I've never warmed up to the appellation, "Space Opera" with its suggestion of zaftig horned helmeted sopranos belting Italian lyrics about ghosts and heroes. Similar to the disparaging label, "Horse Opera" used to describe sprawling westerns with mounted heroes mounting the damsels they rescue. Surly someone could've conceived a more dignified and appropriate descriptor. Nevertheless, I would recommend James Blish's "Cities in Flight" series that tells the tale of the invention of the "spin dizzy". A combination force field and gravity negator that allows entire cities to rise up and leave a decimated Earth for the promised riches of the galaxy. Or Larry Nivens "Tales of Known Space" a loosely connected group of novels that involve characters that meet the other races of sentients throughout the galaxy. A lot of absorbing stuff to choose from out there in science fiction.

"Assignment Earth" could've been a successful Roddenberry creation if it had gotten the green light. Still, according to the inside baseball about the episode, Terri Garr wasn't too keen to work with the aforementioned creator since there was, reportedly, some tension between the two. Conflicts about skirt lengths and certain dialogue became contentious and eventually led to the young actresses dissatisfaction with the project. I have no idea how much these disagreements contributed to the panning of the spin-oof but Garr was definitely not going to continue as the character she portrayed in that episode of TOS.

Okay, I see in many of the comments below that a few emotional humans seem to think that the good captain might have "fixed" the broken timeline by spiriting Ms. Keeler to the 23rd century. While these sentiments are commendable and do credit to their collective humanity, that option simply wasn't available to the Enterprise crew. Allow me to explain. As you all may recall, after "Bones" "accidentally" beams himself down to the planets surface while in the throes of an overdose of some "tricky" medicine and just coincidentally arrives at the spot where the Guardian of Time is located. He then manages to enter the time portal at just the precise moment to arrive at Earths past that contains Ms. Keeler. Even after all of these highly unlikely events occur, when Kirk and Spock follow behind and learn the nature of the portal and what it does, the Guardian clearly states that if they are successful at restoring the timeline, they will automatically return to the 23rd century. No action on the crews part required. So, in order to restore the timeline Edith Keeler simply had to perish in that automobile accident. Kirk, Spock, and Bones couldn't even bring her body back with them as it all had to transpire as it did. Time is funny that way, especially when it is meddled with by Guardians, time lords, or other capricious humanoids. Sorry to have been the bearer of bad news but facts is facts. Please let me know if any of you have any further questions.

Sincerely, Paul Planet of Paul Planet Productions Galactic

It has often been observed that politics ruins everything. The RnR HoF is a textbook example of this unfortunate truism. Unless and until Jethro Tull, King Crimson, and Porcupine Tree are inducted, there will be no patronage from this music lover.

I was hooked after reading "The Mercy of Gods" and am eagerly awaiting the next installment of the series. I am, however, a bit befuddled as to how the material is already seeing an adaptation for the screen before the tale is even written towards any kind of conclusion. That is, of course, unless the authors have already outlined the entire story and are simultaneously writing the novels and the screen plays. At the risk of spoiling anything for those who have yet to meet the characters and the milieu, it will be challenging for the visual team to bring some of those aliens to life. The fact that, for the most part, the human characters are young and non-terrestrial, I'm curious as to how they will be imagined and portrayed.

While I try not to compare the relative merits of one work with another, there are a few that have impressed me more than others. Heinlein, Herbert, and Haldeman have never ever let me down. Likewise, Bear, Benford, and Brin. Then there is Verne, Varley, and Vinge as well. As for cinematic adaptations, I can easily picture Niven's "Ringworld" on the big screen. In fact, I did while I was reading it. However, for long form narratives like "Eon", "A Deepness in the Sky", "The Mote in God's Eye", and Varley's Gaia trilogy, one would prefer a serial treatment, to ensure the stories are related in their entirety.