Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!topaz!jaffe From: jaffe@topaz.ARPA (Saul) Newsgroups: net.startrek Subject: Re: Book Review: Uhura's Song Message-ID: <287@topaz.ARPA> Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 09:31:38 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.287 Posted: Wed Jan 16 09:31:38 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 00:53:30 EST References: <1411@uscvax.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 53 I have to disagree with the review recently posted on Uhura's Song. I just finished reading the book last night and so it is fairly fresh in my mind. Kagan does not seem to have a good understanding of the characters in the Star Trek Universe. She has many of the characters doing what I would consider abnormal things. Spock in particular. When I saw a book titled "Uhura's Song" I fully expected the book to be primarily about Uhura. I was delighted that in the first quarter of the book my expectations were well met. Uhura's knowledge of the alien's language and culture made her the lead figure in the story. I was very disappointed that as the book progressed, she faded into the background as usual. Why is it that male authors have the females hidden in the background and female authors tend to have everyone fade into the background *except* the female character that represents them? Spock spends most of the book trying to figure out who or what Dr. Wilson really is. Instead of trying to turn his fine mind to the solution of the problem, or trying to understand the alien culture they have been exposed to, he studies Evan. Most illogical. An even worse crime is that in one scene in the book she has Spock eating Shishkabob - meat! Totally unthinkable for any Vulcan. Jim Kirk also is very down played. The resourceful, brave leader figure seems to somehow turn into someone who has to rely on others (like Evan) to do his thinking for him. He too spends most of his time trying to *understand* Evan but in terms of another possible conquest. I was also sadly disappointed in the ending. The book seems to pace itself well until the cure for the ADF syndrome is found. At that point, Ms. Kagan rushes to get all of the loose ends tied up before the end of the book. The whole explaination about the mysterious Evan Wilson is badly done and is barely understandable. I will however give credit where credit is due. The alien society that Ms. Kagan created was very well done in my opinion. And the reader was just as mystified as the Enterprise crew about their culture and customs. Although I would have liked to ask a few baby-questions for myself. Personally, I like the work of Diane Duane much better. If you have not yet read any of her stories I suggest you read either "The Wounded Sky" or "My Enemy, My Ally" and then compare it with "Uhura's Song. I think you'll notice the difference. -- Saul Jaffe Systems Programmer Rutgers University ARPA: Jaffe@Rutgers UUCP: Jaffe@Topaz