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106-582: This is a list of characters from the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Only characters who played a significant major role in the series are listed. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a science fiction television show of the Star Trek franchise that aired between 1993 and 1999. Many of the characters appear in other programs and films comprising the wider Star Trek science fiction universe . Benjamin Sisko (played by Avery Brooks )

212-761: A computer -like screen , computer viruses , video chat , tanning beds , home treadmills , and more. In 1963, the time travel-themed Doctor Who premiered on BBC Television. The original series ran until 1989 and was revived in 2005. It has been extremely popular worldwide and has greatly influenced later TV science fiction. Other programs in the 1960s included The Outer Limits (1963–1965), Lost in Space (1965–1968), and The Prisoner (1967). Star Trek (the original series), created by Gene Roddenberry , premiered in 1966 on NBC Television and ran for three seasons. It combined elements of space opera and Space Western . Only mildly successful at first,

318-428: A space opera , went on to become a worldwide popular culture phenomenon , and the second-highest-grossing film series of all time. Since the 1980s, science fiction films , along with fantasy , horror , and superhero films, have dominated Hollywood's big-budget productions. Science fiction films often " cross-over " with other genres, including film noir ( Blade Runner - 1982), family film ( E.T.

424-468: A Ferengi bartender who would, according to Piller, be "a constant thorn in the side of law and order, but who has a sense of humor about it. He'd be someone who could obviously throw lots of story dynamics into play." Piller and the others consciously wanted to play the Quark character off against the station constable, Odo ( René Auberjonois ); according to Piller, "the idea of Odo and Quark being at loggerheads

530-535: A Ferengi named Nandi who used the young alien in her cons before selling him off. Nandi cons the Protostar crew into helping her steal a valuable crystal, although they manage to get it back, and she steals their chimerium in order to power her cloaking device. The Ferengi are amongst those who come to Starfleet's aid during the living construct crisis. This event takes place in 2384, and the Ferengi have not yet fully joined

636-689: A comical extreme, as, for example, Ferengi prayer involves paying bribes to the gods, and Ferengi funeral rites involve auctioning off the deceased's remains. Ferengi characters frequently quote the " Rules of Acquisition ", a collection of proverbs that are said to govern Ferengi business practices (such as "Never place friendship above profit" ); a compilation of these Rules was published by Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr . Violations of economic norms such as abrogating contracts between fellow Ferengi or fraudulently taking advantage of business discounts are considered serious offences and subject to harsh punishments. The extreme sexism of Ferengi society

742-717: A commander who is also the Emissary of the Prophets, but comes to completely trust and respect Sisko. She has some romantic involvements with fellow Bajorans, but eventually learns of Odo's love for her, and reciprocates. Worf ( Michael Dorn ) is a Starfleet officer transferred to Deep Space Nine after having served aboard the Enterprise under Captain Jean-Luc Picard . He is the station's Strategic Operations Officer. A Klingon raised by human foster parents after being orphaned, he became

848-532: A dramatic expansion of business and investment opportunities proved persuasive to the Ferengi government. By 2380, Grand Nagus' reforms had taken effect, as seen in the acceptance of clothing for females. The Ferengi were first designed by Andrew Probert and later refined and produced by Michael Westmore . The most prominent feature in Ferengi design is their large ear lobes. Ferengi experience sexual stimulation when their lobes are rubbed – an act called "oo-mox". Ferengi females allegedly have smaller lobes, but

954-535: A great and influential film. In 1954, Godzilla , directed by Ishirō Honda , began the kaiju subgenre of science fiction film, which feature large creatures of any form, usually attacking a major city or engaging other monsters in battle . 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey , directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the work of Arthur C. Clarke , rose above the mostly B-movie offerings up to that time both in scope and quality, and influenced later science fiction films. That same year, Planet of

1060-669: A journey to the Moon and how the Earth 's motion is seen from there. Kepler has been called the "father of science fiction". Following the 17th-century development of the novel as a literary form , Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein (1818) and The Last Man (1826) helped define the form of the science fiction novel. Brian Aldiss has argued that Frankenstein was the first work of science fiction. Edgar Allan Poe wrote several stories considered to be science fiction, including " The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall " (1835), which featured

1166-501: A law enforcement officer aboard the station, doing his best to be even-handed and impartial, despite the circumstances. He is the nemesis of Quark, the Ferengi owner of a bar/nightclub on the station during and after the occupation. Odo gradually falls in love with Kira Nerys, the Bajoran liaison officer and Sisko's second-in-command, and she with him. He finally discovers that his people are

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1272-585: A man, in remembrance of this. Jake ( Cirroc Lofton ) is Benjamin Sisko's teenage son. His best friend is the Ferengi Nog. Choosing not to follow his father's footsteps and join Starfleet, he becomes a writer and (during the Dominion War) a war journalist. Miles O'Brien ( Colm Meaney ) is the station's chief of operations, transferring over from Star Trek: The Next Generation ' s starship Enterprise in

