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ASK THE CHIEF
5/8/98

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Okay! After I finish this column today I have to write a plot summary for Shield of Lies and read Tyrant's Test. Lots to do. First, some comments from previous columns . . .


Television Series Cross-Overs
Beginning with Omer Belsky's comments in the 3/20/98 column

[From Someone Identified Only As Anomaly]: While they're not sci-fi, all of these shows exist within the same fictional universe:

Show (Connector)

-Perfect Strangers (Winslows) -Family Matters (Winslows) -Step By Step (Urkel) -Full House (Urkel) -H. w/ Mr. Cooper (Jesse & Michelle) (Father from G.P.) -Growing Pains

These are all connected as well:

-Cosby (Raymond) -Everybody Loves Raymond -The Nanny (Raymond)

Charles Cabe: Proving that Capt. Morgan Bateson (of the Bozeman) is related to Dr. Frasier Crane may be impossible. But, I do have a theory. One of Roz's boyfriends was a Star Trek fan. Also, Zephrame Cochrane says, "Like astronauts, on some kind of Star Trek." This line would seem to be a refrence to a the same TV show. If Star Trek exists in both universes it would seem likely that the TNG and Fraiser universes are connected.

There are 2 problems with this. First, Frasier hasn't mentioned anything about the Eugenics War (but Voyager did the same in the time travel episode). Secondly, if the theory is correct; then both universes would treat Star Trek as a fictional TV show. But TNG, DS9 and Voyager often refer to stuff from Star Trek. If I can think of a better way to connect them I will write back.

Charles Cabe: I've finally found a TNG/Frasier conection. ST:TNG did a crossover with the X-Men ("Second Contact"). The X-Men did a crossover with Superman. (It was a comic book called "DC vs. Marvel", this featured the X-men and Superman, just to name a few.) Superman appeared in an American Express comercial with Jerry Seinfeld. Kramer subleted an apartment from Paul on "Mad About You". Ursala the waitress is the twin sister of Pheobe from "Friends". Joey once met Caroline from "Caroline in the City". Carolie's comic strip was once read by a charater on "Frasier". This would put Dr. Crane and Capt. Morgan Bateson in the same universe. Also, this can be extended to put Star Trek and the X-Files in the same universe. Frasier to Cheers to St. Elsewhere to Homicide to the X-Files.

As for proving that Morgan Bateson is related to Dr. Crane, it would seem to be impossible due to the fact that so little is known about Capt. Bateson.


Ship Naming Conventions
Beginning with Brian Henley's comments in the 4/10/98 column

Clay: According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary it says that excelsior is fine curled wood shavings used esp. for packing fragile items. Maybe this could help figure out why they chose the name for the ship.

James D. Meader: [Concerning the naming of the "Enterprise" shuttle,] In the early days of the Shuttle program, Rockwell's initial contract authorized construction of a test article (STA-099) and two Orbiters to be used for the early flight test program. STA-099 was an Orbiter structural airframe, essentially complete but minus engines, crew compartment and all systems, used for static testing in a special test rig at Lockheed-Palmdale. This airframe, named "Challenger" was never intended to be completed as a flight Orbiter. The Orbiters destined for the flight-test program were OV-101 and OV-102. OV-101 was earmarked for the early approach and landing tests and it was then planned that it be refurbished as the first flight-rated spacecraft. In response to popular pressure, NASA named this vehicle "Enterprise". OV-102 was named "Columbia". Testing of STA-099 revealed that extensive structural modifications would have to be made to the airframes of "Enterprise" and "Columbia" to withstand flight loads. Since it was more nearly complete, "Enterprise" would have to undergo significant and expensive disassembly for the mods to be made. It was decided on 5 January 1979 that since STA-099 ("Challenger", the structural test article) was only a bare airframe and less complete, it would be much more economical to modify it into a flight-rated Orbiter in place of "Enterprise". STA-099 was modified and became OV-099, "Challenger". "Enterprise" never flew in space but was used for atmospheric approach and landing tests and now waits for the completion of the National Air And Space Museum Annex at Dulles Airport outside of Washington DC where it will go on public display. So, you see, the fans didn't make NASA "waste" the name. It WAS intended for "Enterprise" to fly in space, but circumstances changed after the name was bestowed.

