CONTENTS |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Sat., February 14: Where Is the
United Federation of Planets?
Saturday, February 21:
Treklanta Volunteer Staff Meeting
Fri.-Sun., Feb. 27–Mar.
1: AnachroCon Fan Table / Room Party
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts
reelected to fifth term as CO
Admiral
Kelly Hilliard named 2014 Member of the Year
In Memoriam: Commander
David A. Slaughter
Sean Kenney and Jason Carter
confirmed as Treklanta
guests
Michael DeMeritt to judge
Star Trek Fan Film Awards
Hyperspace to perform in
Trekkiepalooza! concert
Bobbin Wages to perform
in Star Trek Comedy Show
ENS1 Julianne Trew becomes
Treklanta Art Show Director
Guest Artists to join Treklanta's
first-ever Artists Alley
Project: Potemkin
to film "Room Service" at Treklanta
Treklanta to host a live
recording of "Seriously, Dan"
Digital Video Productions
to be Treklanta
con photographer
Personnel Records
Classified Ads
Library Computer
Recent Chapter Event Photos
SIDEBAR
January Birthdays
Welcome Aboard!
December
Member Reenlistments
January
Membership Renewals
About the Republic
For More Information
USS Republic Online
Crew Roster
News from TrekMovie.com
Fan-made Star
Trek timeline is a beautiful
way to visualize
the Trek
universe
Return
to Tomorrow shipping this
week
Fast and
Furious 6 director Justin
Lin to direct Star Trek
3
Next
Star Trek
film set for July 8, 2016
EDITORIAL
– The Future of Star Trek:
It's the Story, Stupid |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Where
Is the United Federation of Planets?
A Star Trek-Themed Lecture
3:00 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 2015
Fernbank Science Center
156
Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta GA 30307
(678) 874-7102 |
What
would you discover if you could put all the known worlds of
the Star Trek universe on a map? Out of the hundreds
of places mentioned in all the Star Trek series and
movies, only 43 can actually be matched up with stars and
objects we know. |
|
On
February 14, join your friends and crewmates on an away mission
to the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta to hear Dr. Larry
Krumenaker present a 45-minute lecture, suitable for ages
10 and up, on the astronomical phenomena that can be found
in both Star Trek and our own skies. In conjunction
with the Atlanta Astronomy Club, this awesome presentation
is absolutely FREE for all ages!
Dr.
Larry Krumenaker is a professional astronomer and educator,
as well as a science, technology and online services journalist. A
member of the National Association of Science Writers, he
has written dozens of articles for various academic, general
science and information science publications, as well as several
books. Visit Dr. Krumenaker's web site here.
If
this presentation looks familiar, it should! This
is the same lecture and presentation that Dr. Krumenaker gave
at the Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville in November,
which was attended by Captain Watts and a couple of friends
of the Republic. This entertaining, informative
and educational presentation will be of interest to all Star
Trek fans and anyone else with an interest in astronomy,
and since admission is absolutely FREE, there's no reason
why the Republic membership shouldn't turn out in big
numbers at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta for this
terrific event. We hope to see you there! |
|
Treklanta
Volunteer Staff Meeting
7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 21, 2014
Galaxy Diner
3320 Henderson Mill Road, Chamblee GA 30341
(770) 723-9555 |
Please
make plans to join your friends and crewmates at a volunteer
staff meeting to prepare for our big annual convention, Treklanta,
in April. Volunteers are
needed in all departments, so this is the ideal opportunity
for anyone interested in serving on staff to sign up. Available
departments include Convention Operations, Technical Operations,
Star Trek Programming, Space Opera Programming, Guest
Transportation & Services, On-Site Registration, Artists Alley
& Art Show, Gaming Room, Social Media & Press Relations, Video
Programming, Photography, Videography and Security. Volunteers
are required to pay a nominal $10 staff fee to help cover
basic overhead expenses. Plan to attend and bring
a friend or two!
And
what better place to hold a volunteer staff meeting than at...
the Galaxy Diner? Conveniently located near the
I-285 and Chamblee Tucker Road interchange, the Galaxy Diner
offers delicious American, Italian and Greek cuisine favorites
in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where, they say, you
will always feel right at home. Their patio is open
year-round, their Saturday night dinner special is all-you-can-eat
catfish, and for our members of the age of majority, they
also offer a selection of domestic and imported beer and house
wines. For a
complete list of all their appetizer, dinner and dessert selections,
please visit their web
site. For a restaurant critic's opinion
of the place, read
this.
This year's Treklanta is shaping up to be our biggest and
best convention ever, and we need lots of volunteers to help
it run smoothly and successfully. Please plan to
attend this meeting if you're interested in being on staff,
and we look forward to seeing you there! |
|
AnachroCon
Fan Table & Room Party
Friday-Sunday, February 27–March 1, 2015
Atlanta Marriott Century Center
2000 Century Boulevard NE
Atlanta GA 30345 |
The
USS Republic, host of Treklanta,
will have a fan table at the upcoming AnachroCon
convention on Friday to Sunday, February 27 to March 1, and
we're interested in the possibility of hosting a room party
there on Saturday evening, February 28. Much help
is needed with both. If you are planning to attend
AnachroCon or are considering it, and would be willing to
help man our fan table and/or host a room party, we would
very much appreciate your support. CO FCapt Eric
L. Watts will be there most of the weekend but cannot
be there the entire weekend. We need your help
to talk to folks about Treklanta and encourage them to purchase
a membership. If you can help with either the fan
table or a room party, please contact
the Captain. Thank you! |
|
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fleet
Captain Eric L. Watts reelected to fifth term as Commanding
Officer |
On
December 20, 2014, Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator Admiral Kelly
Hilliard conducted a proceeding, in accordance with Robert's
Rules of Order, during which all members in good standing
in attendance at the USS Republic's annual Holiday
Party nominated without opposition and voted unanimously to
reelect Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts to a fifth consecutive
two-year term as their Commanding Officer.
Captain Watts was first elected CO of the Republic
in May 2006 following the resignation of previous CO Capt
Matt Ebeling, whose term expired at the end of that
year, and is the 13th member to serve in that position in
the chapter's 26-year history. He
was awarded the Region 2 Commanding Officer of the Year and
STARFLEET International Commanding Officer of the Year awards
the following year for his work to rebuild the Republic
as one of Region 2's most active and highest-profile chapters. In
his 8½ years as Commanding Officer, Captain Watts has
also won four Recruiters awards, three Perfect Reporting awards,
four Newsletter awards, three Web Site awards and one Mothership
award. The USS Republic was also featured
on the front cover of the February/March 2010 issue of STARFLEET's
international newsletter, The Communiqué, for
having broken through the 100-member mark in 2009, an accomplishment
that apparently no other chapter had achieved in many years.
