Eye of the Beholder (Star Trek: TOS story by Ray Newton)

Also see Eye of the Beholder.

Fanfiction
Title:	Eye of the Beholder
Author(s):	Ray Newton
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Eye of the Beholder is a Kirk/Spock story by Ray Newton.

art for this story by Dragon from Naked Times #15

It has sequel called Second Contact by Fiona James.

It was published in the print zine Naked Times #15.

Summary

"A/U: Vulcan and Earth are separated by an inpenetrable cloud so when a human is being sold on Vulcan, Spock takes pity on the ugly being and buys him."

Excerpt

"Kirk sat upright on his couch at the foot of Spock's bed as the door crashed open and someone blundered into the room. He heard Spock's voice and was about to speak when he realized that his master was not alone. He could see a slim shape entwined with the Vulcan's and a sweet, cloying scent permeated the air. Coloring hotly, Kirk lay down again, pulling the blanket over his head as he feigned sleep…"

Reactions and Reviews

1987

EYE Of THE BEHOLDER is a delightful situation. The story takes place on Vulcan, a Vulcan that has never seen a Terran before and when they do, they find him (guess who?) nearly too ugly to took at. This is definitely a different twist to the old 'Spock-finds-Kirk-in-the-slave-market' scenario. This is very well written and plotted and the solution to Kirk and Spock's problem is extremely elegant. One of my favorite in the zine.

1992

These Vulcans are refreshingly different. They are emotional without being savage. It would be more accurate to describe them as Non-Reform rather than Pre-Reform. They will never devote themselves to Surak's principles because they don't need him. The idea that Kirk is regarded as ugly because he doesn't look like a Vulcan is also original. Ray has thought through the background very well in this story. Attention to detail makes a story more lively. Kirk's disgust with the meat because the blood of the animals is green is a good example with this. No one else had ever realized that Vulcans would have to have evolved from animals with green copper based blood. I would also add that Kirk's reaction of disgust to this good use of the concept of culture shock. Kirk's gut feeling based on Terran experience would be that it looks moldy. It would be extremely difficult for him to overcome this attitude. I liked the strength and self-respect of the male prostitute Sandor very much. He was a wonderful character.

1993

An A/U story of Kirk coming to Vulcan and becoming a slave. The planet Vulcan is shielded from Earth by a cosmic cloud barrier and the people know nothing of Humans. When they see Kirk they think he's incredibly ugly and are repulsed by him. Spock buys Kirk and they eventually find love.

The Vulcan culture in this universe is carefully defined and imaginative. Here, Surak is a rebel revolutionary whose tenets have not yet been adopted. Spock eventually goes through Pon Parr, but the link between him and Kirk was not developed enough to support the idea that they would share in the effects or even love each other enough to bond. It was as if the author just took it for granted that they were supposed to be together.

Although I enjoyed, for the most part, the concept of Kirk being so ugly to the Vulcans, and then Spock finding him attractive, it was a little too constant throughout with the entirety of the story resting on that one idea. Iaean. Kirk looked different, but he wasn't the Elephant Man or Quasimodo, so it made Vulcans, themselves, seem strange.

An interesting, if highly implausible ending, but on the whole, a good story, well-written and nicely thought out.