Myrna Culbreath

Myrna Lou Culbreath (born 1 September 1938)[1] is an American science fiction writer and editor, most well known for the Star Trek tie-in novels and anthologies cowritten with Sondra Marshak. Culbreath was a founding editor of the libertarian editorial magazine The Fire Bringer.[2]

Myrna Culbreath
BornMyrna Lou Culbreath
(1938-09-01) 1 September 1938
LanguageEnglish
ResidenceTorrance, California[1]
NationalityAmerican
GenreScience Fiction
Years active1971—83
RelativesA.L. Culbreath (mother)[2]

Culbreath is an objectivist and a libertarian, and she was a member of the Young Americans for Freedom.[3] Her analysis of the Star Trek character Spock, originally published in an issue of The Fire Bringer, was lauded by Gene Roddenberry as the "best analysis ever done" of the character.[4]

Her birthday is cited as c. June 1938 by The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.[5]

Early life

According to a local newspaper in Colorado Springs, Culbreath operated The Culbreath School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which opened sometime around 1961. The school offered preparation for GED and CLEP tests, as well as tutoring for students with disabilities and disabled veterans, and reading instruction for all ages. The school had branch offices in Denver, and Cortez.[6]

Culbreath is recorded as having attended the first Libertarian Party convention in June 1972, as a delegate. Frustrated by the political platform that emerged during the convention, Culbreath "filibustered" until all anti-war messaging was withdrawn.[7] She later resigned from the party.[8]

Sometime before 1977, Culbreath moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She shared a home with her writing partner, Sondra Marshak.[9][10] She currently resides in Torrance, California near Marshak.[1]

Fannish activity

During the publication run of The Fire Bringer, Culbreath corresponded with Gene Roddenberry. A number of their exchanges were collected in the fifth issue, titled the "Star Trek Reprint."[3]

Her analysis, "Reviews of Art and Achievement: Star Trek: The Man Who Invented a Universe: The Universe He Invented: Star Trek and the Spock Premise," was included in the reprint. Roddenberry praised the article during his appearance at Vul-Con I (1973), saying it was "required reading for all Star Trek fans."[4] The article's fanac shorthand title is the "Spock Premise."[11]

Career

Culbreath made a number of attempts at writing a Star Trek episode spec script, with Roddenberry's encouragement. Her preferred title for the script was "Triangle."[12] Once renewal of the television series proved unlikely, Roddenberry introduced Culbreath to fan writer Jacqueline Lichtenberg, who then introduced Culbreath to Sondra Marshak. Culbreath and Marshak formerly met at a Star Trek convention hosted in the Baton Rouge area sometime later.[9]

Marshak and Culbreath went on to co-author four original Star Trek novels, including Triangle (1983), which was based upon and inspired by Culbreath's unfinished script. They also edited two short story anthologies, The New Voyages and its sequel, which collected two of their stories. Culbreath also contributed trivia to The Star Trek Puzzle Manual (1976). And she co-wrote the William Shatner biography Shatner: Where No Man… (1979) with Marshak and Shatner.

Star Trek: The New Voyages (1976) was Culbreath's first professionally published work. However, she was loosely involved with the production of Star Trek Lives! (1975), along with Marshak, Lichtenberg, and television producer Joan Winston.[12]

In the author's notes for The Fate of the Phoenix (1979), Culbreath and Marshak announced a fictional travel guide to the planet Vulcan, Mr. Spock's Guide to the Planet Vulcan, and a non-Star Trek science fiction novel with William Shatner, The Power, were forthcoming. Other planned releases included new installments of The New Voyages series. None of the announced titles were realized or released.[13]

The Phonics Game, published by A Better Way Learning, and PhonicsOpoly, sometimes called PhonOpoly, published by LearnByGames, were created by Culbreath. Marshak also contributed content, and participated in sales and promotion to school teachers.[14][15]

On an episode of the "Future Talk" podcast hosted by Zoh Hieronimus, Culbreath was introduced as a well-known television and radio host, but no hosting details were given. Culbreath explained she had frequently "substituted for a nationally syndicated radio host," but did not mention for whom.[16] Other than an interview published in Voyages of Imagination (2006), and her appearances on "Future Talk" (2004), Culbreath has not given any new interviews. She has not produced any new fiction under her name since the release of Triangle.

