Star Trek was revolutionary for television when it first aired in 1966. It brought serious science fiction into the homes of millions with effects that—at the time—were remarkable for television. Of course, the budget and the available technology still presented limitations for what could be shown. Even today, there are limits to what Star Trek can show on screen.
Audio is a medium where these limits are simply not an issue. Over the past several years, we have seen a growing resurgence of audio dramas, after the radio drama format had all but died out in the mid-20th Century, after the advent of television. Although fans have made amateur Star Trek audio dramas earlier, the upcoming Star Trek: Khan is the first official audio addition to the series.
Unlike an audiobook, where the story is basically just told through words that are spoken, rather than written, an audio drama is much more like a movie or TV show, minus the visuals. Our imaginations get to run wild and envision scenes that would be nearly impossible to convincingly visualize, while hearing immersive soundscapes and performances.
In many ways, Star Trek is uniquely suited for audio. For one thing, sound design has always been a major strength of the franchise, going back to The Original Series. With convincing soundscapes and dialogue that conveys the story naturally, you can actually listen to most episodes of TOS and enjoy them without looking at a single frame.
Another advantage to Star Trek audio is that it could portray more alien life forms that branch away from the usual humanoid configuration. Another sci-fi classic—The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—originated as a radio series in the 1970s, and its subsequent television and film adaptations show how difficult it can be to visually render, say, a person with two heads and three arms.
With audio, such issues don’t exist. The audience can hear a description—even a vague one—and imagine an alien character however they’d like. If the actors and sound design sell it, no effort needs to be spent on make-up or CGI.
Granted, Star Trek: Khan is established to be focused on existing human characters, with Naveen Andrews playing Khan and Wrenn Schmidt playing Marla McGivers. So, rather than using audio to show different aliens, audio could be used to depict the world of Ceti Alpha V, and its changes after the calamitous events first described in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
From a storytelling perspective, of course, we don't want Star Trek: Khan to try to use every tool and trick available to audio. It needs to focus first and foremost on its characters and story. Still, I am excited to see—or rather, hear—what the team behind Star Trek: Khan has in store for us.
With a story by Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer, and scripts by frequent Star Trek novelists and writers, Kirsten Beyer and David Mack, I have hope that this will be a good series. More than that, though, I hope that this will lead to further audio dramas in the Star Trek universe.
Audio could be an excellent medium to further expand the worlds and characters of Star Trek, much like how the Big Finish audio dramas of Doctor Who have offered additional adventures for different eras of that beloved series. While Star Trek’s true home will probably always be television, I really hope Star Trek: Khan is just the first of many audio Treks.