The Prince

Zine
Title:	The Prince
Publisher:	Mkashef Enterprises
Editor:
Author(s):	Natasha Solten
Cover Artist(s):	Shelley Butler
Illustrator(s):	no interior illustrations
Date(s):	1988, reprinted February 1995
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

One reviewer commented about the cover: "....the cover art was superb...one of my absolute favorite illo's EVER. Really captures the tenderness between them, as well as the unbridled passion. Gorgeous!.....[Kirk's expression is] fiercely protective of his t'hy'la...vigilant and very loving.."

a slightly different version of the front cover

back cover by Shelley Butler

The Prince is a slash 150-page novel by Natasha Solten. The cover art is by Shelley Butler, and there are no interior illustrations. This zine was edited by Dovya Blacque and Wendy Rathbone.

Summaries

From the publisher:

A K/S novel that takes you from the infinity of cyberspace to the vistas of Vulcan to a far-off ream of the galaxy where demons guard a horrifying secret... This is a story of revealed love, separation, loss, and reclamation. Kirk becomes embroiled in a dangerous experiment against his will, and Spock is forced to take position as ruler of all of Vulcan in order to utilize all his power to bring Kirk back to his side. Both men are forced to make decisions that may never allow them to go "home" again. Can Kirk still be the vibrant individual he is away from his command? Can Spock remain true to his soul while ruling a world of people he has come to despise?

From Media Monitor:

This highly erotic novel takes you from the infinity of cyberspace to the vistas of Vulcan to a far-off realm of the galaxy where demons guard a horrrifying secret. Travel through the beauty of Natasha Solten's prose as Kirk and Spock seek one another through time, space and inner-space.

Summary the back of the zine, a blurb that is also used by a distributor, Agent With Style:

After the mission with V'ger, Kirk and Spock discover a new dimension to their friendship and fall in love. Yet they are forced apart when Kirk is kidnapped by a mysterious covert organization and Spock inherits the mantle of Vulcan Sovereign upon the death of T'Pau. In a desperate search through space, mind and cyberspace, both come face to face with their darkest fears and deepest dreams.

Summary from Gilda F:

Spock turns down Vulcanʼs offer to lead the planet, but reconsiders when Kirk disappears and he needs the financial means in order to continue his search for him.

A Typo

"I recommend the following for a cheap, quick chuckle: Mkashef Enterprise's Wendy Rathbone Fanzine Catalogue 1996—read the flyer of Natasha Solten's The Prince (p.37) very carefully. Spot the glorious typo! Can't you just imagine the scene?"

From the Editorial

This novel arrived in my mind one day like an old friend enflaming familiar passions I have let fall by the wayside for too many years now. It was such a delight to rediscover these worlds of Kirk and Spock and K/S again, to write straight from the heart and know others with similar feelings will understand.

As I look back over the manuscript, I find that I am entirely too short on female characters. This is not at all an aspersion to the feminine gender, merely a result of my delight in writing about men who are not only bisexual, but in touch with their nurturing, sexual, sensual sides. Since women seem less immature in the development of these senses than men, writing about women holds not the same challenge for me as writing about men and their discoveries. Besides, this is a K/S novel, in which the men perform and the women read about it. So the women are there, surely, if only in spirit. Plus, I did make an attempt to show women in the Federation and on Vulcan as holding powerful positions. The admiral of Starbase 134 is a woman, as is the captain of the Vulcan star vessel, G'raslen.

I consider this novel an alternative universe, because I take off from the end of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and send the characters in directions that will never lead them to the events in the next six Star Trek films, nor to events in Star Trek: The Next Generation. That future is completely ignored by me. I do not think it will be a problem for the reader to ignore it, either.

I consider my vision in this book to be my own, but hope others will share it well. As you read, you may think I am being too harsh in my depiction of Vulcan culture as backward and dysfunctional. I cannot believe Spock is able to see it as otherwise when every time we have ever seen him dealing with Vulcan or things of a Vulcan nature, we see injustice done to him and his friends. The episode "Amok Time" comes most clearly to mind here, showing the appalling practice that allowed Spock to actually "kill" Kirk because of some barbaric custom that seems to show less respect for life, in deference to an obsessive, even patholofcal respect for tradition. But as you read, you will also find that Spock discovers "chinks" in Vulcan armor, and I believe this novel shows that not all Vulcans, and not all of Vulcan culture is completely removed from reality. This is a lesson for Spock, and a good one, I think.

