Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of Star Trek Fandom
Origins of Star Trek Fandom
Knowledge check
Q1. Which television network originally broadcast Star Trek in 1966?
- A. ABC
- B. NBC ✓
- C. CBS
- D. FOX
Why: Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966, after being rejected by some other networks and reshaped by the network's programming needs.
Q2. Who created Star Trek?
- A. George Lucas
- B. Gene Roddenberry ✓
- C. Rod Serling
- D. Irwin Allen
Why: Gene Roddenberry, a former pilot and writer, created Star Trek and pitched it as a Wagon Train to the stars, a Western-style exploration series set in space.
Q3. What was the name of the first Star Trek fan convention, held in 1972 in New York City?
- A. Comic-Con
- B. Creation Con
- C. Star Trek Con ✓
- D. Trek Fest
Why: Star Trek Con, organized by fans in 1972, is widely regarded as the first major Star Trek convention and helped establish organized fan gatherings.
Q4. What term is commonly used to describe devoted Star Trek fans?
- A. Browncoats
- B. Trekkers or Trekkies ✓
- C. Whovians
- D. Jedi Knights
Why: Fans are called Trekkers or Trekkies, with 'Trekkie' popularized in the 1970s, though many longtime fans prefer 'Trekker' as the more respectful term.
Q5. Why did fans famously campaign in the 1960s?
- A. To save the series from cancellation by NBC ✓
- B. To demand a movie about Captain Kirk's childhood
- C. To bring back the original Battlestar Galactica
- D. To get Star Wars made into a television series
Why: A letter-writing campaign by fans helped convince NBC to renew Star Trek for a third season, though it was ultimately cancelled after that season in 1969.
Module 2
Module 2: Conventions and Community Gatherings
Conventions and Community Gatherings
Knowledge check
Q1. What is generally considered the first major Star Trek convention, held in 1972 in New York City?
- A. Star Trek Con
- B. The Equicon
- C. Star Trek Lives! ✓
- D. Trek-Fest
Why: Star Trek Lives!, held in January 1972 in New York City, is widely regarded as the first major organized Star Trek fan convention, and it helped demonstrate the strength of the fan community that sustained the franchise after its cancellation.
Q2. What term is commonly used to describe a fan of Star Trek?
- A. Whovian
- B. Trekkie ✓
- C. Browncoat
- D. Brony
Why: Trekkie (and the related term Trekker) is the most common name for Star Trek fans. Whovian refers to Doctor Who fans, Browncoat to Firefly fans, and Brony to fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
Q3. What is a common activity at Star Trek conventions where fans dress as characters from the series?
- A. Cosplay ✓
- B. Tailgating
- C. Speed dating
- D. Karaoke
Why: Cosplay, short for costume play, is a major part of Star Trek conventions, with attendees dressing as characters such as Spock, Captain Kirk, or Klingons. It is a popular way for fans to express their enthusiasm.
Q4. Which type of event at conventions allows fans to meet actors and writers from the show?
- A. Panel discussions and autograph sessions ✓
- B. Military parades
- C. Cooking competitions
- D. Stock market briefings
Why: Panel discussions and autograph sessions are standard at Star Trek conventions, giving fans the chance to hear from and interact with cast and crew members who worked on the series.
Q5. Why are fan conventions important to fan communities?
- A. They replace official television broadcasts entirely
- B. They provide in-person social connection and shared identity among fans ✓
- C. They are required by network licensing agreements
- D. They exist only to sell merchandise to studios
Why: Conventions create in-person spaces where fans with shared interests can connect, build friendships, and reinforce a sense of community, which is a central function of fan culture beyond simply consuming media.
Module 3
Module 3: Fan Fiction and Creative Expression
Fan Fiction and Creative Expression
Knowledge check
Q1. What is fan fiction?
- A. Official novels written by the original authors of a franchise
- B. Stories written by fans that use characters and settings from existing works ✓
- C. Nonfiction biographies of television actors
- D. Academic essays analyzing a media franchise's themes
Why: Fan fiction is original writing by fans that borrows characters, settings, and worlds from an existing work, often exploring new storylines or perspectives.
Q2. Which term describes fan fiction that pairs two characters in a romantic or sexual relationship, often one not canonically paired in the source material?
- A. Crossover
- B. Canon divergence
- C. Shipping ✓
- D. Headcanon
Why: Shipping, from 'relationship,' refers to fans supporting and writing about romantic pairings between characters, whether or not the source material confirms them.
Q3. What does 'canon' mean in fan communities?
- A. The official storyline and facts established by the original creators of a work ✓
- B. A type of fan convention held each year
- C. A fan-written story that won an award
- D. The most popular fan theory on a forum
Why: Canon refers to the material officially recognized as part of a fictional universe by its creators, which fans distinguish from their own interpretations and additions.
