Nightmare in Parallax
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| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Nightmare in Paralax |
| Author(s): | Susan K. Dundas |
| Date(s): | 1990 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Nightmare in Parallax is a K/S story by Susan K. Dundas.
It was published in the print zine First Time #24.
Summary
"After 20 years a bond forms between Kirk and Spock and during a mission where they are tortured by the Vians."
Reactions and Reviews
1990
Very nice beginning for this story, believable characterizations and scenario. Although it is basically well written, I have two problems with it. The first is perhaps only a personal prejudice, but I find it impossible to believe that what happened on the planet was by Starfleet orders. It just simply wouldn't happen in 'our' universe. The kicker at the end that it was, was lost because it was so unbelievable. It would have been much more believable to have put this in an alternate universe. I know that it sounds strange to talk about 'believable' in science fiction, but these characters and this universe is too well established to do something so completely out of character. Again, it's not a great problem, easily corrected by telling us this is an alternate universe. The other problem is the use of aliens from the episodes. I realize how hard it is to come up with new names, but when a writer uses the names of aliens from the series, such as the Vians here, one automatically looks for a tie-in to the episode. It became distracting from the story looking for it and strangely disappointing when it didn't come. [1]
After squirming through the early portion of this and being on the verge of declaring that I didn't like it, I was forced to change my mind. Without giving away a vital point, I'll say that I couldn't swallow the perpetrators carrying their experiment to such limits, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story. What's fiction for? There were excellent twists and variations on a plot and it was good to see them take place post-STIV. Wish more would do that...the mature characters have much to offer. [2]
2007
“Nightmare in Parallax” in First Time 24 is a good example of how Susan writes sex scenes differently than any other K/S writer I know of. Her descriptions are clear, made with broad brush strokes, and sometime make me think of the letters sent in to porn magazine columns! But they are sexy as all get-out. But sex isn’t the be-all and end-all in Susan’s stories, she has plenty of plot, too. In “Parallax” she weaves the story in with some elements from the episode “The Empath.” Only there’s a really interesting twist at the end, a surprise that Kirk and Spock are taken aback by, too. I was as angry as Kirk was, I think! [3]
References
- ^ from The LOC Connection #15
- ^ from The LOC Connection #20
- ^ from The Legacy of K/S in Zines, 1990: Years Since "Alternative" and Still Going Strong