Excerpt from the Publisher

""Spock."

Suppressing a smile, he nodded. Kirk had always begun conversations like that. Stating his name. As if the five letter word were strong enough, definitive enough to warrant its own sentence.

"Spock," he said again, then quickly continued, "Can I ask you something?"

"I believe you just did." But the construction came back to his throat again, just a little. He reached for his juice.

"It's this." He pointed to the grid. Words flashed across the space there, but Spock could not quite see them due tot he rec room glare and the fact they were upside down.

Relieved for the moment that this appeared to be a professional question, Spock said, "What do you have there?"

Kirk turned the grid so it faced him. His teeth worked his lover lip. "I don't understand why you didn't tell me."

Across the grid a headline formed. GALACTIC NEWSERVICE BULLETIN. COMMANDER SPOCK OF VULCAN, DECORATED STARFLEET HERO, NEXT SUCCESSOR TO T'PAU.

Spock swallowed hard. "I was only just informed myself two days ago," he replied. But it was not the explanation Kirk wanted, or deserved. Before he could continue, Kirk said, voice hushed and deep: "You're leaving again." He stared at his cooling eggs.

[][][][][][][][]

He suddenly found his voice. "It is so hard," he said, after years of being told you have no feelings, or should not have, to ignore it all." He caught his breath. He could smell Jim, sweat and soap and salt again. He thought he could hear the man's heart thrum.

"I know," Kirk said, voice a near whisper. Still, neither of them moved. "You said as much at breakfast. How they've hurt you." A small smile touched the corners of the firm mouth. "But like you told me that night after the fight. Remember? Don't let them get the best of you."

Spock remembered. And all he wanted to do was repeat the act. "They will control my mind no longer," Spock vowed. The human's eyes glittered. Spock felt suddenly dizzy, as if he were falling. But still he stood upright, unmoving.

The desert vista of ShiKahr scuttled across his memories, joining others he wanted to pulverize into dust. Red midday sky. Taunting young, pure-bred children who never laughed, and thus could learn only to disapprove. Gol masters who referred to his human blood as "stain". The illusion of non-emotion. The secrecy behind closed doors that refuted it. The hypocrisy. The masks they wore in place of the true self.

"You are," Spock forced from out a hot throat, through burning lips. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Kirk's arms lifted gracefully, but he did not yet touch Spock's shoulder. "My friend…"

Spock moved, then, stepping forward and pulling Jim to him hard, silencing the words. Words were still so hard. Too hard to say or to listen to. This was easier, strangely. Crushing warmth and humanity to his cold. He was the tundra. He had been too long waiting for sun."

About Some Issues

In February 1995, Wendy Rathbone published a new K/S novel by Natasha Solten called THE PRINCE. She sold 10 copies at Escapade '95. In March 1995, MKASHEF acquired Wendy' s publication duties, this includes publication of THE PRINCE. The 10 copies sold were not perfect bound and had white covers; the version of THE PRINCE now available from MKASHEF is perfect bound and has an ivory cover. These are the only differences in the two versions. However, should anyone who would prefer the perfect bound version of THE PRINCE wish to do so, you may return your stapled copy to me and I will replace it with the perfect bound version. I did not sell the stapled copies and so am under no obligation to exchange them for the perfect bound version, but I have always stood behind the products I publish and don't want anyone thinking otherwise. Also, if you ever have a problem with a zine, please don't hesitate to contact the editor. Most of us don't bite, and those of us who do don't bite very hard! We're fans, too, not ogres sitting in our lairs waiting to kill zine readers! Most often, a letter of inquiry to the editor regarding your trouble can quickly resolve the problem. Not writing to an editor with a complaint and 'gossiping' instead is the root of why fandom has deteriorated. We don't talk to each other anymore, and I thing that's very sad. Spreading a complaint around fandom instead of trying to resolve it at the source only creates bad feelings which does no one any good at all.

