Trailblazing “Star Trek” Writer Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana Passes Away, Age 80
Veteran writer Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana passed away at the age of 80 in Los Angeles on Monday. Her career spanned six decades in the entertainment business, with 48 writing credits – including her best-known work: the Star Trek franchise. Fontana wrote for four of the television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine.
“Star Trek” Contributions
Fontana penned 11 The Original Series episodes (sometimes credited as Michael Richards). For The Animated Series, she wrote “Yesteryear.” On The Next Generation, she wrote the pilot episode “Encounter at Farpoint,” “The Naked Now” (as J Michael Bingham), “Too Short a Season,” “Lonely Among Us,” and “Heart of Glory.” She also wrote “Dax” for Deep Space Nine. Among her final works, she contributed to a number of Star Trek video games.
Other Works
Fontana contributed to several other iconic TV shows including The Wild Wild West (as Michael Edwards), Bonanza, The Six Million Dollar Man, Dallas, Logan’s Run, Buck Rogers of the 25th Century, and Babylon 5. The American Screenwriters Association inducted her into the Screenwriting Hall of Fame in 2001. She shares nomination honors for a Hugo Award with director Corey Allen and franchise creator Gene Roddenberry, who co-wrote “Encounter at Farpoint.”
She’s survived by her husband, Oscar-winning visual effects cinematographer Dennis Skotak.
In an interview with StarTrek.com from 2013, Fontana explained why she wasn’t surprised Star Trek was being embraced by a new generation:
About Tom Chang
I'm a gamer, sci-fi and fantasy fan. film and TV snob. I love to write and read the classics. Anything you want to talk about, I'm here to entertain or at least pretend to be interested.
Source: www.bleedingcool.com