To Catch a Unicorn (Star Trek: TOS zine)

This article is about the K/S slash zine by Deanna Gray. You may be looking for To Catch a Unicorn, a K/S story by Robin Hood.

Zine
Title:	To Catch a Unicorn
Publisher:	Merry Men Press
Editor:
Author(s):	Deanna Gray
Cover Artist(s):	The Southern Cross
Illustrator(s):	DEW, Shelley Butler, Caren Parnes, and Dino
Date(s):	1998
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS, K/S
Language:	English
External Links:	Merry Men Press
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

To Catch a Unicorn is a K/S slash 152-page novel by Deanna Gray.

It was the winner of a 1998 Philon Award.

The cover is by The Southern Cross; it was originally printed in Amazing Grace #1 in 1984. The interior art is by DEW, Shelley Butler, Caren Parnes, and Dino.

cover sporting a fig leaf in order to censor the nudity of the characters

full cover with explicit nudity of the characters

Summaries

The publisher's site synopsis: "Spock is kidnapped and forced into slavery. Can he find love with his Captain after his rescue?"

From the flyer: "On the verge of bonding with Kirk, Spock is kidnapped and enslaved. What follows is the Vulcan's tortuous journey back to his captain and back to the life he once knew."

From Gilda F: "Spock is kidnapped, brutally tortured and sexually assaulted, so that when Kirk finally goes after him the experience stands between them and a relationship."

Fans Comment on the Art

Traditional graphite art. There is so much fantastic art in the print zines that most of the newer fans don't even know about, and this artist is the most amazing of the fandom. Almost photographic in its precision and detail, this drawing features fully naked Kirk and Spock reclining on the ground on a bed of flowers, Spock flat on his back with a hand on the shoulder of his friend, who is propped on one elbow at his side and looking into the night. Our heroes are at their sexiest in this idealized portrayal with hard bodies ripped with muscles, but despite the expliciteness of the image, it comes across as deeply sensual instead of sexual. Simply lush and gorgeous :).

This is a truly gorgeous cover. I stared open-mouthed when I first saw it. It's very erotic. K&S are naked, but because of the position they are in, we see only Spock's penis. Spock lying on his back, one hand to his chest, the other on Kirk's shoulder. Kirk is on his side next to Spock, his hand probing the opening behind Spock's genitals. Blush. How do I know this? Well, besides it being fairly obvious, the cover goes with a lovely meld scene in the novel in which Kirk is doing just that! I love it when art specifically goes with a scene in such detail. And this one really does. In the background, as in the meld scene, we see the heads of two unicorns. Everything is done in light and dark shading, a dream like quality.

We are inundated. From the beautiful Southern Cross cover to several, yes, read my lips, several drawings by Chris Soto and Shelley Butler. Starting with Shelley’s color Spock, which is an absolute must and ending with one portraying Kirk’s fierce protectiveness (as I see it). Sprinkled in between are two Soto drawings of Kirk and one of Spock and a drawing by DEW. If that isn’t an abundance of riches, I don’t know what is. Very alluring.

Yet another piece of art that took my breath away in this novel. No surprise it's by Shelley. Lots of dark and light shading as is her style. Spock is straddling Kirk's lap, being held by him, or at least that's how it appears to me. However, if you turn the page around I suppose it could be Spock on top of Kirk being held that way. Either way, we see the back of Spock only and just Kirk's face and arm. Spock is a bit built up in this compared to his actual slimmer form. I love how Kirk is holding him; one hand is on Spock's head, the other is on Spock's bottom. Kirk has this awed look on his face that is so great! As if he is thinking: You're mine at last. Really lovely!

I‘m sorry but I cannot find a signature on this exquisite color pencil rendition of Spock. Since the editor notes there is art by Caren Parnes, and because I am familiar with some of her work, I believe this is hers. If the KSP editors know differently, please correct me. This is one of those drawings that stop you in your tracks. I turned the page to read on and just stared at the way this artist has captured not only Spock‘s alien masculine beauty, but a very troubled expression as well. His lips are tantalizing to say the least, and that wrinkle in his brow tells me he‘s worried about Kirk. He‘s out of uniform, which is nice to see – looks like a crisp blue chambray shirt to me. It‘s a standout drawing and reprinted in a quality that could be framed.

Ms. Soto knew our Kirk and Spock well, didn‘t she? Here she illustrates a scene in which Kirk is curled up on his bed feeling completely lost because Spock has disappeared and he is powerless to find him. If it wasn‘t done expressly for the story, it certainly matches the heart-wrenching scene. I love seeing Kirk vulnerable and he is certainly that and more in this lovely piece.

