I read an interesting article about
the enduring appeal of Agatha Christie and how some of her contemporaries, who were occasionally more progressive and wove some of their personal politics into their novels, have since suffered because what was progressive and forward-looking in one era looks painfully dated and simple-minded in the next. Simply because Christie shied away from overt political and cultural commentary in her books, her books contain fewer potential anachronisms.
The is a phenomenon that obviously hits Star Trek as well: because it often went out of its way to be overtly progressive for its era, it often strikes an off note when viewed through the lens of modern-day sensibilities. They were necessary steps on the way to how we think now, but they also show why we were right not to stop there and declare the job of remaking society finished.
