Convergence, Fan Culture, and Star Trek

Many scholars have their own take on what convergence is and it all depends on what field of work they are involved in, which makes it hard to give convergence a definite definition. It simply has no single agreed upon definition, but as Potter Steward might say, “I can’t define it, but I know what it is when I see it.” One of the principle elements to convergence is its interactivity and technology, which is greatly demonstrated through participatory cultures such as that of Star Trek.

Star Trek has a long history spanning over four decades. It has taken the form of six television series, eleven feature films, and hundreds of fan work but it all started with Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). TOS follows the adventures of the Starship Enterprise and its crew led by James T. Kirk. Unfortunately the series only lasted three seasons before being canceled on NBC but through syndication the show grew in popularity developing an extreme following in the 70s (The First Post). Also with the huge popularity of Star Wars sparked even more life into the once dead franchise spawning two feature length films featuring the original cast and with the two films the franchise was reborn sparking ten more films and four more television series. The bulk of what Star Trek is known for though is its fans and that is where convergence comes in.

Convergence is not simply defined by one definition. There are many different takes on the theory of convergence. August E. Grant states that convergence is a driven through technology and that it is a tend that is still in process, which makes it harder to analyze since it is constantly progressing. We don’t know where its going to take us or how long it is going to last. Convergence is a buzzword acro...

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