Would You Still Be a Science Fiction Fan?

[Spock's Barber]

Heaven forbid, but if TOS had never made it to television form and the Star Trek franchise ended before it took off, would you still be a serious science fiction fan with only a few other sci-fi shows on the air during the 1960's?

 

[gottacook]

All I can say is <cogley>"Books, young man, books!"</cogley> I was into SF novels and story collections (Heinlein, Silverberg, Bradbury, Norton) at age 11, thanks to my junior high school library; didn't start watching Star Trek until the season 3 premiere, just before I turned 12. Rereading an SF novel or story, if it's one you're attuned to in the first place, can be a lot more rewarding than watching an old familiar episode.

None of the other SF shows on the air at the time would have had any influence on me, had Star Trek not been produced. Who would take an Irwin Allen show seriously? (okay, maybe the documentary-style first episode of Lost in Space...)

 

[Tallguy]

It would take a lot more than Star Trek.

 

[Greg Cox]

What gottacook said about books. I think the first "grown-up" book I ever read was The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, and I was an omnivorous reader of sf, fantasy, and horror from early on. My local library was brimming over with books by Wells, Asimov, Bradbury, Matheson, Sturgeon, Andre Norton, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Olaf Stapledon, etc.

Plus, we should recall that classic sf movies like Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, This Island Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and so on were still airing regularly on TV back during the sixties and early seventies, while the Planet of the Apes movies were still going strong in the theaters, so even if (God forbid) STAR TREK hadn't happened there would have still been no shortage of memorable sci-fi to warp our tender minds.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Who would take an Irwin Allen show seriously?

Sometimes I tried to take Lost in Space as serious science fiction, but then something usually happened to change my mind.....

 

[Poltargyst]

In the 70's I was a reader of Marvel Comics. I watched Space 1999 and UFO and every Sci Fi movie that showed on tv. I got all into Star Wars when those movies came out. Safe to say that yes, I would still have been into Science Fiction without Star Trek. It's just that Star Trek is a unique and special outlet for those who love Science Fiction.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm a book guy too. One of the first books I bought was A Journey To the Center of the Earth through the Scholastic Book Club at school. I devoured SF&F movies on TV and on the screen. Plus I was into comic books. So I think my path to Science Fiction was established.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Good points. I forgot that I was into Marvel and DC superhero comics as a kid.

 

[1001001]

All I can say is <cogley>"Books, young man, books!"</cogley> I was into SF novels and story collections (Heinlein, Silverberg, Bradbury, Norton) at age 11, thanks to my junior high school library; didn't start watching Star Trek until the season 3 premiere, just before I turned 12. Rereading an SF novel or story, if it's one you're attuned to in the first place, can be a lot more rewarding than watching an old familiar episode.

None of the other SF shows on the air at the time would have had any influence on me, had Star Trek not been produced. Who would take an Irwin Allen show seriously? (okay, maybe the documentary-style first episode of Lost in Space...)

What gottacook said about books. I think the first "grown-up" book I ever read was The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, and I was an omnivorous reader of sf, fantasy, and horror from early on. My local library was brimming over with books by Wells, Asimov, Bradbury, Matheson, Sturgeon, Andre Norton, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Olaf Stapledon, etc.

Plus, we should recall that classic sf movies like Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, This Island Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and so on were still airing regularly on TV back during the sixties and early seventies, while the Planet of the Apes movies were still going strong in the theaters, so even if (God forbid) STAR TREK hadn't happened there would have still been no shortage of memorable sci-fi to warp our tender minds.

I'm a book guy too. One of the first books I bought was A Journey To the Center of the Earth through the Scholastic Book Club at school. I devoured SF&F movies on TV and on the screen. Plus I was into comic books. So I think my path to Science Fiction was established.

Sorry, Greg.



Honestly, Star Wars did a lot more to get me into Sci-Fi than TOS.

 

[Poltargyst]

I should have mentioned books myself. As a kid I was always reading something, and it was usually something science fictiony. Including the Alan Dean Foster TAS adaptations.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Honestly, Star Wars did a lot more to get me into Sci-Fi than TOS.

Star Wars? I was senior in High School when that came out and firmly ensconced in SF.

Kindly remove yourself from my lawn.

 

[Relayer1]

Yes. I've got a house full of books !

I also grew up with 2001, Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet, Blake's 7, Doctor Who, UFO, Space 1999, Hitchikers Guide, Time Tunnel, The Six Million Dollar Man, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Dan Dare, some films by George Lucas...

 

[Poltargyst]

Forgot Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman. (Lindsay Wagner me-ow). And Battlestar Galactica!

 

[Greg Cox]

And let's not forget The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, which I also watched religiously as a kid, even though The Outer Limits often scared the heck out of me . . .

 

[Spock's Barber]

The Charles H. Schneer/Ray Harryhausen movies such as 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts also hooked me on the science fiction and fantasy genres.

 

[Push The Button]

Probably, yes.

 

[C57D]

Yes, like most other posters, I voracciously devoured all scifi and fantasy that I came across. Films, books and TV. TOS didnt get to the UK until the early 70's (if my memory serves well) and I was already hooked on Spiderman comics, and Doctor Who, and the wonderful Gerry Anderson Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stringray. Plus reading any and all scifi in the local library. Yes TOS was a wonderful scifi series and quickly became my favourite, but scifi was already in my blood!!

 

[Greg Cox]

Honestly, Star Wars did a lot more to get me into Sci-Fi than TOS.

Oh, you kids . . .

 

[Forbin]

I was a sci fi fan long before TOS!

 

[UnknownSample]

TOS was by far the biggest influence, but I was getting there anyway. Season one of Lost In Space I loved. Some of what came along just a bit later would not have happened without Trek, but some would have. I think 2001 was being planned before Trek.