A Work in Progress

Okay, so this post is a little bit tardy. The month of the September was the time of Star Trek series premiere anniversaries. However, I could not let is pass unremarked upon, particularly considering the prolonged—and possibly evenly profound—impact that Star Trek has had on my life.

As the 45th anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek approached, I began to wonder what kind of world we might live in today were it not for its creation. Even those who are not fans of any the series or films have been in some way touched by their impact, if not in a personal, then in more subtle cultural ones.

In no particular order of importance or attempt at categorization, I’m going to start with these:

• Would William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (or any of the other cast members from any of the series) be the celebrities they are today?
• Would we have known Patrick Stewart aside from the occasional Shakespeare production from across the Atlantic?
• Would some of the scientific and technological advances of the past 40-plus years taken the form they had were it not for the models and ideas that Star Trek popularized?
• Would there still be as large a group of people—fans and non-fans alike—who would have such fervent beliefs in a better future for humankind and a possible model for it?
• Would there have been Star Wars, Stargate, Babylon 5, or Battlestar Galactica?
• Would there have been another such unifying (and, occasionally, polarizing) phenomenon among science fiction fans?
• What might have replaced the catchphrases “He’s dead, Jim.”, “Beam me up, Scotty.”, “Long Live and Prosper”, and “Make it so!”

I could go on, probably for hours, but these are just some of those that have come to my mind as I consider the possible implications of the past 45 years of Star Trek.

To Star Trek, in all of its forms: Live Long and Prosper. Make it so!