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Gene L. Coon: The Unsung Hero of Star Trek
Gene Roddenberry has long been painted as the visionary who made Star Trek possible. Yet not much has been written on Gene L. Coon. The real workhorse behind The Original Series. This man built the universe around Roddenberry’s initial concept we all know today. He almost single handed created The Klingons. Had a hand in creating the franchise’s greatest villain…KHAN! Any notion of Starfleet Command, The United Federation of Planets, Warp Technology, and its fictional creator Zefram Cochrane all belong to him. Only to die from cancer at age 49 just as Star Trek got popular with reruns and conventions.
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2017
4 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Justin L. Murphy
37 books9 followersBorn November 26, 1985 in Dothan, Alabama.
Whether it be Fiction or Non-Fiction, Justin Murphy has always tried to explore many themes in his work. One is probing into the darkness of pure evil with The Original Night Stalker: Portrait of A Killer, a fictional story based on a real life murderer. After the killer was caught, he wrote Joseph James DeAngelo: His Reign of Terror Is Over. Starting from the killer’s troubled childhood to the terrible burglaries, rapes, and murder he committed. The latter is more centered on the true facts of the case.
He also enjoys exploring obscure figures often forgotten in entertainment. Such as with his most recent success Gene L. Coon: The Unsung Hero of Star Trek. It profiles the ex-Marine, pharmacist, and journalist who did the actual heavy lifting on The Original Series. And built the universe around Gene Roddenberry’s initial concepts. The author spent several months researching in newspaper archives and Star Trek related publications to uncover the life of this little-known figure. Within a month, this book has surpassed most of his catalog and continues growing. It is also his longest book in five years and is giving him a resurgence on Kindle.
This has been followed up with Leslie Stevens: The Unsung Hero of Battlestar Galactica. A former Broadway playwright and film director who shepherded the sci-fi classic during its early development as a seven hour miniseries. Despite Glen A. Larson’s it was based a concept called Adam’s Ark he developed a decade earlier. Larson and Stevens earlier worked with Gene L. Coon on such series as It Takes A Thief, The Name of The Game, and The Virginian. Gene Roddenberry also visited the set of Stevens’ earlier drama The Outer Limits. Emulating this approach for producing Star Trek.
He resides in Orlando, Florida with his younger brother and other family members. And has also taken up Photography in the last couple years.
Whether it be Fiction or Non-Fiction, Justin Murphy has always tried to explore many themes in his work. One is probing into the darkness of pure evil with The Original Night Stalker: Portrait of A Killer, a fictional story based on a real life murderer. After the killer was caught, he wrote Joseph James DeAngelo: His Reign of Terror Is Over. Starting from the killer’s troubled childhood to the terrible burglaries, rapes, and murder he committed. The latter is more centered on the true facts of the case.
He also enjoys exploring obscure figures often forgotten in entertainment. Such as with his most recent success Gene L. Coon: The Unsung Hero of Star Trek. It profiles the ex-Marine, pharmacist, and journalist who did the actual heavy lifting on The Original Series. And built the universe around Gene Roddenberry’s initial concepts. The author spent several months researching in newspaper archives and Star Trek related publications to uncover the life of this little-known figure. Within a month, this book has surpassed most of his catalog and continues growing. It is also his longest book in five years and is giving him a resurgence on Kindle.
This has been followed up with Leslie Stevens: The Unsung Hero of Battlestar Galactica. A former Broadway playwright and film director who shepherded the sci-fi classic during its early development as a seven hour miniseries. Despite Glen A. Larson’s it was based a concept called Adam’s Ark he developed a decade earlier. Larson and Stevens earlier worked with Gene L. Coon on such series as It Takes A Thief, The Name of The Game, and The Virginian. Gene Roddenberry also visited the set of Stevens’ earlier drama The Outer Limits. Emulating this approach for producing Star Trek.
He resides in Orlando, Florida with his younger brother and other family members. And has also taken up Photography in the last couple years.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 27, 2022
Deeply Disappointed
This is a quick rehash of Gene Coon's career and does nothing to analyze the man, the work, or his legacy.
Worse, we learn nothing about the man himself.
This is a self-published work that desperately needed an editor, a proofreader, and a book designer. I cannot recall the last time I was so frustrated by a badly produced book.
This is a quick rehash of Gene Coon's career and does nothing to analyze the man, the work, or his legacy.
Worse, we learn nothing about the man himself.
This is a self-published work that desperately needed an editor, a proofreader, and a book designer. I cannot recall the last time I was so frustrated by a badly produced book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review