On today's show: a look into the strict guidelines CBS and Paramount have set for those Star Trek fan films, a game reviewer gives us a sneak peek at a revolutionary new game called No Man's Sky which puts players into an unfathomably large universe, and the latest installment of the 10-Minute Writer's Workshop with acclaimed author Judy Blume.
Listen to the full show.
Star Trek Fan Films Face Lawsuit
One summer blockbuster is boldly going...where many have gone before. Star Trek Beyond, Paramount's latest entry in the franchise dominated at the box office on opening weekend. But it's not entirely without competition.
There’s a long tradition of tolerance toward star trek-related productions made by enthusiasts of the series. Now, however CBS and Paramount are enforcing new, restrictive guidelines against unlicensed use of the brand.
Marissa Martinelli is an editorial assistant at Slate, who wrote about the crack down on Star Trek fan productions.
No Man's Sky
If you've ever heard the initials MMORPG you already know a little about gaming - that's the abbreviation for "massively multiplayer online role playing game", a genre that includes commercial hits like Forge of Empires and World of Warcraft. These are vast open online worlds where players across the world interact with one another in real time.
In August, a new MMOG is coming out with a simulated universe that is so unfathomably large, that players - even many thousands playing simultaneously - may never come into contact with one another at all. It's called No Man's Sky, and we spoke with Chris Suellentrop, co-host of the Shall We Play a Game podcast, to learn more.
Family Snapshot
In the early days of the space program, hot shot pilots were recruited to become astronauts. Families watched in awe as husbands and fathers and brothers rocketed towards the moon in tiny little capsules. Nate Dimeo from the podcast The Memory Palace brings us the story of one of those astronauts and his family.
You can listen to this story again at: thememorypalace.us
10-Minute Writer's Workshop: Judy Blume
Anyone who's ever been an awkward adolescent knows that for decades now, dog-eared copies of Judy Blume's books have been passed around school playgrounds like secrets, or read under the covers after lights out. Her best known books - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Deenie, Blubber, and Forever - offered young readers plain language and shame -free stories about periods, bullying, sexual urges and, even 'going all the way'.
Judy Blume finally tells her own story with In the Unlikely Event. It’s set in 1952, when three planes crashed into her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Virginia sat down with her in the greenroom at the Music Hall in Portsmouth before a Writers on a New England Stage live event.
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