The Loneliness of Command
| Star Trek TOS Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Loneliness of Command |
| Author(s): | |
| Date(s): | |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | The Loneliness of Command; another online link |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Loneliness of Command is a gen Star Trek: TOS story by Gamin Davis.
It was published in the zine Millennium Trek and is online.
Author's summary: "K&S, angst, h/c [G] Missing Scenes from "The Galileo Seven" in which Spock, while recovering from his leg injury, tries--with Kirk's help--to deal with his feelings of shame over losing the lives of two men on the Murasaki 312 mission, his first away mission command."
Reactions and Reviews
From a LONG June 2000 discussion among the author and many fans that touches on this story (and then leaps to other topics), see Slash versus non-slash:
kira-nerys: Where do you guys draw the line? I've been reading with interest how a few people on this list, and most significantly Gamin Davies comments on the subject. I'm interested, because what I've read of Gamin's stuff signifies as slash to me. There's a relationship between Kirk and Spock where the love shines through, and not platonic or friendship love either. There's a whole lot of touching going on and the dialogue to me suggests rather an unspoken love - as in a romantic love - than a friendship. What I'm referring mostly to is "The Loneliness of Command" that I've been reading on ASC. I'm not going to quote any of it here since I do not have Gamin's permission to do so, but the story to me is full of very subtle slash, but still slash.
[Gamin Davis]:Now, my POV has always been that it strikes me odd that in most slash, Spock behaves totally (or as much so as possible) in character--sometimes, to me, seeming overly Vulcan--until the story starts dealing with sex scenes and the characters' physical attraction to each other. Then, IMO (and the things I know about K/S slash you could count on one hand), he totally goes off the deep end and starts behaving like any Human with hormone control disorder (yes, I have read a few of the less explicit K/S things, and even some that were explicit when I didn't expect them to be from the rating). But that's just my perception.
[...]
Because *to me* it is--sorry, but I can't help thinking that way. Now, does that mean *you* or any other slash fen have to worry about that? Heck, no--this is just the way I am, and sorry, but my upbringing just doesn't allow for me to view the idea of people fantasizing m/m relationships between characters presumed by most people (probably including the creators) to be het any other way. That said, *you* certainly should not be concerned or inhibited if this is what appeals to you--even if it does involve imagining them "in various sexual positions" (no, I'm sure most/many slash fans aren't like that, but some do give that impression from their writings--though only a non-slash fan would probably think so--they put a sexual spin on any scene where Kirk and Spock seem to me to be just expressing friendship for each other).
You say, why should I care what you think of my version of Spock? Well, why should *you* care what I or any other non-slash fan thinks of slash? It's just as irrelevant, when you come right down to it. It is no more my intention than it probably is yours to dampen any creative juices. None of us are making any profit off these stories anyway, so speculate away and write what you want to write. If *anybody* likes it- -regardless of my opinion--then it's a worthy effort.
[...]
Well, I only see the sexual part as "lewd" (and believe it or not, I try to incorporate as many of those other aspects of their relationship as I can into my stories)--but as I said, if it's what you enjoy, and others enjoy reading it, then why pay any attention to me? This is just my opinion.
[...]
My intended audience is people (fans) who like Kirk and Spock and their friendship, and who want to see Spock's emotional side. I don't care whether slash fans turn out to be part of that group or not; certainly I won't, and haven't, object(ed) if that's the case.
[Gamin Davis]: I don't see Kirk and Spock as gay or even likely to *become* gay. If they did, sure, they'd be most likely to pair off with each other, but...the way Kirk gets involved with so many women, I just can't see it. I do not believe the characters are or were ever intended to be gay, and that's why it "drives me up a wall". It doesn't matter to me what other people think--if they see Kirk and Spock as being in a m/m relationship, if that works for them, fine. I'm okay with that. I just don't respond well to the idea of somebody thinking I'm writing them that way in *my* stories.[...]
What I object to is the idea of two CHARACTERS who I see NO evidence of being gay being portrayed that way. As far as same-sex relationships in RL, it's not my thing, but I really can't feel anything more negative than compassion toward them after seeing the anti-gay conservative backlash over recent years, which has really gotten out of hand. Shall I tell you what I told my brother-in-law when he finally "came out"? I was glad he was in a monogamous relationship. I already knew him before, and it didn't make any difference in my feelings, my liking or my respect for him (which is more than I can say for certain members of his family at the time). He had written my husband a letter, but my husband is not a writer and I thought it should be responded to so I sent him a letter back. Neither he nor his SO fit any of the gay stereotypes--if you met them on the street, there's nothing that would make you say right off "these guys are gay". His SO is a very nice guy and he (my brother-in-law) hasn't changed personality or suddenly become an Evil Minion of Hell, so no, I don't pre-judge real people as to whether or not they're gay, nor do I care. Good enough? I just don't believe *Kirk and Spock* could possibly be gay.