So as I was watching an old Star Trek the other night for I can’t even fathom how many times, it occurred to me there must be a reason. There are certainly no surprises there.
Shatner is pompous, conceited and overacts without any competition, then or now. And we loved him for every minute.
Spock is as usual calm, logical and an earful.
All the characters are so familiar, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, plus the anonymous crewman who won’t live through the episode.
Why does the Star Trek franchise, especially originals like The Trouble with Tribbles or The City on the Edge of Tomorrow continue to fascinate and hold the attention of fans?
Simple answer; beats me.
More complicated answer, better than watching the news.
Or is it that we are amazed that what we once thought of as science fiction is now our new reality?
Is our escape into the past just a way to avoid the anguish of today’s world?
Or is it more? Is it the fact we are surprised at how fantasy has now become real, and how frightening that prospect may be?
Is there really such a genre as science fiction any longer?
It should be obvious to all who watched in awe as the Enterprise soared through space that science fiction is no longer fiction.
So If that is true, how frightening is a future filled with Dystopian and Star Wars battles?
If we are incapable of getting along with one another on Earth, how will we unite enough to overcome enemies from outer space?
Sure, many doubt there is life anywhere but here, and to those egocentric humans I ask the question; seriously are you so special that in all eternity and endless space earth is the only planet to have life?
Okay, now that we’ve dealt with the egos let’s get real?
Is the fact we are so at war with each other a deterrent to success against otherworldly enemies?
And is the fact that mankind, despite Darwin’s’ theories on evolution, actually devolving?
There is certainly a strong case to be made for that point of view. Hello, Congress, People!
Yet if and when the day comes when the millions of earthlings who have been ridiculed and mocked for their belief that we are not alone are proven right; does man have the ability to join forces to battle such formidable foes?
Are we capable of putting aside our ideologies and pettiness for even a moment to agree on how to combat such horrific threats?
Who would lead? Who would make decisions? Who would fight? Whom would deliver daily Le Cirque meals to the hypocritical despots at the United Nations?
These are questions that would have to be answered, and I’m just thinking we may have a problem, Houston.
Science fiction which once told tales of man landing on the moon, 1967 check; reaching Mars 1976, check; robots, check, AI, check, time travel, working on it right now in Switzerland, check, check, check.
We did it all despite the fact when Jules Verne, HG Wells and Ray Bradbury were spinning tales of futuristic adventures, readers shook their heads in disbelief and called it all fantasy.
Sadly, I’m afraid I must point out the obvious here. Yes, indeed mankind has achieved a mastery over technology once only dreamed about.
Yet man himself has forged a path backward through time to become once again a primitive and warrior creature incapable of reason or a sense of ethics.
The “cave-man-take” mentality where everything was fair for the grabbing has returned to earth. Now, far too many see death and destruction as a means to an end.
Oh boy, would old Machiavelli be happy about how man has digressed into his old primal self once more.
So what is to be the ultimate conclusion here?
How can a life form with a caveman mentality handle the weight and gravitas of a high-tech existence?
Guess we can’t. Then what in the end will it take to force humans to jump start evolution once more?
To leave behind iniquity and its constant defense as a justified means to commit evil? To accept their better angels instead of their most primitive barbaric selves? To use what they have invented for good?
Can it be done? Sadly, probably not without something so horrific and mind shattering that man will be forced to face his inner demons and drive them out. Then and only then will earth ever see peace. Can our children and grandchildren ever have hope for a better future. Will we once again begin the trek toward progress and the light.
So, if you think science fiction still exists, I invite you to look around and see how little science is now fiction, but sadly how much mankind has lost in the process?
I pray there is still hope we can Live Long and Prosper! Kirk Out!
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