The TMP novelization was written by Gene Roddenberry, exactly as it says on the tin. It's clearly the work of a first-time novelist, and has stylistic stamps that mark it as the work of someone whose writing experience is limited to TV scripts. It also reflects a mix of futurism and sexual preoccupation that's very Roddenberrian.
The myth that Foster ghostwrote the novelization arises from two factors: one, confusion with the Star Wars novelization that he did ghostwrite, and two, the fact that a foreign (French?) edition of the book got the credits wrong and listed Foster, who wrote the screen story for the film, as the author of the book.
