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15 Publication of the U.S.S. Chesapeake and Science-Fiction Club May, 2008 TNG warps to Sci Fi Channel;

Look for Next Gen Quinto feels welcome in Trek episodes to begin airing on the Sci Fi The Sci Fi Channel recently acquired the this. I feel like for this point on, will be Channel! cable TV rights to several genre shows from part of my career as an actor. I don’t antici- the CBS library, including Star Trek: The Next pate my career to stop now that I played this Generation. role.” Next Gen reruns are scheduled to begin “I get this question a lot: ‘Now that you airing on the network on Monday, June 2. are playing Spock, what are you going to do?’” The Sci Fi Channel has a long-standing in- he said. “I am going to keep doing things that terest in the Star Trek franchise. It was the first excite me and challenge me and challenge my network to air both Classic Trek and Star Trek: audience and excite my audience as well.” Enterprise on its channel. In fact, Enterprise is Quinto continued, “I have been so very still airing there. Besides airing the franchise’s fortunate to be warmly embraced by the sci-fi movies, Star Trek: The Animated Series ran on community, and now more specifically the the Sci Fi Channel in the early 1990s. Star Trek community. That means a great deal The Next Generation has aired before, on to me, but my career as an actor is not limited the G4 Channel and on the Spike Channel, to that genre or realm. So I am now excited to when that channel was called The Nashville go off and explore other territories and play Network (TNN). other roles and do other things as well.” Star Trek: The Next Generation is not the “We are about to go back into production only genre program acquired by the network on , and that will take up a lot of time, in the deal. The Sci Fi Channel has also ac- pretty much until Star Trek comes out next quired the rights to such shows as , year,” the star continued. “I will probably try Highlander and Ghost Whisperer, as well as and squeeze a movie or two in while the show Early Edition, Mork and Mindy and Friday the is in production, and then try and get back on Thirteenth: The Series. stage again.” b Zachary Quinto, who is playing the When asked if playing Spock was “daunt- younger Spock in the upcoming Trek XI film, ing,” Quinto replied: “It felt so right in a weird recently said he feels welcomed by fans of the way. Even last summer at Comic-Con when franchise. we announced I would be playing the role and As reported by trekmovie.com, Quinto there were like 6,500 people in the audience, said, “I have been made to be prepared for I never felt overwhelmed.” In this issue: Art Credits 3 Captain’s Log 2 We “may” return to the Whites’ for our meeting Club Members Insert front The next meeting of the U.S.S. Chesapeake meeting, which will start at 7:00 p.m. Coming Events 6 Star Trek and Science-Fiction Club will be held We’ll discuss what fellow club members Directions to Meeting Insert front on Saturday, May 17, at the Laurel, Maryland, have been up to, talk about the upcoming Meeting Minutes home of Starfleet Intelligence Officer Annie conventions as well as discuss the latest news Insert back White and Chief of Computer Operations about Star Trek and other sci-fi television Reflections 4 John White. shows and feature films. Science Trek 3 Wayne’s Worlds 5 We’ll get together to decide what to do for For directions, please check out this dinner around 5:00 p.m., followed by our club month’s Insert. Volume 17, Issue 4 CAPTAIN’S LOG: “—Blood Will Tell” What a year I’m having! as a bald black guy with a goatee and lieu- I went back to work following a week tenant’s markings on his gold shirt strolled of recovery from having my gall bladder re- through a corridor and we learned why moved. One week later, it became difficult to Gralmeth was rejected by his people after get any sleep at all. I expect to return to my “Trouble.” job starting part time the week of May 12. Issue #3 leaped from Tribbles to the My thanks to everyone who held down Mugato as Commander Krell intro- the fort while I was recuperating at the Hall duced Kirk’s friends on the primitive planet homestead up in northeastern . Neural—including Tyree and his witchy In my previous column, I began review- woman, Nona—to flintlock “fire-sticks” as ing Star Trek comics being produced by IDW part of “A Private Little War.” Publishing, and I wasn’t overwhelmed by “Day of the Dove” was the center of events the firstNext Generation series, entitled “The in the fourth part, as Kang (and by extension, Space Between.” other Klingons) learned that cooperation with But better days—and stories—were soon the crew of the Enterprise is not always a bad to come as the company put out a five-is- thing when they joined forces to expel a crea- Commander Krell sue mini-series that focused on the Klingon ture that feeds on violence and hatred. (right) battles a Mugato during IDW’s point of view during Classic Trek. The final issue, entitled “Losses,” showed “Klingons—Blood Will Written by Scott and David Tipton and Councilman Kahnrah coming to a decision Tell” mini-series. penciled by David Messina, the tale had a about his vote. He then had to fight his way framing sequence set during the time of Star past several assassins—including a surprising Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. one—to cast the deciding ballot regarding Copyright 2008 As Kahnrah, a member of the Klingon Gorkon’s proposal of peace with the Federation. U.S.S. Chesapeake NCC-9102, a High Council, struggled with his tie-break- Now available in trade paperback form, not-for-profit ing vote regarding war or peace with the “Blood Will Tell” is without a doubt the best organization. Federation, he explained to his granddaugh- Star Trek series so far produced by the folks All rights reserved, including ter, K’ahlynn, various encounters between at IDW. reproducing parts of the two galactic powers. I have to admit that I was worried at this document. The first issue dealt with the episode first when I heard the premise of the story. Check out our club “Errand of Mercy” and tried to reconcile Would the comics simply give us different website: www. the “mean” Klingons of Classic Trek with “camera angles” from well-known episodes usschesapeake.org their “honorable” descendants in Next Gen and declare those the Klingons’ point of view? The opinions by having Kor’s first officer express doubts Instead, the Tiptons used the opportu- expressed in this about killing the “defenseless” Organians as a nity to flesh out several aspects of some of publication do not necessarily represent means of population control. our favorite Classic Trek episodes, along with those of the And just to show that the folks at IDW some characters we knew little or nothing entire club. are big fans of Trek, the first part also had about before the mini-series, by cleverly “Star Trek,” a variant edition in which all the text was drawing on continuity from throughout the “Star Trek: The Next printed in Klingonese, as translated by Marc Trek “generations.” Generation,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Okrand and the Klingon Language Institute! Artwise, Messina’s work was consistently Nine,” “Star Trek: One of the best issues of the series was good throughout, and there were some Voyager,” and “Star #2, in which the Klingons—now unable to nifty alternative covers featuring photos of Trek: Enterprise,” as well as the terms confront Starfleet directly due to the Orga- the episodes featured in each story. All of “starship” and nians’ involvement—turned to stealth as a those—as well as the issue in Klingonese— “starship Enterprise,” way of defeating the UFP in “The Trouble are included in the trade paperback, which is are registered trademarks of With Tribbles.” well worth your hard-earned quatloos. Paramount Pictures A highlight of the story was our chance Rating: b b b b. Corporation. All rights reserved. to see Gralmeth, a Klingon whose small So where did IDW go from here? Next Absolutely no stature kept him out of the military, undergo time, we’ll look at the firstStar Trek: Year infringement on surgery to pass as Arne Darvin at Deep Space Four mini, during which a local comic-book these rights is intended. Station K-7 only to be betrayed by those cute artist makes good and Kirk and company get little Tribbles. caught up in reality TV! COMSTAR, page 2 There was cool continuity all around, Captain Randy Hall SCIENCE TREK: Galaxy wars Imagine a billion billion grains of sand but one Group in the Local aka Virgo super floating in FedEx Field. Nah, that’s not the cluster. (I’m not making this up.) right scale. Try a billion billion ping-pong For those guessing the next step, our super balls scattered inside the Earth. Still not right. cluster and others are heading toward something Okay, let’s just go with reality or some called “The Great Attractor.” (Seriously, I’m not approximation thereof. Imagine that our sun making this up.) Add to all of this gravitational has the diameter of a grain of sand (about 0.2 attraction, the inherent motions of galaxies and millimeters). Our average size galaxy would all lesser components of the universal order. stretch a third of the way or so to the moon. So, what does this mean in terms of galac- Put another metaphorical way, if our sun tic collisions? Simply put, like ping-pong balls were the size of a ping-pong ball, our galaxy flying semi-randomly around FedEx Field, would be about 128 million miles across. I’ll sometimes galaxies collide. What does this say “wow” for you. That’s just to give you an mean for you if it were your galaxy colliding? idea of the scale we’re dealing with. Probably nothing in the short term. This month’s column could also be titled Galactic collisions don’t just seem to take “When galaxies collide” (tonight on Fox!). forever; they last for millions of years. It’s like One of my favorite sites on the whole World a marriage; two great assemblies of gas, dust, Wide Web is Astronomy Picture of the Day stars and magnetic