2007-08 ASM Star Trek (1965-2005)

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  • Time: Wednesday 4-6 pm

Star Trek is far more than a TV-series. It is a cultural phenomenon with enormous ramifications marked by substantial plot developments, and it is a powerful piece of fiction due to its wide range of cultural, philosophical, aesthetic and political allusions. The original series became a cult classic, the Star Trek universe it created does in retrospect bridge generations and political gaps such as the Cold War with its East/West-confrontation (mirrored within the series by disruptions of original interstellar confrontations).

The Seminar will deal with the following topics - it will depend on your contributions where we will go into details. If you have plans for seminar papers list them bellow. (Discuss the present course outline on the course's discussion page if you feel you cannot see under which heading your topic could appear).

Do mention individual episodes (refer to english wikipedia - you find links bellow) wherever you feel that this is a sequence we must deal with under the given headline (I am not so well informed about the later sequels):

The Future and the Present I: The Original Series (1966–1969)

Star Trek The Original Series (1966–1969): Where does it reflect ongoing historical developments? Topics from the cold war and the environmental pollution to the present Hippie movement.

The Future and the Present II: Next Generation (1987–1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

The Sequels The Next Generation (1987–1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) - same question: Where does the ongoing production reflect ongoing historical developments? A comparison of the different generations.

The Future and the Present III: Voyager (1995–2001) and Enterprise (2001–2005)

The Sequels Voyager (1995–2001) and Enterprise (2001–2005) same question a third time: Where does the ongoing production reflect ongoing historical developments? A comparison of the different generations.

Alienations I: A Show of Pluralism and Diversity

Men and women, different human races united, Spock and the extraterrestrials, encounters with the past and the future, artificial intelligence - a more and more complex world or a prove that we are - essentially - all the same?

Alienations II: Freaks like You and Me

Role models, Fan interaction and the attraction of the weird nations.

Sex in the Future

The role of women, sexual encounters, male-female relationships. Star Trek precursor of woemens lib (Uhura both black and female officer)? Star Trek mals wish fulfilling: sexy women, changes from Cage to TOS.

Growing up

One of the peculiar omnipresent topics (due to the fact that the audience is mainly adolescent?) is the difficulty to grow up. The series is attractive - though it treats its juvenile audience in a oddly humiliating way.

Alienations III: The Attractive (all American?) Center

A culture that does not (want to) need imperialism, technical superiority or the strength of its capitalism to accumulate power and to become attractive. The special role of the "Prime Directive".

Blind spot 1: Religion

In moments of imminent disaster the crew does not begin to to pray to God. The crew members are - with Spock and several other Extraterrestrials - more than international, yet we never saw any Arabs or Muslims.

Blind spot 2: Capitalism

The Ferengi are introduced as a nation of traders - we do not, however, learn how the capitalist system developed into the future world.

Technology, Progress, Man and Nostalgia

Star Trek is (from warp-drives to beaming facilities) full of inventions we are still waiting for - and peculiarly lacking others we developed instead (like those mobile phones we use for normal conversations rather than short commands). It is said to have motivated research - yet it is too simple to see it as a simple glorification of technological progress...

History

Predictions of the future. How is the gap between 1967 and 2260 filled? Another good topic: Encounters between the future and the past.

Parallel Worlds: Futures from Raumschiff Orion to those of Star Wars

Lots of space for seminar work comparing different SF-worlds.

The Commercial Success

Fandom and merchandising.

Seminar Work

Use this section to list your topic

  • My Topic, my Name (log in and sign with ~~~~)

Literature

  • Engel, Joel. Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. New York: Hyperion, 1994.
One of the first critical biographies that appeared after Roddenberry's death.
  • Shatner, William/ Kreshi, Chris. Star Trek Memories. New York: Harper & Collins, 1993.
Offers insight into the production.
  • Tulloch, John/ Jenkins, Henry. Science Giction Audiences: Watching Doctor Who and Star Trek. London: Routledge, 1995.
On the fan community and interaction.
  • Solow, Herb and Justman, Robert H. Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. New York: Pocket, 1996.
One of the critical revisoions which appeared after Roddenbery's death.
  • Gentejohan, Volker, Narratives from the Final Frontier: A Postcolonial Reading of the Original Star Trek Series. Frankfurt a. M./ Berlin: Peter Lang, 2000. 161 pp.
Dissertation, German in its structure: What is postcolonialism? Then apply the theory an see it works. The readings create a congruity where there might be not so much of it. Character analysis and special questions revealing the basically American cultural centre, the phalLogocentrism of the series.
  • Gregory, Chris. Star Trek: Parallel Narratives Houndsmills/ Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000.
Good Biography. Central idea: Star Trek evolving into a mythological system. Written with the awareness of immense changes within the Star Trek universe – changes due to changing options under which TV-shows and movies could be produced over the years. Analysis of interaction and differences between main producers of TOS Roddenberry Coon (he produced much of the Federation’s political framework) and Frieberger (third season with its many recycled shows).
  • Kraemer, Ross S./ Cassidy, William/ Schwartz Susan L. Religions of Star Trek. Cambridge MA: Westview Press, 2001. 246 pp.
Multi facetted and extremely inspiring.
  • Kanzler, Katja. "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations", The Multicultural Evolution of STAR TREK. Heidelberg, Winter, 2004.
Explores the multiculturalism of the Star Trek universe – as a popular and commercial concept. Written with a good deal of fascination.
  • Shapiro, Alan N. Star Trek: Technologies of disappearance. Berlin: Avinus-Verlag, 2004. 369 pp. ISBN 3-930064-16-2.
Technologies of the Star Trek universe from "beaming" to warp spead. Question what they betray if read by a cultural historian.
  • Broderick, James F. The literary galaxy of Star Trek: An analysis of references and themes in the television series and films. Jefferson, N.C. [etc.]: McFarland & Co., 2006. vi, 233 pp. ISBN 0-7864-2571-7
Intertextuality and literary motives from quest to vampirism.
What does Star Trek tell us about the US?
  • Geraghty, Lincoln. Living with Star Trek: American culture and the Star Trek universe (London [etc.]: Tauris, 2007), VIII, 232 pp.
Esp. on fandom.
  • Geraghty, Lincoln (ed.). The influence of Star Trek on television, film, and culture. [=Critical explorations in science fiction and fantasy, 4]]. Jefferson, N.C. [etc.]: McFarland & Co., 2007. ISBN 978-0-7864-3034-5
"Examining Star Trek from various critical angles, the essays in this collection provide vital new insights into the myriad ways that the franchise has affected the culture it represents, the people who watch the series, and the industry that created it" (Publisher).

Links

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