Back in August we told you about the newly-redesigned and revamped official Star Trek magazine STAR TREK EXPLORER, and this week it’s finally arrived.
Along with pages of interviews, photos, and more Star Trek data dumps — this month’s first issue includes Star Trek: Discovery features on Blu del Barrio (Adira), Ian Alexander (Gray), David Cronenberg (Kovich), and series co-showrunner Michelle Paradise — there’s also a collection of short stories which are set to be a recurring feature of the publication.
Star Trek Explorer’s new short fiction are fun, bite-sized stories that give you quick hits of Trek fiction when you don’t have time to dive into a full novel; there are two in the print edition, and another two in the digital supplement for subscribers to the digital version of the magazine.
The inaugural two stories in the print edition –“All That Most Maddens and Torments” by Christopher Cooper, which concerns Q’s encounter with the original Enterprise’s captain, and “Q and False,” a Next Gen tale by former Star Trek: Voyager story editor Lisa Klink.
Both stories capably capture the essence and voice of John de Lancie’s iconic Q character, and Christopher Cooper’s story is particularly fun, as it puts the galactic trickster face to face with James T. Kirk during an important moment in the captain’s life.
Klink briefly shared a few comments with us regarding her story.
What can fans look forward to in this new short fiction from Star Trek Explorer, and from your story in particular?
Readers can look forward to some fun with new stories about Q.
After having written episodes for DS9 and Voyager, what made you want to return to the Star Trek universe and write Star Trek short fiction?
I was excited by the opportunity to revisit the Trek universe, especially the chance to write about any characters I liked. I’ve never written about The Next Generation crew, so I was happy to be able to feature them in my story.
What most intrigues you about the character of Q?
I love the mysterious nature of Q, and his complete disregard for things like dignity and protocol.
How do you see Q – is he a cheerful antagonist, an antagonistic ally, or something else?
I see Q as a cheerful antagonist. He rarely does significant harm, but certainly doesn’t have the best interests of any Starfleet crew members in mind.
What would you say is the most defining relationship for the character in your eyes?
I believe Q is inherently narcissistic. He’s only interested in his own amusement, not any other consequence of his actions.
How is the creative process similar or different between writing a short story and the script for an episode of Star Trek?
The process of writing a short story is far different from writing an episode because there are no restrictions of budget or practicality. In a story, I can literally reinvent the universe in any way I like.
Do you have any more Star Trek stories on the way?
I certainly hope to have more stories in future issues of the magazine.
Titan Magazines has successfully leveraged the use of short fiction in their Star Wars magazine, and so it’s pleasing to see them bring the format to the new Star Trek Explorer. And if that wasn’t enough, a supplement to the digital edition of the magazine also has additional stories by James Swallow and Una McCormack, two long-time Star Trek novelists.
It’s been over a decade since any kind of short fiction Star Trek was in print, and it’s exciting to see a return to the format.
If you want to subscribe to the new Star Trek Explorer magazine, you can head over here.