Reactions and Reviews

1995

This story is set in an alternative universe in which, the author posits, Vulcan society is nothing less than dysfunctional. Shortly after the events involving V'ger, Spock is asked to return to Vulcan, to replace T'Pau as Sovereign; He declines to do this, having moved within himself so far away from the harsh Vulcan ways. Not to mention he wants to stay with his captain.

There is a wonderful first-kiss scene in their past, recalled in the present by both Kirk and Spock, and thought of and repeated throughout the novel. A beautiful painful intense scene, a haunting scene, to the characters and to us. And Spock left for Gol....

The main charm of this novel for me is the quite vivid and fascinating look into Spock, his insecurities, his learning to accept himself, accept that Kirk loves him. It is perhaps the most unusual inner Spock I've read, devoid of the Vulcan veneer. I love a Spock who, i.e., wants to dump red paint all over the drab new ship. I can see that if Vulcan was not the relatively enlightened place it (arguably] is in the mainline Trek universe, if Vulcan society was indeed so hypocritical as in this story, then Spock would be, as here, much more rebellious and illogically colorful in his thinking and feeling.

This is also very much a Kirk I can see. He is so honest, and expresses it, in his pain that Spock had left him; and especially in his soul-deep frustration (to put it mildly) later when he is In a situation totally out of his control I can see them, I can hear them. An effective touch is the little physical gestures that bring dialogue and interaction to life All in all, there is something about the writing I really, really like. It's very casual, or intimate. I'm sure this is largely due to the author using "Jim" for the most part instead of "Kirk." This seems allowable in this story (K/S writing conventions notwithstanding) because of how "close" we are to the POV character, Spock.

There is simply too much gorgeous poetic language to quote. Spock imagining loving Jim.... A lusty power steams, shines, sparks off the page. Unbearable, exquisite-especially when they are Spock's thoughts.

Except, I thought the reference to Disneyland was inappropriate. That sure doesn't seem it would be in Spock's frame of reference. There were also a few (very few) surprisingly unwieldy or awkward sentences from such an accomplished writer.

The plot of the story has many interesting elements: the ubiquitous intrigue-in-high-places, the goal of which is ultimate power; a very scientific approach to cosmic consciousness; the crazy borderline places between VR and real-time. I don't think it was ever really revealed who was behind this gargantuan plan, if it was really "Starfleet" or not. It involved specially chosen people having a chip implanted in their brains. And once they're part of the project they can never get out- Kirk is an unwitting participant only because they think he knows about the project from his old friend Del who had managed to escape and sought asylum on the Enterprise.

Meanwhile, their second kiss is interrupted. These moments are like jewels—every facet catching light. So direct, immediate, powerful, arousing, This scene is so beautiful because they are such strong, mature men, and the intensity of their arousal shocks them.

They have three days of R&R on Starbase 134. Walking and talking before they rush headlong to the hotel to fuck their brains out (my words, not this more subtle author's). Kirk is kidnapped!!

An effective emotional jeopardy is set up surrounding Spock's search for Kirk. The only way he can continue searching involves irreversible changes and even if Kirk is found, the situation is such that probably neither of them will be happy. Once Kirk is found, we will still not have resolution, Lqu of cards stacked against them, including that Kirk is powerless, alone, in the grips of a numbing mind control.

So the chase is on, both in cyber- and physical space, involving, for one, a character I really liked, Spock's assistant Sayjin. A throw-back blond Vulcan, cyber-genius, loner, freak.

I thought this story presented an insightful and understandable view of VR, of a "living" system, an infinite thought-net, Atman, universal ego.

I like how IDIC is expressed, the true meaning: that one life is worth everything.

I don't get why clothing is important in VR. Fun, but why so specific?

Also. "A safer place where the chip would no longer have an effect on him." ?? Where would that be? Certainly no physical place would help.

In part the resolution seemed too easy; the mystery man in charge giving up Kirk so easily.

And back together for real, a wonderful time of Spock having to be gentle with Kirk, to lead him out of his trauma. Lovely sex — wild, deep.

Definitely an "all's well" ending. A pleasure to read.

