Science fiction at it’s best shows us who we are in the reflection of a time and place removed from our current circumstances. It allows us to reframe the important issues of the day in metaphors that illuminate the essence of what it means to be human. I am, of course, talking about the legend that is the Star Trek franchise. Gene Rodenberry took his vision of a future that was better than things are now and reinvented the medium of television into a canvas that would accommodate that vision.
It is a rare franchise that fifty years on is still inspiring spin offs and fan fiction and conventions like Star Trek. It has dealt with space travel of course but that hasn’t stopped it from also exploring time travel, telepathy, telekinesis, parallel universes, artificial intelligence, matter transmission, a unique spin on virtual reality not to mention hundreds of alien societies. I can think of no other show that has dared to explore such a wide range of topics and premises.
So, on the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek I proudly proclaim that I am a Trekker forever and I thank Gene and all the marvelous actors and writers and directors and crew members that have given us such a rich and wonderful world full of some of the best dramatic literature ever written. May they all live long and prosper.
Sweet dreams, don’t forget to tell the people you love that you love them, and most important of all, be kind.