Cold Equations Archives

Posts Tagged ‘Cold Equations’

Talkin’ Trek on The Captain’s Table

Because I’ve rarely met a podcast invitation I didn’t like, I spent a couple of hours back in January chatting about writing Star Trek and more with co-hosts Michael and Roz from The Captain’s Table on VisionaryTrek.com.

We talked about some of my previous work, including the Star Trek Destiny and Star Trek: Cold Equations trilogies; the recently launched Star Trek: Seekers series; and some of my upcoming projects, both for and beyond Star Trek.

I also mention which author I think would be a good fit to step in to take my place on the Star Trek: Seekers books if the editors decide they want more of that series before my schedule allows me to return.

This, of course, is only Part 1 of a two-part show. When the second part goes live, I’ll let you know.

#SFWApro

Read my Q&A with KULT Magazine

A writer named Dominik Hug just interviewed me for the Swiss F/SF publication KULT Magazine. We discussed a wide range of topics, including how I work, how I got started, my past projects and my upcoming work.

A brief sample of our erudite exchange:

KULT: What does a normal David Mack working day look like?

David Mack: Something of a train wreck, honestly. I usually sleep until early afternoon, then slouch into my day. My first priority is usually a shower, followed by coffee and something to eat. Next, I deal with errands and other personal business, such as bills, cleaning up after the cats, taking out the trash. I waste a fair amount of time reading news on the Internet, poring over Facebook and Twitter, and trying to think of something amusing to post on social media.

I’ve usually done nothing useful by the time my wife gets home from work. We make dinner, eat, and clean up. Afterward, I pour a stiff drink and settle down to try to write. This usually results in more procrastination. I tend to get working for real around 9pm or 10pm, and I work in a panicked frenzy until around 1am. Then I watch TV until around 3am, when I go to bed.

Frankly, it’s a miracle I get anything done at all.

For the benefit of my fans who are fluent in English but not in German, Dominik has posted the original English version of the interview on his blog. A German-translated version will be posted online soon, and I will also put up links to that for my German-speaking friends and fans.

Give it a read!

Talking about Cold Equations

I recently took part in another recorded interview on trekmate.org.uk‘s podcast program Ten Forward. This time, co-hosts Michael Clark and Sina Alvarado invited me on the show to talk about my New York Times bestselling Star Trek: Cold Equations trilogy, whose three volumes they’ve reviewed over the past few months. (Listen to the spoiler-laden, in-depth critical discussions of Book I: The Persistence of Memory; Book II: Silent Weapons; and Book III: The Body Electric.)

As always when I chat with Michael and Sina, it’s a fun conversation, full of digressions and tangents. We talked about the genesis of the trilogy, one of my original ideas for the trilogy that ended up needing to be abandoned, and my reactions to their show’s previous analyses of the books. In addition, we discuss some of my upcoming projects. Give it a listen and find out why Michael and Sina’s Ten Forward is one of my favorite podcasts.

Podcast review of Silent Weapons

Another month brings another terrific critical discussion of my work over at the trekmate.org.uk site’s Ten Forward Book Club. This month, regular book club host Sina is joined by Delta Quadrant Podcast host Melissa to review and talk about Silent Weapons, the second book in my recent Cold Equations trilogy.

Once again, it’s an in-depth and very astute analysis of what does and doesn’t work in the novel. As with their review of The Persistence of Memory, it’s interesting to see how Melissa reacts to many of the book’s elements, as she has not read much of recent Star Trek fiction. The contrast of her viewpoint with Sina’s is especially interesting.

Give it a listen, leave them some comments on their Forum, and tell them Mack sent ya.

I engage with “Digressive Obscenity”

A few weeks ago, I traveled to a gritty corner of deepest, darkest Long Island City here in Queens, NY, to sit with actor, writer, and incredibly tall guy Paul Guyet for an in-depth podcast interview unlike most others in which I’ve taken part over the years.

Though Paul steered the later segment of the podcast toward a discussion of my work as a writer for Star Trek and other properties, the first part of our conversation was much more open-ended, exploring topics about which I am rarely asked in interviews.

Here is Paul’s capsule description of the show:

“I sit down with the author of The Calling, Wolverine: Road of Bones, and the New York Times bestselling trilogy Star Trek: Cold Equations.

“We also discuss his ‘benign mental break’ which manifested in an obsession with rabbits, the intricacies of David Fincher’s ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ music video, and how he would end things in the Star Trek universe.”

The result is a refreshingly different, offbeat, and candid interview that I think both my friends and my fans will find informative and entertaining.

So, if you’ve got a decent chunk of downtime to fill, point your browser at Paul’s Tumblr and either download or stream Digressive Obscenity, Episode 11: David Alan Mack.

New reviews of my work

Though it has been several months since the publication of my Star Trek: The Next Generation trilogy Cold Equations (September–December 2012) and will be months until my next novel hits shelves (Star Trek: The Fall, Book III — A Ceremony of Losses, in November 2013), a spate of new reviews of my work have hit the Internet this week.

Over at the United Federation of Charles on blogspot.com, reviewer Charles Phipps shares his in-depth reactions to all three volumes of the Star Trek Destiny trilogy. I’ve been pleased to see how thoroughly he enjoyed the trilogy, and that many of his favorite parts as a reader were my favorites as the author.

A couple of great excerpts. First, from his review of Gods of Night:

“David Mack does a wonderful job with twists in this plot. When there’s conflict with Erika Hernandez and her crew about the new aliens, I was sympathetic to both sides. However, I squarely came down on the side of those who wanted to escape the Caeliar’s planet at all costs–and against those who disagreed. Seeing how this situation turned out was one of the few times I was genuinely stunned as a reader.”

And this snippet is from his review of Mere Mortals:

“Erika Hernandez is a complicated character as she’s able to bond with the Caeliar in a way her crew can’t and this occasionally makes her an unsympathetic character. Erika Hernandez might have decided to stay with the Caeliar of her own free will but the others hate them for holding them indefinitely, despite there being no malice. Erika, herself, starts to comprehend this only after her crew begins dying off. Watching her rediscover her humanity at the end was genuinely heartwarming.”

Read Charles’ full reviews on his blog:

Star Trek Destiny, Book I: Gods of Night

Star Trek Destiny, Book II: Mere Mortals

Star Trek Destiny, Book III: Lost Souls

On the audio podcast front, my friends Michael and Sina at The Ten Forward Book Club on trekmate.org.uk —ably abetted by fellow podcaster Melissa— dig into a detailed discussion of Star Trek: Cold Equations, Book I: The Persistence of Memory. It’s a spirited discussion, with Melissa coming to the book cold, not having read any of my previous work, nor any of the recent Star Trek fiction. It’s interesting to see how she reacts to a Star Trek universe and characters who are very different than what she remembers and expects, and noting which make sense to her and which don’t.

As always, Sina, Michael, and their guest Melissa are incisive and insightful commentators, and their discussion of the book’s story, themes, philosophies, and characters is lively and spot-on. They present some superb literary review and criticism, and I encourage everyone to settle in and listen to this podcast, because it is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

You can find The Ten Forward Book Club’s podcast review of The Persistence of Memory here.

#SFWApro

Get Cold Equations while it’s hot!

Today’s the day, Star Trek fans! My bestselling trilogy Star Trek: The Next Generation — Cold Equations is on sale today as an Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. Get all three books for just $0.99 each — or give them as gifts. Really, at this price, how can you afford not to? But act fast — this deal is good only for today, Friday, May 17, 2013!

Book One: The Persistence of Memory
Book Two: Silent Weapons
Book Three: The Body Electric

1 2 3 … 6 Next »