1378-413: A mix between Nazi caricatures of Jews and the original Nosferatu ." The scholar of religion Ross S. Kraemer wrote that "Ferengi religion seems almost a parody, perhaps of traditional Judaism ." He wrote that the 285 Rules of Acquisition bore similarities with the 613 Commandments of Judaism and that the Ferengi social restrictions on women mirrored Orthodox Judaism 's restrictions on women studying

1484-406: A newly discovered stable wormhole ; later in the episode, it is revealed that the wormhole was not really stable and the Ferengi get stuck on the other side of it, in a distant part of the galaxy. "The Price" is the first episode in which a Ferengi starship was referred to as a "marauder". When the writers were putting together the premise of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , they decided to introduce

1590-464: A practice exercise. The Ferengi uniform was revised for this episode, and new collar pips were added to designate their differing ranks. The season three episode " The Price ", which was written by Hannah Louise Shearer, directed by Robert Scheerer, and first aired in November 1989, also included Ferengi characters. In it, two Ferengi delegates compete against their Federation counterparts to gain access to

1696-467: A recurring Ferengi character who would inhabit the space station Deep Space Nine that was the main setting for the show. The show's co-creator, Michael Piller , later noted that: "It was clear to me that having a Ferengi aboard Deep Space 9 would provide the show with instant humor and built-in conflict with the Federation guy in charge of the station". The show's creators developed the character of Quark,

1802-556: A respected businesswoman and Quark comes to tolerate his employees forming a union . In the third season of Deep Space Nine , Quark's nephew Nog becomes the first Ferengi to join Starfleet , the military and exploration arm of the United Federation of Planets . This development prompted discussions on electronic mailing lists devoted to Star Trek . Various commentators suggested that, given how Nog had behaved in previous episodes, it

1908-471: A simple tailor, it is obvious that he is far more than that. He turns out to be a former top operative of the Obsidian Order, the powerful and feared Cardassian intelligence organization, and the son of its longtime head, Enabran Tain. Disgraced for undisclosed reasons, he chose exile on Deep Space Nine . Dr. Bashir and he become friends. He also proves very useful to Sisko from time to time, even arranging

2014-675: A single episode, " Past Prologue ," but Andrew Robinson 's performance was so good that he was retained. In 2015, Syfy rated Garak as among the top 21 most interesting supporting characters in Star Trek . Gowron , played by Robert O'Reilly , is a Klingon who is chosen leader of the Klingon Empire by Captain Jean Luc Picard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Reunion " (directed by Jonathan Frakes ), and

2120-418: A society (on Earth or another planet) that has developed in wholly different ways from our own." There is a tendency among science fiction enthusiasts as their own arbiter in deciding what exactly constitutes science fiction. David Seed says it may be more useful to talk about science fiction as the intersection of other more concrete subgenres. Damon Knight summed up the difficulty, saying "Science fiction

2226-595: A teleplay. This episode was first aired in November 1987. In it, a Ferengi called DaiMon Bok gives the Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) the derelict ship that the latter once captained, the Stargazer . Over the course of the episode, it is revealed that this is part of Bok's plan for vengeance, for he holds Picard responsible for the death of his son many years before. Forrester's first plot outline had featured various scenes aboard

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2332-495: A total estimated readership of at least 1 million), making it the world's most popular science fiction periodical . In 1984, William Gibson 's first novel, Neuromancer , helped popularize cyberpunk and the word " cyberspace ", a term he originally coined in his 1982 short story Burning Chrome . In 1986, Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold began her Vorkosigan Saga . 1992's Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson predicted immense social upheaval due to

2438-516: A trip to the Moon . Jules Verne was noted for his attention to detail and scientific accuracy, especially in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870). In 1887, the novel El anacronópete by Spanish author Enrique Gaspar y Rimbau introduced the first time machine . An early French/Belgian science fiction writer was J.-H. Rosny aîné (1856–1940). Rosny's masterpiece

2544-575: A very palatable form... New adventures pictured for us in the scientifiction of today are not at all impossible of realization tomorrow... Many great science stories destined to be of historical interest are still to be written... Posterity will point to them as having blazed a new trail, not only in literature and fiction, but progress as well. In 1928, E. E. "Doc" Smith 's first published work, The Skylark of Space , written in collaboration with Lee Hawkins Garby , appeared in Amazing Stories . It

2650-623: A world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state . It influenced the emergence of dystopia as a literary genre . In 1926, Hugo Gernsback published the first American science fiction magazine , Amazing Stories . In its first issue he wrote: By 'scientifiction' I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Edgar Allan Poe type of story—a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision... Not only do these amazing tales make tremendously interesting reading—they are always instructive. They supply knowledge... in

2756-470: Is Les Navigateurs de l'Infini ( The Navigators of Infinity ) (1925) in which the word astronaut, "astronautique", was used for the first time. Many critics consider H. G. Wells one of science fiction's most important authors, or even "the Shakespeare of science fiction". His works include The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of

