The character of the engineer in the Star Trek television series

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n42a2767

Keywords:

Star Trek, science fiction, engineer roles, narrative analysis, character theory, possible worlds literary theory, Marie-Laure Ryan

Abstract

This article explores the character of the engineer in Star Trek, focusing on four series: The Original Series (1966-69), The Next Generation (1987-94), Voyager (1995-2001), and Enterprise (2001-05). The research is organized into two main phases: (1) an analysis of the episodes from these series using a narrative network (Ryan, 2016 and 2019: 35-36); and (2) the interpretation of the data through character theory, inspired by the literary theory of Possible Worlds (Margolin 1990 y 2007; Ryan, 1985; 1991; 2006; Ryan y Bell, 2019). The results highlight the degree of prominence of the engineer characters Scotty, Geordi, B’Elanna and Trip in each episode (absent, tertiary, secondary or main), the most relevant spatial frames (space, ship and engineering), the significant actions of the engineer within the different narrative contexts, as well as their different versions or interpretations (the characters’ domains).

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Author Biography

  • Monique Villen, Francisco de Vitoria University

    After studying Modern Literature and Hispanic Philology at La Sorbonne (Paris), Monique Villen studied a degree in Education and Development from Universidad Anáhuac (Mexico City) and in Religious Studies from the Ateneo Regina Apostolorum (Rome). She earned a Master’s in Humanities from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Madrid) and a PhD, for which she received the Extraordinary Award, with a dissertation on Marie-Laure Ryan’s literary theory applied to science fiction. She currently teaches Humanities (Anthropology, Social Responsibility, Science Fiction Literature) and is a member of the research group “Imagination and Possible Worlds” (UFV) and the “Association for Studies in Fiction and Fictionality” (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle; University of Chicago; Kwansei Gakuin University), where she pursues various lines of research focused on the speculative and practical analysis of fiction, with a particular emphasis on science fiction literature. Her published articles include: I Saw a New World Coming Fast”: A Study of Uchronia in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Castilla. Estudios de Literatura, (10), 195-222 and “The Story A Grain of Truth by Andrzej Sapkowski in the Light of Marie-Laure Ryan’s Literary Theory of Possible Worlds”, Fabula, 63(3-4), 280-308.

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Published

01-01-2026

Issue

Section

Miscellaneous of Research articles and essays

How to Cite

Villen, M. (2026). The character of the engineer in the Star Trek television series. Doxa Comunicación. Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies and Social Sciences, 42, 255-305. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n42a2767

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