CURIOSITYAndy Weir Torched Modern Star Trek and Now He’s Very Sorry4 min read

What He Actually Said About the Shows

The complicating factor in the apology was that Weir’s original comments were precise, not vague. He carved out real exceptions. Strange New Worlds was “pretty good.” Lower Decks was “entertaining and fun.” He even had a mild word for Enterprise — “I didn’t hate it” — which, given the tone of the rest of the interview, practically counts as a rave.

Everything else? He didn’t name names. He didn’t need to. The implication hung in the air like a phaser set to maximum, and anyone paying attention knew exactly which shows he meant.

When Another Writer Stepped In

Crime writer Don Winslow saw the original comments and decided to say something. He opened with genuine praise — he called himself a real fan of Weir’s books, and it didn’t read like a setup — then pivoted without hesitation. “When you have your moment, don’t use it to crap on other writers’ work,” Winslow wrote. He called Kurtzman a visionary and said Weir owed him an apology, writer to writer.

That framing landed differently than standard fandom outrage. Winslow wasn’t defending Star Trek. He was pointing to a professional line Weir had crossed, and the fact that Weir’s rejected pitch was in the mix made the whole thing smell like grievance, whether it was meant to or not.