Nimoy was the heart and soul of Trek, and of what it brought to the culture, in so many ways. Perhaps moreso, in some ways, even than Shatner or the Great Bird himself. His bringing to life of the character of the alien outsider (in the final analysis a profoundly human character that spoke to the alienation in so many lives, to the fundamental human struggle between rationality and emotion), his public struggle to come to terms with being identified with it, and the graceful acceptance he finally came to -- it both mirrored and inspired, I think, the journeys of a great many people, not even just the fans. He was a warm, compassionate voice in and of the modern world, the kind of person that anyone would be proud to be likened to.
As always at moments like these, I realize sharply how much I took for granted what he brought to the world -- and to Trek -- much more for realizing now that we'll never see it again. Other people will play Spock in the years ahead, but Nimoy was much more than Spock. His thought, his music, his photography, his poetry, his humanity, his simple presence and engagement. It was an inevitable loss, but what a loss.
Bryan Bishop says it perfectly
here. And you can listen to Nimoy reading Ray Bradbury stories
here.
(EDIT: This also, incidentally, makes me aware of how much it's going to suck to lose Patrick Stewart, which is probably coming sooner than later. He didn't have the foundational influence Nimoy had, but in terms of his influence and belovedness is the most nearly comparable figure... well beyond Trek, in fact, given his role as an elder statesman in acting and theatre generally and in so much SF in particular, Trek included.)
, I also enjoyed his work on the In Search Of (1976-1982) television series.
