The crew discusses Gene Roddenberry’s novelization of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” from an infamous footnote to some of the more interesting ideas put forth in this format, and the degree to which it holds up as a Star Trek story and historical document.
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Hosts: Jarrah, Sarah, and Sue
Editor: Andi
Transcription: Grace
Unquestionably a dated book in it’s story telling, clearly aimed at the male sci fi geek. I remember seeing the movie first and reading excerpts in the book to see if they fleshed out certain scenes more and thinking ‘What the Hell!?’.
Trek grew over the years and while it was a head of it’s time in many ways it also had a ways to go to catchup today and that’s particularly more noticeable when you look back to pre TNG days. Even the first year of TNG had the ultra miniskirt uniform, though not as prevalent, and they eventually disappeared from the show.
I read this book shortly after STTMP was released. What I remembered best was the forward by Admiral Kirk.
Oh my God!!!! It’s easily been DECADES since I last read the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and your commentary made all the Ewwwww parts of that book come flashing back to me. LOL! I recently read a book about all the behind the scenes stuff going on during the Berman Years of Trek. The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Altman & Gross. More than a few folks in the book comment on Roddenberry’s downright hostile sexism and misogyny … not to mention Berman’s. *BARF* A friend of mine tried to watch The Original Series on Netflix because they had never really watched the original series before and they said the sexism was so disturbing they had to stop watching after a couple of episodes. Always hard to wrap your head around how the creator of Star Trek had such an idealistic vision of the future yet it was paired with such Neanderthal notions of women.