» The Writers on the Edge of Forever Options

[belsum]

Obviously we are all well aware of the contribution that Harlan Ellison made to sci-fi television. I was excited to learn that Theodore Sturgeon wrote Amok Time because I hadn't really thought that there might be other stalwarts-of-their-time that wrote for the show. I've read a short story collection of his, A Touch of Strange, and have four novels awaiting me on my shelf. Now I wonder what other surprises I'll find going episode-by-episode to check the writer credits.

People like Fredric Brown were not as famous as Robert A. Heinlein but certainly were prolific. There must be modern equivalents that should be on the staff for Enterprise. No offense to Manny Cotto, Robert Wolfe or any other regular Trek writers but why do you think that talent pool hasn't been tapped since TOS?

This post has been edited by belsum: Apr 8, 2004 @ 2:45 pm.

[the47thman]

Do you mean "modern equivalents" as in people who bound out a billion sci-fi pupls in a career, or are you thinking more of the Heinlein set (famous sci-fi authors)?

[belsum]

Eh, I don't really care whether they're writers of Quality Lit or not. Just mainly writers for readers, not mainly writers for viewers.

And actually, I just wanted to get a discussion about the Trek writers in general because I think about that kind of crap. Like that John D. F. Black wrote The Naked Time for TOS and then they actually brought him back for The Naked Now on TNG. I think it's cool they did that, like with the actors from TOS brought back to DS9.

[the47thman]

I would say that the Quality Lit writers are all probably too busy with other Hollywood-type projects (Michael Chabon doing the Spider Man 2 screenplay, for example) to be able to put time into a T.V. show. For the pulps, I'd say it's because they don't really exist anymore.

[screamin]

While there aren't pulps anymore, there are still quite a few talented journeyman sf writers (Pat Murphy, Nancy Kress, Charles Sheffield, just off the top of my head, and hey, how about David Gerrold?) who might make an interesting contribution. There's also the higher level of people like Connie Willis, who you wouldn't think would write an ST episode, but TPTB could find a way to tempt if they really wanted to. Even a giant like Ursula K. LeGuin is a conditional Trekkie, judging from her work - she once wrote a hilarious short story parody of TOS called Intraship, and once wrote in a non-genre story a brief, affectionately humorous comment on the relationship between Kirk and Spock, with a bit of K/S in it, which I will quote if I can find the book.

The question more likely is, why don't they? Why don't TPTB go for such writers? Do they just feel it is more of a hassle to adapt such writers to the TV screen, and feel it's better to have writers who know the format better, even if they don't know a lot about SF? Or is it that established writers who already have a career in books might have a healthier respect for what they write, and they fear that such writers would fight with Bermaga much more when the time came to appy Bermaga's divine producer's wisdom to their product? What do you all think?

[Silja]

It’s probably also because there’s simply so much more television these days – and a lot of it is so craptacular. I don’t think many writers, quality or otherwise, would risk their reputations on most things that are on these days (ENT not included of course ;-)

This post has been edited by Silja: Apr 8, 2004 @ 4:16 pm.

[dc3]

At the time when Gene Roddenberry was looking for writers for his tv series, the only other regularly broadcast "science fiction" was Lost In Space. That's not the case any more. There's not so much need for established sf writers to nuture a fledgling genre. Plus, career tv writers are more familiar with the genre, largely because of Star Trek.

[Cleo256]

And who says Bermaga wouldn't welcome an established sci-fi author? I think most high-profile writers would see writing for TV as a step down. A few years back they got a couple well-known authors to write X-Files episodes, and it was a huge deal.

[screamin]

Plus, career tv writers are more familiar with the genre, largely because of Star Trek.

I don't think they're really very familiar with the science fiction genre, I think that they're just familiar with ST, which, though it IS science fiction, is much more limited in scope than science fiction as a whole. Which is why I think in recent years the franchise has shown a certain poverty of mindbendingly new ideas.

And who says Bermaga wouldn't welcome an established sci-fi author? I think most high-profile writers would see writing for TV as a step down. A few years back they got a couple well-known authors to write X-Files episodes, and it was a huge deal.

Probably Bermaga WOULD welcome a high profile sci-fi author, if he dropped into their laps and begged for work at union scale. But high profile writers tend not to do that, they must be courted, and landing one of them is a coup (hence the publicity at X-Files). I don't know who X-Files hired (and I'm curious, could you tell me?), but I'd guess the producers made a special effort to reach out to those authors. I'm not really certain about the early history of ST (and if I'm wrong, please correct me) but I imagine that Frederic Brown, Norman Spinrad, Thedore Sturgeon and others may not have rushed to dump their wares into Roddenberry's lap when he started his new, untested show - he probably had to ask some of them to contribute, and maybe had to even pay them a little more than usual.
I think that Bermaga really ought to try to make a similar effort. They don't even have to go after the stars of the SF world. As I said before, there are many talented sf writers who, though they do not write best sellers, do sell steadily and write well. Most writers, even moderately successful ones, do not make a great deal of money for novels (especially when the fees are spread out over the time it takes to write them) and would probably be happy to write an episode if offered a good (though not exorbitant) fee. I can't imagine that ALL SF authors despise ST as trash. In fact, I'd be willing to bet some are closet trekkies who'd love to do it (the Whoopi Goldberg syndrome).
I think however, that Bermaga are simply not willing to put up with the hassle of working with someone who is not thouroughly familiar with writing for television and kowtowing to the producers, and probably prefer to put their effort and money toward, um, CGI effects, architectural catsuits and industrial-strength underwired bras, I guess. X-Files showed that SF authors COULD be hired, but for whatever reason Bermaga are not choosing to do it.

