[Spock in ASCII] RAPA #1 Cover from Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications, University of California, Irvine. PS-007, Box 1

Space… the final frontier. These are the voyages of The Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications and the undergraduate that resurrected a long dead science fiction club through its archival record.

As a public services librarian for special collections I enjoy getting the chance to interact with the researchers that come in to the reading room. Some I share a mutual research interest with, learn a little more about their work and perhaps follow a new thread of inquiry into the archive. This past year however, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) sophomore Elise Hughes, who was researching one of the more striking and colorful collections in the University Archives, The Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications, University of California, Irvine (PS-007). She was looking for inspiration that would help her rebuild a science fiction student organization on campus, and as a lifelong fan of everything weird and cosmic, I couldn’t resist volunteering to help.

Student organizations at UCI, like at any university, are as diverse and distinct as their student populations. But UCI has a uniquely ‘nerdy’ history present from its very foundation. William Pereira, whose iconic architecture is pervasive across much of Southern California, was responsible for the campus design and was heavily influenced by a utopic vision, partly through an awareness of the Irvine Company’s model for a planned community that would unify the university and the as yet-built-city, but also through the perhaps apocryphal influence of science fiction on Pereira’s designs. The campus itself has been the backdrop to a number of science fiction films as a result. The most comical and well documented of those being Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, which can be seen in a behind-the-scenes amateur film produced by one of UCI’s students. Even the names of buildings echo the popularity of science fiction and fantasy in vogue during the 60s & 70s, with UCI’s first year housing community named Middle Earth, and the ever present Ring Road carrying direct and indirect influence from Lord of the Rings.

Filming of the Planet of the Apes Film at UCI Campus, University Communications photographs. University of California, Irvine. AS-061, Box 27

It’s not surprising to learn that at one point in its history the campus had a Star Trek club. But to merely limit it to a specific fandom is to not acknowledge its full embrace of early geek culture. As the finding aid to the collection states, “The Star Trek Association of Irvine, known as STAI by its members, was a UCI student organization dedicated to ‘alternate realities.’ No founding documents [are] found in the collection, but materials indicate that the association was active from 1977 to 1991. The interests of STAI members went beyond the television program Star Trek and extended to animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction.” And indeed, the contents of the publications suggest a wide array of interests that move beyond fiction and into the territory of conspiracy, UFOlogy, the paranormal and supernatural, and even into the realm of early cyberculture and the net.

The group was extremely active in its day and centralized much of the fan-culture on campus (which at the time had no other outlet as the internet would not materialize in a meaningful way until the early 90s.) The archival record reflects this vitality as the majority of the collection is made up of the association's biweekly publication Rank Amateur Press Association (RAPA), which, at around 145 issues, gives a continuous look at the changing shape and nature of fan culture from about 1984 until 1991.

Interior Cover from Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications, University of California, Irvine. PS-007, Box 1

RAPA and the mix of ephemera from STAI, such as newsletters, fliers, and schedules of events were not merely records of the STAI’s activities and meetings but also a creative platform for their members. The hand-drawn cover illustrations for the issues deserve recognition alone. Each one experiments with paying homage to existing science fiction or fantasy characters or series while giving their own unique interpretations, twists or reinventions outright. Their unapologetically amateur look mixed with the irreverent and sometimes chaotic tone of the writing is eerily familiar and presages  the future of fan and meme culture in the present day.

Perhaps then the campus is a Bermuda Triangle of geekdom where people invariably lose themselves to thoughts of time-travel, intergalactic space, and extraterrestrials  since Elise Hughes, our sci-fi club resurrector hadn’t originally conceived of starting a sci-fi club. Having previously been involved in Rotary International she thought of focusing her efforts on a humanitarian or fundraising student organization as a way of becoming active in student life. She quickly realized however that if she was going to invest time in a club it should also speak to her personal interests or face burn-out. Being a fan of the now notorious Rick & Morty and reading and writing speculative fiction in class pushed her toward the idea of a science fiction club, both as a retreat for herself as well as an outlet for meeting other like-minded students who she could nerd out with (already channeling the undiscovered STAI).
 

Elise Hughes with Batmobile, Credit: Elise Hughes, 2017

It was when she went to register the club that she was surprised by an award on the wall recognizing The Star Trek Association of Irvine for being one of the longest lasting student organizations. Never having heard of the club before (and not really being a big fan of Star Trek) she took mental note to follow up. But as the first meeting for her newly official science fiction club loomed it was quickly forgotten. Having never run a club before and not having a chance to think about what sort of activities or discussions she should lead, she defaulted to her original idea of fundraising out of necessity, cloaking it under the guise of sci-fi and pop culture geek references. However, this fell flat on a survey for students interested in the club with student response like, “Am I really going to do charity work? If so count me out.”

Sad as the apparent lack of interest in fundraising may be, it gave Elise the impetus finally look up The Star Trek Association of Irvine. Googling it, she found a link to the finding aid on the Online Archive of California which gave her enough context to realize how important this group was in the creation of a new science fiction club on campus. More than just a record of Trekkie meetups, it could potentially offer a template for her own club which she had now officially dubbed The Anteater’s Guide to the Galaxy. Contained in those boxes on the mysterious 5th floor of the Jack Langson Library was a time capsule of cool programming and the possible inspiration or structure she was looking for.

When I first met Elise, she was working mid-way through two large white archival storage boxes from the collection, taking pictures and notes with a vibrant enthusiasm. I loved the Star Trek materials but had yet to meet any researchers that used them. Elise was indeed inspired, reading the articles, discussions, think-pieces and meeting notes STAI had gathered. Our conversation led to my own interests in H.P Lovecraft, Frank Herbert, and Arthur C. Clark and through it I learned that she was still in need of a faculty advisor. I volunteered immediately but in reality, she really didn’t need it.

Interior Cover from Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications, University of California, Irvine. PS-007, Box 1

There was very much a Star Trek meets the crew of Star Trek Next Generations vibe happening with her and the archive; one captain passing down wisdom to the next through the communicator of the past. Elise was able to take the structure of STAI as outlined in the earliest newsletter, Hailing Frequencies (assigning positions to her crew such as Captain, Number One, Communications Officer, Medical Officer) as well as many of the activities and programming ideas that STAI had devised over their long years in operation. In their way Elise and company reimagined the STAI as their own student organization, The Anteater’s Guide to the Galaxy, one that both adhered to the older generations’ traditions and institutions while forging their own. You could see this clearly in their first meeting, as Elise stood at the bridge of the classroom and introduced her fellow crew-members to the archival collections out on display, not only to show their legacy, but their possible futures ahead.

First Anteater’s Guide to the Galaxy meeting, October 2nd, 2017 Credit: Derek Christian Quezada

Material from The Star Trek Association of Irvine Publications, University of California, Irvine (PS-007) can be viewed in the Verle and Elizabeth Annis Reading Room on the 5th floor of the Langson Library, LL525 Monday through Friday 11-5pm. No appointment is necessary.

Derek Christian Quezada is the Outreach and Public Services Librarian for Special Collections & Archives at UC Irvine (previously a Librarian at the Getty Research Institute.) He received his Bachelor’s degree in comparative literature and religious studies from UC Irvine before receiving his MLIS from UCLA. He has a longstanding interest in esotericism in visual culture, science-fiction and the occult.