"To Boldly Go" versus "Last, Best Hope" : The Future of Human Civilization as Depicted in American Science Fiction

Abstract

"'To Boldly Go" versus "Last, Best Hope'" examines a total of four American television series from the Star Trek and Babylon 5 franchises, and the portrayal of human civilization in the future. The thesis traces how Star Trek set out "to boldly go" and how Babylon 5 was the "last, best hope" in depicting a coherent, futuristic vision for humanity. The initial chapter focuses on the background of the series and also the ways they differed from one another, while chapter 2 is devoted to the portrayal of government systems, society, guiding principles and social inequality. As the premise is established, chapters 3 and 4 go into detail on a range of issues pertaining to the lives of characters and overarching themes such as religion and personal faith, as well as masculinity versus femininity, sexuality and familial relationships.