Earlier this week director Jonathan Frakes ("Star Trek: First Contact," etc.) completed photography on an episode of ABC's upcoming anthology series Masters of Science Fiction written by literary legend Harlan Ellison ("The City on the Edge of Forever"). The episode is titled "The Discarded," based on Ellison's short story of the same name, scripted by Ellison along with Academy Award nominee Josh Olson ("A History of Violence").

Masters of Science Fiction, premiering on ABC in early 2007, will bring to television some of the genre's most popular and highly regarded short stories. Professor Stephen Hawking ("Descent, Part I") will introduce each episode, many of which feature Star Trek alumni. Malcolm McDowell ("Dr. Soran") stars in the show's second installment, "Jerry Was a Man" by Robert Heinlein. The third, "The General Zapped an Angel" by Howard Fast, features Terry O'Quinn ("Admiral Pressman"). And James Cromwell ("Zefram Cochrane") stars in episode five, "Watchbird" by Robert Sheckley.

"The Discarded," a story originally published in 1959 about a ship of mutants exiled from Earth because of their ugliness but who hold the cure to a plague, will be the series' sixth episode (tentatively — the episode order is subject to change). It stars Brian Dennehy and John Hurt. No time or date for the show has been set. Frakes will be at next week's Las Vegas convention, and Ellison will be at the Worldcon in Anaheim the following weekend, so be sure to ask them about it!

Mulgrew's Mother Passes Away

Joan Mulgrew, the mother of Star Trek: Voyager star Kate Mulgrew, passed away last month after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. According to TotallyKate.com and other news sources, Mrs. Mulgrew, a renowned artist, died on July 27 at age 78 in Dubuque, Iowa. Kate has frequently spoken, in interviews and at convention appearances, of the devastating burden Alzheimer's places upon a family. "I'm reduced to absolute putty when I'm in my mother's presence," she told us almost a year ago (related story). Thus, she has been active as a spokesperson and fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association.

In lieu of cards and flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be sent to the Alzheimer's Association of Dubuque, 5900 Saratoga Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, and Hospice of Dubuque, 2255 Kennedy Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52002.

Our thoughts are with Kate and her family during this period of mourning. A full obituary for Mrs. Mulgrew can be found at this TotallyKate.com page.

Bormanis Blogging at Planetary Society

Andre Bormanis — writer/producer for Enterprise and Voyager and previously science consultant — is this week's guest blogger at the Planetary Society Weblog. Bormanis, an officer of The Planetary Society, confesses to being a "blog virgin," but has dived in with a series of discussions titled "Are Astronauts Obsolete?" He explores the question of whether the exploration of space is better left to robots, such as the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars.

To follow the Bormanis Blogs, visit www.planetary.org/blog (after August 13, you may have to scroll down a bit to find them, or look in the archives).

BBC Asks for Input

The BBC News website is planning to publish special features about Star Trek and its 40th anniversary next month, and they want input from the fans. Asking, "Which is the definitive version of Star Trek?" they are soliciting comments on favorite TV series, film or book, and nominations for favorite character or actor. Visit this link to have your say. On a separate page, the BBC states they are compiling a timeline of key events in the Star Trek universe, and want input on which dates are most important, and why. Visit this link to pitch in.

Convention News: Seattle, Tempe, Burbank

In the run-up to its 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration in Seattle the weekend of September 8, PlanetXpo has launched a special blog paying tribute to Star Trek with daily postings from various guests that are slated for the convention, including George Takei, Walter Koenig, DeForest Kelley biographer Kris Smith, SETI scientist Seth Shostak, and others. The final entry that will appear on September 8 will be from legendary science fiction author Sir Arthur C. Clarke. That entry will be read by Tim Russ at the convention. Follow the blog at startrek40.blogspot.com.

The prior weekend, Sept. 1-4, a convention in Tempe, Arizona, will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek. Writer Marc Scott Zicree, who contributed to episodes of TNG and DS9, is the guest of honor, along with several Trek authors. Several panel discussions will be devoted to Trek topics, such as "Star Trek: The Television Phenomenon - Dead or Just Resting?" For more information, visit www.coppercon.org.

Just one week after the its huge Las Vegas convention, Creation Entertainment is holding a Battlestar Galactica gathering in Burbank, Calif., Aug. 26-27. The show's executive producer Ronald D. Moore — formerly writer/producer for TNG and DS9 — has just signed on to appear that weekend. Another guest is Gabriel Koerner, the whiz kid featured in "Trekkies" and "Trekkies 2" who is now doing visual effects professionally, having worked on Star Trek: Enterprise as well as Galactica. Visit www.creationent.com for details.