Star Trek in Our Lives

On the occasion of Star Trek's 40th birthday, here are personal greetings and accounts of several fans around the world on how they discovered Star Trek, what they like and dislike about it, how it has influenced their lives and how they see the future of the franchise.

 

Happy 40th Birthday, Star Trek!

Happy Birthday Star Trek!!! I have been a huge fan of Star Trek, since I was very young, I know my mum loved it and my granmda, so it slightly runs in the family. Star Trek got me into Science, and space itself, and the many wonders Star Trek has explored even if it's not exactly true, it has made us think of the things such as Faster than light, and whether it is possible. So thanks a lot Star Trek, or more, Gene Roddenberry

—Robert McCoy

Great stories, fantastic (usually) special effects, but for me what gripped me most was something most people don't notice- the soundtrack. The late Jerry Goldsmith (ST: I, V, VIII-X), along with Dennis McCarthy (Generations), James Horner (ST: II-III) and Cliff Eidelman (ST: VI) added a new dimension to the films, whilst Dennis McCarthy's music gave The Next Generation and DS9 a darker edge. As a composer, the music from Star Trek has heavily influenced my work.

Thank you Gene Roddenberry.

"To absent friends" (Kirk, The Search for Spock)

—Luke Moore

Been a fan of Star Trek since I was 5 with me being a huge watcher of the TNG era. Have fond memories of watching it with my family around the tv. Good times.

Here's to 40 more!

—A. Morgan

Many happy returns of the day! I have literally been a fan of Star Trek since before I was born; my mother frequently watched it while she was pregnant with me, and I have never lost my affection for it.

The show, in all of its incarnations, resonates with the same hope for the future that I find so appealing in many of my greatest heroes —Sagan, da Vinci, and so many other men of the mind. It is this hope that inspires many of us to want to change ourselves for the better, and to spread that change onto a global scale. It is a testament to the men and women who created Star Trek that our fictional heroes —Spock, Picard, and even occasionally Quark —represent the same ideals that our real-life heroes do, and that they help to create new heroes with every episode.

So here's to history, and here's to the future. Happy birthday, Star Trek.

—M. S. Robson

Congratulations!!! May the spirit of the episode that aired forty years ago be renewed in the next trek incarnation: to boldly go where no show has gone before :-)

—Suvan Talvert

Star Trek has been a part of my life since I first saw the reruns and the animated show as a kid. To me it has been a place to go where I can escape the day to day world. Recent years have not been the best, but I am very optimistic about the future. The next 40 years are starting off with a band with the remastered old show, great games and of course JJ Abrams new film in 2008. See at Star Trek at 80!

—Anthony Pascale, TrekMovie.com

Happy birthday, Star Trek. I am a fan since I'm five and I think I always will be one. It's an amazing thing to be part of a world wide birthday party. At least, my friends and me are going to make a little party (leaving the prop-phasers home).

Live very long and prosper, Star Trek!

—Ghandi

At first, Happy Birthday, Star Trek!

I'm not a trekkie since TOS. I started with Trek with Voyager's first season. But I became big fan of it.

Now, after 10 years, I'm still stuck to it. I watched almost all Episodes of TNG, DS9 and Voyager, of course.

For me, as an electronic engineer, physics, ships and the technology is most important. But we have to remember that ST is also touching many critical subjects —Cold War (Chekov), racism (Uhura/Sisko), dead planets after war etc., in good stories. Not only action.

I hope that Star Trek will survive the next years. And it will, if we don't stop thinking about it.

So, Bernd please keep updating the site, unlike some others.

All the best to Star Trek! I'm waiting for a new Movie or Series with more "Trek" content than Nemesis or a big part of "Enterprise".

—Philip Kientz

Star Trek has brought me much joy since my very young days when I first saw "TNG" on TV. Ever since then, I have been filled with wonder for the stars, and what lies therein, and think about how much potential humanity has. Star Trek has gone beyond a TV show, and become a universe in and of itself, full of vibrant characters and settings that transpass an average television show.

Thank you, Star Trek, for the entertainment you've given me over the years, and for all of the wonderful shows (and some not so wonderful) that you've produced.

To another forty!

