Enterprising Individuals

Open up a fresh deck of cards and sit down for a game of fizzbin as we cut ourselves "A Piece of the Action"!Dr. Steven Mollmann joins the show this week to talk about a classic episode of Star Trek: the Original Series that sees our heroes trade their phasers for tommyguns and their uniforms for zoot suits! When the Enterprise arrives at Sigma Iotia II, they discover that cultural contamination by the USS Horizon has altered the primitive society, and "gangsters" vie for control of the planet. Now Kirk and crew must prevent an all-out gang war before Oxmyx and Krako can rub them out!Humor in Trek is always welcome and on this episode, we talk about some of Trek's funniest moments and why it's necessary to occasionally pop the bubble of ostentation. We also discuss how Sigma Iotia is the Galaxy Quest of planets, the vagaries of the Prime Directive, the way humor humanizes your favorite characters, Trek's history of employing comedy actors, and the granular detail of 23rd century books about the 1920s.We also

Double check your TOS this week (that's Terms of Service) as Dr. David A. Banks comes back to the show to assess the state of data security and implementation in the Star Trek universe! No one in Trek has an ID or a social media account or watches cable news . . . instead, they're a bunch of Shakespeare-loving, flute-playing beatniks who take their benevolent surveillance state for granted. How did humanity go from dragging Zuck up on Capitol Hill to being OK with having to argue with a computer to keep from dying in the cold of space?In this wide-ranging talk, we look at Trek's conspicuous lack of data privacy, the crew's Victorian pastimes, the role of the media in Trek, "big data" (not Data), and we ask, "Just who's on the Federation Council, anyway?" Plus, we talk future news networks, having "admin" as your auto-destruct password, how the cop procedural killed the western, the David Simon season of DS9, scamming your Andorian grandma's welfare, losing the Spotify servers in WW3, Ensign Tilly's Instagram

Cut yourself a slice of pecan pie and use it as ransom in a coerced cultural exchange as we consider "Prime Factors"!Producer and writer Eric A. Stillwell joins the show this week to talk about an early episode of Star Trek: Voyager that he wrote the story for, along with David R. George III. When Voyager meets the Sikarians, a race with technology that could cut their journey home in half, they're ready to trade everything they have to shorten their trip. However, the Sikarians have their own version of the Prime Directive, and the ideological clash that results threatens to fracture the crew's fragile unity!Eric has worked in Hollywood for over 30 years and helped Trek return to primetime TV in the 1980s, going from a Paramount page to a writer and story editor for Star Trek: The Next Generation. On this episode, we talk about the origins of "Prime Factors", its roots in Assignment: Earth, its connection to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, flipping the Prime Directive on its head, turning Tuvok traitor, th

The party continues this week as Mikanhana of the Just Enough Trope podcast joins the show to discuss the good, the bad, and the clunky parts of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's fourth season! We cover Alan Moore textual whiplash, Lil' Fantastic Four, getting the "wheel spinning" out of the way, avoiding that "Troi contract", humanization via butt-rubbing, bat'leth lawyering, and Evil-Lyn working for Section 31!Plus, news about new Trek projects, contract disputes, and the latest word from "The Kurtz!"If the ship explodes, you wear prisoner clothes!Star Trek: Discovery Season One is available for pre-order on Blu-ray!https://amzn.to/2MagK7WLast chance to get David Mack's Destiny Trilogy for a buck a book!Gods of Nighthttps://amzn.to/2MwVPJ8Mere Mortalshttps://amzn.to/2vvePBpLost Soulshttps://amzn.to/2vwASrbJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our new feature, Stellar Commentaries!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterp

Sharpen your bat'leth and pour yourself a tall glass of prune juice as we walk "The Way of the Warrior"!New York Times bestselling author and lecturer Dr. Una McCormack joins the show this week as we examine an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that opens a new chapter of the "Russian novel" that is Trek's most complicated series. The Klingons, spoiling for a fight with the Dominion, have barged their way onto the station and into Bajoran space, and Lt. Commander Worf is dispatched to assess the worsening situation in the sector. But when a Klingon Empire plot to preemptively invade Cardassia is revealed, Sisko and crew must race to protect the Detapa Council, and Starfleet's lone Klingon officer must choose between his people and his principles!This highly regarded, feature length episode serves as a soft reboot of the series, adding fan-favorite Worf to DS9's "Island of Misfit Toys" crew, while setting the growing threat of the Dominion at center stage. As we discuss the episode, we touch on the produc

