A Test of Womanhood
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | A Test of Womanhood |
| Author(s): | Nancy Spinks |
| Date(s): | April 1977 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | gen |
| Fandom(s): | |
| Relationship(s): | |
| External Links: | |
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A Test of Womanhood is a gen Star Trek: TOS story by Nancy Spinks.
It was published in Fesarius #2, an issue that had a spotlight of female characters in the show.
"And the Dark Things in Our Minds Can Kill Us" was a sequel by Spinks in Fesarius #3.
The author thanked the editor of "Fesaruis," saying "T.J., it's OK that you didn't print the synopsis [to my story, "A Test of Womanhood"] -- I just hope the readers weren't confused." [1]
Many reactions to this story illustrate the newly-coined term, Mary Sue, and fans were eager to police each other's intent and final fannish offerings. Paula Smith, the inventor of the term, described the author as someone who "has to get these things out of her system" and that until then, fans "must bear with [her story]."
Reactions and Reviews
A Test of Womanhood
... 'Fesarius' is extremely enjoyable, what might be called a funzine.
'A Test of Womanhood,' however, is not a primary contributor to this era of good feeling, because it is as pure a Mary Sue as we seldom see in these revisionist, apologetic days. Spinks will be fine writer when she gets these things out of her system, so in the meantime we must bear with: Sam—Samantha King— "half Scottish, half Texan," but raised up on Vulcan for some reason, finds herself in A Jam battling Mara the Klingon on this Amazon, planet (called, not surprisingly, Amazonia, tho to Spinks' credit the natives call it Kor'dane), while Kirk, her subordinate in this affair, stands by wringing his hands. Luckily Sam has her telepathic abilities to fall back on, and...well, you get the idea. [2]
In general the image of women projected by ST was very positive and proved that female characters could be shown in forceful roles.
"A Test of Womanhood" proves the point --here's a super-heroine who climbs over mountains, dives off cliffs, and fights sea monsters and Klingons easily. Not only that, but she has Vulcan telepathic training and an eye on Kirk's chair (not to mention what sits in it). Is there nothing this girl can't do? For Ghu's sake, give her a few weaknesses before Sam changes her name to Hilary Sue! [3]
Sequel: And the Dark Things in Our Minds Can Kill Us
"And the Dark Things in Our Minds Can Kill Us" was a sequel by Spinks in Fesarius #3.
Stewart-King, Samantha-Ti’Ree Slade, in “And the Dark Things in Our Minds Can Kill Us,” by Nancy Spinks; Star Trek; print zine Fesarius 3 (November 1977); story is a sequel to “A Test of Womanhood” (Fesarius 2). Human, Samantha was reared on Vulcan, where she was bonded with a Vulcan man; she was the first to tame a Hypno Beast, the most dangerous animal on the planet. She is telepathic and multi-talented: she sings and plays a Vulcan lyre, was awarded the golden IDIC by the Vulcan Science Academy, and whips up Vulcan delicacies in the galley of the Enterprise. When the ship meets a race of aliens who feed on psychic energy, Samantha learns that she is descended from an alien explorer who crashed on Earth. Before the story is finished, the aliens have made her relive her most agonizing moment in the presence of Spock, Kirk, and McCoy; she leaves the Enterprise in order to recover mentally, and Spock and McCoy lose their “referee. [4]
References
- ^ from a letter of comment by Spinks in issue #3
- ^ from Paula Smith (inventor and promoter of the term "Mary Sue") in Menagerie #12
- ^ from a letter of comment by Roberta Rogow printed in "Fesaruis" #4
- ^ from a list of stories mentioned in Pat Pflieger's essay, 150 Years of Mary Sue, posted around 1998