The Meaning of Star Trek »

Thomas Richards is a former associate professor of English and American Literature at Harvard University. He is the author of two works of nonfiction as well as a novel, Zero Tolerance. A Guggenheim fellow, he lives in California.

"Where does Star Trek come from? Why is it so popular? How does it go about creating a coherent world? Literary critics may take literature seriously, but they often look down on popular forms such as television shows.

"I feel differently. I think the meaning of the series can best be captured by looking at how it successfully creates a coherent universe. Like any great work of art or literature, the Star Trek universe has an integrity and a resonance all its own, a completeness unrivaled by any other kind of science fiction, whether movie, television show, or novel. The unique character of the series, taken not as a group of loosely connected stories but as a viable whole, is the subject of this book."

—From the Introduction to The Meaning of  Star Trek

Star Trek has no equal. Easily the most cerebral show on television, it brought a literary sophistication to the raw material of science fiction and confounded all the formulas of television. By taking classic stories and placing them in strange new contexts, Star Trek became a modern Odyssey in outer space, a set of stories so basic to our culture that they can be told over and over again.

The Meaning of Star Trek captures the essence of this timeless television masterpiece by linking the parallel universes of classical literature and popular culture. Thomas Richards examines its portrayals of contact and conflict with other species and other cultures; its deep explorations of character and identity, and its complex conception of the idea of the individual self; its remarkably rich and varied use of story and myth; and its profound appeal to our shared sense of wonder, a reverence and awe for that which science cannot explain.

Enlightening, provocative, and enormously entertaining, The Meaning of Star Trek is essential reading for even the most casual admirer of the Star Trek universe, as well as a brilliant introduction to the worlds of literature, myth, and science fiction.

This book was not prepared, approved, licensed, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing the Star Trek television series or films.

Publishers Weekly

Richards, a former Harvard literature professor professor and Guggenheim fellow, presents his own literary examination of Gene Roddenberry's creation, and while one doesn't have to be familiar with warp technology, temporal mechanics or Bajoran politics, it does help to appreciate Richard's arguments. Here is what die-hard Trekkers love to sink their honed Klingon bicuspids into: another opinion. In a friendly and accessible manner, Richards presents his penses in four sections: conflict, character, story, and sense of wonder. While he draws on themes that span the canon of celluloid Trek, the examples he cites are mainly from Star Trek: The Next Generation television series and the book's most engaging passages are those that explore particular TNG episodes: his analysis of the Hugo Award- winning episode, "Inner Light," is particularly perceptive. Although Richards has a tendency to repeat himself, he offers enough fresh insights to prick up a pointed ear or two. For example, while Trek lauds the friendships of its various crews, loving relationships and stable families remain largely unattainable. His careful tally of the number of times various captains have violated the Prime Directive leads to a lively reexamination of one of Trek's cornerstones. Yet, his enduring enthusiasm for the franchise shines above all else, and should open warm hailing frequencies with Trekkers everywhere. (July) FYI: For more Trek, see note below on Richard Hanley's The Metaphysics of Star Trek.