Brotherly Love (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Brotherly Love
Author(s):	Deborah Cummins
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Brotherly Love is a Kirk/Spock story by Deborah Cummins.

It was published in two parts in print zine Naked Times #15 and #16.

Summary

"Kirk and Spock crash on an unknown planet but are separated when found by different groups of natives and taken as peasant and nobility, respectfully."

Reactions and Reviews

1987

I didn't read the first part of BROTHERLY LOVE until I had NAKED TIMES #16 and could read the entire story at once. What this amounted to was a rather tired retelling of the trite "Kirk and Spock are trapped on a backward planet where Spock is captured and held by an evil man who has designs on his body until Kirk can rescue him with sundry and assorted predictable problems and moments of hurt comfort along the way" theme. While I enjoy h/c as much as the next guy, at times this story went beyond necessity to make its point. Ms. Cummins' characters are somewhat one one dimensional as her good guys are good and her bad guys are bad and there's no middle ground. Between parts one and two, this story could have been at least ten pages shorter. At times over written, at times boring, I feel that holding off to read part one until I had part two was not worth the wait.

1993

Kirk and Spock go to a planet for shoreleave. While wandering about the city, they come across a stall ship for sale. When they take it for a "test spin", the trouble begins. The showroom and the reptilian salesman were so inventive and descriptive as is all of this story. I kept being delighted at the scenes between our two boys, with excellent dialogue that is sensitive, not maudlin, and Spook effusing in his Spockian way about the twinkling starlight.

This is a Spock who has weaknesses, but is not weak; he is vulnerable, but guarded and strong. There is very good interplay between him and Kirk, along with an interesting exploration of the possibility of Kirk dying before Spock. This idea was so carefully woven into the plot, that it was natural dialogue between them instead of just rhetoric. It takes a writer's skill to put across an idea or theme or message without taking us out of the story.

There are some wonderfully precise characterizations: "Spock rubbed against hit again and he thought for an instant that he would go mad. Illogical. The thought came from nowhere, the voice a very familiar one. Be resisted the urge to stile." So accurate and insightful for such a small moment.

There's not the most erotic or best sex, here, it's a little pedantic, but there's some good inner ruminations concerning the sex. Plus, an absolutely first-rate beginning that captures the reader's interest, setting up the future events as the lonely probe moves through' space... This writing, skill is evident throughout the story as Ms. Cummins creates an entire world where Kirk and Spock crash, complete with two brother's feud, blood-letting and a medieval type culture, revealing details as the story progresses.

Then, the most fun part was discovering; that this was part one of the story and part two would continue in NAKED TIMES 16, which I don't have. Rats! I hope this practice of separating stories is not done anymore. Anyone with an NT16 that's just lying around?

Wed, here it is, what you've all been waiting for, the infamous Part II of the story!

The writer is a marvelous storyteller - weaving intricate plot and insightful characterizations to tell a tale. It has a colorful environment, interesting dialogue and very good structure of the story. Having read Part I separately from Part II (therein lies a tale...), It gave me a certain perspective on the whole.

The tone of the story changed drastically from Part I to the second. The latter is darker and more introspective. This can work, sometimes, but here k crossed the thin line into unrelenting. I don't mean to imply that darkness or violence have no place, of course they do, and the author has created a world in turmoil and filled with evil doings. But, somehow, the feeling it left me with was rather like a rock in the stomach.

Yes, it was an exciting story; yes, it was tension-filled, but there was an undercurrent of such bleakness, of never ending heaviness, that instead of drawing me into the story, it made me want to step back and away from it. In the world of fiction, torture, mayhem, imprisonment and evil characters should been tertaining. But, when I read this, I kept thinking: Enough already! Especially at the end, when Kirk and Spock care so much for the new leader - I, too, wanted to care along with them. But, by that time, I had that proverbial rock in my stomach and I didn't care what happened on that horrible planet, I just wanted Kirk end Spock OFF!!

The other problem was not enough focus on Kirk and Spock. Yes, the story revolves around them and yes. they are obviously integral to the events- becoming catalysts for change in that world. But, so much was revealed about everyone else, that often the focus would stray pretty far, and I kept wanting to get back to them. Also, by nature of their circumstances, they were apart for a long time, only adding to the feeling of a story not quite K/S.

These two points would be unimportant, perhaps, in a lesser story written by a less skilled author. But I think this work can definitely hold up to more intense scrutiny.

One other problem I had was with the character of Sho'n. He was so weak that by the time he redeems himself, one is left with rather ambivalent feelings. We are asked to accept that Spock identifies with him. This, for me, was not only impossible, but was really disturbing.

I realize that it was integral to the story for Sho'n to be so weak, but something was needed to draw the reader into feeling for him. The villainous brother, Harc'en, on the other hand,was excellently portrayed in all his evilness.

I must say this is one inventive, creative and imaginative author and I intend to find and read more of her work