Free Essay

Why Has Star Trek Lasted so Long

In: Other Topics

Submitted By scrhett46
Words 1615
Pages 7
Why Has Star Trek Lasted For So Long: The Longevity of Star Trek
Thomas E. Stevenson
Limestone College

Author Note
Thomas E. Stevenson, Department of Social Work, Limestone College.
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Sample Grant Program.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Thomas Stevenson, Department of Social Work, Limestone College, Gaffney, SC 29340. Contact: saevok09@gmail.com

Abstract
This paper will explore the science fiction show Star Trek. It will look at Gene Roddenberry’s original idea behind the 1960s show. What made it so appealing? Why has it lasted so long? Also does JJ Abrams’ Star Trek lack the Gene Roddenberry’s vision? ). It began nearly fifty years ago in the 1960s with the original show simply called Star Trek. The setting of the show is the 23rd century aboard the Starship Enterprise. The ship is commanded by a Caucasian man from Iowa named Captain James T. Kirk. His first officer/ science office is the half-Vulcan half-human Spock. The ship’s chief physician is a Caucasian man from the southern state of Georgia. The ship’s chief engineer is the Scotsman Montgomery Scott. The bridge communication officer is a black African woman Nyota Uhura. The ship’s helmsman is Asian-American Hikaru Sulu. Finally, the ship’s navigator is man of Russian decent Pavel Chekov.

Why Has Star Trek Lasted For So Long: The Longevity of Star Trek
From its beginning, Star Trek made a strong commitment to what is now called multiculturalism—a commitment to the idea that by the time humanity spreads outward into space, conflicts based on such trivial things as gender, skin color, and place of origin will be an artifact of the past (Dillard, 1994, p.3). Most would find it hard to believe that in 300 hundred or 400 hundred years humans (like these characters) will finally overcome their prejudices, and that Earth will become a virtual paradise with no wars, no crime, and no poverty. Yet despite this, Gene Roddenberry’s (creator of Star Trek and Star Trek The Next Generation) vision for the future of humanity remains appealing and long lasting.
Literature Review
Another component for its longevity is that the show has addressed current issues of today. For example, on the original Star Trek there was an episode called “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” (Altman and Gross, 1995, p.74)). It explored racial prejudice. This episode focused on two alien males that were brought onto the Starship Enterprise. They are both from the same planet but there is a difference between the two. One named Bele is black on the right side and white on the left. The other name Lokai is white on the right side and black on the left. Kirk and crew see them as a member of the same species and can’t distinguish a difference. Bele explains on their world Lokai and his kind are all criminals and a lower form of life because their colors are on the wrong side their bodies. Again, Kirk and crew points out that they are from the same world and same species. It is because of Bele and his people’s beliefs that we learn that a racial war broke out killing everyone except Bele and Lokai. Both men chose to return to their devastated homeworld. We are left wondering what would happen with Bele and Lokai now that they are the last of their people.
Clearly, this episode speaks out on not only how stupid racism is but also what the end result could be without change. This episode originally aired during the height of the African- American civil rights movement of the 1960s. In a science fiction way it was an echo of this movement. We have come long way from the 60’s, but many would say we still a ways to go to rid this country of all forms of racism in this country. Obviously, Star Trek encourages viewers to believe that: All men and women are equal no matter what color of their skin (Dillard, 1994, p.42).
Watching any Star Trek series, we can see this statement is true: On Star Trek Deep Space Nine for instance, the station Deep Space Nine is commanded by an African-American man. The station doctor is of Middle Eastern descent. These facts are worthy of notice in our society but not in the society inhabited by the characters on the show. To them this is completely normal. Why shouldn’t it be like this? Rather merely telling us that we should get along, Star Trek shows that we can get along and we will get along (Dillard, 1994, p.42). On all Star Trek series women in Starfleet (the fictional military institution) who are a member of the United Federation of Planets (the fictional galactic government which is composed of 150 planets including Earth) are also treated as equals. The sex discrimination women face today (albeit to a lesser extent) no longer exists. Women are never seen as the “the weaker sex”. They are always portrayed as equally as intelligent and strong. There gender is never a dispute or block for advancement in their careers. Captain Kathryn Janeway of Star Trek Voyager is a good example of this. She is a strong leader and a superb captain. The fact that she is female in a leading role isn’t an issue. An emphasis on family has also played a big part of Star Trek survival. The movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a good example of this. This movie clearly shows us how strong the bridge crew of the Starship Enterprise friendship is. Admiral Kirk ended up losing his son and the Starship Enterprise to find his lost friend and colleague. Kirk and crew also put their careers and lives on the line to rescue Spock. According to author and fan Dave Marionaccio in his book All I Really Need to Know I’ve Learned from Watching Star Trek, strongly portrayed in this film is the lesson close friends become family and family is the true center of the universe (Marionaccio, 1995, p. 5).
Discussion
Has the current version of Star Trek lost Gene Roddenberry’s vision?
Limitations of New Version of Star Trek
Today, Star Trek current incarnation is a revamped, recast of the original characters from the original show in a movie version. It is produced by JJ Abrams. Two movies have been released with a third on the way. One of the flaws of the films has been the lack of time to establish these characters. I not saying they should mimic the original. I just don’t feel the friendship and family that I felt with the original show. Everything was very rushed and had a lack of credulity. It took some adjusting for me to accept these new actors portraying these well-established characters. The feel of the current movies also lacks the optimistic future for humanity that Gene Roddenberry instilled in his series.
Limitations of Established Canon. They have more of an action thrills ride feel to it than anything. I was also disappointed to see that humans are once again fighting each other in the latest film Star Trek Into Darkness. Something I don’t think Roddenberry would have agreed with. Yes, the original series did have its share of human villains and some of them were in Starfleet. However, this was primarily due to the lack of sanity on the villain’s part.
Limitations of Remakes. Another disappointment is the lack of originality from Hollywood as a whole. I was very disappointed to see that they felt the need to remake the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I was very surprised that JJ Abrams did not put out a more original idea. The writer has proven to be a superb writer and creator of original science fiction ideas. I am a fan of his work. Yet here we go with a movie remake of the character Khan Noonien Singh and even featured a poignant death scene.
Limitations of Other Official Star Trek Shows. I will continue to have an open mind about JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. The third movie will be out soon. I intend to go see it. I hope that it features an original idea and more character development.