2862-522: Is depicted as hyper- capitalistic , focused on the acquisition of profit as the highest goal. Deep Space Nine writers have described how they saw the Ferengi as a satirical presentation of 20th century humans. The Ferengi have repeatedly drawn comparisons to stereotypes of Jews . The name Ferengi was coined based on the originally Persian Ferenghi (compare older Feringhee ), a term used in various languages throughout Asia and Ethiopia meaning "foreigners" or "Europeans". While preparing scripts for

2968-454: Is eventually captured and imprisoned. He is later killed while fighting alongside Sisko in a successful attempt to rescue survivors of a Maquis colony from the Dominion. Michael Eddington was portrayed by Kenneth Marshall , appearing as a recurring character beginning in season 3's " The Search, Part I ". In 2018, CBR ranked Eddington the 17th best recurring character in Star Trek . In 2016,

3074-506: Is later revealed that his birth was arranged by the Prophets.) In his dual role, he leads the fight against the enemies of Bajor and the Federation. The security chief of the station, Odo ( René Auberjonois ) is a Changeling, a being able to shapeshift . Found by the Bajorans, he was subjected to painful testing by a Bajoran scientist while growing up. During the Cardassian occupation, Odo was

3180-619: Is often called the first great space opera . The same year, Philip Francis Nowlan 's original Buck Rogers story, Armageddon 2419 , also appeared in Amazing Stories . This was followed by a Buck Rogers comic strip , the first serious science fiction comic . Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future is a " future history " science fiction novel written in 1930 by the British author Olaf Stapledon . A work of unprecedented scale in

3286-503: Is one of the most influential examples of social science fiction , feminist science fiction , and anthropological science fiction . In 1979, Science Fiction World began publication in the People's Republic of China . It dominates the Chinese science fiction magazine market , at one time claiming a circulation of 300,000 copies per issue and an estimated 3–5 readers per copy (giving it

List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-492: Is promoted, first to gul and then legate . As the leader of Cardassia, he gradually comes to resent the Dominion's demotion of Cardassia and sacrifice of Cardassian soldiers during its war to conquer the Alpha Quadrant . He eventually switches sides and calls upon his people to fight the Dominion. He accepts Federation aid and advice from an expert on guerrilla warfare, Colonel Kira Nerys. During desperate fighting to capture

3498-560: Is related to fantasy , horror , and superhero fiction and contains many subgenres . Its exact definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers. Subgenres include hard science fiction , which emphasizes scientific accuracy, and soft science fiction , focusing on social sciences. Other notable subgenres are cyberpunk , which explores the interface between technology and society, and climate fiction , addressing environmental issues. Precedents for science fiction are argued to exist as far back as antiquity, but

3604-442: Is shown in early seasons of Deep Space Nine where Ferengi females are not permitted to earn profit, travel, or even wear clothing. A long-running plot thread on DS9 features Ferengi society's gradual evolution away from these practices, especially as Quark's mother Ishka establishes herself as a respected businesswoman and financial advisor. Evidently, the fact that granting full societal and economic rights to females would mean

3710-554: Is soon after murdered by Gul Dukat. Bareil Antos ( Philip Anglim ) is a Bajoran Vedek . He first appears in the episode "In the Hands of the Prophets" in the first season, where he is introduced as a Bajoran religious leader, and the target of an assassination plot. Bareil becomes a recurring character who has a romantic relationship with Major Kira Nerys , a subplot that begins at the start of season 2 and concludes with his death in "Life Support". He runs against Vedek Winn Adami for

3816-466: Is the Starfleet officer placed in charge of Deep Space Nine , a formerly Cardassian space station orbiting Bajor. The Bajorans , having liberated themselves from a long, brutal Cardassian occupation of their planet, invite the Federation to jointly administer the station. Sisko and Jadzia Dax accidentally discover nearby the first known stable wormhole , which not only provides two-way quick access to

3922-569: Is the mother of Quark and Rom, who affectionately address her as "Moogie." She causes trouble for the family by wearing clothes and earning profit, two activities that are forbidden to female Ferengi, and is unrepentant about her actions when discovered by the Ferengi Commerce Authority. Later, she has a romantic relationship with Grand Nagus Zek, and eventually persuades him to begin changing the regulations that govern Ferengi business, with far-reaching consequences for that society. Ishka

4028-537: Is what we point to when we say it." Forrest J Ackerman has been credited with first using the term "sci-fi" (analogous to the then-trendy " hi-fi ") in about 1954. The first known use in print was a description of Donovan's Brain by movie critic Jesse Zunser in January 1954. As science fiction entered popular culture , writers and fans active in the field came to associate the term with low-budget, low-tech " B-movies " and with low-quality pulp science fiction . By

4134-536: The Golden Age of Science Fiction . Science fiction has been called the "literature of ideas ", and continues to evolve, incorporating diverse voices and themes, influencing not just literature but film, TV, and culture at large. Besides providing entertainment it can also criticize present-day society and explore alternatives, and inspiration a " sense of wonder ". According to Isaac Asimov , "Science fiction can be defined as that branch of literature which deals with

