The new Concordance (again) and ST: Of Gods and Men

[Captain Robert April]

A bit of a semi-update: It looks like any printed version will be a self-publishing arrangement, through the same outfit that Piers Anthony is currently working with. This will enable all sorts of distribution options, including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.

But that's months away, and things can always change, but that's where we stand at the moment.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Out of curiosity, what self publishing outfit is it?

 

[Captain Robert April]

XLibris, I think is the name. Piers Anthony has moved his "Bio of a Space Tyrant" series there, and is looking to move the rest of his catalog.

They've got some pretty nifty packages. Should fit our needs quite nicely.

 

[seigezunt]

XLibris, I think is the name. Piers Anthony has moved his "Bio of a Space Tyrant" series there, and is looking to move the rest of his catalog.

They've got some pretty nifty packages. Should fit our needs quite nicely.

Yes, they are a good outfit from what I've heard. I've been talking with them about publishing a novel I've been editing.

 

[Steve Roby]

Don't forget to check Writer Beware and Absolute Write before going with companies like XLibris.

 

[Captain Robert April]

That should prove useful, thanks.

 

[Captain Robert April]

A little exchange with Bjo I felt I should pass along and field some opinions.

ME:I'm getting more than a few reactions of "why do we need an update of the Concordance?" (mostly from kids who've grown used to the idea of Memory Alpha; older fans seem a bit more enthusiastic), so at the very least, I want to help make sure it's done right.

BJO: I think the book should be sold as a Historic Piece. thank you for helping to make sure it's done right.

ME: So, we ARE bringing back the wheel on the front cover?

BJO: I doubt that we could do the wheel with any of these publishers. Unless we published the wheel on a separate page with instructions on how to cut it out, attach it with a brad and make your own.

ME: Hmm....might be worth looking into, but I suspect with all the additional entries since '76, there might be a problem in fitting all that stuff on the wheel.

So, is it worth it to look into resurrecting that wheel?

 

[OmahaStar]

If the above is a legitimate conversation you had with Bjo, do you have her permission - in writing - to post her words? If not, you've broken the rules big time. If it is not a real conversation you've had with her, that's fanfiction, and belongs in that forum. Surely, since you've been here long enough to get the Vice Admiral rank, you know the rules better than that?

 

[Captain Robert April]

 

[Captain Robert April]

So, how 'bout it, wheel or no wheel?

 

[OmahaStar]

What, are you unfamiliar with the rules? Well then, how bout I link you to them, so you can refresh your memory.

http://www.trekbbs.com/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_privacy

I'll point you specifically to this:

You also cannot post material such as chat logs, emails, private messages or messages from other message boards - without the consent of all involved parties.

Did you have Bjo's permission in advance? If not, you clearly broke the board rules.

 

[Captain Robert April]

You could fuck up a wet dream, you know that?

 

[seigezunt]

I love this thread.

That said, I don't think we need the wheel, speaking as an oldtimer.

 

[DimesDan]

If the above is a legitimate conversation you had with Bjo, do you have her permission - in writing - to post her words? If not, you've broken the rules big time. If it is not a real conversation you've had with her, that's fanfiction, and belongs in that forum. Surely, since you've been here long enough to get the Vice Admiral rank, you know the rules better than that?

So, how 'bout it, wheel or no wheel?

What, are you unfamiliar with the rules? Well then, how bout I link you to them, so you can refresh your memory.

http://www.trekbbs.com/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_privacy

I'll point you specifically to this:

You also cannot post material such as chat logs, emails, private messages or messages from other message boards - without the consent of all involved parties.

Did you have Bjo's permission in advance? If not, you clearly broke the board rules.

You could fuck up a wet dream, you know that?

I know that answering the question could very well incriminate you, but answer the question, did you or did you not get permission to upload that conversation onto here?

 

[Rosalind]

What, are you unfamiliar with the rules? Well then, how bout I link you to them, so you can refresh your memory.

http://www.trekbbs.com/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_privacy

I'll point you specifically to this:

You also cannot post material such as chat logs, emails, private messages or messages from other message boards - without the consent of all involved parties.

Did you have Bjo's permission in advance? If not, you clearly broke the board rules.

OmahaStar, leaving the modding of this forum to LS and myself, will ya? If you have a problem with a post, use the notify button, don't backseat modding. All you have done here is provoking another poster, and that does not help with the general atmosphere of the forum.

You could fuck up a wet dream, you know that?

CRA, this reply does not help.

I know that answering the question could very well incriminate you, but answer the question, did you or did you not get permission to upload that conversation onto here?

The "no posting chat logs, emails, etc." rule was put in place primarily to protect members of this board. It really doesn't apply in this case. There are no personal information posted in this conversation, the main reason there's a no posting private correspondence rule.

Now, can we please get back to the topic of the thread?

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

So, how 'bout it, wheel or no wheel?

If the main demographic for this edition is old time TOS fans, and nostalgia is a selling point, then I would say including the wheel would definitely be a plus, as it was one of the identifying features of the original.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Well, then, I'll definitely have a look-see at the feasibility of doing a DIY wheel, to see if all the new info will fit. If you want it, great, if you don't want it, you don't have to put it together.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I'm looking into conducting a panel at this year's Starfest Denver discussing this literary endeavor.

Just thought I'd let y'all know...

 

[RookieBatman]

Okay, I'll bite... for all of us young'ns, what is this wheel?

 

[Christopher]

Okay, I'll bite... for all of us young'ns, what is this wheel?

Here's an image of the cover of the Ballantine Concordance:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/File:StarTrekConcordance.jpg

Attached to the inside of the cover was a rotating cardboard wheel with text printed on it. You grasp the wheel in the cutout at the right of the cover/front of the saucer and rotate it to put the desired episode title within the "Title" window on the far left, on top of the impulse engines. Next to that is a window showing the call letters, the abbreviation used to represent the episode in the Lexicon and various indices. Above that is a window showing the stardate for the episode, and below is a window showing the page number of the episode listing. So you can look up any episode and quickly find what page it's on.

For instance, I have my Concordance wheel turned to "The Enemy Within," call letters EW, and I see that its stardate is 1672.1 and its entry is on page 39. I turn to page 39 and there's the episode summary! Whee! (Or should I say, wheel!)

Back before electronic calculators and such, there were lots of cardboard calculators of this type, a variant on the slide rule principle, where you'd rotate one wheel inside another and the text or numbers would be printed on the wheel so that they'd align within cutout windows to give you the information you needed. I think there's a TOS episode where Spock is using such a device on the bridge, and it's actually some kind of navigational calculator for aviators.