The writer of two best-selling sci-fi novels, The Martian and Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir, has been caught at the center of a huge controversy following his remarks about modern Star Trek, especially the shows produced by Alex Kurtzman. Certain fans of the franchise, and even writers on social media, pointed out that he came across as bitter and unprofessional. Now, the immense backlash against him has led him to issue a public apology.
Weir is “sorry” for coming across as “disrespectful” and “mean”
During an appearance on the Critical Drinker podcast, Andy Weir made some polarizing comments about the latest Star Trek TV era. It all kicked off when the host of the show, Will Jordan, suggested that every production from the beloved long-running franchise following the 2001 prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise should be removed from canon. The 53-year-old novelist did not completely agree with that assertion, stating that he liked Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks but was largely critical of other recent Star Trek shows.
“I’ll give you my opinion, and I’m just a consumer. I like Strange New Worlds. I think it’s pretty good. I didn’t hate Enterprise. I thought it was kind of weird. Lower Decks, I thought, was entertaining and fun. All the others, they can go,” Weir said on the podcast.
Furthermore, he stated that he had pitched a story for the franchise to Paramount, but it was turned down by executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “But they didn’t accept my pitch, so, you know, f— ’em.”
“Those shows are s—,” he could be heard saying to Will Jordan on the podcast. However, his comments triggered a massive backlash, and he has since issued an apology on Facebook. He stated that he was “trying to be funny” and did not realize that it could come across as disrespectful. He also said that some of his quotes were taken out of context, removing the parts where he commended Kurtzman as a person and expressed his liking for certain shows from the latest Star Trek entries.
“I feel like my quotes were taken out of context as salacious sound bites. I hope you saw the other parts where I said how much I like you as a person and what a nice guy you are. Also, how I like [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds] and [Star Trek: Lower Decks],” he said.
“I’m sorry for that. I was also trying to be self-deprecating when I said, ‘But they didn’t like my pitch, so f— ’em!’ but out of context it can read like I actually meant it,” he further noted.
Weir concluded his apology by inviting Kurtzman for a one-on-one discussion, even if it was just to call him out over his remarks. Representatives for Paramount and Kurtzman have not responded to his comments yet.
Did you feel Andy Weir’s criticism was fair game? Or do you think it crossed a line? Let us know in the comments section below.
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