Inspirations for Star Trek

[Dave]

I'm currently reading a book... I'll give you the title and subject later... and I'm currently casually watching some of the original Star Trek series. The thought that this book (with which I am only half way through) might be the single most important inspiration for Star Trek led me to start this thread.

I guessed you would say the voyages of Captain James Cook, but I can see the Lewis and Clark parallel is better. Roddenberry did say Star Trek was like "Waggon trains to the West."

The Lewis and Clark members probably had a much riskier time of it than the people on the naval vessels. Not much knowledge of global conflicts 150 years ago so I don't know if the exploration captains and crews had a lot of military experience. I definitely don't see any cannons on Darwin's HMS Beagle.

That too, although vessels still needed to find fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. You would have no idea whether the natives would be friendly, steal all your stuff, or attack you. Cook was killed on a beach in Hawaii.

 

[BAYLOR]

Hmm, didn't know there were Raumpatrouille books. That could be iffy. But the show is entertaining. You're right, it's more earth-centered with smaller ships. Lots of time back at the post-nuke underwater base with drinking and dancing in the lounge. The production design is the real star, reminescent of the Italian/East German sf flicks of the time.

I wonder if they ever did English dub or subtitles on the episodes ?

 

[Nozzle Velocity]

I wonder if thye ever did English dub or subtitles on the episodes ?

The ones on YouTube have subtitles added by a fan of some sort. I doubt if an English dub exists. I watched the first episode again last night. It's super quirky, but man, those set designs are amazing. Also, the future is apparently fueled by alcohol.

 

[BAYLOR]

The ones on YouTube have subtitles added by a fan of some sort. I doubt if an English dub exists. I watched the first episode again last night. It's super quirky, but man, those set designs are amazing. Also, the future is apparently fueled by alcohol.

Thanks.

 

[BAYLOR]

Trek did tackle some of the issues of the day.

 

[Judderman]

When you think of titles such as "The Final Frontier" there is no question that early exploration into the Wild West is a massive influence on the Star Trek concept. New places, new types of people. The Ultimate Wild West. I only really have heard of the word frontier used in reference to North America land exploration (other than oil and gas exploration).
On the other hand exploration is kind of an obvious inspiration for the subject for space travel. Also were Star trek vessels really aiming to pave the wave for the Federation to expand their empire? North America exploration was for the respective nations.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I just learned of a 4th possible Heinlein influence in TOS episodes.

The three I knew about are:
Charlie X == Stranger in a Strange Land
Operation Annihilate == The Puppet Masters
Tribbles == Martian Flatcats
What I did not know about is:
In Heinlein's novel Beyond This Horizon he wrote about Great Khans and Genetic Wars occuring a couple of hundred years before the setting of the story. Considering Kublai and Genghis Khan the names are not surprising but associating them with historical genetic wars is too close to Space Seed.

I read Beyond This Horizon ages ago but did not notice that similarity.

 

[Ray Pullar]

Funny coincidence: I was just now looking at the John Melo cover for a 1988 Baen edition of Sixth Column (on Goodshowsir.co.uk) and I thought it would make a good sixties Trek poster.

 

[Ray Pullar]

The tribbles connection is understandable as Gerrold has often affirmed the Heinlein influence on his own fiction, and has written many pastiches.

 

[Ray Pullar]

Roddenberry also had a military background and free love views similar to Heinlein although he may have been more liberal politically than Heinlein was by the sixties.