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A Stitch in Time (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #27) Paperback – May 1, 2000
- Print length396 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPocket Books
- Publication dateMay 1, 2000
- Dimensions4.5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
- ISBN-100671038850
- ISBN-13978-0671038854
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
To: Dr. Julian Bashir
Chief Medical Officer
Deep Space 9
Entry:
How odd you humans are. Or is it just the Starfleet people? Captain Sisko has just invited me to join the invasion -- for which I am eternally grateful. The opportunity to liberate my homeland renews and animates my sluggish spirit. But the good captain makes no mention of the fact that this invasion is now possible because of the incident with the Romulans. I am simply to report to his office at "oh-nine hundred hours" with ideas as to where the Dominion defense perimeter might be vulnerable. Oh, our dealings with each other are nothing less than proper ("Mr. Garak," "Captain Sisko"), but what's so odd is that he pretends the incident never happened. And you and I both know how deeply affected he was by the whole business. Only when we exchange direct looks do I perceive a flicker of...what? Anger? Betrayal? Violation?
Odd people.
Humans seem to walk through life's infinite variety of relationships and situations taking them all at face value. They rarely look behind the facade or the mask, where real intentions -- the truth of our motives -- live. And the fact is, more often than not they deny that they have any mask at all. These humans (and I do exclude you, Doctor -- I will come to that shortly) believe that what they present to the world and, conversely, what the world presents to them, is the truth. It's this belief that makes them dangerous.
In Cardassian society, we are taught from an early age to mask all feelings and thoughts, to deflect all outside perception and observation. The objective of this education is to create a citizen who can work within the group to accomplish a group goal established by the leader, and at the same time work in such a way that none of the other members of the group knows what he or she is doing. As long as the goal is accomplished, it's nobody's business how you went about your work.
So why Captain Sisko is so upset with me because I accomplished the goal (which he established!) of getting Romulus into the war against the Dominion baffles me. And it's not because of the few lives that were sacrificed. Federation expansion has taken a toll in countless life-forms -- about most of which they are blissfully unaware. The moment you step into a garden and begin to cultivate and prune, you become a killer. Perhaps the captain was upset because he had hesitated to do what was necessary to insure the integrity of his garden. Sentimentality is another trait that makes humans dangerous.
But why am I writing this to you, instead of waxing philosophical over one of our lunches? I see that overly polite smile, your "Get to the point, Garak" mask. Patience, dear Doctor. First, let me explain why I can exempt you from this human bondage to appearance and sentiment. Long before it was revealed that you were genetically "enhanced," I recognized in you an intelligence, a capacity for understanding that I found lacking in other humans. As much as the subject irritates you, you have not been so much genetically enhanced as "arranged." The people who did this to you had specific reasons, which you have long since outgrown. And having assimilated these changes you've accommodated yourself to this "arrangement" according to the demands of your life. For me, this means that in a sense you are more Cardassian than human. Which is why I am able to share this document with you...and why I sat down to lunch with you in the first place.
Before you cringe with horror at the thought of being a Cardassian, let me give you an example. Human memory is selective and linear. Simply put, a human remembers the best of times in progressive order, beginning with earliest childhood. The rosy memories are only challenged by nightmares. A Cardassian remembers everything on every level all the time. For us, past and present are not neatly separated. We live with everything in the moment -- including the nightmares. And so do you. To a human this would be chaotic, unbearable. For us it's just the way it is.
This is one reason why I am addressing this recollection to you. Fate lines are converging, like memories to a dying man. I need to write this, Doctor, and you're the only person on this station who will understand. The invasion of Cardassia is momentous. Many will die. If I don't survive, I want you to deliver copies of this to some people I will name at the end.
There's another reason. I know that we have grown apart and that's as it should be. We learn what we can from certain people, then we move on after we've taken what we need. When we learn nothing new about ourselves in a relationship that's when the relationship is over. Or it's over the moment when we're afraid to learn something new about ourselves. But what I have been learning about myself...whatever it was inside me that was sparked and challenged when I first met you...is deeply connected to this story. I'm an unfinished man, Doctor, like a suit of clothes hanging on a display rack waiting for the final touches that may never come; I need to tell this story to make a peace with those parts of me that were left unfinished. A healing. Indulge me, if you will; I need you as a witness. A stitch in time....
