Script Writer and Story Editor DC Fontana of StarTrek Fame Dies at 80

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SUMMARY

Dorothy Catherine “D.C.” Fontana, a pioneering writer for Star Trek, passed away at the age of 80 following a brief illness. She significantly contributed to Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s, writing or co-writing ten episodes, including notable titles such as “Journey to Babel” and “The Ultimate Computer.” Fontana also penned the acclaimed episode “Yesteryear” for Star Trek: The Animated Series and contributed to five episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, including its pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." Her legacy as a female writer in a male-dominated industry is highlighted by her husband's tribute, emphasizing her strength and determination.

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  • Understanding of the Star Trek franchise and its historical context.
  • Familiarity with television writing and production in the 1960s.
  • Knowledge of the significance of female representation in science fiction.
  • Awareness of the impact of key episodes on the Star Trek narrative.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the influence of D.C. Fontana on modern science fiction writing.
  • Explore the evolution of female writers in Hollywood during the 1960s.
  • Analyze the themes presented in Fontana's Star Trek episodes.
  • Investigate the legacy of Star Trek: The Original Series on contemporary television.
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Fans of Star Trek, aspiring screenwriters, historians of television, and anyone interested in the role of women in the science fiction genre will benefit from this discussion.

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Founding Star Trek writer Dorothy Catherine “D.C.” Fontana has died. She was 80 years old and died after a brief illness. Fontana was one of the key writers who worked on Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s, helping to bring Gene Roddenberry’s vision to life. She wrote or co-wrote 10 episodes of The Original Series, including “Charlie X,” "Tomorrow is Yesterday," “The Side of Paradise," "Friday's Child," “Journey to Babel," "By Any Other Name," "The Ultimate Computer," “The Enterprise Incident," "That Which Survives," and "The Way to Eden." She also wrote the episode “Yesteryear" of Star Trek: The Animated Series, worked on five episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation including its pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," as well as "The Naked Now," "Lonely Among Us," "Too Short a Season," and "Heart of Glory," and co-wrote the teleplay for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Dax."

https://comicbook.com/startrek/2019/12/03/star-treks-d-c-fontana-dies-at-80/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._C._Fontana
 
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...although you'd think they'd proof read an obituary. It's "This Side of Paradise".

Always credited as D.C. Fontana in case viewers figured out that she was - gasp - a woman writing SF.
 
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I found an obituary in the NY Times on her.

It had a few interesting quotes:

from her husband:
“She was a very, very tough lady,” he said. “She carried a phaser with her right up to the end.”

and:
Speaking to StarTrek.com in 2013, Ms. Fontana reflected on what it was like to be a female writer in Hollywood in the 1960s. While working on “Star Trek,” she said, she did not realize that she had gone where no woman had gone before.
 
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