SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Soon I am about to embark on an epic mission. The wife and I have decided we must watch every Star Trek episode and movie in released order. From TOS to Enterprise and everything in between. Some I'll be watching for the first time. Some will be taking a trip to the past. TAS will just be weird. But we shall do it.

So tell me, what are your favourite series, movie and/or episode?

For me my favourite series is Voyager. Although I grew up with TNG it was Voyager I first watched completely and at an age where I could understand it all.

I also grew up watching TNG, and it remains my favourite. Captain Picard was my role model growing up. Star Trek remains my all time favourite tv show, especially the first 3 series.

It is a shame that such SF is no longer made. These days it's all drama like BSG or fantasy posing as SF like Fringe. There's very little science left in science fiction tv.

Star Trek had a sense of adventure and a hope for a better future for mankind. A world were science was acknowledged as essential for prosperity. Explanations for phenomena were scientific and solutions to problems involved science technology and human ingenuity. This was especially prominent in TOS and TNG. DS9 was in some ways more focused on social sciences and politics, and it showed that even enlightened societies can have a darker side.

I really miss Star Trek. I rewatch the series occasionally. And it really is a shame that no new series are made, although voyager and Enterprise did not live up to the quality of the previous shows imo. Star Trek is the the most amazing tv show ever made, no other show has the philosophical depth of Star Trek, while still being highly entertaining.

Sorry for the long post and good luck!

Kudos, Kim! My wife has just bought me the complete boxed set of Star Trek TNG for my 60th birthday (good grief!), and over the next few weeks we'll be watching all 7 series; but your ambition tops that. I never got into Voyager and DS9, but I was a fan of the original Star Trek from day 1, and when TNG came along I thought it was just as good, if not better. And I agree with you, Betelgeuze - in a world where anti-rationalism seems to be ever on the increase, it's sad that we don't have a current robust scientifically based drama series presenting us with an antidote and a positive hope for the future. I also liked one or two of the Star Trek movies, Wrath of Khan and The Return especially, though the standard of the others was rather variable.

Anyway, good luck with your continuing mission, Kim. Live long and prosper.

I love the original series, STTNG and Voyager. Never could get into DS9. WOULD like to watch Enterprise from Netflix at some point.

Have a great adventure Kim!

One of my all-time favorite Trek episodes is the second one from TAS where we see Spock as a child, "Yesteryear." The last few lines of that episode are killers. I watched it again a few months ago because it's on Netflix streaming and it got to me all over again.

Let's see - I will always love The City on the Edge of Forever and all episodes with Harry Mudd. LOL

I love Deep Space Nine for the characters, relationships and the alien cultures. I feel that it has more depth than the other Star Trek series. Though I do feel nostalgic about ST:TOS , and all the Star Trek series have had great moments.

I love the original series only, was obsessed with it. I was one of those kids who sent NBC letters written on three hole punch asking them to please bring back the greatest show of all time. I loved half of the first few movies with Captain (and later Admiral) Kirk. I burst into tears when Next Generation came on television -- a dream fulfilled, Trek is back! But that series was too bland for me, kinder and gentler but no edge. I watched it on occasion and thought some of the films based on it were very good.

I think part of the power of the original series was because it reflected all the color and turmoil of the Sixties, a very dramatic era. The reboot of the original series in the film by JJ Abrams I thought was a total success. It made the most of digital imagery but had all the emotional grit of the original series, the dynamic characters who weren't bound by political correctness or the Prime Directive. Seeing the Starship Enterprise docked in outer space in that movie had me openly weeping in the movie theater and wishing I could enlist in Starfleet Academy.

Favorite episodes: the flower children in search of Eden, the mail order brides on the beauty drug, the Trouble with Tribbles, the planet where people who were black on the left side were persecuted by people who are black on the right side, And many, many more...

Is there anyone who doesn't love Tribbles?

I have a tribble that used to coo at me. It may have decided that I'm really a Klingon, but it could be that the battery needs replacing.

The nearest thing to a Tribble is a long-haired guinea-pig:

The tribble episodes are great. My favorite series was TNG as it was the first I truly fell in love with and I discovered it and role-playing games at the same time.