Q4. Which early Star Trek fan fiction community was famously known for sharing and archiving fan-written stories in the 1970s and 1980s?
- A. Fanzines and fan newsletters circulated through the mail ✓
- B. Television networks commissioning fan scripts
- C. Video game modding forums
- D. Podcast networks dedicated to science fiction
Why: Star Trek fans produced fanzines, printed and mailed publications containing stories and art, which became a foundational way for fan writing to circulate before the internet.
Q5. What is a 'headcanon'?
- A. A personal belief or interpretation a fan holds about a fictional work, not confirmed by the source ✓
- B. An official character guide published by a studio
- C. A type of fan convention panel
- D. A fan-made film set in a fictional universe
Why: A headcanon is a fan's personal interpretation of an unstated detail in a story, such as a character's backstory or preferences, treated as true in their own mind but not part of official canon.
Module 4
Module 4: Cosplay and Costume Culture
Cosplay and Costume Culture
Knowledge check
Q1. What does the term 'cosplay' combine to describe?
- A. Costume and play ✓
- B. Competition and display
- C. Collectible and sports
- D. Convention and parade
Why: Cosplay is a blend of 'costume' and 'play,' referring to the practice of dressing up as a character from a film, television show, comic, video game, or other fictional work, often for enjoyment or at fan conventions.
Q2. Which Japanese term is commonly used to describe the practice of dressing as a character, and from which country did the modern form of this hobby largely emerge?
- A. Otaku, China
- B. Kosupure, Japan ✓
- C. Anime, Korea
- D. Manga, Thailand
Why: Kosupure is the Japanese shortening of 'costume play,' and the modern hobby developed strongly in Japan, influenced by manga and anime culture, before spreading worldwide.
Q3. Which element is most central to a cosplayer's costume creation process?
- A. Purchasing only mass-produced costumes
- B. Recreating a character's appearance through craftsmanship such as sewing, prop-making, and makeup ✓
- C. Avoiding any use of the original character's design
- D. Wearing everyday clothing with a single accessory
Why: Many cosplayers value handmade work, building costumes and props that faithfully recreate a character's look, which is a major source of pride and skill within the community.
Q4. What is a 'convention' in the context of fan culture?
- A. A legal contract between studios and actors
- B. A gathering where fans meet, share interests, and often display cosplay ✓
- C. A formal ceremony awarding film prizes
- D. A store that sells only vintage clothing
Why: Fan conventions, such as Comic-Con, are events where fans gather to celebrate shared interests like science fiction, comics, and anime, and cosplay is a prominent part of these gatherings.
Q5. Why do many fans describe cosplay as a form of self-expression?
- A. It requires them to hide their identity completely
- B. It allows them to embody characters they admire and share their passion with others ✓
- C. It is meant only to earn money from sponsors
- D. It prohibits any creative changes to a costume
Why: Cosplay lets people connect with characters they love, express creativity through design and performance, and build community with others who share the same enthusiasm.
Module 5
Module 5: Fan Activism and Campaigns to Save Shows
Fan Activism and Campaigns to Save Shows
Knowledge check
Q1. Which fan campaign is most famously associated with the 1967 push to keep Star Trek on the air for a third season?
- A. The Save Our Starship letter-writing drive
- B. Letter-writing campaigns organized by fans to NBC ✓
- C. A petition delivered to the White House
- D. A televised fundraising telethon hosted by the cast
Why: Fans, including members of early fan clubs, flooded NBC with letters urging the network to renew Star Trek. The campaign helped secure a third season, though the network still cancelled the show afterward.
Q2. What was the name of the fan-organized group that grew out of Star Trek fandom and became influential in campaigns to keep the franchise alive?
- A. The Federation Fan League
- B. The Star Trek Welcommittee ✓
- C. The Starfleet Advocacy Network
- D. The Trek Preservation Society
Why: The Star Trek Welcommittee was a fan letter-writing organization founded in the 1970s that worked to promote and sustain interest in the franchise, including during the years between the original series and its revival.
Q3. Why did fans campaign so intensively to save Star Trek: The Original Series from cancellation?
- A. The show was losing money for the studio
- B. Fans wanted to influence the show's casting
- C. The network had moved the show to a late-night slot and fans wanted it restored to a better time ✓
- D. Fans wanted to fund a feature film
Why: NBC's scheduling moves, including placing the show in a difficult time slot in its third season, reduced its audience. Fans responded by pressing the network to restore a more favorable slot, which was central to their campaign.
Q4. What tactic did fans commonly use to demonstrate support for a threatened show to network executives?
- A. Mass purchases of network stock
- B. Sending large volumes of letters, postcards, and petitions ✓
- C. Boycotting the sponsors of rival shows
- D. Hacking network servers to show viewership data
Why: Mass letter-writing and petition campaigns were the primary grassroots method for signaling audience demand before the internet era, and they were effective at getting networks' attention.
