TREKCORE > SPECIALS > Chat Transcript of Chat with Andy Mangels and Michael Martin

The following chat took place on July 2, 2006 and was hosted by PegasusGirl.

Q: How did you first get into writing Trek novels?
A: Andy - I got an offer to write a Trek comic fill-in for Marvel. I asked Mike to co-write it as he's an Encyclopedia of Trek lore. A few years later, and we were writingB Trek novels together. That's the short answer

Q: I enjoyed LFM whats your opinion on the "episode that shall not be named".... :D and whats the scoop on Trip?
A: Mike - I'll be diplomatic and say it had some shortcomings
A: Andy - A lot of shortcomings
A: Mike - We hated Trip's supposed "death" and we found a legitimate loophole to get around it

Q: What's your favorite series? Both of you.
A: Mike - DS9
A: Andy - truthfully, TAS, but I like DS9 and TNG and early VGR
[Pegasus Girl] Hey, I'm a straight girl but even I can't resist the pull of 7of9
Andy - Yes Seven of Nine's borg implants are impressive
[Pegasus Girl] I will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

Q: How does a collaboration of a book work? Who writes what?
A: Mike - I write the vowels and Andy handles the consonants
Q: Sounds like Mike's got the easy job.
A: Andy - We plot together then split up into chapters. Once we finish chapters, we switch off and go over each other's work

Q: How many pages do you have to write before its a chapter?
A: Andy - Our chapters are based as content. Once it's broken down as a plot, we write the chapter until it's done. There have been short ones and really really long ones.

Q: Which do you prefer writing, novels or comics?
A: Mike - comics and novels are too different to compare.
A: Andy - Sometimes comics are great if you get a good artist - not so great if you don't

Q: What comics for marvel did you write? I have a few here that has both TOS and TNG and a few DS9.
A: Mike - We wrote the last six issues of DS9 and the final issue of Unlimited
A: Andy - We'd love to see a Titan comic just so people could see what all these characters look like
[Pegasus Girl] And I would buy that comic!!
A: Andy - ALL of our Star trek work including comics is completely outlined on my website. www.andymangels.com The covers, the plots, and even Easter Eggs are in there
[Pegasus Girl] Cool. I look forward to viewing the site. Thank you both

Q: How did you get the honor of writing the first Titan book? Were there any challenges to it?
A: Mike - Marco called and offered us the first two Titan books, based on our previous TNG work Rogue
A: Andy - We were happy to get a two-book set to set everything up - and doing a new franchise is fantastic!

Q: Question about Rogue, actually. What made you take a secondary character from a film and fill in a back story like that?
A: Andy - We needed a character to have the arc. Hawk always seemed like he was meant to be something bigger in that film. I expected him to be regular crew. So when we did Rogue, we chose him as a character that NEEDED to be explored a bit more.

Q: Ok, how about characters - do you want to make them up yourself or write about the ones we already know & love.
A: Mike - as for characters, we like to write both

Q: How in the world did you think of Sturr? I loved her!
A: Andy - The trick is to come up with compelling stories that present old and new characters in cool ways

Q: I recently finished Last Full Measure and some-thing's bothering me: Based on the plot, shouldn't Trip have been a main character instead of unconscious in sickbay?
A: Mike - We decided from the beginning that Mayweather was going to be the main character in conflict with the MACOs . Trip will get more attention in the future, and that needed to be set up

Q: So can we expect more "Trip" stories?
A: Mike - When we conceived the story, we didn't know Trip was going to "die" - at first - and then things changed
A: Andy - I suspect that you will see more Trip in future Enterprise stories
Q: The next ENT book is "The Good That Man Do"
A: Andy - Margaret will be announcing more about future Enterprise books at Shore Leave next week - and who will be writing them

Q: Is there something you wish you had known before you had gotten into the world of being published authors?
A: Andy - How wretched royalties are?
A: Mike - Just how insecure this is as a career.
[Pegasus Girl] You're great authors, no worries!!

