iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

For those who expect to be in the NYC area this coming weekend, I’ll be at The Hidden Door, 314 Dean St., Brooklyn, on the afternoon of Saturday 26 September, starting at 3PM, for the We Demand Stories panel “Cities as Characters.”

161

My new Scribe Award is here! The 2026 Best Audio Drama award for my work w/Kirsten Beyer on STAR TREK: KHAN has taken its place in the center spot of my lower “brag shelf.” I can also share that Kirsten received her award this weekend; now she and I can both admire our tokens of our peers’ esteem.

Author David Mack’s “brag shelf,” which is actually three shelves. (He’s a writer, so not especially adept with numbers, you see.)

On the upper shelf are trade paperbacks of his work to either side, flanking hardcover copies of his Star Trek novels Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire and Picard: Firewall. Three “best novel” Scribe Awards stand in front of the books, and in the center front stands Mack’s Faust Award from the IAMTW, honoring him as a Grand Master of Licensed Media Tie-in Fiction.

The middle shelf is short and sandwiched between the two big award shelves. The middle shelf is packed with various kinds of bunny-themed figurines — some anthropomorphic, some not; some ceramic, some stone, some glass, etc. — in a busy tableau Mack calls “The Great Bunny Council.”

The lowest shelf is the tallest space of the three, and contains paperback novels and anthologies of various sizes in rows and stacks, fronted by a trio of Scribe Awards, a “Story of the Year” award, and an institutional Peabody Award for Mack’s career contributions to Star Trek.

A close shot of Mack’s new Scribe Award for Best Audio Drama, honoring his work with Kirsten Beyer on the series Star Trek: Khan. A black folder has been placed behind the clear-glass award to make its acid-etched white text legible.

The vertical promotional art for the STAR TREK: KHAN audio drama series written by Kirsten Beyer and David Mack. The image shows Ceti Alpha V in the background, depicting it as a lush planet under a bloodred sun and crimson-clouded sky filled with the broken pieces of Ceti Alpha VI raining down. In the foreground, mostly in shadow due to strong backlighting, is Khan Noonien Singh, holding up a clear vial in which swims a Ceti eel — the indigenous parasite that slew several of his followers, including his wife, Lieutenant Marla McGivers of the Starship Enterprise.

5415

He really is! 🥲 ❤️

My funny orange son Ollie (who I’m told strongly resembles a cat, but I just see my boy) peeking out from beneath an afghan my wife’s mother made for us.

150

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 17/09/2026

Five years ago today, Kara and I brought home our “biological cat,” our sweet orange boi Oliver, aka Ollie. Rescued from an abandoned house in NC, fostered back to health in VA, and then we drove down from NYC to give him a forever home. Look at my sweet boi—he’s so handsome! 🐈 ❤️ (deets in alt txt)

8574

Thanks! I’ll echo Dayton and Keith in that I remain proud of the work we all did writing the SCE series — which, as it happens, is where I began my career as a writer of narrative prose fiction, first in collaboration with Keith, and then solo, on “Wildfire,” in January 2003.

Ebook cover of Star Trek: SCE #8, Invincible, Part 2, by Keith R.A. DeCandido and David Mack.

Image: engineer Cmdr. Sonya Gomez brandishing a phaser; behind her a ghostly skull fills the sky.

Ebook cover of Star Trek: SCE #23, Wildfire, Part 1, by David Mack.

Image of the USS da Vinci in the background, approaching a crippled Steamrunner-class starship inside a lightning-filled gaseous environment.

030

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 16/09/2026

What scene makes you emotional no matter how many times you see it?

2131

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 13/09/2026

Sympathies for you dealing with this, and for your orange fur-child. I also have an orange fuzzy boi, and I know how they love to create crises…

My fat orange cat, Ollie. So fat. So orange. So very, very orange.

010

My new RUSH shrine centerpiece for my home office is now completed and up on the wall above my desk. It pairs a now-autographed photo taken backstage during the Snakes & Arrows Tour in July 2007, with my meet-n-greet pic from the second night at MSG in NYC for the band’s Fifty Something tour.

Obsessive RUSH fan and Star Trek author David Mack’s shrine centerpiece: a 26" x 16" black frame and gray matte over a collage consisting of two 10" x 8" photographs (left: Geddy Lee, David Mack, and Alex Lifeson backstage at PNC Bank Arts Center in 2007; right: Alex Lifeson, David Mack, and Geddy Lee at the meet-n-greet in MSG on 30 July 2026); beneath each photo is the author’s ticket stub from the show, and a set of three vintage RUSH guitar picks from each tour; centered between the tickets and pick sets is a RUSH patch inset into the matte. Draped from the upper corners of the frame are lanyards with Guest and VIP badges from each show, grouped accordingly.

1170

Happy birthday, Professor. You live on in your work, and in our memories. May you never be forgotten.

A rare shot of Neil Peart of RUSH smiling behind his drum kir during a live performance (year of photo unknown, but likely early to mid-2000s.)

0140

Neil Peart’s work and personal ethos have been creative, professional, and personal inspirations to me for most of my life. I became an ardent fan of his and RUSH when I was only 12 years old. My admiration for Neil is rooted in his unique combination of virtuosity, integrity, and humility.

A close-up of Neil Peart of RUSH, smiling behind his drum kit, personalized for the band’s CLOCKWORK ANGELS tour, circa 2012.

1120

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 10/09/2026

Today would have been the 74th bithday of Neil Peart, percussionist and lyricist for the Canadian prog-rock band RUSH. Neil, aka “The Professor,” “Bubba,” and “The New Guy,” passed away in January 2020 due to a glioblastoma.

Neil Peart of RUSH behind his massive drum kit during the ROLL THE BONES tour in the late 1990s.

1170

B&N members can pre-order the DEATH MAIDENS valkyrie anthology (coming January 19, 2027) for 25% off with the code PREORDER25 from Sept 9-11. Premium members get an additional 10% off on print pre-orders. DEATH MAIDENS includes my new story “Wild Thing”! www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-maid...

DEATH MAIDENS
Tales of Off-Duty Valkyries

Edited by Henry Herz

Includes all-new short stories of modern-day Valkyries from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher * Charlaine Harris * Kim Harrison * Maggie Stiefvater * and more…

[image: A proud Valkyrie with realistic wings, full-body armor with a winged helmet, a sword, a billowing cape, and long blonde hair, stands on a rooftop with a modern nighttime cityscape in the background.]

161

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 09/09/2026

In case anyone needs a cheat sheet, here’s a short visual guide to my published work as of January 2027. (Not included: Works for TV, audio drama, or academia.)

In a grid formation, 68 covers from books, comic books, or short story title pages, arranged in chronological order of publication, in five rows of 12 and a bottom row of 8. If you think I’m going to type in the title and description of all 68 items, you’re out of your mind. Visit davidmack.pro if you want more information about David Mack’s bibliography.

5265

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 08/09/2026

I’ve written professionally for Star Trek on TV, in prose long and short, as well as for comic books, audio dramas, computer games, reference works, magazine articles, academic essays, and even live theater. I’ve also been a creative consultant on three different Star Trek series.

Author David Mack’s “brag shelf” (actually on two shelves separated by a middle shelf packed with bunny figurines) of published work and awards received over the course of his (so far) 35-year professional writing career.

1232

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 08/09/2026

Happy 60th Anniversary STAR TREK DAY! Over the past 31 years, it has been my pleasure and privilege to have been a contributor to this shared fictional universe that I’ve loved all my life, and my work with Trek has led to several of my closest friendships.

A massive collage-style illustration depicting nearly characters and ships from almost all of Star Trek’s various incarnations over the past 60 years. (It’s from 2021, so it doesn’t include STARFLEET ACADEMY.)

1489

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 07/09/2026

Happy STAR TREK DAY (Canada) and Star Trek 60th Anniversary to all Star Trek fans in the Great White North! The "official" Star Trek Day in the U.S. is Tuesday, September 8, but we all know Canada was there first. LLAP, Canada! 😉 🇨🇦 🖖

17517

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 01/09/2026

It’s Ginger Cat Appreciation Day, so here’s another pic of my handsome orange son, Ollie. As if I needed an excuse to post pictures of him.

A fat ginger cat with a blank-eyed stare sitting atop the back of an office chair. This is my sweet boi.

1332

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 27/08/2026

Here’s wishing a very happy 73rd birthday to Alex Lifeson of RUSH—long may he rock!

Alex Lifeson, lead guitarist for Canadian prog-rock masters RUSH, hams it up for the audience while performing live in concert on the band's Fifty Something Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 28th, 2026. In the background: touring percussionist Anika Nilles absolutely nails the gig like a goddess. Photo ©2026 David Mack.

0132

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 27/08/2026

A pet-rescue org is doing all it can to help Ophelia—a rescued, critically ill cat—recover so she can one day be adopted into a forever home. But vet care costs $$. If you can spare a few bucks, please consider joining me in chipping in to help her. humaneloudoun.dm.networkforgood.com/emails/4788061

Ophelia, a mackerel tabby cat rescued by The Humane Society of Loudon County (VA), is slowly fighting her way back from the edge, as one can see from her bandages, IV line, and nearby medical monitor. But the Society needs donations to help pay for her care. Please join me in chipping in to help a cat I’ll never meet live a better, longer life.

1114

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 23/08/2026

COMING OCT. 27 in HARDCOVER Amazon www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/... B & N www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echoes-in-... Bookshop bookshop.org/p/books/echo... Powell’s Books www.powells.com/book/echoes-... Left Bank Books left-bank.com/book/9781668... Thriftbooks www.thriftbooks.com/w/echoes-in-...

Book Cover - Text

60TH ANNIVERSARY ^ 1966–2066
Star Trek: The Original Series

ECHOES IN ETERNITY
David Mack
New York Times Bestselling Author

Image:
Illustration of three versions of Spock, from three different eras of his life: Original Series; Star Trek: The Motion Picture ("gray pajamas" era); and late movie era (red jackets), each with the corresponding version of the Starship Enterprise (original, refit, and NCC 1701-A).

More Info: https://davidmack.pro/writing/echoes-in-eternity/

46214

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 20/08/2026

I don’t know who else is watching the new season of TED LASSO, but last night I was especially amused by the use of the “basic training” theme from the movie STRIPES during the open-tryouts sequence. Truly an inspired choice, right up there with season 3’s use of “Prisencolinensinainciusol.”

4160

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 17/08/2026

You’re going to need an inside person, someone who knows Parmigiano Reggiano, and who has the requisite gymnastic talent to evade lasers, floor sensors, etc. Fortunately, such a person already exists…. Italian Olympic gymnast Giorgia Villa. You’re welcome.

Screenshot of Tweet from X - user "furiosarah" (@slothanova)

I need the people to know that olympic silver medalist giorgia villa is sponsored by parmesan cheese and regularly posts pics of herself with giant wheels of cheese

12:14PM • Jul 31, 2024 • 360.2K Views

Images: (left) Giorgia Villa in a black gymnastics uniform hugs a huge wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano; (right) Giorgia Villa smiles as she holds up a massive wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, as if she intends to chomp into it like a dollar-slice of NYC pizza.

1111

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 14/08/2026

OCTOBER 27 Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Star Trek! Pre-order the HARDCOVER now: Amazon www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/... Barnes & Noble www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echoes-in-... Bookshop bookshop.org/p/books/echo... Simon & Schuster (+ other retailers) www.simonandschuster.com/books/Echoes...

1378

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 13/08/2026

I just got one of those, too. Does being worth impersonating feel like hitting the big time? 😉

Screenshot of a fake interview solicitation sent to author David Mack by a scammer impersonating KUOW reporter Katie Campbell.

100

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 04/08/2026

Looking to read some STAR TREK books but short on funds? Check out the monthly eBook deals! August’s biggest bargain? An eBook of the omnibus version of my STAR TREK DESTINY trilogy for only $1.99! That’s for the COMPLETE TRILOGY in one book! www.simonandschuster.com/p/star-trek-...

Book Cover Image: A big painted rendering of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s head over a background of the exterior of a Dyson shell, ruptured from the inside, and a youthful-looking woman in white gossamerlike clothes soars upward from a futuristic city inside the shell.

Text:
STAR TREK
DESTINY

The Complete Saga
--------------------
GODS OF NIGHT
--------------------
MERE MORTALS
--------------------
LOST SOULS

New York Times Bestselling Author
DAVID MACK

5378

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 03/08/2026

I think that both MP and 2112 have superior side ones to p/g. But that’s the beauty of such things — the experience of all art is subjective, and there is no objectively right or wrong answer, only our individual preferences, which can coexist without contradiction. Or so Neil would have taught us.

180

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 02/08/2026

So close! The answer we were looking for was Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals. 😉

Album Cover — RUSH: Permanent Waves (1980)
Waves rash against the Galveston sea wall as a women with a permanent-style hairdo and a skirt blown into a freeze-frame wave strides across a field of debris.

Album Cover — RUSH: Moving Pictures (1981)
Workmen in red coveralls carry paintings into a stately stone building (i.e., they are "moving pictures") while onlookers weep and wail (at the "moving" pictures). The paintings depict, from left to right, the burning of a witch at the stake (a reference to the song "Witch Hunt," on the LP); dogs playing poker; and the Starman symbol from the band's album 2112.

Album cover — RUSH: Signals (1982)
A dalmation sniffs at a bright red fire hydrant on a verdant green field of well-manicured grass.

0210

David Mack @davidmack.pro · 02/08/2026

Yet another reason why I love Rush’s new tour drummer, Anika Nilles. I got to see this moment happen live tonight at the end of the band’s third of four nights playing at Madison Square Garden.

From the official RUSH Facebook Page: “Excuse me…can we finish the song now?”

Image:
A selfie by new Rush drummer Anika Nilkes, smiling mischievously from behind her drum kit, as Geddy and Alex pause their extended solos at the end of the “Working Man” finale to look back at her. Madison Square Garden, 1 August 2026.

3131

Wishing a happy 54th birthday to the superbly cool @wilwheaton.net, whose awesomeness as the Traveler incarnation of Wesley Crusher was explored in the Trek novels long before he became a legit superhero in Star Trek: Prodigy! As a collective gift to Wil, let’s all do our best today to not be dicks.

A photo of Wil Wheaton ca. 2025, with glasses and a salt-and-pepper beard, and his animated alter ego, the Traveler Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: Prodigy. Background is a dreamy blue nebula in outer space.

1493

RUSH sounded incredible! Geddy's voice was in excellent form, Alex played with passion and precision (as Neil would’ve said), and Anika is a force of nature behind the drum kit. Best of all, when Anika plays, the joy on her face is clear to see, and it sets a bright tone for the whole show.

From the first half of RUSH Night 1 at Madison Square Garden, NYC, 28 July 2026. Geddy Lee in foreground playing bass and, behind him on the drum kit, Anika Nilles having an absolute blast (and rocking the arena like a hurricane). (Photo by David Mack, ©2026)

From the second half of RUSH Night 1 at Madison Square Garden, NYC, 28 July 2026. Geddy Lee in foreground playing bass and, behind him on the drum kit, Anika Nilles grinning wide and bright (and doing the Professor proud, honoring his legacy). (Photo by David Mack, ©2026)

120

Here’s wishing a very happy 73rd birthday to the great Geddy Lee of Canadian prog-rock legend RUSH! I took this photo of Geddy last night (Tue 28 July 2026) during the band’s first of four nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City for their “Fifty-something” Tour.

Geddy Lee of Canadian prog-rock band RUSH on stage on Tuesday 28 July 2026, during the band’s first of four nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City for their “Fifty-something” Tour.

2241