Book Comment: Star Trek FAQ

            Those who love science fiction television and movies are usually enthusiasts of either the Star Trek or Star Wars franchises, but often not of both. I admit to being a Trekkie.

FAQ, for those who do not know, is frequently asked questions. Clark’s book discusses every question you might ask and then a few more. Subjects include the developmental starts and stops of the television shows and movies including planned but never-released projects, the historical and literary background leading up to the first appearance of TOS (The Original Series), as the original Star Trek is often known, corporate backroom deals, the animated series, actor feuds, clashes with producers, gadgets and props, costumes, special effects, and the pre-Trek careers of the directors, producers, network executives, and the actors, including even the “redshirts” and other minor recurring character actors. Clark pulls no punches about some of the abrasive personalities and faults of the people he discusses.

For the hardcore Trek enthusiast, these things alone make this a good read.

Now, as to why this book is being mentioned on this blog: When they actually look at it in depth and with critical thinking, some are surprised that there are religious undertones in much of science fiction, and even in many horror films. The undertones can show an orthodox Christian slant but often they do not. Even those which are actively atheist can touch on religious themes and atheism can be viewed as a religion or, at the very least, a philosophical stance on the subject of religion.

The creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991), was raised in Texas (USA) as a Southern Baptist. As an adult, he rejected organized religion and was often spoken of as an atheist but could more properly be described as a pantheistic agnostic. He thought that in the future mankind would reject religions and become more religiously numinous in an unfocused way with a sort of progressive humanist and secularist religiosity or spirituality. Mankind would not be actively anti-religion but would mostly just ignore it.  Along with this, Roddenberry also exhibited a belief in the ultimate perfectibility of man.

Roddenberry rejected a suggestion from National Broadcasting Company executives to include a chaplain in the Enterprises’ crew. In TOS episodes religious leaders are most commonly troublesome people even when they are genuinely well-meaning. Many are depicted as repressive of original thought.

When seemingly divine almost omnipotent beings occur in the series, they are eventually exposed as being computers developed by long-extinct species or as mortal beings possessing highly advanced technologies.

It was not until the third series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, that a religion was presented as a possibly positive force. The Bajoran people worshipped the prophets, whom other species referred to as the wormhole aliens, not actually divine but highly advanced in their technology.

Some Trekkers (who view Trekkie as a perjorative) will argue for hours about minutiae of Star Trek information, especially about what is canon and what is not. In 1994, Michael Jendra, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, published “Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon” in the academic journal, Sociology of Religion. Film director Nicholas Meyer has described Star Trek as a “religion without theology.”

Gene Roddenberry is quoted about this: “I’m not a guru. … I certainly didn’t write Scripture and my feeling is that those who did weren’t treated very well in the end.”

Live Long and Prosper!

Clark, Mark, Star Trek FAQ. Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2012)

Book Comment: The Meaning of Star Trek

In the Star Trek universe, science has eliminated prejudice, war, poverty, disease, and hunger. The main thing it can't change is human/sentient nature. Most of the characters in the series of television programs and films are competent and brilliant, the best in their fields, and most are flawed. Captain James Kirk passed the unpassable training test by changing the test; he cheated. Captain Jean Luc Picard is compassionate but is all work and can't have a really close relationship with anyone. Lt. Worf is a Klingon who fits best among Humans. Constable Odo is a liquid shapeshifter who loves one of the "solids." B'Elana Torres is a Human/Klingon half-breed who hates her violent Klingon nature. Visiting family members are often viewed with dread. Many of the stories in the series come from the character's internal conflicts.

In The Meaning of Star Trek, Thomas Richards discusses the reasons why Star Trek is becoming recognized as more than just a series of movies and television programs. I'm not sure that the creator, Gene Rodenberry, had it all in mind when he wrote the first draft of his pilot for the original Star Trek series, but it is more than obvious that Richards is correct in saying that the decided philosophical bent of the franchise soon became intentional.

Richards discusses, with examples from the various Star Trek programs, the uses and meanings of "myth" and "story." Also discussed are the distinction between individual and corporate; the often violated Federation Prime Directive (observe but do not interfere); the essentially rational nature of the universe; the corruption of governments versus the nobility of the individual; the notion that all of the sentient species of the universe have a common origin; and the realization that carried to its extreme, technology might exterminate the individual.

In the Star Trek universe, organized religion is almost universally shown to be corrupt, especially in its leadership. Where religion is viewed as ennobling is with the individual, even though the individual is usually shown to be misguided in his/her beliefs. The Vulcans meditate and concentrate and still can't rid themselves of their feelings. Lt. Worf tries valiantly to believe in the Klingon religion but can gain only a cultural appreciation of his heritage. A group of Jem Hadar warriors choose religious loyalty over life; they decide to die rather than to disobey the orders of their Vorta whom they know has betrayed them. An alien couple chooses to let their son die rather than violate his body by introducing alien medicines. The Bajorans worship a group of disembodied aliens who live in a cosmic Wormhole and do nothing to discourage the worship.

The "deities" seen in the Star Trek universe (*) are seemingly omnipotent but are not omniscient. They resemble the ancient Roman gods more than the Judeo-Christian God. They are often self-obsessed, arbitrary, and unconcerned about the effects of their actions on others. *: The Organians, Q, the Traveller, Trelayne (who may be Q), Adonais, etc,

To my knowledge, there is not a single openly Christian character in the Star Trek universe. This, and the attitude discussed above, may be seen to reflect the feelings of the series creator, Gene Rodenberry. He was raised as a Southern Baptist and as an adult came to reject all organized religion.