# D.C. Fontana, RIP
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** celebrity-death
**Created:** [December 3, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327 "2019-12-03T21:16:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/1 "2019-12-03T21:16:52Z")
Dorothy (D.C.) Fontana, one of the best writers for the original _Star Trek_ series, has died at the age of 80. Here is one of several obituaries I found, from [Variety](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/).
She was the first woman to write for Trek, and, as I said, one of the best they had. She wrote “Journey to Babel,” which introduced Spock’s parents, as well as several more episodes, and also served as story editor for a time. Outside of Trek, she also wrote for _Bonanza_, _The Streets of San Francisco_, and _The Six Million Dollar Man_, among many others.
She was a fine writer, and will be missed.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/2 "2019-12-03T21:28:43Z")
Indeed. It’s appropriate that **MrAtoz** has beaten me in posting this.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/3 "2019-12-03T21:32:28Z")
RIP, Dorothy. IMHO, you had more to do in shaping _Star Trek_ than anyone but Gene.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/4 "2019-12-03T21:49:10Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#):
>
> Here is one of several obituaries I found, from [Variety](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/).
Geez, you’d think for an obituary they would have used a photo of the deceased.☹
Here’s one from [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-fontana-dead-pioneering-star-trek-writer-was-80-1259207).
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### Author:  [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/5 "2019-12-03T22:07:37Z")
Add me to the list as one who is a bit sadder today.
She gave me pleasure as a child that has continued to this day.
Rest in Peace Ma’am.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/6 "2019-12-03T22:14:15Z")
☹
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/7 "2019-12-03T22:19:36Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#):
>
> Dorothy (D.C.) Fontana, one of the best writers for the original _Star Trek_ series, has died at the age of 80. Here is one of several obituaries I found, from [Variety](https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/).
>
> She was the first woman to write for Trek, and, as I said, one of the best they had. She wrote “Journey to Babel,” which introduced Spock’s parents, as well as several more episodes, and also served as story editor for a time. Outside of Trek, she also wrote for _Bonanza_, _The Streets of San Francisco_, and _The Six Million Dollar Man_, among many others.
>
> She was a fine writer, and will be missed.
She also wrote the animated episode _Yesteryear_, which saw the return of the Guardian of Forever and Mark Lenard as Sarek and which also established Spock’s home city as Shi’Kahr and showed Spock’s pet sehlat.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/8 "2019-12-03T22:37:06Z")
Did she go by DC at first so people would not know she was a woman?
That was the reason Harry Potter books were by JK Rowling - publisher felt boys would be reluctant to read that type of book written by a woman.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/9 "2019-12-03T22:44:16Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Did she go by DC at first so people would not know she was a woman?
That is my understanding, and I believe that it was not uncommon at all in screenwriting (or some genres of fiction) at that time.
RIP, Dorothy. She was tremendously important in shaping what Star Trek became.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/10 "2019-12-04T00:30:34Z")
Star Trek wouldn’t be _Star Trek_ without D.C. Fontana.
RIP
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### Author:  [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/11 "2019-12-04T00:37:29Z")
Other Trek episodes that she wrote or helped write, that I enjoyed:
She did the teleplay for “The Ultimate Computer” from TOS, and helped Gene Roddenberry write the TNG premiere episode, “Encounter at Farpoint”. She also did “Heart of Glory”, a good early Worf episode, with two other people, and co-wrote the teleplay for DS9’s “Dax”, which laid the groundwork for a lot of important questions about the character.
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/12 "2019-12-04T00:47:15Z")
RIP, DC.
Interesting fact: some of her last non-Trek screenwriting credits include episodes of “Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys,” “Beast Wars: Transformers,” and something called [“Make Way for Noddy”](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383122/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_7).
I at least can personally confirm that the Transformers credit was indeed one of the best episodes.
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/13 "2019-12-04T01:01:35Z")
RIP, indeed. She wrote some wonderful TOS scripts.
I am just at this very moment about to watch ‘This Side of Paradise’, one of my favorite Star Trek original series episodes. Where Mr. Spock ‘falls in love’ with Jill Ireland. \<3
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/14 "2019-12-04T01:03:07Z")
RIP, indeed - she wrote some wonderful scripts for Star Trek TOS.
I am at this very moment watching my favorite episode - This Side of Paradise - where Mr. Spock ‘falls in love’ with Jill Ireland.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/15 "2019-12-04T03:47:54Z")
I remember watching reruns of Star Trek in the late 70’s. It came on after the news at 10:30. I saw DC Fontana in the credits and never knew it was a female writer.
IIRC she started as Gene’s secretary/assistant? Then started contributing to scripts. She eventually began writing new scripts. DC had quite a remarkable career.
She’ll be missed at the fan cons.
RIP
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/16 "2019-12-04T04:32:34Z")
Rip. ☹
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/17 "2019-12-04T05:31:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> IIRC she started as Gene’s secretary/assistant? Then started contributing to scripts.
Not precisely. She started out working as a secretary at a couple of studios, and also sold a few scripts, as early as 1960. She eventually wound up working as Roddenberry’s assistant when he was doing the series _The Lieutenant_, in 1963-64, but by that point, she already had a handful of script credits to her name.
When Roddenberry learned of her interest in writing, he encouraged her to pursue it. By the time _Star Trek_ premiered in ‘66, Roddenberry named Fontana the series’ story editor, as well as one of its writers.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/18 "2019-12-04T06:53:08Z")
She’s dead, Jim.
I wonder if she ever penned that line? In any case, one of the best writers Star Trek was ever blessed with. I hope they send her remains to the Genesis planet. They can’t afford to lose someone of her caliber.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/19 "2019-12-04T10:15:32Z")
Some reports are saying she wrote “The Way to Eden,” which she most emphatically did not. The original story was called “Joanna,” and was supposed to be about Dr McCoy’s grown daughter coming aboard the _Enterprise_ and (of course) getting involved with Captain Kirk. However, the third season producer didn’t think McCoy was old enough to have a grown daughter. When the story was rewritten beyond recognition, Joanna’s part was given to Chekov’s Russian girlfriend and Dorothy washed her hands of the whole matter.
She also wrote the first drafts of “The \*Enterprise \*Incident,” which was supposed to be a retelling of the \*USS Pueblo \*story but was again mangled in rewrites. She went to Leonard Nimoy and apologized when she saw what had been done to the seduction scene with Spock and the Romulan Commander, making it clear that it was not her work.
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### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2019, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-c-fontana-rip/844327/20 "2019-12-04T10:43:33Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> > [@Bijou Drains](#):
> >
> > Did she go by DC at first so people would not know she was a woman?
>
> That is my understanding, and I believe that it was not uncommon at all in screenwriting (or some genres of fiction) at that time.
This attribute of hers became a plot point in _Deep Space Nine_. The episode “Far Beyond the Stars” is set in New York in the 1950s, and features a science fiction writer who uses the pen name “K. C. Hunter” in order to hide her gender.
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