4240-664: The Cardassian Union joins the Dominion . Damar discovers a way to disable the Federation's self-replicating mines protecting Deep Space Nine , which had been preventing the Dominion from sending reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole. As the Federation retakes the station, Damar learns that Tora Ziyal , Dukat's half-Bajoran daughter, had been helping Kira and others undermine them, and kills her. After Dukat's mental breakdown following his daughter's death, Damar

4346-574: The Dominion ). By sharp contrast, his mirror universe counterpart is a friendly and congenial person, with unrequited feelings for his universe's Ezri Tigan , who ends up being murdered by the Intendant (mirror-Kira Nerys). Kimara Cretak is a senator and representative of the Romulan empire for a short time aboard Deep Space Nine . She is accused of treason against the Star Empire and found guilty in

List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-477: The Russian writer and paleontologist Ivan Yefremov presented a view of a future interstellar communist civilization and is considered one of the most important Soviet science fiction novels. In 1959, Robert A. Heinlein 's Starship Troopers marked a departure from his earlier juvenile stories and novels. It is one of the first and most influential examples of military science fiction , and introduced

4558-458: The Torah . Historian Paul Sturtevant wrote in 2018 that not only are the Ferengi "extremely legalistic" and "defined by their greed", echoing common stereotypes of Jews, but the major Ferengi characters on Deep Space Nine were all played by Jewish actors. Shimerman addressed the issue when asked at a question-and-answer session at a Star Trek convention. He stated that: In America, people ask "Do

4664-447: The information revolution . In 2007, Liu Cixin 's novel, The Three-Body Problem , was published in China. It was translated into English by Ken Liu and published by Tor Books in 2014, and won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel , making Liu the first Asian writer to win the award. Emerging themes in late 20th and early 21st century science fiction include environmental issues ,

4770-655: The mirror universe episode " Resurrection ", the Bareil from that universe is a petty thief who is close to the alternate Kira, the evil commander of the space station. He leaves his universe in an attempt to steal an orb . Brunt ( Jeffrey Combs ) is a liquidator with the Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA). He is the nemesis of Quark, whom he perceives as a threat to the Ferengi way of life, and often attempts to either destroy him or to supplant Grand Nagus Zek (although at one time, he does help Quark rescue Ishka from

4876-415: The 15th best character of Star Trek overall, noting the character as a complicated and nuanced "bad guy". They note the character's morality in "Indiscretion" , as well as his introduction in the premiere episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , "Emissary". In 2016, Screen Rant rated Dukat as the eighth best character in Star Trek overall as presented in television and film. Time rated Gul Dukat

4982-468: The 1940s and become the alien invaders in the Roswell UFO incident , and " The Magnificent Ferengi ", in which a group of Ferengi characters team up to rescue Quark's mother when she is captured by an enemy empire. Various critics have argued that the depiction of the Ferengi and their culture mirrors anti-Semitic stereotypes of Jews , namely the love of profit and the oversized facial features – in

5088-400: The 1970s, critics within the field, such as Damon Knight and Terry Carr , were using "sci fi" to distinguish hack-work from serious science fiction. Peter Nicholls writes that "SF" (or "sf") is "the preferred abbreviation within the community of sf writers and readers." Robert Heinlein found even "science fiction" insufficient for certain types of works in this genre, and suggested

5194-550: The Apes (the original), directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle , was released to popular and critical acclaim, its vivid depiction of a post-apocalyptic world in which intelligent apes dominate humans . In 1977, George Lucas began the Star Wars film series with the film now identified as " Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope . " The series, often called

5300-577: The Cardassian occupation, but it is later revealed that Dukat and her mother were lovers. Dukat becomes a key player in forming a Cardassian alliance with the Dominion and joins them in fighting against the Federation and Bajor. With the Dominion on the verge of losing the war, Dukat allies himself with the Pah-wraiths , the enemies of the Prophets, but is foiled by Sisko in his attempt to release them from their captivity and instead ends up joining them in eternal imprisonment. In 2009, IGN ranked Dukat as

5406-567: The Delta Quadrant, the USS Voyager encounters the two Ferengi from " The Price " who have been conning a primitive culture that they encountered. When Voyager attempts to use the Barzan wormhole to return home, the Ferengi escape, but accidentally destabilize the wormhole on both ends in the process. The Ferengi shuttle is sucked in and becomes lost in space again while Voyager remains trapped in

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5512-399: The Delta Quadrant. By 2381, the progressive reforms of Grand Nagus Rom and his wife First Clerk Leeta had taken root in Ferengi society with the arms trade being discouraged with the greater longer-term economic benefits of more benign industries, such as hospitality, being encouraged. As such, Ferenginar is in the process of joining the United Federation of Planets . Dal R'El was raised by