I have favourite episodes from each of the series and was overjoyed with the 2009 Star Trek movie. Peter David has some interesting characters in his Star Trek: New Frontier book series also. Shomeret, I'm getting a little nervous about a Klingon invasion...my tribble has been very quiet lately too :)

My tribbles are noisy whenever I open the fridge, so I don't think there are any Klingons around here.

I loved TOS, when it was on! I was so angry at my brothers for having Bar Mitzvahs on Friday night, so I had to miss Star Trek! I vowed my Bat Mitzvah wouldn't be on Friday, so I didn't miss Star Trek. Alas, Star Trek was not on that long...

I liked each of Treks came later, though it got easy to find things to do instead of watch Voyager and Enterprise. I've since seen some great episodes I missed the first time through. Deep Space Nine is very favorite for its complexity, ensemble and darkness.

favorite episodes: everybody's said great ones from TOS like "City on the Edge of Forever." TNG- "Inner Light" DS9- "Siege of 851" and "It's Always a Paper Moon," the one where they play baseball.

Betelgueze said: Star Trek is the the most amazing tv show ever made, no other show has the philosophical depth of Star Trek, while still being highly entertaining.

I think Dr Who, Babylon 5 and the later Battlestar Galactica are right up there...

And I'm with Kim Marie about Peter David's . It's some inventive and wonderful ST in a wholly new & created ship.

TNG is probably still my favourite ST series, I love Data and I love Picard, although I have a huge soft spot for VOY as well (next in line for a rewatch!)

Julia wrote: "Betelgueze said: Star Trek is the the most amazing tv show ever made, no other show has the philosophical depth of Star Trek, while still being highly entertaining.

I think Dr Who, Babylon 5 and the later Battlestar Galactica are right up there..."

Babylon 5 had philosophical depth? ;D I kinda loved Babylon 5, but it wasn't up to par with Star Trek IMHO. One of the things I really love about ST is that it is, in a way, a utopia. Humankind has risen above our petty squabbling (and not just because there's an external threat to rally against), and science and peaceful exploration is the name of the game. There really isn't anything like it on TV these days. I love Doctor Who, but it's a very different show, and I loved BSG too, but that was gritty and dark, not post-finance, post-organized religion, pro-science and humanitarianism.

Star Trek a utopia? Have you seen any of the shows? Kirk had his own fight music, for crying out loud!

I was (and am) a fan of the original Star Trek series. It started not too long after I owned my first television set, in my 20s, and I watched Star Trek and a couple of other programs of that era religiously.

I watched a few episodes of the later series/spin offs but never got as involved with those, I think in part because of the changing formats ... most of the series started moving from a single episode being a complete 'story' with only the characters remaining the same to a somewhat 'soap-opera=ish' format where there were stories that were ongoing. If you missed an episode or two, it was difficult to pick up where that plotline had gone.

I was working shift work at the time then and finally gave up because I'd simply missed too many episodes here and there so gave up.

Trike wrote: "Star Trek a utopia? Have you seen any of the shows? Kirk had his own fight music, for crying out loud!"

The world of humankind being post-finance, post-religion, pro-science and pro-humanitarianism sounds utopian to me.

Kim, that's a heck of a mission! Have fun.

I grew up with TNG, but my favorite is DS9. I like how DS9 did something different, while still being Star Trek. TOS can be cheesy and campy, but it definitely has it's moments. I thought Enterprise was improving once it dropped the ridiculous Temporal Cold War and started doing more exploration and pre-Federation stuff. Voyager is the only series I haven't seen every episode of.

I don't really like comparing various sci-fi shows with each other. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Star Trek, BSG, Babylon5, Stargate, Farscape are all telling different types of stories and I've enjoyed them all.

And while an utopia is a wonderful idea, it does limit the number of stories you can do.

I grew up on reruns of TOS. In fact, one time my dad wanted me to bale hay and I said ok, but I'm leaving at 5:55 so I can watch Star Trek. At 5:55, I turned off the tractor, jumped off while it was still running and ran back to the house just in time.

