My feeling is, as long as both Pocket Books and Paramount are amenable to the idea, why not? It just makes for a richer universe. And I believe Tony shares this thought. Captain Brainway: I really love how this book is like the old murder mystery pulp books I used to tear through years ago. What old murder mystery writers/books influenced you beyond Star Trek?
BI: I'm not sure what mysteries Tony has read. As I said, I'm the bigger mystery fan of the two of us. My biggest influences are "Ellery Queen," Rex Stout, who wrote the "Nero Wolfe" and "Tecumseh Fox" books and, of course, Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason" books.
designationlocutus: Was it your original intention to make Daniel Latham similar to Samuel T. Cogley with regard to the written word?
BI: Yes. We wanted to make the victim in this case someone for whom Cogley would feel an immediate empathy.
vulcan3324: Did you always have Areel Shaw as the prosecuting attorney?
BI: Yes. If we do more, she may not be the Prosecutor in all of them. But we always felt for the first one, she should be there. That's why we had to figure out a way to do a mystery that was on the remote location but for which Starfleet would supply a prosecutor. With that in mind a "Sherman's Planet" senario seemed, well, logical.
IamDaWalrus: You mention an old building in Los Angeles that Sam works out of. What led to that choice?
BI: That one was purely my idea. The Bradbury Building is a real building in LA and I love it. Plus it's an old building, so it seemed a natural for Sam to use such an old building for his office.
designationlocutus: Regarding your reference to 'The Mystery Of Edwin Drood,' did you intend to convey to the readers that Daniel Latham was attempting to finish the book, perhaps in an attempt to solve his own mystery of life?
BI:No. I don't think we're quite that deep. No, the real reason is that it was the famous "unfinished" book of Dickens, so having a full-length version of that book on the shelf, when it should only have been half as thick was a way of giving Cogley a clue as to what might be in the rest of that volume.
designationlocutus: In parts of the book, you make references to the Xindi. At what point of Star Trek: Enterprise's Season 3 was the book completed?
BI: The book was completed before the third season started. We knew about the Xindi from advance publicity for Season 3 and the final episodes of Season 2.
startrekinpacker: Hi Bob. I loved the book and "Court Martial" is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. And I loved how Cogley thought back to Captin Archer. What was the hardest part of making the book?
BI: Well, as Tony and I don't sit in the same room together as we write, there were those long hours we put in alone in our respective offices without any human contact ...
designationlocutus: 'Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder!' That is a classic quote! Which of the two of you came up with it?
BI: That would be the inveterate punster, me. That's actually a pun I thought of many years ago, but finally got a chance to use in a big way.
designationlocutus: There were a lot of references in the book to the series' in general (Section 31, Captain Archer and the Enterprise, the Xindi). Were there any other references that you considered using, and then rejected?
BI: Lots and lots of them. We ran the manuscript past a mutual friend and part of the reason was so that he could tell us when we had too many of the throwaway references and should pull back.
vulcan3324: Do you consider the Original Series to be your favorite Trek series?
BI: Again, I can't speak for Tony but I don't have a favorite series. I like Seasons 1 and 2 of TOS a lot, 3-5 of Next Generation as much and seasons 4 on of DS9. I think those are my favorite years of Trek out of all the series.
darrik: How did you get started as a writer?
BI: Probably back in nursery school, when I'd dictate stories to the teacher and she'd transcribe them. Then I always loved comic books and started writing comic book stories as a kid. Sold my first comic book story in 1975. I think Tony's experiences are similar. He joined the Marvel Comics staff as an editor in about 1972 and started writing for them. But he also wrote for a lot of comic-book fan 'zines.
booklover: You have written for the Star Trek Universe and (I think) the Marvel Universe. Would you describe yourself as a fan who became a writer or a writer who became a fan (or maybe just an expert...) ?
BI: Oh, I like that "Expert" part. Probably a person who wanted to be a writer from as far back as he can remember, who then became a fan of these universes and decided it would be fun to mix the loves and be a writer in the universes.
booklover: Did you choose the character of Sam Cogley or did the editors? Are there going to be more Sam Cogley mysteries? I hope so!
BI: The idea of the Perry Mason mysteries in Trek and using Sam Cogley came from John Ordover, who was the Pocket Books Star Trek editor at the time. Tony and I both loved the idea and ran with it. We hope to write more of them.
Riker1005: Would you ever consider doing future mystery books based on other Star Trek crews? Like, for instance, seeing Odo in action on DS9 solving a complex murder scheme? Or Tuvok using his Vulcan logic to piece together the "perfect crime"?
BI: We're certainly not opposed to it. Tony had the idea of writing a kind of Police Procedural 87th PRECINCT novel using Odo.
tonyisa: The puns are why we don't write in the same room.
