Review of "The Voyages of Star Trek: A Mirror on American Society Through Time," by K. M. Heath and A. S. Carlisle

 Review of

The Voyages of Star Trek: A Mirror on American Society Through Time, by K. M. Heath and A. S. Carlisle, ISBN 9781538136966

Four out of five stars

Demographics of the characters over the years

 The original series of Star Trek was groundbreaking in terms of social movements. Lieutenant Uhuru was both female and black, Helmsman Sulu was Asian and there was even the scandalous first interracial kiss. That last event was so controversial that some television stations blacked it out. Over the years, the percentages of females and blacks in positions of authority have gone up and even uncommon sexual preferences have been introduced.

 In this book, the authors trace those expanding percentages throughout the various Star Trek incarnations. The examinations are of each of the various series, and then the movies made with the characters based on those series. For example, there are statistics based on female and minority appearances in the original series and then the six movies based on the characters and actors of the original series. The reboot of the Star Trek franchise with new actors playing the original series characters are considered separately. 

 The analysis is also based on the screentime of the characters. This makes sense, as it is possible to cast a female or minority in a command role only to have them be given seconds of screentime.  It was not a surprise that the screentime of the female and minority actors have gone up through the various series. While there is some lamentation about the level, one also has to understand that Star Trek also includes many alien species as main characters. While they are not minorities, they are also not white males, so they add to the diversity of the various crews.  

 As an original Trekkie, I found this book interesting. It demonstrates that Star Trek is still one of the leading forces for diversity in the entertainment industry.