Enterprise Unlimited: On Mapping and Colonization of Space

Abstract

The theme of this paper is the relationship to „others“ – other civilizations and cultures in the history of Earth, and other species and different forms of life in science fiction. The analysis of Star Trek series and films shows that, despite considerable endeavor to adopt „multiculturalism“ as a principle, and despite a conscious effort to respect and celebrate diversity, „colonial narrative“ remains in force in the popular science fiction visions of the future. Fear and/or violence are typical reactions that (un)hiddenly repeats the pattern of our thinking of otherness and treatment of different ones whenever it comes to aliens, whether they are foreigners or extraterrestrials.