Photo: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Dorothy Catherine Fontana, a writer on the originalStar Trekseries, has died. She was 80 years old.
The writer is credited with developing the Spock character’s backstory and “expanding Vulcan culture,” SyFyreported of her massive contributionto the beloved sci-fi series. Fontana was the one who came up with Spock’s childhood history revealed in “Yesteryear,” an episode inStar Trek: The Animated Series, on which she was both the story editor and associate producer.
As the outlet pointed out, Fontana was also responsible for the characters of Spock’s parents, the Vulcan Sarek and human Amanda, who were introduced in the notable episode “Journey to Babel.”
In fact, Fontana herself said that she hopes to be remembered for bringing Spock to life.
“Primarily the development of Spock as a character and Vulcan as a history/background/culture from which he sprang,” she said ina 2013 interviewpublished on theStar Trekofficial site, when asked what she thought her contributions to the series were.
“Encounter at Farpoint” episode.Paramount Television
Not only was Fontana responsible for creating much ofStar Trekcanon, she also “helped blaze a trail for female writers in sci-fi television,” theofficial websitesaid in its obituary. “Fontana’s credits toStar Trekcannot be understated, both as a writer of great stories and as a trailblazer for other women.”
Fontana’s agent, Cary Kozlov, tells PEOPLE that while she is recognized as a trailblazer in the industry, she “considered herself a writer first and foremost.”
“I will miss her dearly not only as a client, but as a true friend,” Kozlov adds.
In the 2013 interview, Fontana said that though she was a writer in Hollywood in the 1960s, she didn’t necessarily think of herself as a rarity — but instead felt she was part of “an elite” group.
“At the time, I wasn’t especially aware there were so few female writers doing action adventure scripts,” she said. “There were plenty doing soaps, comedies, or on variety shows. By choosing to do action adventure, I was in an elite, very talented and very different group of women writers.”
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And for her work in the genre, Fontana is remembered for breaking ground for women in science fiction.
William Shatner, who famously portrayed Captain James Kirk in theStar Trekuniverse, mourned the loss of Fontana on Twitter on Tuesday, calling her a “pioneer.”
“She was a pioneer,” he said. “Her work will continue to influence for generations to come.”
source: people.com
