Roddenberry’s Stellar Enterprise : Fans: ‘Star Trek’s’ legion of devotees mourn the man who made it all possible. ‘He’s had a very distinct effect on a lot of our lives.’

When word got out in 1968 that the thoughtful but low-rated NBC science-fiction series “Star Trek” would be canceled, a grass-roots letter-writing campaign was organized in support of creator Gene Roddenberry. The result was a fabled 1 million letters to NBC, prompting the network to return the series for another season.

In the 23 years since, these Trekkies or Trekkers, as they affectionately came to be known in their search for Roddenberry’s brighter future, have multiplied into millions, and the death of their visionary Thursday was felt around the world.

“The loss to fans is a great one,” said Daniel Madsen, president of Star Trek: The Official Fan Club, which, with 35,000 members, is the largest of dozens of “Star Trek” fan clubs. He said Friday that the phone in his Aurora, Colo., office, which employs a full-time staff of 10, had been ringing nonstop with people looking for information and reassurance.

“I can’t tell you how many people have been in tears, literally in tears on the phone, as if they lost a close family member,” Madsen said. “This man really exemplified everything ‘Star Trek’ was about, his philosophy of all races, colors and creeds working together in peace in the future, his vision of a future where technology has not taken over man but is utilized by man. And I think people loved the idea of being able to explore the universe in his vast starship.”

“Last night I got a lot of phone calls from various friends, everyone sort of stunned and quiet,” said Robert Hurt, who founded the UCLA Science Fiction Society six years ago. “It’s strange, because he’s someone none of us really knew, but he’s had a very distinct effect on a lot of our lives. I’m a graduate student in astronomy and, frankly, I think I’m here because as a kid I watched ‘Star Trek’ and got interested in science and space. I know that’s true of a lot of other fellow graduates here in the astronomy department.”

The hundreds of computer bulletin boards devoted to “Star Trek” fans quickly filled with expressions of sadness and encouragement following Roddenberry’s death after months of illness.

“Rest in peace, Gene Roddenberry. Heaven knows you’ve earned it. Your contribution to our lives will always be remembered,” wrote Paul Havemann on Compuserve’s SCI-FI forum.

“You have been, and always shall be, our friend! Sleep well, Great Bird of the Galaxy! We will treasure your legacy, always. Warp speed, and Godspeed, Mr. Roddenberry,” was the message posted by David Lambert. John Vornholt responded with: “What a legacy he left! I wish we could hold a Star Trek funeral for him and beam his molecules into the stars.”

Some fans expressed concern that the successful TV spinoff series, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” will suffer without Roddenberry’s guiding hand.

“Roddenberry brought us ‘Star Trek,’ and with it hope for the future, which we don’t get on the 6 p.m. news,” said Shirley Maiewski, chairperson for the Star Trek Welcommittee in Hatfield, Mass. “He predicted a positive future for mankind. We just hope that future doesn’t change.”

“We’re afraid the vision will change,” said Alisha Black, vice admiral of the Santee, Calif., club Starships of the Third Fleet. “For us, Gene Roddenberry really fought to keep his vision, and we don’t see how anyone can step into his shoes and fight to the extent he did.”

Paramount, which produces the syndicated series and the “Star Trek” movies, said that the Dec. 13 release of the film “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” and the future of “The Next Generation” series will not be affected by Roddenberry’s death.

Rick Berman, executive producer of the TV series, which is now in the fifth season of a six-season contract, has actually been the guiding force on the show for the past two years.

“What (Roddenberry) created during his lifetime is certainly going to continue,” Berman said. “His death is not going to in any way stop the flow of his vision. The thrust of our series, ‘The Next Generation,’ has always been to continue Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. It will be easy to keep doing that because we’ve never stopped doing it.”

In an interview with The Times a year ago, Roddenberry said, “I’ve trained so many executive producers now, they pretty much think as I think. When I’m gone, others will come along and do ‘Star Trek’ so well, people will say, ‘Oh, that Roddenberry (stuff), it was no good compared to this.’ But I would be pleased by that statement.”

Richard Arnold, research consultant for “Star Trek” and Roddenberry’s close friend, confirmed that Roddenberry has been mostly in the background, as a sort of father figure.

“Gene was about to retire in 1986 when Paramount talked him into doing ‘The Next Generation,’ ” Arnold said. “He did it because he wanted to prove a lot of people wrong, that the original series was not just a fluke, and that he really did have something to do with the success of it. There are no questions now.

“The two shows are like his family--that’s how he described them. He called ‘Star Trek’ his original children, and ‘The Next Generation’ his children by a second marriage.”

Fan clubs were trying to figure out Friday how to pay homage to Roddenberry.

Some of the “Star Trek” clubs were thinking about joining together to set up a scholarship fund in Roddenberry’s name, said Black of Starships of the Third Fleet, whose 400 members consist of aerospace engineers, lawyers, military personnel and doctors.

Jeannette Maddox, president of STARFLEET the International Star Trek Fan Association in Burnsville, N.C., already had solicited support from many of her 6,000 members to create a $1,000 Gene Roddenberry scholarship for aspiring science-fiction writers. The organization already raises money for six annual $500 college scholarships.

“Gene Roddenberry was the one who gave us the vision of the future we were looking for,” said Maddox, a veterinarian when she’s not tending to her “Star Trek” organization. “He never looked for this kind of treatment. He was almost embarrassed when we turned to him with the kind of awe we have. Most fans treat him with reverence because he was not swayed by people who tried to steer him from his vision, even at times when monetarily he was pressured to do so.”

The science-fiction magazine Starlog and several fan club publications scrapped plans for their next scheduled issues in order to pay tribute to Roddenberry. The Official Fan Club has commissioned Keith Birdsong, who illustrates all the “Star Trek” pocket books, for its next cover.

Gary Berman, who organizes 100 “Star Trek” conventions a year for his New York-company Creative Conventions, was not surprised by the reverential treatment being accorded to Roddenberry. “Perhaps more than any other producer, Roddenberry was recognized by the fans,” said Berman, who will honor Roddenberry today and Sunday at a convention in Chicago.

Berman said that he will plan an even bigger celebration in Roddenberry’s memory when “The Next Generation” crew meets at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles in March.

“Producers don’t get their time in the sun,” Berman said. “The actors get the spotlight. But for ‘Star Trek’ fans, Roddenberry was a beloved figure. We did a show last June at the Shrine Auditorium, reuniting the old cast, and when he came out at the end, 6,300 people gave him a standing ovation for five minutes.”

Daniel Madsen, whose Official Fan Club is licensed by Paramount, feels sure that the “Star Trek” enterprise will not change course.

“Many times when I spoke with Gene, he stressed he believed ‘Star Trek’ would continue long after he was gone, and there were good, creative people in Hollywood who would carry the flame,” Madsen said. “The greatest tribute to Gene is that ‘Star Trek’ will live long and prosper long after he’s gone, and I’m sure that’s the way he would want it to be.”