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American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate, and Beyond

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American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate And Beyond by Jan Johnson-Smith (Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Theory, Bournemouth University Media School, United Kingdom) surveys the development of science fiction television over the last twenty years with a special focus on narrative, imagery, and ideology. The author makes some fascinating connections between the ancient tradition of the epic journey with the more recent American tradition of the "Wild West". The reader is shown how themes of journey and exploration, and the archetypal characters associated with these themes, have continued from ancient times to the modern era. Johnson-Smith utilizes case studies of several key science fiction series including "Babylon 5", "StarGate SG-1"; "Space: Above and Beyond", and others to reveal common narrative patterns and visual styles. These case studies explore diverse themes including politics, ideology, race and ethnicity, gender difference, militarism, and the use of science fiction narratives as allegories of present-day social and political issues. American Science Fiction TV will prove of immense interest to students of American Popular Culture, the history of American television programming, and fans of fantasy and science-fiction.

Johnson-Smith, a lecturer in film and TV at an English university, reaches the conclusion that unlike earlier periods of science fiction, "modern American sf fiction is neither utopian or dystopian...it enforces a critique of the Western mythos whilst renegotiating its finer aspects." This Western mythos centers on the desire for exploration. This desire was seen as far back as the Gilgamesh myth of the ancient Babylonians; and it emerged in American culture especially in Westward expansion and the related romance of the West. It entails a sense of wonder and the hope of encounter with the Sublime--elements undeniably evident in modern TV sci-fi, which are a major reason for their appeal. But imparting this sense of wonder and picturing the Sublime became possible only when TV technology improved from its first days. Only in recent years has TV arrived in an "era where far-seeing 'tele-vision' can finally live up to its name" by making use of "brilliant colors and dynamic motion" to enhance sf narratives. Today's TV science-fiction shows, notably "Star-Trek," are contrasted with earlier ones such as "Twilight Zone" creating an atmosphere mainly by suggestion, leaving much to the viewer's imagination. The author identifies a new era in science-fiction TV and analyzes the bases of its themes and popular appeal.