Riddle me this, again: The return of "A Fistful of Data"

Yes, it's got to be The Most Momentous Comeback in Star Trek History (which, you know, spans the millennia). Or ...perhaps that's just hype.

Either way, grab your new copy of Star Trek Magazine—or get one off the stands, if you haven't.

I'm proud to say that we're back: my "A Fistful of Data" column in this esteemed publication, the currently official title from Titan Magazines in the U.K. Ever since Issue 34 back in December 1997, I've had the fun and privilege of fleshing out meaty, thoughtful A's for the Q's of U.K. fans —and in the States since 2006.

Then we took a hiatus while all things JJ-verse settled the past couple years—until now, with Issue 154, or #27 in the US (at right), showcasing the return in a cool new huge splashy art style. (And yes, the same goes true for "Lost and Found," my archival photo tales column whose informative coolness continues unabated since #117/UK.)

So, spread the word! Now that the SubPrime Time Line has been assimilated, I trust the newbies and oldsters alike will erupt for a new age of enlightenment. In this first issue alone we tackle the source of "Cardassian," the Enterprise-B bridge layout, and a TOS music cue question.

Best of all, Treklanders, all three came in from you, via the "Ask Dr. Trek" link (long story) at LN.com. You can still use that link for "Fistful," too—and when we have a flood o' emails, I'll answer the overruns addressed to me right here. You can also write to either snail address at Titan, UK or USA, or the Titan email: startrekmail@titanemail.com, marking FISTFUL in the memo line

"Fistful" is the easiest and most fun part of my job, because it gets back to the roots of why we're here in the first place, and why Star Trek fandom is no flash-in-the-pan fad. A big part of that is due to the way Gene Roddenberry set the tone of respect for his audience in all things, and passed that along as his own Prime Directive to whoever worked on the shows. It's a way I've always embraced, as well, to anyone who takes the time to ask and write in: no questioner is worth a diss, or a quickie answer—no matter what. I know how I always felt when I just wanted an answer to a question... or to eight handwritten pages' worth, like my first letter to the Star Trek Welcommittee ...and by golly, they came through, too.

Oh, and if you think it's all been asked before—it hasn't. The e-mailbag is already starting to fill up ....