"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. The episode received positive reviews and has been identified by critics as one of the best episodes of the series, and of the Star Trek franchise. It was novelized by Steven Barnes.