The television writer, novelist, and director shared his experiences working with Gene Roddenberry on the original 'Star Trek' series.
Speaking at several panels during the Oasis 21 Science Fiction Convention in Orlando, Florida, in May 2008, famed “The Trouble With Tribbles” author David Gerrold told stories about his work in Hollywood, offered advice for authors and filmmakers, and invited fans to watch Star Trek: Phase II online.
The Success of Star Trek
During a panel titled “40 Years of Star Trek,” Gerrold described the original Star Trek television series as a mid-range show, produced for $180,000 per episode. He believes the reason for the show’s continued popularity (through syndication, movies, new television versions, and webisodes) is that each episode deals with the most essential question: What does it mean to be a human being?
“That’s why the original series was so important, and its incarnations try to carry on the same theme,” Gerrold said. “We took a lot of chances on the original Star Trek.”
Some of these themes include humans dealing with interracial romance, interspecies romance, physical disabilities, and unlimited mental abilities. The special effects and action may intrigue younger audiences, but adults enjoy the provocative ideas presented in each episode.
In comparing the various Star Trek television series and films to other works of science fiction, Gerrold attributes the long-term success to great stories.
“Star Trek’s lasting appeal comes from our need for a sense of believability based on the story, not on the technology, Gerrold said. “It’s the story that makes you believe.”
Star Trek: Phase II
One of Gerrold’s recent projects was writing and directing the two-part episode “Blood and Fire” for the online fan-based Star Trek series called Star Trek: Phase II (formerly Star Trek: New Voyages) an attempt to bring the original series to the next phase (i.e., season four). “Blood and Fire” is based on Gerrold’s unproduced script of the same name, originally written for the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In the episode, the crew of the Enterprise, while being pursued by the Klingons, must respond to a distress call from a Federation research ship. Within hours, both ships and their crews are threatened by an unknown horror. The episode was filmed in June 2007 and will be released in 2008.
As a Guest of Honor, Gerrold spoke throughout the Oasis 21 convention on a variety of topics related to science fiction. In addition to his work on Star Trek, he has written several novels including four series: The War Against the Chtorr, The Star Wolf series, The Dingilliad series, and the Tracker books. He also has written for several television series, including episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Real Ghostbusters, Superboy, and Babylon 5. New Line Cinema turned his award-winning novelette “The Martian Child” into a film starring John Cusack.
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