—JD Roger

Forty years of Star Trek. That makes Star Trek 18 years older than I am. As a kid, I came into contact with Star Trek during The Next Generation. Of course, back then it was all about the flashy spaceships and strange aliens, and not really about the science or the plots. The turning point in my casual interest in Star Trek and becoming a right-out Trekkie occured when I bought some cutaway poster of the Enterprise-D. Wow! I had never imagined Star Trek to be so detailed. Soon after, I got connected to the Internet, and came into contact with a whole world of Star Trek geekery. I've been hooked ever since.

After The Next Gen came Deep Space Nine, my favorite of the modern Trek series. It really deepened the Star Trek universe. Voyager, chronicling the adventures of a crew and ship wholly detached from the Trek universe, was less of a succes in my view. Via the various internet forums, I eventually discovered the much earlier fandom scene from the seventies and eighties. I started a book collection of fandom works, and became really interested in the more-or-less coherent view that those works had created for Star Trek. I started watching the Original Series, and instantly loved that as well. I'm sincerely hoping that Star Trek will go back to being the inventive, fresh science fiction franchise that it once was.

—Harry Doddema, Titan Fleet Yards

Star Trek was probably one of the biggest reasons I tried to get a Ph.D. in physics, but that changed to a Ph.D. in chemistry after a couple of years. Regardless Star Trek sparked my interest in science in general. Anyway I started watching Star Trek back in '93 after buying an Enterprise-D toy. After buying the toy I started watching Star Trek and was like "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Star Trek is probably the only sci-fi show with such a positive message and outlook on the future. And that message has greatly influenced the way I try to live my life. What other show has inspired classes on its effect on pop-culture and whatnot. Without Trek we probably wouldn't have cell phones, bedside health monitors in hospitals, the list goes on and on.

Favorite thing about ST: The positive message, the ship designs (too many sci-fi shows with blocky ships), the characters, all the series in general

Least favorite thing about ST: the occasional science error (but they're easily forgiven)

Also EAS was one of the first Star Trek sites I visited and it is one of the best. Excellent starship database.

To Star Trek and all trekkies and trekkers: Live long and prosper!

KHANNNNN!!!!

—Jace Sandifer

Thanks for having inspired me to become an Engineer and encouraged me for dealing with Science - especially to the deceased James Doohan!

And thanks to the webmaster(s) for writing this Site; it's the best I know about Trek and I loved the critically written reviews of Voyager, DS9 and ENT as well as the section about Physics and Technology of Warp Propulsion and of course the countless Articles.

btw: http://trekmovie.com/category/tos-in-hd/ - a nice present in my opinion...

—Col_Chaos

Happy 40th birthday, Star Trek! But it's not so happy, is it? The show's marked decline in quality in its final years makes its 40th anniversary a postmortem.

Maybe if the show had stayed true to DS9's spirit near its end, or episodes like Voy: Distant Origin, Voy: Scorpion, TNG: Tapestry, or many other wonderful episodes produced during the height of its life, Star Trek would still be getting the critical acclaim that Battlestar Galactica is today.

But here's to hoping Star Trek returns and steals back the title of my favorite show on TV once again!

—Kethinov, Kethinov/Site Info

Star Trek...we all know of it. The science fiction phenomena that has swept the world for the past forty years, finding fans in all corners of the globe. I quite literally grew up with one aspect of it, having been born just a few short months before the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I am sad about the path it took with Enterprise, and wary of both the redone CGI of the Original Series, as well as the rumors about the 11th movie, but, even so, I suspect Star Trek will live on. It has lived for 40 years now. Let's all hope it will live for 40 more.

—Matthew Carpenter

Thanks for the wonderful experiences!

Live long and prosper! (You, too, Bernd!)

—Eugene Chan

I first discovered Star Trek in 1989, when the Polish Television had begun broadcasting TNG. And I'm deep in Trek ever since... A vision of "new" humanity equal to other powers in the universe is the most fascinating thing about Trek as well as its diversity and complexity. Hence, it is my sincere intention to say these well known words: "LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!". See you in the 25th century.

—USS Hussar NCC-1605-D

Started watching Trek at about 8 years old. The TV station in Malaysia was running TNG Season 2, and a particular fixation with Star Trek IV which they ran at least 3-4 times.

The memories of the episodes are quite vague to me now, but what really got me hooked up was when they aired Star Trek III. Instead of the Enterprise-D which I was used to seeing, I now see an older looking, battered Enterprise which eventually got blown up.

