Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Encyclopedia
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (sometimes abbreviated as SNW or ST:SNW) was an annual collection of short stories set in the Star Trek
universe, written by amateur writers chosen through an open submissions process. The first volume was published in 1998, with the tenth and final volume published in 2007. Each of the anthologies was published by Pocket Books
, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
. The main editor of these anthologies was Dean Wesley Smith
, though he announced that Strange New Worlds 10 represented his last work on the project. Shortly afterwards, it was formally announced that the contest itself would not continue after its tenth year. Co-editors of the series included John J. Ordover
, Paula M. Block, and Elisa J. Kassin.
Stories in the book anthologies "can be set in any of the Star Trek time frames and may feature any one or more of the Star Trek characters," according to the submission guidelines, and each anthology included a selection of stories for all of the live-action Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series
, Star Trek: The Next Generation
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, Star Trek: Voyager
, and (from 2002 to 2007) Star Trek: Enterprise
. In more recent years, each anthology also included a section called "Speculations," containing stories which could not be neatly ascribed to any one of those series.
Submissions were open only to "nonprofessional writers" (which the rules defined as those who had sold no more than two short stories) who were residents of the United States
(excluding Puerto Rico
) and Canada
(excluding Quebec
) over the age of 18 at the time of their submission. The stories themselves were to be original creations no more than 7500 words long and not previously published elsewhere. Writers were permitted to submit more than one story, though required each submission be mailed separately, and no writer could have more than one story published per anthology.
Certain tropes that are common to fan fiction
were explicitly outlined in the submission rules as cause for a story to be disqualified from consideration, including "hurt/comfort" and Mary Sue
stories. Slash fiction
was implicitly excluded by prohibiting stories "focusing on explicit sexual activity" or revealing "the hidden passion two characters feel for each other." Original characters were also prohibited to the extent that stories cannot be centered around "characters that are not past or present Star Trek regulars or familiar Star Trek guest characters."
Other prohibitions included "graphic depictions of violence or sadism" and major changes to the canon
, such as "the previously unestablished death of a Star Trek character" or the existence of "a long-lost sibling."
Authors who have been published three times in Strange New Worlds are, as outlined by the rules, no longer eligible for further publication. Getting to such a point has become known as making one eligible for a "Wardy," named for Dayton Ward
, the first writer to fall into this category.
, Kevin Hosey
, Robert T. Jeschonek
, Jim Johnson, Kevin Lauderdale
, William Leisner, Kathy Oltion
, Scott Pearson, Peg Robinson, Mary Scott-Wiecek, Kim Sheard, Amy Sisson, Kevin G. Summers, Louisa M. Swann, Geoffrey Thorne
, the aforementioned Dayton Ward, and Christina F. York.
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
universe, written by amateur writers chosen through an open submissions process. The first volume was published in 1998, with the tenth and final volume published in 2007. Each of the anthologies was published by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
. The main editor of these anthologies was Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith is a science fiction author, known primarily for his Star Trek novels, movie novelizations, and other novels of licensed properties such as Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, Roswell, Men in Black, and Quantum Leap...
, though he announced that Strange New Worlds 10 represented his last work on the project. Shortly afterwards, it was formally announced that the contest itself would not continue after its tenth year. Co-editors of the series included John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover is the founder and CEO of JJO MARKETING and was previously an editor at Pocket Books responsible for overseeing the licensed novels of the Star Trek franchise. He is the co-creator of such spin-off series as Star Trek: New Frontier , Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers and Star...
, Paula M. Block, and Elisa J. Kassin.
Stories in the book anthologies "can be set in any of the Star Trek time frames and may feature any one or more of the Star Trek characters," according to the submission guidelines, and each anthology included a selection of stories for all of the live-action Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, and (from 2002 to 2007) Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
. In more recent years, each anthology also included a section called "Speculations," containing stories which could not be neatly ascribed to any one of those series.
