Back to the 1970s: the first big Trek cons
In the early 1970s, Star Trek fans gathered for the movement’s first major convention, Star Trek Lives!, held January 21–23, 1972 at New York’s Statler Hilton. The event drew Gene Roddenberry and a surge of devoted fans, a sign that Trek’s reruns had begun to fuel a growing community. Asimov was a regular attendee, among the many authors and enthusiasts who treated conventions as a regular stop on the science‑fiction circuit.
Asimov’s reflections on those early gatherings live on in a one‑page essay, The Conventions As Asimov Sees Them. He notes appearances at the 1972, 1973, and 1974 events, plus two conventions in both 1975 and 1976, mostly owing to their proximity to his New York home.
Challenging the stereotype of loud, chaotic fandom, Asimov described the crowds as remarkably orderly, good‑humored, and welcoming. He counted a broad mix of fans among the attendees—sub‑teen to adult, women and men—placing the emphasis on decorum and courtesy. Even a lengthy autograph line, stretching into hours, moved with patience and mutual respect as fans queued to meet the celebrities on stage.
There was a memorable moment when Leonard Nimoy appeared on a convention stage, triggering swoons from some attendees. Asimov framed such scenes as part of fan exhilaration, noting they stemmed in part from the moment’s excitement rather than any lack of control.
These were enthusiastic people of all ages who had taken part in the ‘Star Trek’ experience, who had been and were participants in the most sophisticated example of science fiction on the television screen, and a little of whose lives had been permanently marked as a result. The Trekkies are intelligent, interested, involved people with whom it is a pleasure to be, in any numbers. Why else would they have been involved in ‘Star Trek,’ an intelligent, interested, and involved show?
Historically, Trek’s first big convention was the landmark 1972 gathering, but there were earlier Trek appearances at other science‑fiction gatherings. Some historians point to a March 1969 Newark Public Library event as the very first Trek‑focused convention, a small, celebrity‑free affair that drew a few hundred attendees. That event is often cited as a precursor to the larger convention culture that followed.
Viewed in retrospect, Asimov’s recollections frame a community defined by curiosity, civility, and shared affection for science fiction. He cherished the chance to meet fans who shared his passion and approached the conventions with warmth and intelligence, a stark contrast to some older myths about fan culture.
Source: Original article
