Andy Weir might just have rubbed ‘Star Trek‘ fans the wrong way. In a dramatic turnaround, the best-selling author has recently apologized to the popular sci-fi show’s executive producer, Alex Kurtzman, for sharply criticizing the modern era of the franchise.
Weir, whose novel ‘Project Hail Mary‘ has become one of the biggest box office successes of 2026 with its Ryan Gosling-led film adaptation, made the comments during a recent podcast appearance.
Andy Weir’s Blunt Criticism of Modern ‘Star Trek’ Shows
While discussing his love for ‘Star Trek‘ on the Critical Drinker, Weir aimed at most of the Paramount + shows produced under Kurtzman, praising only ‘Strange New World‘s and ‘Lower Decks‘ as entertaining.
Related: How One Bold Choice Turns ‘Project Hail Mary’ Film Into Sci-Fi’s Most Unique Story
“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,” Weird said. He dismissed the rest bluntly, saying, “All the others, they can go.“
Andy Weir Reveals Rejected ‘Star Trek’ Pitch to Paramount
Weir’s remarks gained more weight when he revealed that he had personally pitched a Star Trek series to Paramount. He described joining a Zoom meeting with showrunners and spending time with Kurtzman himself.
In case you missed it: Will ‘Project Hail Mary 2’ Happen? Andy Weir Shares Major Update After Ryan Gosling’s Sci-Fi Hit
“He, as a person, is a really nice guy,” Weir said. “But at the same time, those shows are shit. He is a nice guy. But they didn’t accept my pitch so, you know, f**k ’em.” The self-aware joke, delivered with a quick laugh quickly spread online after several outlets picked up on the rejection angle.
Backlash Forces ‘Project Haily Mary’ Author to Issue Public Apology
The backlash was swift. Star Trek fans, fellow writers and online commentators accused Weir of sounding bitter, arguing his criticism came from disappointment rather than honest opinion. Some also noted the irony of a writer known for stories about problem-solving taking shots at a franchise built on similar ideas of optimism.
On Monday, Weir responded with an open letter on his Facebook page, addressed directly to Kurtzman.
“I’m posting to apologize about stuff I said on the Critical Drinker’s podcast,” Weir began. “I feel like my quotes were taken out of context as salacious sound bytes. 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 continued, “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. I’m a blunt person – always have been. And it’s been 10 years since the media cared what I had to say about anything so I kind of forgot to watch my words when I have a film in theaters. In a couple months I’ll be back in my cave writing novels and no one will care again.“
Weir ended on a lighter note, inviting further conversation and joking that Kurtzman was free to “rip me a new one” if he wanted.
The apology comes as Weir continues to ride the success of ‘Project Hail Mary.’ His earlier novel, ‘The Martian‘ also captured audiences with its grounded take on survival in space.
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