July 2018 – Deep Space Spines

Shore Leave #08: Better World Books

On 31 July 2018

Shore Leave is the non-Trek culture arm of the Deep Space Spines website, posted every other Tuesday and made possible by donations to the site’s Patreon.

Well, Spiners—can I call my readers Spiners? Don’t answer that, it was rhetorical—we’re due for another round of Shore Leave, and I haven’t done any of the sort of sort of new and exciting (or even new and boring) thing at any point during the last two weeks that would normally populate this biweekly space. So this week, I’m taking a different tack.

#041: Bloodthirst (TOS #37)

By jess

On 27 July 2018

In TOS

The last time J.M Dillard tried to mix Star Trek with horror, it didn’t turn out so hot. The idea scored some points for novelty, but the execution was lacking. But if at first you don’t succeed, so the saying try again, and in this case, the second time’s the charm. Now, just in time for Christmas ’87 comes a good old-fashioned Halloween yarn. Though the premise—”what if vampires, but Star Trek”—could have easily succumbed to risible goofiness, Dillard never allowed it to dominate the story and fortified it with some of her best character work yet. This week, we check out Bloodthirst, or, Porphyria and Loathing in Las Tanis.

#040: Encounter at Farpoint (TNG)

By jess

On 20 July 2018

In Movie and Episode Novelizations, TNG

Ah, time to tuck in to yet another Star Trek adventure. I just love going on printed adventures with Kirk and Spock and all the rest. Just me and the NCC-1701, forever and ever. So what are they up to this week? Let’s see…

Wait a minute. “Next Generation”? Who’s this bald guy? And the one with the thing on his face? What’s up with the chalky pale guy? A Klingon in a Starfleet uniform? Bwaaaa? And since when do they let kids on the Enterprise?

Image result for who are you people gif

Shore Leave #07: Taco Tuesday

By jess

On 17 July 2018

In Shore Leave

Shore Leave is the non-Trek culture arm of the Deep Space Spines website, posted every other Tuesday and made possible by donations to the site’s Patreon.

I assume Torchy’s has never been sued for ripping off the Harvey Comics character Hot Stuff for their logo, but I’m amazed nonetheless.

My city (Denton, Texas) finally got its own branch of the legendary Austin taco joint Torchy’s, and I was fortunate enough to receive word of mouth in time to RSVP for a spot in their pre-opening stress test. I’d never been to a Torchy’s before, but I’d heard breathless stories from trustworthy sources and had already bought big-time into the hype. Usually I’m more cautious in my optimism for new restaurants, but I’m happy to say it more than lived up to even the grand vision I’d built up in my head.

#039: How Much for Just the Planet? (TOS #36)

By jess

On 13 July 2018

In TOS

How Much for Just the Planet? serves up blue orange juice and inflatable rubber starships straight out the gate and only gets weirder from there. If you’re looking for the wackiest, goofiest, zaniest, most out-there Star Trek there is to be had, then you can stop drillin’, ’cause you struck oil. The only previous novel it has anything even remotely in common with is Ishmael, and even then, that’s only in the sense that there is absolutely no way, in this day and age when publishers are supremely and exclusively concerned with The Brand, that it would ever get published today. John M. Ford’s second and final Trek book is daring, clever, silly, wildly original, and like no Star Trek adventure before it or since.

I also do not like it very much.

Month: July 2018 Page 1 of 2

Shore Leave #08: Better World Books

#041: Bloodthirst (TOS #37)

#040: Encounter at Farpoint (TNG)

Shore Leave #07: Taco Tuesday

#039: How Much for Just the Planet? (TOS #36)