To boldly go where no man has gone before.

They are familiar words for anyone who has ever seen anything relating to the Star Trek franchise, which is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year. This franchise arose as a television show in the mid-60's and has grown bigger than anyone could have ever imagined that it would. The fandom is enormous and is even said to be one of the biggest across any television show, book, or movie. Those in the fandom are even affectionately called Trekkies by one another and themselves. And while it may seem grand to be part of something so big, there are some struggles that come with being a Trekkie.

To start with, there is so much stuff to read and watch. Star Trek has six television series' (a seventh coming to CBS in 2017) and thirteen films (a fourteenth having been just announced). That's a lot of content for one person to cover, and that doesn't even begin to go over the novels and the comics. For a fan who might be coming into the game late, it can be rather intimidating to go over so much and it can certainly take awhile. Plus, that overwhelming amount of things to watch? It's bound to take some time and will interfere with the normal shows that someone watches. Plus, what order do you go in? Don't worry about that. Fellow fans have you covered.

It's an old franchise with a rich history, one that many fans do know. Remembering a lot of it can prove to be difficult since a lot of things crossover here and there. There are tiny little details that some people can remember such as the name of a crewman who was spotted once or the different parts of the ship. As a fan, you want to know all of it but it can be hard to learn every single little thing. I, personally, focus on one thing I really love in the franchise (the ships and how they run) and learn all about that.

Then there's that worry that fans always have: the judgement of others. Some fandoms have become cool in recent years such as Marvel, DC, and even Star Wars. However, for some odd reason, Star Trek is still not considered to be one of those cool fandoms. In my personal opinion, it's one of the coolest. This franchise is about a diverse group of people exploring space. It's about peace and unity and acceptance. Plus there are so many more lessons out there. While many Trekkies completely ignore what others say and continue to express their love for their fandom, some of the newcomers may be more subtle or quiet about such feelings. That's okay. Eventually you'll open up.

Star Trek will forever be known as one of the greatest franchises out there. It expands into toys, clothing, books, comics, movies, television shows, and more. It carries life lessons in it's stories and teaches us all that we can be a little more hospitable. And do not ever forget: Live Long and Prosper.