This month’s essay is not just about Star Trek.
Although I have held Star Wars closer to my heart for most of my life, I have never believed in that (largely imaginary) rivalry between it and Star Trek. For various reasons I never fell into The Next Generation, DS9, or Enterprise, but many years ago I set myself the challenge to watch all of the movies in order, and that was a largely enjoyable (if occasionally baffling) experience.
When Discovery started, I decided to finally get properly excited about Star Trek. And it was worth it - I love Michael, I love Georgiou, I love most of the cast and much of the story. I’m not saying there are no issues - of course there are - but it has been worth being excited about. Then there was lockdown… and I watched the entirety of Voyager in just a couple of months. No regrets.
Next was Picard - I followed Liz Barr’s advice about which episodes of TNG to watch beforehand, so I was up on the Borg - and Strange New Worlds; there’s Lower Decks and Prodigy, both of which I adore. Despite my recent viewing, though, I would not classify myself as a Serious Fan: I’m not engaging in the detailed discussions in whatever forum about all the minutiae, because I’m simply choosing not to. Liz Barr, though, is doing so. And she has a lot to say about Star Trek fans: their self-perception and their blindness, particularly in relation to their attitudes towards diversity.
This essay has a lot to say to all of us about acceptance, community, and how we treat each other. Inside and outside of any fandom.