Conclusion
Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision for humanity is again hard to believe but nevertheless appealing. I for one am proud to be a Trekkie or Trekker. I agree 100% that in order for humanity to survive they need to rid themselves firstly of their prejudices. Would it help the process that an alien species publically visit us as established in Star Trek First Contact? It could. It may cause us to re-evaluate our outlook on which we are as a species. There are always possibilities…

References
Altman, Mark and Edward Gross. (1995). Captain’s Logs. (Canada: Little, Brow, and Company).
Dillard, J. M. (1994). Star Trek: Where No One Has Gone Before. (New York: Pocket Books).
Marionaccio, David. (1995). All I Really Need to Know I’ve Learned from Star Trek. (New York: Pocket Books).

Appendix A
The More Star Trek The Next Generation Project
Started in the United States in 2012, the Star Trek The Next Generation Project has spread out through the world as many Star Trek The Next Generation fans hunger for more material from than was given in the movies. The project was inspired by the re-launch novels set after the last movie Star Trek Nemesis. Each novel could act as its own episode. This shows how creative and original the novels are. A few Star Trek The Next Generation actors has voice their support.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Tfm430 Study Guide

...tonight such as Monday Night Football, ABC World News Tonight, Primetime, Nightline and 20/20  Jim McKay An American tv sports journalist. Is best known for hosting ABC's Wide World of Sports  Billie Jean King An american former World No. 1 professional tennis player. In 1973, at the age of 29, she won the s0-called Battle of the Sexes match against the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs  Bobby Riggs An american tennis player who lost to Billie Jean King in the Battle of the Sexes Match  What is meant by the relationship between sports and tv being a symbiotic relationship? - Both have derived enormous benefits from the other. - Both have been around for most of the last 100 years. - The world of sports has helped to grow the business of tv, while tv has enable sports ventures, worldwide, to become high-end family entertainment.  By the end of the '50s, what happened to sports programming and where during the weekly programming schedule did they find their place? What were the factors mentioned in the text that contributed to this change in programming? Other genres began to mature and develop their own loyal audience, most of which were women. Sports disappeared from prime time tv, settling into a very profitable and successful weekend niche.  In the'40s and '50s in what way did sports impact tv? - During this era, sports fans became TV set owners and no sport had a larger following than baseball. - Putting...

