The Queen of Bangkok
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Queen of Bangkok |
| Author(s): | Patricia Laurie Stephens |
| Date(s): | 1992 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | |
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The Queen of Bangkok is a Kirk/Spock story by Patricia Laurie Stephens.
It was published in the print zine Counterpoint #8.
Summary
"A/U: Kirk is forced to take along a Vulcan scientist while he investigates the new drug making the rounds, but decides he wants to keep him around after they become lovers."
Reactions and Reviews
1992
The story is well written and griping, but, and it's a big but, I sometimes feel that the story she's telling is somehow apart from K/S, that the ending would be different, and the direction at key points would change, if K/S weren't there. Unfortunately, I think it might be a better story if that were true. K/S seem grafted onto something independent from then but this one hung together better. Still, her imagery is captivating and her characters are forceful, leaping off the page. [1]
This story was 121 pages of drugs, murder, mayhem, gloom, doom, and gratuitous violence. I really hate to be critical but this author seems to write stories that are nothing less than depressing. Maybe it's just my reaction, but a couple of friends agree. I read K/S, and most other fiction, for that matter, to relax and enjoy. I can nearly always get my daily dose of "downers" just by looking through the morning paper. "The Queen of Bangkok" seemed to be another of the author's well-plotted but morbid scenarios. It's a shame because she is an excellent wordsmith, and she does know how to tell a story. However, even in a Mirror universe I found it nearly impossible to relate to Ms. Stevens characterizations of a speed-popping Kirk, and a Vulcan who seemed to be somewhat of a latter day hippie. In fact, several aspects of this offering had a 60's, hippie, drug culture flavor. I'll not going to give the plot away as I know there are people who like this sort of thing but I was extremely disturbed by the fate of Christine Chapel. I am a fast reader but it took me nearly two days to plod through this offering, and there were several times when I was tempted to throw it down in disgust. Unless this author can come up with some plots that are a little more upbeat I plan to avoid reading her work in the future. [2]
I read a Trek novel that really blew me away! Patricia Laurie Stephens' "Queen of Bangkok" was fantastic. Everything in it was original. I loved that Kirk! And the dialogue just jumped off the page. [3]
1993
I usually think it desirable to give a brief resume of a story before commenting on it; in this case, however, I don't think it's possible except to call it a Mirror-type story of vice, drugs and general nastiness.
The writing is powerful, the story well developed, and although Ms. Stephens' own characters might have been improved by being given a little more depth, the 'Trek' characters mostly showed recognisable quirks of personality. I was left with the feeling, though, that Ms. Stephens couldn't quite make up her mind whether Kirk was basically nice or basically nasty. He seemed to suffer from quite unpredictable mood changes. O.K., that could have been the drug he was taking; I don't know how people react when they're hooked on drugs. But I would have thought that someone intelligent enough to Captain a Starship would also be intelligent enough not to take drugs - and if he couldn't take the stress of the job without the 'prop' of the drug, intelligent enough to get out and do something else.
Quite apart from what I felt was the unlikeliness of Vulcan having an area as devoted to vice as Bangkok, I did have one major problem with this story, and it's one I've had with several others by a variety of writers; doesn't the Federation (or the Empire, or whatever the ruling body in the universe involved is called) have any trained intelligence agents, on-the-street law enforcers or undercover agents? In this case, why is the Captain of a Starship called in to help the local drug squad? As for Chapel, I couldn't understand what she was supposed to be doing at all. By the time I was halfway though, I had decided that the story didn't work as Star Trek, even as an alternate universe Star Trek. It's an out and out cop story. It would have worked in virtually any police series zine, even without altering the plot noticeably. With the slash element taken out (and that wouldn't be difficult, since it's a fairly minor part of the story), the 'Trek' characters replaced by Ms. Stephens' own characters and the whole thing lengthened a bit, she could have a story that could be offered to any professional publisher of cop/mystery stories with a fair chance of acceptance.
But Trek, I'm afraid, it isn't. [4]
Written very colorfully. Rich, subtle, intriguing characterizations. Astute thinking.
This is an interestingly strange kind of alternate/mirror setting. Alternate to mirror universe; not alternate to mainline universe. (I think I've got that right.) Seemed too 20th century at times, though. An awful, dark touch of the grotesque also.
Vulcan in mirror/alternate is very different. Bangkok area around Shikahr spaceport is the center of illicit drug trade. T'Pring runs Hotel Eridani. Funky, seedy stuff going on. The "smart" drug is fascinating. Causes super-smarts hen maniacal violence. Drug effects written well.
Empire Fleet Kirk and Gary Mitchell are lovers. Kirk an habitual user of speed. Kirk is assigned as undercover narc. Spock is VSA professor, Kirk's forced companion for the mission. I like this Spock. A little casual, but appropriately so. Kirk is tough and smart, sexy. I didn't get how Kirk figured Spock was seducing him, or why Spock admitted to it. That particular scene didn't give off enough of a hint that that's what Spock had in mind. Interesting verbal play at the diner. (The bit with Stan and Sam of the diner is amusing.) Funny details, like the names of music tapes Spock has in his car. Other good details, like Spock's loft apartment.
Fascinating the way Spock comes on to Kirk, considering that Kirk was totally bugged by his presence at first. Spock touching Kirk's neck, is a fine erotic scene.
Good first sex scene in Spock's apartment. Surprising, crude, but wonderful.
This Kirk rather hard to grasp, so gone on speed. He's perhaps vulnerable from long drug use, but his starting to think in terms of pairing with Spock seems too sudden. When did he stop actively disliking Spock in the first place? I don't think he came around totally due only to their having been sexual.
Good scene between Uhura and Christine; their mirror personalities. Christine as snitch for Komack is interesting, her musings seem appropriate to her character.
I don't really care for this style of mystery that leaves too many gaps for the reader to figure out without enough information with which to do so. For example, hearing only one end of a phone conversation when we haven't yet enough clues to know who it might be at the other end. There were one or two other under-explained lapses also. There is something else I want to comment on but don't want to give away a big something to those who have not yet read this story. [5]