When Fate Summons

Zine
Title:	When Fate Summons
Publisher:	D. DaBinett
Editor:
Author(s):	Pat Charles
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1987
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

When Fate Summons is a 202-page slash Star Trek: TOS novel by Pat Charles.

It was published in the UK by D. DaBinett.

sample page

Summary

"Each thinking theyʼve been attacked by the other, Earth and Vulcan declare war on each other, and itʼs up to Kirk and Spock to figure out who was really behind the attack and why."

Reactions and Reviews

I wish I could say that I enjoyed this zine. Unfortunately, I cannot. Too many things in it annoyed me, and the convoluted plot struck me as being too far-fetched.

Briefly, the story concerns what happens when a supposedly Vulcan ship attacks an Earth outpost and vice versa, simultaneously. The consequences of this are that both planets break off diplomatic relations, and all Vulcans are kicked out of Starfleet. Spock is sent home and Kirk is given extended leave while his ship and many others are outfitted for war. For a start, I just cannot see Captain James T. Kirk calmly going off and leaving he ship without a fight, when he is most concerned about it. However, he and Spock manage to meet clandestinely on Vulcan (where, naturally, humans are none too popular). They decide to find out who really committed these unprovoked attacks. Piece by piece, and with the help of Sarek, Amanda and her brother, they put two and two together.

The aliens in the story are continuously referred to as "BEMs" (bug-eyed monsters) by Kirk, even though he has no notion of what they look like. Even after this information is ascertained (from the author's description they sound rather like Gorns), he continues to call them BEMs. You would think that the man had never meet any aliens before in his life. Either that, or he has been watching too many 1950's B-grade sf movies!

The women in this story, unfortunately, take second place to their husbands. Amanda seems merely an extension of her husband, and she is used as a go-between. While on Earth, Kirk and Spock even meet up with a society hostess who pathetically tries to convince them that her roll is worthwhile. Her husband is later appointed ambassador to Vulcan.

Also, if you are looking for some eroticism, better forget it. What sexual descriptions that there are are extremely sparse. Strangely, Spock has an old fashioned attitude about no mind links before bonding. For some reason which I am unable to fathom, sex is quite all right, but not melds. Since Kirk in this story is very passive and never confronts Spock about anything, he is quite willing to go along with this.

In fact, throughout the entire 202 pages, Kirk doesn't act the least bit like a captain in Starfleet. Spock is like the Kraith Spock — the all-conquering, invincible Vulcan with all the answers, while Kirk sits around innocently twiddling his thumbs. I could not seem to get involved in this zine at all. At no time are Kirk and Spock in any real danger, and hence there is no sense of suspense, no feeling of can't wait-to-turn-the-page.

Also, the ending left me with a distinct feeling of anti-climax.

Cover art by Virginia Lee Smith is attractive and, thankfully G-rated. Interior illos by Virginia Lee Smith and Sandra are few. Covers are, as always, pale blue and the zine is stapled with brown packing tape for binding. To sum up, sorry, but I just cannot recommend this zine.

When I got this zine from the library I was anticipating a nice and long read: an action/adventure story with a lot of romantic etc that must be nice! So I settled down with something nice to drink and started to read.

I read the first chapters with interest, although growing more impatient every page, waiting for the thrill and excitement a well told story can bring. More as half way through the zine I began to believe that it would never came, and I grew bored, and that happens not often reading a K/S story. I couldn't set myself to finish it, and I don't remember much of it.

It starts promising with a kind of war between Terra and her former ally, Vulcan. Therefore all the Vulcans have to leave Starfleet, including Spock. Kirk and Spock keep in contact, of course and they discover some alien people that is trying to overrule both Terra and Vulcan by making them hate each other. This is a good and interesting base for a thrilling story, but it is not to be.

There are too many eventualities and coincidences to make it believable. It is too easy for Kirk and Spock to find the brains behind the plot. They meet accidentally with the right persons, happen to be in the right time in the right places, have very special equipment that can do very special things, but accidentally very limited in use. To put it short I quote a certain Vulcan: "Illogical".

Even the sex is almost not there. It is mentioned, but just as you think, ahh, now there is some action, it is said in one rule and they go on to other things.

I don't know how it ended. I returned it to the library without finishing it. This is definitely a zine I will forget soon.