Then came 'The Best of Both Worlds [TNG]'. I never looked back since. I later got my hands on the Star Trek Encyclopedia (1st ed) and expanded my knowledge of the Star Trek universe.

After watching most of the 24th century Trek, I went back to watching TOS. I was taken aback by immensely cheesy special effects, but I soon realised that the strength of TOS was not fancy starships, but good story-telling. Showing us the best human qualities in us.

Trek to me, is a lesson of life.

—Kon @ TheGunner

I remember when the first time I actually gave Star Trek a shot was sometime in the summer of 1996, I was interested in the episode. I can't remember which one, but it was enough to capture my attention. At the time, I also saw Lost in Space and wished that there was a series about a ship that was lost in space and more consistent than other shows that I used to watch (i.e. Batman Beyond). Interestingly enough, Trek actually marked the end of me watching kids' cartoons.

So summer came and I was practically glued to the TV. Every Wednesday, I had to convince my mother to switch the TV to UPN to watch the "show with freaky people," as she put it. Then I discovered reruns! Continuing my thirst for knowledge of Trek, I started watching the old episodes every night, browsing the web for pictures and more information about Trek.

For a few months, I was a sponge, learning everything I could about the new show. I rented out videos from my library to watch The Next Generation and Deep Space 9, encyclopedias, technical manuals and even a star chart when I had the money.

Then Voyager was done. I was disappointed. I knew the end was coming, of course. The final episode has affected me a lot, in terms of me starting to finally stopping being a sponge and starting to question Star Trek. Enterprise did a lot to help me in that department.

As I pursue my future career in aerospace, I can't say that Star Trek has influenced me in that choice - that was made independent from the show. However, it has influenced me to imagine what could be the future, no matter how unlikely it will be.

—Aleksandr Sidorov, aka inexpl

Star Trek, it effectively changed the television and life for me, I loved the BBC two Friday night line up, my eyes were glued to it as I watched from 6 'o' clock in the evening, The Simpsons, followed by Robot Wars, then Star Trek: TNG. It was so great watching them zip across the universe, even though I loved watching the space battles more, I still loved watching the store is develop, of course at 8 and 9 years old, you don't really understand it.

Star Trek, effectively changed my hobby too, I started 3d at twelve, every single attempt was something from Star Trek, I always was endlessly doing ships in my program. At 13 I discovered this wonderful resource, the Internet, it opened up a whole world of Star Trek, wall papers for my PC were in daily rotation, I loved cycling through all the different ships, that was my day, searching for Trek, watching Trek and making Trek.

Watching all of the series changed my understanding of it, I then understood that it went so much further than the people in it, it was almost a religion to some people; it has its own conventions in America, one which I have always wanted to visit. Nemesis was a most discomforting to say the least, I watched a favourite character die, Data, I still wasn't used to seeing the new Enterprise from that Galaxy class. They say 'Star Trek is dead' but I cannot agree, over the years it has triggered one of the largest international communities and friendships on the planet, in the towns, in cities, and most of all on the Internet. It might be dead to some, but it gave birth to one of the most fascinating, intricate communities that I have seen. Star Trek, it means to me that I can always do something with my time, I can always compel myself to keep doing 3D, it allowed me to make all my friends at SCN, and later many other places.

—David Bresnahan, AKA Pleiades

My first exposure to Star Trek was in the mid-nineties, when my mother and I discovered The Next Generation. I practically believed I was Picard, and although I can't remember everything that happened back then, I'm sure there were some embarrassing spots somewhere....

Since then I have watched spots of all the shows, including many full episodes of Enterprise (when they didn't conflict with Mother's sitcoms, which they usually did). My favorites are the Original Series episode "Return of the Archons", which I have on tape, as much of Enterprise as I've been able to get my hands on, and various episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.

I must admit that my all-time favorite scene was the one that most Star Trek fans find hideously vile: the ending sequence in Enterprise's last episode, where all the Enterprises are shown, one after another, with each Captain reciting part of the credo. That, to me at least, was beautiful, and while I understand wholeheartedly why many fans dislike Enterprise, I found the plots to be engaging, the characters realistic, and the lines just right.

But the best part, to me, of any Star Trek show or series is the technology. Star Trek is a wonderland of what could be, technologically and societally. It is, in many ways, the original technoutopia, and it will always be.

Star Trek is a part of me and always will be for the rest of my life.

—Christopher Havel alias Starhawk

My first contact with the "Star Trek" franchise came when I went to see "The Wrath of Khan" in theaters with my cousins as a child. We were on a big scifi explosion-fest kick at the time in the wake of "Star Wars," and Khan offered that in spades. The broader themes presented in the film; aging, revenge, life and death, never really entered my mind at the time as they do now later in life. It was all about the cool starships and the battles.

However, it did serve one more profound purpose at the time. It made me want to find out who this Khan guy was and why he was so mad at Captain Kirk. I wanted to know more about Spock and Dr. McCoy, Scotty and Uhura, Chekov and Sulu. I wanted to know more about the Enterprise. So, while waiting for "Space Seed" to air, I started watching the rest of the original Trek series, and soon enough, I was hooked.

I think what appealed to me most at the time, and this was even from a childhood perspective, was that here was a Russian officer serving alongside Americans during the height of the Cold War. I wasn't too young to have missed out on air raid drills in class in preparation for a nuclear blast, and I was very conscious of the threat of nuclear war at the time. Yet here was a vision of hope for the future, of mankind putting aside its differences for the common good.

That kind of attitude was present in all aspects of the Trek franchise, which always strove to be on the cutting edge of social commentary, tackling bigotry, sexism, censorship, slavery, genocide, war, poverty, disease, capital punishment, and numerous other causes ripped from the headlines. "Star Trek" used its future setting to tackle these events as a way of providing us with a guideline for the betterment of humanity.

"Star Trek" showed us the best aspects of humanity, even when overcoming its worst elements or events. It gave us reason to believe in something greater than ourselves even when times looked bleak. It taught us that though there may be many hazards along the way, there is something better at the end of the path. Something to hope for. And for that, I will always be proud to call myself a "Trekkie."

—Patrick Carroll (Bond, James Bond @ Subspace Comms Network)

I was not interested in Star Trek when I was a child. I was more into the likes of Superheroes such as the Hulk and Spiderman.

Re-runs of Star Trek: The Original Series were almost always on TV at the time, and my parents would say stuff like "watch this show! Its educational."

So, I knew of this Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock and the Starship Enterprise, but I was not really a fan.

I admit, the advent if this thing known as Star Wars actually got me interested in space and science fiction...more importantly, starships.

It was the gaming publications of the company known as FASA that got me interested in Star Trek itself. Their books on ship schematics, specs and designs made me want to watch all TOS eps, particularly the ones that had starship combat in them, such as "Balance of Terror" and "The Doomsday Machine."

I went further from there to even write my own stories and creating characters to be within the realms of the Star Trek Universe, which is known nowadays as Fan Fiction.

From that point on, I not only became a fan, but my interest in analyzing and designing these starships formed my career choice in graphic designs.

—D. Shinobi

I grew up with Star Trek in the 1970's. As I can tell today, 30 to 40 years ago TOS epitomized the vision of scientific miracles and of a bright future more than any other TV show. Contrary to common belief I don't think that TOS has lost much of its credibility since.

TNG marked a new beginning, and I liked it from the very first episode. There were not only the advances in both fictional technology and real-world VFX. TNG was special because it had the pleasant atmosphere with carpeted floor in the engineering room and, in contrast to that, the daring feel of "where no one has gone before". And great stories. And the best of all captains, Jean-Luc Picard.

Well, I didn't care much for DS9 in the beginning, which is mostly because the stories of the first season were so darn boring. Subsequently, as it unfolded its story arcs, I became very fond of it. DS9 was the series that perfectly combined the bright and hilarious with the dark and threatening, and so were the characters: always good for a surprise.

The same goes for Voyager. However, unlike DS9 this series hit me like a lightning. I was stunned when I saw the starship's engines fold upward for the first time. It was the series of "Wow!" effects, which doesn't mean that profound stories were missing. They were rather the rule than the exception.

What do I like most about Star Trek? I think it is the consistency that keeps Star Trek together, although it spans decades in real time and centuries in fictional time. I also like the prospect of a human future without poverty, pollution, war and racism. It is easy to outline a dystopian view of the world based on its sad condition today but hard to conceive a consistent utopian world like only Star Trek has managed to visualize. And I love starships!