Words: 6482 - Pages: 26

Free Essay

Child Labour

...Which was the most successful Grand National horse Who starred as the Six Million Dollar Man In the song Waltzing Matilda - What is a Jumbuck Who was Dan Dare's greatest enemy in the Eagle What is Dick Grayson better known as What was given on the fourth day of Christmas What was Skippy ( on TV ) What does a funambulist do What is the name of Dennis the Menace's dog What are bactrians and dromedaries Who played The Fugitive Who was the King of Swing Who was the first man to fly across the channel Who starred as Rocky Balboa In which war was the charge of the Light Brigade Who invented the television Who would use a mashie niblick In the song who killed Cock Robin What do deciduous trees do In golf what name is given to the No 3 wood If you has caries who would you consult What other name is Mellor’s famously known by What did Jack Horner pull from his pie How many feet in a fathom which film had song Springtime for Hitler Name the legless fighter pilot of ww2 What was the name of inn in Treasure Island What was Erich Weiss better known as Who sailed in the Nina -...

Words: 123102 - Pages: 493

Free Essay

American Holidays

...American Holidays The following are holidays that we celebrate in the United States: New Years Eve and New Years Day New Years Day is the first day of the year, January 1st. it is a celebration of the old year and the new one to come. People make New Years Resolutions each New Years and promise themselves that they will keep this resolution until next year. New Years Eve is a major social event. Clubs everywhere are packed with party-goers who stay out all night and go nuts at midnight. At midnight it is a tradition to make lots of noise. The traditional New Years Ball is dropped every year in Times Square in New York City at 12 o’clock. This event can be seen all over the world on television. Valentine’s Day Saint Valentine’s Day is a day that is set aside to promote the idea of “love”. It is celebrated on February 14th. People send greeting cards or gifts to loved one and friends to shoe them that they care. Easter Easter is a major Christian holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on Sunday between March 22 and April 25. The 40 days leading up to Easter are observed as Lent. Besides the religious aspects of Easter, people also celebrate spring or the sign of the new life. Flowers are seen everywhere. There are often Easter Parades such as the one in New York City where people dress up in their new spring clothes. Children receive Easter baskets filled with candy Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and jelly beans! The dying...

Words: 11778 - Pages: 48

Premium Essay

Logical Reasoning

...contact LearningExpress at: 55 Broadway 8th Floor New York, NY 10006 Or visit us at: www.learnatest.com Contents INTRODUCTION QUESTIONS ANSWERS vii 1 99 v Introduction his book—which can be used alone, with other logic and reasoning texts of your choice, or in combination with LearningExpress’s Reasoning Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day—will give you practice dealing with the types of multiple-choice questions that appear on standardized tests assessing logic, reasoning, judgment, and critical thinking. It is designed to be used by individuals working on their own and by teachers or tutors helping students learn, review, or practice basic logic and reasoning skills. Practice on 501 logic and reasoning questions will go a long way in alleviating test anxiety, too! Maybe you’re one of the millions of people who, as students in elementary or high school, never understood the necessity of having to read opinion essays and draw conclusions from the...

Words: 45646 - Pages: 183

Free Essay

Jezz Bezos

... When you are eighty years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. —Jeff Bezos, commencement speech at Princeton University, May 30, 2010 Prologue In the early 1970s, an industrious advertising executive named Julie Ray became fascinated with an unconventional public-school program for gifted children in Houston, Texas. Her son was among the first students enrolled in what would later be called the Vanguard program, which stoked creativity and independence in its students and nurtured expansive, outside-the-box thinking. Ray grew so enamored with the curriculum and the community of enthusiastic teachers and parents that she set out to research similar schools around the state with an eye toward writing a book about Texas’s fledgling gifted-education movement. A few years later, after her son had moved on to junior high, Ray returned to tour the program, nestled in a wing of River Oaks Elementary School, west of downtown Houston. The school’s principal chose a student to accompany her on the visit, an articulate, sandy-haired sixth-grader whose parents asked only that his real name not be used in print....