Captain Watts would like to thank the membership of the USS
Republic for their continuing loyalty and faith in
his leadership, and looks forward to Boldly Going, Boldly
Doing on many more adventures with the crew in the future. |
Admiral
Kelly Hilliard named USS Republic's 2014 Member of
the Year |
The
USS Republic is pleased to announce that its 2014 Member
of the Year award has been presented to Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator
Admiral Kelly Hilliard. The award was presented
to Admiral Hilliard by Commanding Officer Fleet Captain Eric
L. Watts at the Republic's annual Holiday Party
on December 20.
Admiral Hilliard joined STARFLEET International in 1989 and
served as the Republic's sixth Commanding Officer from
March 1992 to October 1996. He held that position
longer than any other CO until Captain Watts' tenure exceeded
that length of time in 2010. Admiral Hilliard remained
a member of the Republic until 2007, at which time
he transferred to the USS DaVinci, aboard which he
served until the launch of the USS Atlanta later that
year. He served aboard the Atlanta until
December 2012, when that ship was decommissioned, and at which
time he transferred back aboard the Republic.
In addition to his service aboard the Republic, Admiral
Hilliard previously served STARFLEET as Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator
from 1992 to 1995 and as STARFLEET Region 2 Coordinator from
1995 to 2000. He has served once again as Zone
2 Coordinator since 2011. His most enduring contribution
to STARFLEET, however, is the co-creation, along with Admiral
Mike Henigan, of the annual Regional Summit conference,
first held in 1996, and which is now an event that has been
copied and held by many other Regions around the world.
Congratulations to Admiral Hilliard for being selected to
receive this prestigious award! |
In
Memoriam: David A. Slaughter
May 17, 1966 - November 24, 2014 |
The
USS Republic is saddened to announce the recent passing
of former member Commander David A. Slaughter at Saint
Joseph East hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, due to complications
related to his heart and an internal infection. He
was 48.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dave joined STARFLEET International
in June 2005 and the Republic in November 2006. He
was a member in good standing for the next seven years, although
he lived in Oklahoma and Kentucky for most of that time. "Mr.
Grizzley," as he was known to his friends, was also a
member of Atlanta's Stargate fan club, Stargate Atlanta;
a senior director at the Doctor Who and Stargate
convention TimeGate; and the Director of Guest Services &
Transportation for the Republic's annual convention,
Treklanta (formerly TrekTrax Atlanta), from 2011 to 2013.
In "real life," Dave was a 1995 graduate of the
ITT Technical Institute in Maitland, Florida. He
worked in the hospitality industry and was the general manager
at several hotels, including Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express,
Quality Inn and most recently, the Comfort Inn in Lexington,
Kentucky.
The USS Republic extends its sincerest condolences
to Dave's family and many friends. Ad eundum quo
nemo ante iit. |
Treklanta
announces Sean Kenney and Jason Carter as celebrity guests |
Treklanta
is pleased to announce that Mr. Sean Kenney and Mr.
Jason Carter have been confirmed to appear at our 2015
convention! Mr. Kenney is best known as the mute
and disfigured Captain Christopher Pike in the original Star
Trek series two-part episode "The Menagerie." He
also played Lieutenant DePaul in the original series episodes
"Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon." Mr. Carter
is best known as Ranger Marcus Cole in two seasons of the
science fiction television series Babylon 5. |
|
Mr.
Kenney authored his memoir, Captain Pike Found Alive!,
in 2012 and will have copies of the book available for autographing
at the convention. In addition to his role on Babylon
5, Mr. Carter has also appeared in numerous other television
series including Viper, Beverly Hills 90210,
3rd Rock from the Sun, Charmed and Angel.
Mr. Kenney and Mr. Carter will be available for photo opps,
host two Q&A hours each, serve as a judges for the Miss Klingon
Empire Beauty Pageant and as presenters at the first annual
Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards, and attend our
exclusive Friday night VIP Champagne Reception. Mr.
Carter will also guest-star in a brand new Project: Potemkin
vignette, "Room Service," to be filmed at the convention.
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel
rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night
are still available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! |
Treklanta
announces Michael DeMeritt as Star Trek Fan Film Awards
judge |
Treklanta
is pleased to announce that Mr. Michael DeMeritt has
joined our panel of judges for the first annual Independent
Star Trek Fan Film Awards.
Mr.
DeMeritt is an assistant director who worked on Star Trek:
Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. He joined
the staff of Voyager as second second Assistant Director
during its first season, became the Key Second Assistant Director
during its fourth season, and rose to First Assistant Director
before the series ended in 2001. He then moved on to
Enterprise, where he rotated between Key Second Assistant
Director and First Assistant Director with Jerry Fleck. After
Mr. Fleck's death in 2003, Mr. DeMeritt continued working
as the show's First Assistant Director until its cancellation
in 2005. |
|
In
addition to his work as an assistant director, Mr. DeMeritt
has served as judge on several student and paraprofessional
competitions, primarily in visual media and writing, which
makes him an ideal judge for the Independent Star Trek
Fan Film Awards. He joins previously announced judges
Diana Botsford, Keith DeCandido, Peter David
and Susan Sackett for the awards, which will be presented
at Treklanta, to be held April 24-26, 2015, at the Atlanta
Marriott Century Center. For more information about
the Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards, visit its
own Facebook
Page.
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel
rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night
are still available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! |
Treklanta
announces Hyperspace to perform in Trekkiepalooza!
concert |
Treklanta
is
pleased to announce that Hyperspace will perform as
part of our Trekkiepalooza! concert on Saturday evening,
April 25!
Formed
in September 2011, Hyperspace
is a nerdy pop punk band from Atlanta comprised of Jason
Kochis (guitar, vocals), Ryan Paul (drums, backing
vocals, brony advocate) and Todd Ensworth (bass, backing
vocals). The band mixes punk, distorted guitars and
catchy songs to create their own brand of pop punk. Their
songs tend to be about girls (with or without glasses), Star
Wars, Dragon*Con, comic books and other nerdy stuff.
Hyperspace was a huge hit at our 2014 convention and we're
delighted to bring them back for 2015! Learn more about
them at www.hyperspaceband.com.
