Star Trek Turns 59: How The Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise Continues To Shape Pop Culture And Inspire Generations Of Fans

When you hear lines like ‘Scotty, beam us up’ or see the Vulcan salute, you can tell you’ve met a Trekkie. Since 1966, Star Trek and its movies have built a fan base that rivals Marvel and Star Wars. Star Trek Day is celebrated on September 8 to mark the beginning of a cult classic in science fiction and pop culture. September 8 is when the series premiered on TV and became a landmark show. Fans and writers have something to say regarding the impact of the series.

Anil Paremal, the founder of Ruskle, got into Star Trek due to his siblings. “Being ushered into consuming Sci-Fi from an early age, Star Trek was one of the more prominent franchises with a relatively easy access – Late 90’s.”

For writer and publicist Ashad Hussain, the lockdown brought him close to Star Trek. “I had seen bits and pieces before. But during Covid I got hooked on the series. With so much time at home, I started watching it properly and slowly got drawn into the world, the characters, and the storytelling.”

Influential series

Undoubtedly, Star Trek has had a big impact on science fiction and pop culture. Author Hywel Richard Pinto of Europa and High Tide says the show’s appeal comes from our fascination with space travel. “We look up into the night sky and try to piece together the origin of the stars. It’s safe to say that any show that combines this curiosity with intrigue and a host of colourful characters would be a crowd puller.”

He believes these are the main reasons for the show’s popularity, as it sparks our imagination about the universe and keeps us engaged with its fast-paced stories.

Hussain considers the whole thought of never-before-seen space travel and technology when it came on screen. “The characters, too, especially Spock, who became a cultural icon. His Vulcan salute, “Live long and prosper”, was a massive hit even before I became a fan. Star Trek has shaped how people imagine the future and outer space.”

For Paremal, it had all the appearance of Sci-fi from a very Utopian lens when it came on television in the 60s. “A now retro-futuristic utopia, where Interplanetary species work together to discover new worlds was unheard of. It definitely set the standard for Sci-Fi in the decades to come.”

Still relevant

Star Trek still shapes the way we enjoy science fiction. Hussain agrees. “Even the very first Star Trek movie in the late 80s was a blockbuster because no one had seen anything like it before. It appealed to kids and adults alike. And its relevance continues; the series is still running in 2025 on Hotstar.”

He watches the latest episodes on a weekly basis with his niece, who too has become a Trekkie. He calls its cross-generational appeal timeless.

Pinto considers every show around space travel heavily influenced by Star Trek. “The show literally took us beyond where no man has ever gone before. The premise of a joint mission between humans and aliens to find intelligent life is something that all of us fantasise is. From shows like Star Trek, a whole host of imaginative shows were born.”

Paremal speaks of several plot points from its Star Trek franchise library still being adapted for mainstream sci-fi/comic book and movies. “One could even argue the last Avengers movie heavily lifted from some late 90s Star Trek episodes. There are also whole languages developed and used by Trekkies in real life. The most popular is Klingon. This did set a precedent for having Aliens speak in Alien languages, an influence George Lucas had acknowledged for the first Star Wars movie.”

He does think Star Trek takes time with its storytelling, due to the budget constraints, and also partly to bring some realism about being set in a future world.

FPJ 97th Anniversary: Journey Into The World Of Genetics

Learning points

“Since it’s a more meditative style of storytelling for the most part, conflict in the universe is more political,” mentions Paremal. “Teamwork is a requisite, with the captain often looking towards his crewmates for options to resolve conflicts. An interesting use case of their storytelling is that despite the presence of faster than light travel, there are episodes where the crew travels in pods for weeks in preparation of a meeting between Alien species.”

For Hussain, the biggest message Star Trek conveys is about one world and universe, and the importance of being kind to each other. “It mixes futuristic imagination with very human values. The storytelling has always pushed boundaries while still connecting with real-life issues, whether in TV, movies, or now OTT.”

Pinto takes the earlier works of Star Trek as being a pioneer in the ‘space travel’ space forward and laying the foundation for its future franchises and other shows and books, too. “The writing was crisp and multidimensional from multiple characters' viewpoints. It was a mix of action, emotion and intelligent comedy that kept the show moving forward. Memorable lines and phrases written intelligently along with unpredictable twists in the storyline, made the show a talking point much after the episode had run.”

He also mentions that Star Trek is like any good franchise and keeps the show or episode ending open, with the probability of more characters and arcs.

The favourites

Everyone has a favourite character(s) and episode(s). Paremal reveals, “My favourite character still is Khan Noonien Singh, the most dangerous adversary of the original crew. Of course, ‘Space Seed’ is my favourite episode. My favourite media is still Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Movie).”

For Pinto, it is hands down, or in his words, with a Vulcan salute – Spock. “Here is a mysterious character that had a mix of logic and emotion. Someone who felt like an outsider but was loyal to the crew. He is someone who would willingly sacrifice himself to save others – a true hero.”

Hussain cannot pick a favourite. “But one of my favourite episodes is where the captain and four other crew members are trapped by a powerful being on another planet and temporarily turned into Vulcans. Another memorable one is when the crew goes on a mission to rescue Captain Kirk’s ship. Both showed the mix of adventure, suspense, and creativity that Star Trek is loved for.”

While September 8 is Star Trek Day, you do not need a specific time and date to live long and prosper in the world of Star Trek.