Margaret Wander Bonanno Explained
| Margaret Wander Bonanno |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1950 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Children: | 2 |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Writer |
| Years Active: | 1979–2018 |
| Genre: | Science fiction, general fiction |
| Subject: | Biography |
| Pseudonym: | Rick North |
| Notable Works: | Dwellers in the Crucible
Strangers from the Sky
The Others series
Preternatural series |
Margaret Wander Bonanno (February 7, 1950 – April 6, 2021) was an American science fiction writer, ghost writer, and small press publisher. She wrote seven Star Trek novels, science fiction novels (including The Others series and the Preternatural series), a collaborative novel with Nichelle Nichols, a biography, and other works.[1]
Biography
Bonanno was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her first novel, the feminist A Certain Slant of Light, was published by Seaview Books in 1979.
After two well-received Star Trek novels, Dwellers in the Crucible (1985) and Strangers from the Sky (1985), Bonanno's next novel, ultimately titled Probe, was the victim of changes in the franchise. With the debut of (1987), Paramount took a closer role in supervising the books, disallowing story elements that were said to conflict with Gene Roddenberry's idea of Star Trek. Instead of being rejected, Probe was heavily edited and ultimately mostly written by Gene DeWeese. Bonanno said that Probe contained only "seven percent"[2] of her original material.[3]
Bonanno's public disavowal of the book included her sharing her original manuscript Music of the Spheres at Star Trek conventions. This led to Bonanno being blacklisted from the Star Trek publishing universe for over 11 years; in 2003 she returned with Catalyst of Sorrows, part of the series.
Bonanno was a member of TrekNation and posted regularly on the Trek BBS.
Her novel Preternatural was a 1997 New York Times Notable Book. Preternatural3, a sequel, was a 2002 New York Times Notable Book.
Bonanno, who had lived in the Los Angeles area, died on April 6, 2021, aged 71.[4]
Bibliography
Star Trek novels
- Dwellers in the Crucible (Pocket Books, 1985)
- Strangers from the Sky (Pocket Books, 1987)
- Music of the Spheres (1990) — Bonanno's unapproved version of Probe, never officially published
- Probe (Pocket Books, 1992) — mostly written by Gene DeWeese; contains only seven percent of Music of the Spheres
- Catalyst of Sorrows (Star Trek, 2003) — Part of the series.
- Burning Dreams (Gallery Books, 2006) — Featuring Christopher Pike.
- Its Hour Come Round (Pocket Books/Star Trek, 2007). — An e-book novella, sixth book in the Mere Anarchy series.
- Unspoken Truth (Pocket Books/Star Trek, 2010) — Dealt with Saavik's origins as a feral child[5]
Other science fiction
Others series
- The Others (St. Martin's Press, 1990)
- OtherWhere (St. Martin's Press, 1991)
- OtherWise (St. Martin's Press, 1993) ISBN 978-0312093587
Preternatural series
- Preternatural (Tor Books, 1997)
- Preternatural Too: Gyre (Tor Books, 2001)
- Preternatural3 (Tor Books, 2002)
Mainstream fiction
- A Certain Slant of Light (Seaview Books, 1979)
- Ember Days (Seaview Books, 1980)
- Callbacks (Seaview Books, 1981)
- Risks (St. Martin's Press, 1989)
- Ain't Exactly Clear (Van Wander Press, 2016)
Children's books
- Destination Mars (Zebra Books, 1991) as by Rick North (part of the Young Astronauts series)
- Citizens of Mars (Zebra Books, 1991) as by Rick North (part of the Young Astronauts series)
Nonfiction
- Angela Lansbury: A Biography (St. Martin's Press, 1987)
External links
Interviews
Notes and References
- https://locusmag.com/2021/04/margaret-wander-bonanno-1950-2021/ "Margaret Wander Bonanno (1950-2021),"
- http://www.margaretwanderbonanno.com/files/Probed_-_shorter_version.doc "Probed,"
- Book: Ayers, Jeff. Voyages of the Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion. Voyages of Imagination. 2006-11-14. Pocket Books. 9781416503491. New York. 454–463.
- News: Pitt . Alison . Star Trek novelist Margaret Wander Bonanno has passed away at 71 . 27 December 2021 . Daily Star Trek News . 11 April 2021.
- Web site: Deffner. Jens. Margaret Wander Bonanno interview. Unreality SF. September 21, 2014. April 15, 2009.