What a gift from such a long-time K/Ser! Seemingly from out of the blue, comes this novel, filled with all the excitement and energy and emotion (the three "E's"?) that we read K/S for. But the most wonderful thing is that this is no stale story from some bored writer who only puts the names of Kirk and Spock on her characters. This is an astonishingly fresh vision with some of the most beautiful writing from a truly accomplished author.

The first part of the novel concerns itself with Spock's thoughts and feelings as he turns his back on his Vulcan heritage and looks forward to beginning a relationship with the man he has loved from the moment he met him. Therein lies another marvelous aspect to this story. This is an older Kirk and Spock, taking place some time after the V-ger incident, but without the confines of established relationship. It is no easy task to create such tension and passion between two lonely slightly older men and on top of that retain such wonder and newness at their awakened feelings of love. There is so much extraordinary writing and so many gorgeous visual images such as: "The stars, he remembered, were bright as flung coins that night, unusual for a city sky."

And intense emotional images: "The human's misery washed over him, along with a desperate love so sweet Spock reeled from the intensity."

A seemingly small incident, wherein they share a kiss, is woven throughout the story as a catalyst for future events and as a memory that they cling to in order to survive. The very texture of this memory is powerfully portrayed. "It had been spoken of that night of the brawl, briefly, their passions fiery and desperate. But that had seemed so long ago. Under a sky flung with silver. In a time on a planet that was tight years away."

There are deceptively simple observations, such as when Spock is aware of how Kirk says his name, revealing the true complexities of our characters:

"'Spock.' Suppressing a smile, he nodded. Kirk had always begun conversations like that. Stating his name. As if the five letter word were strong enough, definitive enough to warrant its own sentence."

And again here as Spock observes the man he loves: "It gave him a distinct pleasure to watch Kirk work. The preoccupation gave Kirk a stem countenance. The square jaw was tensed with purpose. The face took on a handsome, inner depth."

[clipped for length]

There were so many exciting scenes, including a kidnapping that is done very realistically, suddenly with no warning.

But truly, one of the most extraordinary features of this novel is the intimate, yet vast perspective we get on Spock's thoughts and feelings as he faces not only what Vulcan means to him, but also what life with Kirk means to him.

Although not as fully realized as Spock and his inner life, Kirk, too, is shown in all his feelings. Especially here when he understands why it's better that they're both a little older: 'The Kirk who had fallen in love with Spock -by the time he realized that the words 'love' and 'in love' were apt descriptions for his feelings - was finally the well-rounded, more mature man who had eluded him in his twenties and early thirties. By the end of the five year mission, with Spock at his side, he felt there was nothing they couldn't do as a team. Together."

[clipped for length]

However, I feel there are some problems in this novel. The events surrounding and occurring in computer cyberspace are fraught with difficulties. First of all, even though it's written in a clear and detailed manner which allows us to visualize and grasp what is going on, none of it really makes much sense. There are secret agents and intrigue for some sort of secret plot that I couldn't fathom. There's a village like the one in the old series "The Prisoner" that came and went without explanation. The bad guy. Singe, maybe is a bad guy, but maybe not. The Federation was involved in this secret plot, I think, but that was left hanging.

To be fair, maybe it's just me and my resistance to joining in on the "information superhighway" and all the computer-speak these days, but the whole scenario left me cold, I never totally understood exactly what sort of jeopardy Kirk was in and I never really grasped what Spock's assistant, Sayjin, was doing. It seemed to be a mishmash of spiritual, electronic, computer world that eventually had no resolution.

I kept wishing the novel would have stayed on the track on which it started — Spock's return to Vulcan in order to save Kirk and the serious dilemmas that would confront them both at the time whtn they are finally together.

And I still have, despite the author's intention, difficulties accepting the premise of this dysfunctional Vulcan society that puts boys away into an institution for expressing sexuality between them.

Also, the title is "The Prince", but that's only a small part of what's delivered and is not really the primary focus.

However, I almost resist saying anything contrary about this novel. This is a work of unparalleled beauty, quiet passion and clarity of vision. I pray, I beg, I plead, I whine and anything else that's necessary to get Ms. Solten back to writing K/S. This is what we read this stuff for. It's fucking gorgeous.