Copyright © 2000 by Paramount Pictures
Product details
- Publisher : Pocket Books; First edition & printing (May 1, 2000)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 396 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0671038850
- ISBN-13 : 978-0671038854
- Item Weight : 7.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #871,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,537 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction
- #10,554 in Space Operas
- #45,759 in American Literature (Books)
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On a technical level, Robinson is certainly no Kafka. Despite being about a spy, Robinson's writing lacks metaphorical depth, and his words (with a few notable exceptions) can be taken at face value with little to no loss in hidden meaning. However, considering that the novel is much more a character study than an intended epic, this isn't necessarily a flaw and works in favor of establishing the confessional style of Garak's address to Dr. Bashir.
Outside of this, on a basic level I was quite irritated with whoever was responsible for putting together the Kindle version of the book-- there were quite a few format errors that completely slipped by any possible editor it might have had, including one hilarious example where Barkan Lokar's name is suddenly Balkan, among other typos, punctuation errors, and sometimes entirely missing words. However, that's not really Robinson's fault but that of an inattentive editor, so it's not quite relevant to the review.
On a narrative level, I have little criticism. Robinson, like many actors, has a knack for storytelling. The novel moves along quite nicely and gives almost exactly enough information to satisfy the audience without becoming tedious. His Cardassia is a believable one, from the social structure (and it's rationalization) to his original characters, and the times when other DS9 characters appear are passable, if lacking the same depth in their personalities as afforded Garak and other Cardassians. In fact, the only moment that felt just a little too fanfiction-like was an encounter between Garak and an inebriated Klingon with a similar fear of small places-- I found it hard to believe that even a very drunk claustrophobic Klingon warrior would be reduced to tears and begging in such a situation. Drunken rage and humiliated submission, yes, but child-like tears... not so much.
The most important part of the novel, though, is of course Garak himself. and Robinson did a superb job of striking a balance between sympathetic outcast and state-made monster. Told in the first person, Garak makes no apologies or excuses for the murders and betrayal's he commits as an Obsidian agent. Any regret shown during those times is often of a shallow nature, such as passingly regretting the assassination of a Romulan politician because he was "starting to like the man". He shows no regret for, nor tries to hide, his ambition and the casualties that it occasionally resulted in, nor does he apologize for his satisfaction from a "job well done"-- be it a mended hem or a brutal interrogation. I think this is an extremely important part of Garak's character to include, because it reminds the audience that Garak is by no means perfect, or even what one would describe as a good man.
Yet Garak isn't heartless either; though his morals are often confused by Tain's early grooming and Garak's experience at Barram and in the Order, he does have a sense of right and wrong in relation to his work and his personal world. He struggles to find the line, but when he steps over it he genuinely feels sorry, though survival instincts almost invariably trump his regret. Robinson really does an excellent job of portraying a very delicate character arch that explores the growing turmoil of Garak's inner life as his slow understanding of himself places him at odds with the path he has been groomed for and set upon by Tain and Mila.
It's clear that Robinson knows what he's doing in this regard, and by the end of the novel Garak's early words in the prologue --"I am an unfinished man"-- really sum up the novel. Were this novel slightly more literary in nature, there might be plenty of analysis to be done on the nature of gardening and sewing and how each can serve as a metaphor for the unraveling, rebuilding, unraveling, and rebuilding that goes on in Garak's world to culminate in his character growth. However, Robinson (whether through intention or lack of ability) steers clear of pushing those points too far. As someone who enjoys that type of layered meaning, I was very aware of it's lack, but I think for the average reader it might be preferred that way.
One last thing I wanted to speak on, which --while not the most important aspect of the novel-- nevertheless holds some significance for me on a personal level: the portrayal of Garak's sexuality.
