Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek

David Greven is Professor of English at the University of South Carolina. His books include Representations of Femininity in American Genre Cinema, The Bionic Woman and Feminist Ethics, and Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek.

“a fine pick...a fascinating read for those trying to understand pop culture and sexuality in today’s world”—Midwest Book Review; “an exhaustively researched book that covers storylines and characters from all of the incarnations of the Trek myth including the recent movie re-imagining of the storyline...I can’t imagine you’ll find a better book on the subject”—Scarlet; “Greven manages to offer new, even radically different perspectives on Trek in parts of this engaging and readable book...offers new insights into gender (predominantly masculinity) and sexuality in Trek across the various series. As well as offering an intriguing revisionist view of STOS, it also engages with installments that have not so far received much critical examination (such as the 2002 movie Nemesis, or the latest film), largely avoiding covering ground that is too familiar. The focus on individual episodes and/or characters allows for detailed analysis…at its best, Greven’s approach matches theory with text in stimulating and insightful fashion.”—Lorna Jowett, Critical Studies in Television; “Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek maintains a clear focus and presents an engaging argument, centered on an allegorical reading of gender, sexuality and race in the monomyth. In developing this, Greven analyzes how, while Star Trek does not directly represent gay or lesbian characters, queer desire can still be read allegorically and ironically by the significant gay fan base...gives an excellent basis for continued engagement with this ‘maddeningly and exhilaratingly complex’ monomyth.”—Elspeth Kydd, Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media.

• Table of ContentsIntroduction—Star Trek, Gender, Race, Allegory, and Desire      ONE—LONELY PLANETSOriginal Star Trek, the Male Gaze, and the Allegorization of Desire      TWO—FUTURESStar Trek Allegory and the Representation of Queer Characters      THREE—PROJECTING DESIREHolograms, Artists, and Gay Male Allegory      FOUR—QUEERING GENDERVoyager’s Neelix as the Male Mother      FIVE—THE SEETHING SKINStar Trek, Masculinity, and Race      SIX—THE TWILIGHT OF IDENTITYEnterprise, Neoconservatism, and the Death of Star Trek      SEVEN—WHITE WHALESRage and Masculinity in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek: First Contact      EIGHT—AN EPIC FOR WOMENStar Trek: Voyager’s “Dark Frontier”      NINE—THE ECHO OVER THE VOICEStar Trek: Nemesis and Patriarchal Narcissism      Afterword—J. J. Abrams and the Fate of Trek      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index