How wonderful to have the talents of one of fandom's poet laureates back and better than ever! And in the novel form! Natasha's writing soars off the page, and every page is resplendent with linguistic gems: fresh, startling, original images; gorgeous prose; sentences and paragraphs that sing. For example: "The stars, he remembered, were bright as flung coins that night, unusual for a city sky." Or, "It would be like touching fire to love Jim. It would be like trying to hold the wind."

But the best thing about the novel is the new and ever-expansive view of the characters. The author gives us a multidimensional Kirk and Spock who are always more than we saw on the screen, yet still recognizably the characters we know. They are able to grow. They are able to change, to admit mistakes. I love how Spock, especially, decides that he was wrong about a lot of things, primarily himself: "And so Spock had learned, on his knees on Vulcan sand which cut into his robes like shattered glass, looking up through the shadows of a wrecked and utterly laughable attempt at Kolinahr, that he was a good person. That he was, deep down, fair, honest, intelligent. That he deserved more than this Vulcan sham, this logic-mask constructed of metal bars and concrete. That he was no freak, no child to be taunted and ridiculed, no weakling to be jostled by the whims of spoiled, pure-bred races who jollied in putting others down to make themselves feel superior."

All the prose is this fantastic, folks. Unrelentingly beautiful. I spotted a single paragraph—just one—that needed rewriting for clarity.

The "kiss" scenes are triumphs (take this from a K/S kiss connoisseur) that have to be read to be believed: they are so solidly in character and yet so hot, that they make a K/S believer out of me all over again. I loved seeing their first kiss from both perspectives, too.

The cyberspace idea is fascinating, especially in the Star Trek universe, where it seems oddly out of place ("cyberspace" is a 1990s term, after all). The closest thing Trek has had to cyberspace—outside of a few scenes in Next Gen (and all of Next Gen is apocryphal, as far as I'm concerned)—has been holodeck technology. In The Prince, the addition of cyberspace/virtual reality seems a sort of superimposition of an alien SF techno-universe on the ST universe. But it was described beautifully and well. I liked the effect, especially Spock in that filament suit traveling with Sayjin is a truly fresh, likable, interesting character.

And the description of Spock's virtual reality trip to visit Kirk in his prison was breathtaking, engaging all the senses. I could practically smell the Vulcan spice oil and wine and a dash a incense. And the glimpses of Spock's body, not really hidden by the filament suit—be still, my heart!

This novel brought back the first flush of my love affair with K/S, and I recommend it to any jaded reader or anyone else who likes a damn fine K/S story. Not that I'm jaded at this early stage, but I've always had low tolerance for I) bad writing and 2) the same-old same-old K/S plotlines, ho hum. The Prince suffers from neither problem.

Which is not to say it's without flaws—though since they're all in the context of such excellent characterization and poetic prose, any flaws are eminently forgivable.

However, to be thorough, I'll mention some things that bothered me. But please note, although I thought there were some problems, this novel still stands head and shoulders over any K/S work published in the past year, and is up there with the best K/S novels, period.

Now, with that caveat... I had some problems with Spock's becoming Vulcan Sovereign. It wasn't explained or justified sufficiently. We're never really told why T'Pau apparently wanted Spock for her heir (why not Sarek?) and I wasn't convinced that the Vulcans, who seem to have little tolerance for halfbreeds, in defiance of IDIC, would really accept him as Sovereign. Further, Spock seems to be a pampered king living in luxury and controlling enormous wealth, which he can use at his whim. He doesn't seem to do much in the way of official duties. Though his responsibilities are hinted at, and though he does have bodyguards trailing him everywhere (on crime-free Vulcan??) we never see him perform even one official duty. His job as Sovereign seems more like an appealing costume he dons to make a dramatic appearance in this novel. The details—his clothing, his bed (!). the dune garden, the guards, the spa baths (!)—are exquisitely and finely drawn, but it's all just description of this fabulous costume; there's not enough justification given to really make us believe it. The role would represent an enormous change in Spock's life, and I can't see him adapting to it as easily as he seems to here.

