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Photo by Michael Ward

Vonda Neel McIntyre, Hugo- and Nebula-winning science fiction author, died of metastatic pancreatic cancer on April 1, 2019, just shy of only two months after a diagnosis thereof. She was 70.

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It might be even harder for you to believe than it is for me, but Deep Space Spines is approaching one year of existence. October 19 marks the day I posted the welcome post, and the review of Star Trek: The Motion Picture went up the very next day.

So, just to commemorate one year, I’ve decided to hold a little fundraiser. The main purpose for this would be putting money toward re-upping the domain, which comes due on October 10. Any additional funds would go toward getting substantially farther ahead on book-buying (and I’m already pretty far ahead as it is)1With one exception, I currently have the next 30 weeks’ worth of books., and maybe also looking into some supplemental research materials.

For the fundraiser, I’m focusing on small one-time donations. You can donate any amount you want by clicking the combadge on the left or right here, both of which will take you to the page where you can donate directly. Although if you’ve been thinking about becoming a patron, you can do that as well. I have no set expectations for this fundraiser, but we’ll see how it goes.

Also, according to its GOG.com page, Star Trek: Judgment Rites is coming up on its 25th anniversary. Judgment Rites is one of my favorite video games of all time; that and a book we’ll get to soon enough are what really made me fall hard for TOS, and it shaped a lot of my ideas about how to go about solving problems.2It’s a shame I started this site too late to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, a gimmick I dreamed about from the first moment since the game came out that I had the forethought to do the math. So as a bonus, starting November 7, I’ll be posting an article about one episode of Judgment Rites every Wednesday until the end of the year. I’m excited to talk about my first non-literary piece of tie-in media, and getting to write about this game will be both a thrill and an honor. I hope you look forward to it as much as I do.

This announcement will remain at the top of the homepage throughout September and a little bit of October.

All ashore that’s going ashore: Deep Space Spines has reached its first Patreon goal! After six months of non-canonical voyages, we’re getting some much-needed shore leave. Or, more accurately, Shore Leave. That’s the name I decided on for the site’s first extracurricular feature, where I talk about some of the non-Trek pop culture I’m enjoying at the moment and attempt (probably in vain) to prove that I have a life beyond Star Trek mass market paperbacks.

Shore Leave will run biweekly on Tuesdays. That seems to me a good halfway point between Fridays, and I don’t exactly take in new things at a breakneck pace, so I think that will suit me and the site just fine for the time being. The first Shore Leave will go up Tuesday, April 24, and then we’ll keep on trekkin’ from there.

I extend my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made this possible so far. I’ve had the good fortune to receive the love of some very generous donors, but if you’d like to help, I assure you that just one dollar a month really and truly makes a big difference toward what I’m able to do for this site—and best of all, your donation shows that you support online longform writing, because as long as people need something to read on the toilet (sonic or otherwise), online longform writing won’t be a dead art form. Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

And of course: live long and prosper, friends.

So the Deep Space Spines project has been chugging along uninterrupted for almost six months now, and amazingly, I’ve managed to not miss a single week yet. If you’re reading it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope you’re enjoying it. Right now, the only things I post are the reviews, and with the exception of the very first post that laid out the site’s mission statement, there hasn’t been a whole lot of occasion or reason for posting meta/real-life things. Until yesterday!

On Monday, DSS received its first big infusion of outside patronage thanks to fan of the site and longtime personal friend Jeff Hibbert. The proprietor of a pizza place near him was clearing out his basement and selling Star Trek books for 50 cents apiece. He grabbed up everything that was in decent condition and found a box to put them in. But the box still had room when he was finished, so he filled it out with more Star Trek books he found at used bookstores around his area.

Check it out!

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