Customer Reviews

Uhura's Song (Star Trek No 21)

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

And I've read dozens. The characters are marvelously portrayed, to the point that established characters are shown to have abilities and talents previously unsuspected, but absolutely plausible and in-character for them (if you feel Chekov's generally gotten the short end of the stick, you'll love seeing him pull a few rabbits out of his hat in this one), and there are several new characters introduced that I would definitely like to see more of. The plot moves well, and is truly compelling; generally, I'm reading about a dozen books at a time; I'll read a chapter of one, then a chapter of another, in no particular order. After about the midway point of this book, I simply couldn't put it down; that almost never happens with me. And while Uhura IS the primary focus of the story, in that it is HER idea that leads to the solution of the problem, and her talents ARE vital to the mission, it is still plausible in that she does not take over the role that Kirk and Spock usually play (and still do) as the leaders of the crew. Some might find that disappointing (one reviewer here did, at least) but it seems to me that it is far more plausible and pleasing to see Uhura (and Chekov, for that matter) play major roles, far more so than usual, while still remaining junior officers. Kirk and Spock are handled with a sure hand, and play their usual roles WITHOUT putting the junior characters in their shadows as they so often do.

This is the first Star Trek book I've ever given a rating of 5 stars. That should say something.

One of my top-5 favorite original series novels! I've already worn out 2 copies!

Janet Kagan paints a very complete picture of two different alien worlds - one at risk and the other, if it can be found, with the potential for an answer. This book gives you a chance to see interesting aspects of Uhura's, Chekov's and Spock's characters. Like all the best Star Trek stories, it lets us examine our personalities and prejudices through the alien species.

This isn't just a serious story. There are some wonderful scenes - singing "The Volga Boatman", fun with spicy food, fighting saber tooth tigers, calling Scotty on the communicator just to hear his accent, Spock's eyebrow and more.

Janet Kagan is a wonderful writer and her other books (non Star Trek) are also worth reading.

Uhura's Song is an absolutely fantastic story. I see some people think the guest doctor is a Mary Sue, but she really isn't--it's hard to say precisely *what* she is without ruining one of the neatest hidden surprises in the book; suffice it to say, Tailkinker to-Ennien comes from a long, long line of very interesting characters. Kagan also makes great use of the less known characters of Uhura and Chekov, fleshing them out in realistic and wonderful ways. Uhura's singing is the key to solving the plague problem in the story, as one might expect from the title, but it's also fantastic to see Chekov treated like the intelligent man he must be to pass muster as Spock's chosen protégé science officer.

This book is a great example of the strange, dangerous, and wonderful things that people can learn about others and themselves when meeting a strange new people. The Sivoans and Eaouans come off just as realistically different as Diane Duane's unique beings, with their own completely believable cultures. The interactions between the Sivoans and the Enterprise crew is equally believable--a favorite scene involves the meeting of Scotty and the feline bard Rushlight after extended conversations without the aid of visuals.

In my opinion, the Enterprise crew is portrayed very much in character, with several receiving a wonderful added depth and richness.

My only complaint I can think to level at the book is the nature of the foreshadowing: it does at times get heavy handed. But that's really a small thing in comparison to the rest. I highly recommend this book: if you've only read the more recent Star Trek novels, you might not realize what a treasure-trove of originality many of the earlier books possess.

I "made" someone read this book and she absolutely loved it. When another woman overheard us, she wondered what book we were discussing. I told her it was a Star Trek novel and she said she just liked to read books with a message. The one who read it then said, "Yeah, this was an OK book." I wish then that I had thought of the following messages that the book touches. 1) Politics and sociology of shame. 2) Meaning and attainment of adulthood. 3) Strengths and weaknesses of taboos. 4) Changes that come from the interaction between 2 very different species. 5) Differing sociological evolution of the same species seperated by shame and fear. 6) How far someone should immerse themselves into anothers culture. 7) Mythology and its' basis in fact.

But, forget all that. This is no space opera or cowboys in space book. This is a rich character driven book. It is the kind of novel that makes you understand why the Star Trek crew was beloved by so many people. They demand high standards of loyalty. And they deserve it! Also, the main character (in my view) is the kind of person many of us wish we could be. Heck, I want to marry her just so I can follow her through space!

On October 1, 2003 T. J. Doss Posted:

" ... also a well written 'Return of the Tail-Kinker' story is long overdue and would be greatly appreciated!".


I too asked Ms. Kagan about this possibility when I met her at a Science Fiction Convention years ago (soon after this book was published) but it is not to be. Unfortunately she died this weekend (March 1, 2008).

This is in the top five of my all-time favorite Star Trek Novels. I bought it for the pleasure of reading about Uhura, and was happily introduced to the cat beings of Eeiauo and Sivao, as well as to Dr. Evan "Tail-Kinker" Wilson, who, in my opinion, is one of the best fill-in characters in Trek fandom. What's this "Mary Jane" crap I am reading about below? Evan is fun and refreshing, and has some of the snappiest comebacks that I have heard. While everyone else was being stand-offish and formal with the big cats, she walked right up and started talking with Brightspot like she was an old friend. It was fun getting to know her, and watching Spock try to figure out what made her tick.

The story was written by someone who obviously loves cats, and I have an inkling she wanted to insert a little version of herself into the story. What Star Trek fan hasn't wanted to plant a character based on yourself into a story where we could interact with our beloved Kirk and Spock? If Evan is based on Ms. Kagan, then I'm willing to bet Ms. Kagan is a very fun lady! As for the Sivaoans...they're such interesting beings that my friend and I named some of her cats after them - Brightspot (a calico, naturally), Settlesand, and Catchclaw among them.

I found the plot hole-free and fell for the twist at the end hook, line, and sinker. I may be gullible to some of you out there, but at least I enjoyed myself. I'm happy to say that I'm on my third copy of this book because the other two were read so much they literally disintegrated. Wonderful writing, amazing characters, and all frosted with the Star Trek mantra we know and love. Enjoy!

Absolutely my favorite Star Trek book, followed closely by the other 'Uhura' novel, 'Tears of the Singers', and the 4 Rihansuu books. In this one, there is no great military enemy to fight, instead, there is a plague. Kirk is stifled, and the answer comes from the feminine art of music, and Uhura's finest hour.

What's more, the aliens are cats, each with his or her own distinct personality and most with wonderful senses of humor, usually pointed at the good captain. Even Spock is amusing this time around. Kagan captures him perfectly.. still logical and unemotional, but having a soul, rather than the cold creature he sometimes is.

Several of the so-called 'minor characters' of the ship shine in this novel. Scotty has a few beautiful scenes while commanding the ship, and a very interesting run-in with a local Bard. Chekov features prominently in the search for the cure, though his role is rather embarrassing, despite the wonderful backstory this novel adds for him. Ah well, what do you expect? He's a good screamer.

Even though the enemy here is a virulent disease, Dr. McCoy must be left behind in this one, as he himself is infected. This liberates us from his usual tendency toward finding cures in his chemical stores, saving the Federation in under an hour, then gloating about it for the remaining time. Even though his usual banter with Spock is nearly absent, it is scarcely missed because of his temporary replacement, Dr. Evan Wilson. She brings a playfulness and holistic healing methods to the Enterprise that are generally absent, and it is a breath of fresh air. We even get a cameo mention of Security officer Snanagfashtalli(Snarl), last seen in the animated series, thanks to one of Dr. Wilson's more obscure hobbies.

I want to see more of Dr. Evan Wilson. She's the most entertaining Star Trek guest star since Cyrano Jones. Return to us, Tail-kinker, there's always room for one more in my swagger-lair. :)