to an Origami paper circle and A3 black card. Gold foil highlight. No guidelines, some silhouette inspiration from a Google Image search.

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 16

Week 16: Book cover.

For this week's theme, "Book Cover", I finally put a design on paper that has been in my head for decades. I have tried (and also not-yet tried) to commission same from several professional artists I know. You know, "One day, when you're not too busy..." I was willing to pay $$$$ to get someone to create a cover for me, to my exacting specifications, that would be a homage to several genres - and Bob Peak's poster art for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" - and/or might have been great for a website front page, or even a "Best of..." collection of my writing over several decades. "Have Phaser, Will Travel" was the name of a regular column I wrote bimonthly for a science fiction media newsletter (1982-1992), and then the name of my first blog. This Challenge has inspired me to say, instead, in the words of the Little Red Hen, "I'll do it all by myself!" (Who knows, maybe it's an eBook cover for an actual digital collection?)

Watercolours on white acrylic gesso primed canvas sheet, with double-ended, waterproof, black Sharpie outlining, plus titles in Pages. Stars are opaque white Signo pigment ink.

Exciting update:
This future cover art arrived from a Meetup and Facebook Friend whom I have never met in person. Yet. Thank you so much Benjamin Angus. I am thrilled and impressed by your talent and generosity! Now I have to compile that eBook of decades of articles and columns.

Friends of Phyllis Wong

Today, at The Children's Bookshop, Beecroft, Paul Macdonald introduced the irrepressible author Geoffrey McSkimming, of "Cairo Jim" fame, to a young audience who'd come to celebrate the start of Book Week with some magic! Geoffrey read from his new novel, "Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto", the first in a projected series of six books. His professional magic adviser on the book, Sue-Anne Webster, performed some wonderful feats with the help of members of the audience. There were autographs and collectible lapel badges for all!

Paul Macdonald introduces Geoffrey McSkimming

Author Geoffrey McSkimming is about to unleash his "Saturday imagination",
and magician Sue-Anne Webster prepares to catch it in a paper bag
at The Children's Bookshop. (For his weekday imagination, Geoffrey
would need a bigger container.)

A highlight of the event:
Geoffrey: "Any questions?"
Comment from audience: "What's behind that black cloth?"
Geoffrey: "Books I didn't write."

A book on the porch is worth three in the hand

Ah! The postman just delivered my Amazon-bought hardcover copy of "Starfleet Academy: The Gemini Agent". It was a delight to hold a new "Star Trek" book in my hands which has cover art that I don't recall ever seeing online first. (It was a mere neutral rectangle when I pre-ordered it.) Nice cover! Green background. Chekov, Kirk and a dark-haired woman with pointed ears. Uhura on the back cover.

"The Delta Anomaly" (#1) I originally found locally at Galaxy Bookshop, but only as a paperback, then I couldn't find "The Edge" (#2) anywhere - even now - so a few months ago I weakened and rebought #1 through Amazon, as a hardcover, plus #2, and pre-ordered hardcovers of #3 and 4. These "young adult" novels are set in the altered timeline seen in the JJ Abrams-directed 2009 movie, "Star Trek".

Doin' the happy dance.

I know a secret...

... but I'll get dragged away by the blue people if I say anything more.

I can't wait till next January, when the fourth and final(?) instalment in the "Star Trek: Typhon Pact" storyline, "Paths of Disharmony" by Dayton Ward, shall begin to appear in the bookshops. I can reveal that this novel is set mainly on Andor, and will pick up threads from Heather Jarman's world-building "Andor: Paradigm" (from "Worlds of Deep Space Nine, Book 1"), in addition to picking up the pieces left behind by the post-"Destiny" novels of more recent times.

The dreadlocked Andorian with Picard (above) is Shar, the post-TV series' science officer of "Deep Space Nine".

Thanks in advance to Pocket Books and author, Dayton Ward!

The secret is revealed... HERE.

Phunny phony Trek

A talented Photoshopper has been having fun with some Star Trek novel covers.

Check out: Mighty God King's blog!

I can't make up my mind on a favourite. "Collectible Plate" is pretty hilarious, but so are most of the others!

