Tears of the Singers

Title:	Tears of the Singers
Creator:	Melinda Snodgrass
Date(s):	1984
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
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Tears of the Singers is a Star Trek tie-in novel by Melinda M. Snodgrass.

See List of Star Trek TOS Pro Books with Fan Connections.

Fan Comments

1985

As far as I'm concerned, Tears was the book equivalent of what Siskel and Ebert call “Idiot Movies." (The basic trait of one of those is that if any character does the only logical, rational thing the movie would come to an abrupt halt, so instead everyone runs around doing the most idiotic things just to keep the cameras rolling.) In this case, by page 75 we have the Federation gang trying to communicate with a new species that is ignoring them. So what should they do? That's right — have Spock do a mind-meld. But that would end the book when it was only a short story, so the author comes up with two lame excuses for Spock to sit around with his thumb up his (Whoops! Keep it clean, now!) 1) It's “dangerous" to meld with an unknown species and 2) Kirk is afraid that it sight violate the Prime Directive by interfering with their development. R-i-i-i-i-g-h-t. Like Spock was afraid so he only - fielded with known species like Hortas and Kelvins. Like Kirk was afraid of violating the Prime Directive so he left Vaal and Landru strictly alone. Sheesh.

So for the next 150 pages we get to watch the second string run up and down the beach without accomplishing anything such, while Kirk and Spock sit there twiddling their thumbs because they are so agonized by the choice they have to make that they are paralyzed, and that civilian musician-chappie (can t be bothered to look up his name) gets to die slow inch by painful inch by noble inch. So how do they solve their problem? Right again! Spock does a mind-meld and the problem goes away. Why was it okay to do one then? Silly question — because the author was up to page 225 and that meant it was time to wind up the plot and collect her money. I don t know, maybe I'm being too hard on the book. It was nice to see Uhura get a starring role (though why can't writers think up some way of getting rid of inconvenient lovers besides killing them off with the Bonanza Bubonic?) and I liked the way Kirk shanghaied that civilian — that, at least, was true to character. But the plot was just so flawed by that “too dangerous to mind meld" trash that I was irritated for more than 3/4 of the book.

1986

And I thought YESTERDAY'S SON was good! This book features Uhura mainly in a tense life-and-death mission, fraught with challenges from the unknown, against beurocracy, the klingons and her own personal turmoil in her relationship with the genius/musician Maslin, who, of course, saves them all, as a high cost.

The Klingons are, for once, rationally portrayed as Kor makes a reappearance — as the character a little wiser than what we met in Errand of Mercy, and his wife Kalin. They are embroiled in their own troubles as well as facing the threat of a tear in the fabric of space* Whilst all this sounds rather dramatic (it was), it is artfully spun around the real heroes of the story - a race of beings who bear a remarkable resemblance to our own seals, the Taygetans, whose life seems to consist of singing for ever- and who are hunted for the jewel-like drop, a tear from a dying creature. I would be curious to find out how the hunters ever found these jewels, but their existence is very important to the plot and the feel of the story.

I think that perhaps the book should have been dedicated to our seals as there seems to be a feeling/message there that is touching and emotional. These special creatures make their presence felt throughout the book and its for the love of them that the final inspiration comes to Maslim for the saving of their world, and their would-be rescuers.

Told without lapsing into purple prose or over-playing of scenes so that the ending makes you feel good about the whole book. It's one novel I'll never part with and certainly one that I would recommend as having all the elements that could appeal to anyone, and told brilliantly.