This week, we've got news from Star Trek Las Vegas, plus, we get a Hawk confused with a hand phaser as we look at the connection between Shakespeare and Trek!What a piece of work is Patrick Stewart!Star Trek: Discovery Season One is available for pre-order on Blu-ray!https://amzn.to/2MagK7WGird thyself with Shakespearean and Trek works!The Oxford Complete Workshttps://amzn.to/2OVTUPRThe Klingon Hamlethttps://amzn.to/2MwwDlSThe Autobiography of Jean Luc Picardhttps://amzn.to/2vywCHGGet David Mack's Destiny Trilogy for a buck a book!Gods of Nighthttps://amzn.to/2MwVPJ8Mere Mortalshttps://amzn.to/2vvePBpLost Soulshttps://amzn.to/2vwASrbFeel old and young simultaneously with Generations Geek!http://www.generationsgeek.comJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our new feature, Stellar Commentaries!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Tw

The players are strutting and fretting and the stage is set for MURDER as we catch "The Conscience of the King"!Author and game designer Robin D. Laws joins the show this week as we investigate an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that's a little bit noir, a little bit Shakespeare, and 100% SPACE MYSTERY! When Kirk meets an actor that he suspects is Kodos the Executioner, he invites the former governor and his troupe aboard. But when the bodies begin piling up like Act V of Hamlet, he'll have to confront his past connection to the massacre on Tarsus IV and an unexpected assassin! Our examination of low-rated but high-quality Trek episodes continues with this "talky" tribute to epic pathos and noirish fatalism, where the "bad guy" is sympathetic, the hero is devious, and the femme fatale is extra fatal. During the show, we talk about Trek's intersections with the Bard, how to light your ship for "noir", the police procedural roots of the show, finding emergent play in RPGs, Kirk getting a little "Bond"

The nerds have left SDCC and we've picked up all the Star Trek: Discovery news and brought it right to your ears! Plus, updates on Star Trek 4, Tarantino Trek, and Star Trek vodka!We don't know our port from our starboard!Get Melinda Snodgrass's novel The Tears of the Singers from Amazon!https://amzn.to/2uRTvppPick up Dan Gearino's book, Comic Shop, and check out his website!https://amzn.to/2uTFQxVhttp://www.dangearino.comListen to Kevin Lauderdale talk about The City on the Edge of Forever!http://enterprisingindividuals.com/blog/2017/05/10/season-2-episode-8-the-city-on-the-edge-of-forever-tos-with-kevin-lauderdale/Check out From the Bridge!http://www.fromthebridgemovie.comJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our new feature, Stellar Commentaries!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates

Finish that bottle of Chateau Picard '49 and let the mudslinging begin as we pay a visit to "Family"!Author Jeffrey Lang is back on the show to talk about one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most offbeat and heartfelt episodes. Picard has escaped the clutches of the Borg and saved the Federation once again, but he can't win the battle against the memory of his traumatic experience without the tough love of his estranged brother, Robert . . . and a well-timed mud fight.Join us as we look at one of TNG's only epilogues, an episode that was literally underrated, but one that shows, more than any other, the true, beating heart of Trek. Along the way, we talk about the growing maturity in storytelling of TNG's middle years, the key performances that make this episode work, the small flashes of continuity afforded on a procedural show, and how sometimes being screwed up is exactly right.Plus, we discuss the horse thief Crusher, Gene hating Picard's fear, the best old guy fight in sci-fi television, the drawback

We are back from CONvergence 2018 and an amazing live show with Melinda Snodgrass. Here more about it on the show!And, we sadly say good bye to a titan of sci-fi and Star Trek. Former guests on the show share their memories and stories of Harlan Ellison. Come join a celebration of his life and work!Here's our City on the Edge of Forever show with Kevin Lauderdale where we talk about Harlanhttp://enterprisingindividuals.com/blog/2017/05/10/season-2-episode-8-the-city-on-the-edge-of-forever-tos-with-kevin-lauderdale/Check out the amazing stories that Harlan left behind!I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream: Storieshttps://amzn.to/2ul6foiDangerous Visionshttps://amzn.to/2zAZHH3The City on the Edge of Forever original teleplayhttps://amzn.to/2uzhDfwCity on the Edge of Forever audio readinghttps://amzn.to/2uzbpfHDreams With Sharp Teeth documentaryhttps://amzn.to/2KUqhA5Join our crew on Patreon!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.ente

