"Star Trek" is one of the most beloved and important pop culture franchises in history. Originally conceived by Gene Roddenberry as his own version of the then wildly popular TV series "Wagon Train" but set in outer space, "Star Trek" quickly evolved into something much greater. Across numerous TV shows, films, comic books, novels and other media, "Star Trek" became a global juggernaut that channeled Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future by taking on challenging social issues while still featuring exciting and memorable stories.
For example, the original "Star Trek" TV series was born of the tumult of the 1960s in America and was unafraid to challenge racism, classism, sexism, the Cold War and nuclear annihilation, and how best to create a just and moral society. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" came 20 years later, after a series of movies starring the cast of the original series. Likely the most popular of all "Trek" series, "TNG" was a product of the triumph of America and the West over Soviet Communism and the hopes (quickly dashed) about what that moment would mean for democracy and Pax Americana.
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