Entertainment

George R. R. Martin Almost Wrote For 'Star Trek' in 1988

by Caitlin Busch

Imagine Captain Jean-Luc Picard battling dragons with a direwolf at his side. Apparently, Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin almost wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation, a stark reminder that Martin is actually, first and foremost, a science fiction writer.

As reported by TrekMovie.com, Martin spoke at a workshop at UCSD’s Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination in May. There, he revealed he’d interviewed to write for Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1988, saying:

I had an interview with Star Trek: The Next Generation for a possible job as a staff writer. I remember coming in to the office of this producer – who thankfully did not last long on the show and you can see why when I tell the story. He said “I don’t know who you are can you tell me your credentials.” And I said “I am just coming off Twilight Zone where I worked for a while, but before that I wrote novels and short stories. I am primarily a science fiction writer.” And he said “Oh really, well Star Trek is not a science-fiction show, it is a people show.” I was fooled by the photon torpedoes and starships. I was misled. Needless to say I did not get that job.

In another universe, Martin was hired on to write for The Next Generation and there was a lot more murder involved. Only a select few aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise made it out alive, and there were more heavy-handed metaphors than even Picard could deal with.

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