SFR Brigade: Serenity Now

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Serenity Now

by Bokerah Brumley

There is power in social media platforms. Authors spend hours studying the enigma that is “going viral,” working to harness this super potential. When writers have the charisma Candace Payne (the Chewbacca mask mom) used to turn doldrums-relieved into an Internet sensation, the stars are the limit.

Recently, researching possible names for a long-term space travel vehicle, I toyed with the idea of Serenity Station as a nod toward a favorite science fiction show. During NASA research, I discovered an interesting anecdote related to the name Serenity.

In 2009, NASA posted a poll online, giving users the opportunity to vote on the name of node three of the International Space Station. They offered Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity, and Venture as options for the new module. A fifth option allowed voters to give their own recommendations.

And then television and social media took over.

On March 3, 2009, Stephen Colbert asked viewers of The Colbert Report to write in his name as the fifth option and inundate NASA with votes for Colbert. Of the NASA suggestions, Serenity won with 70% of the vote. However, as a write-in, Colbert surpassed Serenity with forty thousand additional votes.

NASA, citing its discretion to select an appropriate name for node three, chose Tranquility as the name instead, in honor of the first lunar landing in the Sea of Tranquility.

But in an effort to appease Stephen Colbert and his fans, NASA made an appearance on The Colbert Report and offered to name a treadmill C.O.L.B.E.R.T. (Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill). Stephen Colbert agreed and the treadmill was installed in the Tranquility nodule in August 2009.

While I did not ultimately choose to name my own fictional space ship Serenity, this is a fantastic example of how media can sometimes trigger a reaction that launches an author from obscurity to unexpected fame.

About the author:

Bokerah Brumley is a speculative fiction writer making stuff up on a trampoline in West Texas. When she’s not playing with the quirky characters in her head, she’s addicted to Twitter pitch events, writing contests, and social media, in general. With three urban fantasy novella releases scheduled for 2016, Bokerah has too much planned for this year, but is happily doing it anyway. She lives on ten acres with five home-educated children, four peacocks, three dogs, two cats, and one husband. In her imaginary spare time, she also serves as the blue-haired Publicity Officer for the Cisco Writers Club.

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