A readable and engaging look at the enduring phenomenon that is Star Trek, drawing in other threads of our cultural conversation from Joseph Campbell to Bill and Ted. At issue—what does Star Trek and our love for the TV/film series say about our dreams for the ideal society and about ourselves?
    Here’'s a guided romp through Trek’s alternative universes—individual episodes and films, the people behind Trek, and the unexpected implications of Trek’s “double vision.”

Trek is as unpredictable as anything Dr. Heisenberg ever tried to measure:

• The classic Trek conflict pits “logic” versus “emotion:” but on which side of the debate does Trek finally come down?
  
• Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future promotes tolerance for all species, right? Try telling that to the Borg.
  
• The Prime Directive is about protecting cultural freedom—but by restricting the culture of those at whom it is directed!
  
• Which is finally “The Cage” for Trek: fantasy, or reality?
  
• Trek is always asking “What does it mean to be human?” Does Trek have any answers to its own questions?

Mike Hertenstein has tackled a closely-meshed topic and teased it out.
—Tom Howard, author of C.S. Lewis: Man of Letters