City on the Edge of Forever is a clear favorite for TOS, The Inner Light is my favorite TNG. My favorite DS9 is where Jake is an old man who's spent his life trying to rescue his dad, which he only has an opportunity to do every few years. DS9 is the only series I gave up on because it just got too boring and preachy at the end. I loved Voyager, but no single episode stands out and Enterprise was ok, but sorta disappointing.

Kim wrote: "Soon I am about to embark on an epic mission. The wife and I have decided we must watch every Star Trek episode and movie in released order. From TOS to Enterprise and everything in between. Some I..."

Enjoy! We do this once a year or two and continue to enjoy all the series and the movies.

For more fun start reading the expanded universe. There are over 700 novels and much, much more ephemera.

Hi Kim, I love all the Star Treks, just about to watch the voyager series x 7.

Came across this blogsite which might be of interest; A fellow Trekie, David King from UK Edinburgh, he's making a chronological list of all the Star Trek novels http://killie-booktalk.blogspot.com/p...

Deep Space Nine - episode 13 season six - Far Beyond the Stars. About Benjamin Sisko as a black sci-fi writer struggling against the prejudices in 1950s New York.

The episode makes me cry every time. Mainly because Deep Space Nine is a dream instead of true and the struggles faced by Benny Russell and his colleagues and friends are far from over.

Re Far Beyond the Stars--There is also a novelization of this episode by Steve Barnes that I thought was excellent. It's in my top ten of pro Trek novels.

Andi wrote: "...Came across this blogsite which might be of interest; A fellow Trekie, David King from UK Edinburgh, he's making a chronological list of all the Star Trek novels http://killie-booktalk.blogspot.com/p...
"

Fantastic! I've been trying to figure out how to read my boxes of Star Trek books in order!

I grew up on watching TOS in syndication in the 70's and 80's, it's still my favorite of all the Star Trek series, though each one had something appealing to it. I've been slowly watching TOS episodes on Netflix recently.

Betelgeuze wrote: "I also grew up watching TNG, and it remains my favourite. Captain Picard was my role model growing up. Star Trek remains my all time favourite tv show, especially the first 3 series.

It is a sham..."
I, too, love TNG. I am rewatching the series on Netflix on the Apple TV and remembering what I loved about the series. I am also introducing my 7-year old son to it. And, my husband and I are rewatching the original series. (Although, at 45 years old, I am just "young" enough to not remember TOS - although my husband who is the same age does remember watching them all).

Betelgeuze - excellent comments. You are dead on when you talk about the vision for the future - the positive attitude, the belief that human kind could become truly better. Funny, I was watching the episode of TNG in the first season called Coming of Age. I was particularly caught by the scenes of Cmdr Remmick typing away on something that looked *identical* to an iPhone or iPad. (Did Steve Jobs watch Star Trek for ideas?) This is what I love about the Star Trek series; its ability to create a vision for the future that was attainable - that we could reach for. Granted some of it is just gadgetry (cell phones and ipads), but still, there was an honor and morality about it that you don't find in other series. I truly miss the Star Trek franchise on TV :-(

Harpmary wrote: "...Betelgeuze - excellent comments. You are dead on when you talk about the vision for the future - the positive attitude, the belief that human kind could become truly better..."

A main complaint of Star Trek naysayers is that it is unrealistic to think humans will fundamentally change by the 23rd century. I am not one of them and and would like to live in the utopia that is the Federation, even with real and potential external enemies.

Kernos wrote: "A main complaint of Star Trek naysayers is that it is unrealistic to think humans will fundamentally change by the 23rd century. I am not one of them and and would like to live in the utopia that is the Federation, even with real and potential external enemies. "

Considering the huge changes in the 20th century alone, it doesn't seem *that* far fetched after all. :)

The website The Legal Geeks had a nice article on Star Trek and its concern with human rights: http://thelegalgeeks.com/blog/tag/sta...

Harpmary wrote: "Betelgeuze wrote: "I also grew up watching TNG, and it remains my favourite. Captain Picard was my role model growing up. Star Trek remains my all time favourite tv show, especially the first 3 ser..."

Karen wrote: "The website The Legal Geeks had a nice article on Star Trek and its concern with human rights: http://thelegalgeeks.com/blog/tag/sta...