Preregistered
memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our
special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available. Visit
our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! |
Treklanta
adds Bobbin Wages to its Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy
Show |
Treklanta
is pleased to announce that Ms. Bobbin Wages has
joined the line-up of comedians confirmed to perform at
our first-ever Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show, to
be held at the 2015 convention in April!
Ms.
Wages runs Hot
Dog Beehonkus, a blog comprising humorous and gut-wrenching
stories about her father's progression through Alzheimer's
disease. On a more light-hearted note, she and fellow
Atlanta writer Jason Mallory post weird, collaborative
essays at ameaslygrowl.com.
She also reads essays at literary events such as Write
Club Atlanta and Scene Missing: The Show. Ms. Wages
recently performed at "The Wrathlanta of Khan" Star Trek
comedy show and will join previously announced comedians
Eric Daugherty and Ellaree Yeagley as featured
performers at the Treklanta Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy
Show.
Additional performers will be announced soon. The
Treklanta Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show will be
held on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Admission is included
in your Treklanta membership. Preregistered
memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at
our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still
available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase
your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
|
Treklanta
announces ENS1 Julianne Trew as Art Show Director |
Treklanta
is delighted to announce that USS Republic member ENS1
Julianne Trew has joined the convention as our Art
Show Director! She will responsible for running our
first-ever Artists Alley and Art Show.
Ms. Trew is a prolific abstract painter from Georgia. She
trained at the Douglasville School of Art and later graduated
from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts
in Drawing and Painting. She paints out of her home
studio in Smyrna, Georgia. In Atlanta, her work can
be seen at Kibbee Gallery and Mason Fine Arts.
Ms. Trew's work has been described as "pure product of the
subconscious," as her paintings elude to biology and space
without directly becoming anything that exists in our reality.
She paints autonomously by making decisions as she works,
making it a personal journey of creation and visual calculation.
To complement this, she uses a subtractive method of
painting, which results in a majority of her work being done
in monochrome. This heightens the scientific nature
of the images, so that the viewer can impose their own consciousness
on the imagery while being intellectually and aesthetically
stimulated.
Ms.
Trew's work has been exhibited in places such as Moss, Norway,
and galleries in New York. She's organized and curated
small local shows in Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia, and is
a registered instructor with Gumbacher, a paint manufacturer.
She makes annual donations of artwork to Georgia Lawyers
for the Arts, Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences,
and Art Papers magazine. Ms. Trew was recently
awarded five stars at MOCAGA's annual pin-up show and became
a recipient of their C4 Ignite scholarship. She has
been a member of the USS Republic since 2008. She
has directorship and extensive staffing experience with several
Atlanta-area conventions and looks forward to bringing her
vision and diverse set of skills to Treklanta.
Artists interested in participating in our Artists Alley and/or
Art Show are invited to apply for a limited number of tables
and spaces by visiting the brand new Artists Alley & Art Show
page on our web
site.
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel
rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night
are still available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! |
Treklanta
announces Guest Artists in our first-ever Artists Alley |
Treklanta
is pleased
to welcome Ms. Katie Bracewell, Ms. Carly Strickland
and Mr. Dimitri Walker as the first confirmed artists
in our first-ever Artists Alley & Art Show.
Katie
Bracewell is an artist based in south Georgia known as "Robo-Tart"
and "K8e-art." She focuses primarily on illustrations
using watercolor as her main medium. Most of her art
is humorous with a dash of wit. You can find Ms. Bracewell
on all the social media sites, including Instagram,
Tumblr,
Twitter,
DeviantArt,
Facebook
and Storenvy,
where she documents her daily addiction to coffee, cats,
zombies and robots.
Carly
Strickland is a digital illustrator and book designer based
in Birmingham, Alabama, and her favorite word is awesome.
She is very small and probably has a complex about
it. She prefers pet rats but supposes her step-cat
will do. Ms. Strickland is art director of Matter
Deep Publishing, an independent publishing company. She
draws them a lot of pictures—so many pictures that she has
published three children's books since Matter Deep was launched
in 2011, and has two more in the works.
Ms. Strickland loves retro sci-fi, Star Trek, modern
sci-fi, Leonard Nimoy and Star Trek. You can
see more about her obsession at her table in her new, fully
illustrated Star Trek alphabet book, digital art
prints and Mothership Goose, a children's book about
nursery rhymes, jetpacks and mouse mechanics. Visit her
web site, carlystricklandart.com.
Born
and raised in Atlanta, Dimitri Walker is a simple artist
at heart. Brush, paint and canvas are his tools.
He has been a portrait artist since 1983, primarily
graphite (pencil). In 1994, Mr. Walker began to paint
with oils and acrylics. He also took a job picture
framing to be near the art world. He continued to
learn and became a Master Certified Framer. In 2005,
at 40 years old, Mr. Walker went to college and earned a
Bachelors of Fine Art. In the spring of 2012, while
teaching a drawing class at a local art gallery, a student/friend
who took his class to learn to draw the TARDIS better, said
to him, "Dimitri, I know you watch and love all the same
shows and movies I do. Supernatural, Star
Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Firefly
and all the comic book movies. I have been to your
web site. Why don't you have any Fan Art?" Mr.
Walker replied, "What's 'Fan Art'?" And the rest is
history.
Learn more about Mr. Walker at his web
site.
Artists interested in participating in our Artists Alley
and/or Art Show are invited to apply for a limited number
of tables and spaces by visiting the brand new Artists Alley
& Art Show page on our web
site.
|
Project:
Potemkin to film "Room Service" at Treklanta
|
Treklanta
is
pleased to announce that Project:
Potemkin will film yet another vignette for their
web-based Star Trek series during the convention on
Saturday night, April 25. Project: Potemkin
filmed "Closing
Time" at the 2013 convention and "Ladies Night
Out" in 2014, and will film their third and final vignette
with us in 2015. "Ladies Night Out" will
world-premiere at Treklanta this year!
The script for "Room Service" will be written by
Christin Woods based on a story idea by Randall
Landers. It will feature the return of Eric
L. Watts as Korgoth and will guest-star our celebrity
Guest of Honor Jason Carter. The vignette
will be filmed, directed and edited by Landers, and because
Project: Potemkin will soon be coming
to an end, this vignette will be the last to be filmed
at Treklanta.
Any attending member of Treklanta who has a Star Trek
movie-era Starfleet costume (a "monster maroon,"
as they're often called) has a very good chance of being included
in the film, most likely as an extra; please contact
Randall Landers and let him know of your availability.