Bibliography

Non-fiction
  • The Star Trek Puzzle Manual (November 1976), with Jeff Razzi and Sondra Marshak. Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-01054-9.
  • Shatner: Where No Man…: The Authorized Biography of William Shatner (December 1979), with William Shatner and Sondra Marshak. Ace ISBN 0-441-88975-1.

Editor

Fiction
  • The Price of the Phoenix (July 1977), with Sondra Marshak. Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-10978-2.
  • The Fate of the Phoenix (May 1979), with Sondra Marshak. Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-12779-9.
  • The Prometheus Design (March 1982), with Sondra Marshak. Pocket Books ISBN 0-671-83398-7.
  • Triangle (March 1983), with Sondra Marshak. Pocket Books ISBN 0-671-83399-5.

Short fiction
  • "Surprise!" Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 (January 1978) with Nichelle Nichols and Sondra Marshak.
  • "The Procrustean Petard," Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 (January 1978) with Sondra Marshak.

Games
  • The Phonics Game (October 1996). A Better Way Games.
  • PhonicsOpoly: The Phonics Game (January 1999). LearnByGames.
gollark: Sure! DM me questions. I am very trustworthy.
gollark: Yes, although actually that's within the capacity of bees.
gollark: You mean "palaiologocalculus™", of course.
gollark: Although, actually, our bees can manage that fine.
gollark: If you can't remember 32-byte hex strings, are you actually a person or just an amalgamation of bees in human form?

References
  1. "United States Public Records, 1970-2009". FamilySearch. Myrna L Culbreath, Residence, Beverly Hills, California, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 2017-12-23.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Porter, Rufus L. (2 Dec 1971). "News on the Local Scene". The Local Scene. Gazette Telegraph. 99 (32434). Colorado Springs, Colorado. p. 2D.
  3. Westling, Eric A.; Culbreath, Myrna, eds. (Jan 1974). "The Star Trek Reprint". The Fire Bringer, a Libertarian and objectivist publication. Vol. 1 no. 5. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Free Enterprise Promotions, Inc.
  4. Lichtenberg, Jacqueline; Marshak, Sondra; Winston, Joan (Jul 1975). Star Trek Lives!. Y2151. New York: Bantam Books.
  5. "Authors : Culbreath, Myrna". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  6. Moore, Dick, ed. (7 Mar 1971). "Culbreath Schools Expand Offices". Business Highlights & Review. Gazette-Telegraph. 99 (32164). Colorado Springs, Colorado. p. 1E.
  7. "Brian Miller on the role of the Vietnam War in the formation of the Libertarian Party". Independent Political Report. Comment by Gene Berkman. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2017-12-23. Unfortunately, Myrna Culbreath denounced the idea of [surrendering] in Vietnam ... She basically filibustered until the delegates deleted any reference to Vietnam in the platform.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Brian Miller on the role of the Vietnam War in the formation of the Libertarian Party". Independent Political Report. Comment by Gene Berkman. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2017-12-23. Myrna Culbreath ... attended the founding convention, and then dropped out.CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. McKean, Kevin (10 Feb 1977). "Baton Rouge Trekkies' Voyage Is Just Underway". Leader-Call. 66 (34). Laurel, Mississippi. p. 5.
  10. "Star Trekon '77". Star Trekon '77 (program book). Kansas City, Missouri. 24 Jun 1977.
  11. "The Fire Bringer". Fanlore. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  12. Ayers, Jeff (14 Nov 2006). Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion. New York: Pocket Books. pp. 11–13. ISBN 1-4165-0349-8.
  13. Marshak, Sondra; Culbreath, Myrna (Apr 1984). "About the Authors". The Fate of the Phoenix. New York: Bantam Books (published May 1979). ISBN 0-553-24638-0.
  14. Cruz, Sherri (29 May 2000). "LearnByGames Hopes to Bring Phonics to Business". Orange County Business Journal. p. 10.
  15. "Frequently Asked Questions". LearnByGames. A Better Way of Learning Corp. 2002-12-09. Archived from the original on 2004-06-03. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  16. Zohara Hieronimus (2004-04-17). "Future Talk" (Podcast). Hieronimus & Co. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
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