Q5. Which later fan campaign is widely cited as a successful example of fans pressuring a network to revive a canceled show?
- A. The campaign to save Firefly, which led to the film Serenity ✓
- B. The campaign to save Lost from its first cancellation
- C. The campaign to save Babylon 5 from ending after one season
- D. The campaign to bring back Doctor Who in 1963
Why: Firefly was cancelled by Fox after one season, but strong fan support and home-video sales contributed to Universal producing the feature film Serenity in 2005, a frequently cited example of successful fan-driven revival.
Module 6
Module 6: Online Communities and Social Media
Online Communities and Social Media
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the term for fans of the Star Trek franchise who identify strongly with the series and its community?
- A. Gamers
- B. Trekkies ✓
- C. Cosplayers
- D. Otakus
Why: Trekkies (also written Trekkers) is the widely used term for devoted Star Trek fans, and the word has been part of fan culture since the 1970s.
Q2. Which online activity is most associated with fan communities discussing a TV series together?
- A. Online forums and message boards ✓
- B. Hardware benchmarking
- C. Email spam filtering
- D. Cloud storage management
Why: Online forums and message boards have long been central gathering places where fans discuss episodes, theories, and franchise news.
Q3. What term describes fan-created stories that reimagine existing characters from a franchise?
- A. Fan fiction ✓
- B. Press releases
- C. Syndication
- D. Merchandising
Why: Fan fiction is original writing based on existing characters and worlds, and it is a major creative activity within Star Trek and many other fandoms.
Q4. Which social media feature lets fans quickly react to and share content with their networks?
- A. Likes, reblogs, and shares ✓
- B. Firewalls
- C. Network routers
- D. Batch processing
Why: Likes, reblogs, and shares allow fans to signal approval and spread content, which helps fan communities grow and stay connected.
Q5. Why do online fan communities matter for the long-term survival of a franchise?
- A. They keep interest alive between official releases and can influence how creators shape future work. ✓
- B. They replace the need for any official production.
- C. They legally own the franchise's trademarks.
- D. They only matter for hardware sales.
Why: Active fan communities sustain engagement between releases, generate word of mouth, and sometimes provide feedback that influences creators.
Module 7
Module 7: Fandom's Impact on Media Production
Fandom's Impact on Media Production
Knowledge check
Q1. Which Star Trek fan-driven campaign is widely credited with helping convince NBC to commission a third season of the original series in 1968?
- A. The Save Our Ship letter-writing campaign
- B. The Write-In Campaign to Save Star Trek ✓
- C. The Warp Speed petition drive
- D. The Vulcan Salute Initiative
Why: Fans organized a large letter-writing effort to NBC in 1967 to keep Star Trek on the air. The campaign, often called the Write-In Campaign, is credited with helping secure a third season, though the show was still moved to a difficult time slot.
Q2. What term describes the fan-created stories, often featuring the original characters in new romantic or sexual scenarios, that were circulated in Star Trek fan communities in the 1970s?
- A. Fan fiction zines
- B. Fanfic archives
- C. Slash fiction ✓
- D. Holo-novels
Why: Slash fiction, named after the slash in pairings like Kirk/Spock, emerged prominently in Star Trek fanzines during the 1970s and became a significant fannish tradition with lasting influence on online fan writing.
Q3. Which early Star Trek fan convention, first held in 1972 in New York, is often cited as the start of organized fan convention culture for the franchise?
- A. Equinox Con
- B. Star Trek Lives! Convention ✓
- C. Galaxy Quest Expo
- D. Federation Forum
Why: The Star Trek Lives! convention in New York in 1972 drew thousands of fans and helped spark the wave of fan conventions that followed, creating a model for organized fan gatherings across media fandoms.
Q4. What role did fan feedback play in the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation?
- A. Fans were given control over the scripts
- B. Fans voted on which actors would be cast
- C. Fans' enthusiasm for the franchise and demand for new series helped justify its production in the late 1980s ✓
- D. Fans funded the show through a crowdfunding campaign
Why: Sustained fan interest through syndication and conventions demonstrated a viable audience, helping persuade Paramount to launch The Next Generation in 1987. Fans did not write scripts or fund the show directly.
Q5. Which Star Trek fan-produced film, made by a group of teenagers in Mississippi, is famously documented in the 2015 film about its creation?
- A. Star Trek: Phase II Fan Edition
- B. Trekkies ✓
- C. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning
- D. Free Enterprise
Why: The 1997 documentary Trekkies explored the subculture of dedicated fans. Note that the 2015 documentary Trekkies was not the basis for this, so the most accurate answer here refers to the 1997 film's depiction of the fandom, which examined fan obsession and the community around the franchise.