Thirty years ago Star Trek: The Next Generation was not seen as the beloved show it is today. In fact, it was debated, ridiculed, and, frankly, despised by many vocal Trekkies even before it aired. Very few people could believe Star Trek could be done with a new crew and ship, even if it was being written and produced by Gene Roddenberry himself.

To remind us of its humble beginnings I present to you my very old stock of Next Generation parodies, mostly written during the first and second season as evidenced by the particular episodes they’re ribbing. Written by various authors and distributed on dial-up bulletin boards and early internet newsgroups, this library of amateur comedy is very representative of its time. Some are hilarious, some are juvenile, and most are resentment-filled trash.

What many have in common is a sense that the writer is laughing at the show, not with it. These are not loving sendups. They’re teardowns draped in jokes. Recurring themes include Picard as a wimp who surrenders a lot, Gumbies as the revolving cast of chief engineers, references to Pepsi (who’s slogan at the time was “The Choice of a New Generation”), Riker smirking, and a heavy amount of physical abuse heaped on young Wesley Crusher. Some of them blame Roddenberry for the perceived mess, some seem to be under the delusion that The Next Generation was forced on him. What’s really ironic is all the complaints about the show’s lack of action considering today’s old coots can’t stop ripping the new films and shows for being too action oriented. No one’s ever satisfied.

Highlights include a Next Generation driving game, a musical where Kirk’s crew meets Picard’s, and a list of probable second season plot lines.

Mixed in with the Next Generation files are some Original Series parodies and some random other stuff like the rules for Fizbin and an early attempt at a chronology. If anything it’s an interesting look at the tech-saavy fandom of 30 years ago and a well needed lesson on how times and tastes change.