Star Trek remains the original, iconic and, for its many fans, the best example of science fiction television, boldly going where no TV drama had gone before. Ina Rae Hark’s lively and authoritative account of the five series – from the original Star Trek to its most recent manifestation, ‘Enterprise’ – provides a comprehensive guide to the Trek universe and its key themes.

Hark carefully delineates the unique characteristics of each series, from Star Trek’s depiction of humanity confronting technological and evolutionary change, to The Next Generation’s diplomatic efforts to secure its perfected utopia for others, Deep Space Nine’s interrogation of the claims of that utopia in a hostile, alien environment, Voyager’s testing of Starfleet principles light years away from the Federation’s borders, and Enterprise’s look back at humankind’s first efforts to forge an intergalactic alliance. Hark explores the character dynamics of each captain and his or her crew.

As well as offering new insights for even the most hardcore Trekker, this volume also provides a perfect introduction to a popular culture phenomenon for those few who have never heard of a phaser or a Klingon.