Ah yes. No question who drew this one. Mercy! Splendor in the grass... Kirk is on his back, with the tender blades tangling and mingling with his hair. Spock is on top – smothering Kirk with kisses, nuzzling an ear as Kirk weaves his fingers through that luscious dark mane. Kirk‘s other hand is strategically placed on Spock‘s hip, offering encouragement, no doubt. We cannot see Spock‘s face, but Kirk‘s is beautifully drawn with his eyes open and a look of awe in them. This is a masterful expression of love showing both an incredible tenderness and enormous strength. I do believe it is one of the best Shelley has done, though I would be hard- pressed to choose from among her many creations. One could look at this for a very long time and never tire of it. Magnificent!

Sample Interior

• 

  interior art by Shelley Butler

Reactions and Reviews

1998

Wow. Impressive. Both parts of the novel are equally strong. A story dealing with slavery. This one is worked out very well. In fact so much so that partway through the first part, I had to force myself to continue reading because I experienced such a feeling of distress (to put it mildly) I had to stop. The degradation is absolute, the healing must be absolute as well or as close as possible and the author did a good job at achieving it. Even why it took Kirk so long to rescue Spock is being dealt with in a believable manner. Good start."

This is an interesting well written novel for a first time author. For all the Spock fens out there, this is the novel to buy. It has all the usual ingredients for a master and slave story set in the 23rd century. You have the shy virgin Spock, the master/slave angle, the rapes, the drugs, the amnesia. All this in just the first part of the story. Kirk basically wrings his hands throughout except nearly toward the end when he went to do a vendetta thing because the bond had broke while Spock was held captive. The whole thing ends with Spock having a "I'm a whore, how could you love me?" complex. Kirk, of course, does the reassuring bit. tells Spock, he loves him, and they get back together. I have to admit I found myself skipping chunks because I was in that mode of "been there and read that." There were some interesting moments here and there, but the majority of the story just didn't stand out from most of the other K/S m/s stories that I have read. I guess I was looking for another take on the usual themes. 1 thought Spock should have been rescued a lot sooner. I know, then the readers wouldn't get all those juicy sex scenes, but still...

[snipped]

Last, but not least, the ending. I'd be more impressed once Spock got his memory back, had some time to contemplate things over, and just go to Kirk. With his usual Vulcan aplomb tell Kirk what had happened to him down on that planet and ask Kirk if he would still consider himself to be his bondmate. ID1C. Straight forward and no fuss. No human pity and no dragged out angst of how he can't possibly want me because I am a whore. That is just so human thinking. "From the Heart" by Jenna Sinclair is a good example of the Vulcan perspective. I know it is easier to relate to his human half than to his Vulcan half, but usually when n's Vulcan half is w"tten fcr faurrafc events, t s mostly in a negative way e.g., McCoy. The other take is for Spock and Kirk to resolve this situation together somewhere away from the ship and see what develops from there. Not only in this story but in others as well, isnl there another word besides whore that one could use for the 23rd century like prostitute, socialator, comsexer (commercial sex provider)? The word whore is kinda archaic for that century. Except for these points, this is a good story and I look forward to more of her efforts in the future."

This has long been a recurring theme in K/S, the kidnap and sexual assault of Spock by an alien, his rescue and rehabilitation by Kirk. It is not a theme I am fond of, but there are some interesting and well-handled features in this version. The treatment of Sarek was powerful, showing the strong willed and passionate man rather than the stereotype we see all too often. McCoy was much less interfering than usual, coming across as a doctor, rather than a sweetie-wife. (Sorry, gossip,) Good to see Komack getting his comeuppance, too. I enjoyed the meld scenes, and the K/S interaction; the scenes with the alien were, for my taste, too long and too detailed, though I understand why Deanna felt them necessary. This is an outstanding zine for a first novel, and I look forward to seeing more from the writer. Beautiful artwork."

