Fan Phenomena: Star Trek

Fan Phenomena

by Bruce E. Drushel (Editor)

From a decidedly inauspicious start as a low-rated television series in the 1960s that was cancelled after three seasons, Star Trek has grown to a multi-billion dollar industry of spin-off series, feature films, and merchandise. Fueling the ever-expanding franchise are some of the most rabid and loyal fans in the universe, known affectionately as Trekkies. Perhaps no other community so typifies fandom as the devoted aficionados of the Star Trek television series, motion pictures, novels, comic books, and conventions. Indeed, in many respects, Star Trek fans created modern fan culture and continue to push its frontiers with elaborate fan-generated video productions, electronic fan fiction collectives, and a proliferation of tribute sites in cyberspace.


 In this anthology, a panel of rising and established popular culture scholars examines the phenomenon of Star Trek fan culture and its most compelling dimensions. The book explores such topics as the impact of the recent “rebooting” of the iconic franchise on its fan base; the complicated and often contentious relationship between Star Trek and its lesbian and gay fans; the adaptation of Star Trek to other venues, including live theatre, social media, and gaming; fan hyperreality, including parody and non-geek fandom; one iconic actor’s social agenda; and alternative fan reactions to the franchise’s villains. The resulting collection is both snapshot and moving picture of the practices and attitudes of a fan culture that is arguably the world’s best-known and most misunderstood.


Striking a balanced tone, the contributors are critical yet respectful, acknowledging the uniquely close and enduring relationship between fans and the franchise while approaching it with appropriate objectivity, distance, and scope. Accessible to a variety of audiences—from the newcomer to fan culture to those already well-read on the subject—this book will be heralded by fans as well as serious scholars.

Genres: Nonfiction, Star Trek

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individually, each of the chapters in this book is a fascinating insight into a particular aspect of Star Trek fan culture. Taken together, they form a poignant snapshot of Star Trek fandom as a whole. The culture of Star Trek fans is a compelling and fun anthropological study, and Fan Phenomena: Star Trek does a good job of providing an introduction to it. While reading each chapter, I felt compelled to learn more than what was presented. Thankfully, the authors list their sources and recommendations for further reading on the subjects discussed. I think that this book is valuable for both the fan of Star Trek who wants to learn more as well as the more scholarly among us, and even those who live outside the Star Trek "bubble" who wish to learn exactly why this whole Star Trek thing is so big. Each section of the book has something interesting to say about Star Trek fans, and while I love being immersed in the world of Trek, it was fun to look at it with a somewhat more critical eye and examine it from the outside looking in.

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2013/09/f...

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction serves as a decent state of the Star Trek fandom field, and each chapter explores more specific facets of the community. I found this somewhat useful compared to the Star Wars edition. Some essays could easily he much longer. I really liked the "fans mocking fans" essay near the end.

[Courtney Hartley]

I'm not really sure how to rate this as it took me so long to read, and since it's fairly academic, I feel there's definitely bits that just haven't stuck. It'll take a reread or two of each essay to really get it I think.