Q: Hey, good to know Andy. Mike, it's hard to imagine you guys being insecure about your careers!
A: Andy - It's not so much about the career’s insecurity as it is the cutbacks in publishing affecting future assignments

Q: So is Alice In Wonderland a favorite for you? And what do you really like to read besides your own work?
A: Mike - I just got done reading the 8th book in Jack Whyte's Arthurian series. Lewis Carroll IS also a big favorite
A: Andy - I like old children's stories in general. Peter Pan is favorite. These days I'm doing so many projects I wish I had more time to read. I like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, comics... Steven Gould's Jumper is a favorite
A: Mike - back on the other question, I'm a big fan of hard SF books
[Pegasus Girl] I have to tell you that I'm more of a fantasy reader, but you and a few other Trek authors have lured me over. Really I'm just a book addict.

Q: So Mike, who's your favorite SF author?
A: Mike - It's a toss-up between Heinlein and Asimov
[Pegasus Girl] (smiles)

Q: Are you guys going to Shore Leave?
A: Andy - No, we will not be able to attend Shore Leave. I will be at San Diego though, and doing two Trek panels there
A: Mike - We're both going to be gusts at the 40th anniversary celebration at the SF Museum in Seattle in September
[Andy Mangels] Other questions?

Q: What's your favorite series to write for and why?
A: Mike - DS9 because the characters have the highest reality level for me
A: Andy - Titan, since we're so invested in creating the ship and feel and characters but I also like the conflict on DS9.

Q: I realize that you probably can't reveal much, but as a teaser... what can we expect in the Trip/T'Pol relationship?
A: Mike - You can count on it being explored in some fashion

Q: Do you ever feel any pressure or irritation from the fans? Especially in taking on something like the Titan?
A: Andy - We've mostly had really great fans. Especially Titan has gone over well. We're a bit surprised at how some things are perceived by fans, but people bring things to their reading experience sometimes that we have no control over.
A: Mike - I've never felt any fan pressure to write stories a certain way.

Q: Will you be writing Titan again anytime soon?
A: Mike - We dunno. We aren't writing book 4, beyond that we hope to revisit it

Q: You say you are invested in Titan... do you worry when other authors continue the series?
A: Andy - Yes, I couldn't wait too read Titan 3 to see where the characters had gone

Q: What class is Riker's ship anyway?
A: Mike - for Dave, the Titan is a LUNA class, which is a new class

<Chat room was switched>

Andy Mangels: If you have goatees, you're the same people but eeeevil
Andy Mangels: We've both got facial hair, so we're already evil, so our evil twins look like young Republicans

Q: What do you guys think of the vanguard series? And do you want to write for it?
A: Mike - just got the first one, and plan to read it soon

Q: OK... since you bring it up... any MU novels in your future?....
A: Andy - We'd like to work on as many different Trek properties as possible
A: Mike - not presently for MU. We've done proposals, but nothing was used
A: Andy - If there are ever comics, we'd love to do MU stuff there

Q: Okay, Mike & Andy, I have to ask the big question. Did you make some of the first gay characters to intentionally push the borders, or was it just a part of the story for you and then, WOW.
A: Andy - It's frustrating that gays were never represented in Trek, so with the editor's blessing, we pushed the borders. Marco and Mike both had to push me a bit as I was being too careful.

Q: Being too careful how?
A: Andy - Just being too careful in not going far enough. Can we show them sitting on the bed together was a question I had. Can they kiss? Marco pushed me to go further than what I had

Q: Have you ever been asked to remove a character or cut out a portion of the plot?
A: Mike - We've only been asked to cut scenes that don't serve the plot, I've always agreed with the cuts.
A: Andy - we've never been cut due to political reasons or "safety," but we've also had some in-jokes cut. As for whether we have a gay agenda, we put lots of different types of characters in our stories, from Christians to Buddhists to militants to conservatives to heteros to androgynes and etc.
A: Mike - I joke that we just wanted to make the ST universe a bit more fabulous

Q: This question is for Mike: A lot of people were furious over your dedication in LFM.
A: Mike -Yes, a lot of people were furious. That saddens me.

