When he couldn't find one, he decided to write his own. The result, Trekonomics, has drawn praise from economists such as Brad DeLong and Joshua Gans. Saadia says that Star Trek is one of the few science fiction universes that grapple with the idea that money may someday become obsolete.

"It's made clear and emphasized several times in the course of the show that the Federation does not have money," Saadia says in Episode 205 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. "You have Captain Picard saying, 'We've overcome hunger and greed, and we're no longer interested in the accumulation of things.'"

Saadia is fascinated by the idea of a society in which material wealth has become so abundant that possessing it no longer holds any appeal. In such a world the only way to gain status would be by cultivating talent and intellect.