Hello everyone,
Another thread (Andymator's about his Star Trek animated project over in “Fan Productions”) recently raised that old chestnut about Spock being the first Vulcan in Starfleet. I thought I'd have a poke around and see if I could come up with some clues as to how this particular "fact" got started. Considering the number of people who've been over this ground before, to my considerable surprise, I think I might have managed to.
Many sources, like www.startrek.com and The Star Trek Encyclopedia are quite clear that Spock was the first Vulcan in the Fleet. But where does that come from? A close inspection of the Star Trek Chronology and the 1995 edition of the Star Trek Concordance reveals that the culprit is the episode of the original series “Whom Gods Destroy”. Specifically, I now think this exchange of dialogue was the original inspiration:
The Star Trek Chronology is very clear that Mike and Denise Okuda interpret the above to mean that the Battle of Axanar immediately preceded the peace mission Cadet Kirk went on, and it was the specific “politicians and weaklings” on that mission which allowed Kirk and Spock to become “brothers”.
I have to say, I'm not at all convinced. It's an interpretation that never made it into the first (and in my opinion, superior) 1976 edition of the Star Trek Concordance. It doesn't fit with other established dates: if Spock is not allowed into the Academy until after the Axanar peace mission, then he cannot enter the Academy for at least a year after Kirk, which just isn't reflected in the various number of years both men have served in Starfleet.
It seems equally likely that the conversation is on a more general level, about the superiority of peace and diplomacy over war. To be precise, Kirk is emphasising that the ways of peace ultimately create a stronger society than the most ruthless, efficient and successful warrior society, using the friendship and mutual respect between himself and Spock as a concrete example.
The precise interpretation of this exchange isn't for me to try and dictate, but I'm very, very dubious that it can be taken as an indication that Spock was the first Vulcan in the fleet.
People are welcome to disagree, even that this is the root of the statement, although I'm hard-pressed to think of anything else in Star Trek that could be considered as an indication of Starfleet's recruitment policy around 2250. I'd always thought that it was something that had been established in a draft script, background information or just so early on in fandom that everyone accepts it. I've not been able to find any indication that this particular interpretation of the conversation was around at all before the mid-90s, although I admit my Star Trek reference collection isn't terribly big. The 1980 USS Enterprise Officer's Manual biography of Spock has nothing to say about it, nor does the biography of Spock in the DC Comics Who's Who in Star Trek from 1987. Maybe one of you out there knows different?
Timon
Another thread (Andymator's about his Star Trek animated project over in “Fan Productions”) recently raised that old chestnut about Spock being the first Vulcan in Starfleet. I thought I'd have a poke around and see if I could come up with some clues as to how this particular "fact" got started. Considering the number of people who've been over this ground before, to my considerable surprise, I think I might have managed to.
Many sources, like www.startrek.com and The Star Trek Encyclopedia are quite clear that Spock was the first Vulcan in the Fleet. But where does that come from? A close inspection of the Star Trek Chronology and the 1995 edition of the Star Trek Concordance reveals that the culprit is the episode of the original series “Whom Gods Destroy”. Specifically, I now think this exchange of dialogue was the original inspiration:
(Thanks as always for stuff like this to the Star Trek Transcripts.)
The Star Trek Chronology is very clear that Mike and Denise Okuda interpret the above to mean that the Battle of Axanar immediately preceded the peace mission Cadet Kirk went on, and it was the specific “politicians and weaklings” on that mission which allowed Kirk and Spock to become “brothers”.
I have to say, I'm not at all convinced. It's an interpretation that never made it into the first (and in my opinion, superior) 1976 edition of the Star Trek Concordance. It doesn't fit with other established dates: if Spock is not allowed into the Academy until after the Axanar peace mission, then he cannot enter the Academy for at least a year after Kirk, which just isn't reflected in the various number of years both men have served in Starfleet.
It seems equally likely that the conversation is on a more general level, about the superiority of peace and diplomacy over war. To be precise, Kirk is emphasising that the ways of peace ultimately create a stronger society than the most ruthless, efficient and successful warrior society, using the friendship and mutual respect between himself and Spock as a concrete example.
The precise interpretation of this exchange isn't for me to try and dictate, but I'm very, very dubious that it can be taken as an indication that Spock was the first Vulcan in the fleet.
People are welcome to disagree, even that this is the root of the statement, although I'm hard-pressed to think of anything else in Star Trek that could be considered as an indication of Starfleet's recruitment policy around 2250. I'd always thought that it was something that had been established in a draft script, background information or just so early on in fandom that everyone accepts it. I've not been able to find any indication that this particular interpretation of the conversation was around at all before the mid-90s, although I admit my Star Trek reference collection isn't terribly big. The 1980 USS Enterprise Officer's Manual biography of Spock has nothing to say about it, nor does the biography of Spock in the DC Comics Who's Who in Star Trek from 1987. Maybe one of you out there knows different?
Timon
