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SYFY WIRE Podcast

How to turn Star Trek fandom into a career and free cruises [Ep #69]

By Jordan Zakarin
Jordan Hoffman George Takei Star Trek

Jordan Hoffman still remembers the first time Star Trek got his attention. He was 4 or 5 years old and was enamored with the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with its big rainbow running down the center. His parents agreed to take him to see the movie, and though he slept through at least half of it, he caught enough action that it beamed something into his brain for good.

Now, 40 years later, Hoffman has turned that initial curiosity into a full-blown career. A longtime film critic, he has been writing for StarTrek.com since 2012 and serves as an official liaison between the Trek franchise and the fandom. He hosted the show's official podcast for two years and has been the host fan on the sold-out journeys of Star Trek: The Cruise each of the last three years. Yes, there are official Star Trek cruises, and they pack over 2,000 fans and cosplayers into a nerd flotilla.

Hoffman joins The Fandom Files to talk about his adventures in Trek fandom, what it's like to hang out with over 2,000 fans aboard a cruise ship, and his thoughts on all the new Trek shows. We also hear from fans who want to save the Freeform show Shadowhunters and need to vent about the axing of General Zuvio from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And we end the show with some beautiful Black Panther fanfiction.

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