Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. The Star Trek fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry is the setting of six television series including the original 1966 Star Trek, in addition to ten feature films (with an eleventh in pre-production), dozens of computer and video games, hundreds of novels and other fan stories, as well as a themed attraction in Las Vegas. The TV series alone is said to be one of the biggest cult phenomena of modern times.

In the Star Trek "universe", humanity developed faster-than-light space travel following a post-apocalyptic period in the mid-21st century. Later, humans united with other sapient species of the galaxy to form the United Federation of Planets. As a result of alien intervention and science, humanity largely overcame many Earth-bound frailties and vices by the twenty-third century. Star Trek stories usually depict the adventures of human and alien beings who serve in the Federation's Starfleet.

The protagonists are essentially altruists whose ideals are sometimes only imperfectly applied to the dilemmas presented in the series. Gene Roddenberry was an adherent of humanism and Star Trek reflects this philosophy of human good will, optimism tempered with realism, and self-reliance. The conflicts and political dimensions of Star Trek form allegories for contemporary cultural realities; the original Star Trek television series addressed issues of the 1960s, just as later spin-offs have reflected issues of their respective eras. Issues depicted in the various series include war and peace, authoritarianism, imperialism, class warfare, racism, human rights, sexism and feminism,[1] and the role of technology.