Sons Fikshon

The World of Star Trek and “The Trouble with Tribbles”, By David Gerrold.

The second wave of Star Trek fandom hit us in grade school as the reruns began, and the mania hit us hard. Playings, MEGO dolls, and Mike got these books, examinations of the phenomenon by David Gerrold, who wrote the classic episode about Tribbles. Had photos and in the “Trouble” one, cartoons. When Mike moved on, they fell to me as conservator. I think this copy of “World” is a replacement, with the original falling to bits. A little slice of time as the fandom was getting into gear.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Television. History. Fandom. Paperbacks.

Star Trek: The New Voyages, Edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath.

One of the first – if not the first – of the Star Trek fiction books not tied to the stories of the canonical series. Although published professionally, the collected stories were written and submitted by fans. Back when you could put it all on one shelf.

Ranking: Sentimental Keeper.

File Code: Anthology. Star Trek. Paperback.

Perry Rhodan 43: Life Hunt, by Kurt Brand.

What the hell was this? Mike bought it when he was on his sci-fi kick, but I don’t think anyone ever really liked it, except I remembered being impressed by the short story “Micro Man”. Examining it now I find it was edited by Forrest J. Ackerman, which kind of explains its fanzine style; I think the series was a serial fanzine, in book form. But I’m not going back at this time of day to do any further research.

Ranking: ?????

File Code: Serial Fanzine? Science Fiction. Paperback.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.

The first and arguably the best of the Hitchhiker series. They have tried to adapt it several times in several ways, with spotty results. I got the rest of the series as they came out, but while fairly entertaining, lightning never really struck twice. When I came to think about what a dill-hole person he was and the adoration of his person by dill-hole people, I lost my taste for his works. Except this one, which is an entertainment surprisingly free from the soap-box syndrome of the amateurish philosophy that plagued his later work.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Science Fiction. Novel. Humor. Paperback.