Manuscripts Burn: Why Star Trek is the Greatest SF Franchise of All Time (Guest Post by Mary Fan, author of SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS)

Today I'm happy to host fellow Red Adept Publishing author Mary Fan, who has recently released her sophomore novel, the heady NA sci-fi novel SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS. Be sure to hang around until the end because our mutual publisher is generously hosting a giveaway for this blog tour. You could win a free copy of the prequel ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES or even a RAP can koozie! But only if you read this whole post first and agree with me about Star Trek.

And now I'll turn the blog over to Mary to answer this question:

As science fiction's leading new voice, I'd like to hear you make the argument, once and for all, why Star Trek is infinitely superior to Firefly, or, for that matter, any other lesser SF franchise.

Well, Steve, I’d think that was obvious. Let me start by saying that every sci-fi franchise has its signature traits that define it. “Star Wars” has all the mysticism and adventure of an old-fashioned quest tale—but in space. “Firefly” has a colorful cast of misfit cowboys—but in space. And, because I just have to mention my own series, “Jane Colt” has Alias-style intrigue and Asimov-style artificial intelligence—but in space.

What can I say? Everything is better when you add in space.

But of all the fantastic in space universes out there, “Star Trek” has got to be the greatest, because it can predict the freaking future. Who needs good story arcs or well-rounded characters when you’ve got that ability? Those are just filler for all the cool tech they show. Scientifically implausible plot where the ship escapes a crack in the event horizon of a black hole—which by definition swallows absolutely everything? Whatever, they predicted cell phones in the 1960s. Stilted dialogue and overacting? Never mind, they predicted iPads when the average computer was still the size of a house.

Things like character development and clever plotting just don’t matter that much when you’ve got the freaky ability to tell people what tech they’re going to have in the next few decades. “Firefly,” that backward show, had its characters using guns with bullets. Bullets! That’s not very clairvoyant—those have been around for centuries! So despite the snappy dialogue, the memorable characters, the fantastic world-building, the well-conceived plots, and all that unimportant stuff, even it must bow down to the genius that is “Star Trek”.

And even I must admit, “Jane Colt” just isn’t a tech-world crystal ball like “Star Trek” is. I will fully confess to relying on sci-fi traditions for most of my tech: laser guns, starships, virtual reality… the usual. The only tech I have that I don’t think exists in any other sci-fi series is the slate, which is a tablet computer you can fold into a small triangle and stick in your pocket (because who doesn’t wish their iPad were both big enough to watch movies on and small enough to stick in your jeans?). It’s got a lot of other things—plot twists, philosophy, action, non-cartoonish characters—but those aren’t the things people get into sci-fi for anyway.

So all hail “Star Trek”: the Oracle of Science Fiction.

About the Author:

Mary Fan lives in New Jersey, where she is currently working in financial marketing. She has also resided in North Carolina, Hong Kong, and Beijing, China. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember and especially enjoys the infinite possibilities and out-of-this-world experiences of science fiction and fantasy.

Mary has a B.A. in Music, specializing in composition, from Princeton University and enjoys writing songs as much as writing stories. She also enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and exploring new things—she’ll try almost anything once.

Synopsis of SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS:

Illusion is the only reality.

Jane’s new career as a composer is a dream come true, but her blossoming relationship with Adam is marred by his terrifying nightmares. When Jane receives a warning that a shadowy agency is targeting Adam’s seminary school, she rescues him in the nick of time, but the only way she can protect him from such a powerful enemy is to run.

In a shocking betrayal, her brother wasn’t the one who warned her about the attack on Adam. Instead, Devin was leading it. As Jane struggles to keep one step ahead of Devin, Adam’s exhaustion gives way to horror: His nightmares have begun to touch the real world.

Jane can’t abandon Adam to a fate worse than death, and far more than Adam’s life hangs in the balance. As Jane pushes further into the dark unknown, she must challenge everything she once believed in, and she faces the most wrenching decision of her life: choosing between the two people she loves most.