The Prosperous Trek (Armstrong)

## Introduction

Literature throughout the known universe has been seen through many different mediums. These mediums can range from written works to video games and everything in between. Star Trek was brought to life by Gene Roddenberry in 1966 as a television show that takes its audience on adventures across the universe with Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aboard the iconic starship USS Enterprise. The Star Trek Franchise is an example of multi-medium literature and acknowledges several adaptations as canon including the original series, the film franchise, five TV shows, books, comic books, video games and even an animated series. It is through this wide variety of forms that allows this culture to grow and reach such a strong following. Star Trek has seen several forms of mediums which is one of many reasons why it has been so popular for so long. Another reason for the success of Star Trek that is worth noting is that it was well ahead of its time in terms of diversity. Incorporating a wide variety of races, gender and backgrounds was a cornerstone for the original series and continues to be in the new versions. It was this popularity that led Roddenberry to became the first TV writer to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

The utilization of online and television mediums strike an interesting question: what is literature? Literature has gone beyond just books and has taken on the loose definition that includes just about anything that relays information from an author to an audience. With platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, the meaning of literature is challenged and even changed. Studies are beginning to show that literacy reading is dropping. One of these studies, the *Reading at Risk Report,* shows that literary reading in adults has dropped 8% between 1992 and 2002. However, I submit that even though conventional reading is low, literary intake is high. Literature is far more accessible now and with that comes new creative ways to interact with information. Different mediums provide different styles of literature reception which allows a deeper connection between the author and the audience and even a better connection between the audience itself. In the words of Marshall McLuhan, "The medium is the message." In a show about science fiction and technology, it makes sense that it would be made using new and growing technology. Developing a series such as Star Trek could not have been done effectively without following the progress of technology. Had Star Trek started as a book series, the culture would not be the same and the influence would not have reached the massive fan base that it has today. It was through using the new technology, television, that allowed the show to reach as many people as it did and continues to do.

The connection between fans and the author or the text is a very important interaction. Roddenberry and the producers of the original Star Trek series knew this and often responded to fans via letters due to the fact that the internet did not exist in 1966.The fans of Star Trek continue to enhance the legacy of the ever-changing franchise through fan driven projects and works. This remediation of the strong culture gives the fans a creative hand in continuing the storytelling in unique ways. Remediation is when fans take the current literature, in this case Star Trek, and make it their own whether through a different medium or simply by writing their own versions. As fans develop their own stories and fiction, the world of Star Trek opens up to much more than just a television show or movie. Through remediation, fans enter a deeper connection with the series and with each other.

## Knowledge Communities

Due to the rapid growth of Star Trek, fans began to develop communities where discussion and further engagement could take place. The invention of the internet also fueled the growth of the fan base which allowed the fans to consolidate into communities. Star Trek fans have created a very diverse and inclusive environment that comes together to enjoy and further build the fan base. These communities have developed an identity of their own and have been named "Trekkies". The following are the largest official and fan-driven sites/communities dedicated to the Star Trek culture.

### Trekkies

Trekkies are the fans of Star Trek. From discussion communities to dressing up as favorite characters at conventions, these fans have formed one of the strongest fan groups on the internet. The Trekkies are believed to be the first major fan community, even going as far as having Star Trek weddings. In an article about the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, Molly Mcardle states, "This is what Star Trek fandom looks like a half century out: dizzyingly diverse, good-willed, extraordinarily (if inadvertently) influential, equal parts goofy and moving."

### Star Trek Website

The Star Trek website is the official website of Star Trek. Owned and ran by CBS Studios, it contains licensed merchandise, news and updates on the latest Star Trek happenings. This site also provides links to fan sites and other places for Trekkies to go for more Star Trek information. One awesome feature of this site is that it gives guidelines on how to make fan fiction videos and other media. Because CBS Studios owns Star Trek, they get to set the terms by which fans must follow to create their own stories. CBS promotes and believes in fan creativity but wants to make sure that the fan creations are separate from the official franchise.

### Memory Alpha

Memory Alpha is a fan-led group that creates and maintains a full encyclopedia of Star Trek. This encyclopedia includes all information of the fictional universe such as technology, alien species, society and culture and science. Additionally, Memory Alpha provides a detailed timeline of important events in Star Trek. Further evidence of how large this fan community is can be seen by the staggering 46,116 pages made by fans about Star Trek.