5618-505: The Dominion's headquarters on Cardassia Prime , Damar is killed in action. Damar appeared in 23 episodes, beginning with season 4's " Return to Grace ". Producer Ira Behr hired Biggs, having seen him in the early IMAX film Alamo: The Price of Freedom . Dukat ( Marc Alaimo ) is a Cardassian officer and the former commander of Terok Nor , the Cardassian space station that is renamed Deep Space Nine following Cardassia's expulsion from Bajor. Kira Nerys hates him for his actions during

5724-575: The Extra-Terrestrial - 1983), war ( Enemy Mine - 1985), comedy ( Spaceballs - 1987, Galaxy Quest - 1999), animation ( WALL-E – 2008, Big Hero 6 – 2014), Western ( Serenity – 2005), action ( Edge of Tomorrow – 2014, The Matrix – 1999), adventure ( Jupiter Ascending – 2015, Interstellar – 2014), mystery ( Minority Report – 2002), thriller ( Ex Machina – 2014), drama ( Melancholia – 2011, Predestination – 2014), and romance ( Eternal Sunshine of

5830-494: The Federation despite having begun the process as they are still described as only non-Federation allies. The Ferengi are amongst the races serving in Starfleet in the 32nd century. In addition, the USS Nog is named after the young Ferengi officer Nog from Deep Space Nine . Ferengi culture is depicted, especially on Deep Space Nine , as focused on the acquisition of profit as the highest goal. Many episodes portray this as taken to

5936-469: The Federation. Dax is a Trill symbiont , who has been "joined" to various humanoid Trills, both male and female, over the course of its long lifetime, sharing their bodies. Prior to Jadzia, the Dax symbiont had been hosted by Lela, Tobin, Emony, Audrid, Torias, Joran, and Curzon. Jadzia , Sisko's science officer, is Dax's host for the first six seasons. When Terry Farrell , the actress who portrayed her, left

6042-474: The Ferengi bartender Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Ferengi outfits designed for "The Last Outpost" featured fur wrap-arounds. As weapons, they were given blue whips that fired energy bolts when cracked; these were subsequently dropped from the series and not used in later depictions of the species. Mike Okuda designed the Ferengi insignia to present the idea of " dog eat dog ". It

6148-464: The Ferengi language has 178 different words for rain (and none for "crisp"). A Ferengi shuttlecraft was introduced in the episode "The Price". It was also seen in "Little Green Men" as a spacecraft used by Quark. The studio model for VFX was auctioned by Christie's for over US$ 8,000 in 2006. There is a larger Ferengi spaceship called the Marauder. The Marauder was designed by Andrew Probert , and

6254-502: The Ferengi represent Jews?" In England, they ask "Do the Ferengi represent the Irish?" In Australia, they ask if the Ferengi represent the Chinese ;... The Ferengi represent the outcast ... it's the person who lives among us that we don't fully understand. Robert Hewitt Wolfe , writer for Deep Space Nine , has stated that the creative team (several of whom were Jewish) were aware at

6360-406: The Ferengi spaceship, but these did not make it into the episode. Series writer Rick Berman later noted that because of their "silliness quotient", the Ferengi became "a disappointment as a major adversary". For the second-season episode " Peak Performance ", written by David Kemper and directed by Robert Scheerer, the Enterprise is depicted encountering a hostile Ferengi ship while engaging in

6466-454: The Ferengi while pursuing one of their vessels, which has stolen a T-9 energy converter. Both ships are immobilized over an unknown planet, leading both to send away parties to investigate, where they encounter each other. One of the actors who played a Ferengi in "The Last Outpost", Armin Shimerman , would go on to play a Ferengi again in the later episode "Peak Performance" before being cast as

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6572-463: The Founders, the iron-fisted rulers of the Dominion , a very powerful state in the Gamma Quadrant. The Founders distrust all "solids" and have already subjugated many races. They go to war with the Federation and its allies, testing Odo's loyalties. Julian Bashir (initially credited as Siddig El Fadil, then as Alexander Siddig ) is a Starfleet lieutenant and the station's chief medical officer. When he

6678-457: The Spotless Mind – 2004, Her – 2013). Science fiction and television have consistently been in a close relationship. Television or television-like technologies frequently appeared in science fiction long before television itself became widely available in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The first known science fiction television program was a thirty-five-minute adapted excerpt of

6784-548: The States and Empires of the Moon (1657) and The States and Empires of the Sun (1662), Margaret Cavendish 's " The Blazing World " (1666), Jonathan Swift 's Gulliver's Travels (1726), Ludvig Holberg 's Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum (1741) and Voltaire 's Micromégas (1752). Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan considered Somnium the first science fiction story; it depicts

6890-510: The Worlds (1898). His science fiction imagined alien invasion , biological engineering , invisibility , and time travel . In his non-fiction futurologist works he predicted the advent of airplanes , military tanks , nuclear weapons , satellite television , space travel , and something resembling the World Wide Web . Edgar Rice Burroughs 's A Princess of Mars , published in 1912,

