Star Trek stands out among its science fiction contemporaries for its ability to use the genre to touch on dire real-world subjects. Eugenics. Nuclear war. Environmental disaster. The rise and fall of fascist dictatorships. Trek portrays these as wake-up calls…
A feminist take on “Our Man Bashir” and the more dubious elements of the James Bond franchise Due to the ongoing pandemic, the release date of the latest iteration of the James Bond movie franchise, No Time to Die, has…
As a woman of active imagination and a science-fiction enthusiast, I could never help but wonder what my life would be like had I been born in Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. Would I apply for Starfleet? Would they…
In season five of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the episode “Doctor Bashir, I Presume?” opens with Doctor Bashir getting the opportunity of a lifetime: the newest Emergency Medical Hologram will be modeled off of his appearance and personality. He…
I teach two sections of a developmental English course at a public community college in New York City. When students fail their reading and writing college entrance exams, they come to me. My class differs from traditional remedial courses in…