Space – the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It’s continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before!

    There are few phrases in pop culture more iconic than these opening words of Star Trek. Whether spoken by Kirk or Picard, they stand as the defining ethos of the franchise. Given the legacy of Star Trek, they also serve as a sort of definition of science-fiction in general: an optimistic, adventurous drive for knowledge and transcendence. The debut of Star Trek in 1966 in many ways marked the beginning of modern sci-fi as well as the general public’s perception of it. Despite variances in quality or wider reception over the decades, it still stands as a venerable institution.