6996-522: The assassination of a hostile visiting Romulan senator during the Dominion War in order to bring the then-neutral Romulan Empire into the war on the Federation side (" In the Pale Moonlight "). Garak unabashedly lies, constantly and smoothly, but remains deeply loyal to Cardassia. He risks his life fighting against the Dominion when it turns on Cardassia. Garak was originally intended to appear in only

7102-476: The case of the Ferengi, the ears. During the 1990s, this issue was discussed on electronic mailing lists devoted to the franchise, with some commentators arguing that there were parallels and others objecting to the comparison. In his 2007 critique of The Next Generation for the National Review , the commentator Jonah Goldberg described the Ferengi as "runaway capitalists with bullwhips who looked like

7208-439: The character was ranked as the 77th most important character in service to Starfleet within the Star Trek science fiction universe by Wired . Vic Fontaine is a holographic lounge singer in Quark's holosuites. He provides advice to various characters. He was played by James Darren . Elim Garak is the only Cardassian to remain on Deep Space Nine after the Bajorans and Federation take charge. Though he calls himself

7314-413: The concept of powered armor exoskeletons . The German space opera series Perry Rhodan , written by various authors, started in 1961 with an account of the first Moon landing and has since expanded in space to multiple universes , and in time by billions of years. It has become the most popular science fiction book series of all time. In the 1960s and 1970s, New Wave science fiction

7420-700: The course of the series it is revealed that she is an intelligent woman who chooses to maintain a carefree attitude. She is a ringleader when Quark's employees attempt to start a trade union , and also volunteers to play temporary host to one of Jadzia Dax's former personalities. Science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to SF or sci-fi ) is a genre of speculative fiction , which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology , space exploration , time travel , parallel universes , and extraterrestrial life . It often explores human responses to changes in science and technology. Science fiction

7526-506: The creation of microrobots and micromachinery , nanotechnology , smartdust , virtual reality , and artificial intelligence (including swarm intelligence ), as well as developing the ideas of "necroevolution" and the creation of artificial worlds. In 1965, Dune by Frank Herbert featured a much more complex and detailed imagined future society than had previously in most science fiction. In 1967 Anne McCaffrey began her Dragonriders of Pern science fantasy series. Two of

7632-472: The devoted aficionado or fan—has a hard time trying to explain what science fiction is," and the lack of a "full satisfactory definition" is because "there are no easily delineated limits to science fiction." Another definition comes from The Literature Book by DK and is, "scenarios that are at the time of writing technologically impossible, extrapolating from present-day science...[,]...or that deal with some form of speculative science-based conceit, such as

7738-475: The episode " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ." The ending of the episode leaves her fate ambiguous, with it unclear if she will be imprisoned or executed. Cretak was first portrayed by Megan Cole in " Image in the Sand " and " Shadows and Symbols ," and Adrienne Barbeau in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges." Damar ( Casey Biggs ) is a Cardassian military officer. He serves under Gul Dukat and later becomes his aide when

7844-439: The episodes, ran from 1959 to 1964. It featured fantasy , suspense , and horror as well as science fiction, with each episode being a complete story. Critics have ranked it as one of the best TV programs of any genre . The animated series The Jetsons , while intended as comedy and only running for one season (1962–1963), predicted many inventions now in common use: flat-screen televisions , newspapers on

7950-583: The first Starfleet officer of his species. He faces difficulties and divided loyalties as a result. After helping Gowron become Chancellor of the Klingon Empire in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Worf later kills him in a duel when Gowron endangers the Empire in the Dominion War for his own personal motives. Worf and Jadzia Dax eventually develop a romantic relationship and get married, though she

8056-570: The first episode. He becomes best friends with Julian Bashir. He is married to Keiko, a botanist who works as a schoolteacher on the station; they have two children. Quark ( Armin Shimerman ) is the longtime Ferengi owner of a bar/casino/holosuite arcade on Deep Space Nine . Sisko persuades him to remain and keep his establishment running after the Cardassians are forced out. Like most Ferengi, he pursues profit by any means, legal or otherwise. This frequently brings him into conflict with Odo. Sisko, on

8162-743: The first science fiction novel . Some of the stories from The Arabian Nights , along with the 10th-century The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Ibn al-Nafis 's 13th-century Theologus Autodidactus , are also argued to contain elements of science fiction. Written during the Scientific Revolution and later the Age of Enlightenment are considered true science-fantasy books. Francis Bacon 's New Atlantis (1627), Johannes Kepler 's Somnium (1634), Athanasius Kircher 's Itinerarium extaticum (1656), Cyrano de Bergerac 's Comical History of

8268-483: The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the idea of the Ferengi was devised by Gene Roddenberry and Herbert Wright . The new alien species initially appeared in the first season's fourth episode, " The Last Outpost ", which was based on a story by Richard Krzemien and a teleplay by Wright. In this story, the USS Enterprise -D —whose crew are the main protagonists of the series—makes first contact with