### STARFLEET International

STARFLEET International is known to be the oldest Star Trek fan organization. The main purpose of this site is to bring the Trekkies together in a social aspect. STARFLEET International acts almost as a fraternity/sorority in that fans have the option to start up their own chapter in their own area. The site allows you to make your local Star Trek club official and opens up opportunities to meet and connect with Trekkies around the world.

## Remediation

Remediation of the Star Trek series can get confusing. The TV series was the original form of Star Trek but then it was adapted into books and movies and more TV series. This is good news for those Trekkies looking for more content on their favorite science fiction series but this leads to an overwhelming feeling when seeing the whole thing all at once.

### Books

    Unlike the normal scenario where a book series is turned into a movie series, Star Trek did the opposite. A book series was adapted from the original series and released by Bantam Books in 1967. The initial book series consisted of 12 books. There were also several side stories that were written and released although not in connection with the main Star Trek story line. CBS Studios has a website that allows fans to discover the many books available and even purchase them.

### The Original Series Films

The first remediation began in 1979 in the form of movies. The original series films consist of 6 movies made between 1979 and 1991. These films were made without Roddenberry and after the original series was canceled. Around this time, movies such as *Close Encounters of a Third Kind* and *Star Wars* were gaining great success in the box office. Paramount Pictures took on the task of creating the film remediation series. Although highly anticipated by Trekkies, budget and reviews were mixed.

### Reboot Films

The reboot film series directed by J.J. Abrams began in 2009 with the release of *Star Trek.* Some Trekkies were hesitant of the reboot due to the fact that film reboots in the past have shown to be sub-standard. Reasoning behind the reboot was to promote innovation and expand the limits of the former Star Trek mediums. The creators also added in the use of an alternate timeline called the "Kelvin Timeline". Adding new technology and even a new timeline, this series is far from your average remake. The use of modern technology and updated style made this release the most successful of the Star Trek mediums.

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## Interpretive Disputes

As with any popular media, there are bound to be interpretive disputes. Luckily, the Star Trek community is actually quite calm in this subject. Most of the disputes happen when comparing the original television series to the movie franchise. Each have their similarities and differences but Trekkies call out and discuss the things they notice. The majority of this discussion happens at *The Trek BBS* forum. The site offers several categories where fans can go to comment on a specific topic. Topics are all organized out into feeds to make navigation easy. This is mainly a place to go for a fan who knows everything about the Star Trek world as it deals with the very specific details of the culture. But you will find some posts that are informative for the new Star Trek fans and even have some laughs.

### Where to Begin?

The biggest dispute is where to start when watching the Star Trek series. There are several forums that debate whether someone should start at the beginning of the timeline or follow the order that the movies/shows were made. Logically, a fan would want to start at the beginning of the timeline and not go in order of creation. More hardcore Trekkies argue against that saying that it ruins the integrity of the creation order. Mathew Olson, a Trekkie blogger, has researched and come up with an order that he believes to be correct. Olson also warns that there are close to 600 hours of TV and film content in the Star Trek timeline and states that he has created a "skip guide" for the less eventful episodes. Olson's order can be found here.

## Additional Resources

Memory Alpha Fandom

Star Trek Website

STARFLEET International

Star Trek BBS Forum

## References

1. ↑ Washington Post Article on Star Trek Diversity. https://tinyurl.com/y8orm6x4
2. ↑ Wikipedia page for Gene Roddenberry. https://tinyurl.com/y9erayq4
3. ↑ National Endowment for the Arts. "Reading at Risk Report". Course Readings
4. ↑ Course Presentation: Mediation
5. ↑ Roddenberry's Interaction with Fans. https://tinyurl.com/y8brm9qk
6. ↑ Course Presentation: Remediation
7. ↑ Molly Mcardle. This is how Star Trek invented Fandom.[1]
8. ↑ Star Trek Official Website. http://www.startrek.com
9. ↑ Memory Alpha Fandom. https://memory-alpha.wikia.com
10. ↑ STARFLEET International. http://sfi.org/
11. ↑ Star Trek Books. http://www.startrekbooks.com/
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Star Trek Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star\_Trek
13. ↑ Star Trek Reboot Blog. https://tinyurl.com/yajqj22d
14. ↑ The Trek BBS. https://www.trekbbs.com
15. ↑ How to Watch All of Star Trek. https://tinyurl.com/ydycjdr6