Ryan Smith: The updated Encyclopedia has an entry for the U.S.S. Venture that lists it as Galaxy-class.


Inquiring About The True State of the Federation
Beginning with Laurel Iverson's comments in the 4/10/98 column

Glenn St-Germain: A rogue element doing dark deeds out of a chain of command? I want to see that as an ST series!!!

"Good morning, Mr. Bashir. Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." "This holorecording will self-destruct in 5 seconds."


Nits For Fraiser
Beginning with Charles Cabe's comments in the 4/17/98 column

Glenn St-Germain: Didn't Frasier once say on Cheers that he was an only child?


Tracking the Runabouts and Shuttles
Beginning with John Latchem's comments in the 4/17/98 column

Glenn St-Germain: [Concerning Murray Leeder's comment about the creators putting in a line of dialogue to support on-site construction of shuttles,] Maybe they've developed the "disposable shuttle". I'm reminded of a joke from the former East Germany regarding their home-grown domestic car, the Trabant, one of the worst-built cars in history -- "How many workers does it take to make a Trabant? Two -- one to fold, one to paste." Maybe they're using that technology to make shuttles? That might explain why they're so easily damaged... :)

Phil: That's funny! ;-)


Talk Shows and Authors
Beginning with Stephen Mendenhall's comments in the 4/24/98 column

Mike Konczewski: I'm surprised that everyone missed the obvious. Why don't you go on the Sci-Fi Channel's "Sci-Fi Buzz"? Talk about your target audience....

You could also visit "The Anti-Gravity Room", even though they focus on comic books. Those kids are pretty good interviewers.

Murray Leeder: Surely there are some shows out there which would be interested in interviewing you. Maybe one of those sci-fi based ones, like "Prisoners of Gravity"?

Phil: It possible! ;-)


Contacting Trek's Official Fan Club
Beginning with Phil Evans's comments in the 4/24/98 column

Laurel Iverson: I happened to be looking at the back of some Star Trek software this week and it said to call 1-800-TRUE-FAN for information about the fan club. Of course, this would only work for those in the US, but I thought I'd pass that information on.


A Galactic Map For Trek
Beginning with Mark Schieber's comments in the 4/24/98 column

Murray Leeder: According to the "official" maps, the quadrant system has Alpha in the lower left, Beta in the lower right, Gamma in the upper left, and Delta in the upper right. Why? That's a terrible coordinate system... it's neither clockwise nor counterclockwise! Ideally, it should start from the upper left and go counterclockwise, like the Cartesian system does. Even going clockwise.

Ryan Smith: The updated Encyclopedia contains a map of the galaxy and the territories really do look tightly packed together.


"Somewhat" Well Known Authors
Beginning with Mike Konczewski's comments in the 4/24/98 column

Scott McClenny: In response to Joe Griffin,YES!!!!!! Dr.Who fans are still out there. Just check out the internet as there are many sites (though not as many as are devoted to to Star Trek) dedicated to the good Doctor. Also please note that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the show. A piece of trivia before I close:Patrick Stewart(before he got the part of Picard)once was in a tv movie called Hamlet,Prince Of Denmark.The actress who played Ophelia in the movie was Lalla Ward who previously played the 2nd incarnation of Romana on Dr.Who.So there is a link between Doctor Who and Star Trek!:)

Phil: I believe Joe was using a bit of irony when he pondered if there were Dr. Who fans still out there! ;-)


A Sci-Fi and Literary Primer for Television-Bred Sci-Fi Fans
Beginning with Mike Konczewski's comments in the 4/24/98 column

Joe Griffin: I'm going to compile this list, as you have given the idea your endorsement, but I have a question:

Since many influential SF material is short stories, would particular compilations fulfill the book requirement, or should there be a separate sub-category for short stories? I couldn't see putting together a horror reading list without including E.A. Poe, for example, and he's all short stories.

