Beam me up: A beginner’s guide to the Star Trek franchise

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Star Trek 101

Star Trek is more than pop culture; it’s 20th century mythology with its own complicated mythos. “Beam me up” and “live long and prosper” may have invaded the cultural lexicon, but Star Trek is particularly intimidating for the uninitiated. Where to start and what to skip are up for debate even among the most hardcore Trekkies and Trekkers (the fandom can’t even decide on a name for itself). One thing is clear: It all begins with Gene Roddenberry, the visionary who created the original show in the 1960s and presided over the franchise until his death in 1991. The WWII fighter pilot turned TV writer would have turned 93 this August. He’s survived by a franchise that encompasses five live action TV shows, one animated series, and 12 films. Given that Star Trek will celebrate its 50th anniversary in just two short years, this the perfect time for new fans to jump on Roddenberry’s “Wagon Train to the stars.”

More so than spaceships and phasers, the one quality that defines Star Trek is optimism. Roddenberry imagined a 23rd century in which humanity had eliminated the hunger, war, and divisions that characterized his own 20th century. Each series—which function as independent shows and don’t need to be watched in any particular order—follows the adventures of one Starfleet crew. As the exploratory, diplomatic, and militaristic arm of an intergalactic Federation Of Planets, Starfleet’s iconic mission is to “Seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Promoting “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” Star Trek uses alien worlds, interspecies conflicts, and sci-fi premises to make real world statements about war, racism, and politics.