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50th Anniversary of Star Trek
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The show that inspired innumerable “Mary Sues”
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The show that inspired innumerable “Mary Sues”
The show that inspired innumerable “Mary Sues” “Mary Sue,” one of the most common (and mocked) fan fiction tropes, comes from “A Trekkie's Tale” (1973) by Paula Smith. The story satirizes the tendency of fan writers to insert themselves as a romantic interest into their favorite movies and shows, such the sci-fi cult classic Star Trek (1966–69).

50th Anniversary of Star Trek

September 8, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of the debut of the sci-fi classic Star Trek.
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Michael Ray
Michael Ray is an assistant managing editor who has worked at Britannica since 2003. In addition to leading the Geography and History team, he oversees coverage of European history and military affairs....
Michael Ray
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September 8, 2016, is the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek on NBC. The series documented the five-year mission of the crew of the USS Enterprise to “seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Under the command of the charismatic (and frequently pugilistic) Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner), the Enterprise traversed the skyways of the 23rd century, exploring planets that always happened to have environments that were fully compatible with human respiratory systems. The show lasted just three seasons, but its influence on science fiction cannot be overstated. Star Trek’s popularity grew when the show entered syndication, and its most-devoted fans (Trekkers or Trekkies, depending on one’s preference) gave rise to an entire subculture.

Military conflict—involving such persistent threats as the Klingons, the Romulans, the Borg, and the Dominion—did figure prominently in Star Trek’s half-century narrative arc, but fans pointed to the show’s title to demonstrate that exploration and discovery remained its central themes (in contrast to another venerable franchise). Perhaps the show’s most-enduring conflict, however, was the seemingly endless debate about who was the Enterprise’s greatest captain (Kirk proponents will gleefully point out that Capt. Jean-Luc Picard surrendered the ship in the very first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation).

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