Is that a tricorder in your pocket, or...

Star Trek fans invade Civil War re-enactments:

"We thought about how meticulous those Civil War re-enactors are about having historically accurate uniforms and equipment," says OTB President Hugh Lessjo. "Then we thought, "Who else is so obsessive about having the right props and costumes?"

The answer: Star Trek fans.

"We have Star Trek fan clubs in our area, and Sunday's battle re-enactment already includes a 'what-if' scenario featuring a Confederate counterattack," says Lessjo. 'So we started thinking outside the box, and we thought, "Why not have Trekkies join the battle? They already have the equipment."

Link courtesy Metafilter. Insert your own play on "To boldly go," etc.

Then the trouble began.

First the Confederates said they wouldn't associate with "Trekkies," and the Star Trek fans said they preferred "Trekkers." The Confederates all laughed, and "that right there got things off on the wrong foot," Lessjo says.

Okay, it was an April Fool's Day column. Still pretty funny.

Speaking of Star Trek, a new series of Star Trek novels is being published. The first one comes out next month. The series will be set during the same timeframe as the original Star Trek TV series, the Kirk-Spock era.