Missing Shore Leave

This weekend, the annual US "Star Trek" and SF media convention, "Shore Leave" - with its traditionally strong emphasis on the printed word - is taking place, and I'm feeling rather depressed that I'm not there. Last year, it fell towards the end of the school holidays. If I had have done some serious forward planning, I could have organised long service leave and gone - either then, or this year! Especially since this year it's fallen in the middle of my two-week vacation. I coulda been there!!!

Ah well, it's been fun sitting online at TrekBBS all day catching up on what's happening. Sigh...

My other reason for disappointment is that it's recently been announced that the big "Star Trek Experience" attraction, at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, is closing at the end of August. Drat, drat, drat. (I was so sure it would be renewed at least until they saw how well the new Star Trek movie worked - next May.)

It's been there for ten years, and I've never been able to get there... and I just can't contemplate racing around obtaining a new passport, getting a visa, applying for long-service leave, helping to find a trained teacher-librarian replacement who's able to do all of the days I'd be away, clamouring for decently-priced airfares and hotels, leaving plenty of work for my replacement to use, explaining the Premier's Reading Challenge to them (and demonstrating what needs to be done to enter all the students' details before September), and ensuring I was back in time for Book Week at school. Whew. I'm exhausted just contemplating it all. Double sigh...

Anyway, here's the current "Upcoming Star Trek Books" schedule, with some new stuff announced for the first time at the Pocket Books presentation at Shore Leave this weekend, presented by editors Marco Palmieri and Margaret Clark. (The list was originally posted by Keith R A DeCandido on TrekBBS, and he reminds us, "Please keep in mind that the schedule is tentative and subject to change, particularly as you get farther away from the present.")

I've added annotations from various other sources.

Key: hc = hardcover, ho = hardcover omnibus, tp = trade paperback, to = trade paperback omnibus, mm = mass-market paperback, mr = mass-market reprint, tba = to be announced

July 2008
"DS9: Fearful Symmetry" by Olivia Woods (mm)
(Already out!)

"Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism" by William Leisner, Christopher L Bennett, and James Swallow (tp)
(Three alternate universe stories)

August 2008
"TNG: Greater than the Sum" by Christopher L Bennett (mm)
(Continuing the TNG Relaunch)

"Myriad Universes: Echoes and Refractions" by Geoff Trowbridge, Keith R A DeCandido, and Chris Roberson (tp)
(Three more alternate universe stories)


Cover art by John Picacio

September 2008
"ENT: Kobayashi Maru" by Michael A Martin & Andy Mangels (mm)
(Continuing the "Enterprise" Relaunch)

"Star Trek 101" by Terry J Erdmann & Paula M Block (tp)
(Fact book)

"Star Trek" Calendar for 2009

"Ships of the Line" Calendar for 2009

October 2008
"Destiny, Book 1: Gods of Night" by David Mack (mm)
(Starting the crossover trilogy)

"Corps of Engineers: Wounds" by Ilsa J Bick, Keith R A DeCandido, John J Ordover, Terri Osborne, and Cory Rushton (to)
(Reprint omnibus of the eBooks)

November 2008
"Destiny, Book 2: Mere Mortals" by David Mack (mm)

"Academy: Collision Course" by William Shatner, with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (mr)


Cover art by James Wang

December 2008
"Destiny, Book 3: Lost Souls" by David Mack (mm)

January 2009
"TOS: Errand of Fury: Sacrifices of War" by Kevin Ryan (mm)
(Completing the second of Ryan's TOS trilogies)

"Mirror Universe: Shards and Shadows", ed. by Margaret Clark & Marco Palmieri (tp)
Short stories by Christopher L Bennett, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Peter David, Keith R A DeCandido, Michael Jan Friedman, Jim Johnson, Rudy Josephs, David Mack, Dave Stern, James Swallow, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, Susan Wright
(Third volume of series)


Cover art by Tom Hallman

February 2009
"A Singular Destiny" by Keith R A DeCandido (mm)
(A "Destiny" trilogy follow-up)

March 2009
"Titan: Over a Torrent Sea" by Christopher L Bennett (mm)
(A "Destiny" follow-up)

