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Happy Birthday, Gene Roddenberry

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
by Lockergnome

Had he not passed away from heart failure in 1991, today would be Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s 88th birthday.

According to Joel Engel, author of Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry is a seminal figure of our time (”His indirect impact on aspects of popular culture … has been eclipsed, arguably, only by Elvis Presley”), creator of one of the most enduring of TV and film series and a figure of adulation to countless “Trekkies.” Yet in this well-researched biography, the author offers a critical view of a man who, he claims, was a mediocre writer who bullied as well as charmed top science-fiction authors into working for him while never publicly acknowledging his debt to them.

Roddenberry led a rough-and-tumble early life, flying a B-17 bomber during WW II and serving with the Los Angeles Police Department for five years before turning to TV-writing for series like Have Gun, Will Travel. In 1964, he wrote a treatment for what he called “Wagon Train in the Sky,” with Star Trek debuting in the fall of 1966. The series lost money for its entire three-year run.

Granted new life through syndication, however, Star Trek grew into a cult phenomenon, inspiring sequels and spin-offs.

Patrick Stewart once said in an interview on Michael Parkinson’s TV program that a reporter talked to Roddenberry about the choice of Stewart for the captain’s role; the reporter said, “Look, it doesn’t make sense. You got a bald actor playing this part. Surely, by the 24th century, they have found the cure for baldness.” Roddenberry replied, “By the 24th century, no one will care.” [via Wikipedia]

Whatever Roddenberry’s imperfections as a human being, he imagined a future where humanity had overcome many of its shortcomings and explored — not conquered — the stars. The very idea has inspired (and continues to inspire) those among us who hope for a bright future in spite of how gloomy the horizon may look at times.

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