BFI TV Classics: Star Trek

[Christopher]

Ina Rae Hark, a professor and author who's a fellow member of the Ex Isle BBS (where we know her as "Cardie"), has asked me to let people know that her new nonfiction book on Star Trek is available for preorder at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-BFI...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219017731&sr=1-1

Book Description

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.

Ina posted the following message on Ex Isle:

The BFI TV Classics mandate is to "provide critical readings underpinned with careful research, alongside a personal response to the programme and a case for its 'classic' status" so you can predict that this volume will favor TOS and DS9. Because of the fairly brief length of these books, I have to deal in trends and generalities, so lots gets left out--including 15,000 words I had to cut--and I'm sure that you can find single episode exceptions to put up against arguments I make about the franchise as a whole. With those caveats, it may be something EI Trekkers would enjoy, and it has lots of color illustrations as well.

While of course I want to publicize this launch to promote sales, I primarily want to take this opportunity to thank all you guys, and others in other Trek online communities, for giving me a sounding board to develop the ideas the book contains.

http://www.exisle.net/mb/index.php?s=&showtopic=53802&view=findpost&p=1136636

 

[Steve Roby]

Ina Rae Hark wrote a relatively early academic paper on Star Trek, "Star Trek and Television's Moral Universe," in Extrapolation back in 1979. She also contributed to The Influence of Star Trek on Television, Film and Culture, a collection of essays published last year and edited by Lincoln Geraghty.

I haven't read any of BFI's TV books yet but I have several of their film series books. This should be good.