236: Nitpicking in Good Cheer

Phil Farrand: The Nitpicker's Guides. Many people think of nitpicking as a disrespectful act. If you enjoy a show, why pick it apart? I, however, would contend that if you love someone, it is actually a compassionate act to tell them about the dab of mustard on their upper lip! Such is the idea behind the Nitpicker's Guides, books that attempted to catalog and describe each and every error in a number of Star Trek series, be they continuity errors, equipment oddities, changed premises, or just general goofs. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson sit down with Phil Farrand, author of The Nitpicker's Guide for Next Generation Trekkers volumes one and two, The Nitpicker's Guide for Classic Trekkers, and The Nitpicker's Guide for Deep Space Nine Trekkers. We discuss the origin of the guides, the process of writing them, the community of nitpickers called The Nitpicker's Guild, positive nitpicking versus negativity and toxic fandom, and what Phil is currently working on and where you can find him online. In the news segment, we talk about Big Finish and their Prometheus audiobooks, and review two new comics: what looks to be the final issue of New Visions, and Star Trek: Discovery: Succession #3. News Prometheus Audiobooks (00:03:31) New Visions #22 (00:06:21) Succession #3 (00:23:27) Feature: Phil Farrand Origin of the Guides (00:28:39) Fan Reaction (00:37:13) Nitpicking In Good Cheer (00:38:32) Fostering the Nitpickers Guild (00:41:10) Fine Line Between Fun and Complaining (00:47:26) Hollywood Double Standards (00:52:35) Publishing More Guides (00:59:18) Becoming A Writer (01:20:09) Final Thoughts (01:33:03) Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson Guest Phil Farrand Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)