Forty-five years ago today, a certain TV show premiered on the NBC network. At the time, it didn't make a hell of a lot of noise – it got so-so ratings and lasted three seasons. But it would be the show that would go on to create geekery as we know it.
Now, some people may argue that geekery was around before Gene Roddenberry's little space opera hit the airwaves. They can point to early sci-fi zines and Sherlock Holmes societies. But fandom was never as organized, or as creative, on a mass scale as it was when Star Trek captured people's imaginations.
Just about everything we associate with fandom originated with that first group of Trekkies. Organized campaigns to persuade the Powers that Be to see things the fans' way? How do you think the show got that third season? Fanfiction? Look no further than the first run of Trek zines. (Yep, you can thank Trek for slash, too – K/S was the very first pairing of that type). Cons? Yes, they originated that, too.
The fact is, every fan group today, from otaku to Bronies, owes their fan culture to the pioneering work of that first group of Star Trek devotees. Oh, and by the way, those Trekkies weren't the stereotypical pimple-faced nerdy boys with Spock ears, either – many of them were middle-aged, suburban moms, finding their first real creative and social outlets at a time when women were still far from equality. Yes, we just may be able to thank Star Trek, in part, for feminism as well.
And from a fan to pro standpoint, Trek has been responsible for innumerable careers – including a number of people getting involved with NASA. Heck, Star Trek marketing – books, merchandise, films – has often been a career path in itself.
So as you go about your fannish business today, take a few minutes to remember where it all began. Live long and prosper, Star Trek – from contemporary fandoms whose worlds you've made at least 20% cooler.
– Bonnie Walling