We're running both silent and deep this week as we play cat-and-mouse with "Balance of Terror"!New York Times best-selling author and John W. Campbell Award winner Andy Weir joins the show to discuss the best submarine movie in space! The Enterprise is tracking a mysterious foe, but their prey proves far from helpless, leading to a deadly game of chess between two skilled commanders and their brave crews!Join us as we break down the Original Series episode that gave us the Romulans, cloaking devices, the Neutral Zone, the fabulous Mark Lenard, and more Cold War parallels than you can shake a sickle at! We talk the claustrophobic feel of ship-to-ship combat, the deftness of Trek's many retcons, the byzantine process of the Enterprise's workflow, choosing who you'll save by the act's thematic resonance, the makings of a good "villain", and the dogged persistence of the "we have met the enemy and he is us" trope!Plus, we discuss the Pentateuch Cinematic Universe, the Wrath of Wah Chang, Farmer Hoggett's inventio

While we wait for the second season of Star Trek: Discovery, our recap show Discoverage looks back at Discovery's bombastic first season! Ella Pearson of Generations Geek, writer and graphic designer Sara Lynn Michener, and writer and editor Eleanor Tremeer join the show to discuss the adventures of the USS Discovery and the return of Star Trek to TV after 13 years.Along the way, we discuss the "one long episode" that is season one, as well as the evolution of TV storytelling, the mechanics of reaching utopia, getting a poker game started on the Disco, pretentious episode titles, getting better shows from smaller budgets, fan reactions, the deafening silence of Tumblr, and blueberries!Plus, Aaron pines for the future of the future, Sara is screening calls from Drugs, Eleanor goes schinken on German cuisine, and Ella's cat Ripley has to save herself!This is the definitive retrospective of a Discovery season . . . at least until season 2!Note: this recap was recorded before the announcement of Berg and Harberts

We are back from Riverside, IA and the 34th annual Trekfest! Hear all about the yearly celebration in the town of Captain Kirk's future birth; hope he likes the statue!Plus, Earth-shattering news about the next chapter of Trek on TV and the death of a legend of sci-fi and Star Trek history!You Have Two Ears And You Must Hear This Show!We are collecting Harlan Ellison stories and anecdotes; share yours by calling 612-234-5232 and leaving a message for the show!Follow the Tenutos on Twitter and listen to their episode about Space Seed!http://www.twitter.com/tenutofamilyhttp://enterprisingindividuals.com/blog/2018/03/14/season-3-episode-3-space-seed-tos-with-maria-jose-and-john-tenuto/Join our crew on Patreon!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates!http://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttp://www.facebo

Cover your Trill spots and pin up your beehive as we really pack 'em in for "Trials and Tribble-ations"!Authors Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann join the show to give an oral history of one of Trek's most ambitious episodes. Sisko and the gang find themselves on the Enterprise during the events of The Trouble With Tribbles, but there's no time for sightseeing, because they've got to stop an old foe from introducing Kirk to cute, fuzzy death!Join us as Paula and Terry give a delightful play-by-play of the efforts of the Deep Space Nine production team in creating a new classic Trek episode in the middle of an old one. We talk about the episode's connection to Forrest Gump, the team of heroes that assembled the show's technical effects, the mad brilliance of Greg Jein, bubble wrap belts, the Deck 15 Girl, beating Galaxy Quest to the punch, and why Trek should be "funny".Plus, we discuss the aesthetics of smooth vs. crunchy style Klingons, the 29 year Charlie Brill drought, why Archer can't smile, Fargo Rock

We put our thinking caps on this week as writer and editor Eleanor Tremeer joins the show to talk about allegory in Trek, specifically how tragedy and atrocity in Star Trek reflects events in our own world. We discuss the Swiftian inspirations for Star Trek, the Holocaust metaphors present in episodes like "Remember", the ways in which societies attempt to process tragedy, and the maturing of Star Trek allegorical storytelling from TOS to Disco!It's a discussion of brobdingnagian proportions!If you or someone you know are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255!Check out Eleanor's DS9 retrospective, and her interviews with Ronald D. Moore and Ira Steven Behr!https://io9.gizmodo.com/to-boldly-stay-how-deep-space-nine-upended-star-trek-b-1823186821Follow Eleanor on Twitter!http://www.twitter.com/extratremeerialBuy A Problem From Hell on Amazon!https://amzn.to/2sWl2oqLearn about the 10 stages of genocidehttp://genocidewatch.net/genocide-2/8-stages-of-g

