Christopher L. Bennett

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Christopher L. Bennett is a Star Trek author residing in Cincinnati, Ohio. A fan since the age of five, Bennett had already published two short stories in Analog Science Fiction and Fact when his posts at TrekBBS.com's Trek Literature forum caught the attention of Pocket Books' editors.

Bennett pitched to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. He pitched his DS9 story ideas to Robert Hewitt Wolfe: "His comments about them drove home the importance of focusing on character, a lesson that's been very helpful to me" Bennett commented. (Voyages of Imagination, p. 146)

After contributing to the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers series of eBooks in 2003, Bennett went on to write short stories in several anthologies, as well as contributing novels in the TOS and Star Trek: Titan series, and detailing the life of Jean-Luc Picard in the nine years preceding TNG. His first novel, a Star Trek: The Motion Picture spin-off titled Ex Machina, was named by Star Trek screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman as among their favorite Star Trek novels. [1]

Bennett's writing style focuses on reconciling contradictions in Star Trek canon; his Department of Temporal Investigations series drew on real scientific theories to tie together the disparate depictions of time travel in the series. Other hallmarks of his writing include subverting typical gender roles with strong, brash female characters and sensitive, thoughtful males, and noting historical parallels to complement Star Trek's political allegories. (Christopher L. Bennett: "Tower of Babel" Interview)

Bennett's non-Star Trek work includes an original science fiction novel, Only Superhuman, and tie-in novels set in the Marvel Comics universe.

Bibliography[]

2003

Aftermath (SCE #8)
"... Loved I Not Honor More" (DS9 short story, Prophecy and Change)

2005

Ex Machina
"Brief Candle" (VOY short story, Distant Shores)

2006

Orion's Hounds
"As Others See Us" (TOS short story, Constellations)

2007

The Darkness Drops Again (part of the Mere Anarchy series)
The Buried Age
"Friends with the Sparrows" (TNG short story, The Sky's the Limit)

2008

"Places of Exile" (Star Trek: Myriad Universes novella, Infinity's Prism)
Greater than the Sum

2009

"Empathy" (Star Trek: Mirror Universe short story, Shards and Shadows)
Over a Torrent Sea

2010: Bennett's novel set after Star Trek, Seek a Newer World, was originally scheduled for release in June 2010 but is currently "on hold" following executive decisions at Pocket. [2]