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Dixon Hill Novels
- Detective pulp novels (and short stories) depicting the
adventures of Dixon Hill, a San Francisco gumshoe on
the sci-fi series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/SYN/1987-94.
The first Dixon Hill story "The Big Goodbye" was published on
Earth in 1934 in Amazing Detectives Stories magazine. Its
protagonist Dixon Hill was similar to the detective character,
Philip Marlowe who appeared in the classic mystery thriller "The
Big Sleep" written by Raymond Chandler.
Dixon Hill charged $20.00 a day plus expenses.
His phone number was Prospect-4631. He preferred his scotch
whiskey served "neat."
On episode No. 13 "The Big Goodbye" (written by
Tracy Torme Stardate 41997.7) Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick
Stewart), the commander of the starship USS Enterprise-D
became fascinated with the Dixon Hill character and programmed a
Holodeck simulation of the fictional detective stories so he
could act out an adventure.
Dressed in the clothes of the period including a
slant brim hat, the Captain entered the Holodeck to find Dixon
Hill's office (Office 312) and his sexy secretary, Madeline.
However, due to a Holodeck malfunction, and
compromised safety overrides, Picard's life was temporarily
endangered by the actions of the Holodeck simulated characters.
Other Dixon Hill novels were "The Long Dark
Tunnel" (1936); and "The Parrot's Claw" (1940) which involved a
character named Jimmy Cuzzo, who killed a man named Marty
O'Fallan.
Picard introduced Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) to
the Dixon Hill adventures on episode No. 88 "Clues" (Stardate
44502.7).
The Dixon Hill characters were also accessed on
episode No. 45 "Manhunt" (Stardate 42859.2) when Betazed
ambassador Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) wandered into the
Holodeck program and became infatuated with one of the Dixon
Hill characters.
The Holodeck simulation program was also used to
recreate Sherlock Holmes mysteries based on the stories of
Arthur Conan Doyle on episodes No. 29 "Elementary, Dear Data" (Stardate
42286.3) and No. 138 "Ship in a Bottle" (Stardate 46424.1).
TRIVIA NOTE: The Star Trek motion picture
First Contact (1996) cameoed the Holodeck program when
Captain Jean Luc Picard requests "Chapter
13" of the Dixon Hill
novel to battle invading Borg aliens. Disengaging the safety
protocols of the Holodeck program, Picard began to kill invading
Borg aliens with a sub-machine gun loaded with now lethal
Holodeck bullets.
It The Dixon Hill character even inspired the
2002 "Star Trek: The Next Generation #65: A Hard Rain" by Dean
Wesley Smith where Picard enters the Holodeck as Hill to find
the a piece of space metal called the 'Heart of the Adjuster' to
prevent the Enterprise from blowing up.
The Captain's personal log in the book begins:
"My hope is that with more that eight hours
remaining before the Enterprise reaches the area
nicknamed 'The Blackness,' I will have the time to solve the
fascinating Dixon Hill case I have nicknamed 'Murder at the
Stage Door.' If I succeed, it will be the tenth Dixon Hill case
I will have solved since my first visit to this strange
holographic world. And I am proud to say that each case has been
progressively harder that the one before it. Dr. Crusher tells
me the challenge and the change of scenery improve my mood and
efficiency and I am in no position to argue with her. After all,
she is the ship's doctor."
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