We return to the Delta Quadrant this week for a look at one of Trek's most affecting and poignant hours: "Remember"!Author Dave Galanter is back on the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: Voyager that has chilling parallels to the history of our own society, and one that bears the warning that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. B'Elanna Torres is experiencing dreams that turn from passionate to horrifying as she learns of the dark secret possessed by the seemingly benign aliens aboard Voyager. Can she convince her crew that the events she's seen are real? Or will they be forever forgotten by the people that deny them?Over the course of the episode, we discuss Trek's roots in social allegory, the stark possibility of "it happening here", the culpability of the bystander, processing atrocity as a nation, the power of self-delusion, swearing off Volkswagen and aspirin, and how to keep secrets in a telepathic society.Plus, we speculate on the logistics of a holonovel, talk some Discovery, que

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is 36 years old today and to celebrate, here's our live episode about the film from CONvergence 2017, with featured guests Christopher Jones, Naomi Kritzer, William Leisner, and Patrick Tomlinson!Along the way, we talk about the virtues of videodisc, the persistence of Spock's Brain, the theme of the past coming back to haunt you, and the things we sacrifice, willingly or no. Also, we prove that articles and prepositions are secret weapons of the story-building game, an argument is made in favor of Star Trek Into Darkness, and why Shatner is better when he's tired.Listening to this episode is your first, best destiny!Do yourself a favor and check out the works of our fabulous guests!William Leisner - @BLeisner, amazon.com/-/e/B00N7UJ3T4Naomi Kritzer - @NaomiKritzer, naomikritzer.comPatrick Tomlinson - @stealthygeek, patrickstomlinson.comChristopher Jones - blog.christopherjonesart.comFind out more about Enterprising Individuals on Facebook and Twitter!http://www.facebook.com/e

Get your long spoons ready this week as we sup with a whole host of devils! We take a look at the demonic and devilish in folklore from around the world and around the Alpha Quadrant!Plus, we've got an update on the CBS/Viacom merger, news about Takei and Nichols, Star Trek Land, and The Expanse! Want a review of Solo: A Star Wars Story? We've got one! Just sign on the dotted line...What ARE you going to do, bad boys? You haven't said yet.Look at the tangle of thorns that is the CBS/Viacom deal!http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/shari-redstone-cbs-lawsuit-national-amusements-1202823769/Here's the links to the books and comics mentioned on the show:Satan in America: The Devil We Knowhttps://amzn.to/2xwwyLULucifer (DC Comics)https://amzn.to/2JhSKOAThe Han Solo Adventureshttps://amzn.to/2L56QjzThe Han Solo Trilogyhttps://amzn.to/2L6ddmSThe Lando Calrissian Trilogyhttps://amzn.to/2J2g4wkParadise Lost: The Biblically Annotated Versionhttps://amzn.to/2xlSLMKPick up John Jackson Miller's Star Trek Prey Trilogy novels

Get ready to shout at, dance with, and sympathize for Old Scratch this week as we pay the "Devil's Due"!New York Times best-selling author John Jackson Miller returns to the show to discuss an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Picard must lawyer for his soul, ship, and crew against the comely, coiffed Adversary herself! But, not everything is as infernal as it seems and the people of Ventax II may be the victims of a millennia-long con!Over the course of the show, we discuss weaponized illusion, the social impact of fearing God (and the Devil), making lemonade out of bad circumstances, six degrees of Ardra, having 15 writers on a script, and why Picard sounds a lot like Kirk in this episode. Plus, we talk comics and Star Wars and Star Wars comics, how everything connects back to '80s procedural shows, needing a "guy in the chair", telling (again) the story of Dark Phoenix, John talks about how this episode inspired part of his Prey trilogy, and Kal makes a shaky connection to Watchmen! The cont

Ignite your sabers this week as we pay tribute to the other "Star" franchise, checking in on that galaxy far, far away and how it compares to Roddenberry's future! Plus, tales of the Taco Bell Light Menu, putting the Star Wars CCG beatdown on some grade-schoolers, and the hum of a lightsaber being the background noise of our collective childhood. Later, Ella Pearson of Generations Geek joins the show to talk Trek vs. Wars, Adam Savage being wrong (and orange), the cultural impact of Wars and Trek, Carrie Fisher, bun escalation, not being a Solo try-hard, and some Last Jedi hot goss! Listen up, we're only doing this once, then it's back to the Alpha Quadrant!Kathleen Kennedy, where's my "Lando in high school" show?!Follow Ella and Generations Geek on Twitter and check out generationsgeek.com!http://www.twitter.com/gondorgoldhttp://www.twitter.com/generationsgeekSave the galaxy (or rule it) with Star Wars: The Card Game from Fantasy Flight!https://amzn.to/2rQzGxbhttp://www.fantasyflightgames.comPick up John Jac