Federal judge orders documents naming Jeffrey Epstein’s associates to be unsealed

A federal judge in New York has ordered a vast unsealing of court documents in early 2024 that will make public the names of scores of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates.

St. Louis Police File Felony Charge Against Bar:PM Owner After SUV Crash

Co-owner Chad Morris now faces a charge of felony assault on an officer

“Star Trek Giant Poster Book: Voyage Two” Review by Collectingtrek.ca

Collectingtrek.ca has added a new review for Allan Asherman and Doug Drexler and george snow and Mitch Green and Ron Barlow‘s “Star Trek Giant Poster Book: Voyage Two”:

Issue 2 offers an in-depth and fascinating article on how the original series special effects were created. Asherman tells us how Charlie was made to fade away, how Kirk could kneel beside his duplicate, and that Spock beaming down to a planet began with a dissolve, deployed a matte, added in a sparkle of powdered aluminum, and that the effect was completed by combining these elements.

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“Star Trek: Lower Decks – Crew Handbook” Review by Borg.com

Borg.com has added a new review for Chris Farnell‘s “Star Trek: Lower Decks – Crew Handbook”:

Four seasons and forty episodes in, the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks is coming into its own next month with the release of its own guide to the show, its ship, and its crew.

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Hasbro Layoffs Affect Wizards Of The Coast

Hasbro, parent company to Wizards of the Coast, announced that it would be laying off 1100 staff members in an internal company wide email on December 11th.

When They Say You Should Just Play Piano

Star Wars Eclipse – Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer

FLITE | Hyper Realistic CG Sci-Fi Short Using Unreal Engine

Photographers Warned They Could Be Sued for Grinch-Themed Shoots

The Grinch that stole photographers’ Christmas.

Beast Reality – Merry Muthaf*#%in’ Xmas (feat. Xzibit)

Republicans likely to lose House control in 2024, GOP strategist predicts

“I think it will lead to a Hakeem Jeffries speakership,” Susan Del Percio said. “Let’s put it that way.”

The only way to make this happen is to be sure that if you have the ability to vote, you do so.

Ron DeSantis defends ‘Christian’ who vandalized Satanic Temple statue in Iowa, taunts Trump

’Tis the season for terrorizing Fox News viewers as they sit beside the family hearth, basking in the warm, abiding glow of Jeanine Pirro’s screeching head. And in the wild, woolly world of …

Happy 2023 Birthday to J.M. Dillard!

Happy birthday to J.M. Dillard!

Jeanne M. Dillard is a pseudonym for Jeanne Kalogridis. She is an author who has written many Star Trek books as “J. M. Dillard”. She is notable for writing the novelizations for six of the first ten Star Trek feature films. She has also published other fictional works under her real name , mainly her series about vampires.

She is originally from Winter Haven, Florida, and has degrees in Russian and Linguistics. She lived in Washington, D.C. for a while, but now lives in the western USA. She lists her interests as “yoga, Buddhism, quilting, dog training and reading everything ever published.”

Check out the J.M. Dillard author page to view more author updates and a full list of books!

Find J.M. Dillard’s work on Amazon.com

New Star Trek Book: “Strange Novel Worlds”

Strange Novel Worlds by has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!

David Mack has announced a new set of essays about Trek, this one’s going to be about “the profession of writing Star Trek tie-ins, and the fine line that separates officially licensed fiction from fan fiction, and what those distinctions mean (and also do NOT mean).”  The book is currently scheduled to be published sometime in 2024.

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New Star Trek Book: “Strange Novel Worlds”

Strange Novel Worlds by has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!

David Mack has announced a new set of essays about Trek, this one’s going to be about “the profession of writing Star Trek tie-ins, and the fine line that separates officially licensed fiction from fan fiction, and what those distinctions mean (and also do NOT mean).”  The book is currently scheduled to be published sometime in 2024.

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New Star Trek Book: “Strange Novel Worlds”

Strange Novel Worlds by has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!

David Mack has announced a new set of essays about Trek, this one’s going to be about “the profession of writing Star Trek tie-ins, and the fine line that separates officially licensed fiction from fan fiction, and what those distinctions mean (and also do NOT mean).”  The book is currently scheduled to be published sometime in 2024.

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Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Top-Secret Hawaii Compound

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is building a sprawling, $100 million compound in Hawaii—complete with plans for a huge underground bunker. A WIRED investigation reveals the true scale of the project—and its impact on the local community.

The Tech Bro Billionaire Ethos That Will Eat Us All | Douglas Rushkoff | TMR

Federal Reserve on cusp of what some thought impossible: Defeating inflation without steep recession

It was the most painful inflation Americans had experienced since 1981, when “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “The Jeffersons” were topping the TV charts.

United States To Gain Access To 15 Military Bases In Finland

Finland will sign a defence agreement next week giving the United States access to 15 military bases in NATO’s newest member, the Finnish defence ministry said on Friday.

Rudy Giuliani Ordered by Jury to Pay Nearly $150 Million in Defamation Damages to Georgia Election Workers

The verdict concludes the former Trump personal lawyer’s nearly week-long trial.

Booktrek 2023 | June Wrap Up and (one) Book Haul

An Interview with Derek Tyler Attico, Part 1: Writing The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko – Warp Factor Trek

Fans learned so much about Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine but The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko — the first novel by author Derek Tyler Attico — takes it to the next level. Recently, I enjoyed not only reading a preview copy of the book and hosting an X Space (an audio discussion on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) with Attico about it but I was also delighted to interview him for Warp Factor Trek regarding the novel, which I’ve reviewed for this website. Published by Titan Books, the novel represents the fifth in a series of “autobiographies” of various Star Trek captains. After informing Attico that I thoroughly enjoyed the book and catching up with him about his advertising campaign to promote its release, I launched into some questions about the novel itself.

Out Today: “Star Trek’s Ultimate Episode Guide: The Best, the Worst and the Rest: The Top 150 Stories From Thirteen Trek Series”

Out today: “Star Trek’s Ultimate Episode Guide: The Best, the Worst and the Rest: The Top 150 Stories From Thirteen Trek Series“, by Dr. Joseph Daniel Di Lella.

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Level 247: Cris Velasco (Lords of the Fallen)

It’s always a joy catching up with composer Cris Velasco! This time around, we chat about his epic music for Lords of the Fallen, a souls-like action RPG with plenty of boss battles. He also clues me into another one of his recent scores, for a game called Fae Farm, He and I will talk more about that in a future episode, because it’s delightful. Also couldn’t be more different than his music for Lords.

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and see the video of my conversation with Cris on the Level with Emily YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST by Cris Velasco for Lords of the Fallen unless noted otherwise

00:00 Aphotic Judgment 06:29 Warmaster 06:56 Orian Ascendance 08:22 Deathless Duty 11:01 Molten Heart 12:30 Archnemesis 16:39 Bloodletter 19:44 Call to War 20:05 Howl of Devastation 23:02 Archnemesis 26:05 Maw of Faith 27:23 Maw of Faith 33:02 Bloodletter 37:13 Fiery Malice 43:15 Welcome to Azoria 45:00 Warm Winds of Adventure 45:55 Maw of Faith 46:41 The Sun on Your Back 47:28 The Market Dance 53:53 Rotting Whispers 54:25 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 247: Cris Velasco (Lords of the Fallen) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on December 15, 2023.

Level 247: Cris Velasco (Lords of the Fallen)

It’s always a joy catching up with composer Cris Velasco! This time around, we chat about his epic music for Lords of the Fallen, a souls-like action RPG with plenty of boss battles. He also clues me into another one of his recent scores, for a game called Fae Farm, He and I will talk more about that in a future episode, because it’s delightful. Also couldn’t be more different than his music for Lords.

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and see the video of my conversation with Cris on the Level with Emily YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST by Cris Velasco for Lords of the Fallen unless noted otherwise

00:00 Aphotic Judgment 06:29 Warmaster 06:56 Orian Ascendance 08:22 Deathless Duty 11:01 Molten Heart 12:30 Archnemesis 16:39 Bloodletter 19:44 Call to War 20:05 Howl of Devastation 23:02 Archnemesis 26:05 Maw of Faith 27:23 Maw of Faith 33:02 Bloodletter 37:13 Fiery Malice 43:15 Welcome to Azoria 45:00 Warm Winds of Adventure 45:55 Maw of Faith 46:41 The Sun on Your Back 47:28 The Market Dance 53:53 Rotting Whispers 54:25 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 247: Cris Velasco (Lords of the Fallen) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on December 15, 2023.

New Star Trek Book: “Star Trek’s Ultimate Episode Guide: The Best, the Worst and the Rest: The Top 150 Stories From Thirteen Trek Series”

Star Trek’s Ultimate Episode Guide: The Best, the Worst and the Rest: The Top 150 Stories From Thirteen Trek Series by Dr. Joseph Daniel Di Lella has been added to the Star Trek Book Club!

The book is currently scheduled to be published on December 15, 2023

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E3 is officially dead, say ESA

“After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the mem…

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film” Review by Blog.trekcore.com

Blog.trekcore.com has added a new review for John Tenuto and Maria Jose Tenuto‘s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film”:

Meticulously researched and organized, the recently released behind-the-scenes book, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film, is a definitive piece of film-making history, detailing the production and legacy of arguably Star Trek’s most famous production.

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Out Today: “Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #3”

Out today: “Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #3“, by Sam Maggs.

It’s practice day for the most important test of Cadet Picard’s Starfleet Academy career thus far! His first test in actual space… and he is not ready. He may as well be yelling into a black hole after being put into a group with all his least favorite colleagues… and Marty, the girl he kind of, sort of likes. No one’s listening to his commands, and he doesn’t know how on Earth he’s supposed to see eye-to-eye with Resh, his bully and competition for top of the class! Picard’s course is set for failure, and if he can’t figure out a way to change things soon… there goes his future.