8374-554: The fourth best villain of the Star Trek franchise in 2016. In 2018, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked Gul Dukat the third best recurring character of all Star Trek . Michael Eddington is a Starfleet lieutenant commander. He is stationed on Deep Space Nine as security officer, due to distrust of Odo. Following orders from a Starfleet admiral, he sabotages the Defiant ' s cloaking system when Captain Sisko defies orders and takes

8480-480: The genre, it describes the history of humanity from the present onwards across two billion years. In 1937, John W. Campbell became editor of Astounding Science Fiction , an event that is sometimes considered the beginning of the Golden Age of Science Fiction , which was characterized by stories celebrating scientific achievement and progress . The "Golden Age" is often said to have ended in 1946, but sometimes

8586-472: The implications of the Internet and the expanding information universe, questions about biotechnology , nanotechnology , and post-scarcity societies . Recent trends and subgenres include steampunk , biopunk , and mundane science fiction . The first, or at least one of the first, recorded science fiction film is 1902's A Trip to the Moon , directed by French filmmaker Georges Méliès . It

8692-415: The late 1940s and the 1950s are included. In 1942, Isaac Asimov started his Foundation series , which chronicles the rise and fall of galactic empires and introduced psychohistory . The series was later awarded a one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series". Theodore Sturgeon 's More Than Human (1953) explored possible future human evolution . In 1957, Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale by

8798-597: The model was built by Greg Jein ; the studio model was constructed of resin, fiberglass, and aluminum. In 2017, Syfy rated the Ferengi one of the top eleven most bizarre aliens of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In 2017, Den of Geek ranked the Ferengi the eighth best aliens of the Star Trek franchise, in between Andorians and Romulans . Examples of well-received Ferengi-focused episodes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine include " Little Green Men ", in which Ferengi characters travel back in time to

8904-456: The modern genre primarily arose in the 19th and early 20th centuries when popular writers began looking to technological progress and speculation. Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein , written in 1818, is often credited as the first true science fiction novel . Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are pivotal figures in the genre's development. In the 20th century, expanded with the introduction of space operas , dystopian literature, pulp magazines , and

9010-472: The novellas included in the first novel, Dragonflight , made McCaffrey the first woman to win a Hugo or Nebula Award . In 1968, Philip K. Dick 's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was published. It is the literary source of the Blade Runner movie franchise . In 1969, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin was set on a planet in which the inhabitants have no fixed gender . It

9116-488: The only female Ferengi characters shown in the series were Pel and Ishka . Betazoids are incapable of reading Ferengi emotions. The focus on ears extends to figures of speech (i.e. "not having the lobes" to indicate a lack of courage) and to health problems (i.e. an ear infection proving fatal). The Ferengi home planet, Ferenginar, is introduced in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Family Business ". Ferenginar experiences near-constant torrential rain; consequently,

9222-428: The other hand, occasionally finds his services and information useful. Major, later Colonel, Kira Nerys ( Nana Visitor ) is the Bajoran liaison officer and Sisko's second-in-command on the station. During the Cardassian occupation, she became an effective guerrilla fighter . At first, she is hostile to Federation involvement, but gradually changes her mind. A devout woman, she initially finds it difficult working for

9328-603: The play RUR , written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek , broadcast live from the BBC's Alexandra Palace studios on 11 February 1938. The first popular science fiction program on American television was the children's adventure serial Captain Video and His Video Rangers , which ran from June 1949 to April 1955. The Twilight Zone (the original series), produced and narrated by Rod Serling , who also wrote or co-wrote most of

9434-466: The previously distant, unexplored Gamma Quadrant , but is also considered by the Bajorans to be the home of their gods, the Prophets (" Emissary "). These two factors greatly magnify the station's importance. The Bajorans consider him the Emissary of the Prophets, which gives him enormous prestige and influence with them. At first uncomfortable with his unwanted status, he eventually comes to accept it. (It

9540-468: The reaction of human beings to changes in science and technology ." Robert A. Heinlein wrote that "A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method ." American science fiction author and editor Lester del Rey wrote, "Even

9646-470: The rest of the series, Ferengi characters were primarily used for comedic effect. When creating Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the show's writers decided to introduce the Ferengi bartender Quark ( Armin Shimerman ) as a major character, and subsequently his brother Rom ( Max Grodénchik ) and nephew Nog ( Aron Eisenberg ) as recurring characters, again frequently using them for comedic purposes. Ferengi culture, especially as portrayed on Deep Space Nine ,

9752-468: The role of Kai , the religious leader of Bajor, but drops out to protect the reputation of the previous Kai, Opaka. Bareil is injured in a shuttle explosion, and Dr. Julian Bashir has to replace his failing organs with cybernetics so that he can continue to advise Winn in vital negotiations with the Cardassians . His continued efforts in this weakened state cause brain damage, and eventually his death. In