fields become one. When (APOD ... see Web Notes for the link). Several they’re over, the two galaxies have merged into recent pictures have shown colliding galaxies, one. Interacting great clouds of interstellar so I figured I’d spend a few minutes of your dust and gas have probably sparked the birth time talking up the topic. of millions or more new stars. Stacked against the other fundamental And the stars themselves? Much as science forces of nature (strong and weak nuclear and fiction might like, they never actually collide (or electro-magnetic), gravity is the weakest. Yet almost never, since in science we always—almost because it operates over the greatest distance, always—hedge our bets, just in case). Sure, it’s perhaps the most obvious. Every definable some might get thrown out into intergalactic mass attracts gravitationally every other de- space (thanks again, gravity) or run through finable mass in the entire universe. Basically. a dense cloud of dust and gas. Remember the You jump up and you come back down scales up above. Stars are tiny, galaxies are BIG. to earth because, well, the Earth is far more Relatively. Most of a galaxy is empty space. A galaxy at war? massive than you are. We have tides because Wouldn’t it be better for us all if the the moon and the sun tug on the earth and its roadways were similarly disposed? For those waters. The Earth orbits—falls around—the curious about the Milky Way, we are in fact on sun because of gravity (combined with our a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy. world’s orbital velocity). I wouldn’t start panicking yet, though. It’ll be On a larger scale, our solar system orbits about three billion years. the center of our galaxy as do collections of stars (aka clusters) within and surrounding Web Notes our galaxy because the collective mass of our • http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix. galaxy is far greater than that of any one point html (One of my favorite sites ... can’t say outside its center. that enough); Digression: Back to the Earth for a mo- • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Group ment. Of course, the Earth is far bigger than (Which local group, you ask?); its center, but because the Earth is approxi- • http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/ mately a sphere, the average of all those grains releases/2008/16/image/ (A galore of gal- ART CREDITS: startrek.com 1 of sand, molecules of water and clumps of axies colliding .... it’s like astrophysical cel- idwpublishing.com 2 dirt pulling on you ends up being the center ebrity porn); and images.google.com • http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/ 3, 4, 5, 6, of said sphere (aka the Earth). Insert front, Beyond galaxies attracting each other releases/galaxy/2002/09/image/a/ (Milky Insert back (gravitationally, that is), there are groups Way-Andromeda ... the Great Battle ... of galaxies. Our Local Group (Milky Way, 3 billion years in the making). Andromeda and about 33 other galaxies) is Second Officer Phil Margolies COMSTAR, page 3

Second Officer Phil Margolies REFLECTIONS: Is it good science fiction? Is Battlestar Galactica good drama? Yes. erence? Now tell me what episode that’s from.) It’s VERY good drama, no question about it. I have mixed feelings about that explanation. But is it good science fiction? This is where If it’s true, it would be a terrible disappoint- the show fails, in my opinion. ment, not to mention a colossal cheat, Science fiction is supposed to be about but it would explain everything. wonder, about speculation and imagination. This brings up a statement I’ve This is the root of the genre. Galactica is with- heard bandied around by a lot of out a doubt, to me, one of the most unimagi- television critics lately. They’ve been native science-fiction shows I’ve ever seen. It’s laying the claim that Galactica is the totally devoid of speculation and the fabled greatest science-fiction show ever. As “What if?” that the genre cries out for. And as I’ve stated on numerous occasions, I far as having a sense of wonder, Galactica is as love the show, but the greatest? No. closed minded as they come. Not even close. Everything seems frozen in time, includ- True, its approach has been dif- ing technology, fashion and especially the hu- ferent from pretty much every sci-fi man condition. I know some people who love show that has come along. This is a this because they don’t think things or people good thing, but sometimes, differ- are going to change in the next two to three ent doesn’t mean better. Different is hundred years. always good, but it’s what you do with Number Six (left, I just tell those people to look at history. that difference that matters. obviously) and Baltar A little over a hundred years ago, there was On the surface, Farscape was different in from Battlestar slavery. Now, such a thought is an anathema. its look, make-up and dynamic. Storywise, Galactica. People evolve. The Wright brothers flew the unfortunately, after a good first two seasons, its