It seems that in Star Trek, miracles just keep happening. You hold in your hand one of those miracles-- volume two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. And coming next year is volume three, with submission rules here in this book. Let me give a little history of how these miracles came about.

Last year, for the first volume, Executive Editor John Ordover and Paula Block at Viacom moved heaven and earth to get the approval for a fan-written anthology of Star Trek stories. There were more than a few hurdles to climb over, but they got it through, only to be faced with the next level of problems-- would the fans respond, could we find enough good stories to fill the anthology, and ultimately would the book sell?

I'm happy to report that combined with those business miracles pulled off by John and Paula, you fans did it again. Last year over three thousand stories poured in, making my job of picking the contents of the first volume both wonderful and painful at the same time. (If you want an outline of the process of picking the stories in that first book, find a copy and read my introduction. Then read the stories.)

This year over four thousand stories came in for me to consider for volume two. I somehow managed to get the stories down to a top twenty-five. So I sent to John and Paula the twenty-five stories I considered the best picks, and the three of us worked into a final shape the anthology you now hold in your hand. There are seventeen top-notch stories here. Five of the winners are returning authors from the first book, some making their final appearance in Strange New Worlds because they have now sold too many stories. (See the rules here in this book for qualifications.)

As with the first volume, I am very proud of the content and professional level of this anthology. Not even the professional-writer fans who do the novels could have done such an original job, in my opinion.

But there is one more part of the miracle that I haven't touched on. On top of sending in stories-- good stories, professional-level stories-- you fans went out and bought the book, too. And because you did that, the final element of the miracle occurred. The anthology went to a second volume. And next year a third volume. And this wouldn't have happened without the support of you, the fans and readers.

So tell your friends to buy a copy of this book, and maybe even order a copy of volume one. Then sometime this year, before the October 1 deadline, sit down and write that Star Trek short-story idea you've always wanted to do, follow the rules, and mail it to us. Who knows? Just maybe next year you'll hold in your hands a book with your story in it. A Star Trek story-- and you will be a Star Trek author. Trust me, you will consider that a miracle, too.

But in Star Trek, miracles happen.