Set after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered
Country, Project: Potemkin is southwest Georgia's
Star Trek fan film series. The cast is comprised
of professional, amateur and student actors from the Albany,
Georgia, area. The stories range in duration from five
minutes to an hour in length. Most are short, sweet
and to the point, and many evoke the tone of Star Trek,
The Twilight Zone and even The Outer Limits.
Join the cast and crew of Project: Potemkin at their
Treklanta panel presentation for sneak previews of forthcoming
productions and visit them at their fan table where you can
make a donation and take your choice of DVDs.
Preregistered
memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our
special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available. Visit
our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! |
Treklanta
to host a live recording of "Seriously, Dan" with Guests of
Honor |
Treklanta
is
pleased to announce that Dan Carroll will record
an episode of his radio talk show, "Seriously, Dan," on
Friday evening, April 24, as part of the Space Opera programming
track. Carroll's guests will be Treklanta's celebrity
guests Sean Kenney, Jason Carter and Keith
R. A. DeCandido. These interviews will be
taped in front of a live convention audience for broadcast
at a later date.
"Seriously, Dan" is a weekly two-hour radio talk show broadcasting
on WYXC-AM 1270 in Cartersville, Georgia, from 6:00 to 8:00
p.m. Saturdays. Carroll answers callers' questions
about life, geekery, careers and romance, and often does
live remote broadcasts from Atlanta-area conventions.
With over twenty-six years experience as a communications
analyst, business consultant and media expert, Carroll knows
how to listen. "Seriously, Dan" is his way of
giving back to the world for all of his blessings. He
sincerely believes he is fulfilling his vocation to help
others learn from his mistakes and a laugh or two along
the way. While he takes you seriously, he doesn't
take himself seriously.
Plan to attend this taping on Friday night at Treklanta! Preregistered
memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at
our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still
available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase
your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW! Then,
visit Carroll's web
site and Facebook
page.
|
Treklanta
announces Digital Video Productions as con photographer |
Treklanta
is pleased to announce that we have contracted with Digital
Video Productions LLC of Conyers, Georgia, to provide
on-site, on-demand photographic portrait services for our
2015 convention.
DVP will set up a full-scale professional-grade photo studio
in the autograph room at the convention and will be able to
take the highest quality photos of you with one or more of
our celebrity guests. Better yet, you'll have an 8 x
10 glossy print of that photo in your hands within two minutes
that you can then have autographed by those very same celebrity
guests.
This incredible portrait opportunity will be offered to our
attendees at a very reasonable and affordable price. That
price will be determined by how many celebrity guests are
in the photo with you.
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel
rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night
are still available. Visit our web
site to preregister, book your room and purchase your
VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Visit DVP at www.mydvpro.com
for more information about the services they offer and see
a gallery of their past work. |
Personnel
Records
|
Welcome
Aboard! |
|
|
|
Ensign
Tina Louise Jones
Simpsonville, South Carolina
|
Ensign
Daniel Cowart
Cartersville, Georgia
|
|
STARFLEET
Academy Course Completions |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of DISTINCTION for the STARFLEET
Academy course "Basic Security Officers Course"
from the College of Security, completed on December
8, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of DISTINCTION for the STARFLEET
Academy course "TOS Rank Recognition" from
the College of Security, completed on December 8, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of PASS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "George Washington" from the College
of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "Thomas Jefferson" from the College
of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "John Adams" from the College of US
Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "James Madison" from the College of
US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "James Monroe" from the College of
US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of PASS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "John Quincy Adams" from the College
of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "Space Seed" from the College of Security
in Trek, completed on December 31, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "The City on the Edge of Forever" from
the College of Security in Trek, completed on December
31, 2014 |
|
Congratulations
to Lt. JG Lee Johnson,
who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy
course "Officer's Command College" from the
Institute
of Leadership Studies,
completed on January 11, 2015 |
|
STARFLEET
Academy is a special collection of correspondence courses
available to every STARFLEET member. Over 60 Academy
Colleges offer courses spanning all aspects of Star Trek
and science fiction; some courses even cover non-sci-fi real
world topics. Each college offers dozens of different
courses at varying levels of challenge from super-easy to
really hard. In total, there are nearly 1,000 different
courses available. Take
a course today!
Something
special going on in your life? Submit
your Personnel Record for publication in the next
issue of The Republiqué! |
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but the water and the fish. $80. Cash only. As
is. Any transaction final. You pick up and haul.
Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick at markozanick@comcast.net
or (678) 350-5366. |
FOR
SALE: Metal,
wall-mounted pot/pan hanger. Includes mounting screws
and hooks to hang up to six pots/pans. $15 (75% off
MSRP). Cash only. As is. Any transaction
final. You pick up. Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick
at markozanick@comcast.net
or (678) 350-5366. |
FOR
SALE: Cycle-Ops®
Bicycle Wind Trainer. Props up a regular bike to
create a stationary bike. Wind resistance unit provides
frictionless ride. Linear resistance boosts workout
intensity to match each pedal stroke and gear click. $85
(50% off MSRP). Cash only. As is. Any transaction
final. You pick up. Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick
at markozanick@comcast.net
or (678) 350-5366. |
Library
Computer
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE |
|
Director
Nicholas Meyer, Kirstie Alley as Saavik and Leonard Nimoy
as Spock in a candid behind-the-scenes photo from the set
of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. |
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Recent
Chapter Event Photos
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE |
Farragut
Fest 2014 || December 6-7, 2014
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CO
FCapt Eric L. Watts in the center seat with Starship
Farragut cast members Greg Greene, Dan L. Collis, John
Broughton, Holly Bednar and Michael Bednar.
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USS
Republic
CO FCapt Eric L. Watts in the center seat with Kathy Wynn
and ENS1 Wil Sims.
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Captain
Watts with Starship
Farragut's
Michael Bednar.
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Captain
Watts with Star
Trek Continues'
Vic Mignogna.
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Captain
Watts with the USS Trident's
Nicholas Roche.
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Captain
Watts with Treklanta's Marcia Patterson.
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Starship
Farragut's
John Broughton and Eve Gidion auction off the two full-weekend
memberships donated by Treklanta.
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Vendors,
displays and merchandise at Farragut Fest 2014.
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The
USS Exeter's
John Sims with his Exeter
Trek
castmate.
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Captain
Watts with cast members from the forthcoming Exeter
Trek.
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The
USS Farragut's
Sickbay.
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The
USS Farragut's
bridge.
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The
USS Farragut's
transporter.
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The
USS Farragut's
hallway.
