We tend to overthink things that really don't need it.
What's with all the Earth-specific starship names in Starfleet?
- Thread starter WarpTenLizard
- Start date
You’re a very-long-time member of a discussion board devoted to examining Star Trek, so I have to say that’s a very odd comment. (I’m sure everyone here agrees that pretty much none of these discussions are needed. They’re fun, and so are here.)
True. But not everything needs an in-universe or even head canon explanation. Especially ones requiring contortions and backflips.
There actually are a few ships with Vulcan names. USS T'Kumbra, USS Sarek, USS ShiKarh, just off the top of my head. As for the ships having predominantly Anglo-American names, probably just as well. When the writers do try to go for something more worldly for their starship names, they either name the ships after people who really shouldn't have ships of exploration named after them, like USS Cortez, USS Malinche or USS Zhukov, or they completely screw up the name, like USS Tian An Men, named after a rather infamous Americanized misspelling of Tiananmen which was already considered wrong before that episode aired, making it odd there's a starship using that particular spelling in the 24th century.
There is a Shuttlecraft Stamets in SNW. Though some have suggested it is in fact named after the actual Paul Stamets, a real life spore scientist the Disco character was named after.
English is already the International Language all airplanes and ships are required to communicate in while travelling regardless of the native language of their home countries or the country which is their destination. Clearly Trek writers decided that would continue to be the case in the Federation as well.
Its easier to use alien names in novels and make it not clumsy.
For the viewer/reader's sake the alien name needs explained. There needs to be context that informs the audience the name is an honored non-human. This is easy to do when there is a narrator. Dialog simply mentions the name, say Inaieu. Then later, when describing the ship part of the description includes the name's origin.
It's different when the story relies on dialog and lacks a narrator. Having a character mention the name and then they, or another character, mentions the name's origin. It's awkward or clumsy, especially since they would not do that for names people know.
In universe enough people would know the origin of Inaieu to make any explanation unnecessary. It's not like they go around explaining ships named after humans. Nobody interrupts the story to explain who Glenn or Pike or Cochrane were.
In real life the reason is the same. The audience recognizes Armstrong, Asimov, or Bradbury. Even the alien ship names that need no explanation are recognized. Gorkon, Nog, Surak.
Yes, Starfleet should be full of ship names from nearly all member worlds. This is as much politics as it is whichever species dominates Starfleet.
For that matter, it's not realistic a single species would dominate the way humans do, nit with the amount of other species in the Federation.
Ah, the limitations of the real world.
I must say I don’t see why you seem to be attacking a common and much-enjoyed activity on this board. Which isn’t needed, but is clearly commonly wanted (and partaken in).
If this is some roundabout — and I have to add, completely unprovoked — way of telling me you don’t like my shoes… well, Mr. Sinatra, as the man says, I hate to shake you, but I dress to please myself.
Nothing personal just giving an opinion. Though unpopular. Yeah, I play the game it's fun to fill in the blanks. The human/English thing just isn't one for me.
Indeed yes.
My base assumption is that Earth Starfleet gave the most to start it up, and was instrumental in managing the Romulan War. So, tradition became meaning on Earth for naming conventions. Other races simply may not need the ego stroking associated with it.
Or are so proud they don't want to admit they'd like some more namesakes.
This is what I thought too after reading the post you're responding to. At the very least, I think we are meant to believe there are many different languages being spoken. The universal translator is a pretty slick device. All kinds of languages can thrive and everyone can understand what another is saying with a UT around.
Next Season on SNW, the crew meet up with a ship of Andorians with strange markings on the side. Pike responds Hail the USS Shran
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In TOS, the initial concept was that the Enterprise and her sister ships were Earth vessels. Therefore, they were all named after famous Earth naval vessels. Even during TNG, a lot of these names were reused for newer ships, and other ships were still given relatively Earth-centric names (because Earth was still the most important player in the Federation even in the 24th century.) But even though there really should have been more alien names for ships, that's just not going to resonate with the audience as well, as has been mentioned before.
However, what was absolutely ridiculous was John Eaves giving every single DSC season 1 Starfleet ship the class name of an Air Force pilot. That was just self-indulgent nonsense.
However, what was absolutely ridiculous was John Eaves giving every single DSC season 1 Starfleet ship the class name of an Air Force pilot. That was just self-indulgent nonsense.
Giving ships random alien names meant nothing when the show began, except perhaps hints at a larger world and wondering what it means, but more likely, how to spell it, what silly words it sounds like, if it's thought of at all.
As the franchise developed, however, alien ship names became recognizable as probably/possibly being a specific species based on how the word was formed. Ships could also be named after more obscure humans who came to prominence/wider knowledge in the interim, characters we've loved in the past, virtues that transcend species, etc.
As the franchise developed, however, alien ship names became recognizable as probably/possibly being a specific species based on how the word was formed. Ships could also be named after more obscure humans who came to prominence/wider knowledge in the interim, characters we've loved in the past, virtues that transcend species, etc.
Exactly. At this point in the franchise, a U.S.S. P'Jem here and a U.S.S. Rixx there shouldn't be too far-fetched.
What were they?
Cardenas class: named after Brigadier General Robert L. Cardenas of the US Air Force.
Crossfield class: named after Albert Scott Crossfield, the first pilot to fly at twice the speed of sound.
Engle class: named after the USAF test pilot and astronaut Joe Engle.
Hoover class: named after USAF pilot Bob Hoover.
Magee class: named after John Gillespie Magee Jr., Royal Canadian Air Force pilot.
Malachowski class: named after Nicole Malachowski, first female pilot of the USAF Thunderbirds.
Nimitz class: named after Chester Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Fleet in WWII (technically not an Air Force pilot, but at this stage, it doesn't change my point.)
Shepard class: Named after test pilot and astronaut Alan Shepard, commander of the Apollo 14 mission.
Walker class: named after Joseph A. Walker, NASA test pilot.
Most of those make sense as starship names, but save perhaps the Crossfield class none of the names make sense as a class name IMO.
I agree with your point, but a bit surprised you didn't mention that Shepard was the first American in space in your tidbit.
