Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek

Rating:
Summary: The Myth debunked, the man revealed...
Review: Reading this book knocked Gene Roddenberry off the pedestal that I had put him on for so many years -- and that's why it's such an important book for anyone interested in the history of Star Trek. Basing his research primarily on interviews, firsthand accounts, studio memos and other source materials, author Joel Engels dares to go where no biographer had gone before. He gives Gene credit where credit is due, but does not shrink from reporting the less-than-savory sides of his life, too. The result is a book that, as the title says, explores both the Myth and the man.

It was in this unauthorized bio that I first learned of Roddenberry's lifelong abuse of alcohol and other substances, his deep insecurities about his writing career, the origins of his animosity toward religion, his inappropriate fixation on sex, and the fact that he did not single-handedly create Star Trek. In short, he was a fallible human being with some serious character flaws. But, as the Myth grew, Gene felt that he had to mold his public image into the "Star Trek Creator" that the fans expected him to be. Unfortunately, in the process, he often failed to give credit where credit was due, and ended up alienating many of the actors, writers, and producers who had also contributed to the group effort that became the Star Trek universe.

One of the most interesting chapters in this book is about a project for a film called "The Nine," in which Roddenberry was hired to write a script about a skeptic who was investigating a group of psychics that channeled New-Age type messages from UFO aliens. (No, I'm not making this up -- it's in the book!) As part of the research for this movie, Gene actually attended a spiritualist retreat for a while, and even got a past-life reading about what purported to be his previous incarnations. The script itself was never produced, but one gets the feeling that Gene had his mind stretched a bit on paranormal issues. But, oddly, there is no mention of "The Nine" in the official biography (Star Trek Creator), except to list it as an unproduced script in his writing credits. Which is why, if you are interested in a balanced understanding of the life of Gene Roddenberry, you should read BOTH the authorized version and this one.

Rating:
Summary: The Myth debunked, the man revealed...
Review: Reading this book knocked Gene Roddenberry off the pedestal that I had put him on for so many years -- and that's why it's such an important book for anyone interested in the history of Star Trek. Basing his research primarily on interviews, firsthand accounts, studio memos and other source materials, author Joel Engels dares to go where no biographer had gone before. He gives Gene credit where credit is due, but does not shrink from reporting the less-than-savory sides of his life, too. The result is a book that, as the title says, explores both the Myth and the man.

It was in this unauthorized bio that I first learned of Roddenberry's lifelong abuse of alcohol and other substances, his deep insecurities about his writing career, the origins of his animosity toward religion, his inappropriate fixation on sex, and the fact that he did not single-handedly create Star Trek. In short, he was a fallible human being with some serious character flaws. But, as the Myth grew, Gene felt that he had to mold his public image into the "Star Trek Creator" that the fans expected him to be. Unfortunately, in the process, he often failed to give credit where credit was due, and ended up alienating many of the actors, writers, and producers who had also contributed to the group effort that became the Star Trek universe.

One of the most interesting chapters in this book is about a project for a film called "The Nine," in which Roddenberry was hired to write a script about a skeptic who was investigating a group of psychics that channeled New-Age type messages from UFO aliens. (No, I'm not making this up -- it's in the book!) As part of the research for this movie, Gene actually attended a spiritualist retreat for a while, and even got a past-life reading about what purported to be his previous incarnations. The script itself was never produced, but one gets the feeling that Gene had his mind stretched a bit on paranormal issues. But, oddly, there is no mention of "The Nine" in the official biography (Star Trek Creator), except to list it as an unproduced script in his writing credits. Which is why, if you are interested in a balanced understanding of the life of Gene Roddenberry, you should read BOTH the authorized version and this one.