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Star Trek Writer Explores Strange New World With Next Generation of Heroes

Morgan Hampton talks Sons of Star Trek; a series where the children of several key franchise players become trapped in a dangerous alternate reality.

“Star Trek: Coda, Book 2 – The Ashes of Tomorrow” Review by Shastrix.com

Shastrix.com has added a new review for James Swallow‘s “Star Trek: Coda, Book 2 – The Ashes of Tomorrow”:

The second book of the Coda trilogy, this time by James Swallow, is even more intense than the first.

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Out Today: “Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #3”

Out today: “Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #3“, by Sam Maggs.

It’s practice day for the most important test of Cadet Picard’s Starfleet Academy career thus far! His first test in actual space… and he is not ready. He may as well be yelling into a black hole after being put into a group with all his least favorite colleagues… and Marty, the girl he kind of, sort of likes. No one’s listening to his commands, and he doesn’t know how on Earth he’s supposed to see eye-to-eye with Resh, his bully and competition for top of the class! Picard’s course is set for failure, and if he can’t figure out a way to change things soon… there goes his future.

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AI Image Apps That ‘Undress’ Women Are on the Rise

Victims feel powerless and humiliated.

A White Author Posted Fake Reviews to Hurt Authors of Color. It Cost Her Dearly.

Author Cait Corrain is in the hot seat after it was learned she targeted authors of color with fake negative reviews to boost sales of her own debut novel.

Star Trek Books Coming In The Next 30 Days, as of December 12, 2023

Fiction

Star Trek: Lower Decks – Crew Handbook
By: Chris Farnell
December 19, 2023Join the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos as they seek out new life and travel where people may, or may not, have been before! Based on the hit Paramount+ animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mariner, Boimler and all their friends offer advice and insider knowledge to new crewmembers. This hilarious and informative handbook will […]

Non-Fiction

Star Trek’s Ultimate Episode Guide: The Best, the Worst and the Rest: The Top 150 Stories From Thirteen Trek Series
By: Dr. Joseph Daniel Di Lella
December 15, 2023

Magazines

Star Trek Explorer #10

January 24, 2024

Comics

Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #3
By: Sam Maggs
December 13, 2023It’s practice day for the most important test of Cadet Picard’s Starfleet Academy career thus far! His first test in actual space… and he is not ready. He may as well be yelling into a black hole after being put into a group with all his least favorite colleagues… and Marty, the girl he kind […]

Star Trek #15
By: Collin Kelly
December 20, 2023Prepared to do whatever it takes to make peace with the war-worshipping Tzenkethi and outmaneuver the Romulan Empire as their ally, Captain Sisko and his crew work alongside Tzenkethi warleader Kav’ka and Romulan Magistrex T’Galatheon to ready capitol defenses in preparation for the deadly Festival of Supremacy. But Sisko soon learns that Federation ideals won’t […]

Star Trek: Defiant #10
By: Christopher Cantwell
December 20, 2023The Defiant crew makes way for its next bounty: Berlinghoff Rasmussen, infamous time-traveling thief and con man. Berlinghoff has escaped custody on Starbase 214 and has his sights set on tech from the forbidden planet and final resting place of Captain Christopher Pike, Talos IV. With top-secret orders from Starfleet, Worf and his crew are […]

Star Trek: Picard’s Academy #4
By: Sam Maggs
January 3, 2024Time’s up! It’s Evasive Maneuvers exam day, the only shot Picard has at graduating early… and getting off Earth and far away from home. He’s as ready as he can be and actually feels like he can trust some of his group partners. But little does he know, their first test in space will bring […]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Scorpius Run #5
By: Ryan Parrott
January 10, 2024Captain Pike’s worst nightmare has come to fruition. Under immense gravitational waves on the racecourse, the Enterprise’s shields have collapsed, its hull integrity is failing, and the ship is being torn apart, piece by piece. All the while, Spock is aboard an alien vessel of foreign tech, among a crew desperate to push on and […]

Star Trek: 10 Biggest Takeaways From Patrick Stewart’s Memoir (And 1 That Wasn’t)

Star Trek Aliens Graphic Novel Review

Rudy Giuliani: Electing Obama has ‘taken us back 40 or 50 years on race relations’

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani blamed Barack Obama — the nation’s first Black president — for a deterioration of race relations in the United States. On his Sunday radio program, Giuliani called Democrats “the party of slavery.” “These miserable anti-American leaders of the party of slave…

Satanists expose the GOP doublespeak on “free speech” and bigoted rhetoric

The key to understanding the GOP furor over “anti-semitism” on campus? A altar to Lucifer in the Des Moines Capitol

Special counsel asks Supreme Court to immediately decide if Trump is immune from Jan. 6 prosecution

The court said it would consider on an expedited basis whether to hear the case, an indication that it takes special counsel Jack Smith’s request seriously.

