Tired of the recent trend of “angry” science fiction and fantasy stories, this award-winning author aims to bring the fun back into these genres—much to your benefit as a reader.

by Richard Paolinelli

I’m not so sure what the exact date was, but sometime in the not-so-distant past, the powers that be decreed that readers of sci-fi and fantasy needed to be browbeaten. Suddenly, stories became angry. Readers were being scolded and made to feel bad about everything around them once they reached the end of the book/movie/show/game. Can they really be surprised to discover that people are turning away from these forms of entertainment in droves?

Fortunately, there is a band of rebels out there that are producing all sorts of sci-fi and fantasy content across multiple media. I am proud to count myself among their number. We call it “Superversive,” and I’ve been talking about it a lot recently on my website. I’ve also created a growing list of Superversive authors, publishers, and books. All of these wonderful people are creating new content that is enjoyable to read or play.

All of my books and short stories are written for the reader to have fun reading them. This is what I want when I take a break from day-to-day life: to be able to sit back and enjoy a good book, game, or show. Because I feel that we have enough reality beating us up every day as it is. Books, movies, and games should offer some respite—a pleasurable escape from reality, if even just briefly.

Sometime in the not-so-distant past, the powers that be decreed that readers of sci-fi and fantasy needed to be browbeaten. Suddenly, stories became angry.

It’s the same approach I’ve taken with having written an epic, three-part, Star Trek fan fiction series. I’d always wanted to write a Star Trek novel, but with the current state of the Star Trek franchise I didn’t see a way to do it. J.J. Abrams’s reboot has all but killed the film franchise. Discovery and Picard are doing the same for the small screen.

So when I discovered that fan fiction is allowed, with certain requirements I was more than happy to adhere to, I started writing it. The main character of the story is Bari Forelni, a Prince of Etalya. The Etalyians live for over three centuries, which allows Bari’s story to begin in the Star Trek: Enterprise era (Part 1), continue into the Original Series era (Part 2), and conclude during the Next Generation era (Part 3). But while Bari’s story is front and center, all three Enterprise crews were well represented. They were also well respected, something the Abrams movies and the recent TV shows cannot claim. The bottom line is this: the stories will be as fun for the reader to read as they were for me to write.

And that is always my ultimate goal, no matter what, when I sit down to write: have some fun.

Richard Paolinelli has written several award-winning novels, two non-fiction sports books, and has appeared in several anthologies, including eight of the eleven-book Tuscany Bay Books’ Planetary Anthology Series and five Sherlock Holmes collections. Galen’s Way, a space opera set in award-winning author John C. Wright’s Starquest universe, is the first of six planned novels connected to Starquest that Richard will be writing and releasing over the next two years.

Richard also writes The Calling, a weekly Star Trek fan fiction series, on his website.