"Your arguments are at base emotional," Spock said. "Logic tells us that any attempt to systemise justice will entail a degree of compromise."
"Then set logic aside what does your heart say?"
"My heart is incapable of speech, Commissioner."
Wayne stared at him. "Is he making a joke, Captain?"
"He's Vulcan," Kirk said. "He can't make jokes."
He saw the sideways flicker of McCoy's eyes, the ghost of a grin, hastily hidden.
From the Depths (#66 Pocket, #61 Titan) (1993) by Victor Milan was, I must confess, chosen because it had silver gilded lettering on the first edition, and not the usual gold. I'm sorry, I'm a bad girl. Whatever my reason for picking this one however, I've got to say it was rather good, although a quick crib on Goodreads suggests that opinion is divided! I think I enjoyed this so much because firstly Milan created a character I loved to hate, and secondly the water world idea was imagination food.
"Then set logic aside what does your heart say?"
"My heart is incapable of speech, Commissioner."
Wayne stared at him. "Is he making a joke, Captain?"
"He's Vulcan," Kirk said. "He can't make jokes."
He saw the sideways flicker of McCoy's eyes, the ghost of a grin, hastily hidden.
From the Depths (#66 Pocket, #61 Titan) (1993) by Victor Milan was, I must confess, chosen because it had silver gilded lettering on the first edition, and not the usual gold. I'm sorry, I'm a bad girl. Whatever my reason for picking this one however, I've got to say it was rather good, although a quick crib on Goodreads suggests that opinion is divided! I think I enjoyed this so much because firstly Milan created a character I loved to hate, and secondly the water world idea was imagination food.
The premise of the novel is a relatively simple one. Kirk and the Enterprise are sent to mediate between (read: remove one of) the species living there. One species (a kind of strange, small horse like creature) claims that humans settled on their native planet and are aggressively attacking them. The humans on the other hand claim otherwise (naturally) and imply that the other species - the Susuru - started the attacks on them, and that they have merely been defending themselves. The situation is made more complex because of the Klingon presence who are acting as advisers to the Susuru.Memory Beta Summary
The bulk of the novel comes from it's theme and the characters that represent it, and although this novel was written in 1993, the concerns it addresses are especially prevalent today.
You'd expect the Klingons to be the main villains wouldn't you? Well... you wouldn't be totally wrong, but I can't hate them, they are just being what your expect them to be. No, the true villain is a human bureaucrat, feminist, PC pushing, agenda driven... female. Of course these days we'd call them 'SJWs' or 'Social Justice Warriors', and what a blight they are! I have a particular antipathy towards people like this and have sat appalled in the same position as Uhura, being talked down to because a feminist disagrees with my position:
Wayne looked around, her lovely haughty face with scorn. "How like earth men," she said. "What other Earth-derived men say is all that's important - the outcries of native beings count for nothing."
"Two of the spokespeople for the Discordians were women, Commissioner," Uhura said quietly.
Wayne dismissed the objection with a flip of her hand. "The leader was a man. They're a male dominated, exploitative society. The women were figureheads - nothing more. They'll recite the lies they're told to."
"This ship is commanded by a man, Commissioner," Uhura said. "Does that mean I and all the other women aboard are nothing but puppets and empty headed liars?"
"Lieutenant, I don't think I like your tone."
"Commissioner, I don't think I like yours."
The passage above represents the Commissioner - Moriah Wayne - well and... she's easy to hate because she's someone everyone knows. The apologist with that particularly detestable way of thinking, or reasoning which alienates everyone and will not be brought around to reason. She demonises one group in this case human men, in other cases all humans, in favour of another species with no consideration that perhaps they (in this case the Susuru) might be in the wrong. In this case, Moriah's hatred goes so far as she becomes more of a monster than the monsters, in her thirst for her particular brand of 'justice'. I've said before that Star Trek is at it's best when it's tackling a real life issue, in this case it's a stark warning of a destructive way of thinking, a thinking which seeks to punish and destroy groups of people because of their backgrounds whilst elevating others because of past injustices committed against them. Whilst supporting a group and giving them the means to improve is certainly a good thing this shouldn't be done whilst punishing people who are circumstantially in a better position.
I'll stop proselytizing now, I just had to get that off my chest!
Most horrifying of course (not really, but humour me) is that Kirk makes a terrible misjudgement regarding his relations with her. Seriously James T., that woman was unhinged from the moment you saw her, just you just couldn't keep it in your regulation pants! I am disappointed. Problem is, it isn't outside of his character to do such a thing...
Anyway, not going to spoil just how beastly she is, but she does do something quite horrific, and you know what, when she eventually gets her comeuppance it is intensely satisfying. Intensely satisfying. On thing I do dislike though about her characterisation is that her behavior or, well frankly insanity is blamed on a tragic back story. Like, Milan had to explain it away with some hackneyed pseudo psychology about her being an abuse victim so it kinda mitigates the pure evil she commits. Sorry Milan, it doesn't.
Through the commissioner's story we also have a little bit of insight into Federation politics and the possibility (almost a certainty) of corruption therein. Different authors have different takes on the situation within the body politic, Milan suggests a wearyingly familiar scenario where self serving individuals cover up the evil actions of their friends. I still don't agree with how this is linked with Moriah Wayne, I don't see why she had to have an excuse to be a monster.