Phil: Hmmm. Good question. Let's list the short stories together with the novel but, um, don't worry about keeping the list to 25 with the inclusion of short stories. After everybody gives their input. I'll have to sort through all this stuff and compile a list for posting on NCIEO

Mike Konczewski: First, to Mr. Griffen--you're right, I missed the joke. We'll just say it was too subtle and leave it at that.

Second, I wouldn't be a nitpicker if I didn't point out that Larry Niven didn't write "Arena." The original story was by Frederic Brown. I might note that, in the original story, the "Kirk" character killed his opponent when he had the chance, and the all powerful aliens kept their promise and destroyed the loser's civilization.

I've got a little list, but I've changed the parameters. My list is more of a primer for the non-literary SF (i.e., only watches TV and movies) fan. It's a little heavy on the old classics, but I think that if you read them, you'll realize those movies aren't quite as original as you thought (and I mean you, Mr. producer of Independence Day!). Finally, I'll put an * by the titles that have some mature content. Chief, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave them in.

In no particular order:

N-Space (Larry Niven) and Playgrounds of the Mind (ditto) -- restrospective collections of the works, both SF and non-fiction on SF, by this master of hard science. For those of you still confused by Capt. Picard's description, this book describes what exactly is a Dyson sphere.

The Stories of Ray Bradbury--the best introduction to this great writer's works, in chronilogical order.

The Foundation Trilogy (Isaac Asimov)--so you like stories about evil space empires and lone heroes trying to overthrow galactic oppressors? Read the original.

The Past Through Tomorrow (Robert Heinlein)--Heinlein's complete Future History series, spanning 2000 years. His best work, IMHO.

*Neuromancer (William Gibson)--if you liked the X Files episode "Kill Switch", this cyberpunk novel will blow your mind.

*To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Philip Jose Farmer)--everyone Earthman that lived between the years 100,000 BC and 2000 AD is reincarnated on a distant planet. Our heroes include the real Alice in Wonderland, Sir Richard Francis Burton (the author, not the actor), Jack London, Cyranno de Bergerac, Herman Goerring, etc. You're there, even if you're not mentioned.....

*The Hugo Winners, Vol I-IV (Isaac Asimov, ed.)--all the short fiction winners from the mid-50's to the 80's. Some stories are for mature readers.

The Mote in God's Eye (L. Niven & Jerry Pournelle)--tired of the plain vanilla Federation? Try the Co-Dominium instead, and the problems they face when they make First Contact.

Cities in Flight (James Blish)--yes, Blish wrote something besides the Star Trek novels. This is actually 4 books set in the future when whole cities are fitted with star drives and flown through space. Most of the stories center around a space-faring Manhattan Island.

The Time Patrol (Poul Anderson)--his series of stories about the eponymous secret organization. Unlike Star Trek, Anderson's time travelers' don't have cut and dry solutions to the moral problems involved with changing the future.

The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester)--the literary equivalent of riding a roller coaster with no brakes. Set in a future society where everyone has learned to "jaunt" (teleport) just by thinking about it. One man, Gully Foyle, holds the keys to saving or destroying the world.

*The Forever War (Joe Haldeman)--a sometimes bitter anti-war story, set against the problems of relativity. Since most of space travel takes place near the speed of light, our narrator finds himself only 10 years older while almost a thousand years passes on Earth.

Caves of Steel (Isaac Asimov)--meet what has to be one of the main inspiration for Data, R. Daneel Olivaw. He's a cop, and a humaniform robot.

Phoenix Without Ashes (Harlan Ellison & Edward Bryant)--if you ever had the misfortune of watching "The Starlost", read the novelization of the original pilot and see what might have been.

The Issues At Hand (William Atheling, Jr.)--actually a collection of SF critiques, written psuedonymously by James Blish. Good to read, because Blish lambasts writing styles that still plague SF, both written and filmed.