As for the plot, though it's hinted throughout that Starfleet is involved in a terrible conspiracy to enslave the galaxy, and it's been going on since at least Kirk's Academy days, it's never resolved. We never leam whether Starfleet was actually in on it. Nor do we leam what happened to the armada of ships from different planets that were all floating around the Blue Zone. I can't imagine the Klingons, Romulans, Orions, and all those other people sitting in their ships near a place they've been told may hold the destruction of the galaxy, and letting Spock handle it alone, then just saying "Ho hum, let's go home." They were left hanging, so to speak. We never really find out who Strige really is, nor how to pronounce his name (which bothered me). And poor McCoy and the Enterprise crew—they are never informed of Kirk's rescue, which they have no part in. Whether or not Kirk and Spock ever actually "bonded" as lifemates is a bit fuzzy; Kirk is Spock's consort, but we never actually witness them bonding, or marrying, or whatever. Which wouldn't be an issue at all if Spock hadn't told the Vulcans earlier that Kirk was already bonded to him (when he wasn't).

Nor was I quite convinced that Kirk would be happy as the consort of the Vulcan ruler, basically a rich playboy, free to travel the stars with Spock in the latest Vulcan spacecraft, but not really serving an exploratory service such as Starfleet, not answering to anyone, or serving the greater good. Just exploring for the heck of it, because it's better than sitting around bored, in the heat, on Vulcan. That's not the Kirk I know. However, I do understand that this author's version of Starfleet, darker than most, would not necessarily be the best organization for two moral heroes to serve.

Further, Spock hints near (he end of the story that he has learned that Vulcans are not as bad as he thought. This would have been a terrific bit of development for Spock, but all we see of it is that Spock thinks Sayjin is a good man and the healer on the Vulcan ship is compassionate. I would really like to have seen this angle developed. As it is, Spock does pretty much all his growing and changing offstage, during the kolinalir, and the novel merely shows us the result of his earlier maturation process. If the author had delved into how his expanding relationship with Kirk changed Spock's understanding of Vulcan and the Vulcans, and affected how he discharged his duties as ruler, the novel would have been much deeper.

Also, I didn't understand the POV shifts. By the time we see Kirk's perspective it's pretty late in the story. Spock's perspective is well developed; Kirk's suffers by comparison. Ending in Kirk's POV, when the story started in Spock's, didn't give me the sense of closure that I would have preferred.

Finally, the novel had some usage, grammatical, and (aargh!) spelling errors—just enough to be annoying, distracting me from the overall gorgeous writing—though I realize most fans won't even notice them. Typos were refreshingly scarce, however (hurray, editor!). I know these aspects don't matter a whit to most fans, but they really make a difference to me, especially in a story that's written in such incomparably beautiful language. The text would also have benefited greatly from columning, because the dense, poetic prose is sometimes hard for the eye to follow across an 8 1/2-inch page.

But never mind. The story moves along at a fast pace, and if you're like me you won't be able to put it down, anyway. Not with passages like the following on virtually every page: "'Ah,' Kirk breathed, arching up, feeling Spock's smooth, powerful hand ensheathe him. The hand held him upright, rigid, as the sleek head lowered. Those lips. That tongue. A new kiss to a newly discovered area, a planet untouched for too long, and ah the kiss was made of everything that fire was: ash, heat, silk, wind, smoke'- just keep quoting forever—if it weren't a hell of a copyright violation—because the writing speaks for itself. So stop reading this review and go buy this novel!

1996

Some of my impressions: richly tailored, loose ends, melancholy, absence of joy.

Part of the story and most of the sex takes place on Vulcan's version of the internet using a system half World Chat avatar, half VR (obviously, no Exxon bill or anything like it passed in this universe). Interestingly, the technology is Vulcan in design, not Federation. I guess we know now what they're up to with all this 'meditating', huh?

The plot itself has a little of everything. There's lots of mysticism, lots of angst, lots of interesting insights into Vulcan society (not as convoluted as the 'Kraith' universe was, thankfully). The only things I

couldn't find were typos and grammatical misuse. This thing was obviously better edited than even a professionally published book! Definitely worth the $20 (US) I paid.

