The Voyages of Star Trek

August 28, 2020

The Star Trek universe is rife with danger, from malevolent alien races to cataclysmic astronomical events. However, the franchise has also posited an optimistic view of humanity, showcasing a unified Earth. Heath (anthropology, Indiana State Univ.) and anthropology scholar Carlisle cite this central tenet, along with StarTrek's ability to mirror a changing culture, as the reason why it has survived for 50-plus years, spawning multiple TV series and films. The authors surveyed each incarnation for its handling of social issues and sampled still images from each series to see if the progressive ideas in the script were represented onscreen. The book summarizes each series (and devotes a chapter to the 13 movies), highlights key episodes, provides cultural context, and presents quantitative data on onscreen representation. The authors successfully chart the evolution of Star Trek, but their attempts to capture the zeitgeist of the times occasionally leads to generalizations that imply universal shared experiences. Surely not all Americans were happy and naive prior to 9/11? Their snapshot approach to onscreen representation also draws questions. Is it fair to say that 23 percent of the people shown on Star Trek: The Next Generation are Black when that statistic chiefly refers to the same three characters? VERDICT Socially conscious fans will appreciate this study, which shows a real affection for its subject; however, skeptics may question the conclusions it draws.--Terry Bosky, Madison, WI

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 23, 2020
Star Trek has always been a futuristic mirror reflecting the good, the bad, and the ugly of contemporary culture while providing entertainment to the fans. The various series were groundbreaking in many ways, and yet each was still a product of the time in which it was created. Each series and film is summarized and mapped onto 50-plus years of history featuring rapid cultural change. Snapshots taken from episodes and film scenes are analyzed on issues of representation of gender, age, and group identity. There is also a brief examination of the early fans of the franchise that documents how fanzines, licensed novels, comic books, and fan conventions grew the fan base after the original Star Trek series went into syndication in 1969. The fandom continued to grow during the interlude between that series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the growth was aided further by the rise of the internet and social media. While written from an academic perspective, Heath and Carlisle's work will appeal to a wider audience, who will certainly appreciate this overview of Gene Roddenberry's creation, his vision, and the core principles for the show and the adaptability of the franchise. For those who want to pursue the subject further, a hefty bibliography is provided.

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