The Game (Star Trek: TOS story by Donna Rose Vanderlaan)
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| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Game |
| Author(s): | Donna Rose Vanderlaan |
| Date(s): | 1986 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Game is a K/S story by Donna Rose Vanderlaan .
It was published in the print zine Daring Attempt #4.
Reactions and Reviews
1986
The Game could have been a good story if only Donna had thought a little. What were Kirk and Spock doing alone on the planet? A mineral survey party should at least have contained a geologist. Spock can do a geologist's work, but he's supposed to be supervising, or why does the Enterprise have any scientific specialists? You might as well do away with the rest of the officers in Spock's department, if Spock's going to do all their work for them. It's all very nice to maneuver Kirk, and Spock into a position where they are marooned on a planet with nothing else to do but develop their relationship, but it has to be done believably. Suppose there had been a geologist who decided to beam up to process hir samples in the lab because s/he thinks there's something particularly interesting about them. S/he wants to beam back down afterward and get some more samples. Then the transporter breaks down. Kirk and Spock are thus marooned in a way that I can reasonably accept. Stories like this make me very impatient. Donna understands character inter-relationship, but has no concept of how a starship crew operates. Maybe I'm no expert on survey procedure, but I know a glaring error when I see one. [1]
Kirk and Spock are stranded on a mud ball of a planet with absolutely nothing to do. Kirk suggests they play 'Three Questions' and, after quite a bit of trying to get out of it, Spock agrees. Soon, the questions take a turn Kirk never expected and the inevitable happens. I laughed at this story, I even felt like crying in a few places. There are some incredibly tender, moving moments. This is a wonderful story. [2]
"The Game," by Donna Rose Vanderlaan, has Kirk and Spock stranded on a planet with nothing to do. They play games of "Three Questions" and learn new things about each other. The story has moments of warmth and moments of humor. [3]
1989
I'm afraid this scenario of stranding Kirk and Spock together alone on a planet is rather contrived. There should have been a larger party for a survey in any case. Since they were surveying for minerals there should at least have been a geologist, and Kirk's presence wasn't really necessary at all. The Kirk/Spock intimacy is rather nice, but it doesn't quite make up for the artificial method that Donna used to bring them together. [4]
1999
Stranded on an uninhabited planet. Transporter won’t work. Communication intermittent. Familiar, isn’t it? It is to Kirk also. Bored out of his mind, he coerces a somewhat unwilling Vulcan into a little game he remembers from his academy days. One person asks the other three questions and they must be answered truthfully. Naturally in this context, they become revealing pretty quickly, especially when Spock begins to see the advantage of the game. In one emotionally naked response, Spock defines what he believes is the worst thing that can happen to a person. “...It is to never feel anyone cares about or wants you....” A tear trickles down his face as he admits his loneliness. The response, while predictable, is none the less heartwarming: a hug accompanied by the words “I want you...I need you. I love you.” [5]
References
- ^ from K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) #19 (1986)
- ^ from Datazine #41
- ^ from Treklink #4
- ^ from The LOC Connection #4
- ^ from The K/S Press #38