Words: 120163 - Pages: 481

Free Essay

The Lucky One Ebook

...The Lucky One - Nicholas Spark CONTENTS l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Epilogue Chapter One Clayton and Thibault Deputy Keith Clayton hadn't heard them approach, and up close, he didn't like the looks of them any more than he had the first time he'd seen them. The dog was part of it. He wasn't fond of German shepherds, and this one, though he was standing quietly, reminded him of Panther, the police dog that rode with Deputy Kenny Moore and was quick to bite suspects in the crotch at the slightest command. Most of the time he regarded Moore as an idiot, but he was still just about the closest thing to a friend that Clayton had in the department, and he had to admit that Moore had a way of telling those crotch-biting stories that made Clayton double over in laughter. And Moore would definitely have appreciated the little skinny-dipping party Clayton had just broken up, when he'd spied a couple of coeds sunning down by the creek in all their morning glory. He hadn't been there for more than a few minutes and had snapped only a couple...

Words: 97832 - Pages: 392

Free Essay

Asdasdasd

...[pic] FIRST ARMY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REPRESENTATIVE COURSE STUDENT GUIDE TO CULTURAL AWARENESS INDEX LESSON TITLE PAGE 1 Philosophical Aspects of Culture SG- 3 C1 Native American Experience SG- 4 C2 White American Experience SG- 23 C3 Arab American Experience SG- 43 C4 Hispanic American Experience SG- 53 C5 Black American Experience SG- 76 C6 Asian American Experience SG-109 C7 Jewish American Experience SG-126 C8 Women in the Military SG-150 C9 Extremist Organizations/Gangs SG-167 STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING FAMILIARIZED WITH ALL CLASS MATERIAL PRIOR TO CLASS. INFORMATION PAPER ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCE Developed by Edwin J. Nichols, Ph.D. |Ethnic Groups/ |Axiology |Epistemology |Logic |Process | |World Views | | | | | |European |Member-Object |Cognitive |Dichotomous |Technology | |Euro-American |The highest value lies in the object |One knows through counting |Either/Or...

Words: 63019 - Pages: 253

Free Essay

Frontline

...FRONTLINE JANUA RY 1 3, 2 012 WWW.FRONTLINE.IN INDIA’S NATIONAL MAGAZINE RS.25 WORLD AFFAIRS IRAQ FOOD SECURITY PDS CLIMATE CHANGE DURBAN Exit America 49 What people say 96 Uncertain stand 114 Remembering TAGORE On his 150th birth anniversary VOLUME 28 NUMBER 27 TH E STAT E S Fiery trap in Kolkata 41 SC IE NCE Higgs signal? 44 WOR L D A F F A I R S Iraq: Exit America War crimes in the trash Russia: December Revolution Pakistan: Volatile state India & China: Troubled equations DECEMBER 31, 2011 - JANUARY 13, 2012 C O V ER S T O RY 49 52 ISSN 0970-1710 Timeless Tagore As an activist, thinker, poet and rural reconstructionist, Rabindranath Tagore continues to be relevant. A tribute on the 150th anniversary of his birth. 4 WWW.FRONTLINE.IN Jayati Ghosh: Mess in eurozone R.K. Raghavan: A lost battle? 108 118 BOOKS LE TTE R S 73 127 54 57 61 TR AVE L Jungles of Borneo 64 AR T Achuthan Kudallur’s journey 85 H ISTOR Y Of Quit India, Nehru & Communist split 89 FOOD SEC UR I T Y Understanding the PDS Kerala: Power of literacy Bihar: Coupon fiasco Jharkhand: Strong revival Chhattisgarh: Loud no to cash E CONOM Y Losing momentum Interview: C. Rangarajan, Chairman, PMEAC CL IM A TE C H A N G E Uncertain stand in Durban CONTR OV E R S Y Mullaperiyar dispute: Deep distrust Fallout of fear OBITU A R Y Humble genius: Mario Miranda Korea’s...