[dbrugg]

belsum,

And actually, I just wanted to get a discussion about the Trek writers in general because I think about that kind of crap. Like that John D. F. Black wrote The Naked Time for TOS and then they actually brought him back for The Naked Now on TNG. I think it's cool they did that, like with the actors from TOS brought back to DS9.

Did they actually bring Black back, or was this a case that the stories were similar enough that credit was extended (or arbitrated via the WGA)?

Off the top of my head, one of the Pocket TOS books is from Sturgeon - an old story finished/expanded by someone else. To extend the Pocket connection, doesn't Kevin Ryan have some kind of writing credit on an episode or two of one of the shows?

I've got thoughts on science fiction book writing and science fiction television writing, and differences between genre books and genre television, which I'll save for a later post (and more reflection).

[dc3]

I don't think they're really very familiar with the science fiction genre, I think that they're just familiar with ST, which, though it IS science fiction, is much more limited in scope than science fiction as a whole. Which is why I think in recent years the franchise has shown a certain poverty of mindbendingly new ideas.

You're right, screamin, but what I was referring to (not very clearly) was Roddenberry having to reject script submissions by telling writers that "SF is not just cop shows, or westerns, with ray guns - would Joe Friday or Marshall Dillon explain how his gun works to a bad guy?" That's why he wound up writing his Writers' Guide.

[nelamm]

What did Roddenberry mean by that? I thought he didn't want explanations of how things worked on the show- and that he thought of Star Trek in western terms.

Shimon Wincelberg was a well-known sci-fi writer, at least on TV. After Roddenberry rewrote his scripts, he had his name taken off or changed to "S. Bar-David." I know Ellison wasn't happy with what Roddenberry did to City, but I think the episode was vastly improved. Perhaps other sci-fi writers were scared off by all this.

[Cleo256]

I don't know who X-Files hired (and I'm curious, could you tell me?),

Stephen King was one. The other was unfamiliar to me, so I don't remember. Their episodes aired one right after the other, though.

and differences between genre books and genre television

That's a good point. I bet Peter David would love to write an episode. Regardless of how you feel about his Trek novels, wouldn't you like to see what a Peter David episode was like?

As for the writers currently working on Enterprise, they've got some strengths. Manny Coto wrote "Similitude". Michael Sussman is at least partly responsible for some of the series's best episodes, including "Twilight" and "Dead Stop". Phyllis Strong used to partner with Sussman until this season. She wrote the blecky "Exile" this year, but I'm not ready to write her off until I see another episode.

[dc3]

What did Roddenberry mean by that? I thought he didn't want explanations of how things worked on the show- and that he thought of Star Trek in western terms.

Exactly. Which is why he had to continuously reject scripts from writers who thought SF was all about the gagetry & explanations and not about the people & narrative. He was pointing out that Friday and Dillon walked around in their stories assuming everyone knew what a rifle was, and so Kirk should be able to assume everyone around him understood a phaser rifle. And that the audience would catch on without a whole bunch of explanation. He wanted SF stories about people just like there were westerns and cop shows about people.

I seem to be having real clarity issues today. Am I dating myself with the Dragnet and Gunsmoke references?

[Gytha Ogg]

Stephen King was one. The other was unfamiliar to me, so I don't remember.

William Gibson, the Father of Cyberpunk, was the other one. Which I only know because I looked him up when they originally announced it.

screamin I think you hit the nail on the head here:

ST, which, though it IS science fiction, is much more limited in scope than science fiction as a whole.

The good SF writers who are out there have distinct individual styles, and I'm not sure Bermaga are interested in having someone else's fingerprints on Trek.

Or, for that matter, that the writers would be interested in adjusting their styles to fit the Trek mold. Working with established characters can cramp one's style, I hear. Not that Bermaga concern themselves overmuch with character consistency on Enterprise, but it could still be enough of an issue to be a dealbreaker.

That said, I'd love to see a Peter David written ep. He wrote Soulmates, which is my favorite B5 episode ever. And it's good precisely because, despite being written by a guest writer, it's true to the characters.

Didn't know he'd written Trek novels, though. Hmm... [shuffles off to Amazon...]

This post has been edited by Gytha Ogg: Apr 10, 2004 @ 10:03 am.