Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Far Beyond the Stars" is an examination of racism in science fiction, then and now. When Captain Sisko experiences a vision of himself as Benny Russell, a Black science fiction writer in 1950s New York whose story about a Black space station captain gets rejected and pulped, the episode becomes a meta-commentary on the genre itself. Matthew and Riki unpack how this episode critiques not just 1950s racism, but the sci-fi publishing world of the 1960s and 1990s and even Star Trek's own blind spots, while exploring what it means when we fail to imagine beyond our own experiences.Questions We Discussed:

• How does "Far Beyond the Stars" critique both 1950s racism and the science fiction publishing world of the 1990s?
• Why did the episode focus exclusively on Benny Russell's pain rather than showing how his white colleagues reacted to being called out?
• Is Avery Brooks' emotional performance as Benny overacting, or does our inability to imagine his pain reveal our own failure of imagination?
• What does the episode reveal about the difference between "wishing" things were better and actually taking action against injustice?
• How has this episode aged since 1998, and why do many viewers find it hits harder on a rewatch as adults?

Articles Mentioned:

• Deep Space Nine’s ‘Far Beyond the Stars’ is about Star Trek Itself by Joshua M Patton
• Far Beyond Those Distant Stars: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and an Afrofuturistic Approach to Religion by Roger A Sneed

**************************************************************************
This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics, a The Ethical Panda Podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check our our website to find out more about this and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations.We want to hear from you! You can keep up with our latest news, and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.

• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: TheEthicalPanda
• Instagram: TheEthicalPandaPodcasts
• Twitter: EthicalPanda77
• Or you can join jump into the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.

Want to get access to even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month, or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes. Sign up on the podcast’s main page. You can even give membership as a gift!
You can also support our podcasts through our sponsors:

• Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan
• Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one year membership or gift one through this link.
• Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.