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USS
Republic Holiday Party & CO Election || Dec.
20, 2014
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Seated:
ENS2 Richard Tucker, CDT Zarena Nova Tucker, ENS1 Zannetta
Law Tucker. Standing: Ens Tina Louise Jones, Eric Jones,
Vicki Greve, Gaylen Greve, ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell, Ens John
May, Ens Carly May, Adm Kelly Hilliard, XO Adm Mike Henigan,
ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, "Ensign Wolfy," CO FCapt Eric
L. Watts, Chris Jones. Not pictured: Ensigns Lee and Tiffany
Johnson.
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The
crew of the Republic
brought in a magnificent variety of meats, vegetables, starches,
cheeses, crackers, fruits and desserts for our annual Holiday
potluck dinner. Oh, and... libations.
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Ens
Carly May, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker and Ens John May serve
themselves buffet style.
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Left:
Members and friends of the Republic
chow down on a hearty and delicious holiday dinner. Right:
ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell gives CDT Zarena Nova Tucker a ride
while her mom, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker, looks on with apparent
approval.
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ENS2
Richard Tucker and daughter CDT Zarena Nova Tucker. Totes
adorbs, or what?
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Ens
Tina Louise Jones, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, Ens Carly May, "Ensign
Wolfy" and ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell gasp in amazement
at Ensign Carly's truly awesome Trek-themed
dessert cake.
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BELATED
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
Monday, January 19
ENS2 Tasheka Gipson
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WELCOME
ABOARD!
1 New Member in December!
Ens Tina Louise Jones
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MEMBER
REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their SFI and chapter
dues in December. Thank you!
ENS1 Hal Doby
Capt Matthew D. Ebeling
ENS3 Lee Johnson
ENS3 Tiffany Johnson
ENS1 Germaine M. Webb
|
JANUARY
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
These members' dues expired in January.
Please renew now!
ENS1 Nelson M. Barnhouse
ENS2 Richard Tucker
ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker
CDT Zarena Nova Tucker
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ABOUT
THE REPUBLIC
|
The
USS Republic NCC-1371 was originally commissioned
as a chapter of STARFLEET International on May 14, 1988,
at the Dixie-Trek convention in Atlanta, Georgia. As
of January 31, 2015, the Republic crew includes 30
members who are active members of STARFLEET in good
standing.
|
The
Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule
of events for its members, but does not hold meetings
on a consistently fixed date each month.
|
Because
the USS Republic is a duly commissioned chapter
of STARFLEET International and is bound and governed by
its Constitution and By-Laws, membership in STARFLEET
is a prerequisite for membership in the Republic. STARFLEET
dues for one person are $20 for a "Standard Membership"
or $10 for an "E-Membership" and chapter dues are $10
per person for either membership option. A
combined payment for all dues is collected by the Republic
(family discounts are available with certain conditions
and restrictions). Additional information about
the two STARFLEET membership options, amounts due for
additional family members, payment options and payment
instructions is on the "How to Join" page of our award-winning
web site.
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FOR
MORE INFORMATION
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USS
REPUBLIC ONLINE
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CREW
ROSTER
AS OF JANUARY 31, 2015
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NEWS
from
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Fan-made
Star Trek timeline is a beautiful way to visualize
the Trek universe |
By
Kayla Iacovino
December 5, 2014
|
To
Boldly Go: The Future of Star Trek is a beautifully
rendered HTML5 web site that takes you through the history
of Star Trek, both in the form of an interactive
timeline and a look into the key moments throughout the
franchise. |
The
Star Trek Timeline |
Over
at his blog, Tom Bennet has created a fun, interactive way
to move through the history of the Star Trek franchise.
The timeline itself puts the various productions (TV
series and movies) into real-life historical context with
fun tidbits and videos related to each production. |
A
Detailed History |
Scroll
down from the timeline to reveal a more detailed history
of Trek. Here, Bennet has taken the time to
explain the modern context of various productions (e.g.
TNG as a sequel to TOS and its eventual success with 20
million viewers a week) and uses examples from some of our
favorite Trek moments like TNG's "All Good Things…" and
DS9's "What You Leave Behind." |
An
Opinionated Commentary |
The
blog is heavily focused on a rather polarizing issue in
Trek fandom these days: namely, whether or not "J.
J. Trek" has helped or hindered the franchise. There
are very strong views on both sides of this topic, but we
ask that you view Tom's site in the spirit in which it's
intended: as a very cool journey through the incredibly
rich world that Gene Roddenberry and others have given us. |
|
|
Return
to Tomorrow shipping this week |
By
Brian Drew
December 8, 2014
|
Just
in time for the film's 35th anniversary, the long-awaited
oral history of Star Trek: The Motion Picture will
be released this week from author Preston Neal Jones and
Creature Features Publishing. |
The
Human Adventure begins again in TMP "Oral History"
book |
There
was an enormous amount of anticipation leading up to the
release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December
1979. Fans had been clamoring for a new movie or show
since the original series went off the air ten years earlier.
The film was a big-budget "event" picture that promised
to take Star Trek to places that wouldn't be possible
on television. |
What
many moviegoers didn't know at the time was that the production
of the film was a troubled one. Filming began before
the script was finished, there were internal battles between
Gene Roddenberry and writer Harold Livingston that saw multiple
rewrites arrive on the set daily, and the company that was
hired to do the visual effects had to be replaced late in
production, causing a frantic rush to have the film ready
for its release date. All of those factors, as well
as several others, resulted in a film that went wildly over
budget and was viewed by some as being dull and boring. |
Return
to Tomorrow is a 672-page book that will provide an
oral history of the film, compiled from interviews with
60 of the film's cast and creators, conducted as The
Motion Picture was being prepared for release. |
The
interviews include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and the
entire cast, along with director Robert Wise and writer/producer
(and creator of Star Trek) Gene Roddenberry. In
addition, there are dozens of additional interviews with
visual effect artists, illustrators, model builders and
technicians. According to a press release for
the book, "no aspect of the film's creation is overlooked"
and it also promises the "unvarnished, uncensored truth"
of how the first Star Trek feature was created. |
The
source material for Return to Tomorrow was originally
intended for publication by Cinefantastique magazine
in 1979, and author Preston Neal Jones was given unparalleled
access to the cast and crew of the film. However,
owing to the late completion of the film and ambitious scope
of the manuscript, it was never published—until now. According
to the publisher, the entire manuscript has been "laboriously
fact-checked" for release in book form. |
The
book is now available for shipping. Ordering details
can be found at the link below. |
|
|
Fast
and Furious 6 director Justin Lin to direct Star
Trek 3 |
By
Kayla Iacovino
December 22, 2014
|
Justin
Lin, known for helming Fast and Furious 6, will take
over the director's chair for Star Trek 3, Deadline
is reporting. The announcement comes soon after word
that Bob Orci, co-writer of "J. J. Trek"
1 and 2, stepped down from his directorial debut of the
third installment of the franchise, which he also penned. |
|
Trek
3 has a new director |
After
the announcement that Bob Orci would no longer be manning
the director's chair for Star Trek 3, rumors began
flying as to who would take his place. Many questions
about the switch remain unanswered, but we finally know
who will be the next leader of Trek on the silver
screen. Justin Lin, who directed Fast and Furious
6, has reportedly taken over the role. Deadline
is reporting that, although several candidates may have
been considered, Lin has officially been offered the position: |
Several
top-ranked filmmakers were in contention, but I'm told that
Lin was the only one offered the job. He is available
because he was going to direct the sequel to The Bourne
Legacy spinoff with Jeremy Renner, but that film got
postponed when Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass agreed to
do another installment of The Bourne Identity, which
Universal wants to come first. |
Bob
Orci will remain on the project as writer and producer.
