Overview

Star Trek emerged against a cultural backdrop of Dylan, mini-skirts, bellbottoms and VW vans; flourishing a culture of Michael Jackson, big-hair and environmentalism; expanding during a culture of emerging-computers, greed and religious revitalization. Star Trek survived the culture shock after 9/11, and experienced a revival in the new culture of yoga pants, hybrid cars, and solar panels. Fifty plus years later, through rapid culture change, Star Trek is alive and well, voyaging through space and time. Which allows us to wonder, why is that? Star Trek kept its core features while adapting to contemporary culture. The Voyages of Star Trek: A Space-Time Continuum explores how understanding human behavior and culture change through space and time is an important discipline that can affect impactful media, such as Star Trek. The authors, K. M. Heath and A.S. Carlisle, investigate the enduring appeal of the phenomenon of Star Trek and how it mirrored, foreshadowed, and adapted to contemporary American culture from 1966 to the present. First looking at the evolution of Star Trek by tying the dramatic storylines of episodes and movies to events and developments in America, then assessing the extent to which the image of Star Trek is actually reflected on the screen from “snapshots” of randomly selected episodes and of all the movies. The Voyages of Star Trek: A Space-Time Continuum successfully looks at the cultural impact of Star Trek beyond what it did for its own franchise. Star Trek has a bright future among the stars, and has truly gone where few franchises have gone before.

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9781538136966

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Reviews

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.--Booklist A fascinating review of Star Trek through the lens of American history. The authors clearly illustrate, with collected data and episodic summaries, how each series has successfully--and not so successfully--adapted over the years to reflect the current culture. This may be the perfect book for anyone new to Star Trek who doesn't know where to begin. With over 50 years of material to cover, the authors do a brilliant job of identifying the characters, experiences, and storylines that reflect the diversity of the American experience in a fictional world that so many have come to love.--Jesika St Clair, former senior editor at The Saturday Evening Post An enjoyable journey through Star Trek history, and an arsenal of knowledge for those who would engage in the discussion, But is it Star Trek? --Alison Pitt, producer and host of Daily Star Trek News 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 and Carlisle] cite this central tenet, along with Star Trek'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 . . . Socially conscious fans will appreciate this study, which shows a real affection for its subject.--Library Journal The Voyages of Star Trek is a brilliant interpretation of that famous mission to boldly go where no one has gone before. Witty and engaging, it provides a unique and very readable exploration of how the Star Trek phenomenon interacts with the rapid cultural change in American society over fifty plus years of production. Readers interested in both contemporary and pop culture, and not only members of the Trek fandom, will be fascinated by the ways in which this study explores the validity of Trek's acclaimed social statements of equality, feminism, peace, and military purpose.--Maureen F. Mann, PhD, co-editor of Laughter in Middle-earth: Humour in and around the Works of JRR Tolkien The Star Trek series, created by Gene Roddenberry, inspired many young fans to pursue careers in science, aerospace, and the military. Authors Heath and Carlisle are proof that Roddenberry's influence was also profound on a new generation of anthropologists. Future producers and writers will find this a valuable guidebook for successfully working in the franchise. More importantly, legions of Star Trek fans will learn their love of Star Trek is founded less on their fascination with transporters, warp drives and holodecks, than their hopes for a better future.--David Zeanah, Professor of Anthropology, Sacramento State University

The Star Trek series, created by Gene Roddenberry, inspired many young fans to pursue careers in science, aerospace, and the military. Authors Heath and Carlisle are proof that Roddenberry's influence was also profound on a new generation of anthropologists. Future producers and writers will find this a valuable guidebook for successfully working in the franchise. More importantly, legions of Star Trek fans will learn their love of Star Trek is founded less on their fascination with transporters, warp drives and holodecks, than their hopes for a better future.--David Zeanah, Professor of Anthropology, Sacramento State University

Author Information

Kathleen M. Heath is an associate professor of anthropology at Indiana State University and the author of numerous articles on topics in archaeology, evolution, behavioral ecology, culture, and genetics. She merges her academic training in anthropology with her lifelong interest in science fiction and fantasy to explore how imaginary worlds can capture the hearts of millions of people from mainstream cultures, to counter-cultures, to sub-cultures. Ann S. Carlisle has a B.A. in anthropology. While a student at Indiana State University she began integrating her academic concentration in cultural diversity with her keen interest in science/speculative fiction, ultimately researching Star Trek as a phenomenon of American culture.

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