Glen here…
Got this message the other day - from a guy named Dan Perez. Instead of clumsily paraphrasing the contents of the message, I’ll let the message speak for itself, and let Mr. Perez explain to you what he's doing - and what he needs.
I’m flattered he came to Coaxial News for help with his article. I encourage all readers to participate in this interesting survey, and to do so articulately and politely. Most Coaxial readers seem quite thoughtful and well-spoken, so I think you guys probably have a great many interesting ideas to offer - and I’m proud to send you his direction. And hey, you could get your name in print, too!
Here’s the message from Dan Perez:
Hello. My name is Dan Perez and I'm a freelance writer for Sci Fi Entertainment magazine (the official magazine of the Sci Fi Channel). For a special edition of Sci Fi Entertainment focusing on Star Trek, I'm working on an article about the 10 best and 10 worst episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. I've already done one of these on the X-Files, and it was a lot of fun to get the opinions of fans about that show. And now I'm doing the same thing with ST:TNG, but I need help from Ain't It Cool readers who are TNG fans.
Readers: basically what I'm looking for is a list of what you consider to be the 10 best and 10 worst episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, along with a few sentences about each episode saying _why_ you think they're the best and worst. The "why" is very important: I can't just publish a list of your best and worst episodes, because it would be a very short article. But the great part is that if your responses are selected for inclusion, your opinion will be published in a glossy, four color magazine with a national readership of over 60,000 people.
To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, here's an example drawn from my earlier X-Files article:
1. Beyond the Sea (first season, thirteenth episode) -- Scully's skepticism is tested after her father dies and she encounters a death row prisoner who claims to be psychic. "A fascinating role-reversal, with Mulder suddenly the intractable skeptic and Scully the one who wants to believe. This lent immense credibility to the idea that both main characters are open-minded to each other's point of view and solidly underscored their believability. And the writers should let Scully get bite-heads-off-nails angry more often." (LN)
"Creepy and haunting, as we mourn the death of Scully's father with her but can't help wonder about Luther Lee Boggs' promises. Boggs is enough to scare anyone, and it's enjoyable seeing Scully taking charge of her life (and the case). Mulder's blood spilling on the white cross will give you chills." (RN)
As you can see, I used comments from two X-Files fans (their initials follow the entries). All comments I use will feature a name credit at the beginning of the article, along with your initials after the comments I used. The more detailed your comments, the better the chance they'll be used in the article. I reserve the right to edit comments for grammar and spelling, and I may only use part of a particular comment.
I ask that you not email Harry or Glen with questions about this article--please email them directly to me THROUGH THIS LINK. I will inform everyone whose entries have been selected for the article, and let you know when the magazine hits the newsstands (it's currently scheduled for December).
This is a great chance to get your name in print, as well as your opinions of Star Trek: The Next Generation. What could be cooler? The deadline for entries is the end of September. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
Dan Perez
Sci Fi Entertainment Magazine