Before I read the book, I read an interview excerpt in which Robinson talks about how he avoided any explicit material for audience purposes. This isn't surprising, since even the most grim versions of the Trek universe are still mostly kid-accessible and the franchise maintains a precarious balance between being family friendly and being somewhat realistic about the lives of adult military members. While I understood his intention in maintaining an all-ages novel, it was apparent while reading that something was missing-- especially when you consider how very passionate Garak is in his expressions otherwise.
Yet despite this, I really have nothing but praise for the way that Garak's sexuality is presented. For as much inner turmoil as he goes through, Garak never spends unnecessary time questioning his attraction to the men and women that enter his life, nor does he ever apologize, mask, or lie about it. He is attracted to who he is attracted to, and there's never any question of the validity of his feelings in the moment, nor negating them when objectively viewing the past. His romance with Palandine is his most long lasting, and the one most explored in the book, but it doesn't feel like the typical Hetero-Ever-After type of love that makes other attractions look like experimenting. It's a deeply felt connection, one that he might have continued to share with Lokar as well as Palandine had Lokar not turned out to be a manipulative liar. Despite Lokar's betrayal, Garak never goes back to revise his initial attraction to him. He leaves it as is, condemning himself not for having those feelings but rather only for being fooled by Barkan's mask.
In terms of other, less explored attractions, I think it's very important to consider two things: one, that Garak states near the end that the quickest way to his heart is through conversation, and two, that the entire novel is written in context of a very long, confessional letter to his dear friend Dr. Bashir. I'm not saying this as a shipper --I am, at best, mildly affectionate of Garak/Bashir-- but it can't be denied that Garak deeply values his conversations with Bashir as well as other characters that he admittedly finds attractive, like Pythas and Dr. Parmak. On a personal level, I find Garak's sexuality as presented to be lovely, as it is a rare representation of bi/pan/omnisexuality that has all the depth of multilevel affection and attraction without the hypersexual stereotype or confused questioning that usually accompanies it in media. However, he's not made "safe"/sexless either-- Garak states very clearly that he often has one night stands to satisfy basic needs. Again, no questioning his real feelings for Palandine because of this, no demonizing it as greedy or confused (though, while I doubt Robinson would include that were Garak female, it is a point that Garak is male and therefore not quite so subject to bias against casual sex). It just is, as it just is for heterosexuals in mainstream media.
Overall, within the constraints presented by keeping it all-ages friendly, Robinson managed to write a very touching, very complicated portrayal of non-hetero sexuality/romance without making it either a "phase" or turning it into a cause. Of all the things done well in this novel, that is the one I appreciate the most.
Final score? As a character study I give A Stitch in Time a 5 out of 5. Robinson did an excellent job of taking what was given to us on Deep Space Nine and expanding it into an insightful, natural growth of Elim Garak's character. As a novel it gets a 4 out of 5, as it was written with a solid grasp on storytelling even if it does lack a certain depth. As a Kindle version, it gets a 3 out of 5-- the editors really fell asleep on the job, but it wasn't so bad as to be unreadable. Overall I really suggest it to anyone who ever found Elim Garak to be an appealing character and who might like to learn more about Cardassia. Don't expect much in terms of other DS9 characters, but if that's alright with you then it's time well spent.
I know that my review of this wonderful book comes a little over a full decade after it was published but hey, better late than to have never read this book. Mr. Robinson should of considered writing a career as well. I had a month off from the university and, as I mentioned, being a huge trek fan I found myself re-watching some of my favorite episodes of DS9 (most of them involving Garak) I couldn't help but wondering over to Wikipedia and doing some research on plain, simple, Garak. I was intrigued to have found a novel that was rumored to answer one of the main questions all Garak fans have in common: Why was he exiled? Well, suffice to say when I saw that this novel was supposed to answer that AND was written by Andrew J. Robinson himself, I had to buy it and read it over my vacation. I am well pleased that I choose this book to read over the break as I had only a short time to read a book, which I like to do for relaxation.
**********************SPOILER ALERT*************
This book was well worth the read. Being from a military family background myself, I couldn't help but relate somewhat to what Garak was experiencing through young adulthood, through Bamarren (intelligence/military style college), and finally his recruitment into the Obsidian Order. My favorite part was probably his training at Bamarren and his interactions with Paladine and his schoolmates. This was the most interesting as Andrew Robinson does a tremendous job of keeping track of people identified only by numerical designations and then, slowly, by their revealed names. Paladine is actually identified first and Pythas Lok (One of Garak's good friends) is the last.