I loved this novel and was I surprised! One, because this is the author's very first novel and only the second K/S she's written. And two because I'd heard it was, well, difficult I'd heard that poor Spock goes through too much tortuous and terrible suffering. Uh, oh. A red flag if there ever was one—an over-the-top suffering Spock story. Then I heard it was a "slave story". Get outta here. I was in for a surprise. Please don't dismiss this novel because you might think its a "suffering Spock slave story". This novel is so much more than a "slave story". The whole story is based on what happens to Spock—and what happens to him is terrible. But it'd better be terrible because otherwise all the angst that all the characters go through afterwards would seem silly and ridiculous like so much hand-wringing. Imagine if Spock were kidnapped but it really wasn't so bad and then he's rescued very quickly and then everyone runs around crying and wailing about poor Spock. But if he's kidnapped, raped, tortured and mind-wiped, then everyone can run around all crazed and its perfectly appropriate. We want them to react because Spock's circumstances really were so terrible. I'll try not to reveal too much of the wonderfully detailed plot but in discussing my feelings and opinions of the story, I'll need to reveal some. So if you haven't! read it and you're going to, maybe don't read this yet because there are some wonderful surprises. Which leads me to those time-honored (or is it worn?) statements: "It's been done before" and "K/S cliche". Sorry—all of K/S has been done before. We've had twenty-odd years to do it in. And the reason things become cliches is because they're worthy of being written about many times over. Don't you want to read your favorite K/S themes or scenarios again and again? Not necessarily by the same author, but by different people with different points of view? I do. There are many scenarios I never get tired of— "the misunderstanding," "Spock's shame," "master/slave" [nice master/slave), "first time" to name a few....

[...]

The only part far me that was less than the rest was the mind meld at the end with the unicorn theme. This part had a tacked-on feeling. Also. I kept seeing Spock as a horse and that was not too effective. However, I loved the moment when Spock the unicorn morphs back into Spock the person. That was very visual. And the ending sex scene, starting with Spock playing with himself while Kirk watches and Spock as he emerges from his painful, weakened self to take command, was wonderfully sexy. So I highly recommend this exciting, page-turner of a novel."

A story where the reader is caught from the first line on. I am not sure if I use the term "hurt/comfort" in the right meaning, but to me it seems as if this term has been invented just for this novel. Hurt and comfort not only for the protagonists but for me, I hardly remember a story where my stomach twisted so many times and where I am rewarded afterwards with a good, warm feeling in almost the same area. I was unsure at some points of the story when it went all too hard, it was very difficult to bear. But ...

[...]

it needs to be so hard for Spock to make the following understandable and logical. I liked McCoy helping them and talking with them, pushing and pressing here and there, I liked the - to me - new vision of Sarek, And I was so content and - Excuse me. Sir! - gloating for Admiral Komack finally being cut down to size by Nogura. I was so anxious when Jim returned to Sgoros, hoping very much that he didn't harm Hevron and so destroying himself and Spock. It was just great how Jim was suddenly pausing and Spock arriving in time! To complete this novel to a very special zine there is beautiful artwork. I take my hat off to you, Ladies.

This novel was a pleasure, and impressive for a fairly new writer with a few exceptions, the writing is nicely smooth and clear, so that it doesn't get in the way of the story. This is what I consider one of the best styles of writing, anyway-one that doesn't overly call attention to itself. It felt to me that writing comes pretty naturally for this author; it has an effortless feel anyway. Not just the writing itself, but the structure and the story elements. And information is usually always imparted without overly removed exposition or stilted dialogue. And then there is Kirk and Spock and K/S and plenty of it. The situation that Kirk and Spock -- and the crew and Starfleet Command and the Vulcans -- find themselves in, is rich and detailed and involved but easy to follow. The pace is unhurried but not bogged down; there seems also a natural discipline here-even though Deanna obviously had a huge amount to say, it didn't just spill out messily ...

[...]

The smoothness of the writing applies to the characters, too, how each one plays a part yet none overshadow Kirk and Spock. The characters are very compelling, those we know and those new in this story. McCoy and other crew members, Starfleet Command and the Vulcans, Kirk's old buddy Marty, and then the characters on the planets that are the backdrop for this whole thing -- all are given good parts and we're shown them in depth and always in connection with what happens with and between Kirk and Spock, how these things personally affect the different characters, I'm aware that Spock being enslaved, being physically, sexually and mentally abused, is difficult for some readers, but I didn't think it was excessive vis-a-vis the length of the novel and the intricacies of the plot. Kirk's part in and response to this terrible situation was given equal weight with what Spock went through. One of the things I liked the most was the Vulcan mental aspects of Spock's situation, and his and Kirk's separation and then their coming back together. The mental abuse that Spock suffered was the cause of major jeopardy throughout the story, not just for him, but for Kirk also. Again, I was impressed with the richness of the depiction of Vulcan mind ways and also unique aspects of Vulcan culture. Since Spock's aborted pon farr, he and Kirk have a link, and have been enjoying melds together, and the melds, plus the link being severed and later restored, plus the intricacies of bonding, and also Vulcan's political machinations within the Federation-all were explored in depth....

