The authors would like to profusely thank everyone who graciously took the time over the years to be interviewed by us, in some cases multiple times for many, many hours. In addition, we’re deeply indebted to David E. Williams, Sheldon Teitelbaum, Steven A. Simak, Joe Nazarro, Jeff Bond, James Van Hise, Karen E. Willson, John Kenneth Muir, Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier, Tony Timpone, Dan Madsen, Steve Kriozere, Scott Arthur, and Jennifer Howard at the Archive of American Television, who were willing to share their own original material to help supplement this volume, where necessary.
In almost all cases, material is taken from original interviews conducted by the authors over the last three decades, with the exception of the aforementioned additional material as well as comments excerpted from public appearances at press conferences and/or conventions, along with original memo excerpts.
In addition, special thanks to our research assistants, without whose help we would probably be publishing this book for the sixtieth anniversary: our indispensable senior research assistant, Jordan Rubio, as well as Jacob DuBoise, Marie Lombardi, Derek Hedbany, and New York University professor Andrew Goldman, for his gracious assistance; as well as the enormously helpful staff of the UCLA Library Special Collections. Thanks for the use of the room.
The authors would also like to thank Stephen Pizzello of American Cinematographer magazine, for his contributions to this volume. Thanks also go to our friend Mark Gottwald, former publisher of Cinefantastique magazine, as well as to current publisher, Joe Sena.
No book on Star Trek would be complete without acknowledging the inestimable contributions to the genre by the late Frederick S. Clarke, creator of Cinefantastique, without whom none of this would have been possible. Fred was a mentor and an inspiration and—along with Kerry O’Quinn, founder of Starlog—is a legendary pioneer in the field of erudite sci-fi television journalism long before the world had ever heard of the Internet.
We would be remiss not to thank our patron saint, editor Brendan Deneen, his intrepid assistant, Nicole Sohl, and our publisher, the terrific Thomas Dunne. Our gratitude as well to our agent, Laurie Fox, at the Linda Chester Agency, for all her boundless enthusiasm throughout the process. Also, special thanks to our excellent copy editor, MaryAnn Johanson, without whose tireless efforts this book would be incomprehensible. Also a tip of the fedora to the brilliant Seth MacFarlane, for his contribution of this book’s foreword. (Anyone who would cast Flash Gordon’s Sam Jones and feature “All Time High” from Octopussy in a movie is okay in our book.)
And, of course, our most profound thanks to the late, great visionaries Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon, without whom we would not still be talking about (and watching) Star Trek five decades later.
We would also be remiss not to mention the thoughtful, supportive, and immensely talented Michael Piller, who left this world way too soon, as well as the late Robert H. Justman, Harve Bennett, and the incomparable Leonard Nimoy, who could’ve lived and prospered a little longer.
And last, but certainly not least, William Ware Theiss, for those amazing costumes that will forever be seared into our brains … until they are stolen by Imorg, at least.