Exploring Picard’s Galaxy: Essays on Star Trek: The Next Generation
First published on January 18, 2018 and written by
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As the sequel series to Gene Roddenberry’s original television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation pushed the boundaries of the “final frontier” of outer space. At the same time, the show continued the franchise’s celebrated exploration of the human experience, reflecting current social and political events. The series became immensely successful, spawning four feature films and several television spin-offs.

This collection of new essays explores the characters, themes, and various facets that make up The Next Generation. Chapters examine the structural foundations of Federation philosophy concerning technocracy, sexuality, and biopolitics; shifts in foreign policy concerning the Prime Directive, the Borg, and covert intelligence with the Romulan Tal Shiar; scrutinizes key characters including Jean-Luc Picard, Data, Deanna Troi, Beverly Crusher, and Tasha Yar; and unpacks textures of the show, including music, Klingon martial arts, and uses of history.