Recommended Reading - WLTWTFH Day #2 (slightly belated?)
Making two womenlovefest posts today because I forgot yesterday. Oops.
It wasn't easy to decide what to say about Saavik, the subject of this one. I thought about writing another meta waxing poetic on why the character is awesome, but that's already been done--and done briliantly--by somebody else. So instead, I'm just going to provide resources for people who want to discover her awesomeness for themselves.
First, though, a little background:
I don't remember how old I was when I first saw Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, but I'm pretty sure it was the first Trek movie I saw. I might have, at this point, seen a few episodes of the classic series, but even if I had, I'm pretty sure I didn't understand what the heck was going on. (All things considered, probably not too surprising.) I did, however, fall head over heels in love with the character of Saavik, as portrayed by Robin Curtis. Granted, at that age probably all it took was that she was a young female character I could identify with, but nonetheless.
Several years later, after I'd become a little more acquainted with Trek--a couple of seasons of TNG, and probably the rest of films 1-4 by then--I stumbled across a book in my school library. It was a Star Trek book, and there on the cover next to Spock, was Saavik. Remembering how much I'd loved the character, I picked it up...and fell in love all over again. In that book, and others I read later, I met a Saavik who had all the qualities that my younger self had loved, but was a deeper, more complex character who appealed to the older me as well. So, below are links to my three favorite Trek novels/stories featuring her, along with a brief summary and explanation of why I love it.
The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Basically, this is Saavik's backstory, from her childhood as an abandoned product of a Vulcan/Romulan union on a hellish planet named (appropriately) Hellguard, through her adolescence being mentored by Spock, to young adulthood when her past comes back to haunt her in the form of a vicious biological attack against the Federation that she may hold the only key to stopping. It fleshes the character out beautifully, as well as her relationship with Spock.
Vulcan's Heart by Josepha Sherman and Susan Schwartz
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Part romance, part political thriller, the story sees Spock and Saavik bonded early on, then separated with Spock deep inside the Romulan empire when Pon Farr hits. The two characters must find their way back to each other without destroying Spock's mission, since the fate of Romulus and its relationship with the Federation may rest on it. The fact that the characters are separated for most of the novel is frustrating from a romantic standpoint, but also gives us the opportunity to see who Saavik is without Spock. The answer is a strong, capable commander in her own right. Also, I don't remember if this was the authors' intention, but the book planted the idea rather firmly in my mind that part of the reason for Spock's interest in reunification was Saavik's Romulan heritage.
Star Trek Mirror Universe: Glass Empires - "The Sorrows of Empire" by David Mack
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Set entirely in the Mirror Universe, and a direct sequel to the TOS episode, "Mirror, Mirror," this is the story of the long game Mirror!Spock sets in motion to destroy the Terran Empire. Mirror!Saavik plays a much smaller role in this story than her counterpart does in the other two, but it is still pivotal. In fact, the final chapter is from her POV. (Oh, and as a bonus, the same volume contains a story centering around another awesome, overlooked Trek female: Hoshi Sato.)
Well, there you have it. My three favorite licensed tie-ins featuring Saavik. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have. :-)
This entry was originally posted at http://azarsuerte.dreamwidth.org/37598.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
It wasn't easy to decide what to say about Saavik, the subject of this one. I thought about writing another meta waxing poetic on why the character is awesome, but that's already been done--and done briliantly--by somebody else. So instead, I'm just going to provide resources for people who want to discover her awesomeness for themselves.
First, though, a little background:
I don't remember how old I was when I first saw Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, but I'm pretty sure it was the first Trek movie I saw. I might have, at this point, seen a few episodes of the classic series, but even if I had, I'm pretty sure I didn't understand what the heck was going on. (All things considered, probably not too surprising.) I did, however, fall head over heels in love with the character of Saavik, as portrayed by Robin Curtis. Granted, at that age probably all it took was that she was a young female character I could identify with, but nonetheless.
Several years later, after I'd become a little more acquainted with Trek--a couple of seasons of TNG, and probably the rest of films 1-4 by then--I stumbled across a book in my school library. It was a Star Trek book, and there on the cover next to Spock, was Saavik. Remembering how much I'd loved the character, I picked it up...and fell in love all over again. In that book, and others I read later, I met a Saavik who had all the qualities that my younger self had loved, but was a deeper, more complex character who appealed to the older me as well. So, below are links to my three favorite Trek novels/stories featuring her, along with a brief summary and explanation of why I love it.
The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Basically, this is Saavik's backstory, from her childhood as an abandoned product of a Vulcan/Romulan union on a hellish planet named (appropriately) Hellguard, through her adolescence being mentored by Spock, to young adulthood when her past comes back to haunt her in the form of a vicious biological attack against the Federation that she may hold the only key to stopping. It fleshes the character out beautifully, as well as her relationship with Spock.
Vulcan's Heart by Josepha Sherman and Susan Schwartz
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Part romance, part political thriller, the story sees Spock and Saavik bonded early on, then separated with Spock deep inside the Romulan empire when Pon Farr hits. The two characters must find their way back to each other without destroying Spock's mission, since the fate of Romulus and its relationship with the Federation may rest on it. The fact that the characters are separated for most of the novel is frustrating from a romantic standpoint, but also gives us the opportunity to see who Saavik is without Spock. The answer is a strong, capable commander in her own right. