“Q-Me?” My Star Trek Story: read how a 17-year-old writer’s script got made into a Star Trek episode

“Q-Me?” My Star Trek Story by Matthew Corey. Image Amazon

JANUARY 28, 2021 - Have you ever wondered what it was really like to get a story produced for Star Trek under the franchise’s famous “open submission” policy? A new book by writer (and friend of Daily Star Trek News) Matthew Corey is set to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how a 17-year-old high school student managed to get his script turned into an episode of Star Trek.

If you’re not familiar with Corey’s story, he’s famous in Trek circles for being the youngest-ever person to get a writing credit on Star Trek. He was only 17 when, in 1992, his spec script, telling the story of a young Q discovering their power, was accepted and adapted for the screen. That story became the Star Trek: The Next Generation season six episode “True Q”.

Now Corey has published a new book telling the story of how it all happened. "Q-Me?" My Star Trek Story: The True Story Behind the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode will be released on Amazon Kindle this coming Sunday, January 31st. In addition to being a charming tale of a young Trek fan living out his dream, it’s also got the full text of Corey’s spec script, originally titled “Q-Me?”

Corey told Daily Star Trek News, “Whenever someone is reviewing Star Trek episodes and they get to ‘True Q’ they are always intrigued that the episode started out as an idea from a 17-year-old kid. I wanted to write this book to tell the story behind the story, what inspired me and give them the chance to read my original script. I also wanted to show how it affected my life [and] how you can still live an enjoyable and fulfilling life even if you don't get a Hollywood Ending. I also wanted to share the story for all those Star Trek fans who dreamed of sitting in Captain Picard's chair and let them know one of us made it there. I really hope people enjoy it.”

Corey’s book is really charming, and he does a great job of balancing the wonder of a kid living a fantasy, with the reality of television production. And as a piece of Star Trek history, it’s a wonderful trip to read “Q-Me?” and ponder where it started and how it ended up. 

"Q-Me?" My Star Trek Story: The True Story Behind the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode comes out Sunday, but you can preorder it now, on Amazon.com.