Far Beyond the Stars
episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (S6 E13)

"Far Beyond the Stars" is the 137th episode of the syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 13th episode of season 6. The teleplay was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler, based on a story by Marc Scott Zicree, and directed by Avery Brooks, who also played the episode's – and series' – central character.
Set in the 24th century, the series takes place on Deep Space Nine, a space station adjacent to the galaxy's only known stable wormhole. In this episode, Captain Benjamin Sisko is worn down by the stress of the Dominion War. During a visit from his father, he experiences dream-like visions of being an African-American science-fiction writer facing racism in mid–20th century New York City. The main cast of the series, along with several recurring cast members, portray 20th-century humans in Sisko's vision; those who play alien characters appear in this episode without their alien costumes and makeup.
The episode received positive reviews and critics have called it one of the best Star Trek episodes of all time. It was novelized by Steven Barnes.
Plot
Distraught by the death of a friend during the Dominion War, Captain Benjamin Sisko experiences a vision of 1953 New York City, where he is Benny Russell, an African-American science fiction writer. Russell works for the magazine "Incredible Tales", where his fellow writers resemble Sisko's crewmates: Albert Macklin (Miles O'Brien), Herbert Rossoff (Quark), and married couple Kay Eaton (Kira Nerys) and Julius Eaton (Julian Bashir).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Far Beyond the Stars” is episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (S6 E13). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Beyond, Stars and episode, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (S6 E13)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5434517. None of the 2 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1953.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Far Beyond the Stars”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Far Beyond the Stars primary sources, Far Beyond the Stars archive and Beyond research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Far Beyond the Stars”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Far Beyond the Stars” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.