I honestly haven't spent as much time in the Star Trek universe, so I can't say if I think it has achieved the status of (or contains the elements of) myth. Perhaps, you've been with the story enough to decide!
One thing that surprised me in Ball's book is how quickly he dismissed Star Wars as a contender for mythic status. But after thinking about his reasoning -- and thinking of how closely held the story remains at the current time -- I'm leaning to agree with him.
By 'closely held', I'm referring to where the stories are coming from -- originator-sanctioned sources. That's something to look at in regards to Star Trek: where are the stories coming from? Has it truly escaped its originators?
I don’t know that it has escaped its originators entirely but is heading in that direction.
Also, does that means Gen Z are trying to force Harry Potter into mythic status? They are so desperate to break ties to JKR through any means possible but particularly fanfic.
(So, fanfic is definitely something I thought about when writing this. How does that play into the status of a story as myth?)
I think the making of a myth is something that happens, not something that people make happen. (If that makes sense.) I think an organic separation (or, in some cases, an elision) of author and story could be on the way for Harry Potter. We'll have to wait and see. And we may not be alive then!
But the fact that a segment of people are actively *trying* to erase the author's name from her work -- revolting against the creator while praising the creation (a wild and interesting situation on its own!) -- is proof, in my opinion, that it hasn't achieved mythic status and likely won't any time soon.
Would you call Star Trek a modern myth given how many times they have retold the story from increasingly different angles?
Also, this is how I become increasingly okay with versions of Arthurian legend that move away from the “original” (which was itself an adaptation).
I honestly haven't spent as much time in the Star Trek universe, so I can't say if I think it has achieved the status of (or contains the elements of) myth. Perhaps, you've been with the story enough to decide!
One thing that surprised me in Ball's book is how quickly he dismissed Star Wars as a contender for mythic status. But after thinking about his reasoning -- and thinking of how closely held the story remains at the current time -- I'm leaning to agree with him.
By 'closely held', I'm referring to where the stories are coming from -- originator-sanctioned sources. That's something to look at in regards to Star Trek: where are the stories coming from? Has it truly escaped its originators?
I don’t know that it has escaped its originators entirely but is heading in that direction.
Also, does that means Gen Z are trying to force Harry Potter into mythic status? They are so desperate to break ties to JKR through any means possible but particularly fanfic.
(So, fanfic is definitely something I thought about when writing this. How does that play into the status of a story as myth?)
I think the making of a myth is something that happens, not something that people make happen. (If that makes sense.) I think an organic separation (or, in some cases, an elision) of author and story could be on the way for Harry Potter. We'll have to wait and see. And we may not be alive then!
But the fact that a segment of people are actively *trying* to erase the author's name from her work -- revolting against the creator while praising the creation (a wild and interesting situation on its own!) -- is proof, in my opinion, that it hasn't achieved mythic status and likely won't any time soon.