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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great model for inter-cultural dialogue,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Uhura's Song (Star Trek21) (Mass Market Paperback)
Of all the Original Series Trek novels I've read (and that's a LOT!), I rank this one in my Top 10 for good writing, excellent plotting, and a thought-provoking presentation of what a successful intercultural dialogue should be like. The book has a universal appeal and a very good message, even if you're not a Trekkie or an SF fan. In my opinion, it could even be used as outside reading for a course in multiculturism. The way Kagan's characters handle each other's differences certainly beats some of the, er, shall we say, less-than-successful "first contacts" I've experienced as a Hasidic Jew living in rural Minnesota, where "that's different" is local codespeak for disapproval. We can all learn a lot about mutual respect from this book, where both sides discuss what their behavioral "norms" and expectations are. As Stiff Tail explains to her humanoid visitors, there is no "of course" when it comes to local customs. Although the main plot is about finding a cure for a devastating plague that is killing both Eaouans and humans, the real strength of this story lies in the exchange of ideas, songs, customs (and sometimes taboos) between the Enterprise crew and the cat-like alien beings on the planet Sivao. Being a cat lover myself, I found Kagan's portrayal of the felinoid culture to be internally consistent and believably grounded in the real behaviors of cats. Feline characters have appeared in Trek before (such as crewperson M'ress in the animated series, and Snarl, who also makes an appearance here), but this was the first book to explore the cultural possibilities in any depth. Because this novel came relatively early in the Trek series (it's only #21 in a list of hundreds), it helped set a high standard for IDIC in future stories about alien societies. I also liked the central role that Uhura plays in this story. In the Original Series, she sang in a number of episodes, setting the scene for her musical accomplishments in this tale. Having learned certain "secret" songs from her Eaouan friend, Sunfall of-Ennien, Uhura discovers clues in the ancient ballads that lead the crew to Sivao, the original homeworld of Sunfall's ancestors. There, Uhura is honored as a bard for her singing abilities, and this leads to another private song-swap with the local bard. Not only does this exchange help solve the puzzle of the origins of the plague, it fulfills a healing prophecy as well. To tell you any more would ruin a very good read. So nu, enjoy it for yourself!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderfully engaging characters,
By
This review is from: Uhura's Song (Star Trek21) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is, without any question, my favorite Star Trek novel. You may very well like it even if you don't generally read Star Trek novels. I have read my old copy to shreds and will be ordering a new one soon. The characters in this book are wonderful - intriguing and full of surprises, yet internally consistant. She manages to retain the flavors of the core Trek characters, and yet show us a different side of them. And Evan is magnificent. I want to meet her! The different world-views that the various characters have are, as Spock would say, fascinating. The plot has several threads running through it. The main one has to do with finding a cure for a devastating plague. In addition there is a thread about what it means to be a grown-up and the ramifications of being different. There is suspense in plentiful supply in both lines. Ms. Kagan challenges the readers' assumptions in many ways, and as result provides a great deal more substance in her books than most authors manage. Her books are fun, as well. Her other books (Hellspark and Mirabile) and her short stories are equally good. My only complaint is that she is not prolific. However, if one has to wait a bit longer for such high quality and entertaining books, then wait I will. Ms. Kagan has expressed her appreciation of James Schmitz, and if you have not read any of his work, and you enjoy this book, you might want to try his work, as well. There is a new set of compilations of his work coming out; 2 volumes published and 1 or 2 more to come.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes Trek somewhere wonderful, with great guest characters,
By A Customer
This review is from: Uhura's Song (Star Trek, No 21) (Mass Market Paperback)
Set against an epidemic reminiscent of Earth's own AIDS crisis, Janet Kagan's imaginative story about a house divided against itself takes the original crew on an adventure not quite like any other. Lt. Uhura plays a major part in both the setup and the action; Mr. Scott is moved to take command matters into his own hands on behalf of friends new (from the planet Sivao) and old (the missing command bridge crew members). A doctor who isn't named McCoy "bedevils" Spock well beyond the point of "fascination." Captain Kirk falls for the female chief of an alien culture -- although not in his usual fashion -- and Mr. Chekov provides an unexpected but crucial bit of information toward the eventual success of the mission. The book feels like a lost episode, or a movie begging to be made; the interchange of cultures, customs and beings can hardly fail to please a fan of the original series.
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