Neil Argue
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Neil Argue
@neilargue.bsky.social
290 followers 330 following 130 posts
Writer, diabetic, friend, Mac User, Atheist, Labour Voter. Friend to few, lover to even less. Also, co-author of the Café Merle books with my best friend. Available on Amazon - the books, not my best friend.
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neilargue.bsky.social
Some days, the words just come—thank God. I got up early. If only that worked every time.

#writing #cafemerle
March 29, 2025 at 2:45 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Good night everyone 🙂
March 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Blish left out the two Mudd stories from the previous 12 books and then tried to adapt them both and make one story. He died before finishing, and his wife, JA Lawrence, finished it and added a 3rd, original story. Later reprinted with a new title.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #BobLarkin #Kazuhiko_Sano
The cover from JA Lawrence and James Blish's Harry Mudd stories. The cover from JA Lawrence and James Blish's Harry Mudd stories, reprinted in the 1990s.
March 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Mabel mood is current house mood.

#Cats
My cat, Mabel - big, black and furry. She is looking pensive whilst lying on a folded grey fleece on my writing desk.
March 16, 2025 at 1:21 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Book 12 and an image from The Corbomite Manoeuvre that everyone remembers from the closing credits. A nice clean image from Chris Achileos' website, too. This is (almost) the last of the episode adaptations, but don't worry. There are lots more covers to come.

#JamesBlish #StarTrek #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image from Book 12 of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing a scene from The Corbomite Manoeuvre - a big alien head that turned out to be a puppet fashioned to scare people away. A text-free version from Chris Achilleos' website of the cover image from Book 12 of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing a scene from The Corbomite Manoeuvre - a big alien head that turned out to be a puppet fashioned to scare people away.
March 16, 2025 at 12:30 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
The cover image of the 11th volume of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations.
I have been buying these books from eBay and this one stands out because it was in MINT condition. No joke. 40 years old and £3.00. Where has this been kept?? Unread too. 🤷🏻‍♂️😳😊

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover of James Blish's 11th book of Star Trek Episode adaptations, showing a scene from the episode - Day of The Dove, featuring Kang, Kirk and a Klingon DX7 Battle Cruiser. A photograph of my copy of this book, in MINT condition. A photograph of my copy of the book. Mint condition.
March 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Indeed it did. I think those are the US prints. They seem to be very expensive on eBay. The UK 1970s prints were quite dull by comparison.
March 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Mabel and Daisy letting me know that the temperature has dropped a little.

#Cats #CatsOfBlueSky
My cats Mabel - long haired, black and furry, and Daisy, black and white short-haired. They are cuddling up on a grey fleece on my writing desk.
March 14, 2025 at 2:24 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Book 10 and a thoughtful looking Spock from the episode "The Galileo Seven", as featured inside the book. I should probably mention that every cover is based on one of the episodes in each book.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image from Book 10 of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing Mr Spock looking thoughtful with a shuttle flying past and a green planet in the background.
March 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Book 9 already, and an image from The Immunity Syndrome -first broadcast in the UK on Mon 10th Aug 1970. We had to wait quite a while, didn't we? A nice clean copy from Chris Achileos' website too.

These covers just make me want to be 10 years old again.

#JamesBlish #StarTrek #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image from Book 9 of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing a montage of scenes from The Immunity Syndrome. The cover image from Book 9 of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing a montage of scenes from The Immunity Syndrome. This time, a clean image from Chris Achilleos' website, with no text.
March 13, 2025 at 9:23 AM
neilargue.bsky.social
Book 8. It took me a while to realise that the face in the background was supposed to be Gary Mitchell, but apart from a slightly weird take on William Shatner's face, I still like this one. I also like how the continuity error has been fixed on the gravestone.

