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Episode
086
Saturday Morning Number Seven
Kirk and Spock feel like fish out of water – even aboard the Enterprise. Find out why in The Ambergris Element. Then, Spock, Uhura and Sulu venture out on their own on a Planet Express-type run. And just like with Planet Express, trouble ensues. The fish-cats return in The Slaver Weapon.
Once again, I realize that I m woefully behind the timeline but I just had to talk about The Slaver Weapon seeing as I am a tremendous Larry Niven fan and have read all of the Ringworld books.
Of course when I was a kid I had no knowledge of the Ringworld series or the inhabitants and goings on of Known Space as it is referred to in Niven’s books. It was only when I became an “adult” and had the means to own all Star Trek that had been produced for film and TV did I stumble upon my new perspective of this particular episode of TAS. Kzin! Slaver weapons! Be still my heart! Would there also be Pierson’s Puppeteers? Alas, no. But just to have two of my favorite science fiction storylines merged was awesome. By all means, read the Ringworld books. And while you’re at it read some of the Man/Kzinti Wars books. And read Footfall while you’re at it.
As an aside, this year Worldcon is being held in my hometown. I am beyond excited to get to meet so many of my favorite science fiction authors in essentially my backyard. Anyway, keep up the wonderful work. I’m still racing through temporal dynamics to catch you.
Worlds of IF Magazine: The Galaxy Publishing Corporation, Feb 1967 Vol 17, No 2, Issue 111
http://www.danhausertrek.com/AnimatedSeries/SoftWeapon.html https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4c0a8529b6f730d46cc5363fa855ed9b30ceeb13c336a421dc84ee232fa84355.jpg
I read that short story in Playgrounds of the Mind. Thanks for the link!
Hey you’re not as behind as I am!
I’m one of those people who listen to the podcast about the animated series without having ever watched it. Makes the traffic to work bearable
You should check one out sometime! They can be awfully fun.
And thanks for listening, by the way 🙂
I will. Might have the time this weekend. Thanks for your hard work that makes the podcast so enjoyable to listen too
For fans of the fishcats, check ep 3:
Starchertrek.com
My first thought on seeing The Ambergris Element, as a marine biologist who has dreamed of being able to breathe underwater (and who knew what ambergris was already, thank you very much), was: “I didn’t think they could make Spock any sexier than he already was!”
Shouts out to any woman who has been in an unnerving situation with some scary men and played the “quiet, harmless woman” while her brain was going a million miles an hour, thinking of an action plan.