BI: That and the fact that we're about 40 miles apart, Tony.
HomerS: What's it like working with a writing partner? Who gets final say?
BI: That varies from project to project. I had a little more of the final say on this book, because I know the law, mysteries, and the Trek universe a little better than Tony. When we did our Captain America, Tony had more of the final say, because he was more familiar with the Marvel Universe.
eMailbag: tonyisa - Is that the other author?
BI: I think so, but you'd have to ask him.
tonyisa: Since I can speak for Tony ... Deep Space Nine is my favorite Trek series.
startrekinpacker: What gave you the idea of having the planet Aneher II be in a Federation/Klingon Neutral Zone?
BI: We thought it was the best way to have that kind of frontier setting but in a place where the Federation and Starfleet would have so much vested interest that they'd send Areel Shaw to be the Prosecutor.
Unus the Untouchable: Will you ever write a book where Areel Shaw ever wins a case?
BI: I suppose if we do a series of prosecutor books, like the "Doug Shelby" novels that Erle Gardner wrote. But if we're doing "Perry Mason" books, I can't see that happening.
Intergalactic Bookworm: I loved the description of the old building myself, especially the staircase and the elevator. I doubt it, but is it named after Ray Bradury, or is it just a coincidence? Judy Dague, Co-Moderato, Yahoo! Star Trek Books Discussion Group
BI: A coincidence. The Bradbury was built years before Ray was born.
Spam Cogley: You really detail a lot about colony living in the 23rd Century. How did you come up with all those details?
BI: Some of it was watching old Trek episodes. Some of it was watching old westerns. Some of it was just stuff we made up.
vulcan3324: Do you use any Star Trek reference books on a regular basis? And do you always carry a notepad in case you come up with ideas at odd times?
BI: Personally, I haven't picked up all the Star Trek reference books off the floor, where I had them scattered, as I was writing my parts of the book. Not a note pad, but I have a PDA and the memo feature on my cell phone.
polina: What is it like to write about the universe of Star Trek? Is it as wonderful as reading it? Is it a different experience from writing about Captain America or about characters you invent yourself?
BI: Writing in the Trek universe was a great deal of fun for both Tony and me. More fun than reading it? I suppose that depends on who you are. Certainly for us, it's more fun, because, as creators, there's a certain good feeling we get as we create. It was very different from writing Captain America, as that book was set in the "real" world. We didn't have to make as much stuff up. Didn't have to create entire worlds and their eco systems, as it were.
SleepyJerry: Who's your favorite Star Trek captain and why?
BI: Mine is probably Kirk, because he always found the way. I think Tony's is Sisko.
tonyisa: Mine is Sisko.
vulcan3324: Would you consider writing an Enterprise book?
BI: We're not opposed to writing for any of the Trek series. I don't think Pocket Books is doing as many Enterprise books as the other series because it's still an on-going TV series.
designationlocutus: Did you base the eccentric Helen Latham on anyone in particular?!
BI: Not reallly. We determined the kind of character the plot required her to be and wrote that kind of character. Thankfully, neither of us really know anyone who is very much like her.
DannyRand: You've also written a lot of great comic book stories. Can you talk a little about the differences between writing for books and writing for comics?
BI: Thank you. Biggest difference is probably the length. A comic script can usually be finished in a week or less. Not so with a novel. And, of course, as we don't have an artist who can draw the surroundings for us, we have to describe them in much more detail.
booklover: What projects do you have on the horizon?
BI: Our columns for Comics Buyer's Guide. And we're discussing some things with various publishers, but none of them are far enough along that we feel comfortable talking about them at this time. Superstitious and all, we don't want to jinx anything.
tonyisa: Am I allowed to plug my daily TONY'S ONLINE TIPS column, which can be read at http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony
moderator02: What is your favorite episode?
BI: Probably my favorite all-time Trek episode of any of the series is "The City on the Edge of Forever."
PlopMeister: Do you read other Star Trek books besides your own? If so, what are your favorites?
BI: Some, but not all of them. I especially like the books of Peter David and the books of Judith and Gar Reeves-Stevens.
tonyisa: I highly recommend "Gemini" by Mike W. Barr. He really has a knack for the TOS characters.
BuggyTron: I have a fan letter to send, but it's a little long for this chat, where should fans send letters?
BI: You can reach me at lawgiverbob@yahoo.com. Tony is at tony@wfcomics.com
Guest: We've met Professor Moriarty, is there any chance that we're going to meet Sherlock Holmes in the holodeck?
BI: They didn't really have holodecks in the time of Cogley, so I doubt it.
Jambalaya: What makes a good mystery? How do you decide which clues to reveal in what order?
BI: That depends on the kind of mystery. A "fair play" mystery or classic whodunnit should have all the suspects, valid red herrings and all the clues necessary for the detective and reader to figure out who did it, if they're paying attention. As for the order, that's something that the plot needs dictate more than anything else. Plots need certain scenes to come in certain places for a logical progression. The clues that belong to that scene would have to go there. As we were writing, Tony and I moved some scenes and chapters around, because we determined they worked better in a place of the book that was different from our plans. The biggest trick was to remember what clues had to go in what scene and then remembering to put them there.
polina: What advice would you give to a very new writer who is just starting something about Star Trek?
BI: My first piece of advice would be to read books that aren't Star Trek as well as Trek books. Get a well-rounded literary experience, so that you don't just fall back on all the Trek cliches. After that, write. Finish what you write. And submit it, the same advice that Robert Heinlein gave aspiring writers.
booklover: You have mentioned knowing the law and now given your e-mail I have to ask ... Are you a lawyer in "real life"? Or do you have a dark, lawyer-ly past you might not want to reveal?
BI: I have no problems revealing it. I'm a practicing public defender in Cleveland, Ohio. Tony isn't.
vulcan3324: Other than writing, what are some of your other interests?
BI: My wife and children (Tony says the same, but of his, not mine). Reading. Movies and TV you know a lot of the usual stuff.
tonyisa: My interests include parenting, progressive liberal politics, old comic books, and giant monsters. Godzilla rules!
designationlocutus: Who came up with the idea of replication beaming?
BI: Richard Matheson, first in "The Enemy Within." But as it's been said that Next Gen replicators work on transporter technology, it seemed a logical step. Something the Federation or Starfleet was working on as a logical extension of transporters, that they hadn't perfected yet. I think it was me who suggested we use this schtick in the book, tough.
booklover: Have you been to any Star Trek conventions? Many Star Trek fans are sticklers for the universe being consistent. Did you know that and if so did you find it intimidating?
BI: We've been to some, but not to many recently. Yes we know that many fans are sticklers, but I don't think either Tony or I found it intimidating. We figured it was just a story, and if we got a small detail wrong, we'd live with it. That's not to say we didn't research to try avoid such things. But we didn't let the possibility stop us.
tonyisa: I never found it intimidating because, if anyone got mad at something in the book, I planned to blame any mistakes on Bob.
booklover: Someone recently pointed out that we have gone from a society that hero-worships defense attorneys (Perry Mason) to a society that hero worships procecutors (Law and Order). As a writer and as a lawyer have you noticed that?
BI: As a lawyer, more than a writer. As a public defender I am frequently asked "How could you defend..." (Fill in the blank with your favorite kind or reprehensible criminal.) As a writer we've noticed it. It's a backways of the "tough on crime/law and order" fear that the War on drugs has created. People don't see America as winning the war, and start to feel helpless to stop crime. So they want invincible proecutors in their mass media, so that, at least someplace, the people the think of as the good guys win.
Guest: What is your favorite TV show and why?
BI: My favorite TV show was Angel. Good writinng, good characters. It's been cancelled. So I'll have to wait for the new season to see if my favorite is some old show I'm watching or a new show. That's scripted fictional TV. I'm also a big fan of The Daily Show, and it's still on.
tonyisa: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is my favorite TV show because it's the funniest and smartest show on TV. But I'm really digging The 4400 on the USA Network.
Mr.Snickers: How much do you write in one sitting? Do you write in long chunks or small bits? How long does it take to write a Star Trek book?
BI: Again, I can't speak for Tony, as we didn't actually sit in the same room to write it. E-mail is a wonderful thing for collaborators. For me, personally, I'd have to squeeze the novel writing in between my real-world job, parenting, and other real-world responsibilities. Sometimes, I'd have long blocks of time I could write in, and I would. Sometimes I'd only have short chunks of time and I'd have to write what I could in them. How long it takes to write a novel, depends on many things. Sometimes the writing comes very quickly and sometimes it comes very slowly. So you have to get as much as you can done when it's coming quickly.
Host: Bob, thank you very much for chatting with us today! "Colonist's Corpse" was a big hit with us here, and we look forward to more Sam Cogley mysteries.
BI: Thank you for having me. And -- here comes the plug -- if you liked "The Case of the Colonist's Corpse," be sure and tell Pocket Books and Paramount that you'd like to see more.
darrik: Thank you for all your time and effort
vulcan3324: Thank you so much for coming! Keep up the great work!!!!!
intergalacticbookworm: I enjoyed it!
Song_of_Hologram: Keep writing great Trek stories.
intergalacticbookworm: I hope that there will be more in the series!
startrekinpacker: It was great. Thanks for the chat.
