Amazon.com description: Product Description: Since 1966 Star Trek has grown into a unique multimedia phenomenon, encompassing an ever-growing number of television series and big- budget films, and its concepts and catch-phrases have passed into general currency. At the same time it has always displayed a social conscience and its stories have frequently held up a mirror to many of the key concerns of modern society. This book traces the evolution of Star Trek from its earliest days, examining the role of its creator Gene Roddenberry and his various successors in the formulation of a unique dramatic universe which, as Chris Gregory argues here, can be said to have developed into a modern mythological system. Star Trek: Parallel Narratives also examines the underlying psychological, social and political themes in Star Trek and evaluates the way in which highly active fan organizations have made it into a worldwide cult. Much emphasis is placed on the contrast between the sophistication of contemporary Trek and the relative naivety of the original series, and how this reflects on social and ideological changes in both the mass media and the mass audience since the 1960s.