Some of the guys in my local bowling league have a vague idea that I’m some kind of writer, but don’t know the specifics, and I never make a big deal about it.
That changed a bit yesterday when Howard Stern was doing a Star Trek trivia question: What was the name of Sulu’s daughter? Sulu himself, George Takei, was on as he sometimes is, and he made reference to “The Captain’s Daughter” written by Peter David. The result? One of my teammates asked if I was the selfsame guy mentioned on Stern. Naturally it was and he spread mention to other folks. So I think my coolness factor was bumped up a bit.
PAD
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1. A really good story as I do recall. I don’t read many of the Trek books, but it seems very few authors are able to tie different elements from the different series and/or movies and make a compelling tale. Nice work, if belated.
All those years in comics, novels and TV have finally paid off. You’re finally where we all set out to be: the big kahuna in the local bowling league.
I do think we often get a bigger kick from impressing the people who already know us than from becoming well-known to people who would otherwise never have heard of us, and I, for one, am very jealous.
Richly deserved. Especially since, though VENDETTA wins overall, DAUGHTER has a moment which resides firmly in the top three (maybe two) in TREKdom – Janice Rand’s explanation to Sulu’s daughter about the events in SEARCH FOR SPOCK.
Always good when STAR TREK makes you look cool to others. 🙂
“Naturally it was and he spread mention to other folks. So I think my coolness factor was bumped up a bit.”
Either that or they were all whispering to check out that Star Trek dork over there… 😉
I remember several years back, my wife and I had an open house around Christmas-time and invited a whole bunch of people we knew and considering out work, there was a fair number of SF people there. A costume designer friend called and asked if she could bring her step-son who was was visiting at the time, so of course we said yes. When they arrived, the kid couldn’t believe that Chris Barrie from Red Dwarf was standing in the middle of the living room, doing impressions of just about everybody (including me, I’m embarrassed to say). And when they walked into the kitchen to dump their coats, the kid’s eyes got even bigger when he saw Michael Keating from Blake’s 7 sitting on a stool, talking to my wife. Sidling up to his stepmother, he whispered to her, ‘Are there are any other famous people here?’ Considering our flat was the size of a good-sized shoebox, the only chance of that happening was if there was somebody in the bathroom! Anyway, that story suddenly came to mind, because we so often forget the things we take for granted might be cool to somebody else.
So how’d you meet these guys on your team if they’re only vaguely aware you’re some sort of writer?
Cool, but still approachable. I might say that you’re the most approachable writer I’ve ever met, Mr. D. (I don’t approach you that much, but when I do, you’re always a decent person.)
You know you’re performing a service; you’re showing your buddies that writers are human beings who also like bowling. And who marry attractive women and have great kids. A much more human picture than the fictional creative types on shows like What About Brian.
“So how’d you meet these guys on your team if they’re only vaguely aware you’re some sort of writer?”
A few years ago one of the league officers saw me practicing bowling by myself, said the league was going to be forming for its winter session, and suggested I come on out. They put me on a team that was short a man and things just kind of evolved from there.
PAD
Joe Nazzaro: “…we so often forget the things we take for granted might be cool to somebody else.”
Very true. I’ve met a variety of “famous” people (from various walks of life), and that has given me a certain very small degree of “coolness factor” among family and/or friends. Yet, what might be “cool” to one friend/relative means nothing to another.
As to me, I consider it more “cool” to have met people in the fields of comics, SF, and other writing-related fields- as well as a few Apollo astronauts- than the various governors, senators, mayors, and professional athletes who have crossed my path.
For my Dad, a major coolness point was that I met Johnny Unitas- and got an autograph for him (something he didn’t know about until I surprised him with said autograph). Nice, for him, but to me, he was just a former football player.
For me, major coolness points include a telephone conversation with Harlan Ellison, and meeting (and briefly corresponding with) Elmore Leonard.
And meeting our host, of course.
Plus, I not only met Bob Hastings (who voiced Commisioner Gordon on Batman: The Animated Series), but he spoke words that I wrote during an old-time radio recreation in 2003.
Sorry, Dad, but that tops Johnny Unitas any day.
Rick
P.S. congrats on the plug, PAD. Hope it generates more sales for you.
That was a perfect blog vignette, PAD. Thoroughly enjoyed.
S
This is not name-dropping, but rather an example of total coolness factor. I was having lunch a few months ago with an actor named Doug Jones, who was in New York to promote Pan’s Labyrinth. He left the set of Fantastic Four 2 where he was playing the Silver Surfer to come to New York, but he only had a day or so to spare before he went back. Anyway, I popped into New York so we could have lunch as well as do an interview for Fangoria, but about halfway through our lunch, I thought to myself, ‘Holy šhìŧ, I’m sitting here with the Silver Surfer!’ And then realized there was absolutely nobody I could talk to that night who could relate to the absolute coolness factor of it.
Hey Pete I was listening and heard ya name during the segment as well. Was pretty cool George Takei gave you some nice props as well. I told few guys at my work I knew that person Takei was talking about.
Anyway cya at the lanes and maybe few Ducks Games.
Wanna hear shoot me a e-mail..
John
You go, girl!
We have always thought you are cool. I would think you were way cooler if you devoted more time to ST or Apropos novels and less to comics.
Dammit, Nero, that was gonna be MY post! 🙂
Um, what he said, Peter.
Coolness factor? I’d go so far as to say that Peter has that “x-factor”! Sorry, but it couldn’t be left unsaid.
The Captain’s Daughter was a nice one. Imzadi was is the BEST!
“I do think we often get a bigger kick from impressing the people who already know us than from becoming well-known to people who would otherwise never have heard of us”
True. I remember a similar episode when my friends “discovered” that I write comic books for a living…
I had heard George say it the other day on Howard Stern, and meant to bring it up in some fashion here…but what waiting for an appropriate time (ie…not completely off topic, completely random) to let you know…Glad you heard about it tho! 🙂