Star Fleet Academy’s cancellation has sent mixed ripples across the Star Trek fandom. I call it “fandom” and not “community” because it certainly hasn’t felt like a community in a long time. Unfortunately, the loudest “fans” in the room are actively spreading toxicity, and while I’ve never fed the trolls, it’s difficult to find level-headed Star Trek fans to have engaging conversations about the franchise.
The Trek trolls definitely have a stranglehold on the discourse on the state of the franchise. I firmly believe those at Paramount who are in charge of the franchise listened to the loud “fans” on this one.
Constructive criticism has gone completely out the window. Any YouTube dive into recent discussions on Star Trek will reveal the ugly side of the fandom. Countless videos bemoaning the franchise is pushing an agenda, or praising Star Fleet Academy’s cancellation. They use obvious AI or Photoshopped thumbnails that misrepresent the actors and draw viewers in with the most ridiculous video titles.
As a level-headed Star Trek fan, I think it’s time the franchise took a very long break. The original Star Trek series and it’s two follow-up shows The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine all were allegories of their times. I feel like that element is missing in the Star Trek produced today. If it is there, then either I missed it, or its in one of the series I stopped watching.
The 60th anniversary of Star Trek is a few months away. I think this is the perfect time to put the franchise in a long hiatus. I’m not going to muse on how to fix Star Trek since I’m not in show business. Media conglomerate Paramount/Skydance has stated that Star Trek is a “priority” but, I highly doubt that. A lot of time needs to go by before the reins are picked up again.
In the meantime, we still have the rest of Strange New Worlds, Star Fleet Academy season 2, and sixty years of Star Trek shows and films that we can fall back on for comfort, inspiration or entertainment.
There’s also the massive library of official novels and comics that expand on the lives of each crew, written by well-established and capable writers. Audiobook lovers are in for a treat as some stories are read by Star Trek alum. Not every comic or novel is a winner, but then again, neither was every episode of your favorite series.
Fan fiction is also a treasure trove of Star Trek content. While some of the writing may not be top quality, and some stories might go completely off the rails, it’s necessary to give it some grace. There are countless fan fiction stories online as well as in podcast form. The common element being a love for Star Trek. Some well-established writers developed their skills by writing fan fiction, so you never know: the work of fan fiction you read today could be someone’s stepping stone to professional publication.