I don't own many Trek paraphernalia, except for a couple of books and of starship models. This is probably because I always saw the series rather as something that I am supposed to view on a screen (a TV screen or a computer screen lately) and that might lose something of its significance if I surround myself in real life with things that indicate that it's "just a show". On the other hand, on my website and elsewhere I always advocate the position that Star Trek can't be a perfect illusion and that it should be taken with a grain of salt. But at least for the 45 minutes of one episode Star Trek is the only reality to me.

Enterprise continued where Voyager ended. Only set 200 years too early. The cancellation of the series came just as it was beginning to live up to its premise. Alas, the end of the fifth series left the franchise in a chaotic state, with studio bosses who didn't care and a divided fan base that kept struggling over the question what the true Star Trek should look like. The announcement of a new Star Trek movie is definitely good news, although the designated staff has no experience with the franchise. But let's just wait and see or, as Dr. Phlox would put it: "Optimism!"

—Bernd Schneider

Star Trek in a nutshell, that's a hard one. I remember watching the syndicated reruns of the original series as a kid and the animated series every Saturday. I grew up with Star Trek and it introduced me to a broader world. The threats and fears of the Cold War seemed surmountable in this future era where everyone on Earth had already united as a whole.

Next came TNG and the actual end of the Cold War and we were able to expand the themes to even broader heights of science fiction. Then DS9 and Voyager came and we saw the rougher edges of the Trek universe. Ten films and five series have been faithful companions to me through many years. I yearn for more Trek and embrace the promise of a future that Star Trek has shown me!

—Travis Anderson

I was five when the show first premiered. All I can remember is that I really liked the ship zooming by in the opening credits.

I was thirteen when I bought the Franz Joseph plans. I spent months 'prowling' about the ship, walking the decks and taking the turbolifts. I decided then and there that I wanted to be a designer. I was fifteen when I bought the Franz Joseph technical manual. The 'nuts & bolts'/'authentic' manner of the book captivated me. Here was a book which would allow me to fantasize about being a part of that crew. I've been a loyal star trek fan(atic) ever since. I've never had a bout of ennui, never been bored by the basic concepts. Just as a key fits a lock, this show/concept fitted a part of my psyche.

The philosophies expounded by the shows' creators may not always fit my own personal philosophies, but that's okay, because the key philosophy I did agree with was IDIC. Not all of the episodes were of the highest quality, but the show did manage to beat Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crap." Only 25% of all episodes were crap.

I've been a fan all my life. The show instilled within me self-confidence - giving me heroes with compassion and intelligence. It taught me that science was fun and useful. It allowed me to meet the persons I still regard as my best friends. It has entertained me. Some people love mountain climbing or golf. I love Star Trek.

—David Schmidt, Strategic Design Publications

Star Trek started a love of sci-fi and technology, one that continues to this day. I watched awe struck as a child these great shows and characters that made me want to work with technology and inspire me to work with computers and design the ships.

Star Trek did one of the greatest things ever and will continue to do so, it inspires.

—M Jolly

I've been watching TNG since the early 90's and then expanded into the other Trek series. After that my interest and expansion of Trek knowledge became massive.

I still have to this day the Frito Lays Chips Star Trek TNG and DS9 Mini Cards and the Collector Playmates Galaxy Class Starship Enterprise D and Shuttlecraft Goddard. Also I have the Star Trek The Motion Picture Special Edition DVD Boxset. Although I don't have the Trek Season Boxsets, I will continue to be Trek's Largest Fan.

By the way if Trekkers know I have the same background as The Superior Intellect Khan Noonien Singh, his background is of Sikh/Jatt origin from Punjab in Northern India.

—Simr Khera

It's been nearly twelve years now since the day I realized I was a Trekkie. In those years, I have grown up and then grown older but Star Trek has always accompanied me.

It has given me a lot in those years: It made me laugh, made me cry, made me happy, but, what is most important, Star Trek made me Think.

