What Star Trek symbolizes for me?
Harve Bennett, producer and writer on Star Trek Movies

That's a good question. I will answer you in one word, and then I'll explain the word. The word is optimism. Optimism. Hope, if you will. And, that is what I perceived when I ran 79 series of episodes. Optimism. Now let me put that in context.
In science fiction generally, in science fiction since I was able to read way back into Jules Verne and before that… Science fiction is pessimistic! The bible is pessimistic! Well, at least the New Testament is. The Apocalypse! What this is all about? It's gonna be terrible, it's gonna be worse, It's gonna be horrible! And science fiction has taken that fact, H.G Wells paged that fact, Ray Bradbury is very pessimistic – we'll all be ruled by robots, and, automatic thinking, life as we know it will become trudge trudge trudge.
And on come Star Trek, very uniquely, we're not preaching this, but we're telling you that in the 23rd century it's going to be very much fun, we're gonna be out there, exploring new places, and new worlds… and life will be better.
So, that's what Star Trek is for me.

(This is part of an interview we had with Mr. Bennett. It will be published in the future)

We want to thank Marianne Tyler and Terry Lee Rioux for their help.