# 14-18 Exploring Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek: The Motion Picture Novel Preface

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trek-files-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast-6385998/14-18-exploring-gene-roddenberry-s-star-trek-the-motion-picture-novel-preface
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trek-files-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast-6385998/14-18-exploring-gene-roddenberry-s-star-trek-the-motion-picture-novel-preface.md
Podcast: [The Trek Files: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-trek-files-a-roddenberry-star-trek-podcast-6385998)
Published: 2026-01-06T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://thetrekfiles.trekfm.libsynpro.com/14-18-exploring-gene-roddenberrys-star-trek-the-motion-picture-novel-preface
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thetrekfiles/14-18_STTMP_novel_preface_1979.mp3?dest-id=631303
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Duration seconds: 1574

## Resource

Writer/producer Mike Sussman returns to The Trek Files with a personal favorite: the creative and very meta preface to Gene Roddenberry's novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture . In it, Gene (writing as himself and as Admiral Kirk) casts the original Star Trek series as a fictionalized dramatization of real events. Wait… what? Join Mike and Larry Nemecek as they unpack Roddenberry's playful (and possibly defensive) retcon of Trek canon, written at a time when Gene was emerging as a sci-fi thought leader in the post- Star Wars , post-lecture-circuit era. It's Roddenberry as revisionist historian, spinning group consciousness, mind control revolts, and alternate human evolution… all in the introduction to his own movie tie-in novel. You may never look at the "real" Kirk, or Trek canon, the same way again. Documents and additional references: Admiral Kirk's Preface , Star Trek: The Motion Picture novelization by Gene Roddenberry (1979) Reference: Star Trek: The Motion Picture novelization – Memory Alpha The Trek Files Season 14 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-sc enes access and exclusive merchandise. The conversation continues on Discord with live chats and the Roddenberry Podcasts community! Join today !

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