Conversation #0004: Star Trek, The Original Series - Continuities of Empire

2025-11-13

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In our latest Conversation, Frank has something special for us!Following attempts at bringing together all their academic work, Frank goes into Star Trek proper for the first time in the podcast, surprisingly. In an attempt to articulate how the original 1966-1969 run articulated a certain version of the future that, while utopian, was still entrenched in Liberalism and certain elements of Empire from which it could not imagine a different outcome.So follow along as we dive into proto-Q, liberal visions of race, a mining...

In our latest Conversation, Frank has something special for us!

Following attempts at bringing together all their academic work, Frank goes into Star Trek proper for the first time in the podcast, surprisingly. In an attempt to articulate how the original 1966-1969 run articulated a certain version of the future that, while utopian, was still entrenched in Liberalism and certain elements of Empire from which it could not imagine a different outcome.

So follow along as we dive into proto-Q, liberal visions of race, a mining colony, and the Cold War all over again! Enjoy!

Episodes discussed:

S1E17 - The Squire of Gothos
S1E21 - The Return of the Archons
S1E25 - The Devil in the Dark
S1E26 - Errand of Mercy
S2E19 - A Private Little War
S2E23 - The Omega Glory
S3E15 - Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

Some bibliography from Frank's own current research into the topic:

GOLUMBIA, David. “Black and White World: Race, Ideology and Utopia in Triton and Star Trek.” Cultural Critique v. 32, Winter 1995-1996. pp. 75-95.

MCKAGEN, E. Leigh. “45. Colonialism and Imperialism” GARCIA-SIINO, Leimar; MITTERMEIER, Sabrina; RABITSCH, Stefan. (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Star Trek. New York: Routledge, 2022. pp. 332-339.

RIEDER, John. “Chapter Two: Fantasises of Appropriation”. ______. Colonialism and the emergence of Science Fiction. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2008. pp. 34-60.

SPIEGEL, Simon. “60. Utopia” GARCIA-SIINO, Leimar; MITTERMEIER, Sabrina; RABITSCH, Stefan. (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Star Trek. New York: Routledge, 2022. Utopias in Star Trek pp. 471-472.

STEPHENSON, Anders. Manifest Destiny: American Expansion and the Empire of Right. New York: Hill and Wang, 1996.

WORLAND, Rick. “Captain Kirk, Cold Warrior” Journal of Popular Film and Television. Los Angeles, 16, n. 3, 1988. pp. 109-117.

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