To Boldly Go: Essays on Gender and Identity in the Star Trek Universe


Summary
From the call for papers 
Since its premiere on September 8, 1966, Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek has become one of the icons of science fiction. With the 50th anniversary coming up, this collection will focus on gender representations within the Star Trek universe throughout these five decades. From the very beginnings of Nichelle Nichols (as the first African American actress in a science fiction series) as Uhura to such powerful female such as Jadzia Dax (who lives in symbiosis with a wise and long-lived creature), the Borg Queen (the focal point within the Borg Collective consciousness and a unique drone within the collective), Seven of Nine (a rehumanized ex-Borg), T'Pau (the only person ever to turn down a seat on the Federation Council), Captain Janeway (the only female captain with her own series) or B'Elanna Torres (the half-human/half-Klingon ex-Maquis) to name but a few of the iridescent female characters the Star Trek universe has to offer. In addition, the male characters are equally as tantalizing. From the enigmatic James T. Kirk (who not only survived but helped others to survive at a young age at Tarsus IV) and his loyal 1st Officer Mr. Spock (the only human/Vulcan hybrid in existence), Worf (the first Klingon to serve in the Federation), Q (an almighty being able to bend time and space to his wishes) to Miles O'Brien (a formerly no-name character who later become a fan favorite) or Odo (a character who can shapeshift but does not shift into a human form). The sheer multitude of individuals, races, and universes this franchise has to offer calls for a deep and focused scrutiny of actual and possible constructions of gender, sexuality and human/non-human identity.

Star Trek literature