Roddenberry Inducted Into Science Fiction Hall of Fame

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle the weekend before last during an extravaganza weekend at which the Science Fiction Museum unveiled its exhibit, "Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television."

StarTrek.com reported on the event, which began with a costume party on Friday, June 15th. The exhibit's third floor is entirely devoted to Star Trek costumes and models used in Star Trek. On Saturday, author Neal Stephenson served as master of ceremonies at the dessert buffet for the Hall of Fame recipients, who also included artist Ed Emshwiller, filmmaker Ridley Scott and writer Gene Wolfe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) presented the award to Roddenberry's son, Eugene Roddenberry, Jr., whom Wheaton called a friend. In his remarks, Wheaton also said that the science fiction museum "is an affirmation of why I and so many other people around the world love science fiction...science fiction can give us warnings about the future, hope for the future, or just blissful escape into the future." He cited Star Trek's optimism as a value worth preserving from its era. "When I turn on CNN, I wish that our world leaders would watch more Star Trek and less 24," he added.

Wheaton said that he was very proud to be part of Roddenberry's legacy and told the story of how when Wesley was promoted to ensign on the series, Roddenberry presented the actor with the bars he received when he was promoted to ensign in the military. "He told me that in many ways Wesley Crusher was as close as he had come to writing himself in Star Trek as a character," he said. Then he gave those bars to Roddenberry's son, who recalled that he had been forced to work on The Next Generation while Wheaton was acting on the series and he resented it at the time.

"Star Trek was a reminder that the impossible was something that we could get if we all worked together," added Eugene Roddenberry, who said that his father "never saw himself as a celebrity; he saw himself as an average guy with ideas just like anyone else, and he loved the fans." He thanked the museum founders and everyone present who had supported Star Trek over the years.

The full article is here.

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