Alex Kurtzman defines what great science fiction means to him

Alex Kurtzman is the driving force behind the current slate of Star Trek television.

Like what he’s done with the Star Trek franchise or not, Alex Kurtzman has been the executive producer for six Star Trek series, including Short Treks, Discovery, Lower Decks, Prodigy, Picard, and Strange New Worlds since each debuted. And there’s no denying that the franchise is currently successful.

Not everyone loves the changes that have come about as a result of Kurtzman’s involvement, but with his deal with CBS Studios extended through 2026, he isn’t going anywhere. He has a specific vision in mind for Star Trek, and recently, he sat down with Wil Wheaton as a guest on The Ready Room to talk about the franchise and what science fiction means to him as well as how Star Trek can affect the future.

Alex Kurtman believes Star Trek is a guide for the future.

In discussing the sixth episode of Strange New Worlds, “Lift Us Up Where Suffering Cannot Reach,” Wheaton pointed out that the fictional world of Star Trek can lay claim to more than what we as 21st century citizens can. In the episode, Alora pointed out to Captain Pike that what she and her planet does (sacrificing a child to keep the planet going) wasn’t any worse than what Pike’s society had done which was building words on the backs of suffering children. But in the Star Trek world, that doesn’t happen. Here in the 21st century, though, as Wheaton says, “we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Kurtzman responds to Wheaton’s observation by pointing out that great science fiction is never about the future; it’s about what’s happening now. He went on to say that in every iteration, Star Trek “has been a mirror to its moment in time.” Right now, they are writing about all the division we’re currently facing in the world today, but Kurtzman said what he loves about Star Trek is that it’s like a road map to the future that says “if you follow this, all the things that divide us are gonna be in the rearview mirror.”

There are fans, though, who aren’t interested in facing society’s problems when watching television. They only want good entertainment and feel that Star Trek is headed in the wrong direction. In fact, some feel like the worst thing that has happened to the franchise is Kurtzman for various reasons as reported by Heavy.com.

In truth, it might be a little simplistic to think that Star Trek can seal the divide between us, but Star Trek has always been about optimism. Maybe we won’t follow the roadmap this franchise has laid out and maybe we won’t have a future exactly like Trek, but there’s certainly no reason why good science fiction can’t be a catalyst for world change…even if everyone isn’t on board with how Kurtzman wants to use Star Trek to help facilitiate that change.