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Redshirts Always Die is saddened to report the death of fantasy and science fiction author Peter Morwood. According to Diane Duane, his wife, fellow author, and occasional co-writer, Morwood passed away unexpectedly on May 9 in Ireland, where the couple lived, after a brief illness from which he had apparently turned a corner toward recovery. He was 68 years old.

Morwood wrote the Star Trek: The Original Series novel Rules of Engagement, released in 1990 by Pocket Books. The story found Kirk and his Enterprise crew engaged in a battle with the Klingons. Decades after the book’s publication, it made a cameo appearance in the show Young Sheldon, as the title character was glimpsed reading a copy of it. Morwood’s second contribution to the Star Trek universe was The Romulan Way, which he co-wrote with Duane and was published in 1987. The novel was the second in Duane’s popular Rihannsu series,...

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The so-called Mirror Universe from the "Star Trek" franchise was first glimpsed in the original series' 1967 episode "Mirror, Mirror." That episode saw Kirk (William Shatner) and a few of his Enterprise crewmates accidentally beamed into a parallel dimension thanks to an ion storm. This parallel universe was similar to Kirk's home, only everyone was evil. The U.S.S. Enterprise was now an imperial ship of conquest, and it was common for underlings to assassinate their superiors in order to advance their careers. Starfleet officers were also all equipped with widgets called Agonizers, which their bosses used to inflict painful punishments.

The Mirror Universe wouldn't be seen again until the 1994 "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Crossover." There, it was revealed that the Imperial Fleet had been overrun by Klingons and Romulans in that alternate reality, leaving humans enslaved by a new Empire.

Many Trekkies have watched every episode of every "Star Trek" show to have aired since the franchise's inception in 1966. That's 900-some episode in total, so it takes a lot of commitment to stay abreast of the whole property. Deep-cut Trekkies, however, have not only seen all 900-some episodes, but have also studied sourcebooks, comics, and oral histories, trying to know as much about the show as possible. The next time you're with a Trekkie friend, ask to see their copy of Larry Nemecek's "The Star Trek The Next Generation Companion" or Rick Sternbach and Mike Okuda's "Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual." I assure you, they have those books. They are required reading on the "Star Trek" syllabus.

Deep-cut Trekkies may also be familiar with the hundreds and hundreds of sanctioned -- but non-canonical -- "Star Trek" novels that have been published over the years. "Star Trek" tie-in novels,...

Welcome to the 174th edition of Adventure(s) Time, where we examine beloved animated series and their comic cousins. This week, two stories of Batmans most loyal ally, years before anyone thought to reinvent him as a heavily armed, bare-knuckled brawler. Or give him hair. And if you have any suggestions for the future, let me hear them. Just contact me on Twitter.

The character of Alfred Pennyworth goes back to some of the earliest days of Batman's lore. So early, there's debate over whether Alfred was initially conceived for the comic book series, or the first Batman movie serial, circa 1943. So many years have passed, it's difficult to say. Including Alfred as a series regular on Batman: The Animated Series was a no-brainer, and even if he rarely received the spotlight, the slyly sarcastic butler always left an impression on viewers.

Going back to the show's bible from 1990, the...

Star Trek has always been about boldly going, so it’s no surprise the franchise quickly moved beyond television sets. Even before the series jumped to the big screen, Star Trek expanded into the world of paperbacks, first with novelizations of Original Series and Animated Series episodes and then with original stories created for the page.

Starting with 1970’s Spock Must Die! by James Blish, the novels gave fans a chance to check in on the continuing missions of their favorite crews and characters. As of this writing, over 850 novels have made it to print, encompassing not only every series except Lower Decks but also spin-off series about totally new characters, such as Captain Calhoun of the USS Excalibur.

With so many options, the world of Trek books can get overwhelming. But these entries are a great place to start. Here are the best Star Trek novels ever written.

My Enemy,...

At the beginning of director Justin Lin's 2016 film "Star Trek Beyond," Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) ends her romantic relationship with Spock (Zachary Quinto), leaving him bitter and despondent in his uniquely Vulcan way. As part of their breakup, Uhura attempts to return a necklace to Spock, but he refuses it. Although it belonged to his mother, he insists that Uhura keep it. As it happens, the necklace is made of a rare mineral called Vokaya, a turquoise-like stone only found on the Vulcan homeworld and harmlessly radioactive. Later in the film, the radiation from the Vokaya necklace will allow Spock to locate Uhura on a distant planet after the two had been separated in a starship crash.

"Star Trek Beyond" was written by Doug Jung and by Simon Pegg, who also played Scotty in the film. Pegg has long been a pop culture obsessive and has written a TV series...

