Star Trek: 10 Greatest Genre Episodes Ever

10. SciFi: Schisms

For our first entry, we had to ask ourselves: what constitutes Science Fiction? Further to that, how could we pick the best example of it within Star Trek itself? First, the definition, from Britannica.com:

Science fiction, a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals.

In choosing Schisms, we have used the Solanogen-based lifeforms experiments upon the crew of the Enterprise-D, as well as the threat of alien abduction in general, to guide our choice. Science fiction, as broad a term as it is, often deals with things like technological advancements, as well as body modification - both of which are on show here.

In the spirit of full disclosure, there are many examples of science fiction as a genre in Star Trek, which is as obvious as it is challenging to pick any one example to rise above the rest. Time travel, as we indicated in the introduction, may appear on another list as its own genre, so many of the options for science fiction will be up for consideration there.

For the episode here, there are several moments that help it stand out as an example of science fiction. Riker's missing time, that chilling scene on the holodeck, poor Ensign Hagler's fate, and the climax in the aliens' realm all combine to tell one of the most enduring, disturbing stories in Trek. The Next Generation undertook many experiments during its run, with Schisms skirting the line of scifi and horror carefully. 

For the close encounters element of this episode, it is our choice for science fiction - and we have all been in that room before, haven't we?