Inside Trek: My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry

by Susan Sackett

Inside Trek is an unauthorized, behind-the-scenes look at the making of television's most beloved series, filled with never-before-told stories about the actors, the writers, and everyone else who made Trek what it is--most importantly, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. For over seventeen years, Susan Sackett was Roddenberry's executive assistant and secret lover. She has an insider's view with Trek secrets you've never heard before.

Genres: Biography, Star Trek

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jeanne Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the flu today and bought/read this on a whim / it made me desperately sad. I'm glad it exists

[Edward Champion · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but this is an incredible sad, highly cringey, and pathetic "memoir" from a not very bright and gullible woman who doesn't seem to be entirely aware of the many ways that the vile and predatory Gene Roddenberry manipulated her. Roddenberry exploited Sackett as his secretary and his "lover" and he comes across here is frankly domineering and abominable (pressuring her to do drugs and to skinny dip, the usual false promises that Roddenberry offered almost everyone), even when Sackett is attempting to spin all this as no big deal. On the other hand, Sackett seems to have been content to serve as his tool, blindly worshiping this fraud, and buying into the lie that a lot of the material that others wrote for him came from his own mind. There are some new details about Roddenberry in this book that are useful in understanding what a creep he was, but it's a deeply unpleasant and uncomfortable read because Sackett is a doormat without ambition or any apparent talent who wasted eighteen years of her life with this monster.

[Daniel Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honest review

I appreciate that Susan Sackett was very up front that she scoffed Gene Roddenberry and practically worshipped him like some kind of god. I appreciate the irony of the love affair she has for Star Trek and it's message of inclusiveness while damming Republicans out of hand at every opportunity. I find it interesting her description of the relationship she had with Gene Roddenberry. What she describes is that of a kept woman yet she can't understand why Majel Barrett came to resent her. It's because Mabel Barrett was also a kept woman of Roddenberry in earlier years. Roddenberry comes across as merely a sexually obsessed man with mediocre writing skills who at one turn resented star trek and damn near killed the franchise with the first film yet then wanted full control of the new series which if it had been a network TV show instead of a syndicated one would not have lasted 13 episodes.

[Rick R · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is well written and there is so much honesty here. Gene Roddenberry was a complicated dude, and most of his issues were self inflicted. The honesty here from Susan Sackett is very refreshing. You may not like her choices, but you can't help but like her.

[Mark]

A pleasant insight into Star Trek, Gene Roddenbury, & those that shaped the series.

[Tavie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out this book thinking I wouldn't really care for the author - just another groupie-turned-insider with gossip to spill.

It's not that the book *isn't* that - it's that I ended up really liking the author. As a person. I realize that's a function of her having complete control over telling her story - filtering it through her experiences and perhaps highlighting things that made her look good or presenting things in a really specific light - but, hello, welcome to memoirs.

She comes across as someone who's passionate, friendly and welcoming, and very, very respectful of fans (Star Trek fans, but - by implied extension - fandom as a concept, in general.) I appreciate the attitude. And I found myself hoping that she's now living a happy life.

Good, entertaining read, at that. Sure, gossip-y - there are some hilariously juicy bits in there - but, you know, that's why we read these kinds of books, isn't it?