In a world shrunk by modern transport and communication,Star Trekhas maintained the values of western maritime exploration through the discovery of 'strange new worlds' in space. Throughout its fifty-year history, the 'starry sea' has provided a familiar backdrop to an ongoing interrogation of what it means to be human.This book charts the developing Star Trek story from the 1960s through to the present day. Although the core values and progressive politics of the series' earliest episodes have remained at the heart of Star Trek throughout half a century, in other ways the story it tells has shifted with the times. While TheOriginal SeriesandTheNext Generationshowed a faith in science and rationalism, and in a benign liberal leadership, withDeep Space NineandVoyagerthat 'modern' order began to decline, as religion, mental illness and fragmented identities took hold.Now fully revised and updated to include the prequel series Enterprise and the current reboot film series, this new second edition ofStar Trek: The Human Frontier- published to coincide withStarTrek's golden jubilee celebrations - addresses these issues in a range of cultural contexts, and draws together an unusual combination of expertise. Written to appeal to both the true Trekker and those who don't knowStar TrekfromStar Wars, the book explores and explains the ideas and ideals behind a remarkable cultural phenomenon.