Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era by Adam Kotsko science fiction book reviewsLate Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era by Adam Kotsko

Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era by Adam Kotsko science fiction book reviewsAdam Kotsko’s, Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era — no surprise given the title — explores the “strange new worlds” of the Trek universe from Enterprise onward, managing to get about as fully up to date as one can with publication schedules, missing only the very recent Section 31 film (apparently to Kotsko’s great benefit). Aimed at the layperson despite its close readings of the shows and cultural criticism, Late Star Trek is an engaging and thoughtful read.

As noted, the book begins (after a brief intro) with Enterprise, then has separate chapters on the tie-in novels, the “Kelvin Timeline” trilogy of movies begun by J.J. Abrams, Discovery, and Picard, followed by a single chapter covering Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds. He wraps up with a general conclusion looking both backward and forward, and then offers up several appendices: a list of films and seasons from 2001 to now, a timeline of “key events” in the Trek universe, a notes section, and an index.

This is not an exhaustive list/description of episodes, a catalog of continuity issues, a rant against “new” Trek or a “get with the program” defense of it. Kotsko does reference multiple specific episodes, but in service of the big picture points he is trying to make about each show’s place in the Trek fictional world: what it arose from and what it led to, as well as the particular challenges each show faced (including meddling from corporate overlords, the shifting streaming landscape, trying to find a balance between creative freedom and canon/fan service), their successes, and their failures. He also steps back and examines throughlines, elements that unify the shows across the two or so decades.

One such example is a statement that threw me at first, that someone who entered the Trek universe via Enterprise might think that “Star Trek is about terrorism.” My first response was, “really?”, but then as he details how that plot point plays out again and again in multiple seasons of multiple Trek shows, I had to concede the point that while they might not think that was “all” Star Trek was about, they’d certainly come away thinking it was a major preoccupation. And that sort of, “huh, I never thought of that . . . “ response, which occurred to me more than once, is one of the main pleasures in reading a book like this.

Adam Kotsko

Adam Kotsko

Another is the twin reaction of either agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Agreeing lets you nod your head and go, “hey, I’m just as smart as this superfan-slash-academic because I thought that too.” Or, more charitably (we all have our own levels of ego and pettiness), gives you the pleasure of a shared communion with another fan. On the other hand, disagreeing lets you shake your head and think, “can’t believe this superfan-slash-academic can be this wrong; clearly I’m the smart one in this author-reader relationship.” Plus, it gets the adrenaline going: “How could you possibly like/dislike that episode-season-show?!”

As one might expect in such a wide-ranging text, I moved back and forth between the two poles, sometimes in full agreement with Kotsko (yes, Discovery made its main character too much of a save-the-universe chosen one; yes, the fan service in season three of Picard got to be a bit much and did characters from the first two seasons more than a little dirty), sometimes in partial agreement, and sometimes in total disagreement (he’s more kind toward both Enterprise and Discovery than I would be). But whether agreeing or disagreeing, I never found fault with the thoughtfulness or depth of Kotsko’s discussion.

I do wish he had given the “minor triumphs” as they’re named — Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds — more space, as I think all are both worthy of their own chapters as well and offer more than enough substance for analysis and comparison in the same mode and to the same degree he offers with the other shows.. And in the “if this were my book” vein of responding, I might have added two additional chapters. One on The Orville, which while obviously not a Star Trek show, certainly spins directly off from it and in many respects feels like a Trek show. And another to move beyond placing individual Trek shows within the Star Trek universe and place them as well in the larger TV sci-fi/streaming context in this time period, amidst the Star Wars TV shows, the Dr Who reboot, the plethora of quality sci-fi on Apple TV, etc. I recognize that’s a book-length topic to do it justice, but I wouldn’t have minded a shallow dip into that pool.

But those are minor quibbles. Overall, Late Star Trek is an excellent exploration, covering the material in thoughtful and insightful fashion, offering up some surprising ideas, making good connections, and displaying a willingness to be critically negative when deserved. And Kotsko’s voice throughout is clear, engaging, and inviting, whether one is a superfan, a casual fan, or just curious without a lot of background in the show. Well recommended.

Published in March 2025. Late Star Trek explores the beloved science fiction franchise’s repeated attempts to reinvent itself after the end of its 1990s golden age. Beginning with the prequel series Enterprise, Adam Kotsko analyzes the wealth of content set within Star Trek’s sprawling continuity—including authorized books, the three “Kelvin Timeline” films, and the streaming series Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds—along with fan discourse, to reflect on the perils and promise of the franchise as a unique form of storytelling. Significantly including the licensed novels and comic books that fill out the Star Trek universe for its fans, Kotsko brings the multiple productions of the early twenty-first century together as a unified whole rather than analyzing them in their current stratified view. He argues that the variety of styles and approaches in this tumultuous era of Star Trek history provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the nature of the franchise storyworlds that now dominate popular culture. By taking the spin-offs and tie-ins seriously as creative attempts to tell a new story within an established universe, Late Star Trek highlights creative triumphs as well as the tendency for franchise faithfulness to get in the way of creating engaging characters and ideas. Arguing forcefully against the prevailing consensus that franchises are a sign of cultural decay, Kotsko contends that the Star Trek universe exemplifies an approach to storytelling that has been perennial across cultures. Instead, he finds that what limits creativity within franchises is not their reliance on the familiar but their status as modern myths, held not as common cultural heritage but rather owned as corporate intellectual property.

Author

  • Bill Capossere

    BILL CAPOSSERE, who's been with us since June 2007, lives in Rochester NY, where he is an English adjunct by day and a writer by night. His essays and stories have appeared in Colorado Review, Rosebud, Alaska Quarterly, and other literary journals, along with a few anthologies, and been recognized in the "Notable Essays" section of Best American Essays. His children's work has appeared in several magazines, while his plays have been given stage readings at GEVA Theatre and Bristol Valley Playhouse. When he's not writing, reading, reviewing, or teaching, he can usually be found with his wife and son on the frisbee golf course or the ultimate frisbee field.

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