A Treasury of Great Science Fiction (Anthony Boucher, ed.)--just what is says. One of the first SF books I read.

Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vols I, IIa & IIb--selected by the Science Fiction Writers of America, these stories cover the years before the Hugo Awards, and contain the classics.

Robert Cook: As an additional tidbit of information [about "Arena",] according to the book Inside Star Trek, the episode was not originally based on the short story, at least not consciously. Gene L. Coon wrote the episode, and then some sharp-eyed person in the research department noted the similarities to Brown's (excellent) story. (Yes, in those days the Trek reasearch people actually *knew* something about the sci-fi field..) The Trek people immediately dashed out and got Brown's permission to do the episode.

Eric Brasure: Just a little correction: it was Jonathan Swift, not Thomas Paine, that wrote "A Modest Proposal".

Andrew Love: I tend to agree with Joe about the lack of literary knowledge in today's society. I didn't watch the recent Brave New World miniseries because I could tell from the previews that unacceptable changes had been made to the plotline - I'll spare myself the annoyance and just read the real thing sometime soon. If you want some SF recommendations, how about "More than Human" by Theodore Sturgeon and "Canticle For Leibowitz" by Walter M Miller, for starters.

Jim Elek of Sterling Heights, MI: I am all for a reading list like the one you and Joe Griffin mention! Unfortunately, I fall into the category of Sci-Fi TV and movie fan that is not well-read in SF literature (and literature in general.) The main reason is exactly what Joe mentions: I don't know where to start, therefore I stick with what I do know and read tie-in novels. Such a list would definately bring me a step closer to rectifying this situation.

Terry Mitchell Hulett: Joe Griffin makes some good points in discussing the popularity of video versus written Science Fiction. I have mostly seen people who consider themselves "Science Fiction purists" disparaging Star Trek.

I happen to like both, and do not find it necessary to rank one over the other. I can enjoy both on their strengths, and forgive their weaknesses. It seems many people *must* rank them against each other, however.

Ryan Smith: I too get irritated when novels get made into films. I didn't get to see NBC's interpretation of _Brave New World_, but from the press releases and commercials, I figured out fairly quickly that unlike the movie's creators, I had read the book. (It's one of my favorites.) Bernard Marx, one of the main characters in the novel, definitely does not match Peter Gallagher's type (though I think Gallagher is a fine actor). Bernard is small, has trouble talking to women, gets picked on a lot ... I'm beginning to think Bernard and I are the same person. I'm moving on here.

David D. Porter: Okay, here's my list of fifty (in no particular order):

Science Fiction

Foundation (Asimov)
Foundation and Empire (Asimov)
Second Foundation (Asimov)
The Mote in God's Eye (Niven/Pournelle)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (Heinlein)
At the Mountains of Madness (Lovecraft)
2001: A Space Oddessey (Clarke)
Rendezvous With Rama (Clarke)
Ringworld (Niven)
First Lensman (Smith)
Out of That Silent Planet (Lewis)
1984 (Orwell)
Starship Troopers (Heinlein)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Dick)
Childhood's End (Clarke)
Neuromancer (Gibson)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller)
Frankenstein (Shelley)
War of the Worlds (Wells)
The Time Machine (Wells)
From Earth to the Moon (Verne)
The Stainless Steel Rat (Harrison)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Adams)
Little Fuzzy (Piper)
I, Robot (Asimov)

Non-Science Fiction

The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas)
TheThree Musketeers (Dumas)
Les Miserables (Hugo)
Notre Dame de Paris (Hugo) [Hunchback]
A Christmas Carol (Dickens)
Moby Dick (Melville)
Le Morte d'Arthur (Malory)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain)
The Lord of the Rings (Tolkein)
The Mabinogion (Celtic mythology)
Greek and Roman Mythology (Bullfinch)
The Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne)
Alice in Wonderland (Carroll)
The Iliad (Homer)
The Oddessy (Homer)
Dracula (Stoker)
Arabian Nights (trans. Burton)
Ivanhoe (Scott)
Gulliver's Travels (Swift)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (Orczy)
The Jungle Book (Kipling)
Hornblower and the Hotspur (Forester)
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)
Hamlet (Shakespeare)

Okay, if I really had to limit myself to fifty books, they would be omnibus collections, but I didn't think that fit the spirit of the question.