1999

An interesting A/U novel, that reminded me of Tekwar and the British series of The Prisoner. Good story, intriguing look on the Vulcan society and Vulcan way of life. Set after the events of TMP, the way this Kirk and Spock goes here is totally different.

Here Spock has to succeed T'Pau as ruler of all Vulcan. He refuses, because he wants to stay aboard the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock just have discovered their love when Kirk is kidnapped and disappears without a trace. Spock accepts his heritage to be able to go on with his search for Kirk. With the help of the computer expert Sayjin, he goes through cyberspace to look for Kirk. The Vulcans are portrayed as rather unemotional and very traditional, and Spock hates his people and uses them to find his one goal. Working with this very un-vulcan yet full-blood Vulcan Sayjin changes his opinion. Finally they discover Kirk as a prisoner of a secret organisation that threatens to take over the whole galaxy. And at last, after months of separation, they can make love. A very modem, science fiction novel. A very interesting look in the cyberspace. The inner turmoil and angst of Kirk when he almost loose himself and the struggle Spock has with his Vulcan heritage is wonderfully written.

2009

I generally don’t like stories (or rather novels) where Kirk and Spock spend the majority of the time apart. There are a few exceptions (Jean Lightfoot’s Price of Freedom comes to mind), but generally I tend to avoid them. So when this novel first came out and I learned that was the essence of the plot, I wasn’t in a big hurry to buy it. But not too long ago I found a copy where the price was right, so I decided to buy it. And I am glad I did. Not only for the gorgeous, moving front cover by Shelley Butler, which was practically worth the price of the zine alone, but also because the story itself is wonderful and imaginative, with just the right amount of angst to tug at the reader’s heartstrings with every turn of the page.

This novel takes place right following the events in TMP. Unbeknownst to Kirk, Spock has been contacted by Vulcan to return to his home planet and take his place as its rightful heir, to become their “new prince”. But it is a position he has no intention of taking for he now has a chance to right a wrong when it comes to his relationship with Jim Kirk. A sudden change in that relationship sent him fleeing to Gol, but with the lessons learned from V’Ger, he now knows he is ready to take that chance to take that relationship to the next level, a step, from all indications, that Kirk is willing to make, as well. A mysterious stranger, who turns out to be not so much a stranger to Kirk, interrupts their efforts, but once that stranger is remanded to the custody of Starfleet, Kirk and Spock beam down to the base and just when it seems everything that Spock could ever want when it comes to his relationship with Kirk is within reach, disaster strikes. Kirk is taken from him and events unfold in such a way that, in what can only be considered a bitter irony, the only means he has left to locate his beloved Jim is by accepting the position he never wanted, would never even have considered under any other circumstances – prince of all Vulcan. There, he hires a Vulcan named Sayjin, whose fascination with computers rivals even Spock’s. But Spock cares nothing about that, to him, Sayjin is the best and only hope of finding the man who has become his entire world. That quest is taken not through physical space, but through the world of computers and mental communication, yet underneath Spock’s desperate search is the knowledge that, even if he is successful, both he and Kirk’s lives will be changed forever, a change that Kirk might not be willing to accept.

As I mentioned before, this story unfolds in such a way that the reader is taken along on an incredible journey through cyberspace and all that is not “real” in the universe. The author has created a thoroughly enjoyable character in Sayjin, eccentric and colorful, and in a strange way, a comfort to Spock in his all-consuming quest to find Kirk. The author does a wonderful job in letting us see Spock’s anguish, desperation, and loneliness as he is forced to rule over a planet he has come to despise, all the while faced with the possibility that despite all his efforts, he may never see Kirk again. Yet even if he is able to achieve his goal, he faces the real possibility that because of the decisions he was forced to make in order to continue his quest, he could lose Kirk again because of those choices.

A truly marvelous, intriguing, suspenseful novel that it is well-worth a read.

2014

Back in '07, I was following a bid over at eBay on this zine...allegedly it was an "original"...the final bid was for $200.00. A British bidder nabbed it. I went over to FanzinesPlus and ordered a copy for a LOT less. One of my favorite zines.