What feels like a million years ago but was actually more like three, I was invited to be one of 117 authors to contribute essays to a book in ATB Publishing’s Outside In series. They’ve done other media properties but tackled Star Trek aiming to have this mammoth work out in time for the 50th Anniversary.Yesterday, the social media onslaught began as you can tell but I wanted to talk a little bit more about it here.First of all, my buddy Paul Simpson did something similar getting a dozen or more of us to write about specific seasons of the five Star Trek series but this covers every episodes of The Original Series, animated series, and feature films. Finding 117 of us willing to write about it or favorite series shouldn’t have been too hard. Of course, there are the top favorites that everyone wanted.
Editor Robert Smith asked us to “say something different. Something interesting. Or something completely gonzo.“This could be a perspective no one’s thought of, as part of a straight review. Or it could be an interesting take on the process of reviewing itself. It could be a perspective from within the fiction or from outside, done in an unusual fashion. Usually, the best approach is to pick an angle and go for it. And for goodness sakes, try and be funny.”I accepted the challenge and delivered my essay in January 2014 and after addressing his editorial concerns, put it out of my mind until recently. I am really looking forward to seeing what my peers came up with.What did I write about? After seeing what was left and taking Robert’s thoughts to mind, I selected “Who Mourns for Adonais?” Why? Well, it had a little something to do with my first teaching experience when I was in tenth grade. For more, go buy the book”Outside In Boldly Goes117 New Perspectives on117 Classic Star Trek Stories by117 WritersThe book itself will be published in October and they are now taking preorders at their website. They have also a complete TOC.
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