Exploring The Orville

This volume is the first book to take a deep dive into the philosophical, social, moral, political, and religious issues tackled by Seth MacFarlane's marvelous space adventure, The Orville. Far more than just "Spaceballs for Star Trek," the episodic sci-fi adventure combines humor and philosophy to create a narrative that both engages fans and sheds light on the realities of today's world.

These essays explore what The Orville has to say on everything from climate change, artificial intelligence, and sexual assault, to gender, feminism, love, and care. Divided into six "acts" (just like every episode of The Orville), with the show as its backdrop, the book asks questions about the dangers of democracy and social media, the show's relationship to Star Trek and the puzzle of time travel. It features a foreword by The Orville writer and co-executive producer Andre Bormanis.