No word yet on whether any changes to the script have
been or will be made, although that seems unlikely this
late in the game if Paramount is hoping for a 50th anniversary
2016 release date. |
Rumors
are abound that Paramount has expressed a desire for Star
Trek 3 to be "more like Guardians of the Galaxy,"
which is unsurprising given the film's huge international
success. But, what does that mean for Star Trek
3, and how might Lin deliver on that? If the
rumors are true, you might prepare yourself now for more
Keenser, more comedy and lots of action (perhaps Lin can
replace rolling, exploding cars with rolling, exploding
shuttlecraft?). |
|
Next Star Trek film set for July 8, 2016 |
By
TrekMovie.com Staff
December 23, 2014
|
Paramount
has a Christmas present for the fans with the announcement
of a release date for the next Star Trek feature
film, which is now set for July 8, 2016. |
Star
Trek is back – July 8, 2016 |
According
to Variety, Paramount has fixed the release date
for the next Star Trek film to Friday, July 8, 2016.
This follows yesterday's big news that Fast and
Furious 6 director Justin Lin has signed on to direct
the film. |
While
Paramount has not sent out an official press release, a
studio spokesperson has confirmed the date with TrekMovie. |
The
release date gives Bad Robot and Paramount a bit more than
18 months to make the film. It appears that even with
the change of directors from Roberto Orci (who is still
on as a producer), Paramount was determined to get the film
out in the summer of the 50th anniversary year of the Trek
franchise. |
The
next Trek will break the new tradition of the last
two films, which both came out in mid-May (2009 and 2013),
but then again, the original plan for Into Darkness
was to release it in the first week of July 2012. Currently,
the weekend of July 8, 2016, is open, so Trek may
have no major competition for the weekend. Disney's
new live-action Tarzan film opens a week before,
while the next Bourne movie and Ice Age 5
open the following weekend. |
|
EDITORIAL – The Future of Star Trek: It's the Story,
Stupid |
By
TrekMovie.com Staff
January 11, 2015
|
The
following essay comes to us from Lukas Kendall at |
|
whose
Star Trek credentials including producing or co-producing
most of the recent collector's edition soundtrack CDs like
the 15-disc La-La Land Records TOS box set. He also
assisted with the recent publication of Return to Tomorrow,
the oral history of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Lukas says he's a lifelong Trekker who follows the
ongoing dialogue about the franchise, and thought he had
something to add about its fundamental appeal and, among
other things, the reason why "J. J. Trek"
is so polarizing. |
There
has been a cottage industry of essays about how to make
Star Trek more popular. Many of the prescriptions
are simple: Put it back on television. Hire good people
to make it. (Certainly, good creators always help.) |
But
there is a basic assumption that Star Trek could
be every bit as successful as the Marvel universe or Star
Wars—or even DC—if only CBS and Paramount could work
through their business problems. |
I
think it's not so simple—and the reason why is not a matter
of taste. It is a matter of story. |
Star
Wars and the Marvel movies are action-packed spectacles
that appeal to attention-deficit teenagers—the blockbuster
sweet spot. Star Trek, by contrast, appeals
to the brainy outsider. It's slow, talky, even philosophical—a
little bit like eating your vegetables. |
The
same things that are the source of Star Trek's appeal
are also the source of its limitations. Try to
change it to appeal to everyone, and you'll appeal to no
one. |
Movies |
Star
Trek just had two mega-budget blockbusters that were
aggressively made and marketed for the modern, global movie
audience. They are spectacular productions that cost
a lot of money, made a lot of money, were popular and well-reviewed—but
did not set box-office records. A third film is likely
to continue the trend. |
Tellingly,
some Trek fans revile the new films. That is
because, in order to appeal to a modern global audience,
they fundamentally alter the franchise's DNA. This
has nothing to do with the creation of an alternate timeline,
which is ingenious. It is about taking a pacifist,
cerebral, talky television show and turning it into an action-adventure
movie. Something is lost along the way. |
Star
Trek is fundamentally not action-adventure. Drama
is conflict, and blockbuster movies are about "branding"
the conflict as specific forms of physical fighting: Comic
book movies are superpower slugfests. Star Wars
is lightsaber duels, blasters and spaceship dogfights. James
Cameron's films are commando-style militaristic warfare.
The Matrix is "bullet-time" kung fu. |
Star
Trek has always had its share of fighting—from 1960s
fisticuffs to submarine-style warfare—but the best Star
Trek "fighting"... is talking. Kirk talks a computer
into exploding. Picard talks a bad guy into laying
down his arms. |
Star
Trek has never translated well to movies. Its
style and ideas play best on television, without the need
to: (1) encapsulate its entire world (2) into the fundamental
transformation of a single character, (3) that happens over
two hours, (4) with all of civilization in jeopardy, including
(5) stuff for the supporting cast to do and (6) all the
de rigueur "He's dead, Jim" moments, while (7) humoring
diehard fans by not changing too much and (8) pandering
to morons. |
The
best Star Trek film is still The Wrath of Khan—which
doesn't put Earth in jeopardy or climax in a fistfight,
kills a major character (as a requirement of being made)
and was shot cheaply on recycled sets. At a time when
Star Trek was only 79 episodes of the original series,
a cartoon and a widely seen but unloved movie, Nicholas
Meyer and his colleagues had the freedom to do what they
wanted, so long as it was cheap: tell a good, literary and
character-based story. Today, that movie would not
survive the first development meeting. |
Television |
A
common refrain is to put Star Trek back on television
and make it for adults—the Mad Men or Game of
Thrones of Star Trek series. Sounds exciting! |
It's
also impossible. You can't make the "adult" Star
Trek series because Star Trek is not about adults.
