TO BOLDLY GO . . .

(Actually, it's "To go boldly", but what's a split infinitive among Federation allies?)

So how can I explain the appeal of "Star Trek" to the world at large?

What am I, nuts? (Don't answer that)

The last thing the web thingy needs is someone else analyzing the appeal of what's arguably the world's most successful television/movie franchise! The plain fact is that if you like it, you like it; if you don't, you're probably not reading this page to begin with.

And I like it. Oh, how I like it!

Yeah, it's easy to poke fun at - especially the original series with their styrofoam sets and microminiskirts. But the plain fact is that while all the series have their ups and downs, Star Trek is fun to watch. It's entertaining, both on its own terms and (sometimes) as high camp. And, in spite of it all - behind-the-scenes in-fighting, coroporate meddling, sometimes shoddy writing, sometimes overacting - they present a series and a group of characters you can believe in and care about. And that makes it all worthwhile!

And one more thing before I descend the soapbox. I've noticed a lot of people seem to have this "all or nothing" attitude about Trek - saying that you can't like both the original series and Next Generation, or you can't like both Deep Space 9 and Babylon 5, or you can't like both Trek and so-called "real" science fiction.

Two words: Ba-Loney! You can like whatever you want to like!

And please - don't start with the whole Trekkie vs. Trekker concept!

Spatial Anomaly? Holodeck Malfunction? No, More Trek Sites!

How many "Star Trek" links are out there? Bajillions!!! (a bajillion is a Bajoran million)

Could I list them all? Probably not after all, I only have a limited amount of server space.

However, in the spirit of the web thingy (whatever that may be) here are some sites that may be of some use - or if not use, then at least they're entertaining.

First, here's a look at some of the fan sites which exist for the characters and/or the actors who portray them.
As always, whenever there's a fan base for something, The Mining Company is there with a website for it.

Naturally, Paramount (aka They Who Control The Official Stuff) has their own official Trek Site, which contains bunches of stuff about both the TV shows & the movies, and much merchandise (as it says there, "Today is a Good Day to Buy!").

The original series, meanwhile, is currently running nationwide on the Sci-Fi Channel. Here's the Sci-Fi Channel's Star Trek Page.

Simon & Schuster is the official publisher of the Star Trek Novelizations.

But do you think you can write a better Trek story than the current crop of writers (TV or novelizers)? Check out the action on alt.startrek.creative. It's worth a WARNING WARNING WARNING to note that some of the material here may have adult content, so proceed at your own risk. It's also worth noting that the quality varies between unreadably amateurish and professional level (the good stuff is really good and the bad stuff - uh, well, let's just say it's not good). You can find almost anything Trek-related here, from straight Space Opera, to poetry, to parodies. There are even some pretty oddball crossovers - Star Wars, Highlander, X-Files, M*A*S*H, McGyver, Red Dwarf, even Monty Python (this has to be read to be believed, but trust me - it's hilarious!.

If you want to check out the alt.startrek.creative archive, its website is here, and it has an FTP site here.

Speaking of being creative, here's a question: what if the original USS Enterprise had gone on its five year mission staffed by a different crew: namely, Captain Henry Blake, Lt. Hawkeye Pierce, CMO Margaret Houlihan, etc.? A gentleman named Paul Gadzikowski wondered the same thing, and the result is a series of stories titled T*R*E*K. Granted, it's an unusual premise, but he makes it work!

Another really creative guy is Rob Morris, who's also written some Star Trek/M*A*S*H stories. Also, he's in the process of penning his magnum opus, The Ancient Destroyer Saga. It's not your usual Star Trek story, but it's really good stuff.

Stephen Ratliff is not only the guy who keeps the FAQ for ASC - he's also a heck of a nice guy, not to mention the instigator of the whole Marrissa Amber Flores Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Burton Burton Warner Picard line of stories.

Also, go read some stories by Istannor, especially his ongoing series "Dear Sam", "Spock's Logs", "Doctor's Logs" and the "Gol" series. They make a lot of books out there pale by comparison (and I don't just mean pro "Trek" fiction, either).

And lest I forget, Wildcat has penned a whole series of stories centered around a hypothetical Spock/Uhura romance. I particularly recommend "A Roll of the Dice".

And now, for something really, really creative. All you need is a photo editor and a very twisted sense of humor, and you'll find out that You Can't Do That On Star Trek!

It's hard to come up with a completely definitive compilation of everything about "Star Trek", but the Star Trek Explorer Page comes pretty close.

Finally, for an example of Star Trek creativity gone horribly wrong, there's The Captain James T. Kirk Singalong Site!! This is exactly what it says it is - the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise exercising his chops in an attempt to launch a singing career. But the fact that he can't sing hasn't stopped him from having a successful new career as a Singing Product Spokesman - heaven help us all!

That's all. Live Long and Prosper.
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