From Nowhere: Utopian and Dystopian Visions of our - Chris J. Young

84. Marc Okrand. The Klingon Dictionary. New York: Pocket Books, 1985.
it is difficult for many to imagine a world without Star Trek. The television and movie franchise
have not only given expression to utopian developments in society, they have even pervaded our
language. Before filming Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Paramount Studios hired Marc Okrand,
a trained linguist, to create the Klingon language. Although Klingon is not substantially different in
structure from modern languages, Okrand developed a phonology that would make Klingon sound
distinctly alien to anything on earth. Okrand achieved this by selecting and combining sounds
in ways that were not generally found in other languages. This effect was achieved by the use of
a number of retroflex and uvular consonants in Klingon’s inventory. A year after the film’s 1984
release, Okrand published The Klingon Dictionary complete with a guide to pronunciation, grammar,
and vocabulary. Apart from presenting fans of Star Trek with a new language to learn, it has inspired
organizations such as the Klingon Language institute to translate classic English texts, including
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, into the Klingon language. Although the dictionary does not contain a word
for utopia, it does contain the words ‘no’ and ‘place’ to be combined to state noplace, or ‘Qo’lan!’
From a private collection
85. Bill Gold. A Clockwork Orange. 1971.
A Clockwork Orange is a dark British film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel of the
same name, written, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. it features disturbing images of
rape and ‘ultra-violence’, raising questions about modern-day psychiatry, youth gangs, and other
contemporary social, political, and economic subjects in a dystopian, future Britain. The protagonist
of the film, Alex, describes acts of violence he committed before his arrest and incarceration in a
reform school. While imprisoned, he is offered a chance for early release on condition he undergoes
an experimental treatment that will reform his violent behaviour. The treatment involves being
shown films depicting violence and rape while being administered a drug that makes him feel
sick. As he is shown the films, one of Alex’s favourite compositions is played as the soundtrack:
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Consequently, the treatment not only induces illness whenever he
experiences violence, but also when he hears the Ninth Symphony. Alex struggles to readjust to
society but attempts to commit suicide when he hears Beethoven. A Clockwork Orange asks whether
it is ever ethical to brainwash and mould members of society according to a predetermined set of
standard behaviours, which remove choice and free will. The graphic designer Bill Gold enjoyed an
illustrious career as a movie poster designer from 1942 with Casablanca to his death in 2011 with
J. Edgar. He had a unique talent for capturing the essence of films, evident in the poster on display,
90 Boundless Utopia