Q: My question is: When you did that, were you aware that it might anger people?
A: Mike - I think the dedication speaks for itself, sure, but that isn't my problem. My take on the war is that it's illegal and I felt obliged to say so because people are dying.

Q: 1st Amendment is all Mike was using and I can't understand why people on the boards don't understand that?
A: Mike - Thanks, but I don't think it takes any particular courage to point out that water is wet. ;>
A: Andy - I happen to completely agree with Mike, but was happy to let him take some heat instead of me. ;>

Q: So if your at a convention and people lash out to you on this you'll stand by it and defend it?
A: Andy - I'll have to hold him back.
A: Mike - abso-Goddamn-lutely

Q: What trek projects are you working on now?
A: Andy - There is an unspecified Trek book that will be announced at Shore Leave. And we're also doing Forged in Fire for next year, and our SCE e-book will finally be out on paper this fall.

Q: No teaser or hints from you?
A: Andy - teasers - hints - Shore Leave announcement
A: Andy- OK, here's some teasers. It will involve a spaceship, a captain and his crew, some weird aliens, and interplanetary conflict
Pegasus Girl: Hmmm

Q: If you were writing the next trek movie what could we expect?
A: Mike - something along the lines of what we've done for Titan

Q: I was really hoping for a Titan movie!
A: Andy - let's stretch that CGI budget. Wouldn't Dr. Ree look kickass onscreen next to Frakes? And they could slim Jonathan down...

Q: What do you think of the Trek XI "Early years of Spock & Kirk" rumors? And do you know something we don't!
A: We know lots of things you don't ;>
A: Mike - I think Trek will benefit from a new hand on the rudder
A: Andy - as for new films, I'll say that IMO Berman can't fall through a black hole fast enough. So I'm happy to have JJ Abrams aboard

Q: Ever think of doing a novel that has no connections to the stories that have dominated the Trek World for the last year or so?
A: Mike - I'm quietly working on some original stuff that has no connection to Trek whatsoever - but are you asking about Trek?

Q: Mike & Andy - what type of stuff?
A: Andy - Adventure, SF, and some horror. The SCE books had nothing to do with continuity drama. Neither do the Excelsior books.

Q: I've heard some fans saying that Trek has run out of stories. What do you think about that?
A: Andy - Not a chance. I think Titan has shown some cool ways to reinvigorate things
A: Mike - nonsense. There are always stories and sources of conflict

Q: Yeah, space is huge, plenty of room for all types of new stories. Do you guys read the SNW books if so, any opinions on it?
A: Mike - I haven't kept up with SNW. Andy - me neither.
A: Too much too read

Q: So what is it about the Trek universe in particular that makes it such a good place to tell these stories?
A: Mike - It's such an upbeat, positive inclusive place
A: Andy - it promises a better future

Q: I know this has nothing to do with this: I'm just curious: What did you all think of Superman Returns?
A: Andy - I liked it, but it didn't fill me with goosebumps like S1 did.
A: Mike - I have little kids, so I haven't seen it yet and don't forget that Spider Man teaser which I'm an extra in!!

Andy Mangels: Thanks everyone for having us here. Please check my website for updates on ALL of our projects, including cool DVD stuff I'm doing.
Pegasus GirlThanks for taking a Sunday
Mike - So long folks, and thanks for having us.
Pegasus Girl: Thank you so much for coming - we're going to post the transcript on the book thread. Yes and Have a happy 4th
Andy Mangels: Andy - he's on dialup. ;>
Mike - stone knives and bearskins too
Andy Mangels: Thanks everyone, and have a great summer! See you in home room!
Pegasus Girl: Get modern - buy a sword!!! LOL
Andy Mangels: Bye all