[...]

Anyway, there's no quick fix as far as Spock's healing. This is where a lot of the fascinating Vulcan mind-stuff comes in, and it was all introduced realistically in line with the progression of Spock's actual condition. And it doesn't affect only Spock. but Kirk of course, and Sarek, and the healer and McCoy and even nasty Hevron. But this is just as much Kirk's problem and his story, the suffering he also is going through because of Spock's suffering at Hevron's hands. I also liked McCoy's responses when Spock is returned still thinking he's a sex slave...

[...]

Many, many scenes, all very rich and alive. Unhurried, and everything is to the point. The healer can't get to Spock in the meld, so Kirk joins in. Mostly I liked the mental landscape stuff -- Kirk searching for where Spock had hidden himself in his self-inflicted amnesia — but I have to say the whole unicorn (and Pegasus) metaphor didn't really do much for me. It seems it might have been worked in to go with the pieces of unicorn art; and if so, then it was done very nicely. And then we get the long story of Spock getting his memories back and the healing he needs to do. And it's not just about memories -- his mental and telepathic powers are off, too. And some cool scenes of Spock getting angry (I love it when he gets angry). But of course, with Kirk, finally they together heal Spock's trauma; and their careers are put back in order also. I like that Nogura has had a real interest in Kirk and Spock becoming involved for what it would do to Starfleet's image, to encourage non-human joinings, and mixed-race, same-sex, command-staff pairings. Cool. All is well. The end."

1999

Wow! What a way to start your writing career! I've been told that To Catch A Unicorn is this author's first novel — it's great! I couldn't put it down & was totally hooked from the beginning. The characters are right on target, the plot is interesting and it's very well written to boot. Of course, I have to admit that I've always been a sucker for “Spock enslaved or missing, Kirk going out of his mind with worry” stories. I don't want to give away the plot of this wonderful novel — I'll only say that you should definitely buy it and read it!

To be honest, the only reason I bought this novel was because it had artwork from The Southern Cross in it.

I've skimmed the novel - haven't read it on a sit down serious side because the theme really doesn't appeal to me, and what I've skimmed has reinforced that opinion.

What scene really, really, really bothered me - towards the end of the novel, when McCoy is off rescuing Spock, and Kirk is distracting the bad guy - the gratuitous sex scene between Kirk and the bad guy - it made no sense what so ever, and from I could gather from my skimming, is never referred to again in the novel. It just seemed so way, way out of character for Kirk, and just seemed like a cheap shot at Kirk.

2001

Parts of this story were simply gorgeous: How Kirk and Spock confessed their love to each other and were on the verge of making love and bonding. But just before this could happen, Spock is captured and held prisoner by an alien ambassador, and Kirk must set out to find him. Kirk's steadfast love for Spock throughout this saga is wonderful, and is what I loved best. What I didn't like, was the degree of sexual and emotional abuse Spock suffered in this story at the hands of the ambassador and his people. Yet the fellows coming together is all the sweeter because of what Spock had to overcome. And I loved how Kirk aided in truly bringing Spock back to himself. A very beautiful and satisfying love scene too, which Deanna is known for in her stories. I would have liked to see more than one full love scene in this novel, as it is a novel and not a short story. I very much enjoyed all the art as well. The illos and cover really brought the pages to life, along with Deanna's great writing.

2008

It‘s been quite awhile since I read a K/S novel, and I knew this one was hidden away and as yet unread. That‘s not because I didn‘t expect it to be good, it‘s because there are numerous K/S zines I haven‘t read and often I don‘t feel I have the time to devote to a full novel. But this was the time, so out of the box came Deanna‘s early work.

This was an extremely powerful hurt/comfort platform, with heavy emphasis on the hurt aspect. But first of all, let me say that I thoroughly enjoy the seemingly intricate knowledge Deanna has of the workings of the Enterprise. She always makes me feel as if I‘m there and tosses in just the right amount of technical or Starfleet background. Sometimes I think Deanna has served on a starship. Nothing wrong with her ability to plot, either.

As I said, h/c applies here, and there is an abundance of hurt for poor Spock, and mental anguish for Kirk because Spock has disappeared, his fate unknown. As readers, we know from the start that Ambassador Hevron, who hails from a planet where slavery is the accepted norm, is holding him captive. It‘s difficult to understand how any sentient being can believe there is nothing at all wrong with the subjugation and maltreatment of another. Most of us would never treat an animal the way Spock is treated, but we learn here of a culture where even the slaves see it as simply the way life is. Deanna did a great job depicting this.