It can be for adults, but it is not about
them. |
What
are the driving realities of adult life? Sex and money.
What is never in Star Trek? Sex and money. |
Sure,
there's suggested sex. Off-screen sex. Characters
have romantic relationships, but viewed as a child would—Mommy
and Daddy go to their room and come out the next morning. |
Money?
There are "credits," but I still don't understand
the Federation's economic system. Does the crew
get paid? Is the Federation communist? |
There
have already been 726 episodes and 12 movies of Star
Trek—and too many of them revolve around misunderstood
space anomalies. |
Would
it be best to start from scratch? Creatively—no doubt
about it. But Star Trek fans would never allow
that. Star Trek is not like James Bond or Batman,
where every decade you cast a new actor and wipe the slate
clean. Or like Marvel's movies and TV series, which
are drawn from fifty years of mythology, but nobody expects
them to slavishly reproduce the comic books—or even be consistent
with each other. |
Star
Trek fans demand every installment connect with every
other one. We already have the "Abramsverse," which
was cleverly constructed as an alternate reality. Can
there be another recasting, with a third actor playing Kirk,
or a second playing Picard? I doubt it. |
Stay
in the Abramsverse? Possibly, but Into Darkness
demonstrated the problem of doing this: You're constantly
running into characters and scenarios you already know. Not
only do the writers have to tell the same story twice—for
the people who know the original, and the ones who don't—but
it's never as good the second time. |
Go
another hundred years into the future, aboard the Enterprise-G? Maybe.
But no matter what, you have a consistent, intricate
universe that has to be respected. Hard to bump into
an asteroid without it being like that time on Gamma Epsilon
VI. |
Star
Trek already had one fundamental storytelling upgrade:
when The Next Generation got good in season three
(circa 1990) and took a turn into Philip K. Dick issues
of perception and reality—which is to say, postmodernism.
It jettisoned the 1960s melodrama—great move—but replaced
it with technobabble. Ugh. |
The
Problem with Star Trek |
Unlike
the Marvel universe—which takes place in contemporary reality—Star
Trek takes place in the future. And not just an
abstract future, but a specific vision of the future from
fifty years in the past. It's not only a period piece,
but a parallel universe—a "double remove." |
Before
man landed on the moon, manned space travel was plausible.
Roddenberry intended the bridge of the Enterprise
to be completely believable. (Next to The Beverly
Hillbillies, he was doing Chekhov—that's with an h.) But
we now know that (Interstellar and Avatar
aside) interplanetary space travel is not realistic, or
certainly not happening anytime soon. |
As
a result, Star Trek is irrevocably dated. What
was meant to be the actual future has become a fantasy future—but
it's not allowed to acknowledge it. Star Wars
is unashamed space fantasy, set in a make-believe galaxy,
but Star Trek is supposed to be real. (I guess
I missed the Eugenics Wars.) Ever wonder why in Star
Trek they only listen to classical music, or sometimes
jazz? Hearing anything recorded after 1964 would puncture
the reality (except for time travel stories). This
is the same reason why The West Wing never referenced
a president after Kennedy. |
Roddenberry
aspired to do cosmic wonder and weirdness—"The Cage," Star
Trek: The Motion Picture—but these stories are wildly
expensive and dramatically abstract. (How do you fight
an alien that can destroy you with its thoughts?) Star
Trek became a more elevated version of Flash Gordon
or Buck Rogers, a predecessor to Star Wars,
transplanting 19th-century colonialism (instead of feudalism)
into space. Klingons instead of Russians, Romulans
instead of Chinese (or vice versa). It's a futuristic
version of Captain Horatio Hornblower, as Nick Meyer realized—and
Roddenberry intended—that could be practically produced
on a weekly basis. (Master and Commander
is a great Star Trek movie.) |
Why
can't you do a variety of stories set in different corners
of the Star Trek universe? Because Marvel can
go anyplace in the contemporary world to mine relatable
characters and interesting storylines—from the corridors
of a high school to the streets of New York City to foreign
countries to mythical Asgard. But Star Trek
has to go to different places within its own, make-believe
universe, bound by specific storytelling and ideological
rules: It is, by definition, a ship in space. They
tried space without a ship (Deep Space Nine), a ship
lost in space (Voyager), a prequel ship (Enterprise)
and an alternate universe ship (Abramsverse); how many more
variations can there be? One wonders if even Star
Wars will be able to sustain its "expanded universe"
movies and TV series, but it has the advantages of a bigger
fanbase, more action-adventure style and fewer continuity
restrictions. |
How
do you reinvent Star Trek for a modern television
audience? There already was a terrific, adult human
space drama—from one of the best Star Trek writers,
Ron Moore. Battlestar Galactica was adapted
from an old TV show that Moore was at complete liberty to
rework (since it sucked and no one cared). |
One
thing Moore took care to do: no aliens. Because
aliens fundamentally don't make sense. All over
the galaxy, there are aliens who look and act like (white)
humans with bumpy foreheads, they all speak English (somehow
"universally translated"), each planet has a single culture
and government, yet the Prime Minister's office consists
of three people, and no society has television—really? |
But
we can't get rid of aliens on Star Trek—because of
Spock. Who rules. |
So
as much as I'd love to see Star Trek on the small
screen again, I question how it could be done without violating
continuity or its fundamental appeal. It's certainly
not suitable for a True Detective-style reimagining. |
The
Appeal |
What
is the appeal of Star Trek? Forget about
sex and money—the humans on Star Trek aren't even
human. The aliens are human. Let
me explain. |
The
appeal of Star Trek—the drug that intoxicates a certain
percentage of the world's population—is Gene Roddenberry's
vision of a utopian future. We despair at the pathetic
failures of our species—our polluting, warfare, cruelty
and selfishness—but Star Trek says, "Relax. Humanity
will survive. We will triumph. We will solve
our problems and fly to the stars. Everything will
be great!" |
It
is a wonderful, inspirational message. It deserves
to have lasted fifty years—may it last forever. It's
not necessarily a future that will come to pass, but it's
good to have this positive message in the culture. (The
best TV series of the last twenty years to carry this spirit?