Harpmary wrote: "Betelgeuze wrote: "I also grew up watch..."

Thanks, Karen! Loved the article. I forwarded to my husband. Wondering if any lawyer or judge has quoted "Resistance is futile." ;-)

Star Trek really has had an impact on culture. As I mentioned earlier, I am convinced that designers in the cell phone industry, as well as Steve Jobs, watch Star Trek episodes for ideas. And, philosophically there is no question that our own leaders have used Star Trek as a model for ideas.

As a side question - Did Gene Roddenberry come up with "the prime directive" on his own or did he take the concept from cultural anthropology theory of the time?

Harpmary wrote: "As a side question - Did Gene Roddenberry come up with "the prime directive" on his own or did he take the concept from cultural anthropology theory of the time? "

Not an answer (I have no idea, but I guess he might've looked at other kinds of explorers?), but I thought this was kinda neat:

From ASA:
"Weighing against this is an ethos of not disturbing, of minimising impacts on the researched. (I've sometimes heard this called the 'prime directive' by anthropologists who watch far too much Star Trek)."

Favorite movie is the new reboot. I'm super psyched for the sequel later this year.

I recently finished watching the entire Next Generation series. One year, I want to watch all Star Trek episodes and movies in timeline order.

Also, tapping into the conversation earlier, Star Trek may be seen as unrealistic because every other future in books and movies is dystopian. Pessimism sells. In fact, I'm hard pressed to name any other futuristic setting in which humanity is as well off as in Star Trek.

Sounds like fun! I personally favor DS9, for so many reasons. I like that they don't get to fly away from last week's whatever; that the main focus was on character development; that I could relate to a lot of what they experiencing (difficult boss, tough crowd, treating religion with respect, etc., etc.); that an actual mature relationship or two developed instead of playing "guess which one the cat dragged home last night?" with the characters. (That jab isn't just aimed at ST, btw, it's now a popular theme on TV.) It makes me laugh, makes me cry, and it's absolutely the only TV show I've ever watched/rewatched/and stayed up until midnight watching it again. (Stargate SG-1 came close, but that's a different discussion.)

I watched the original series as a kid and watched some DS9 but my favorite is definitely TNG. My kids tease me about the huge crush I have on Jonathan Frakes.

Jeremiah wrote: "I recently finished watching the entire Next Generation series. One year, I want to watch all Star Trek episodes and movies in timeline order.

Also, tapping into the conversation earlier, Star Tr..."
It's the hopeful vision for humanity portrayed that I especially like about Star Trek. I'm not a great fan of dystopian or apocalyptic fiction. If I want to be depressed, I can watch the news.

Lea wrote: "Sounds like fun! I personally favor DS9, for so many reasons. I like that they don't get to fly away from last week's whatever; that the main focus was on character development; that I could relate..."

Yeah, me too. DS9 is definitely my favorite, also I enjoy TNG as well. Voyager - not so much. Why - I think because I like DS9 deep and diverse characters and their relationships that developed through the entire series.
About 10 years ago, almost any time my kids turned on the TV, there was some Star Trek on one channel or another. I watched them all in reruns and not always in order. Sadly, they have stopped showing it. Now, there are newer series, but I don't like most of them. These days, the new series lean towards darker, more intense stories, just like books do in recent years. Not my cup of tea. I guess Voyager caught this trend; maybe that's why I don't like it.

Jeremiah wrote: Star Trek may be seen as unrealistic because every other future in books and movies is dystopian. Pessimism sells. In fact, I'm hard pressed to name any other futuristic setting in which humanity is as well off as in Star Trek.

Inexplicably I didn't watch Dr Who unti Dr #9. The New Who. Certainly many futures aren't rosy, but neither was it rosy in the Trek universe when in DS9 a single Changeling came to Earth and the government instituted martial law...
Because the Doctor exists there is hope.
Star Trek TNG is still playing on BBC America.

D.L. wrote: "It's the hopeful vision for humanity portrayed that I especially like about Star Trek. I'm not a great fan of dystopian or apocalyptic fiction. If I want to be depressed, I can watch the news. "

I'm with you.

