ATB Publishing has put out a volume of short pieces that essentially function as reviews of all the episodes of the television series Twin Peaks (as well as of several David Lynch films). DRG III contributed to the anthology by exploring aspects of the first-season episode, “The One-Armed Man,” in a work he calls “Cease and Desist.” In addition, David’s wife, actor-writer-director Karen Ragan-George, also provided a story about the episode, “Rest in Pain,” in an uproariously funny entry called, “A Slice of Advice.”
Podcast: Enterprising Individuals—“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” with David R. George III
From Hell’s heart, we take a stab this week at encompassing the excellence of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan!
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author David R. George III returns to the show to discuss the sequel to “The Motion Picture” and many fans’ pick for the best Star Trek film. As he turns 50, Admiral Kirk has resigned himself to the fact that his days of spacefaring danger are behind him. But when an old flame asks for his help recovering a dangerous experiment, he’ll learn that danger isn’t through with him and that some debts can never be repaid.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t exactly a failure, but Paramount had no interest in spending another $45 million dollars while dealing with Gene Roddenberry. So instead, they spent $12 million dollars and hired TV producer Harve Bennett to make the sequel to the first film. Eventually, Bennett hired novelist, screenwriter, and Trek virgin Nicholas Meyer to direct (and later write) the film. Meyer envisioned Star Trek II as a rollicking naval adventure in the style of Horatio Hornblower…apparently unaware that the British naval hero was one of the chief inspirations for The Original Series. Meyer changed a lot about what audiences knew about Trek, both on the big and small screen, but he did so in a way that only underlined the core of the characters we had come to know and love. On this episode, we talk about the human and relatable themes in TWoK, Meyer’s incredible achievement in writing the script in twelve days, the bold use of negative space in the film, the film’s impressive editing, the controversies associated with the film, and its lasting legacy.
We also discuss getting old, literary antiheroes, injecting some fresh blood, bucking tradition by embracing a different one, fixing the air conditioner, and killing Spock the *right* way!
It’s the most fun movie about, death, loss, and absentee parenting!
New DRG III Story Available: “Victim 47”
The cover of Outside In Wants to Believe
A small Canadian press called ATB Publishing formed in 2012, then launched a series of nonfiction books under the banner Outside In. Conceived as collections of creative, entertaining commentary about the British television series Doctor Who, the line eventually expanded to include other genre shows, including such fare as the original Star Trek and its successors, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Twin Peaks. Each book comprises scores of short pieces that, while essentially functioning as reviews of all the individual episodes (and occasional films) of a particular series, often masquerade as something else: a story, a selection of newspaper clippings, a set of personal letters, and all manner of other written forms. In other words, these are critical but fun works that offer clever takes on the installments of various televison programs.
Editor Stacey Smith?—yes, Stacey employs a question mark as the last character of her surname—invited David R. George III to contribute to a volume entitled Outside In Wants to Believe. The book explores seasons seven through eleven of The X-Files, the second feature film, all three seasons of Millennium, and the single seasons of The Lone Gunmen and Harsh Realm. David chose to write about one of his favorite Millennium episodes, “Skull and Bones,” in a tale he calls, “Victim 47: A Selection of Materials from Evidence Locker 1013, Prince William County Police, Southeastern District.”
David’s wife, talented actor-writer-director Karen Ragan-George, has also penned an entry, a story about the Millennium episode “Nostalgia,” which she dubbed, “That Old Black Magic.”
Coincidence Takes Flight
Astronaut Marcio Runco Jr.
Astronaut Mario Runco Jr. shared with me a recent, unexpected discovery he made connecting an old television show with the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry. Lieutenant Commander Runco has graciously allowed me to post his tale.
Podcast: The Scotch Trekker—A Discussion with David R. George III
A discussion with writer David R. George III, who has written multiple Star Trek novels, contributed to the official Star Trek Magazine, and co-wrote the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Prime Factors.”
Rare Star Trek Collectible for Sale
David R. George III is offering a rare Star Trek: Voyager plaque for sale. This wooden, metal, and acrylic collectible was presented to the cast and crew of the television series to commemorate the show’s second season. The plaque comes with a letter of authenticity.
Podcast: Enterprising Individuals—“Someone to Watch Over Me” with David R. George III
Get ready to meet-cute this week as we search for “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author David R. George III returns to the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Voyager that puts an intriguing twist on an old standard. Seven of Nine is ready to start dating, and the Doctor makes a bet with Tom Paris that he can show her the ropes of relationships and romance. But when the teacher falls for his student, Voyager’s EMH will have to choose between his responsibility to his pupil and his feelings for Seven!
Star Trek has never been opposed to borrowing from other media for a good story hook, and some of Trek’s best hours have been the product of an “old” idea seen through the lens of a new generation. This episode begins as pure Pygmalion (with a little My Favorite Year mixed in) and ends as a touching examination of the complexities of romance on a ship of outsiders. On this episode, we talk about love being part of the human adventure, putting your own spin on a classic tale, Trek’s frequent use of homage and pastiche, the net increase in complexity among modern TV series, the (exaggerated) death of the five-act structure, the winning chemistry of Jeri Ryan and Robert Picardo, the way new Trek quotes and responds to old Trek, why love and romance are often dangerous in Trek, and why series regulars can’t have significant others.
We also discuss Trek’s love of the outsider character; “doing a Rashomon”; Gilligan in space; man versus whatever; Voyager as the first broadcast fanfic series; Dr. McCoy being unlucky in love; whether a hypothetical fourth season of the original Star Trek would have embraced the counterculture of 1969; showing not telling; adults being kids being adults at a tea party; redeeming “The Way to Eden”; the dangers of fraternization; David talks about his Voyager episode, “Prime Factors”; and Kal debuts his theory about movies named after pop songs!
We can’t hardly wait for you to hear this episode!
Fangs for the Memories: Dragon Con 2019
Dragon Con 2019
On Labor Day weekend, David R. George III attended Dragon Con, a genre convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. David participated in various panels and read from his novel, Deep Space Nine novel, Plagues of Night. Follow the link below to learn more about David’s experiences at the convention.
DRG III at Dragon Con 2019
David R. George III will be appearing on Labor Day weekend at Dragon Con, a multimedia popular-culture convention that focuses on science fiction, fantasy, gaming, and comics. Held in Atlanta, Georgia, the four-day con commences with registration on Thursday, 29 August, opens on Friday, 30 August, and runs through Monday, 2 September. Featured guests include Star Trek actors William Shatner (who portrayed James T. Kirk) and George Takei (Hikaru Sulu), as well as Discovery performers Emily Coutts (Keyla Detmer), Shazad Latif (Ash Tyler/Voq), Anson Mount (Christopher Pike), and Ethan Peck (Spock).
See the Events page for David’s schedule, which includes an autograph session, a reading, and a pair of discussion panels.
Podcast: Literary Treks—There's a Line We Can't Cross
For almost the entire history of Star Trek, novels have played a part in many people's experience of the fandom. They are a way to go beyond what we see on the screen, and Star Trek fiction novels now account for scores more adventures than the television shows and films. But how does a Star Trek novel come to be, and what goes into the writing of a Star Trek adventure in book form?
In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson are joined by veteran Star Trek authors Dayton Ward and David R. George III to discuss how to write Star Trek novels. We talk about how they got their start in writing, the process of how a Trek novel is published, how writing tie-in fiction differs from writing original fiction, how they approach writing the established characters, working with CBS licensing, and what is required for someone to become a Star Trek author. We wrap up by talking about what projects they currently have on the go, and where they can be found online.