Adam Howarter: I'm sure someone has already suggested this but incase they have not. No list of Sci-fi books would be complete without 2001, 2010, 2061 and 3001.

Matt Cotnoir: Intrigued by the idea of sending in a reading list, I decided to compile one of my own. It probably won't reach 25 sci-fi classics, because I honestly don't read that much sci-fi, but it's worth a shot anyway.

Regular fiction:

Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Hamlet, Shakespeare
Macbeth, Shakespeare
The Hobbit, Tolkien
LOTR Trilogy, Tolkien
Love Medicine, Louise Erdrich
Going After Cacciato, Tim O'Brien
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
The Stranger, Albert Camus
A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn (OK, this isn't fiction, but an interesting history of the US)
Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
1984, George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Walden, Thoreau (again, not fiction)
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
Huck Finn, Mark Twain
Dracula, Bram Stoker
The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
Born on the Fourth of July, Ron Kovic
Lord of the Flies (I can't remember who wrote that though)

Sci-Fi (This probably won't reach 25)

Contact, Carl Sagan
The Hitchhiker's Trilogy (5 books), Douglas Adams
Dune, (Can't remember author, shame on me)
Sphere, Michael Crichton
The Terminal Man, Michael Crichton
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, (Can't remember author)

Gareth Wilson: I'd reccomend Larry Niven's novel _Protector_ for any Trek fans. It's a very interesting treatment of the "super-intelligent being" and "genetically perfect warriors" theme that Trek features so often.

Sarah Perkins: I saw the idea of making a list of really good sci-fi books on this week's Ask the Chief. What a great idea! I might be able to contribute a few titles, and I look forward to seeing what other people have to offer.

Shane Tourtellotte: After much procrastinating, I have a list of 'required reading' for science fiction fans, per Joe Griffin's request:

Virtually anything by Isaac Asimov. His unadorned intellectual style is irreproducible and irreplacable. His story Nightfall, well over fifty years old, is still the consensus choice for best SF short story ever. His Foundation and I, Robot collections remade the landscape of the genre. Without him, science fiction would not have come as far as it has.

Ray Bradbury. Really closer to fantasy than SF, but still an essential writer. His short story collections The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles are rightfully classics, as is Fahrenheit 451. (Though be forewarned about the latter's profanities.)

Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End and novelization of 2001, written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick. Yes, anything you didn't get in the movie will be explained in the book.

Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, which the movie didn't completely wreck. Critics denounced him and this book as fascistic, but were promptly flummoxed by his next work, the hippies' favorite Stranger in a Strange Land(which I haven't read, yet).

Collaborators Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle handled first contact creatively and well in The Mote in God's Eye, then tackled asteroidal calamity before Steven Spielberg or Bruce Willis in Lucifer's Hammer (again, profanity warning).

Of newer writers, I would recommend Connie Willis first, novels and short stories alike. They're refreshingly profanity free, and loaded with SF awards. And do check out her story where H. G. Wells's Martians meet Emily Dickinson. Hilarious.

For short stories, look for Daniel Keyes'sFlowers for Algernon and Barry B. Longyear'sEnemy Mine. Both were extended into novels, then made into movies. Trust me, find the short stories first.

Harlan Ellison's well known for writing Classic Trek's "The City On The Edge Of Forever". His other writing is uniformly shocking, on every level, and deliberately so. That's what makes his much gentler "Jeffty is Five" stand out (though it too has its inevitable profanities). It probably has more impact contrasted to his other stories, but it's still one of his best.


