It’s funny — I just heard of Pon farr for the first time ever (from my friend Charles) this week — did you know Ted Sturgeon created that concept? Yes he did! — and then I see this (probably very NSFW, due to the lyrics) video:
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/3uxTpyCdriY" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]
Told you it was funny!
(via justinhowe)
Wow, I can’t believe you had never heard of the Vulcan mating ritual. If it wasn’t for the magic of “Star Trek: TOS,” I doubt I ever would have entered into the fascinating worlds of Heinlein, Asimov, and other great writers of science fiction.
Unlike most SF TV shows or movies, Trek had a long history of seeking advice from real SF writers.
Ted Sturgeon wrote two episodes “Amok Time” and “Shore Leave.” He also wrote another treatment “The Joy Machine” which was never filmed. James Gunn (of “The Listeners” wrote it as a novel about ten years ago.
Issac Asimov initially wrote a criticism of Trek in a magazine (I think it was TV Guide), and Roddenberry sought him out for advice. They became life long friends ever since, and Asimov was a technical consultant for the first TOS movie. Roddenberry was (if I recall correctly) also friends with Ray Bradbury.
I’m not sure if they ever met or were friends, but Roddenberry was said to have admired Arthur C. Clarke’s works greatly.
“Trouble with Tribbles” writer David Gerrold went on to become a Nebula Award winning SF writer. However, there were some concerns that the idea of Tribbles were copied from the space cats in “The Rolling Stones” (I think). Gerrold contacted Heinlein, and Heinlein gave his blessing to use the idea.
Norman Spinrad (one of my favorite writers, though he seems to be on the edge of being forgotten nowadays) wrote “The Doomsday Machine.”
And of course, you have Harlan Ellison. (“The City on the Edge of Forever”). Jerome Bixby, who wrote several SF stories, also wrote several episodes. Robert Bloch (who also wrote “Psycho”) wrote a couple of episodes.
The first pilot for Trek “The Cage” was premiered at a Worldcon.
Among Hugo and Nebula award winning writers who wrote Trek novels include Mack Reynolds, James Blish, Greg Bear (!), Joe Haldeman, Vonda McIntyre. I also did not know until recently, but Fredrik Pohl was the editor for early Trek books (though apparently he did not pay too much attention to them).
Trek does (rightly) get criticized for being SF lite and its science being fast and loose, but for a TV show or a movie, with the possible exception of “2001” and “2010,” it probably had the closest and best working relationship with the (written) SF community.
Addendum:
Philip K Dick apparently admired Spock and Leonard Nimoy somewhat (saying Nimoy could make anyone or anything sound credible). James Tiptree Jr. wrote a pastiche of Trek, which, after publication, she sent to Roddenberry. According to her biography, she kept Roddenberry’s reply in a plastic wrapper for safekeeping.
OK, that video was excellent. Kirk and Spock PR0N!
That video was hilarious!
Contrary to what many may think right now, I can admire bleakness when done really, really well. And I consider NIN’s “The Downward Spiral” as a prime example of that (a height, or depth, they never reached again).
I’m just getting around to this. I had a feeling when you mentioned the video in your email that you were talking about this one. Probably my favorite ST fan video of all time (although the Month Python mash-up gives it a run for its money).