—Jörg Hillebrand

My earliest memory of Star Trek is the episode "Amok Time," which I happened upon in the fall of 1967. I remember being mesmerized by drama and brutality of Spock and Kirk trying to kill each other. After that I occasionally playing Star Trek with my friends between our more usual games of James Bond and World War II. However, I didn't become a real Trek fan until I started watching re-runs in junior high school. I read The Making of Star Trek cover to cover at least 10 times and memorized every illustration in the Starfleet Technical Manual. I dressed up as Mr. Spock for Halloween and obsessively drew pictures of the USS Enterprise. However, my interest seemed to cool off fairly quickly in favor of other pastimes, like building model airplanes, watching football, and reading science fiction. At college I met closeted Trek fans who showed themselves in the wake of Star Wars and also discovered that hidden truths were revealed when you watched Star Trek while stoned. The movies and spin-off series came and went, but the original Star Trek will always be my favorite. To me, it represents a better world, full of romance, optimism, science, and adventure where all problems are neatly resolved after 60 minutes. What's to become of Trek after 40 years? Frankly, I don't care. Regardless of what form the franchise takes next, I'll always have the first, eternal Star Trek. I'll probably still be watching in another 40 years.

—Masao

It's now been thirteen years since I first discovered the show I previously called "that dumb show called 'Star Trek.'" My interest —and its effect on my life—has waxed and waned over the years, but it will always be my first, and greatest, favorite science fiction universe. I still remember sitting captivated at the drama in DS9's "Duet," the first episode I watched beginning to end. Although it was obviously sci-fi, the Human drama (so to speak) was what captivated me. The eye candy —amazing spaceships and phaser dogfights—only sealed the deal. And though I've been greatly disappointed and disillusioned over the direction the franchise has taken since the end of DS9, every series has had its own important place in my interests.

I strongly feel that "Star Trek" needs a good, long rest. I think that the franchise is in a state similar to how I feel about it: burnt out. In the past thirteen years, I have run a reasonably popular fan website, Star Trek Minutiae, contributed to a major fan fiction series (Star Trek: Renaissance, still available in 'reruns'!), assisted in administrating a bustling discussion forum, the Subspace Comms Network, and helped found and foster *THE* definitive online reference for Star Trek fans, Memory Alpha (well, I'd like to think so, anyway). There's so much going on, I've just HAD to take a break from it all! And I think that the franchise desperately needs that rest as well, for the very same reasons.

Though I may have moved on to what I think are better, more imaginative and dramatic science fiction shows —"Battlestar Galactica," "Farscape," and "Babylon 5" have been my favorites—I think I can best describe my sentiments by paraphrasing Miles O'Brien: "I love 'Star Trek,' but I like those other shows more." And always, the philosophies that were first established by "Star Trek" will color everything that comes after it. Even if there were never another movie, series, novel, game, or anything... "Star Trek" will always live long and prosper, in spirit.

—Dan Carlson, aka "MinutiaeMan", Star Trek Minutiae

"Star Trek." I was introduced to the concept of this Sci-fi show by my, now late, mother in the late 1980's. Of the 2 series that were available at the time, I connected to TNG more then TOS.... Still watched the movies when I got the chance, but didn't exactly figure out how they were connected to each other for a while after I started watching. It was all a bunch of neat ships in space and weird looking people with bumps on their faces and such.

Then after watching TNG and the odd TOS, I really started getting into the whole thing. It was, and still is, an interesting look at what the future might be. That's the thing that I connected with most, and when asked by a non-fan I tell them simply: the positive future they had on the show.

That said, I really got into it after I watched TNG and TOS. When DS9 was announced I was looking forward to it. Something new for my favorite show, and set on a space station. This series, unlike TNG, I watched from day one. Liked it at least as much as TNG. The only thing that ever bugged me about the show was the Defiant and it's cloaking device. But they had a good enough reason for it to have one, so I let it go.

Then VOY was announced, 'a ship far from home,' interesting.... When they said the captain wasn't going to be a guy, I didn't think twice about it. It was another interesting twist on the old concept. Along the way there were few things that, if I had the chance, I wouldn't have done, mostly the large number of Tuvok loosing control episodes. Also a few elements of the Delta Flyer never sat well with me, like the, in my opinion at least, out of place 20th century control panel. That said, I lived with those things and was happy with the show, relatively speaking.

When Enterprise was announced, I, like a lot of others, was unsure of the prequel concept. Then as I heard more about it, I started liking what I was hearing. It was a very interesting to me, to go back to before Kirk and see how it all started.

