Susan Sackett

Susan Sackett is a Star Trek fan who was also Gene Roddenberry's personal assistant for seventeen years, beginning in 1974. She was also Roddenberry's intimate partner from 1975 until his death in 1991.
Sackett was a conduit between fans and TPTB, providing fans with information, advice, assistance in their visits to sets, and more. In this role, she also appeared at cons as a guest of honor.
As Roddenberry's spokesperson, she wrote LoCs to Interstat and Halkan Council and other fan publications. These letters had comments that sometimes appeared to be a combination of Sackett's strong personal views mixed with official comments from Roddenberry. Some examples are Sackett's comments on slash fanworks. 
Sacket wrote a number of non-fiction, official Star Trek books, one of which was called "Inside Trek" subtitled "My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry." 
==Sackett Was Very Aware of Fanzines==
Sackett knew about fanzines, both because she hung out with fans at cons and elsewhere, and because fanworks were actively sent to Roddenberry. 
Early on, Sackett gave at least on fan the impression that her access was sparse. From a fan, Kitty Canterbury, in Halkan Council #19 (June 1976): 
This statement is contradicted almost immediately by Sackett:
==Sackett Addressed the Topic of Same Sex Fan Stories== 
In the August 1978 issue of Interstat, Sackett wrote about same sex fanworks: 
In September 1978, a fan wrote of a letter Sackett sent to a UK fan club president, one that commented on the debate about the acceptability of including K/S fiction in zines: 
==The Fine Line Between Official Spokesperson and Fan==
Sackett moved in fan circles both as Roddenberry spokesperson, as well as an "ordinary fan."
These two things sometimes collided, both socially and professionally. 
For one example, see Sackett and Same Sex Fanworks.
In 1981, a fan wrote a letter of complaint to Interstat about a chain letter that had been circulating, one which Sackett, Kay Brown and some other BNF fans were involved in. Sackett's somewhat disingenuous response illustrated the fine line between fannish involvement with TPTB and the bleed-over 
Some other comments by Sackett in 1981: 
In 1988, a fan, Debbie Gilbert, wrote a letter to Interstat #131/132 and expressed an opinion about a casting change she'd heard about: 
Sackett replied with a LONG letter in Interstat #133 and scolded this fan for her opinion. Sackett's startling personal reply was made on official letterhead of Paramount, which legitimized her statement: 
==Sackett as a Bringer of Pain and Delight==
Sackett attended many cons with slideshows and blooper reels in tow.
She was one of the biggest sources of "inside information" for fans who wanted to know about Star Trek's future plans, such as movies and television shows.
Sackett was sometimes the source of rumors, both true and untrue. In 1981, Harve Bennett suggested that it was Sackett who started the rumor about Spock dying in The Wrath of Khan. "Harve Bennett: Star Trek is to be a feature picture now. Kirk is an Admiral and the film is not a follow on to ST-TMP. Mr. Bennett hopes to achieve the feel of the first and second series in his movie. No Klingons, no Romulans but much more of the crew and some special effects but only where necessary. One of the girls asked why he was going to kill off Spock. There was a pause before Mr. Bennett asked "Where did you hear that - other than from Susan Sackett?" He then went on to explain that in the course of discussions various people had been disposed of at sometime - but that Susan had gone through the office when they were discussing Spock. As with the others the idea ended in the trash can, but Susan announced it in England and everyone had taken up the cry." - from Beyond Antares #42 Supposedly, however, this rumor came from Roddenberry himself. 
In any case, the original rumor was true; Spock did die.
==Sackett's Relationship with Roddenberry==
 
From "Inside Trek" subtitled "My Secret Life with Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry" where she detailed her decade-and-a-half-long romantic and intimate involvement with her Roddenberry: 
==As a Zine Contributor and Editor==
* Inside Star Trek #13-#24 (as "Star Trektennial News") (editor)
==As a Con Guest==
File:AussieTrek2Sackett.jpg|Susan Sackett addresses con attendees at AussitTrek 1980. (Photo courtesy Susan Clarke.) 
 File:Spacecon3-5.jpg| from the 1977 program book for Space-Con, portrays Sackett and a wax figure of Spock 
 Image:susansackett.jpg| from a Phoenix Con flyer in 1977 
Image:phantasimconsackett.jpg|from the 1978 program book for Phantasmicon
* AussieTrek (1980)
* Contagion (1992)
* Conquest (1992)
* Creation Cons (various)
* Delecon (1992)
* New York Star Trek '76 (Sackett's second official con appearance) (1976)
* Schuster Star Trek Conventions/1977 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention (1977)
* Phantasmicon (1978)
* Phoenix Fan Convention (1977)
* PortlandTrek (2004)
* Puget Sound Star Trekkers Science Fiction and Star Trek Convention (1977, 1978)
* SaltCon (1977)
* New York City 1977 Schuster Con (1977)
* Shore Leave (1989)
* Shuttlecon Columbus (1978)
* Space-Cons (two in 1977)
*STAG (1981)
==Interviews==
* I even dream of work: Interview with Susan Sackett (1976), printed in Star Trekkin' #7
* An Interview With Susan Sackett (1978), printed in Academy Chronicles #6
* (2011)
==External Links== 
* a 2007 interview with Sackett is at Trekdom Blog/WbCite, accessed 24 April 2012
* Wikipedia
==References==