Theoretically we're challenged to accept the 'human' interlopers, after all they are remnants of Earth's Eugenics Wars - think Khan - who escaped earth on a sleeper ship, only waking and landing on this oceanic planet forty or so years ago. The most challenging is that they still practice genetic engineering, which really has been a requirement for life on this planet with its punishingly hot and humid environment and limited land. The Augments are resourceful and command respect for their adaptation to their new environment, not just genetically but also in the way they have changed culturally and technologically to live on vast floating cities that have the capacity to submerge if the need arises.
We're introduced to a number of characters from the 'Discordians' / Auguments, including a rather attractive green haired girl... who actually is the first character to be described in the book. Kirk realises however that his 'love' has got him in trouble once this adventure and doesn't pursue her although he is interested in her (and she in him). Aileea is set up to contrast to Moriah. She is strong in combat, leading defense against the attacking Susuru but is also gentle and doesn't want to hurt them. She is a strong representative of her people without a bureaucratic/political body behind her and doesn't feel she has anything to prove, seeing herself as equal to all others. Other discordian characters are equally likeable one extensively engineered woman strikes up and easy friendship with Spock, and another male representative just seems like a super nice, accommodating guy!
I said that we are theoretically challenged to accept the Augments, but in actual fact the challenge isn't all that hard, and I'm not sure if that is a clever ploy to unsettle us and make us feel like we're backing the wrong people, or whether it's just supposed to be taken as read. After all, the Susuru are allied with the Klingons and they also seem utterly unreasonable, and aside from a couple of contacts with them we don't get to know them as a species. The reader and the Enterprise crew don't get a chance to like them or understand them, although it is difficult to speak to them with the Klingons there.
The main challenge I guess is not trying to reach into the book to strangle Moriah Wayne?
The Klingons needed to be there to facilitate the Susuru's use of advanced weaponry, but they do fall a little flat. The commander of the Klingon forces wishes revenge on Kirk for several events in the past, and he's the one who has concocted this plan to get the Enterprise here while trying to control the planet... He's not a strong character and is overshadowed by Wayne, this is possibly because he's a strange combination of TNG and TOS Klingons. The Klingons also have a secret weapon hidden under the sea... however this again falls flat as the Enterprise defeats it with relative ease.
I haven't read any other books by Victor Milan, but he isn't an inexperienced author looking at a list of his published works, although From the Depths is his only Star Trek novel. I'm not sure that reading this novel really makes me want to read any other of his offerings. I did enjoy it on the whole but that's mainly because of the characterisation of Moriah Wayne... and the fact she was utterly revolting to me (love to hate!), but certain parts of the story let it down terribly. I still want to recommend this novel however, it's worth picking up for a quick and enjoyable read.
3/5 - Somebody set us up the bomb!
Finally - Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 😺
Theoretically we're challenged to accept the 'human' interlopers, after all they are remnants of Earth's Eugenics Wars - think Khan - who escaped earth on a sleeper ship, only waking and landing on this oceanic planet forty or so years ago. The most challenging is that they still practice genetic engineering, which really has been a requirement for life on this planet with its punishingly hot and humid environment and limited land. The Augments are resourceful and command respect for their adaptation to their new environment, not just genetically but also in the way they have changed culturally and technologically to live on vast floating cities that have the capacity to submerge if the need arises.
We're introduced to a number of characters from the 'Discordians' / Auguments, including a rather attractive green haired girl... who actually is the first character to be described in the book. Kirk realises however that his 'love' has got him in trouble once this adventure and doesn't pursue her although he is interested in her (and she in him). Aileea is set up to contrast to Moriah. She is strong in combat, leading defense against the attacking Susuru but is also gentle and doesn't want to hurt them. She is a strong representative of her people without a bureaucratic/political body behind her and doesn't feel she has anything to prove, seeing herself as equal to all others. Other discordian characters are equally likeable one extensively engineered woman strikes up and easy friendship with Spock, and another male representative just seems like a super nice, accommodating guy!
I said that we are theoretically challenged to accept the Augments, but in actual fact the challenge isn't all that hard, and I'm not sure if that is a clever ploy to unsettle us and make us feel like we're backing the wrong people, or whether it's just supposed to be taken as read. After all, the Susuru are allied with the Klingons and they also seem utterly unreasonable, and aside from a couple of contacts with them we don't get to know them as a species. The reader and the Enterprise crew don't get a chance to like them or understand them, although it is difficult to speak to them with the Klingons there.
The main challenge I guess is not trying to reach into the book to strangle Moriah Wayne?
The Klingons needed to be there to facilitate the Susuru's use of advanced weaponry, but they do fall a little flat. The commander of the Klingon forces wishes revenge on Kirk for several events in the past, and he's the one who has concocted this plan to get the Enterprise here while trying to control the planet... He's not a strong character and is overshadowed by Wayne, this is possibly because he's a strange combination of TNG and TOS Klingons. The Klingons also have a secret weapon hidden under the sea... however this again falls flat as the Enterprise defeats it with relative ease.
I haven't read any other books by Victor Milan, but he isn't an inexperienced author looking at a list of his published works, although From the Depths is his only Star Trek novel. I'm not sure that reading this novel really makes me want to read any other of his offerings. I did enjoy it on the whole but that's mainly because of the characterisation of Moriah Wayne... and the fact she was utterly revolting to me (love to hate!), but certain parts of the story let it down terribly. I still want to recommend this novel however, it's worth picking up for a quick and enjoyable read.
3/5 - Somebody set us up the bomb!
Finally - Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 😺
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