The Final Frontier

You just stay away from that Kirk fellow, you hear me?

I was a true Trekkie back in the 70's, and believe me, it was not easy to live with the nerd stigma back then. Unlike these modern times, when being a nerd is actually cool (hey, everyone likes Star Wars and possibly even some of the many Star Trek spin-off TV series, among all of the other SF films and shows that are now considered mainstream fare), I faced ridicule from anyone who didn't get the sci-fi thing. And I was not just a Trek fan -  I also read SF novels by authors like Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. I had a friend or two who also appreciated this stuff, but for the most part, I was alone in my obsession and was a target for teasing at school. Oh well, those meat-heads are probably either in jail or dead now. I feel better about it now!


My fandom went so far as me ordering collectibles from the Star Trek fan club. I had stacks of photos, editing room film clippings, fanzines, posters, toys and model kits, and even replica embroidered uniform insignias. Yes, this stuff was all fun to own at the time, but after hanging onto it for decades, I decided it wasn't worth the space it was taking up, so I sold off many of those goodies. Though I'm not such a massive fan any more, I do still enjoy watching the original Trek shows now and then... I have the entire series on remastered DVD. Tribbles and all. 

This pasta and meat combination is quite illogical!

Thankfully, I didn't do away with everything I collected during the 70's. I still have several Trek tomes on my bookshelves, and I don't think I'll ever part with them. Pictured below are some of them: the Star Fleet Technical Manual, perfect for re-wiring a malfunctioning tricorder; the ST puzzle manual; Trek Or Treat, a little lark full of stills matched up with silly dialogue; the ST Concordance - a very nice episode guide and encyclopedia of all things Trek; The Enterprise Logs, a collection of the reprinted ST comic strips; and my favourite... The Making of Star Trek, a fascinating look behind the scenes of production of the original series, as well as a detailed look at how Hollywood operated back in the 60's. The good and the bad and the ugly.