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Letters to Star Trek
Letters to Star Trek is a reference book first published in 1976. Edited by Susan Sackett, at the time the personal executive assistant to Gene Roddenberry, the book collected assorted fan letters to Roddenberry, with responses from the producer. Among the topics discussed was the status of the then-proposed Star Trek movie, several years before the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 12, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 26, 2025
when i tell you this is the best $4 i've spent all year. icon. touchstone. treasure. yes.
July 10, 2016
This is an extremely entertaining and engaging read. Published in 1976, it chronicles the infectious enthusiasm of early Trekkies shortly after the announcement that Paramount would be bringing Star Trek back as an epic motion picture. Written by Gene Roddenberry's assistant, Susan Sackett, the book contains many excerpts and full letters from Star Trek fans who had written to Gene or to Paramount.
For me, the most fascinating section was about how Star Trek was used as a teaching tool. There are several course outlines from university and college professors explaining how they used Star Trek to teach. There was a really interesting letter from a prison instructor who taught about Star Trek.
Letters from children and teenagers were very amusing. In reading them, it was fun to recall my own dreams and enthusiasm from years gone by.
It was really interesting to read the language being employed by fans. It seems in 1976 both "Trekkie" and "Trekker" were already in use. The abbreviation "con" (for convention) was also heavily used. Nearly all of the letters were far more sophisticated both in language and ideas than one might expect. I fear that today's teenagers wouldn't be up to the standards of their 1970s counterparts.
This is a highly recommended bit of Trek history.
For me, the most fascinating section was about how Star Trek was used as a teaching tool. There are several course outlines from university and college professors explaining how they used Star Trek to teach. There was a really interesting letter from a prison instructor who taught about Star Trek.
Letters from children and teenagers were very amusing. In reading them, it was fun to recall my own dreams and enthusiasm from years gone by.
It was really interesting to read the language being employed by fans. It seems in 1976 both "Trekkie" and "Trekker" were already in use. The abbreviation "con" (for convention) was also heavily used. Nearly all of the letters were far more sophisticated both in language and ideas than one might expect. I fear that today's teenagers wouldn't be up to the standards of their 1970s counterparts.
This is a highly recommended bit of Trek history.
March 22, 2013
This was a great book of letters from fans to 'Star Trek', with surrounding text written very well. The book is from right before 'Star Trek:The Motion Picture' came out, so is interesting historically as well.
September 15, 2012
A really nice snapshot of the early days of this fandom. Add to that "Star Trek Lives" and the various "Best of Trek" books and you have a very good set of primers of that era.
August 9, 2023
Fascinating.
Written during the planning phase of the first Movie, very self-laudatory. Not really all that much information, the kind I expected given in form letters to the FAQs. But still so very interesting, to see how fandom operated before the internet. And how network TV worked, too. Especially in the beginning of the book. And near the end of the book Roddenberry spells out some of his ideas, and they, too, are fascinating.
"Being a Star Trek nut takes a lot of work. It means hours of article cutting, perusing bookstores, stalking stores and building models."
An excerpt from A Sleep of Prisoners by Christopher Fry:
"This is no winter now; the frozen misery of centuries breaks, cracks, begins to move;
the thunder is the thunder of the floes, the thaw, the flood, the upstart spring.
Thank God our time is now, when wrong comes up to face us everywhere,
never to leave us till we take
the longest stride of soul men ever took.
Affairs are now soul size.
The enterprise
is exploration into God.
Written during the planning phase of the first Movie, very self-laudatory. Not really all that much information, the kind I expected given in form letters to the FAQs. But still so very interesting, to see how fandom operated before the internet. And how network TV worked, too. Especially in the beginning of the book. And near the end of the book Roddenberry spells out some of his ideas, and they, too, are fascinating.
"Being a Star Trek nut takes a lot of work. It means hours of article cutting, perusing bookstores, stalking stores and building models."
An excerpt from A Sleep of Prisoners by Christopher Fry:
"This is no winter now; the frozen misery of centuries breaks, cracks, begins to move;
the thunder is the thunder of the floes, the thaw, the flood, the upstart spring.
Thank God our time is now, when wrong comes up to face us everywhere,
never to leave us till we take
the longest stride of soul men ever took.
Affairs are now soul size.
The enterprise
is exploration into God.
August 31, 2024
[Ballantine Books] (January 1977). SB. First Edition. 215 Pages. Purchased from Richard Dalby’s Library.
Incompetently edited by Susan Sackett. ‘I like Star Trek’, ‘I want to be in the show’, ‘I want money’, ‘I want free gifts’, ‘My local channels don’t carry the series’ - who cares?
Some of the plot ideas submitted are in the Ed Wood zone.
A number of correspondents elected to disclose their occupations, qualifications etc. Maybe they’re trying to make the point that Trekkies aren’t invariably anoraked incels who reside with their elderly parents and collect milk bottle tops.
For all that, there’s a quantity of interesting material illustrating the innovation, intelligence and wonderful spirit of Roddenberry’s creation. Respect for ‘others’; infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Incompetently edited by Susan Sackett. ‘I like Star Trek’, ‘I want to be in the show’, ‘I want money’, ‘I want free gifts’, ‘My local channels don’t carry the series’ - who cares?
Some of the plot ideas submitted are in the Ed Wood zone.
A number of correspondents elected to disclose their occupations, qualifications etc. Maybe they’re trying to make the point that Trekkies aren’t invariably anoraked incels who reside with their elderly parents and collect milk bottle tops.
For all that, there’s a quantity of interesting material illustrating the innovation, intelligence and wonderful spirit of Roddenberry’s creation. Respect for ‘others’; infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
June 7, 2023
Fun, at first, when it was just letters. But, it began to drone on and on, especially since the author was Roddenberry's mistress and admirer. It was interesting to hear the serial philanderer, Roddenberry, espouse female equality, and his socialist attitude, from a man who was always willing to take credit for other's work, even to "capitalize" off of them. How Star Trek as a franchise managed to survive its creator (at least until the end of Star Trek: Enterprise), I have no idea. But, I'm glad that it did.
November 3, 2025
I enjoyed this. I'm a big Star Trek fan but I doubt many folks would read this who weren't. It's letters to Star Trek from fans. I enjoyed the ones from the kids and young folks the most. I also enjoyed the letters from professional teachers and scientists, though I found one section that actually detailed the course outlines for some Star Trek classes to be rather boring. The end has the addresses to write to for more information or for more materials, although I imagine those are long outdated now. The book was published in 1977.
May 16, 2024
This was a semi interesting look at letters to Star Trek, but with not enough responses to actually make it interesting. Also, I have discovered that I really dislike Gene Roddenberry, no matter how good of a show he made. His political views, and blatant disregard for wemons feelings was very disconcerting.
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January 31, 2020Moderately entertaining and informative, but probably not worth revisiting for anyone but a major fan.
March 17, 2017
Interesting time capsule. The tone of many of these letters bear all the markings of a strange religious cult, but hey, it was the seventies. Bonus marks for publishing a copy of the birth certificate (complete with parents' social security numbers!) of some poor girl named after a Trek character.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews