The Greatest Stakes
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Greatest Stakes |
| Author(s): | Janis E. Laine |
| Date(s): | 1989 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | |
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The Greatest Stakes is a K/S story by Janice E. Laine.
It was published in the print zine Scattered Stars #1.
Summary
"Stranded on a backwater planet, Spock plans to win enough to return to Vulcan to hire a bond-surrogate for pon farr until he meets a hazel-eyed human also stranded there."
Reactions and Reviews
1990
This was very well written. In fact, the first three pages could be the introduction to a novel. I have just a few quibbles. I don't think the fight scene in the middle of the sex scene was necessary, nor do I think our two could have just gone back to sex as easily as they did. Also, I want them to take McCoy with them when they leave.[1]
Excellent story! I'm a Western fan anyway, so the image of Spock dressed as an elegant gambler '...ruffled white shirt, string tie...black trousers hugged the Vulcan's muscular thighs...' definitely puts me into heat. The setting reminded me of the delightful pro novel Ishmael. McCoy fit in just fine as a crusty old doctor for the saloon girls. Nice long detailed sex scene. I also like fight scenes as well as sex scenes, so to put a fight in the middle of Kirk's and Spock's sexual encounter was especially exciting to me. High-quality writing.[2]
This is one author I wish would write more stories because she writes so excellently. I particularly admire the way she integrates descriptions smoothly into the narrative so that it is a natural part of the reading without being something separate on its own. I don't care for a/u in general, but this is one story I could get my teeth into because it was so easy to imagine Spock in the role of cool, collected galactic gambler. The other characters, including the minor ones, were brought to life in such a way that they seemed real without threatening to dominate the story. If there was any flaw, it may be that there needed to be a little more background on McCoy to explain his alcoholism. And if I read the symbolism of the black satchel correctly at the end, I would have liked to have been left with more direct hope that his life will also change for the better. (I already know that Kirk's and Spock's will!) So many illos are just faces or bodies, and it always makes a nice break when I come across one that contains some actual detail, as Chris Soto's did in this novella.[3]
1992
Reading the first page of this "space-wild-west" story, I thought, "What nonsense: Our cool, logical science officer a gambler? No, never!!!" But it makes sense! This is our Spock and all the others are our Star Trek characters -- only in another setting! In the editorial of this zine was written "You're going to love it." Yes, that's true, I love this touching story, especially the end, when Spock surprised his lover with the ship, that Kirk named Enterprise! The only open question: does McCoy go with them and was he in luck, too?
- A couple of subscribers have written in about my story "The Greatest Stakes", wondering if McCoy accompanies Kirk and Spock when they leave. Yes! On page 121, Kirk opens a locker and finds it "cluttered with possessions", including a black satchel that he thinks he's seen before somewhere. Those were McCoy's things. I'm old enough to remember when doctors still made housecalls and a black satchel was symbolic of their profession. I was trying to be subtle, and I guesm I ended up being too subtle - darn it! [4]
References
- ^ from The LOC Connection #17
- ^ from The LOC Connection #18
- ^ from The LOC Connection #21
- ^ from The LOC Connection #38 and #39