The missions during which he is involved in the Obsidian Order are nicely done.I felt like I was on the Cardassian/Federation frontier when Garak was interacting with the arrogant Hans Jordt. This goes for the infamous Romulus mission as well (throughout DS9 it is mentioned that Garak worked as a gardener on Romulus for awhile) and the Cardassia II mission which largely led to the incident for which he was exiled (but not entirely responsible).
This book answers so many questions for fans that it is an invaluable piece of trek lore. The novel answers questions about Gul Dukat, Tain, Garak, as well as the coveted reason for his expulsion from Cardassia and a few things fans didnt know. Some things in the novel were only briefly mentioned in the series, but are answered in the book (the shuttle incident).
I only have a couple complaints about the book. The first is the ending, What happened to Paladine? I know that it is often the journey that is important and not the destination, but still! That would of been icing on the cake if we had seen a happily ever after especially after such a long journey, but I know, cliche.
The second complaint (which is in no way related to the book as much as amazon) was the price of the book. I paid a high price for a paper back and granted, the kindle version is $9.00, but is the paperback out of print or something?
Anyway, this book was well worth the cost especially if a good portion went into the pocket of the author. Great book! I will have to re-read it one day (something I rarely do).
Thank you so much for this wonderful book Andrew J. Robinson. The fans really appreciate it!
Sincerely,
a Garak and trek fan.
What a brilliant narration. Andrew Robinson’s different voices made this an enjoyable listen.
Read by the actor who gave Garak his charm and mystery...
It greatly enlightens us on Elim's backstory while keeping us current with his present life on Cardassia.
It's a must have... You won't regret it!
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Reviewed in Mexico on September 22, 2022
Mit "A Stitch in Time" beweist Robinson, wie tief er sich in seine Figur eingearbeitet hat und präsentiert eine fiktive Autobiographie, die beständig zwischen drei Zeitebenen wechselt: Der Jugend und Ausbildung des jungen Elim Garak im Obsidianischen Orden, der Vorbereitung der Invasion von Cardassia Prime am Ende der siebten Staffel sowie der Phase des gesellschaftlichen und politischen Wiederaufbaus Cardassias nach der Kapitulation der Kräfte des Dominions im Alpha-Quadranten. Ein faszinierendes Werk, das tiefe Einblicke nicht nur in Garaks Charakter, sondern auch in die von Disziplin und Heimlichtuerei geprägte cardassianische Gesellschaft bietet und zahlreiche bekannte Figuren wie Enabran Tain, Gul Evek, Gul Dukat, Legat Damar, und Gul Madred ("Da sind vier Lichter!") aus DS9 und TNG wiederauferstehen lässt.
Mit Abstand einer der besten Star Trek-Romane überhaupt.
As a trekkie i have to say that Garak should have been explored more deeply in DS9. Of course, his character was intended to just make Dr.Bashir more likeable, but with such a good (classical-) actor like Robinson they could have done much more from the start. This would have spiced up the hole arc of DS9 and the fans would have been more engaged in the following of the character development of all DS9-personal. But thats the flaw with the hole star trek franchise. And i say that as a huge fan, but its my opinion, sadly.
But back to Garak:
We had the chance to explore his charakter in the last seasons of DS9 more deeply, what was great and I am very pleased as I heared about this book and even more as I noticed that is was written by Robinson itself. Who could better develop Elim Garaks mindset as the man who portrayed him for years. I can even hear Garaks voice when i read it.
Not just for trekkies:
Even if you arent a trekkie by yourself, but just seeking a spynovel in disguise, here is where you are right. It disrcipes the key-elements of what it means to be a spy. Not that James-Bond stuff, but to really gather intelligence. It tells the tale of a little boy that becomes one of the best and efficient spys of the milky-way. To tell more would mean to spoil something and thats not my intention, at least not to those who happens to be no trekkies.
(sry, for my bad english)






