Where One More Has Gone Before

You never know who's reading your blog, kids . . .

Diane Duane, who originaly wrote Where No One Has Gone Before with Michael Reaves, read my review, and commented on it and the episode.

As if that wasn't cool enough on its own, she wrote a really interesting recollection of the writing process at her own blog. And if that isn't cool enough, she reprinted their second-draft premise, and the second-draft outline! Holy shit, man. Stuff like that is exactly why I buy special features on DVDs. If you're a Trekkie, I think you'll dig those.

Diane's blog and its memories brings up something I hadn't considered until this weekend: when we were filming the first and second seasons of Next Generation, I was peripherally aware that there was some sort of political power struggle going on in the front office. Maybe it was clear that Gene was not going to be driving the ship, so to speak, for much longer, and people were maneuvering to replace him. Maybe there was some sort of coup in the works; I don't know. But it would be really interesting to me to find out what actually was going on in the corridors of power back then, pipe my memories through the resulting filter, and write about whatever come out.

Comments

[Joe Church]

Wow, thats awesome! I too would be interested in hearing more about the alleged power struggle you mentioned. Although I'm no expert, I could see where they might have been some kind of power struggle going on. Gene sure seemed like a nice sweet guy to me in all the interviews I've seen, I'd hate to think those big network stiffs tried to give him a hard time at some point. I love the optomistic way in which Gene setup Star Trek. The reason I love it so much is because its such an optomistic view of what the human race could become if it tried. Granted there would be some work to be done and the sad state of affairs right now doesn't look too promising, but watching Star Trek especially TNG gives you such a great view of a possible future. We should only be so lucky.

[Proto]

Very cool indeed.
Six degress man, six degrees.

[JeromeJohn]

Ha! It really pays off watching speacial features on DVD! Even "I" got to read your blog without drinking coffee every afternoon (well perhaps siesta, maybe)

[June]

Learn something new everyday... I love the Wizards series that Duane writes. And now she's even cooler that I know she's written at least one TNG episode. XD

[SpaceCadette]

Neat! Read it all! Thanks for the link to her blog.

As a total outsider who obviously knows nothing about anything related to this, it sounds to me like, since the script was written while Tasha was "Macha" and before Picard was cast, the power struggle might have been more about the "big brand new TNG series" and a brand new staff that had no pecking pissing order yet. (That paragraph was one sentence! ;) )

But seriously, that early in the series, BEFORE it even started filming or was cast, would be an odd time (though not impossible) to be ousting Gene. I just imagine, in my mind, a bunch of newbies wanting to be the "grand poobah" on the hot new series and doing all the nasty backstabbing political things that people do in the name of advancing their careers, trying to make themselves look good so they can be seen as the new big shot on the lot.

-Just an outsider's two cents.

[starshine_diva]

Dude... just wow!

Hawesome!!

I wish I had enough attention right now to read through the whole thing...

Must bookmark.

[Steven E. McDonald]

Ohhh, was there ever a battle royale, at least with the first season. I was one of the assorted writers called in to line up pitches, and met with David Gerrold. Got all the bumf I needed, had a decent meeting with David, went away to percolate for a while, and when I had the requisite number of pitches, went to set up the actual pitch meeting.

By that point David was outta there, apparently amid thunder, lightning, and clouds the color of steel boiling across the Paramount lot, part of a story that's been told here and there (with enhancements via lawsuit, with David claiming to have co-created TNG with D.C. Fontana.)

As far as I went, I was dead to them...good old fashioned traditional treatment. I had been called up by David, and with his departure under that set of circumstances, I was (with others) purged.

There were other battles as well...the grapevine worked overtime on TNG, though I eventually stopped paying attention.

Hollywood's a small town still, but in those days it was even smaller, full of malevolent energy. Just like now, in fact. It could make you rich, or kill you' that went hand in hand for some people.

I'd say you were better off being disconnected from the squabbles and maneuvering. You certainly don't seem to have been overswept by teen ego and self-ommolated by the usual run of things, which is to the good.

[Steven E. McDonald]

..."self-*immolated*"...I can spell, I just can't type (and I even have a spellchecker running, which makes it horribly embarrassing.)

[Steve Hughes]

Wil,

If you haven't read any of Diane's books, I hope you will. Her "Rihanssu" books are top-notch -- in fact the first in the sequence (My Enemy, May Ally) is one of my favorites, but I think I have to recommend The Wounded Sky above all. Diane Duane brings a depth of character to her books that just isn't possible in cinematic media. I particularly recall that without sounding pedantic, she made it clear that Uhura was one of the rare few who could multitask high level functions, like linguistics, communications, computer engineering, and security. Many crews had to separate those functions.

I haven't read all that many Star Trek books, but in my limited experience, it's a crapshoot. Many of the old Pocket Books novels read like marginal fan-fiction, or they feel like the author is not quite good enough to create his own universe. With Diane Duane I found an author who understood both that these characters are *people*, and that they're *remarkable* people. And of course, she can *write*. Hers are what Star Trek books *should* be.

Man, it's been a long time since I read her stuff. I think I've got to go read Spock's World again.

[Steve Hughes]

Jeez, do I sound like a shill, or what?

[Spacehamster]

Steve,
My thoughts exactly! I've loved Diane Duane's Trek novels for years, it's great to see someone else feels the same way. I've been really enjoying most of the Trek novels that Pocket Book has released over the last couple of years. I especially recommend the DS9 relaunch novels, as well as any and all novels written by Keith R.A. DeCandido. 'Articles of the Federation' is a very good read.

[jtbwriter]

Wil, I love how you hit what was going on right on the proverbial head. There's an outstanding book about Gene Roddenberry (Gene Roddenberry, Creator, I think it's called) that highlights the power struggle between the money guy and GR about TNG. As hard as it is to read about the losing battle with his health and ST, Gene Roddenberry never gave up his belief in humanity. No matter how they slice and dice it, the only way ST works in any form is to start with that and go from there. In a way, "Wesley" was GR..idealistic, believable and human.

At least that's what I think.

Happy Holloween, Wil, to you and yours!

[Scotty Ice]

I never realized that even the hallowed inner sanctum of the TNG production offices would see a "power struggle", but I could easily see how it wouild happen. As a Star Trek fan for forever and a day, I always believed that the producers would practice what the show always tried to preach to its audience about understanding and personal gain.

Welcome to the real world......."sigh"

[Diane Duane]

Hi Wil! (waves)

Wow, all this attention! My stats graph's gone all spiky. :)

Just as a side issue: there's a little idle rumination about what might have been going on that first season, and some more about notes, here.

Best! -- Diane

[KaliAmanda]

Whoa. That was freaking awesome, Wil! Plus you are a memory muse, judging by the last comment. Sweet!

[TriviaDan]

...And at the risk of sounding like another shill, Diane Duane also has an interesting experiment in writing you should see. The latest book in her "Rihanssu" series is being pre-sold in order to cover the cost of writing it during other projects, then sent chapter by chapter to her "subscribers" - Maybe a certain writer we all know and love could consider the same for his next book? I'd buy it!

[Diane Duane]

:) Dan, forgive me, but it's not one of the Rihannsu books (the last of those is coming out this month, and it's already out in e-format). It's the completion of the "Feline Wizardry" sequence, The Big Meow. But thanks for the mention anyway! Chapter 5 will be going up shortly...

[Cooper]

Okay: I am not a cool geek so I don't know how to paste this as a hyperlink (yes, I hear the whole of WWdN mocking me), but my sister works at McPaper and your blog made their blog via TV Squad's blog...

Is that a gang banging blog-a-thon I think.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/

Cooper