The West Wing.) |
It's
not just the fantasy of us as a species. Roddenberry's
vision is one of adult life as seen by a child, anxious
about a future as a grown-up. How will I live by myself,
without my parents? How will I learn to socialize,
to have romantic love, a family of my own, a job? Will
the world still be there for me? Who will take care
of me? |
Starfleet
will! You will have a job on the Enterprise,
full of friends, colorful uniforms, understandable work
(Warp speed! Level-one diagnostics!), galactic adventure
and a social life of fun on the holodeck and poker in Riker's
quarters. |
Think
about the characters on Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry
was adamant that humanity would evolve and shed petty and
negative characteristics. Drama relies upon conflict
between characters—but he didn't want the crew to fight
amongst themselves. Therefore—to the frustration of
most of Star Trek's writers—Star Trek's human
characters are bereft of the personality traits that create
drama. |
How
does one tell a Star Trek story if drama (conflict
between characters) is forbidden? The humans are drama-free—so
you make the aliens the humans. |
Consider
Star Trek's most pivotal characters: They are always
the aliens. In Star Trek, humans are perfect—therefore
dull. The aliens, however, are versions of human children
learning how to become adults. |
Spock
is a repressed child. Data is a shy child. Worf
is an angry child. Seven of Nine is a repressed, angry
child with big boobs. |
The
same goes for the races: The Vulcans are repressed kids,
the Klingons are angry kids. (The Romulans have never
quite worked because... what are they, exactly?) |
Think
of the three most-developed characters on The Next Generation:
Picard, Data and Worf. (Picard is the father
figure, representing all of humanity.) |
What
did we really learn about Riker, except that he played trombone
(because the actor did)? About Troi (half-alien,
but close enough), except that she liked chocolate? About
Crusher... at all? |
And
didn't they struggle to find quality episodes for these
characters? |
In
Star Trek, the human characters lack dimension—because
they are idealized. They are viewed as perfect the
way children view their parents as perfect—finding them
incapable of dark or deviant behavior. At most, they
are given trivial social problems to solve—like Geordi being
nervous about going on a first date. (What was he,
forty? The chief engineer on the best ship in the
fleet, and he couldn't get laid?) |
The
child-parent model explains why attempts to go "dark" on
Star Trek—from Nemesis to Into Darkness,
and even rebelling against the Federation in Insurrection—never
work. It's like watching Mommy and Daddy fight—it's
not interesting, it's sickening. (The exception that
proves the rule: the Mirror universe, a wacky funhouse that's
not real.) |
In
the last movie, watching Kirk be a brash asshole (again!)
and the Federation warmongering maniacs is like seeing your
dad as an alcoholic and your mom a hooker. Sure,
it may make for a more interesting family, but it actually
hurts to watch. |
In
marketing speak: it goes against the brand. (I hope
someone reads this.) |
The
Best Star Trek |
Maybe
you think I hate Star Trek. Au contraire!
I love it. I would love to see new Star Trek
produced and be popular. |
But
it has to be good Star Trek, and that requires
a leap of faith on the part of the producers. |
For
Star Trek to be high quality, it has to risk appealing
to fewer people—less action, more talk. Fewer
special effects, not more. Intimate, not epic. |
Making
a lot of it is not a good idea because it'll start to repeat
itself and suck (cf. Enterprise). |
Fans
are not necessarily the best people to dictate what Star
Trek ought to be. They want exactly what they've
already seen, while also being completely surprised. Can't
be done. (This is the problem with all sequels and
franchises.) |
Fans
are also obsessed with "continuity porn"—brief moments of
recognition with no storytelling value. They are empty
calories. |
Nick
Meyer likens Star Trek to the Catholic mass, which
has been set to music by composers throughout the centuries.
The composers can change the music, but the text is
always the same. Star Trek has a glorious text
that can be set into music a few more times—at least. But
the text is not well understood—certainly not by studio
executives, and rarely even by fans. |
There
are doubtless readers of this essay who will bristle at
my implications that Star Trek is for children—that
by extension, I am calling them children. Star
Trek is not for idiot children. On the contrary,
it is for very bright children—ones with big hearts and
quick minds who long for purpose, a sense of belonging and
a universe that is just and wise. |
It
is for the child in all of us, stripped of our adult baggage,
forever hopeful, curious, eager to please and to experience
love—not necessarily a romantic love, but the love of all
of mankind. "All I want," you may say to yourself,
"is to be a good person, and be loved for it." |
Importantly,
the best Star Trek stories involve death, from "The
City on the Edge of Forever" and The Wrath of Khan
to "The Bonding" and "Yesterday's Enterprise." They
feature characters facing death, a little bit as a child
would (the first loss of a grandparent), but accepting it
with elegance and grace—an inspiration for all of us who
must come to terms with our mortality. |
When
we accept death, we also accept life. We accept ourselves. |
Or
at least, I think this is what Spock was trying to tell
me... on my birthday. |
Live
Long and Prosper |
Star
Trek has survived for fifty years, and will hopefully
survive for fifty more. It's a wonderful, timeless
creation, with an important message about the human condition. |
That
message, says Linus on the school stage, is not to buy more
DVDs, toys or movie tickets. When it comes to merchandising
and exploitation, Star Trek may be the granddaddy
of them all, but it will always to take a back seat to something
flashier and more popular. As well it should. |
Star
Trek should not be run like a money machine, but curated
like an important museum piece—which is paradoxically how
it will become the most popular, and make the most money.
This doesn't mean it should never change. The
"music" always needs to be updated, shorn of things that
are dated and bad. But the "text" is immutable. |
The
next Star Trek creators need not be Star Trek
fans—many of the best have known nothing of it (Nick Meyer),
but also so have some of the worst (Stuart Baird)—so long
as they understand and appreciate the text. |
The
text is the heart of Star Trek. It is story,
not spectacle. It is gentle, not aggressive. It
is optimistic, not dark. It is hopeful, compassionate
and, above all—the captain says with a tear running down
his cheek—human. In the right hands, it can, and should,
last forever. |
Lukas
Kendall has produced collector's edition soundtrack CDs
to multiple Star Trek films and television series,
along with hundreds of other albums for his label, Film
Score Monthly, and others. His first film as a co-writer
and producer, the indie thriller Lucky Bastard, is
not for kids and not at all like Star Trek. He
says some of his critical ideas about Trek and child
psychology were inspired by a little-known 1990s book of
essays called |
Enterprise
Zones: Critical Positions on Star Trek.
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