For nearly six decades, Star Trek has taken audiences on an unforgettable voyage across galaxies, timelines, and generations. Entertainment Weekly celebrates the franchise’s enduring legacy with a collector’s edition that explores every major chapter, from the groundbreaking original series to the bold new missions of today. This special issue charts the evolution of Star Trek across four iconic eras. Discover the behind-the-scenes story of the 1966 series that launched a cultural movement, including features on creator Gene Roddenberry, the making of the Vulcan salute, and Lucy’s unexpected role in saving the future. Relive the cinematic impact of the films, then delve into the rich legacy of The Next Generation with oral histories, memorable guest stars, and unforgettable clashes. Finally, explore the modern frontiers of the Star Trek universe, from the return of Kirk to Discovery, Lower Decks, and beyond. With reflections on Shatner’s farewell and deep dives into fan-favorite moments, this is the ultimate tribute to a franchise that continues to boldly go where no one has gone before.
The Ultimate Guide to Star Trek
Foreword: The Enduring Optimism of Star Trek • GENE RODDENBERRY’S DREAM FOR THE future confronted bigotry, the generation gap, colonialism and war—all in the form of an intelligent multicultural and multispecies band of interstellar explorers. And 55 years later, here we are: still watching Starfleet crews boldly go where no one has gone before.
The Original Series | Opener
The Original Series | A Bold New Vision • Sure, the original series showcased alien babes in tinfoil bikinis. But it was also the first TV drama to take space travel seriously. And it hooked fans with its utopian vision of a united humanity exploring the stars.
The Original Series | The Creator’s Tale • WHEN WE THINK OF GENE RODDENBERRY, most of us assume that his career began with Star Trek. But if it had not been for the stranger-than-fiction life he led before creating the show—an incredible string of character-defining events that included wartime heroism and hairy brushes with death—he never would have had his dazzlingly inventive sci-fi vision.
The Original Series | Star Trek in 10 Objects • FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OF INNOVATION—AND, OCCASIONALLY, PROGNOSTICATION—CONDENSED: The show’s sets, props, costumes and technology redefined the genre and in some cases have even inspired science to catch up with fiction.
The Original Series | How Lucy Saved the Future • GENE RODDENBERRY'S QUIRKY little sci-fi drama found an unlikely champion in comedy queen Lucille Ball. Even after production costs ballooned and the first pilot bombed, the famous redhead steadfastly stood behind the show.
The Original Series | The Lost Decade • Although NBC canceled his show, Roddenberry wasn’t about to give up. And neither were the fans: Their letter-writing campaigns, spirited marches and Star Trek Lives! conventions turned the tide.
The Original Series | How the Vulcan Greeting Came to Be • SPOCK'S ICONIC GESTURE DOESN'T APPEAR UNTIL SEASON 2, when he makes a visit to his home planet. But today it’s one of pop culture’s most enduring symbols. The inspiration? A sacred ritual young Nimoy spied in his Boston synagogue
The Motion Picture | Opener
The Motion Picture | Life on the Big Screen • The cast reunites for six (mostly) good movies, launched at warp speed. Kirk & Co. face some baddies (Khan, Khan’s chest), capture some whales and meet a false God. At the end, though, their engine stalls.
The Motion Picture | Keeping Up with the Cardassians (and all the other species) • SOME OF THE EXTRATERRESTRIALS INTRODUCED IN TOS are genuinely alien: the rocklike Horta, the energy-based Medusans. Others are humanoid and often function as a commentary on some aspect of humanity.
The Motion Picture | What’s Next...