When the show actually started, I got confused, not by anything that was happening on the show, but by the fanbase. I just couldn't figure out where all the negativity about the show came from..... I still don't truth be told.. But those who didn't like it had their opinion. I have mine. I'm happy to leave it like that. Though I do occasionally ask those who didn't like this Trek why, just to see where they come from. Sometimes it makes sense to me, other times not, but I still respect that it wasn't their thing.

Then that dark day, Feb 2, 2005, came when they said ENT was no more. I was, to put it mildly, unhappy. I immediately knew how the fans who were around for TOS' first run felt when TOS was cancelled. People were saying everything from 'Trek needs a rest' to 'It's dead.' Frankly, I thought those people were insane. But, again, they had their opinion and I have mine. So I moved on.

Then, suddenly, there were rumours of ST11. A bright light at the end of an otherwise very dark tunnel. Some rumours sounded legit, others not so much.

Either way, it makes me happy that Trek isn't has dead as some might believe. As Kirk once said, 'There are always possibilities.' I, for one, look forward to the next 40 years.

—Keegan Anderson, aka Fiery Little One

If it wasn't for Star Trek I would have never met my husband, nor would I have developed my love of all things technical. Over the years, one hour a week, I came to depend on the cast and characters of Star Trek to challenge my mind and entertain me in a way that no other show or sci-fi universe can.

—Teh Liz

My first contact with Star Trek came with Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was only years later that I discovered the original series and its feature films. To date, they remain my favourite installments of the franchise —they are Star Trek. To many, it may appear little more than a silly 1960s show, and they respond in astonishment when finding that a "normal" person could actually enjoy it. Secretly, I smile and think of the fun they will never know—one can compare it with Scotty gazing at the Enterprise warp core smiling in "The Undiscovered Country" while several young engineers look at him as if he were a senile old fool.

While I enjoy most Star Trek, the original cast are my all-time favourite. I love each single one of the characters and the actors. They have so much more "class" than the others. Nevertheless, I also very much liked the casts of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. They all felt like family; they were family, and although I've watched most episodes over and over again, I will always enjoy seeing these characters that I love overcome the greatest threats and struggles with each next episode.

Star Trek is the only show that can bring a tear to my eye. Whether it is due to sadness and loss ("I have been, and always shall be, your friend") or because of joy and amusement ("Scotty, did you find the engine room?" "Right where I left it, Sir.") Star Trek had always been able to capture emotion more than many other show. Star Trek is about people—people we love. We feel what they feel, the same pains, the some joys —the same excitement in reaching out for the stars to where no man has gone before. The Human Adventure is only just beginning...

—N. Ottens, Ottens

I have been a trekker ever since I first saw the original series, back in 1991. Oh, how I regret having been born 20 years late! It was the worst of times, it was the best of times, and I wasn't there, in the 70's, when the fandom was alive and passionate. Now Paramount has been intent on killing the dream for the past twelve years. No matter! TV will wane away in 2040, but Star Trek will remain... Live long and prosper.

—João Paulo Cursino

Happy anniversary, Star Trek.

You've given me many good moments in my life. Thanx for this!

—David Kleist

How long do I know Star Trek? Actually my first memory is seeing the colorful uniforms of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov on our TV. So I loved Star Trek for all my life and still do. I think it is a pity to not have a series on TV at the moment...

Nevertheless: HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAR TREK! May your journeys take you boldly to those strange new worlds which encouraged whole generations to make our own world a better place!

—Sebastian Fontius

All I know is that Star Trek is what made my life technical, the only reason I got into mechanics and is what helped shape my life.

Star Trek allowed me to meet dozens of people with equal if not similar interests and view the world as "would could be".

—ESF-12

Star Trek was to me the way that I got at least one meal a week with both of my parents.

On a not so literal note, Star Trek is a way of looking at the modern world (both the strengths and weaknesses) and asking what can we do today?

—Timothy C., Life on the Edge of Sanity

A show that has shown the world so much! And lefts its imprint in History itself. Yes they've poked fun at you and called you names, called you a fantastic franchise, then try and shove you out the door, but you're still around, and encouraging more people everyday, to look up in the sky and shout "She canna take much more of this captain!!" (what do you mean, 'just you'!! :p)

Live long and go boldly!

—Tom Webb

 

See Also

A Short History of Star Trek - a personal view of the most important facts and events

 


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