Book Review - Star Trek / #24 / Killing Time by Della Van Hise

This is one of the more fanservice-oriented pieces of writing among the published novels, but hey - I like it! A reminder to readers: This is part of a larger archive, and the focus is Dr. Leonard H. McCoy.

#24 – Killing Time by Della Van Hise
Many of the Star Trek novels can seem like published fanfiction…but in this case it’s a good thing! Killing Time, does all the things that make fanfiction great – it has crazy, indulgent scenarios, male bonding, fanservice – only, in this case, it maintains excellent, high-quality writing too. The result? Just wow. To summarize, a shift in dimensions causes the Enterprise to merge with another universe. In this alternate world, Spock is captain, Kirk is a lowly ensign, and Vulcans are in charge of the Federation. It involves insanity, role reversals, and McCoy as the personal slave of the Romulon Praetor! With a collar! Yeah, fanfiction. But so, so good.

Rating: 5


#24 – Killing Time by Della Van Hise
Many of the Star Trek novels can seem like published fanfiction…but in this case it’s a good thing! Killing Time, does all the things that make fanfiction great – it has crazy, indulgent scenarios, male bonding, fan service – only, in this case, it maintains excellent, high-quality writing too. The result? Just wow. To summarize, a shift in dimensions causes the Enterprise to merge with another universe. In this alternate world, Spock is captain, Kirk is a lowly ensign, and Vulcans are in charge of the Federation. It involves insanity, role reversals, and McCoy as the personal slave of the Romulon Praetor! With a collar! Yeah, fanfiction. But so, so good.

Rating: 5

Highlights:

• As this book has both a Captain-Kirk and Captain-Spock, readers get to witness two very different takes on the relationship that a commanding officer of a vessel necessarily has with his CMO – in both these cases, Dr. McCoy!
  
• In the show, it always seemed like McCoy had a harder time hiding his admiration for Spock than vice versa. This is also true here. For example, McCoy comforts Kirk about his reoccurring dreams of Spock as captain by informing him that Spock’s mystique made him easy to fantasize about. :) I’m sorry, it’s just a funny-sounding conversation; McCoy is such a frank, unabashed human being.
  
• It charmed me how much faith Captain Spock has in McCoy, and how different (and less hostile) the doctor treats him in return. Their relationship doesn’t have the same casual warmth that the Kirk-McCoy friendship, but it’s still very nice.
  
• That being said, though McCoy is consistently supportive, even fiercely protective of his alternate Captain, it’s a bit disappointing that his devotion is overshadowed by the pinning that Kirk and Spock do for each other. This kind of overlooked quality seems to be a reoccurring feature of McCoy’s character. Grumble.
  
• Because of the merger of universes, many people suffer from headaches or even madness because of how different their role is from one world to another. Doctor McCoy is not one of these people; apparently he is a healer, no matter where.
  
• McCoy absolutely refuses to let Spock go undercover into the Romulan Empire without him. Spock consents to his help, but then almost smiles. Apparently blue eyes can’t be easily covered up, which leaves only one way for him to take a human along. “You will be my…personal attendant,” he explains. “However, the Romulans have another word for it.” XD
  
• Slave-McCoy wears a golden collar. He is also called T’Lennard, complete with female prefix. Voila, fanfiction.
  
• Did I mention that he is a terrible slave? He swears at people and gets (an ill, Pon Farr-ing) Spock so upset that the Vulcan throws him against a wall. Whatever else he is, demure, McCoy is not.
  
• As a side note, in the Vulcan Federation, Human beings are almost considered disabled, and their presence is therefore partially restricted on starships. It makes an odd kind of sense; being telepathic themselves, it would seem like Humans were missing one of their senses – like being blind. And you don’t want blind people driving your expensive vessels, now do you? :)
  
  Link to the full Leonard H. McCoy Guide