“Farewell to the Hunt Valley Inn” by Bob Greenberger

In 1981, I was invited by my pal Howard Weinstein to join him at a Maryland-based show called Shore Leave. I drove down to the Hunt Valley Inn in Cockeysville, and it was so wonderful I have been coming back steadily ever since. Today, the hotel, part of the Marriott chain, closes.

Christopher L. Bennett has a similar post, with more information on where the future of Shore Leave is headed, luckily they’ve found a new home and maybe I’ll finally be able attend!

INTERVIEW: Derek Attico On Writing THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN SISKO

Star Trek Picard Season 3: Spaceships!

Casey DeSantis encourages Republicans nationwide to vote in Iowa caucus

On Fox News, wife of Ron DeSantis mistakenly invites ‘moms and grandmoms’ to cross state lines and illegally vote in caucus

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: 22 Vengeance” Review by Deepspacespines.com

Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for Daffyd ab Hugh‘s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: 22 Vengeance”:

In today’s episode, if you don’t check the veracity of scary new rumors, you’ll look really bad later if they turn out to be true. But no matter how you slice it, while you’re away, the Klingons will play, and you’d better hope the folks you left home are up to the job. Does anyone in 2023 find the Garak/Bashir ship “puzzling”? What does the reading list to just be able to understand humans look like? And is this the fall of the house of Quark? All this and more in Vengeance, the book with the cover appearance so egregious it made me coin the word readbait.

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“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy TPB” Review by Myconfinedspace.com

Myconfinedspace.com has added a new review for Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott‘s “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy TPB”:

A beautifully drawn cross generational story of a mysterious signal that is at first discounted by the powers that be, then investigated by a new class at the academy. I enjoyed the resolution, but this was definitely not the story that I thought it would be. Also, one of the issues has a background character with a cyborg implant that looks EXACTLY like Rutherford from Lower Decks.

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Hunter Biden Indicted on Nine Tax-Related Charges

Federal prosecutors filed another criminal case against Hunter Biden, CNN reported Thursday.

Texas Threatens Doctors After Judge Says Woman Can Get Emergency Abortion

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened doctors after a judge granted a woman the ability to obtain an emergency abortion.

Spotify CFO Is Stepping Down Following Hefty Layoffs

Spotify CFO Paul Vogel will step down from the company next march, the company announcing plans to lay off 17 percent of its workforce this week.

Republican ‘Fake Electors’ In Nevada Falsely Pledged Biden’s Electoral Votes To Trump, Indictments Charge

Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced the indictments of six state Republican accused of being fake electors in the 2020 election to rig a win for Trump.

Florida Supreme Court: Victims’ Rights Law Can’t Be Used To Block Reporting On Police Misconduct

No one’s more willing to abuse a law than a cop. They pretend they don’t understand the complexities of laws when it suits them. But they’re always right on top of any law that mi…

Ready or Not – Are You Ready? – Official 1.0 Launch Trailer

Jurassic Park: Survival | Announcement Trailer

THRASHER Announce Trailer

LEGO Fortnite Gameplay Trailer

AC/LeeC – “Dirty Deeds Around the Christmas Tree”

Uranus 101 | National Geographic

Apple admits to secretly giving governments push notification data

Apple to update transparency report to break out push notification data requests.

Kevin McCarthy Is Resigning From Congress

Kevin McCarthy is resigning from Congress after being ousted as House Speaker in October.

Texas High School Suspends Black Student Again Over Locs

Darryl George was sent back to suspension for violating the dress code due to the length of his locs after he sued the school for discrimination.

he’s totally peeing in that last panel

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“Star Trek: The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko” Review by Borg.com

Borg.com has added a new review for Derek Tyler Attico‘s “Star Trek: The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko”:

The latest of the in-universe Star Trek biography books takes fans of the franchise back to Deep Space Nine–and much earlier. Before he was the Emissary, before he was a Captain, before he was a father and husband, he attended Starfleet Academy. The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko takes a look back at the early years of Avery Brooks’ acclaimed, multi-faceted character, and Sisko as you last saw him reflects on his entire life for his son Jake.

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Tuberville Gives Up Military Blockade Stunt After Wasting 10 Months

Sen. Tom Tuberville agreed to relinquish his freeze on the majority of military appointment confirmations, which have been stalled for months

Tyla Is Ready to Make Everyone Lose Their Breath on Her First World Tour

On Tuesday, South African star Tyla announced the dates for her 2024 world tour. See the dates.

Time To Morp Trailer (Release Announce)

Star Wars: Battlefront Suite for String Quartet

UNLV mass shooter was career college professor, source says, but unknown whether he had a connection with school | CNN

The gunman in a Wednesday mass shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus that left three dead and a fourth critically injured is a 67-year-old career college professor with connections to schools in Georgia and North Carolina, a law enforcement source told CNN, but it’s unknown what connection he had with the school where the shooting took place.

