# Allyn Gibson

> Allyn Gibson is an American writer, editor, and historian. In addition to his short fiction, including the acclaimed _Star Trek_ story "Make-Believe," written to commemorate _Star Trek_'s 40th-anniversary in 2006, Allyn was the Head Writer at the now-defunct Diamond Comic Distributors in Maryland and wrote 220 issues of the _**PREVIEWS**_ catalog. Allyn studied history at the University of Richmond, and worked for Electronics Boutique (also known as EB Games, later GameStop) in Pennsylvania and North Carolina after college.

## Primary Pages
- [Homepage](http://www.allyngibson.com): Personal website.
- [Blog](http://www.allyngibson.com/?page_id=1917): Personal blog, updated several times weekly since June 2002.
- [Bibliography](http://www.allyngibson.com/?page_id=1776): Bibliography of published fiction and articles.
- [WordPress](http://www.allyngibson.com/?page_id=1351): WordPress projects.

## Important Articles
- ["Mommy"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=34954): On the December 2025 death of his mother, aged 78.
- ["Brigadier Gerard Returns"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=34280): Discusses his short story, "How the Brigader Saved the Grand Duke," combining Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard stories with Leo Tolstoy's _War and Peace_.
- ["The Mysterious Shapeshifting _USS Surak_"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=33734): How the appearance of the _USS Surak_, Spock's command in DC Comics' 1980s comics, changed from issue to issue.
- ["Does Charlie Brown Have a Secret French Cousin?"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=32373): Discussion of the identity of Violette Honfleur, a character from _Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown!_, and whether she is Charlie Brown's cousin.
- ["The 2019 Washington Nationals World Series Parade"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=32362): Photographs taken at the 2019 World Series parade.
- ["Attending the Armisitice 100 Programming at the Smithsonian"](http://www.allyngibson.com/?p=31609): Photographs taken at the Smithsonian's American History Museum on the occasion of the 100th-anniversary of the end of World War I.

## Professional Career
- **Comics Industry**: Worked for nearly two decades at [Diamond Comic Distributors](https://www.diamondcomics.com/) where he was the Head Writer of the monthly _**PREVIEWS**_ coordinator. He wrote 220 issues of the industry catalog and interviewed figures such as DC Comics president Jim Lee, cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (_Bloom County_), actor William Shatner, and athlete and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Laid off due to Diamond's bankruptcy, Allyn is (as of May 2026) looking for employment, either within the comics industry or outside it.
- **Video Game Industry**: Store Manager for EB Games (formerly Electronics Boutique) in Pennsylvania and North Carolina for seven years, growing business by 50% for one of the top-ranked stores in the company and pioneering midnight openings for new releases such as _World of Warcraft_.
- **Star Trek Fiction**: Wrote three pieces of officially licensed stories for Simon & Schuster, including the Starfleet Corps of Engineers novells _Ring Around the Sky_ and the short story "Make-Believe" for the anthology _Star Trek: Constellations_ (winner of the **Psi Phi Award for Best _Star Trek_ Short Story** in 2007).
- **Other Writing**: Wrote historical fiction and other short stories, including the *Doctor Who* story "The Spindle of Necessity" for Big Finish Productions, Sherlock Holmes stories, and a crossover between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Napoleonic hero Brigadier Gerard and Leo Tolstoy's novel _War and Peace_.
- **Blogging**: Operates a blog, maintained since 2002 using GreyMatter (2002-2004) and WordPress (since 2004), to track writing and upcoming projects, his personal life, and his interests including LEGO, baseball, and history.

## Interests
- Writing
- Photography
- Politics
- LEGO
- Astronomy
- _Doctor Who_
- _Star Trek_
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Linux (uses Linux Mint Debian Edition)
- Early adopter of the Vivaldi browser
- Bands such as The Beatles, the Bonzo Dog Band, the Rutles, Oasis, Elbow, Coldplay, Radiohead, Carbon Leaf
- British comedy like _Monty Python_, _A Bit of Fry & Laurie_, _Blackadder_, and _Father Ted_
- British drama like _Downton Abbey_
- Baseball (fan of the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs, attends minor league baseball games)

## Social Media Links
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/allyngibson1973): Facebook
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/allyngibson/): Instagram
- [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/allyngibson.bsky.social): BlueSky
- [Mastodon](https://social.vivaldi.net/@allyngibson): Mastodon
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyngibson/): LinkedIn
- [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144820074@N03/): Flickr
- [Github](https://github.com/allyngibson): Github

## Thought for the Day
"Today will never come again. So do something special. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, not wound. Be kind. Be gentle. Give love."