The Wise One

Fanfiction
Title:	The Wise One
Author(s):	Fiona James
Date(s):	1979
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	The Wise One at AO3
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The Wise One is a Kirk/Spock story by Fiona James. It was illustrated by Virginia Lee Smith.

It was published in the print zine Naked Times #2 and was a second place winner in a fiction contest.

Summary

"Kirk, taken on the guise of a wandering preacher, is given Spock as his slave when he follows him into Vulcanʼs past where Spock has fled for reasons unknown."

Reactions and Reviews

1979

This is the first thing I have read by Fiona James, and it is great. Hang on to this writer. I would love to see other stories placed in the pre-Reform Vulcan -- especially in this particular universe. (That's a hint!)

1985

In the winning pre-Reform Vulcan contest story, "The Wise One" by Fiona James, Kirk also makes assumptions on Spock's behalf. He assumes that in his right mind, Spock would regard homosex as perverted. When Kirk thinks this about Spock, he is re-directing his own belief. He thinks that homosex is perverted himself or he would have no grounds for assuming that Spock would think so. He hasn't asked Spock, after all. Spock's assumptions about Kirk in "The Wise One" are basically the same as in "The Lorath" [a story by Ray Newton in issue #3] -- only more explicit. He states that he thought Kirk would consider homosex effeminate, even though it is regarded as the essence of manliness among the warriors of pre-Reform Vulcan. In Kirk's culture this would not be so & Spock thinks that Kirk's macho Image of himself, really Spock's own internalized image of Kirk, would suffer.

At this point I think I ought to put in a SPOILER ALERT for those who have not read "The Wise One" & don't want to know about its truly astonishing ending in advance. All those to whom the warning applies shouldn't read this paragraph: When Spock discovers that Kirk really does want him, he is doubly knocked for a loop In this story since it's not only his internalized image of Kirk that is disturbed. We learn toward the end that Kirk, who had been preaching peace & harmony to the Vulcan warriors, is the man who was called "Surak". Spock had been brought up to worship Surak's memory. It is staggering to find out that a man you have loved is really a legendary hero. Someone with internalized homophobia, like Spock in this story, would find It hard to deal with the knowledge that this vastly superior man who his entire culture placed on a pedestal, sexually desires him. After all, homosex is supposed to be inferior. It is helpful to Spock that the pre-Reform Vulcan warriors don't believe this at all. He is thus more able to reconcile his images of Surak & Kirk with homosex, than if he had been confronted with this necessity while in the 23rd century. A supportive environment is a significant factor in overcoming internalized homophobia.

END SPOILER ALERT.

1999

When this story was first published in 1979, I thought it was the most original piece of K/S in existence, and I was very grateful to Fiona for having written it. In retrospect, however, it needs to be longer. I would like to know how Kirk achieved so much on ancient Vulcan, and how the Vulcans felt about it. "The Wise One" would potentially make a very interesting pre-Reform novel.