Star TrekIV

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

by Steve Meerson et al. , directed by Leonard Nimoy

Release: 21 November 1986
Format: Feature Film
Genres: Science Fiction, Comedy
Audience: Adults
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

As the brave crew of the Enterprise are returning to Earth on a Klingon Bird of Prey to stand trial for the events of the previous movie, Spock determines that Earth’s demise is imminent unless they can return to 1986 and retrieve a humpback whale (which they proceed to do).

I saw this in the theater with Deb Baker and Jon Shultis during a winter trip to Pittsburgh for a small computer science education conference.

— Michael Main

McCoy: You realize that by giving him the formula you’re altering the future.
Scotty: Why? How do we know he didn’t invent the thing?

DEBUT

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (at movie theaters, Canada, 21 November 1986).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1970 to 1999: AD 1986
Circa AD 2200 to 2299: AD 2286

Timeline Models

Single Static Timeline: Some Star Trek time travel is convoluted, but everything that happens in The Voyage Home appears to be in a single static timeline, particularly since there was nothing in their records about Gillian after the whale incident.

Time Travel Methods

High Speed, Angular Momentum, Gravity, Cosmic Strings, etc. Cause Time Warp: via a slingshot effect around the sun

Themes

Ex Nihilo Knowledge: possibly the transparent aluminum
Ex Nihilo Obects and People: possibly Kirk’s glasses
Technology and Science from the Future: transparent aluminum, kidney drug

Fictional Tags

Groupings

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From a Klingon Bird of Prey, AD 2286 ⋙ to San Francisco, CA, AD 1986. Round trip.