There Is No Piracy Without Ownership – Aftermath

Is it stealing if we can’t pay for the thing in the first place?

Hackers stole ancestry data of 6.9 million users, 23andMe finally confirmed

Majority of impacted users are now being notified.

Where Were You?! (Official Video) – Samuel Saint

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: 12 Trapped In Time” Review by Deepspacespines.com

Deepspacespines.com has added a new review for Ted Pedersen‘s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: 12 Trapped In Time”:

In today’s episode, when a temporal physicist invents a stable portal to the past, it’s fair to say he did Nazi a twist coming. Now Jake, Nog, and Chief O’Brien must stop the time tamperer before he can put Reich what (he thinks) once went wrong. Is O’Brien exempt from suffering in kids’ books? Should this changeling be more melty? And is it really necessary to look at your dump before you flush it? All this and more in Trapped in Time, the book with a bold what-could-have-been in the casting department!

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Hive Mind ( Harley- Diana) II by DenaeS1 on DeviantArt

Bungie Devs Say Atmosphere Is ‘Soul-Crushing’ Amid Layoffs, Cuts, and Fear of Total Sony Takeover – IGN

One month after a major round of layoffs impacted roughly 100 Bungie employees of 1,200, those remaining at the Destiny developer say the cuts, as well as other cost-cutting measures, came alongside an apparent scramble by studio leadership to avoid a total Sony takeover.

“Star Trek #14” Review by Dailystartreknews.com

Dailystartreknews.com has added a new review for Collin Kelly‘s “Star Trek #14”:

Writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing adeptly craft a story that blends diplomacy, action, and unforeseen alliances. The storyline unfolds with the Theseus crew immersed in a tense clash with the Tzenkethi war party, showcasing the intriguing cultural nuances of this recently introduced species.

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“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Revenant” Review by Shastrix.com

Shastrix.com has added a new review for Alex R. White‘s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Revenant”:

This novel is a refreshing return to the midpoint of the DS9 TV series as we reunite with Jadzia Dax when she’s asked to try to help an old friend who has gone off the rails.

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Out Today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Scorpius Run #4”

Out today: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Scorpius Run #4“, by Kirsten Beyer.

As the Enterprise blitzes into the last leg of Zephyx’s space race from hell, the crew is confronted with a betrayal from within! The ship’s controls have been locked, and with Spock still separated from the crew, the crushing pressure of nearby stars, and Zephyx’s efforts to throw the ship off course, can Captain Pike ignore visions of impending doom long enough to see his crew to the finish line?

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Book Flub: Into the Shatner-verse

Speaker Mike Johnson says he’s blurring Jan. 6 footage so rioters don’t get charged

“We don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ,” the House speaker said. His office later noted that DOJ already has the raw footage.

Mad House Speaker 1: Secular or Christian Nation

“Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events” Review by Shastrix.com

Shastrix.com has added a new review for Brent Spiner and Jeanne Darst‘s “Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events”:

Brent Spiner, the actor who played/plays the Android Data and his family in Star Trek, pens the tale of a man named Brent Spiner, an actor who plays the Android Data in Star Trek, in the early 1990s, as he receives threatening letters and lives a confusing life.

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Star Trek Book Deals For December 2023, 11 books for $0.99 each

 
This month’s ebook deals have landed with 11 books on sale for $0.99 each, books that have never been on sale are in bold:
 
 

Star Trek: 13 The Wounded Sky
Star Trek: 23 Ishmael
Star Trek: 25 Dwellers In The Crucible
Star Trek: 80 The Joy Machine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Ascendance
Star Trek: Strangers From The Sky
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 13 The Eyes Of The Beholders
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 36 Into The Nebula
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 39 Rogue Saucer
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 7 Masks
Star Trek: The Original Series: Savage Trade

The Top Ten Star Trek The Original Series Tag (#booktrek2023)

“Star Trek: Discovery: Somewhere to Belong” Review by Shastrix.com

Shastrix.com has added a new review for Dayton Ward‘s “Star Trek: Discovery: Somewhere to Belong”:

The latest Discovery novel, set between seasons three and four, sees the crew respond to a distress call and get caught up in an internal conflict amongst some old friends.

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Level 246: Tom Salta (The Outlast Trials)

Composer Tom Salta talks about his extremely frightening music for The Outlast Trials, the third installment of the Outlast series. It’s always a joy to have Tom on, and I manage to learn something new every time we talk!
You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Tom Salta for The Outlast Trials unless noted otherwise

00:00 Let the Trials Begin 05:03 (in background: John Carpenter, Halloween Main Title) 06:00 Let the Trials Begin 07:24 Let the Trials Begin 08:16 Let the Trials Begin 08:42 Let the Trials Begin 10:00 Let the Trials Begin 14:37 Little Angels 15:49 The Root Canal 18:40 Motherless Children 23:18 The Weight of Memories 24:45 Come to the Fair 26:54 Brush Your Teeth 28:01 Brush Your Teeth 30:27 (recording of the Thomas Edison doll) 32:53 Can’t Get it Out of Your Head 37:12 Burden of Skeletons 40:26 Killjoys Aren’t Allowed Here 45:50 We’re All Getting Better Together 53:29 Well Done 53:53 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 246: Tom Salta (The Outlast Trials) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on December 1, 2023.

