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Tonight’s Menu: We interview Star Trek author Michael Jan Friedman about his new comic book Empty Space; we also discuss the genre trailers that debuted during the Super Bowl (Star Wars: Solo, West World, Mission Impossible, etc.), and share some listener feedback regarding the Oscars.
SciFi Diner Podcast 316 – Michael Jan Friedman’s “Empty Space” and Our Own Private Super Bowl
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About Empty Space
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Your name is Robinson Dark. You don’t know where you are or how you got there or what happened to the crew you led into space. All you know is you can’t feel a thing–not even fear.
Then it gets weird.
I’ve described Empty Space as a cross between Star Trek and Lost, but it’s really more than that. It’s a twisty, turny, sometimes unsettling narrative set against the limitless backdrop of the stars, with the sort of bizarre alien species and against-all-odds derring-do that’s always characterized the best space adventure–along with a heaping dollop of the macabre.
This is the kind of tale I’ve wanted to tell for a long time. In fact, it’s a dream project for a guy who fell in love with comics and science fiction at the age of six and never stopped loving them.
It’s also a chance for me to give back to you–the readers who’ve been following me for decades–the best, most intriguing, and most entertaining work I can possibly come up with. If at any time in your immersion in Empty Space you think you know where the story is going…I humbly invite you to think again.
Michael Jan Friedman
About Michael Jan Friedman
Michael Jan Friedman is the author of more than 70 books of fiction and non-fiction, abouthalf of them set somewhere in the wilds of the Star Trek universe.
In 1992 Friedman wrote Reunion, the first Star Trek: The Next Generation hardcover, which introduced the crew of the Stargazer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s first command. Over the years, the popularity of Reunion has spawned a number of Stargazer stories in both prose and comic book formats, including a six-novel original series.
Friedman has also written for the Aliens, Predator, Wolf Man, Lois and Clark, DC Super Hero, Marvel Super Hero, and Wishbone licensed book universes. Eleven of his book titles, including the autobiography Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Ghost Hunting (written with SciFi’s Ghost Hunters), have appeared on the prestigious New York Times primary bestseller list, and his novel adaptation of the Batman & Robin movie was for a time the #1 bestselling book in Poland (really).
Friedman has worked at one time or another in network and cable television, radio, business magazines, and the comic book industry, in the process producing scripts for nearly 180 comic stories. Among his comic book credits is the Darkstars series from DC Comics, which he created with artist Larry Stroman, and the Outlaws limited series, which he created with artist Luke McDonnell. He also co-wrote the story for the acclaimed second-season Star Trek: Voyager episode “Resistance,” which guest-starred Joel Grey.
As always, he advises readers that no matter how many Friedmans they know, he is probably not related to any of them.
For more on Michael Jan Friedman and his fiction, follow him on Twitter@FriedmanMJ, like him on Facebook, and check out Crazy 8 Press.