Marchant’s story was greeted with “a firestorm of controversy” and sparked years of debate within Star Trek fan circles. But it also set a precedent. Kirk/Spock was out in the open, and it would go on to become the granddaddy of slash, soon generating its own dedicated zines, art, and merchandise, and becoming such a standard in the world of male/male subtext found in media that even your most fandom-averse friends have probably heard of it.
There’s also a link to that first Kirk/Spock story ever, and it was really interesting to read that small piece which became a pillar of fandom history. Both the author of this article and Diane Marchant say that it’s all there, on the screen, that there was no need to invent the chemistry and obvious attraction. Some fifty years later the simple feeling is still there and just as obvious. It inspires. It makes people want to tell stories, like they did hundreds and thousands years ago about something or someone that captivated their imagination.
It’s also heartwarming to be reminded again that we’re actually continuing the long-lasting tradition. In pre-internet days people discussed concepts and tossed around ideas much in the same way, although now the medium is faster and more convenient.
Fiction develops hand-in-hand with society, reflecting its changes, problems, achievements. Once it was risky to publish a story where no names are given and pronouns are carefully skirted around. Now there are such an abundance and diversity out there. Isn’t it amazing?
It is indeed amazing. Thank you for sharing! It’s electrifying!
We have a long way to go still. Many parts of the world are still nowhere near what we see online. It is still risky, life threatening in fact to even suggest anything slash.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About the First Published Kirk/Spock Slash Fanfiction
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