Words: 77117 - Pages: 309

Free Essay

500 Extraordinary Islands

...500 extraordinary islands G R E E N L A N D Beaufort Sea Baffin Bay vi Da i tra sS t a nm De it Stra rk Hudson Bay Gulf of Alaska Vancouver Portland C A N A D A Calgary Winnipeg Newfoundland Quebec Minneapolis UNITED STATES San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Phoenix Dallas Ottawa Montreal ChicagoDetroitToronto Boston New York OF AMERICA Philadelphia Washington DC St. Louis Atlanta New Orleans Houston Monterrey NORTH AT L A N T I C OCEAN MEXICO Guadalajara Mexico City Gulf of Mexico Miami Havana CUBA GUATEMALA HONDURAS b e a n Sea EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA Managua BAHAMAS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JAMAICA San Juan HAITI BELIZE C a r PUERTO RICO ib TRINIDAD & Caracas N TOBAGO A COSTA RICA IA M PANAMA VENEZUELA UYANRINA H GU C U G Medellín A PAC I F I C OCEAN Galapagos Islands COLOMBIA ECUADOR Bogotá Cali S FR EN Belém Recife Lima BR A Z I L PERU La Paz Brasélia Salvador Belo Horizonte Rio de Janeiro ~ Sao Paulo BOLIVIA PARAGUAY CHILE Cordoba Santiago Pôrto Alegre URUGUAY Montevideo Buenos Aires ARGENTINA FALKLAND/MALVINAS ISLANDS South Georgia extraordinary islands 1st Edition 500 By Julie Duchaine, Holly Hughes, Alexis Lipsitz Flippin, and Sylvie Murphy Contents Chapter 1 Beachcomber Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Aquatic Playgrounds 2 Island Hopping the Turks & Caicos: Barefoot Luxury 12 Life’s a Beach 14 Unvarnished & Unspoiled 21 Sailing...

Words: 249855 - Pages: 1000

Free Essay

Momentum Effect

...P A R T I Discovering Momentum 1 1 The Power of Momentum Where’s the Impetus? Momentum. Most businesses get it at some point: the impression that everything they undertake succeeds effortlessly, as if they’re being carried along by a tailwind that increases their efficiency and propels them on to exceptional growth.1 Some hold on to it. Most don’t. Slowly, imperceptibly, the tailwind turns around and the momentum disappears, without anyone quite realizing what has happened. The company is still growing, but not as strongly as before, not as efficiently. Everyone’s maxing out, but it seems like there’s molasses in the works. Sound familiar? Sooner or later, it hits you in the face. Imagine you are meeting up with a senior analyst whose opinion counts with some of your company’s biggest investors. You think you’re on safe ground—after all, your company is doing better than the competition. But the analyst is in full gimlet-eyed, illusion-killing mode. “That’s nothing to crow about,” she says. “Yeah, you’ve got reasonable growth, but it’s nothing exceptional. You’re a safe bet, nothing more. Okay, I might tell my mom to buy, but 3 The Momentum Effect then she’s happy with inflation plus one. The way we see it, you’re really grinding it out. We reckon the strain’s getting harder, too. There’s no impetus—no momentum.” Words like that can really take the gloss off a day. The next time you gather your team, you don’t congratulate them on beating their targets—you...

Words: 104474 - Pages: 418

Premium Essay

Economics in Small

...something neat and simple that people would immediately understand. Despite the passage of forty years, the people still living here who knew me that year accept my lack of explanation without question. My story in some ways is their story because it was something that all of us lived through. It was I, however, who was closest to it. I'm fifty-seven years old, but even now I can remember everything from that year, down to the smallest details. I relive that year often in my mind, bringing it back to life, and I realize that when I do, I always feel a strange combination of sadness and joy. There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well. So I take the memories as they come, accepting them all, letting them guide me whenever I can. This happens more often than I let on. It is April 12, in the last year before the millennium, and as I leave my house, I glance around. The sky is overcast and gray, but as I move down the street, I notice that the dogwoods and azaleas are blooming. I zip my jacket just a little. The temperature is cool, though I know it's only a matter of weeks before it will settle in to something comfortable and the gray skies give way to the kind of days that make North Carolina one of the most beautiful places in the world....

Words: 48910 - Pages: 196

Free Essay

Paper

...g Easier! Making Everythin ™ heory tring T S Learn: • The basic concepts of this controversial theory • How string theory builds on physics concepts • The different viewpoints in the field • String theory’s physical implications Andrew Zimmerman Jones Physics Guide, About.com with Daniel Robbins, PhD in Physics Get More and Do More at Dummies.com® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include • Checklists • Charts • Common Instructions • And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/stringtheory Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our • Videos • Illustrated Articles • Step-by-Step Instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our Dummies.com sweepstakes. * Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on • Digital Photography • Microsoft Windows & Office • Personal Finance & Investing • Health & Wellness • Computing, iPods & Cell Phones • eBay • Internet • Food, Home & Garden Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. String Theory FOR DUMmIES ‰ by Andrew Zimmerman Jones with Daniel Robbins, PhD in Physics String Theory For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www...

Words: 133965 - Pages: 536

Premium Essay

Life of Pi

...Pi is in this tradition—a story of uncertain veracity, made credible by the art of the yarn-spinner. Like its noteworthy ancestors, among which I take to be Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, the Ancient Mariner, Moby Dick and Pincher Martin, it's a tale of disaster at sea coupled with miraculous survival—a boys' adventure for grownups." —Margaret Atwood, The Sunday Times (London) "A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement. . . . Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master." —Publisher's Weekly (starred review) "[Life of Pi] has a buoyant, exotic, insistence reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe's most Gothic fiction. . . . Oddities abound and the storytelling is first-rate. Yann Martel has written a novel full of grisly reality, outlandish plot, inventive setting and thought-provoking questions about the value and purpose of fiction." —The Edmonton journal "Martel's ceaselessly clever writing . . . [and] artful, occasionally hilarious, internal dialogue . . . make a fine argument for the divinity of good art." —The Gazette "Astounding and beautiful. . . . The book is a pleasure not only for the subtleties of its philosophy but also for its ingenious and surprising story. Martel is a confident, heartfelt artist, and his imagination is cared for in a writing style that is both unmistakable and marvelously reserved. The ending of Life of Pi... is a show...

Words: 104639 - Pages: 419

Free Essay

The Hunger Games

...G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS An imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Published by The Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, USA. Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.). Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England. Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd). Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd). Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Center, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi–110 017, India. Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd). Penguin Books South Africa, Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa. Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China. Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England. Copyright © 2013 by Rick Yancey. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission in writing from the publisher, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Reg. U.S. Pat & Tm. Off. Please...

Words: 124032 - Pages: 497

Free Essay

New Start

...exterior? My promised house remained a mystery. I double-checked the notebook with my father’s scrawled directions resting on the passenger’s seat next to me. Technically, I’d lived in Red Grove as a child, but we’d moved before I turned two. I didn’t remember the town at all or the residents, living or dead. I shifted my attention back to my driving. “Holy shit!” I proclaimed as I overcorrected the wheel, and my foot drifted from the gas. The man on the side of the road was so attractive I could’ve died—literally. He was planting something. A tree, I think. Every time his shovel hit the dirt, a ripple coursed through his shoulders and down his stomach. I raised an eyebrow at the glint of sun on tanned, shirtless skin. Dark hair, low slung jeans. I tried not to gawk, but the best I could do was to keep my head inside the window. I was thinking he belonged in a museum, a chiseled-by-the-gods man museum, when my brain was hijacked. I forgot about the road. I forgot where I was going. A fantasy hit me so fast and hard, it could’ve been a memory. We were in the shower. I stood behind him, my arms wrapped around his torso, rubbing lather circles...

Words: 50411 - Pages: 202