"TOS: Mere Anarchy" by Mike W Barr, Christopher L Bennett, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Dave Galanter, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, and Howard Weinstein (to)
(Reprint omnibus of the original eBook mini-series)

April 2009
"VOY: Full Circle" by Kirsten Beyer (mm)
(Continuing the "Voyager" Relaunch - at last)

"New Frontier: Treason" by Peter David (tp)
(Usually a hardcover, this one's a trade pb instead; presumably takes up where the IDW comic mini-series left off)

May 2009
"Vanguard: Open Secrets" by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (mm)

"TOS: Crucible" by David R George III (ho)
(Hardcover reprint omnibus of the mass market paperback trilogy, with newly added story material!)


Cover art (from MMPBs) by John Picacio


* Speculation: Presumably, this month with also see the publication of the novelisation of JJ Abrams' "Star Trek" movie! *

June 2009
"TOS: Troublesome Minds" by Dave Galanter (mm)
(Set during the five-year mission)

July 2009
"TNG: Losing the Peace" by William Leisner (mm)
(Continuing TNG Relaunch; a "Destiny" follow-up)

August 2009
"DS9: The Soul Key" by Olivia Woods (mm)
(Continuing DS9 Relaunch)

"Seven Deadly Sins", ed. by Marco Palmieri (tp)
(Seven stories, featuring: "Pride: the Romulans" by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, "Envy: the Cardassians" by James Swallow, "Wrath: the Klingons" by Keith R A DeCandido, "Sloth: the Pakleds" by Jimmy Diggs, "Greed: the Ferengi" by David A McIntee, "Gluttony: the Borg" by Marc Giller, "Lust: the Mirror Universe" by Britta Dennison)

September 2009
"DS9: The Never-Ending Sacrifice" by Una McCormack (mm)
(Focus on Cardassians)

October 2009
"VOY: (title TBA)" by Kirsten Beyer (mm)

"ENT: The Romulan War" by Michael A Martin (tp)

November 2009
"Titan: (title TBA)" by James Swallow (mm)

"Myriad Universes" (title and authors TBA) (tp)
(Third volume of stories)

December 2009
"Vanguard: (title TBA)" by David Mack (mm)

"Corps of Engineers: Out of the Cocoon" by Robert T Jeschonek, Kevin Killiany, William Leisner, and Phaedra M Weldon (to)
(Another omnibus eBook reprints; this one has newly added material - an updated "minipedia"!)

2010
The following titles don't have publication months yet, but are intended for 2010:

"TOS: The Millennium Bloom" by Mike W Barr (mm)
(An early Captain April story!)

"TOS: The Unspoken Truth" by Margaret Wander Bonanno (mm)
(A post-ST IV Saavik story!)

Over at TrekWeb, you'll find some great new cover artwork.

Looks like a busy couple of years, Trek-wise. I'm still halfway through a holiday and I feel like I need... a holiday. If only transporter technology already existed...

I've got it covered. I think.

Mark Martinez has set up web pages cataloguing all the new "Star Trek" comics being published by IDW Publishing.

Wow. It's getting harder and harder to decide which cover version to go with for each issue. When issue #1 of "The Space Between" was imminent, I told my comic shop I'd be getting art covers, not photo covers. They did have the retailer incentive covers when I called in to collect my issue, but they hadn't priced those yet, so I was happy to go with the regular one.

For "Blood Will Tell" #1, I really like the first retailer incentive cover, which is the one IDW had been using to promote the mini-series in recent weeks, but I much prefer the Kor photo cover for the Klingon Language Variant than the incentive red-foiled logo cover.

Mmmm, decisions, decisions. I'm afraid my ST collection reached critical mass again a few years ago, so I really can't afford the luxury of (moving house again or) buying four and more copies of every issue just to say I have every cover in my collection.

Isn't also a tad wasteful for IDW to commission so much artwork and then make it so exclusive? I thought these comics would look great, side by side, on the shelves at my local comic store, but standing orders must have exceeded the size of their shipment because none of the issues of #1 even made it to the shelves, as far as I noticed.