George R. R. Martin Was Rejected From 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin nearly had a seat in the writer's room for Star Trek: The Next Generation, but a surprising reason kept him off the bridge of the Enterprise.

During an event at UCSD's Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination, Martin recalled his rejection.

"I had an interview with Star Trek: The Next Generation for a possible job as a staff writer," Martin said. "I remember coming into 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."

Being a science fiction writer does seem to be an odd reason to be denied a writing gig on a Star Trek show. Martin doesn't give the name of the producer who interviewed him, but it seems likely this was Maurice Hurley, who acted as showrunner on the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Hurley had no experience on science fiction prior to working on Star Trek, so it's easy to see him trying to position it more in terms he was familiar with. Hurley also had a reputation for not getting along well with the show's writers. He left the show at the end of the second season, and most fans would agree that the show saw an uptick in quality in its third season.

While he was denied the opportunity to write for Star Trek directly, Martin's influence may be felt on a new era of Star Trek as Star Trek: Discovery has been compared to Game of Thrones in terms of storytelling style as well as its potential to kill off main characters.

Star Trek: The Next Generation will celebrate its 30th anniversary in September. Game of Thrones will conclude its penultimate season this Sunday.

[H/T Trek Movie]