Paul Stamets (Star Trek)
| Paul Stamets | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek character | |
| First appearance | "The Vulcan Hello" (2017) |
| Portrayed by | Anthony Rapp |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Astromycologist, Lieutenant Commander |
| Significant other | Hugh Culber |
| Planet | Earth |
| Affiliation | United Federation of Planets Starfleet USS Discovery |
Paul Stamets is a character in the fictional Star Trek franchise. He appears in the television series Star Trek: Discovery. Stamets is portrayed by actor Anthony Rapp.
The character is the first openly gay regular character in a Star Trek television series.[1] Within Discovery's narrative, he is a scientist and engineer who combines physics and mycology into a fictional method for instantaneous faster than light travel.
Character portrayal
In the Star Trek show, Stamets often talks about mushrooms in space.[2] The Stamets character develops real world contemporary mycological science into science fiction concepts in the portrayal.[3][4] Stamets believes the Universe is organized by spores and mycelia as the "building blocks of energy across the universe".[2]
His name is an allusion to Paul Stamets, a self-taught mycologist who advocates for the ecological benefits of mushrooms.[5]
Reception
Various publications described how the character set a precedent in both the Star Trek world and generally in media as a depiction of a gay character.[1][6]
References
- ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (9 January 2018). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Showrunners: Death 'Is Not an Ending'". Variety.
- ^ a b Sloat, Sarah (October 4, 2017). "'Star Trek' Moves Into the Weird, Real Frontier of Space Mushrooms". inverse.com.
- ^ Alexandratos, Jonathan (21 February 2018). "Mycelium Running: The Book That May Reveal Where Star Trek: Discovery Goes Next Season". Tor.com.
- ^ Cat, Linh Anh (March 19, 2019). "3 Real-Life Inspirations For The 'Star Trek: Discovery' Spore Drive". Forbes.
- ^ Brend, Yvette (24 December 2017). "Star Trek's secret weapon: a scientist with a mushroom fetish bent on saving the planet". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ Smith, Duncan (28 August 2017). "A closer look at Discovery's Lieutenant Paul Stamets". Redshirts Always Die.