M.S. Murdock
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | M.S. Murdock |
| Alias(es): | Melinda Murdock |
| Type: | fan artist, fan writer, pro writer |
| Fandoms: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Communities: | |
| Other: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
M.S. Murdock is a fan artist and fan writer and the author of the Star Trek: TOS pro book Web of the Romulans.
Fandom History
M.S. Murdock initially fell in love with Star Trek in 1969, when she caught part of an episode on TV, but did not know what show it was. Years later, she rediscovered it when it was rebroadcast, and was able to see the series from the beginning.
It's hard to realize now, but back in the 1970s the only Star Trek available was what had already been. With only a few channels to choose from, a fan was incredibly lucky to be able to see the series at all once it was canceled. The hunger for Star Trek was immense, and it spawned the fan network we take for granted today. From the very beginning, there was something about the series that encouraged creativity. People drew the characters and the hardware and invented their own characters and hardware. They wrote stories and poems and music. They recreated and designed costumes—all to be able to enjoy the world of Star Trek. Like many others, I was involved in a fanzine; a one-shot wonder called Dilithium Crystals. I wrote a story for that fanzine based upon the idea of what it would be like if the Enterprise's computer fell in love with Captain Kirk—after all, everyone and everything else had fallen in love with him. We published the fanzine and I thought that was the last of it. However, there came a time when, through the fan network, I knew that Pocket Books was actually taking manuscripts from unsolicited authors for new Star Trek novels. It occurred to me my story might make a fair novel if I made the original funny idea the complication in a more serious story.
The novel became Web of the Romulans, based on her 1979 fanfic "My Own True Love". She submitted a manuscript for the novel (originally titled We Who Are About to Die), and did not hear back from the publisher for almost three years, at which time she was asked to expand it. The novel was then purchased and published in June 1983. It was Murdock's first pro novel.
See the section on Web of the Romulans in the 2006 book Voyages of Imagination for more.[1]
Fanfiction
M.S. Murdock's fanfiction includes:
- "Shana" from Berengaria #9 (1977)
- "My Own True Love" from Dilithium Crystals #1 (1979) — The story that became Web of the Romulans
- "A Classic Case" from Dilithium Crystals #1 (1979)
- "The Healing", written with J. Edwards, from Dilithium Crystals #1 (1979)
Fan Art
M.S. Murdock contributed fan art to the fanzines Berengaria and Interstat from the late 1970s through 1980s, including cover art for fourteen issues of Interstat.
Sample Art
Front cover of Berengaria #5/6 (June 1977).
Interior art from Berengaria #9 (June 1977).
Front cover of Interstat #1 (November 1977).
Front cover of Interstat #3 (January 1978).
Interior art from Interstat #4 (February 1978). A Star Wars stormtrooper.
Front cover of Interstat #5 (March 1978).
Front cover of Interstat #7 (May 1978).
Frontispiece from Berengaria #10 (June 1978).
Interior art from Berengaria #10 (June 1978). Illio of Janice Lester for "Turnabout Survival."
Interior art from Berengaria #10 (June 1978). Illio of Janice Lester for "Turnabout Survival."
Interior art from Berengaria #10 (June 1978), for "Turnabout Survival."
Interior art from Berengaria #10 (June 1978), from the poetry and art section. Portrait of the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident."
Interior art from Berengaria #10 (June 1978), from the poetry and art section.
Front cover of Interstat #10 (August 1978).
Interior art from Interstat #12 (October 1978). Portrait of Gene Roddenberry.
Front cover of Interstat #15 (January 1979).
Front cover of Interstat #21 (July 1979).
Front cover of Interstat #70 (August 1983).
Front cover of Interstat #79 (May 1984).
Front cover of Interstat #88 (February 1985).
Front cover of Interstat #95 (September 1985).
Front cover of Interstat #108 (October 1986).
Front cover of Interstat #121/122 (November/December 1987).
References
- ^ M.S. Murdock quoted in Voyages of Imagination by Jeff Ayers (2006). See Excerpt from Google Books.