first successful airplane on December 17, 1903. storytelling was reduced to bargain basement Man landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. cliches and extremely silly situations. This is Do the math. what the critics seem to love: the silliness. Like I said, almost everything seems fro- While we’re on the subject of Farscape, I ab- zen in time. Well, except starship technology solutely HATED the psychic connection between and robotics. But attitudes, culture and hu- Crichton and Scorpius. Again, critics thought man development all seem stuck in the 1960s. this was cute. I found it incredibly boring. The other exception is religion. Their reli- Thus my problem with the “psychic con- gious beliefs seem to be somewhere circa 200 nection” between Baltar and Number Six. I B.C. It’s like one day, mankind just stumbled never thought I would find sex, in any incar- onto this technology without forethought, nation, boring. Baltar and Number Six have inspiration or epiphany. pushed me to that point. It was interesting for As a matter of fact, we know almost a short while, but then it was used too much, nothing about the people of that culture. and the novelty was gone almost as soon as it What little we’ve seen of them appears to be was presented. And it was silly. plucked right out of the 20th century. Sure, That’s why the critics love it. Silly they their sports are different. I mean, I don’t even can understand. I’ve always felt that televi- remember the sport they played. I just re- sion critics were always intimidated by science member that Starbuck’s New Caprica husband fiction, mainly because they don’t understand supposedly was a superstar in it. Even the it. Galactica is GREAT drama, but it’s BAD sci- media coverage seemed to be mired in the 21st ence fiction. century, but compared to everything else, this There, I said it. There’s no deep, penetrat- seems like progress. ing examination of man and his imagination. It’s not all bad, though. They have a way There’s NO science involved, so there’s nothing out of their lack of progress in certain areas. to intimidate them. The genre makes most It could turn out that they’re not from Earth critics feel dumb, and if you dumb down the at all, but some Earth-like planet reveling in genre, critics will respond. For example, the Hodgkin’s Law of Parallel Planet Develop- critics loved Firefly, one of the dumbest sci- ment. (How’s THAT for a subtle Star Trek ref- Continued on page 6 COMSTAR, page 4 WAYNE’S WORLDS: Reading the next big thing? Everyone always wants to know, what’s Notice anything similar about all those the next big thing? When it comes to genre projects? They’re based on comics and novels, television and movies, you could be carrying it of course! around with you during the day or have it next The intermingling of “written” sci-fi with to your bed to read at night. television and movie projects is a long-lived The premiere of Iron Man, which took in one. One of my favorites is the Sci Fi Chan- $101 million, exceeded all expectations as it nel’s version of The Dresden Files, inspired by kicked off the summer movie season. As any the Jim Butcher series of novels. A new series comic book reader knows, Iron Man has been of comics penned by Butcher is out as a comic one of the higher-tier characters in Marvel from the Dabel Brothers, by the way. Comics since his origin in the 1960s. Now I know all of you are very busy Interestingly enough, Tony Stark’s alter ego people, and that reality gets in the way of sci- has been struggling of late in comics. In recent ence fiction sometimes. But I’ve also come to years, he was head of his own corporation (like understand that reading is a very important most of his history), but he’s also been trans- activity. formed into a younger version of himself, then I’ve stated many times just how much was made the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., the biggest television I watch (a lot of it, including genre spy/enforcement agency in the United States. shows, crime dramas and historical programs), None of this has helped him sell a monthly but if you see me at the doctor’s or dentist’s of- comic, although I expect that will change as a fice or perhaps waiting for a friend at the local result of this film. subway station to give him a ride, you’ll find a (As an aside, whoever cast Robert Downey book in my hands. Jr., as Tony Stark was inspired since both have I just finished reading the latest Dresden faced demons having novel, “Small Favor.” The next on my list is the to do with substance first of theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine: Terok abuse.) Nor series, “Day of the Vipers.” Like , I know that there are comics and nov- Batman and Spider-Man els based on The CW’s Supernatural, and before him, Iron Man paperbacks based on just about every series has made it to the big ever made (some of which haven’t aired new time—with help from episodes in years) can be picked up at the local his fans and readers. bookstore. Novels and comics have often been Also coming this the testing ground for television programs and summer is a movie movies. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve read based on the Hulk and some awful stinkers in my day, but I’ve already the big-picture sequel read some stories I wished had been converted to Batman Begins, one to the big screen. of my all-time favorite For example, as a DS9 devotee, I always films. remember the wonderful set of “Relaunch” This summer books that kept the spirit of the show alive. promises to be a big one (I just wish they came out more often!) for me as far as movie I find it intriguing how books make me attendance goes. There want to see movies and programs based on are many genre-related them, like Harry Potter. I got into these books films that I through a friend who told me they were like am anxious to see. the X-Men but instead of mutant powers, they The biggest movie of 2008 ... so far! Another motion picture I am counting used magic. I loved them from the very first the days down to is The Chronicles of Narnia: book. Prince Caspian. I loved C. S. Lewis’ series of However, I didn’t open a Dresden Files books as well as The Lion, the Witch and the novel until Sci Fi picked it up as a regular Wardrobe feature film when it came out a few series. Now I can’t wait for the next book! years back. Continued on page 6 COMSTAR, page 5 COMING EVENTS MAY May 17 ...... The next meeting will be on Saturday, May 17, at the Laurel, Maryland, home of Starfleet Intelligence Officer Annie White and Chief of Computer Operations John White! REFLECTIONS: Is it good science fiction? ... concluded continued from page 4 Adama wouldn’t die. ence-fiction shows I’ve ever seen. It was also painfully obvious that when One of the things I love about Galactica Roslyn was jailed, she would eventually bust is, in true Star Trek fashion, the Cylons seem out, linger for a while and return. Heck, I to be more human than the humans. That is knew she’d be president again, not to mention a remarkable bit of irony that never seems to lose the election in the first place. Hey, what grow old. Another thing I love is its ability to can I say? DS9 spoiled me, and I could see all craft both a serial AND a stand-alone episode of that coming. I even knew Baltar would end from the same show. Star Trek: Deep Space up being president. Can anyone say Kai Winn? Nine did this to perfection, and Battlestar But with all of its faults, its lack of science Galactica owes more than just a subtle nod to and its boring episodes of late, I’d still watch that show. Battlestar Galactica over 90 percent of all the For all its scenes of jaw-dropping revela- science-fiction shows that have been produced. tion, I’ve found the show very predictable of If not for Roddenberry’s dream, it might have late. When Boomer shot Adama, I was elated been my favorite of all time. at first, then I calmed down ‘cause I KNEW Conn Officer Lorenzo Heard WAYNE’S WORLDS: Reading next big thing ... concluded continued from page 5 their favorites get, and write down the words The cross-pollinization of comics and each one says during the latest presentation. movies these days is happening at a frenetic That’s not me. I love a good story and, al- pace. Look at The Stranded, though I have my favorite guys and gals in the a comic book that is a collabo- shows I watch, I often continue to view a show ration between Virgin Comics after a beloved character has gone. and the Sci Fi Channel. The Of course, Deep Space Nine is a perfect company advertises this work- example of this. Jadzia Dax died, and the cre- ing relationship as “the next ative staff seamlessly introduced an even more evolution of comic books.” interesting character in her place. Also, Marvel Comics I’m sure some viewers gave up because Ter- makes no secret of its desire to ry Farrell was gone, but the stories actually got hire movie scripters to write somewhat better because of the new character. its monthly titles. (I often What does that mean? I wouldn’t get hear that a comic book is con- hooked on any one character or actor. Like sidered as a movie “dry run.” Michael Shanks, they may decide to leave! Frank Miller’s Sin City was My advice to you, fellow “story lover,” is to directed to look exactly like look beyond the small or big screen. (Don’t the series it was inspired by.) stop watching them, of course—you’ll miss out Why work so hard to fit on some great material!) But if you find a pro- this into an already full sched- gram or movie that you like, try out the written ule? Because, honestly, I can’t word version of it. Or maybe check out some- get enough of good stories. thing new by an author or about a character A movie I can’t wait to see this summer! I find many fans to be interested in you like. You may just find even more to love! specific characters, some of whom literally And you just may be on the ground floor sit with stopwatches to keep accurate track of of the next big thing! COMSTAR, page 6 just how many seconds of on-air screen time Chief of Security Wayne Hall