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Thursday 14 May 2009

Central to “Trek” is the image of a large, quasi-naval vessel called Enterprise, based on 19th-century sailing ships like HMS Beagle, dispatched to practice peacemaking and war, diplomacy and science, tutoring and apprenticeship, all in equal measure. How different from the tiny fighter planes featured in “Star Wars,” each piloted by a solitary knight, perhaps accompanied by a loyal squire, or droid, symbols as old as Achilles. In contrast, the Federation starship in “Trek” is a veritable city, cruising toward the unknown. Its captain-hero is a plenipotentiary representative of his civilization and parent figure to the crew … but any one of those normal men and women may suddenly matter, during the next adventure, and perhaps become heroes themselves. Moreover, this ship carries something else, the Federation’s culture and laws, industry and science, its consensus values - like the Prime Directive - all embodied in the dramatic diversity of its crew. Each time Enterprise passes a test, so does civilization - perhaps, even one worthy of our grandchildren. Compare this to the Old Republic, in the Lucasian universe - a hapless, clueless mélange of bickering futility whose political tiffs are as petty as they are incomprehensible. Sound familiar? The Republic never perceives, never creates or solves anything. Not once do we see any part of it function well. How can it? The people, the Republic, decent institutions … these cannot be heroes, or even helpers. David Brin

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