Captain Marvel Pixelart by TastefulAI on DeviantArt

“Caretaker” finally receiving a digital release!

Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the Starship Voyager are transported by alien technology to the other side of the galaxy, years away from the Federation and everything they call home. There an enigmatic being known as the Caretaker kidnaps two crew members and transports them to a people known as the Ocampa. Captain Janeway must rescue her crew members, battle a hostile race called the Kazon-Ogla, and solve the mystery which surrounds the Caretaker, only to begin the fantastic voyage back to Earth.

The 1995 adaptation of the first episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” is finally getting a kindle release, due to be released on January 9th, 2024. If you’d like it to be automatically downloaded to your device, you can pre-order it now!

Level 240: Brian Schmidt and Marty O’Donnell on Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved

The original Xbox launched on November 15, 2001. The person largely responsible for how audio worked in that original Xbox and what the Xbox would “sound” like was Brian Schmidt. We’ve had Brian on the show in the past, most recently to talk about Game Sound Con, which he runs in LA every October.

In the late 1990s, Brian was working for Microsoft and began working on the Xbox right away as he’ll tell you, and achieved many technological breakthroughs in this work.

One of the launch games for Xbox in that winter of 2001 was Halo: Combat Evolved, with music by Marty O’Donnell. And that was an audio achievement as well, as Marty will tell you.

We are so honored Brian and Marty wanted to share these stories on Level!
You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.
PLAYLIST
00:00 Opening Suite from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:12 Rock Anthem for Saving the World from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:54 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 240: Brian Schmidt and Marty O’Donnell on Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 29, 2023.

Level 241: Darren Korb (Hades)

Composer Darren Korb‘s music for Hades properly beloved. It’s a great blend of metal with acoustic Mediterranean instruments to take you through the deep story of the game.

Darren adds his voice acting talents to the game as well, voicing the main character, Zagreus, and the training dummy, Skelly.

Hades is one of my favorite rogue-lite dungeon crawlers, and the music is the best.

Darren and I had this conversation about his music and acting in November 2021. For a handful of reasons, none of which have anything to do with Darren, we are sharing it now, with sincere apologies for a nearly two-year delay!

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and subscribe to Level with Emily’s YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST
by Darren Korb for Hades unless noted otherwise

00:00 No Escape
06:44 Scourge of the Furies
10:06 Out of Tartarus
10:54 Out of Tartarus
12:29 Through Asphodel
13:54 The King and the Bull
14:56 Mouth of Styx
15:50 God of the Dead
16:56 On the Coast
17:32 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
23:14 Final Expense
26:22 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
31:02 God of the Dead
33:24 God of the Dead
34:14 The Unseen Ones (feat. Daisuke Kurosawa and Masahiro Aoki)
49:27 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
51:56 Good Riddance (feat. Ashley Barrett)
54:54 The Unseen Ones (feat. Daisuke Kurosawa and Masahiro Aoki)
57:48 From Olympus
58:40 Primordial Chaos
59:56 Primordial Chaos
1:01:34 The Bloodless
1:03:50 Field of Souls
1:04:46 Rage of the Myrmidons
1:05:38 The Painful Way
1:06:24 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 241: Darren Korb (Hades) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on October 6, 2023.

Level 242: Morla Gorrondona (Destiny 2, League of Legends, God of War: Ragnarok)

Voice actor Morla Gorrondona has created some iconic characters in games, from Eris Morn in Destiny 2 to Naafiri in League of Legends. It’s such a pleasure to hear her talk about her process of creating a new person or creature for a game. You’ll hear samples of her acting in the show. Yay!

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

Level 242: Morla Gorrondona (Destiny 2, League of Legends, God of War: Ragnarok) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on October 13, 2023.

Level 243: Ross Tregenza (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Cyberpunk 2077)

Composer Ross Tregenza is back for a deep dive into the music and sound he created and composed for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

We also talk about his music for Deathloop, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, and his ubiquitous music in Cyberpunk 2077.

I love every minute of all of it. And I loved talking with Ross about these projects, including his industrial band Goteki. Hot tip, all of their music is available as a FREE download on Bandcamp.