Submission guidelines
The rules for each anthology were first announced in the pages of the preceding anthology, and could also be found at the Simon & Schuster website.Submissions were open only to "nonprofessional writers" (which the rules defined as those who had sold no more than two short stories) who were residents of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(excluding Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(excluding Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) over the age of 18 at the time of their submission. The stories themselves were to be original creations no more than 7500 words long and not previously published elsewhere. Writers were permitted to submit more than one story, though required each submission be mailed separately, and no writer could have more than one story published per anthology.
Certain tropes that are common to fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
were explicitly outlined in the submission rules as cause for a story to be disqualified from consideration, including "hurt/comfort" and Mary Sue
Mary Sue
A Mary Sue , in literary criticism and particularly in fanfiction, is a fictional character with overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for the author or reader...
stories. Slash fiction
Slash fiction
Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on the depiction of romantic or sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex...
was implicitly excluded by prohibiting stories "focusing on explicit sexual activity" or revealing "the hidden passion two characters feel for each other." Original characters were also prohibited to the extent that stories cannot be centered around "characters that are not past or present Star Trek regulars or familiar Star Trek guest characters."
Other prohibitions included "graphic depictions of violence or sadism" and major changes to the canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, such as "the previously unestablished death of a Star Trek character" or the existence of "a long-lost sibling."
Publication details
Each Strange New Worlds collection contained a Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize winner, along with as many as twenty honorable mentions, meaning that an anthology could contain no more than twenty-three stories in total. Every writer was paid ten cents a word for their story and is entitled to a share of royalties on the anthology, with the top three writers receiving additional bonus advances of $1000, $600, and $400, respectively.Authors who have been published three times in Strange New Worlds are, as outlined by the rules, no longer eligible for further publication. Getting to such a point has become known as making one eligible for a "Wardy," named for Dayton Ward
Dayton Ward
Dayton Ward is a science fiction author primarily known for his Star Trek novels and short stories, which began with publication in the Strange New Worlds anthology series. He published stories in each of the first three Strange New Worlds volumes, making him the first author to render himself...
, the first writer to fall into this category.
Careers launched
Various writers who first had their Star Trek short stories published in Strange New Worlds collections have gone on to write other Star Trek short stories and novels for Pocket Books, as well as work in others fields of fiction, including Ilsa J. BickIlsa J. Bick
Ilsa J. Bick is an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, e-books and novels. She has written for several long-running science fiction series, most notably Star Trek, Battletech, and Mechwarrior:Dark Age...
, Kevin Hosey
Kevin Hosey
Kevin Hosey is an author and editor. His short stories have appeared in two Star Trek anthologies from Simon and Schuster, "Hint Fiction" from W.W. Norton, "Paramourtal" from Cliffhanger Books and on the website 365tomorrows.com...
, Robert T. Jeschonek
Robert T. Jeschonek
Robert T. Jeschonek is an award-winning writer whose fiction, essays, articles, comic books, and podcasts have been published around the world. He writes fiction in a wide range of genres, including fantasy, humor, literary, mystery, science fiction, and super-heroes...
, Jim Johnson, Kevin Lauderdale
Kevin Lauderdale
Kevin Lauderdale is a science fiction author primarily known for his Star Trek short stories, which began with publication in the Strange New Worlds anthology series...
, William Leisner, Kathy Oltion
Kathy Oltion
Kathy Oltion is a science fiction novelist known primarily for her Star Trek work, which began with publication in the first two Strange New Worlds anthologies from Pocket Books ....
, Scott Pearson, Peg Robinson, Mary Scott-Wiecek, Kim Sheard, Amy Sisson, Kevin G. Summers, Louisa M. Swann, Geoffrey Thorne
Geoffrey Thorne
Geoffrey Thorne is an American screenwriter, novelist and actor.Thorne was born in the United States. After a successful career as a television actor, Thorne began writing professionally, winning Second Prize in Simon & Schuster's sixth annual Strange New Worlds anthology with his story "The Soft...
, the aforementioned Dayton Ward, and Christina F. York.
External links
- Strange New Worlds at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki
- Strange New Worlds Submission Rules