I’ve always noticed a variety of common interests among Star Trek fans. I’ve tried in the past to develop some prevailing themes that would connect these interests, but I have yet to be successful. Let’s explore aviation, for example. Everyone that I know who likes Star Trek likes aviation. And I would bet that many people who like aviation enjoy Star Trek as well. What is it about Star Trek that interests pilots? Is it the flying of a spaceship? I would have to guess not, because for the most part there is very little flying of the Enterprise/Voyager/DS9 that takes place. I imagine it doesn’t even take up 1% of the airtime of an episode. Usually, the Captain sets a course and demands, “Engage!” That’s about it. The autopilot systems on the Star Trek spaceships are very advanced and therefore do not need much input at all from the pilot. So, there must be something else.
Could it be simply the science fiction genre in general? In the past, I would have said no, but perhaps there is something to this hypothesis. Personally, though I love Star Trek more than any other television enterprise that has ever been in existence (caveat: I’m not counting Seinfeld because that’s like choosing which parent you love more), I actually don’t like science fiction all that much. I’ve read a few sci-fi books and seen many a sci-fi movie, and I really haven’t enjoyed them. Perhaps it’s because most sci-fi books and movies leave much to be desired. There are great ones out there such as the Star Wars trilogy and… umm… well, ok, I guess that’s it for the movie department.
In the book department, I feel a bit of a conundrum brewing in my soul. A few of my favorite books include 1984, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Fahrenheit 451, and Slaughterhouse Five. My favorite book of all time is Brave New World. These books are generally considered science fiction novels, however for some reason, I’ve always viewed them as something more. Something better than simply science fiction. Perhaps, it’s because the genre has always had a bad rap. The cool people never dig science fiction. That realm is for the geeks and the nerds. But how could Huxley’s brilliant commentary on the inhumanity of societal “advancement” be only for the geeks and the nerds? It doesn’t make any sense! Actually, I think a lot of this new age fantasy crap that is getting shoved out each year deserves the bulk of the blame. Why else would books need illustrations like those that drape the covers of this genre in the aisles of Barnes & Noble? No one is going to pick up a book with a cover of a dragon breathing fire while jumping over a bottomless crevice on another world. It’s just plain silly. For example, let’s just take a look at the following covers:
Hmmmm… which one looks better?
Now that I have said all this, I would really like to explore the sci-fi genre. I’m sure I have overlooked some classic movies and spectacular books. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for after all? If anyone out there could recommend some good books and good movies, I would really enjoy digging in and finding out the truth about science fiction. It’s time for me to explore the undiscovered country.
Talk Trek Blog 