Fandom, the term used to describe the community and/or mania surrounding a particular entertainment property, is a strange thing. The number of fandoms that exist is staggering, and that number has grown exponentially since the introduction of the Internet, which has proven to be an ideal breeding-ground and meeting-place for fans of all sorts to share their love of...well...virtually anything.
I'm no stranger to these phenomena. In fact, anyone who knows me is well aware that I'm a first-class geek of the highest order. I might not be a black belt in the category of geekiness, but I'd be close. I count myself among the "He-Fans" and "She-Ravers" who obsess over the fantasy property Masters of the Universe first and foremost. I'm a Trekkie too. (I refuse to use the term Trekkor.) I know the wizarding world of Harry Potter well enough to be appointed Minister of Magic, and I'm no stranger to the Jedi.
Hands down, Star Trek and Harry Potter have the largest legions of voraciously dedicated fans, with Masters of the Universe in hot pursuit, but it is the Trekkies in particular that I want to discuss for just a moment.
I'm a Trekkie. I'm a really big Trekkie. That being said, I'm not the sort of fan who agonizes over the least of canonical inaccuracies in the franchise's forty-some years of historical continuity that spans several centuries in the Star Trek timeline. Because of that, I'm able to be very much looking forward to the 2009 film from J.J. Abrams, which seems to be breathing new life into the franchise, building new civilizations of Trekkies, and boldly going where Rick Berman has never gone before.
Still, I'm in awe of the lengths to which some Trekkie's have gone in their dedication to the universe of vulcans, klingons, and Romulans. In the words of Mr. Spock: "Fascinating."
One of these extremities has been in the birth of several languages, largely produced by acclaimed real-world linguists, for various Star Trek alien races. Did you know you could get Shakespeare's works translated into Klingon? It's true.
Strictly by accident...ahem...I was...uh...searching the Internet for...um...well, anyway, I stumbled into links to some fascinating resources.
The Klingon Language Institute (KLI) provides a scholarly environment, activities, and other resources to teach and spread the joys that is the warriors tongue. Yes, not only could you get Shakespeare's Hamlet in Klingon, but you could actually learn to read it.
Perhaps the Klingons are a little much for you. Maybe you're a more of an isolationist sort. You might find The Central Institute of the Romulan Language more to your taste. The Romulans have always been the most fascinating of Star Trek's alien races to me, and this site illustrates much of the reason why.
Finally, for those with a more logical disposition, the Vulcan Language Institute will certainly bring out your inner-Spock. Learning to speak the tongue of Surak's people just might lead you to live longer and prosper.
As geeky...or even ridiculous...as these projects may seem to some, I think they serve a multitude of important purposes, and help to display what can be done by us mere humans when we band together.
Do I think these languages should be taken seriously? Actually, I do. Every language known to mankind is pretty much arbitrary. Someone, somewhere, decided that one set of sounds was better than another set of sounds to express a given concept or to represent a given thing. The primary difference here, is that the inspiration for the language sprung out of a common love for a story in which the human race finally cleans up its act, cleans up its planet, and lives together in a cooperative, peaceful way. I can think of worse things to encourage. Can't you?