The late Len Wein was one of the most prolific comic book writers of his day. Like many of his contemporaries (especially Marv Wolfman and Gerry Conway), he bounced back and forth between the "Big Two" comic companies, Marvel and DC. Wein left his mark at both, co-creating characters like Swamp Thing and Lucius Fox at DC and the next generation of X-Men at Marvel.

However, his most famous creation is without a doubt Wolverine. Lein worked with then Marvel Editor-In-Chief Roy Thomas and artist John Romita Sr.; the trio debuted Logan in 1974's "Incredible Hulk" issue #180 (written by Wein). In creating Wolverine, Wein wanted to give whoever wrote "X-Men" next a new mutant character. As it turns out, that writer was Wein himself when he crafted "Giant-Size X-Men" #1 with artist Dave Cockrum the following year. Wein eventually ceded the ongoing "X-Men" series to writer Chris Claremont, but...

Time flies, doesn’t it? It seems like just yesterday I was watching Animaniacs Live, interviewing folks about Turtles and cartoons, seeing the latest in geek fashions, hanging out with American Gods, and chatting with the Kings of Con at Sdcc, not to mention chillin’ at Nerd HQ. And now suddenly it’s September, and I’ve since attended both the UK Discworld Convention and Dragon Con! Convention season: it really never stops, does it?

Despite my busy schedule, I don’t want to miss sharing any of the fantastic adventures I’ve been having with you; so first, let’s rewind to San Diego and reminisce about the summer party-party-parties, because they are a staple of Sdcc and deserve to be featured. Every year, I try to line up at least a couple of parties each night, because, let’s be frank, I just love a good party. (I...

Just in case you were looking for the right thing to make you feel old, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is celebrating 25 years since it debut in first-run syndication. And to celebrate, you'll have a chance to see two episodes of Tng's first season in high-definition and on the big screen. Fathom Events is hosting an event in theaters nationwide, bringing back two episodes -- "Where No One Has Gone Before" and "Datalore." Both will be shown July 23. It will be shown in more than 500 theaters in 45 states (sorry Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, Vermont and Wyoming). "Where No One Has Gone Before" originally aired Oct. 26, 1987, and was written by Diane Duane and Michael Reaves. It was the first episode to feature The Traveler, played by Eric Menyuk, one of the finalists to take on the role ...

Jj Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot is warping fans into a certain future of fresh adventures for the gallant crew of the Starship Enterprise. Filming on “Star Trek 2″ is well underway and will no doubt leave fans clamoring for more from Kirk and company when it boldly takes the franchise into the mainstream galaxy that no other Trek film could have hoped before.

With writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman having stated that they read many of the Trek universe books when creating the alternate timeline reboot, here are 5 Original Series (Kirk & Spock) novels that we’d like to see adapted to film in this new franchise.

Consider these our 4 plot lines for “Star Trek 3″…

4. The Yesterday Saga by A.C. Crispin

Everyone knows that Kirk had a bastard son—brilliant scientist David Marcus—and everyone is equally aware of his fate. In the Yesterday Saga—spanning the books Yesterday...

I was going through all my bookmarks and I came along this one that I have not shared with you all yet! Shame on me! Courtesy of GeekDad.

Whether you’ve been using Twitter since 2006, are determined never to use it unless dragged kicking and screaming, or are somewhere in between, you probably know that it’s wildly popular with all sorts of people. In addition to the celebrities who make a big deal about Twitter (e.g., Ashton Kutcher), there are tons of people, both famous and not, who tweet about lots of interesting things.

Here's a updated list of people to follow on Twitter.

Name Twitter ID Why They’re Listed Here Phil Plait BadAstronomer The Bad Astronomer himself; a source for great space-related info and a dose of healthy skepticism. James Urbaniak JamesUrbaniak The voice of Dr. Venture on The Venture Brothers, and a very funny tweeter.

BERLIN -- The producers of an English-language version of German myth "The Ring of the Niebelungs" said Thursday that they have chosen Uli Edel to direct the €20 million ($23.4 million) production. Munich-based Tandem Communications and German film fund VIP Medienfonds said that Edel, whose credits include the TNT miniseries "Julius Caesar" and "The Mists of Avalon" as well as such films as "Last Exit to Brooklyn" and "The Little Vampire", will also pen the "The Ring" script, along with Diane Duane and Peter Morwood. The screenplay will be based on an original story by Robert Cochran ("24," "Attila"). Shooting is scheduled to begin Nov. 17 in Cape Town, South Africa, and casting is under way. Delivery is expected for the fall of next year. Volker Engel and Marc Weigert's Los Angeles-based Uncharted Territory will handle postproduction and special effects.