Kirk suspects Hevron from the start because of the way he ogled Spock at their diplomatic functions while negotiating with the planetary system. His suspicions are correct in a way even he could not imagine. Deanna Gray has a very fertile imagination and describes Spock‘s captivity and his training as a sex slave in a fashion that is almost too convincing. Slavery is not my favorite topic in K/S and one would think that prolonged explanations of the treatment Spock is subjected to would be a turn-off. But it is so skillfully written that there is never the temptation to skim through the pages. Like Spock, I felt I could not ignore what was happening.

Original characters are tricky to portray, but this author has accomplished the task, even at times making us almost understand what drives Hevron. Much more sympathetic is Hevron‘s main slave, Gellan. He is simply a victim of the way of life into which he was born. Within the bounds of that culture, though, he understands that the holding of a Starfleet Officer is wrong. He sees nothing wrong with his own status as it is the way of his people, all he ever expected, all he‘s ever known. But he tries to explain to his master that Spock is not a part of their world and is a free man. To no avail. It is a concept Hevron cannot grasp; he actually believes there is nothing wrong with what he‘s doing.

Sarek plays a large role in this novel, as does his principal aide and a Vulcan healer. They are well rounded and have meaningful parts to play and I found myself invested in them.

Within this awful framework are glimpses, through Spock‘s and Kirk‘s thoughts, of what their life together has been like. They have fallen in love, but have agreed to go through a courtship, to learn how to touch and to feel and to be together on a different level before becoming lovers. Much of this is due to Spock‘s lack of experience. In their melds, which both savor, Kirk imagines him as a stately unicorn, a singular being without compare, but one who must be approached carefully and gently. It‘s important to know that these melds and their closeness have allowed them to develop a light link, which both savor.

If there is something that bothers me about this entire premise, it is Kirk‘s behavior, particularly at the beginning of the story when Spock has initially disappeared. In my opinion, he caves in far too readily to Starfleet‘s insistence that he take the Enterprise away from the system to deal with a fairly minor incident in another quadrant. I simply cannot see Kirk doing this even though if a quick rescue had been affected it would have been a very short story. ―My Kirk would find a way. It‘s never specified how long Spock remains in the hands of his captors, but it was certainly a matter of weeks at least. I did not like the Kirk who seemed to accept that orders were orders and he would search for Spock later. Especially since I was painfully cognizant of every cruel thing being inflicted upon Spock, knowing there was never even a moment‘s rest for him as he was brutally raped and degraded. My mind was screaming for Kirk to get off his butt and do something! Obviously, the author had my full attention.

We all know the worst possible thing that can happen to a Vulcan, and especially to Spock, is to have his mind violated. So, when a form of mind-sifter was used to ―prepare him for his role as a sex-slave, it was horrible. His struggle against this invasion, worse even than the endless invasions of his body, was palpable. In the end, though, he could fight it no longer, clinging to the last shred of hope that Kirk would find him, his mind closed off and he lost all that he was, all that he knew.

Kirk suffers from the severed link, perhaps finally realizing the true jeopardy Spock faced. At any rate, he does regain the determination we‘re used to seeing and enlists the assistance of an old friend with a fast ship to return to the planet where he believes Spock is being held. Starfleet, in their infinite wisdom, has chosen to forget about their officer and place a ban on travel to the planet. But we have our Kirk back, and he says to hell with the ban, he‘s going to get Spock! Now things get really interesting, as Sarek‘s aide, who we learn has protected Spock since he was a child, insists on going along. There is a harrowing rescue, and an even worse scene when everyone learns that Spock‘s mind has been wiped to the extent he cannot even speak Standard.

From this point on, everyone behaves, as I would have expected, with Spock their primary focus and their steadfast belief in him unwavering. When nothing McCoy or Vulcan healers can do to restore the Spock they knew, Kirk insists on melding with him, no matter the consequences. This journey into Spock‘s mind is well depicted, something that‘s difficult to do, and their escape from the walls Spock has erected is even more difficult. Love prevails and the story now moves flawlessly into recovery mode, which is a fine thing to experience after all the reader has been through. It isn‘t easy, as Vulcan pride and Spock‘s own predilection toward self-blame and shame throws up roadblocks right and left. Kirk will have nothing of it, and through extreme patience (except for one notable lapse) regains Spock‘s trust. I am thoroughly pleased with the inspired way the novel ends and the visions within their mind link. Unicorn and Pegasus – what beautiful imagery!