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Ross Tregenza for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre unless noted otherwise

00:00 Who Will Survive (Overture) 10:53 Bizarre Crimes 14:15 Blunt-Headed Hammer 16:26 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 18:28 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 20:08 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 27:04 The Gas Station 33:20 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 34:10 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 35:06 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 39:00 Wrong Side of the Mirror from Deathloop 39:46 Sun Goes Down from Deathloop 41:05 Sun Goes Down from Deathloop 42:03 Heartbreaker from Deathloop 42:45 Heartbreaker from Deathloop 43:44 The Dahlia’s Lounge from Deathloop 45:29 Wolves by Goteki from Songs from the Void 49:35 Wolves by Goteki from Songs from the Void 50:45 Saucermen by Goteki from MMXX 52:38 Boneshaker by Goteki from Boneshaker 1:11:58 The Massacre (Main Theme) 1:12:47 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 243: Ross Tregenza (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Cyberpunk 2077) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on October 20, 2023.

Level 244: Steve Pardo (Cypher 007)

Composer Steve Pardo got to write music for one of the most musically famous franchises of all time in Cypher 007, the newest game from James Bond. And it’s great! I love how the soundtrack fits seamlessly into the fabric of the stealthy Apple Arcade game.

Steve and I talk about how neat that is, how great John Barry’s original music is and a lot more in this week’s chat.

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST
by Steve Pardo for Cypher 007 unless noted otherwise

00:00 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
11:25 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry
15:34 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
17:06 The John Dunbar Theme (from Dances with Wolves) by John Barry
17:30 (Main Title) I Had a Farm in Africa from Out of Africa by John Barry
21:07 Damp Echo
23:02 Decipher
29:02 Decipher
30:17 Back of the Neck
35:05 GoldenEye Watch Music by Grant Kirkhope
37:29 Bloody Martini
40:29 Broad Daylight
41:25 Escape
43:01 Escape
44:25 The Traitor
51:56 Ghost
53:17 cut chase scene music
55:55 Dark Hallways
59:28 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
1:00:04 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 244: Steve Pardo (Cypher 007) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on October 27, 2023.

Level 245: Jason Graves (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone)

During our Next Level discussion about this very episode, our friend Sacha counted up how many times we’ve had Jason Graves on an episode of Level, and Level’s friend, Top Score. Six times on Top Score, six times on Level, and this marks the 13th ep dedicated to his music. Best part is, we know there will be many more!

This time, it’s all about battle royale and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II DLC called Warzone. The Warzone maps are DLC for Modern Warfare II players, and Jason’s released a soundtrack of the music from them.

It’s always great having him on the show – I always learn something about his approach and I can’t wait our next conversation!

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and see the video of my conversation with Jason on the Level with Emily YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST by Jason Graves for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone unless noted otherwise

00:00 Welcome to Al Mazrah 5:10 Unearthed 10:54 Unearthed 14:06 Enemy Anthem 15:07 Welcome to Al Mazrah 15:35 Power Broker 21:22 Resurfacing 24:13 Perilous 27:10 Controlled Chaos 38:11 Welcome to Al Mazrah 38:42 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 245: Jason Graves (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on November 17, 2023.

Level 239: Maclaine Diemer (Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure)

It’s always a fascinating discussion with composer Maclaine Diemer. In this episode, we talk about Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, the newest expansion in the MMORPG.

The last time he was on Level to talk about Guild Wars 2, we spoke of the End of Dragons expansion. Maclaine’s music for End of Dragons was heavily influenced by Korean traditional music (called gugak) with synth undertones.

The music for Secrets of the Obscure is quite different, as you’ll hear Maclaine discuss, driven by a tight timeline. It’s beautiful orchestral music – a very traditional Western orchestra – with few soloists, just beautiful sweeping melodies and mysterious turns, colored by polytonality and the influence of Debussy. You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Maclaine Diemer for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure unless noted otherwise

00:00 Secrets of the Obscure 07:46 Whispers of the Misplaced 08:59 A Future Carved in Jade from Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons 10:09 End of Dragons from Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons 19:38 Opening Titles from Jurassic Park by John Williams 20:50 Curious Allies 23:53 A Fractured Horizon 25:12 A Fractured Horizon 29:30 Memories Forgotten 38:04 The Beast Emerges by Maclaine Diemer and Michael Paraskevas 44:59 Amnytas in Peril 49:43 Curious Allies 53:41 The Wizards 1:03:57 Secrets of the Obscure 1:09:14 Malaise by Jaimee Jimin Park 1:10:17 Malaise by Jaimee Jimin Park 1:12:31 The Beast Emerges by Maclaine Diemer and Michael Paraskevas 1:14:36 Otherworldly Threats by Bobby Rose 15:44 Courage and Regret by Bryan Atkinson 18:15 These Ancient Halls 22:56 Memories Forgotten 23:24 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 239: Maclaine Diemer (Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 22, 2023.

Level 236: scntfc / Andy Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals) PART ONE

Oxenfree and Oxenfree II: Lost Signals are fantastic games with phenomenal music. The games are scored by scntfc, a.k.a. Andy Rohrmann. And I can’t ever get enough of Andy’s music.

