The truth this that I am a glutton for all forms of science fiction film or television. Dr. Who, Blake's Seven, Babylon 5, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Star Wars, The Forbidden Planet, Blade Runner and almost everything else to be found in this genre. As much as every one of these are classics in their own way. Star Trek is probably a the widest known and most viewed television and film series of them all. In its time it has provided a wealth of cultures, community's and technology within its world.

It has created a wonderful world where people have common knowledge of shared fantasies. We have all at sometime imagined ourselves upon the deck of a Star Ship or the surface of a Strange Planet. I for myself feel that I would be perfectly in place propping up the bar in 10 Forward or Quarks.

Probably not Quark's the premium on an illegal Romulan Ale would be far too much!

"Gyinan I'll have another of those Romulan Ale's please".

Klingon's

Whereas the federation has always represented the noble aspects of humanity having overcome war and promoting harmony about the universe. enemies are far more like the real humanity we all know and love. With there continuously squabbling for power although even they hold to a greater and more noble concept of honour than many Humans.

In The Original Series Klingons were always the villains and as essential to Captain Kirk as The Daleks and Cybermen to Doctor Who. As with all good villains they are invariably the more interesting, in there creation it has been necessary to create there culture and language.

Since the days of Captain Kirk the Klingons have become allies of The Federation of Planets and more of there warrior culture is seen. There Houses or Clans are the basis of Klingon society and I love the hierarchy abroad Klingon ships where promotion is achieved by the assassination of person in the position you seek. There culture involves many rituals and rights of passage often involving torture with Painsticks.

Klingon cuisine is made famous on Deep Space 9 and I suspect if there is a Klingon word for Vegitarian it is probably a worse insult than Hab SoSli' Quch! "Your mother has a smooth forhead!".

Of all the alien races on Star trek the most prolific found by analysis of Terran Web sites are Klingons. Very little searching will reveal many houses and the fleets run by them. It seems to me that Klingons just want to have fun!

Other Aliens

Creating Aliens is on Star Trek a true art form and the actors that suffer the attentions of the make up artists are truly great warriors. These brave soles spend hours every morning before filming being made up with prosthetic attachments latex and glue to spend an uncomfortable day only to have to remain behind while another few hours are spent having all this removed after all the human characters have gone home.

Over the years the sophistication of the alien make-ups has increaced and creatures that would have been quite imposible in the days of the origonal series regularly appear in Deep space Nine and some quite amasing alien make-ups in the latest series Enterprise.

Klingond, Vulcans, Cardasians, Bejorans, Andorans, Gem'adar. Shapeshifters to name the few that instantly come to mind but, my favorate aliens are The Borg who are just superb with there overwhelming superior technology. Having assimilated the technology and culture of thousands of races. The hive mind and conciseness of the collective being the ultimate in communication where all Borg drones share there thoughts across the whole collective, I should imagine for a Borg being separated from the collective the sense of loneliness must be unimaginable. Of course our favourite Borg is Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One whom I suspect would have little problem assimilating the entire heterosexual male population of this planet single handed.

All of these pictures were taken at Star Trek The Adventure in Hide Park.

© January 2003 Bernice Roust.

I hope you enjoy them! Live long and prosper.