9858-648: The series gained popularity through syndication and extraordinary fan interest . It became a very popular and influential franchise with many films , television shows , novels , and other works and products. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) led to six additional live action Star Trek shows: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Voyager (1995–2001) , Enterprise (2001–2005), Discovery (2017–2024), Picard (2020–2023), and Strange New Worlds (2022–present), with more in some form of development. Ferengi When launching Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, Gene Roddenberry and

9964-471: The ship to the Gamma Quadrant. On another occasion, he is instrumental in helping to recover the command staff of the station after a transporter malfunction. Eddington later defects to the Maquis, a resistance group which refuses to abide by the Federation's ceding of their colonies to the Cardassians. He likens himself and Sisko to characters from Les Miserables ( Jean Valjean and Javert , respectively), but

10070-463: The show's writers decided to introduce a new alien species to serve as antagonists for the crew of the USS Enterprise -D . The Ferengi first appeared in " The Last Outpost ", the show's fourth episode, which was set in the year 2364. The writers decided that the Ferengi ultimately failed to appear sufficiently menacing, instead replacing them with the Romulans and Borg as primary antagonists. Throughout

10176-459: The show, Jadzia was killed by the Cardassian Dukat, and the symbiont transferred to Ezri ( Nicole de Boer ). Jadzia marries Worf shortly before she is murdered, while Ezri is attracted to Dr. Bashir. Curzon, the roguish male host immediately prior to Jadzia, was Benjamin Sisko's mentor and close friend. Sisko calls Jadzia (and, subsequently, Ezri) "Old Man", despite her being neither old nor

10282-515: The term speculative fiction to be used instead for those that are more "serious" or "thoughtful". Some scholars assert that science fiction had its beginnings in ancient times , when the line between myth and fact was blurred. Written in the 2nd century CE by the satirist Lucian , A True Story contains many themes and tropes characteristic of modern science fiction, including travel to other worlds, extraterrestrial lifeforms , interplanetary warfare, and artificial life . Some consider it

10388-428: Was a child, his parents had him illegally genetically engineered to enhance him both physically and mentally, as he was falling behind his classmates. He is best friends with engineering officer Miles O'Brien and befriends the enigmatic Garak, the sole Cardassian resident. He is manipulated by and fights against Section 31 , a highly secretive group within Starfleet that engages in very questionable activities on behalf of

10494-410: Was colored green because of that color's associations with greed, envy, and money. The Ferengi ship featured in the episode was designed by Andy Probert , who used a horseshoe crab on Wright's desk as inspiration, with the model then being constructed by Greg Jein . The Ferengi were reused for the season's ninth episode, " The Battle ", based on a story by Larry Forrester that Wright converted into

10600-406: Was featured in several episodes of Deep Space Nine . He endangers the Empire by repeatedly setting up Martok, one of his most effective generals in the Dominion War, for defeat in battle, considering him a rival. Worf is forced to challenge him to a duel and kills him. In 2015, Syfy rated Gowron as among the top 21 most interesting supporting characters in Star Trek . Ishka ( Cecily Adams )

10706-404: Was influential on later filmmakers , bringing a different kind of creativity and fantasy . Méliès's innovative editing and special effects techniques were widely imitated and became important elements of the cinematic medium . 1927's Metropolis , directed by Fritz Lang , is the first feature-length science fiction film. Though not well received in its time, it is now considered

10812-401: Was introduced in the season 3 episode "Family Business". Leeta is a recurring character (17 episodes) on Deep Space Nine , portrayed by Chase Masterson . Introduced in season 3's " Explorers ", she is a Bajoran employed as a dabo girl in Quark's bar. After a brief romantic relationship with Julian Bashir, she marries Rom . Although initially played as a stereotypical " airhead ", over

10918-480: Was known for its embrace of a high degree of experimentation, both in form and in content, and a highbrow and self-consciously " literary " or " artistic " sensibility . In 1961, Solaris by Stanisław Lem was published in Poland . The novel dealt with the theme of human limitations as its characters attempted to study a seemingly intelligent ocean on a newly discovered planet . Lem's work anticipated

11024-415: Was surprising that Starfleet would take him on. They suggested that this might indicate that Starfleet had some form of affirmative action policy to benefit species not presently represented in Starfleet. Other online commentators argued that this viewpoint was racist , and that Nog would have been accepted as a Starfleet cadet because he was qualified, not because of his racial identity. While trapped in

11130-408: Was the first of his three- decade -long planetary romance series of Barsoom novels , which were set on Mars and featured John Carter as the hero . These novels were predecessors to YA novels , and drew inspiration from European science fiction and American Western novels . In 1924, We by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin , one of the first dystopian novels, was published. It describes

11236-471: Was there from day one". Through the character of Quark and his family, Deep Space Nine developed the culture and politics of the Ferengi in some detail. Episodes of the series portray the Ferengi's hyper-capitalistic emphasis on profit and sexist social norms (at the beginning of the series, Ferengi females are not permitted to earn profit or even wear clothing), and the society's gradual evolution away from those norms as, for example, Quark's mother becomes

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