#JamesBlish #StarTrek #ChrisAchilleos
The cover of James Blish's 8th Star Trek Episode adaptations, showing a scene from the 2nd Pilot episode - Where No Man Has Gone Before. Including a fake gravestone with James Kirk's middle initial as T. In the original episode, his middle name had not been established and it was shown as R. A screen grab from the TV episode. showing the original "JAMES R KIRK" inscription.
March 12, 2025 at 1:18 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Volume 7 and another great picture. Did this happen in the episode? I may check later, but I don't think it did. Michael Forest starring as the god Apollo, a role he returned to 46 years later in the fan series Star Trek Continues.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image of the seventh volume of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing a picture of the god Apollo throwing lightning bolts at the USS Enterprise, which I'm pretty sure didn't happen in the episode, at least certainly not like this. The poster for The Star Trek Continues Episode Pilgrim of Eternity. Michael Forest as Apollo in The Star Trek Continues Episode Pilgrim of Eternity in 2013. MIchael Forest in the 1967 Star Trek Episode Who Mourns For Adonias
March 11, 2025 at 10:51 AM
neilargue.bsky.social
Time for Book 6 and an image from one of the episodes that EVERYONE remembers - The Apple, possibly for two reasons. 1: The big scary snake head and 2: David Soul from Starsky and Hutch was in it, in not-quite his first role.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image of the sixth volume of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing an image of Kirk and Spock in front of the big snake head shaped cave from the episode The Apple. This is a screengrab from the 1967 Star Trek episode The Apple, showing the actor David Soul in one of his first TV appearances. This is a screengrab from the 1967 Star Trek episode The Apple, showing the a crowd of natives offering fruit to their snake god in the form of a cave entrance shaped liked a snake.
March 10, 2025 at 1:57 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Hello! Me again. This is not the greatest cover in the series, but then again, I'm not a fan of floating heads. It's taken from "The Tholian Web." The episodes Blish adapted were done in an order quite apart from the broadcast or production order. Enjoy Book 5.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover of James Blish's fifth volume of Star Trek episode adaptations, featuring a scene from The Tholian Web.
March 9, 2025 at 12:22 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
I think this is my favourite cover - Book 4. It depicts a scene from episode 78, the second-to-last one: All Our Yesterdays, and I have borrowed a "clean" version from Chris Achilléos' website, too. Nostalgia, creativity, and skill—perfect.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover image of the fourth volume of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing am image of McCoy, Spock and Zarabeth. The cover image of the fourth volume of James Blish's Star Trek episode adaptations, showing am image of McCoy, Spock and Zarabeth, but this time minus the text.
March 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
I think this is my favourite cover - Book 4. It depicts a scene from episode 78, the second-to-last one: All Our Yesterdays, and I have borrowed a "clean" version from Chris Achilléos' website, too. Nostalgia, creativity, and skill—perfect.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
March 8, 2025 at 3:48 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
They just keep getting better. This is another great Chris Achilléos cover from James Blish's third volume of Star Trek episode adaptations, featuring a scene from a great episode—Amok Time. Originally published in 1972, this is the 1984 Corgi reprint.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
The cover of James Blish's third volume of Star Trek episode adaptations from 1984, featuring Spock, swinging his Lirpa and T'Pring.
March 7, 2025 at 3:14 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Even on the busiest days, you have to take the time to play with your buddy.

#Cats #CatsOfBlueSky
Me and my little cat, Daisy. Eye to eye. Me and Daisy looking at the camera. Me and Daisy messing about. Me and Daisy messing about.
March 6, 2025 at 4:53 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
A genius author posts a photo to celebrate World Book Day. Although his glasses are askew and the title of his book is obscured, the author is still slaying it.

(It's called The Rage of Chaos)

#CafeMerle #TheRageofChaos #WorldBookDay
The author, Neil Argue, holding up his 2nd Book - The Rage of Chaos
March 6, 2025 at 10:28 AM
neilargue.bsky.social
I hope two is allowed 🙂😬
March 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
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As promised, here's another great Chris Achilléos cover from James Blish's second volume of Star Trek episode adaptations. Originally published in 1972, this is the 1984 Corgi reprint.

#StarTrek #JamesBlish #ChrisAchilleos
A striking painted image of Dr McCoy jumping through The Guardian of Forever, watched by Kirk and Spock.
March 6, 2025 at 9:46 AM
neilargue.bsky.social
The writing squad has assembled! The snacks are done, the place of sleeping has been carefully selected, and there is a rare shot with both of them in it.

This bodes well.

#Cats #CatsOfBlueSky
My cats, Daisy and Mabel.
March 5, 2025 at 1:41 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
In the 1970s and early 1980s, if you wanted Star Trek, you had to wait for linear TV or buy these wonderful James Blish novels. Each book contained adaptations of five or six episodes, most of which were based on the original scripts, meaning some were quite different from the broadcast episodes.
The cover of James Blish's Star Trek novelisations from the late 1960s and 1970s. The cover of James Blish's Star Trek novelisations from the 1969. The 1980s reprint cover of James Blish's Star Trek TV Episode adaptations.
March 5, 2025 at 1:14 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
I might have just bought this. Seriously, can I justify it as a business expense or as part of my research?

I thought not. I'll be too busy job hunting and writing to build it for months, but I am already sourcing custom decals as if my life depended on it.

#CaféMerle #Writing #Paris #Lego
A lego model of Parisian Café
March 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
neilargue.bsky.social
Having a little disposable income is a terrible thing. How could I not? Khan is coming tomorrow :)

#StarTrek #WrathOfKhan #Kirk #Spock
Bandaii action figures - Kirk and Spock from The Wrath of Khan.
March 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM