We have to admit – it’s not everyday we come across novels with a backstory as interesting as Definition of Glory’s; Starry Eyed Press’ first official entry into the Galactic Treks space opera line.
This original tale was originally penned up (and by that we mean typed on an electric typewriter) way back in the early 1980s by a woman (and her husband) who just so happened to head the Official Leonard Nimoy fan club in the hopes of it entering official Star Trek lexicon.
When the piece was rejected, it was tucked away in a basement for 40 years until, thanks to a chance encounter with Starry Eyed’s Editor in Chief, their daughter Kelley was presented with an opportunity to release it today as an original piece of fiction.
She sat down with her parents (George and Barbara) shortly before the book’s official release (7/15) and got the scoop on all things Walker.
Given that Definition of Glory’s creation was a family affair, the fine folks at Starry Eyed Press allowed me to conduct my own interview to promote the novel. Sitting down with my parents, George and Barbara Walker to discuss the book, I had to remind myself that they first composed it over forty years ago, after which it sat on a shelf in their basement, gathering dust. Dusting off not only the original manuscript but our memories as well, we talked about the inspiration for the creation of Definition of Glory.
Kelley: So, Mom, for over a decade, you ran Leonard Nimoy’s only official fan club. What was it about the Spock character that appealed to you so strongly?
Barbara: I loved his brilliance and his power; he knew everything, and Captain Kirk leaned on him for his strength. Spock was never afraid of anything because he saw logic in everything. I also loved the vulnerability that was there; he was only half Vulcan, so his non-Vulcan half was always challenging him, and that made him an interesting character.
Kelley: You have both said that this novel was a joint effort, with Barbara developing and outlining plot points and each chapter, and George working from there. Barbara, how did you develop the story idea?
Barbara: The story was inspired by problems we were having at the time – a power struggle. It’s an iconic story, that malicious people can try to bring down good people. I love the scene where Captain Kirk is sitting in the big chair, and the cadets are sitting in small, uncomfortable chairs.
George: That idea actually comes from a workshop I attended on dealing with dragons in society. It suggested that leaders should be in a physical position of power.
Kelley: “Dragons”?
Barbara: “Dragons” are people that you wouldn’t even let into the PTA because they’re so malicious.
Kelley: Because you wrote this novel around forty years ago, you don’t even remember it well, do you?
George: All I remember is the canoe trip. That was a chance for some humor and to add some fresh material that was unrelated to space travel and put these characters in an entirely different experience.
Barbara: I’m sure that was your idea. And it was something you knew about. They say write about what you know.
Kelley: You were motivated to write this novel because. . .?
Barbara: Everyone was doing it, and I thought I had a good story idea, and we thought we’d make a lot of money and get out of the slump of our then-current occupations. I’d read some of the stories and didn’t think they focused on characters enough. Star Trek to me was all about characters.
Kelley: And your favorite was Spock.
Barbara: But he couldn’t be great without the other two. We know more about Spock’s character because we know about the other two, and the three together are what make stories interesting.
Kelley: Dad – you weren’t a Star Trek fan really, so how were you able to write the book?
George: Your mother gave me raw material, and it was my job to make it incredibly verbose (laughs), to flesh it out. She outlined the plot, and I tried to guess where she wanted me to go.
Mom: I had to approve everything he wrote. And he had watched Star Trek and knew everything about it. He was very supportive of my love of the show and the characters.
Dad: It was fun to think of ways to put the characters in new situations that we hadn’t seen them in before.
Kelley: What about Star Trek appealed to you, Dad?
George: The bright future – the colorful uniforms, setting, and people – not monochrome robots. It looked toward a hopeful and positive future, with people on the Enterprise representing every nation, and the United Federation of Planets uniting everyone and supporting peace.
Barbara: I liked that it was a future that was better than what we have now. People were tolerant of others: other races, other cultures, even aliens. The Earth was not at war. Star Trek gave us a pleasant place to escape to.
Kelley: Who came up with the title?
George: What was the title – wasn’t it on the manuscript?
Kelley: (after laughing loud and long) Let me refresh your memory: The Title is Definition of Glory.
Dad: Did I come up with that?
Kelley: You did!
Kelley: Mom, as the president of Leonard Nimoy’s fan club, you attended Star Trek conventions in L.A. and New York. Tell us a little about that.
Barbara: When I first started running the fan club and went to the convention in L.A., I hosted a meeting for all the members. I had no idea if anyone was going to show up, but then word spread that we were having a meeting, and I had to come up with some activity for it! So we played a game. I had bought a lot of 8×10 photos, and I had the members call out captions.
Kelley: It’s like you invented memes!
Barbara: And at a NYC convention, I went to a trivia session, and I knew every question instantly. After about 30 minutes, they asked me to leave because no one else was getting a chance!
Kelley: You knew every answer? Give us an example.
Barbara: What was the name of the drug that Dr. McCoy injected into Spock to revive him?
Kelley: No idea.
Barbara: Masiform D.
Kelley: Very impressive. I remember the Star Trek Parties you had with other Leonard Nimoy fans.
Barbara: Oh, yes. They were all members of the fan club, from New York City, who came up to help me put the yearbook out. We had over 1,000 members in the club, and we had to collate and assemble the 40-page yearbook, then stuff envelopes. They stayed over, like a slumber party, and when we were finished with the yearbook, we watched Star Trek movies and listened to Leonard Nimoy’s records. It was all women, of course, and we were all kind of geeky.
Kelley: Many members of the fan club were women? Why do you think that is?
Barbara: I think part of Spock’s appeal to female fans could be that he’s a challenge. He has such emotional control and power, but also a vulnerability that’s very appealing.
George: Back before you could stream shows, and you could only see them air on re-runs, Barb watched Star Trek devotedly. When she got a phone call during the show, I’d say, “I’m sorry – this is her worship hour.”
Kelley: With that kind of dedication to the Star Trek universe, why haven’t you tried any of the newer iterations?
Barbara: Well, Leonard Nimoy himself was quoted as saying, “I doubt that they can catch lightning in a bottle twice.” And they didn’t catch me, that’s for sure, but they got a slew of new fans. I transferred that passion to new interests. (Old West History: Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, and with him being real, I found it even more interesting because it wasn’t fiction.)
Kelley: Dad you don’t generally enjoy the science fiction genre, so how were able to write the book?
George: Being married to an obsessive Star Trek fan, I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, and I found it entertaining.
Barbara: I was so obsessed, I went to a local Star Trek convention to hear Gene Rodenberry speak when your brother was only 4 days old. Gene Rodenberry claimed that he could do Star Trek: The Motion Picture without Spock. And he was totally wrong. It wouldn’t have been Star Trek without Spock. But I admired Gene Rodenberry too.
Dad: He did something utterly unique and legendary.
Mom: I would end up meeting him again at the filming of Star Trek 6.
Editor’s Note: And for those asking, Kelley Walker is not a pen name; that is her actual name and the spelling was inspired, of course, by none other than DeForest Kelley himself.
Definition of Glory is available now in both paperback and Kindle ebook.
Starry Eyed Press 