Star Trek: The Human Frontier / Edition 2

by Duncan Barrett, Michèle Barrett

Overview

In a world'shrunk by modern transport and communication, Star Trek has maintained the values of western maritime exploration through the discovery of ‘strange new worlds’ in space. Throughout its fifty-year history, the ‘starry sea’ has provided a familiar backdrop to an ongoing interrogation of what it means to be human.

This book charts the developing Star Trek story from the 1960s through to the present day. Although the core values and progressive politics of the series’ earliest episodes have remained at the heart of Star Trek throughout half a century, in other ways the story it tells has shifted with the times. While The Original Series and The Next Generation showed a faith in science and rationalism, and in a benign liberal leadership, with Deep Space Nine and Voyager that ‘modern’ order began to decline, as religion, mental illness and fragmented identities took hold.

Now fully revised and updated to include the prequel series Enterprise and the current reboot film series, this new second edition of Star Trek: The Human Frontier – published to coincide with Star Trek’s golden jubilee celebrations – addresses these issues in a range of cultural contexts, and draws together an unusual combination of expertise. Written to appeal to both the true Trekker and those who don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars, the book explores and explains the ideas and ideals behind a remarkable cultural phenomenon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138699601
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michèle Barrett is Professor of Modern Literacy and Cultural Theory at Queen Mary University of London. Her books include Casualty Figures, The Politics of Truth, Imagination in Theory and the feminist classic Women's Oppression Today.

Duncan Barrett is an internationally bestselling author of historical narrative nonfiction. His books include Men of Letters, The Sugar Girls, GI Brides and The Girls Who Went to War.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments List of Illustrations Introduction to the Second Edition Introduction: Earthrise Part I: The Starry Sea Part II: Humanity on Trial Part III: The Post-modern Track Conclusion: Exhuming the Human Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"The Barretts offer a perceptive and thorough reading of the several series and movies, organizing their discussion around the franchise's idea of what it means to be, or not to be, human." — Rudi Dornemann IainTaxi Review of Books
"A book that is a delight to read. If this is what intergenerational authorship can accomplish, we should all start writing with our kids." — Lawrence Grossberg, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"As we stand on the threshold of the age of human cloning, the leading question asked by this engaging book - What is human? - could hardly be more timely. The Barretts offer persuasive answers in their thorough analysis of a media phenomenon that has touched virtually everyone who lives in a technologically advanced society." — Andrew Ross, New York University
"A book that is a delight to read. If this is what intergenerational authorship can accomplish, we should all start writing with our kids." — Lawrence Grossberg, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

From the Publisher