O'Brien's Rank
Beginning with Patrick Sweeney's comments in the 5/1/98 column

Joshua Truax: In the May 1st column Patrick Sweeney says that Starfleet engineers don't go to Starfleet Academy, citing "Starship Down" as evidence of this. That can't be right. For one thing, TNG's Geordi LaForge started out as a command-track officer (indicated by his red first-season uniform) before becoming the Enterprise's chief engineer, so I can't imagine that he never went to the Academy -- especially after ST:FC, in which he tells Cochrane about the Basic Warp Theory course. If he never went to the Academy, how would he know that this was a required course? Then there's Voyager's B'Elanna Torres. How could Torres have gotten kicked out of the Academy if engineers such as her don't even attend the Academy in the first place?

Noncommissioned officers like O'Brien(?) might be able to enlist without going to Starfleet Academy, but I can't possibly believe that all would-be Starfleet engineers get to skip the Academy altogether. More likely, there is a separate branch of Starfleet Academy dedicated to engineering, just as there is a separate medical branch...

Todd Felton: In the May 1 Ask the Chief column, Patrick Sweeney said that he could explain O'Brien's rank because Engineers do not go to the academy. Well, this may be true, but O'Brien also served as a tactical officer while serving on the U.S.S. Rutledge and was involved in the war with the Cardassians, and of course was a transporter chief. I doubt he could have done these things without going to the academy. But then again, he was a lieutenant back then, and he's not now, so maybe the writers just decided to conveniently 'forget' his history too!


On to the questions . . .

Laurel Iverson: No question today, but a reminder notice. Currently in the US there is an opportunity to vote for your favorite stamp idea with a '60's theme. There are five categories, one of which is Arts and Entertainment, with the a choice to vote for a Star Trek stamp. Ballots may be picked up at your local post office or you can vote online at: http://www.stampvote.msn.com/usps/welcome.asp

I can't find anything that says it is for US residents only, so it may be open for anyone to vote. It does have a spot for "country" on the ballot. You may vote for up to three stamp ideas in each category, but those hoping for a Star Trek stamp may want to just vote for Trek in the Arts and Entertainment category, so that the other ideas won't have more votes. The back of the ballot says that multiple entries will be accepted, but I don't know if that option is available via the internet. Ballots must be submitted by May 30, 1998, and the '60's (hopefully Star Trek) stamps will be available June 1999. Please vote and tell all your Trekker friends. :)

Dave B. Walcher: Just a quick question reguarding cannonical ( However you spell it!) sources. what if a scene is filmed for a st movie, then edited, then put back in? example: Peter Preston is identified as Scotty's nephew in a scene that was cut from the theatrical release. That scene has been put back in when ST:TWOK was edited for T.V. Both versions have been shown. So, is Peter Preston Scotty's nephew or not? Just wondering. If you say yes, you should let Saavik be 1/2 Romulan. That scene was filmed also, and the original series if done. We'll probobly never see her again.

Phil: Ultimately, it's the creators who get to decide what's canonical so it really doesn't matter what I think but I'm inclined to grant that Peter Preston is Scott's nephew because the scene was broadcast on television--not just because it was filmed. This, of course, neatly sidesteps the issue of Saabik's heritage since that footage never rose from the cutting room floor!

Danny Wiese: Dan Wiese, La Mesa; In the latest DS9 episode(I missed the name) Nog and Jake in a runabout come across the U.S.S. Vailiant(Defiant class), the entire crew are caddets, but when the get on board Nog a full enisign is taking orders from a cadet. Does this seem right?

Phil: I am sadden to confess that with the frenetic bustle of my life at the moment, I have lost track. Has Nog actually graduated from the Academy yet? Wasn't he just on Summer break or something?

Have a great weekend, everybody!


If you would like to submit a question or comment, send it to: chief@nitcentral.com with "Ask the Chief" or "Question" in the Subject line. (Remember the legalese: Everything you submit becomes mine and you grant me the right to use your name in any future publication by me.)

Copyright 1998 by Phil Farrand. All rights reserved.