THE CHANGING FACE OF STAR TREK FANDOM

Once upon a time, when you opened your latest issue of The Captain/s Log, Spock, or Data for that matter, the bulk of the contents focused on the Star Trek fan's favourite characters. Kirk, Spock, McCoy et al, as well as the continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Sounds pretty familiar doesn't it. Or does it?

Attending a modern day Austrek meeting, one is confronted with a multitude of fans who never existed a few years ago. Their driving force to join Austrek and Star Trek Fandom is obviously due to Star Trek: The Next Generation. This television show has totally revolutionised Star Trek fandom as we know it. Characters like Kirk, Spock and McCoy have taken a back seat for new faces like Picard, Riker and Data. A few years ago when Next Generation was first introduced, there was plenty of room in fandom for this show and the original series (Now commonly known as "Classic Trek^"). That was back in 1988, but now in 1993, things have changed once again

A new show has arrived, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Like Next Gen initially, it has yet to fully take off and find its niche of fans, but that is only a matter of time. Once there were arguments like "Which is better, Classic Trek or Next Gen?" Now the argument has been altered to "Which is better, Next Gen or DS9?" What all this means, is that good old Classic Trek which had been the life blood of Star Trek fans all over the world for over twenty years in now in danger of becoming extinct.

The modern day Star Trek fan is a Next Generation one. If you look around you, how many people like or even have an interest in Classic Trek? Even the current Austrek committee is made up of Next Gen fans. Now it must be pointed out that this is not necessarily a bad thing but it must also be pointed out that Classic Trek is slowly being forgotten. Now you may say "Oh no it isn't!" But look around you once again. How much Classic stuff do you find in The Captain's Log or Data these days? Christine Young recently submitted a Classic Trek episode guide into the Log, just to emphasise this point. How many Classic uniforms do you see at Austrek meetings or social events? (Not including the movie uniforms.) Especially the people who don't have a Classic cossie but own one or more Next Gen ones.

The Classic series survives because of the films, everyone knows the movies, but the original series rarely gets a mention. If you want to test this, go up to a new fan at a meeting and ask them what a tribble is. Or what is Fisban? Or who is David Gerrold? Or even, what is the significance of the red shirt. In fact, readers of this article may not even know all the answers. Something older Trekkers would be shocked to hear.

All things change and Star Trek fandom is no exception. Next Generation is a far superior programme to the original series, but that is only natural.  It is catering for a 90's audience as opposed to a 60's one. It is faster, slicker and of higher production values than its predecessor and also it has lasted longer, which is due to the show being so advanced in quality. The Next Generation fan is having a good run, they have seven years of Next Gen to play with and there's more on the way including movies, and what with DS9 beginning to find its legs, the 90's fan doesn't need the Classic series. In fact it could almost be seen as an embarrassment rather than a benefit. By this I suggest that as things are going now, in six years Star Trek the original series will no longer feature in any Star Trek newsletter or fanzine and will become a forgotten thing of the past. However it also safe to assume that small pockets of Classic fans will still be producing limited run newsletters to be distributed to those hanging onto the memory of Classic Trek, and calling vainly for the "good ol' days".

Pretty harsh stuff isn't it. But if you take a moment to really look at your next Log or Data and be a little observant at the meetings, you will see what I mean.

The final nail in the Classic Trek coffin will be when DS9 hits the TV screens. It is no secret that when Next Generation appeared on TV, new fans came out of the woodwork, subsequently Austrek's membership has ballooned over the past couple of years. However, there have been a lot of older fans who have left because of the "Generation Invasion". Years down the track when DS9 comes to TV, a similar thing should theoretically happen again. But by then, for Classic Trek, it will be too late.

For me personally, I think it is a shame. I look at all these new faces at the meetings and say "Who are you? Why didn't you join in the 80's, pre Next Gen?" As I said earlier about the Austrek committee, there's hardly a Classic fan in any of them. And the Captain's Log, it's a tough job finding a reference to the original Trek throughout its pages nowadays. (I must quickly emphasise that this is not a criticism of the editor, rather it's just pointing out the current trend of where Star Trek newsletters are heading).

President David O'Connor said Austrek was heading towards 2000. This may be the case, but Classic Trek can't cut it with the pace and I think the worst part is, and take this seriously into consideration, that if it wasn't for the original 79 episodes of Star Trek made in the 60's, the movies, Next Generation and Deep Space Nine would probably never have been.

Something to ponder?

Darren Maxwell

(P.S. I am looking forward to hearing people's responses to this article.)