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real world settings. Old topics are new in this collection. All the social ills:
racism, sexism, genocide, to name a few, can all be examined with a clear eye
because Star Trek infiltrates the arguments with Bajorans and Cardassians
committing World War II crimes on their planets. Klingons and Federation
explorers can stand in for Soviet and American combatants. Seven of Nine and
Data offer opportunities to discuss what it means to be human.
This collection treats the original Star Trek series and its descendents as
reasons to hold serious discussions about decency, to critique the shape
American dream has taken, and to track its inspirations. It also allows a fresh
view into cultural subjects one would think we were finished discussing. This
collection points out that by creating a universe where the disasters of the
modem age are resolved, Roddenberry helps reshape discussions of the political
conflicts that are still wreaking havoc in American culture. What is unsolvable
in the real world becomes an answered question in Star Trek, which allows the
freedom to search for the tme meaning of being decent, within the confines of
American political, religious, and social ideology.
This book presents an academic approach to Star Trek, but it is not a dry
read. Vulcans are presented as representatives of religious archetypes. Seven of
Nine is presented as critical to the discussion of androgyny and latent sexual
discrimination. The Prime Directive is used to question who is watching the
watchers. All these Star Trek specifics allow for the kind of fun that is often
missing from traditional criticism. The characters, cultures, and places used as
text in these papers are still new and vivid to those who would read this work.
Star Trek is an essential entertaining moment to most of us in America. Even
those who do not dress up and attend conventions can use it to join in
discussions with serious academicians to enter into the discussion and this book
takes advantage of the possibility.
Kim Idol, University of Nevada, Las Vegas