I love these games so very much, from the art and story to the music. If you haven’t spent time listening to these scores, treat yourself.
You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST / PART ONE
by scntfc for Oxenfree (I) or Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (II) unless noted otherwise

00:00 To The Valley (II)
06:40 Beacon Beach (I)
09:58 Nightfall, Camena (II)
12:22 Berenson Creek (II)
14:15 Atwater Station (II)
16:28 Arcadia Station (II)
17:41 To The Island (II)
19:06 Atalanta Third (II)
23:33 20 Days Past (I)
27:20 Baby Carrots (II but not on OST)
29:22 Baby Carrots (II but not on OST)
31:14 Journey of a Bird by Morgan Kuhli from Infinite Psychic Translations
35:00 Blacklake (II)
37:37 Cleaned Slate (II)
38:27 Change the Station (II)
42:15 Garland (II)
43:36 Lift (II)
44:40 Lift (II)
46:52 Lift (II)
48:31 Epiphany Fields (I)
49:08 The Beach, 7AM (I)
50:01 To The Valley (II)
51:49 To The Island (II)
54:31 To The Valley (II)
55:22 The Stars Are On Their Side (II)
56:32 Ghosts Of The Pacific Northwest (II)
57:22 Ghosts Of The Pacific Northwest (II)
58:06 To The Valley (II)
59:07 Blacklake (II)
1:00:21 Garland (II)
1:04:20 Garland (II)
1:05:46 Transmissions (II)
1:08:20 Transmissions (II)
1:11:19 Exit (II)
1:12:33 Copper Creek (II)
1:14:35 The Caves (II)
1:16:28 Atalanta Third (II)
1:18:43 Galvanic (II)
1:19:22 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 236: scntfc / Andy Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals) PART ONE originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 1, 2023.

Level 237: scntfc / Andy Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals) PART TWO

This is Part Two of my chat with scntfc / Andy Rohrmann about his music for Oxenfree and Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.

And it’s another episode packed with music and back stories. We can’t wait to have Andy on the show to talk about more music in the future!
You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST / PART TWO
by scntfc for Oxenfree (I) or Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (II) unless noted otherwise
00:00 Epiphany (I)
05:09 Lost (I)
06:36 music from the ARG for the cult Parentage
06:48 Lost (I)
11:14 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
11:48 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
13:38 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
16:12 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
17:42 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
18:51 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
20:15 Cleanslate (I)
23:27 Cleaned Slate (II)
24:48 Kanaloa (I)
33:03 Catbird Station (I)
34:48 Towhee Grove (I)
35:34 Epiphany Fields (I)
37:52 Epiphany Fields (I)
38:36 Baby Carrots (II)
39:30 Epiphany Fields (I)
41:26 Against The Rocks (I)
42:08 Against The Waves (I)
44:37 To The Summit (I)
47:49 Cold Comfort (I)
48:58 Cold Comfort (I)
50:48 Found (II)
53:35 Beacon Beach (I)
54:38 ***Changed Beacon Beach*** courtesy scntfc
58:08 Beyond the Space Gates by Morgan Kuhli from Infinite Psychic Translations
58:55 ***audio of Morgan Kuhli on the radio***
1:00:17 Can You Hear The Quiet Flames by Morgan Kuhli from Infinite Psychic Translations
1:01:19 The Hanford Reach by Burn A Pale Fire (scntfc + Morgan Kuhli) from Undone
1:06:07 Arcadia Station (II)
1:07:07 Catchpole Station (I)
1:10:29 Best Friends from Virtual Virtual Reality + AR + 2
1:15:45 Towhee Grove (I)
1:16:42 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 237: scntfc / Andy Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals) PART TWO originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 8, 2023.

Level 238: David Housden (Disney Illusion Island)

It’s been far too long since we had composer David Housden on the show. Last time, we talked about Thomas Was Alone and Volume.

David’s music for Disney Illusion Island is quite different from those scores, as you’d expect. Complete with cartoon humor and sweeping melodies, it fits perfectly.

The game is a multiplayer platformer/Metroidvania and it is SO. FUN!! I highly recommend it, as much as I recommend the fantastic music.
You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.
Playlist – timings coming soon!

by David Housden for Disney Illusion Island unless noted otherwise

Illusion Island
The Sky Below
The Post Officer
MOPS
Crater’s Bay
Downtown Gizmopolis
Crescent Hamlet
Forgotten Farmlands
Forgotten Farmlands
Forgotten Farmlands
Grayzar’s Workshop
Shallows
Future Town
Illusion Island
The Library
Illusion Island
Head of the Highness
The Library
Grayzar
Service Tunnels
Downtown Gizmopolis
Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 238: David Housden (Disney Illusion Island) originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 15, 2023.

Let’s talk about “A Choice of Futures”

“Star Trek: Picard: Rogue Elements” Review by Shastrix.com

Shastrix.com has added a new review for John Jackson Miller‘s “Star Trek: Picard: Rogue Elements”:

The Star Trek novel line has a pretty standard approach of focussing on prequels and hats yet backstories when it comes to the new series like Discovery and Picard, and this third Picard novel is no exception – being the story of Rios.

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