I’ve been an obsessive Star Trek fan since the 80s. I’m 40 now, so that’s quite a long time, at least from my perspective(don’t bother to do the math, please).
At one point I was clipping every single newspaper article or magazine blurb about Star Trek that I could find and placing it in a photo album. Why? I’m not sure, but I’m glad that I did.
Star Wars was cool, and in fact I loved it like few other things, but Star Trek was where I wanted to live. It still is. Especially the world of The Next Generation.
Imagine it; a united, utopian earth comprised of people with no other motivation in life other than to improve themselves. To find themselves. Receive the opportunities they wish to pursue without any concern for money or material need. Mental illness? Well, if Doctor McCoy can give a woman a pill that will cause her body to grow a new kidney, I’m sure there’s a hypospray up his sleeve for a minor serotonin imbalance.
The philosophical undertones of the franchise are what enriches the material to me. It’s not about spaceship battles and scary monsters, although there are elements of both. It’s not about action. It’s not even about space. It’s about humanity, and what we can achieve when we cast off our self-imposed shackles and overhaul our greed-driven, power mad society and work together to be something greater.
Despite the dire circumstances we’ve found ourselves in as a species in 2018, I still believe in that philosophy. More than ever.
Patrick Walts 