Day 282: After much of the day had a lot of noise from an event going on in the conference room on this floor, the quiet of the afternoon after they left was almost eerie.
Photos
Photos, usually taken by me. May be mirrored or imported from other services.
📚 The Prisoner of Vega by Sharon Lerner and Christopher Cerf
12/2024 – ⭐️⭐️
Another late-70s children’s book. The Enterprise arrives at a planet to sign a trade treaty, only to find the planet captured by Klingons! Only apparently the illustrator had never watched Star Trek; the main character likenesses are shaky, and the Klingons look hilariously unlike Klingons (and much more like 1950s Sci-Fi villains).
📚 The Truth Machine by Sharon Lerner and Christopher Cerf
11/2024 – ⭐️⭐️
A late-70s children’s Star Trek adventure. The Enterprise receives an SOS from a lifeless planet, only to find a crowded city being attacked by dinosaurs – or is something more sinister afoot? All the early-reader excitement you can fit in 41 illustrated pages. ;)
Year 50 Day 281
Day 281: Just a little light reading before going to sleep. Read both of the two Star Trek children’s books (exclusively produced for libraries in 1977) in my Christmas haul tonight; they were just as good as you’d expect. As long as your expectations weren’t very high, at least. One of them at least had decent artwork; I’m not sure the illustrator of the other had ever actually seen Star Trek.
📚 Mission to Horatius by Mack Reynolds
10/2024 – ⭐️⭐️
This is not a good Star Trek book. The Enterprise, with a crew at risk of what’s essentially violent cabin fever, is dispatched to the Horatius system to investigate a distress call. There, they find three planets: one with a stereotypical Native American civilization (“backward savages”, of course), one with a mid-20th century American civilization, and one with space Nazis. Oh, and there’s a “B story” involving a plague-infested rat loose on the ship. So, no, as a Star Trek adventure, there’s not much to recommend it.
However: It’s the first officially licensed Star Trek novel, and therefore gets a bit of leeway…or at least recognition that the treklit landscape was far different (nonexistent, actually) in 1968 than it is today. Not really recommended unless you’re a collector, but if you are and can track it down (especially if you can find an original rather than the 1999 reprint), it’s a quick read and kind of fun to see where the print side of Trek began.
Year 50 Day 280
Day 280: I got to work and the elevator was locked out, so I couldn’t get to my floor until someone from Facilities happened by and could key me up. Then I got to my office and realized that I’d forgotten to bring my computer in with me this morning, so I had to turn right around and drive home and back before I could start my work day. After all that, I think my mug might be mocking me.
Year 50 Day 279
Day 279: While seeing my wife off to work this morning, she needed a place to put her scarf as she was putting her coat on, and I was apparently conveniently placed.
📚 Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey
9/2024
The sixth (and last) of this year’s Philip K. Dick Award nominees. No review, because I’m the award ceremony coordinator. I’m not remotely involved with selecting nominees or winners, just making sure the ceremony goes as it should, but it’s best to keep my reviews to myself.
Year 50 Day 278
Day 278: After a night out at the club, a slow day is in order. Slept in, had breakfast, took a nap, ran a couple errands and took care of laundry, watched a movie, and then dinner and dumb TV while doing Norwescon work before heading to bed. Not bad at all.
Year 50 Day 277
Day 277: Back out at the Merc for Caturday! Love this goofball mix of goth, retro, and just plain silly. Just danced to a mashup of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” and CeCe Peniston’s “Finally” that I am definitely going to have to track down. And then Utah Saints’ “Something Good”, which I haven’t heard on a dance floor in ages. Such a good night!