Jeremiah wrote: "Also, tapping into the conversation earlier, Star Trek may be seen as unrealistic because every other future in books and movies is dystopian. Pessimism sells. In fact, I'm hard pressed to name any other futuristic setting in which humanity is as well off as in Star Trek."

I think Larry Niven's Known Space is very Trekian in its scope and outlook. Overall it's pretty positive, even if bad things happen to some characters.

Of course, I still don't buy that Star Trek was utopian -- or even cashless (remember them buying tribbles?) -- but in terms of humanity "giving as good as it gets" and mostly working out our racial and gender differences, its pretty solid.

Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke showed a fairly optimistic future. It's not a very interesting book, though.

The Golden Age (and sequels) by John C. Wright shows a kind of utopia that feels entirely plausible. It has conflict and conspiracy at its heart, but then so does Star Trek, because you need to tell stories.

I love the devolution one(Genesis) and any one where Barclay is the focus, especially the holodeck one (hollow pursuits). He's the every-man hero of Star Trek, I'd say.

I loved Deep Space Nine; particulary the final season.

I grew up with the original series, and have watched the other series as they came out (I only occasionally caught a TAS episode; I stopped completely with the pilot of Enterprise).

The series are all so different that I can't really say that any one is my favorite. All had bad and good episodes, bad and good science, and bad and good characters and interaction.

But my favorite element of Trek has always been the stories and settings that make you think and that highlight character interactions... something that most of the movies (including the Abrams reboot) have largely forgotten in lieu of Star Wars-style action.

Favorite single episode of all series: TOS, The Doomsday Machine.

I agree with Steven, all series had good and bad episodes and make it hard for me to say which I loved.

DS9 was a favourite, and I loved the Dominion story arc. Voyager also gained momentum for me when the Borg entered the scene - I wasn't a massive fan of the Kazon.

One episode which really sticks in mind mind is from TNG where people start disappearing and Dr Crusher can't work out what's going on. I can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but it turns out that it's Beverley that's actually disappeared!

My favorite TNG is "Inner Light," though the one where Picard is tortured by the Cardassians comes close.
My favorite DS9 is the joyous one from the last or second to last season where they play baseball miserably against Vulcans, but still 'win.' Or "The Siege of three numbers" or "Paper Moon." From TOS it'd have to be "City on the Edge of Forever." DS9 is my favorite of the series, as it used more crayons, the coloring book had more interesting pictures and more effectively colored outside the lines. I also liked that it had such an ensemble feel to the show. I watched "Enterprise " and "Voyager," but can't think of favorite episodes of those shows.

One episode which really sticks in mind mind is from TNG where people start disappearing and Dr Crusher can't work out what's going on. I can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but it turns out that it's Beverley that's actually disappeared!

That one was called "Remember Me." A very interesting episode!

Steven wrote: "One episode which really sticks in mind mind is from TNG where people start disappearing and Dr Crusher can't work out what's going on. I can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but it ..."

Thanks, Steven! Loved that episode...I think I need to watch TNG again.

Wow, I like all versions of things "Star Trek," From DS9 to Enterprise to Voyager and TNG. I can probably pick out favorites from each series, but it would be a long list.

So, to spare the long list, I'll stick with them that started it all and say top three shows form the original series #3... (don't remember the name) - where an alien took over the Enterprise during a stand off between Klingons and the Crew where all the ship's hand held phasers were turned into swords and they were fighting it out. #2 The Naked Time, where a germlike creature infected crewman after crewman bringing about bizare behavior and one Irishman took over the Engineering and kept singing "I'll take you home Kathleen." #1 A tie between the original pilot re-enterduced to as a flash-back show with the original Captain Christopher Pike...The Cage... and "The Trouble with Tribbles". I love the scene where Kirk, Spok and Bones were getting to the bottom of a brawl between Klingons and the crew asking "who through the first punch."

Kirk: Scotty, why did you throw the first punch?

Scotty: Well first they called you a yellow bellied coward...

Kirk: So that's when you hit him?

Scotty: No, then he called the crew scum...but when they called the Enterprise Garbage... well there's only so much a man can take!

That's from memory, the actual lines are probably funnier... but I liked it... and the tribbles were cute too.