Host: Welcome to our chat! Our guest today is Christopher L. Bennett, author of "Ex Machina."

Christopher Bennett: Hello!

Host: Let's get started with our first question.

Vulcan3324: As a fairly new Trek author, what would you say surprised you the most about writing about the phenomenon?

CB: Hmm, good question ... let me think ... Surprised? Probably that I was actually allowed to do it!

Katrina: Dear sir, What motivated you to write this book?

CB: Well, it's a story I've wanted to tell for a long time -- to explore the period after "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The characters were going through a lot of growth and change at that time, and it hadn't really been explored before.

NickP: Are there limits as to what you can and cannot do with Paramount's characters? Thanks!

CB: Well, I couldn't kill off Kirk or Spock, for instance -- of course. But one reason I chose this period is because we knew where the characters started and where they ended up, but there was room to see them grow and change between those points. So you could stay consistent and still tell stories about character growth.

Jen: How many more Star Trek books are you planning on writing? Thanks

CB: As many as they'll let me. I'm finishing up the outline for a TITAN novel now, and I've got another Trek novel lined up that I can't talk about yet; and I'm sure there will be more to come. However, I am hoping to get into original novels soon as well.

Vulcan3324: You made some references to the NCC-1701 refit and the original ship. Do you have a favorite among the two models?

CB: There are things I like about both. The original has an elegant simplicity to it, the purity that only an original can have; but the refit is more beautiful in the details. I like the Art Deco aspects.

T'Blen: Which do you prefer to write – established characters or characters you create on your own?

CB: Both have their advantages. It's easier to get into the mindset and voice of a character I know well, but it's great to have the freedom to create and embody a new character from scratch.

Vulcan3324: Are there any Trek authors that have inspired you?

Christopher Bennett
Well, Diane Duane was an inspiration in a lot of ways. David Gerrold, to an extent.

Host: Why is "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" your favorite movie?

CB: "TMP" is my favorite because it's the most epic, the most thoughtful, and has the most sense of wonder. Plus the world-building of the ship and its multispecies crew.

wilbur: Star Trek movie producer Harve Bennett has a son named Christopher. Is that you?

CB: No, I'm not Harve Bennett's son -- he's Christopher E. Bennett. We are about the same age, though.

Brenden: Will you write for any other Star Trek eras?

CB: Yes, I'm currently working on an outline for the TITAN series about Captain Riker post-"Nemesis." That other Trek project I have lined up is also 24th-century.

potusreyes: What made you think of the title "Ex Machina"?

CB: Well, "deus ex machina" means "god from the machine," so it fits the story.

potusreyes: Would you like to do a book about Star Trek: Enterprise with Archer and the crew?

CB: If I thought up a good story in the Enterprise era, sure. But I'd probably rather wait until it's off the air and there's more freedom to go beyond the series.

K'Jet: What makes a good Star Trek book?

CB: Umm, hard to say for sure. For me, I like books that have good characterization, engaging science-fictional concepts and good worldbuilding.

Vulcan3324: How do you feel about the theory that V'ger was the forebearer of the Borg?

CB: Actually the theory I'd heard was the reverse, that the Borg created V'ger. But I don't find either theory credible; they're too different. I don't see how V'ger could've created the Borg, since V'ger ascended to higher levels of existence -- so why bother creating something to menace our level of existence?

Brenden: If you were stuck on an asteroid what book would you bring along and why?

CB: Umm, "How to Survive Without Atmosphere." ;) Or maybe a book on high-jumping, since asteroids have pretty low gravity...

Vulcan3324: How does writing an e-book differ (if at all) from writing a normal novel?

CB: The only difference between an e-book and a print book is at the publication end; the writing and editing process are exactly the same. The only difference for me was that my e-book was a novella rather than a full-length novel.

JobyDrone4of20: Thanks for coming to this Christopher. One of my favorite parts of "Ex Machina" is when Chapel says to McCoy "Do I look like someone's mother," a tongue in cheek reference to Majel Barret's role as Lwaxana Troi. It made me think that one of the most fun and important elements of writing a Star Trek novel would be including bits like that which make the readers feel like they are "in on the joke" with references to other episodes and characters. How conscious were you of this when writing "Ex Machina"?

CB: Well, I tried not to go overboard on the wink-wink, nudge-nudge inside jokes; those can sort of jar you out of the narrative. Also I don't put something in unless I think the character would actually have a plausible reason to say it. With the Chapel scene I got a bit broader than I generally do, since I was in a quirky mood that day. Actually my favorite line in the Chapel-McCoy scene is "That's between you and the rooster."

PsiQueue: What first got you interested in the Star Trek series?

CB: My interest in Star Trek began when I was 5 years old. I was hooked on the first episode I saw, "The Corbomite Maneuver." I didn't know what space was then, and it opened a whole new world to me.

potusreyes: What is your favorite Star Trek episode of all time?

CB: "The Corbomite Maneuver" is still a favorite. I also really like "The Empath." In later series, "The Visitor" probably tops the list.

Vulcan3324: Do you have an affinity for the Fabrini and/or the episode "For the World is Hollow, and I Have Touched the Sky"?

CB: Well, I chose to follow up on the Fabrini because a link between them and McCoy was mentioned in Roddenberry's TMP novelization. But I did enjoy getting to develop them as a culture, and I'm satisfied with what I created, the richness and historical depth I was able to give them.

