David Gerrold is one of the most popular figures in Science Fiction Fandom. The Hugo and Nebula Award winning author is 81 years old today.
He’s best known for writing the classic and hilarious Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” but that’s far from his only accomplishment. He has won the Hugo, the Nebula, the Emmy, and the Robert A. Heinlein Award. He’s the father of a son who grew up into a pretty decent man, and the adoring grandfather of two grandchildren. And he’s lucky enough to be the father-in-law of a talented baker.
Who is David Gerrold?
He was born Jerrold David Friedman, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on January 24, 1944, one day after Rutger Hauer was born in the Netherlands. Gerrold eventually moved to California, where he attended Van Nuys High School and then Ulysses S. Grant High School (in its first graduating class) before going on to study at Los Angeles Valley College and then San Fernando Valley State College, which has since been renamed California State University, Northridge.
Although he never married, he is a single parent, adopting a son, Sean . He is the proud, doting grandfather of two grandkids His Hugo and Nebula winning novelette The Martian Child was a semi-autobiographical account of Sean’s adoption. The novelette was expanded into a novel and made into a film in 2007.
Why is David Gerrold Such a Popular Guest at SciFi Cons?
His personal website stated “David Gerrold is the author of over 50 books, hundreds of articles and columns, and over a dozen television episodes. He is a classic sci-fi writer that will go down in history as having created some of the most popular and redefining scripts, books, and short stories in the genre.
TV credits include episodes from Star Trek (“The Trouble With Tribbles” and “The Cloud Minders”), Star Trek Animated (“More Tribbles, More Troubles” and “Bem”), Babylon 5 (“Believers”), Twilight Zone (“A Day In Beaumont” and “A Saucer Of Loneliness”), Land Of The Lost (“Cha-Ka,” “The Sleestak God,” “Hurricane,” “Possession,” and “Circle”), Tales From The Darkside (“Levitation” and “If The Shoes Fit”), Logan’s Run (“Man Out Of Time”), and others. He created the Sleestak race on Land of the Lost.
Novels include When HARLIE Was One, The Man Who Folded Himself, The War Against the Chtorr septology, The Star Wolf trilogy, The Dingilliad young adult trilogy, the Trackers duology, and many more sci-fi classics. If you haven’t read them yet, go to the nearest library or bookstore. You’ve got a treat in store for you.
Tthe semi-autobiographical tale of his son’s adoption, The Martian Child, won the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette of the Year.
In addition to writing the funniest episode of Star Trek, he also wrote the heartbreaking episode of Babylon 5, “The Believers,” where a child’s life is at stake in a situation where there are no right answers, just an ethical dilemma with multiple wrong answers.
David Gerrold is a patriotic American who loves the movie 1776 and supports the ACLU and LG BTQ rights. His most recently published story is “Afterward” in the B Cubed Press anthology Alternative Liberties.
Happy Birthday, David Gerrold!
A very Happy Birthday to you, David Gerrold!! Your nonfiction books The Trouble With Tribbles and The World of Star Trek gave a fascinating peek behind the scenes of one of our favorite TV shows. You said on Facebook: “Yes, I am old. I am older than I ever thought I would be.” You may have lived longer than you expected to when you were younger, but as far as we’re concerned, you haven’t lived long enough yet. You have stories to write, grandchildren to play with, and conventions to attend. So, many happy returns of the day!
Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
Thank you for the birthday article!
I’m fortunate enough to know David Gerrold, at least online. It still amazes me that the same person who wrote “The Trouble With Tribbles” also wrote “Believers.” Yes, the series they’re written for are both science fiction/space opera. But those stories are very, very different.
And I accidentally discovered *The Man Who Folded Himself* at a bookstore in a box of cheaply priced damaged books. I found a copy near the bottom of the box that was in good shape, and intended to take it to a college book trade. But first I decided to start reading it and…I never traded it for anything.
David Gerrold, more than any other working SF author, has given me encouragement and guidance in writing my first book, and probably has no recollection of even doing it. He tries to project this image of being a curmudgeon, but this absolutely fails when the evidence of his magnificent heart is observed.