“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”
(via trippingovermysoul)
Isaac Asimov in a letter of advice to Gene Roddenberry on how to get audiences to focus on Kirk AND Spock instead of just on Spock who was considered a “fad-character” (albeit a wonderful one) who brought in the “teenage vote”.
Seriously just read the whole thing, it’s fantastic.
(via Letters of Note: Getting Star Trek on the air was impossible)
best.
Gene. <3
(via bigmamag)
(via Life):
For all you Trekkies out there — it has been 20 years today since the death of Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry.
We’re taking you back in time to photographs of Star Trek’s first broadcast.
Pictured: Back on the Enterprise, Kirk calls a meeting to discuss what to do about the creature in their midst. The alien, still posing as Bones, tries to argue on its own behalf.
see more — Star Trek Flashback! 1st Broadcast
RIP Gene Roddenberry.
(via sadspockpanda)
Gene Roddenberry, about Kirk and Spock’s relationship, in Star Trek Lives!
Well, there you go.
(via lamamama)
It boggles my mind how avid fans can watch Star Trek: The Original Series and not acknowledge the very obvious flirting and sexual tension between two very important, very male characters in the show. It is ridiculously stupid how the blatant eyesex and sultry purrs exchanged between the two…
For the starship captain’s log entry narrations, Roddenberry wanted to devise a futuristic measurement of time reference. He called (Sam) Peeples (whom Roddenberry had contacted early on for help in learning about science fiction, a subject he knew nothing about; it was Peeples who wrote “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the pilot that sold ST). The two men had a few drinks while brainstorming, and soon began chuckling over their imaginative ‘stardate’ computations. ‘We tried to set up a system that would be unidentified unless you knew how we did it,’ Peeples says.
“They marked off sections on a pictorial depiction of the known universe and extrapolated how much earth time would elapse when traveling between given points, taking into account that the Enterprise’s warp engines would be violating Einstein’s theory that nothing could exceed the speed of light. They concluded that the ‘time continuum’ would therefore vary from place to place, and that earth time may actually be lost in travel. ‘So the stardate on Earth would be one thing, but the stardate on Alpha Centauri would be different,’ Peeples says. ‘We thought this was hilarious, because everyone would say, “How come this date is before that date when this show is after that show?” The answer was because you were in a different sector of the universe.’
Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek
They made the ST universe’s time system arbitrary on purpose! These guys were trolling Star Trek nerds before they were Star Trek nerds.
(via edvaliant)
I really enjoy that they put all of this thought into it
Also I feel compelled to share that my first thought on learning about relativity was “Star Trek was wrong…”
(via badparsiqueer)
(via sadspockpanda)
Found footage from ‘73 Star Trek con reveals fandom’s groovy past | Blastr
“Star Trek lives because there are a lot of people who respect good science fiction.”
Jump to 2:20 for Isaac Asimov’s thoughts on Star Trek, and to 3:50 for D.C. Fontana’s thoughts on how writing a show set in the future allowed her to comment on current events. Jump to 5:30 for Leonard Nimo—oh, just watch the whole bloody thing. It’s brilliant.
We almost had an episode titled “To Skin a Tyrannosaurus” — I can’t help be feel slightly gypped. =/
Rod Roddenberry
THIS ONE MAKES ME SQUEE TO SEE OMG
IS THIS THE REAL LIFE?
SET PHASERS TO FABULOUS.
The ‘Lt. Uhura’ Character Broke Racial Barriers : The Two-Way : NPR
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Nichols says King told her, was showing the nation a universe where “‘for the first time, we [African-Americans] are being seen the world over…as we should be seen’.” And “‘you have created a character’” that is critical to that, he said.
King also told her that “‘this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch.’”
“I was … speechless,” Nichols says.
She decided to stay on the show. The Lt. Uhura character, as Michel Martin attests, became an icon — inspiring young black kids, especially girls. When Uhura and Captain Kirk (who, as you probably know, was played by the white actor William Shatner) kissed in the Plato’s Stepchildren episode, a racial barrier was broken.
Rebecca. 24. Pittsburgh/NYC. Deputy Editor at Upworthy. Nerd. Feminist. Comedy fan. TV enthusiast. Ally. Hoping to make the world a better place by blogging in my pajamas.
![finnemores:
“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9mg2vwThD1qbyhcjo1_500.jpg)
![The ‘Lt. Uhura’ Character Broke Racial Barriers : The Two-Way : NPR
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Nichols says King told her, was showing the nation a universe where “‘for the first time, we [African-Americans] are being seen the world over…as we should be seen’.” And “‘you have created a character’” that is critical to that, he said.
King also told her that “‘this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch.’”
“I was … speechless,” Nichols says.
She decided to stay on the show. The Lt. Uhura character, as Michel Martin attests, became an icon — inspiring young black kids, especially girls. When Uhura and Captain Kirk (who, as you probably know, was played by the white actor William Shatner) kissed in the Plato’s Stepchildren episode, a racial barrier was broken.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf15cimSXK1qbrzrzo1_500.jpg)