Brenden: Who inspires you?

CB: Who inspires me? Umm, hard to say. I tend to be inspired more by ideas and general principles than specific individuals. I guess I'm inspired by people who try to make the world better, who give of themselves, who treat others fairly and place others first. I'm inspired by the heroes of fiction, from Jim Kirk to Superman to Spider-Man, who exemplify the ideals we should all strive for.

Vulcan3324: Do authors have much control over their book's cover art? I loved "Ex Machina's" front. :)

CB: Generally no influence over the cover art at all (how would we feel if the cover artist told us what to write?). But yeah, ExM's cover is pretty stunning. I wanted something more colorful at first, but it's really grown on me.

Emory: How did you decide to choose writing as a profession? Did you always want to be a writer? Thank you.

CB: I didn't decide to be a writer until I was 13. I had these Star City building blocks I'd make futuristic cities with, and I'd play with them and some pipe-cleaner aliens. One day I told a whole story to myself about the people inside the city, with a beginning, middle and end, dramatic conflict and everything, and I realized I was pretty good at this. That was when I realized I was a writer.

Aveena: Where do you live, and what are your hobbies?

CB: I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and my hobbies are basically web-surfing and watching TV. I have kind of a dull life. Well, I do dabble in artistic projects now and then.

Bub: Did you work with the editors on coming up with story or do they let you do your own thing?

CB: So far my published Trek stories have been my own ideas, with some editorial advice to help me refine the details. It can vary from project to project, though.

JobyDrone4of20: I particularly enjoyed your characterizations of the more bizarre alien species populating the Enterprises crew. You had a real Zoo Crew going there, Chris. How much poetry have you written before "Ex Machina"? Was it difficult to come up with the dialogue for Spring Rain?

CB: Actually I don't "get" poetry much. I tend to think in a more literal way than that. It was tough to get into Spring Rain's mindset, to emphasize the emotional rather than the factual in what she said.

moks: If you could visit any world in the Trek universe, where would you go? Why?

CB: Probably Risa, for obvious reasons ... :D

Brenden: What is your background in mathematics?

CB: Just what math I took in high school and undergrad college. My math ability is pretty good up until you reach calculus, then I hit a plateau. I could never quite understand integrals.

potusreyes: How did you deal with the relationship between Natira and Dr. McCoy?

CB: How did I deal with it? Umm, not sure what you mean... I just tried to figure out how it logically might've developed under the circumstances in the plot and backstory, and took it from there.

GMac: Do you have a set time each day to sit and write? Or do you vary it according to the project and how you're feeling that day?

CB: Oh, I'm very disorganized. I write when I'm ready to write, when I have something to write down and don't have other things occupying my attention. Or I force myself to as deadlines loom.

potusreyes: What is you favorite show apart from Star Trek?

CB: Hmm, I generally don't think in terms of favorites... but, well, this may sound weird, but I have an abiding affection for the long-cancelled ROBOCOP: THE SERIES. I loved that show.

Guest: What is your remedy for a case of writer's block?

CB: I generally just live with writer's block, or turn it to my advantage. Some of my best idea-building comes while I'm trying to avoid getting back to the project I'm supposed to be working on.

Host: We have fans in the chat from Canada and England. Any special messages for them? Any planned trips for conventions or book signings?

CB: I'm not much of a traveller. I don't have any convention trips planned at the moment. But hi to the folks from across the border and the pond.

Guest: What is your favorite alien species?

CB: Yes, but you've never heard of them, since I created them for my own fiction and haven't gotten them into print yet.

JobyDrone4of20: Why do you think in "For the World is Hollow..." McCoy wanted to settle down and get married right after finding out he had a year to live? I'd think many people would feel the opposite!

CB: The explanation I offered in the book was that McCoy was feeling lost and hopeless, and the prospect of having love and comfort was appealing. Maybe some would feel the opposite, but for a lonely guy like Bones, an offer of commitment would be more appealing, more of a sure thing, than trying to hunt down conquests that might not come.

PsiQueue: Who is your favorite Trek villian?

CB: Well, again I don't much think in terms of favorites ... but I prefer villains who are more nuanced, who aren't simplistically evil but have good reasons (at least in their own mind) for what they do. Thus they don't really consider themselves villains. Of the movie villains, Shinzon was my favorite because he had the closest, most dramatic relationship with the lead.

potusreyes: Would you like to see William Shatner appear on Star Trek: Enterprise? (Do you watch Enterprise?)

CB: Yes, I watch Enterprise. As for Shatner appearing, that might be interesting if it weren't gimmicky, if there were a good story behind it. These days, though, I see him more as Denny Crane than as Kirk, so it'd be a bit weird.

Host:
Christopher - thanks very much for joining us today!

CB: Thanks for having me.

Host: And thanks to all of you for your questions.

potusreyes: Thank you very much for your answers.

Vulcan3324: Thank you so much!

Brenden: see ya

Host: If you haven't read "Ex Machina" - go out and get it today!

Vulcan3324: Keep on the great work!

GMac: Thanks for your time Christopher, and the best of luck in your future endeavours.

CB: Thanks, all.

JobyDrone4of20: Thanks again Christopher! Good luck!

moks: Take care!

Jon: Take it easy.

Christopher Bennett
Thanks.