The Making of Star Trek The Motion Picture

by Gene Roddenberry, Susan Sackett

Traces the history and production of the multimillion-dollar motion picture "Star Trek."

Genres: Star Trek, Nonfiction

221 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry, was an American screenwriter and producer. He became best known as the creator of what would become the science fiction universe of Star Trek. He would also become one of the first people to be "buried" in space. Roddenberry was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Roddenberry was sometimes referred to as the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" in reference to his role in Star Trek.

Reviews

[M Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another re-read, though not one of the books that's been on my shelves for years. I bought it a couple of years ago in a completist mood and it was about what I expected. Written by Gene Roddenberry's former secretary, it is very much a puff piece, released near the same time as the movie to excite the fans. Roddenberry, who is given co-author status on the book cover rather than sole credit as in Goodreads, is given near-God-like status by Sackett, very unlike the more revisionist takes of his former co-workers later. None of the creative and personal friction of the shoot is recorded and, of course, critical opprobrium is not included.

There are some interesting production anecdotes not otherwise recorded in the vast Star Trek literature but, really, this one's only worthwhile for very serious Trekkers.

[Scott Kardel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I read this 30 years ago when it first came out (and likely enjoyed it then) and when I ran across it at a library book sale I decided to pick it up and read it again, but it isn't really a good history of the making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. If you want to read a good history of the making of the film, go for Return to Tomorrow by Neal Preston Jones. It is a much better look at how this classic Star Trek movie was put together.