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It speaks to some basic human needs, that there is a tomorrow - it's not all going to be over in a big flash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans. No, ancient astronauts did not build the pyramids - human beings built them because they're clever and they work hard. And 'Star Trek' is about those things.
-Gene Roddenberry
from the "Star Trek" 25th Anniversary special, 1991
Sitting in the captain's chair of the Enterprise is rather like sitting on the throne of England and probably marginally more important.
-Patrick Stewart
Fate: protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise.
-Commander William T. Riker
Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Contagion” |
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Star Trek, continued...
Okay, I admit it - I'm excited about the upcoming Trek movie.
http://www.startrekmovie.com/
In my last newsletter, I touched on this a bit - I said I was trying to get to the essence of what made that universe so popular. "And I'm not sure, yet," I said, then. "I like it because it puts humans in what would be, to us, strange situations, and portrays their reactions. That's a staple of science fiction; in fact, I'd argue that this is a big part of what defines science fiction."
A reader wrote to remind me of a big part of the series' success: optimism for the future (see "Ask & Answer" below).
I think that for science fiction writers(and, to a lesser extent, authors of fantasy), there's a pair of goals that are often at odds, but can also work together. It's up to us to both portray how we would like for things to be - but also to warn about undesirable outcomes. The first science fiction novel, Frankenstein, focused on the latter, and the tendency continues to this day to portray the dark side of science and technology. A perfect example is the Terminator saga, whose latest installment is also scheduled for release next month, and the original of which portrayed unrelenting gloom and doom in a future dystopia where machines take over.
It's hard to imagine two more disparate visions of the future, and yet... it appears that the latest Terminator movie may inject some hope into the dismal Skynet future, and it's apparent from the future history of Star Trek that humanity will have had to go through a time of great darkness before the promise of a bright future could be realized.
So, have I drawn any more conclusions about what made Star Trek so popular? I think I have:
 As noted, it portrays an optimistic view of the future - while still retaining a capacity for plot conflicts.
Memorable characters. In the TV series, many of the most memorable characters were aliens - but as writers of fantasy and science fiction, that's perfectly acceptable for us.
I mentioned strange situations, above and last month. In any genre, it can both advance plot and illuminate character when a person is dropped into a situation outside of her experience. With science fiction and fantasy, the opportunity for the unfamiliar expands exponentially.
Familiarity. I got to thinking about why so many popular science fiction and fantasy works aren't stand-alone, but part of larger series, and I think a lot of that is because readers like what is familiar to them. This would seem to contradict the previous point, but the idea is to put something familiar into a strange situation.
Characterization. Not only need the characters be memorable, but they need to stay in character. I almost didn't include this, because it's pretty basic to writing, but I realized it's even more important in fantasy and science fiction, especially when dealing with aliens. If the Klingon Worf suddenly became a logical, rational character, there would need to be a really good reason - though the reason could be that a Vulcan switched brains with him.
Finally, show, don't tell. This is central to good writing in general, and how it's done differs between a visual medium and writing, but the goal is the same. Don't just tell your readers that there's an energy field threatening the starship; "put it on visual."
Oddly enough, I also identified at least one thing that is not necessary to have a popular science fiction series: science. The breaking of basic laws of physics such as inertia and thermodynamics irks me more than the plot devices of warp drive and transporter technology, but they don't seem to turn people away from the show.
And another thing I learned from Star Trek: If a piece of technology (or in the case of fantasy, magic) you made up to help advance the plot suddenly gets in the way of advancing the plot, you can always make up a reason for it to fail. An energy surge makes the transporter fail, stranding key crew members on the planet. The Romulan attack has conveniently (in terms of plot development) knocked out the warp drive, but not the photon torpedoes. (Or the artificial gravity. How come that system always works, anyway?) And the tricorder can identify anything - except when you need a crew member to get closer to a strange effect so you can knock her out, in which case, some made-up element in the planet's crust can interfere with the readings.
So keep these things in mind when writing - it doesn't do to steal from other authors, but we can certainly apply what works to our own efforts.
Live long and prosper! |
Because this is coming out on Tax Day for our US readers, and we can always use some comic relief on Tax Day, I thought this week I'd find items that combine my two favorite genres: science fiction and comedy:
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Last month, in "Fantasy Newsletter (March 18, 2009)" , I addressed movies - specifically, Watchmen and the Star Trek universe.
Cerbios  : You were discussing Star-Trek's value as a science fiction series. One very important aspect I think you left out though was Star Trek's (Roddenberry's) optimism for the future. When you think about it, that is a rare trait for science fiction. Think about it in comparison to other futuristic SF storylines: Star wars, Babylon 5, the terminator series, matrix etc. Humans in star trek have enemies, and the federation sees peril, but its nearly always from the outside. The characters have some flaws, but overall the human race has not screwed up the world/universe. We haven't invented our doom, or driven ourselves to extinction. We're doing alright, and at the end of each episode we're still doing alright. I'm not arguing this is better or worse then Dystopian SF. I'm even pessimistic enough to think Dystopian futures are more likely. But, I think what most unique about star-trek was they had hope for the human race and chose that as their focus.
You raise good points, and I hope this month's newsletter addressed what you said.
spazmom : My hubby has the same comment for the trailer that you did...what in the world?? It's was built in space! lol good newsletter.
We'll see how the movie actually treats it... real soon now! Until then,
DREAM ON! |
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Fantasy: April 15, 2009 Issue [#2998]
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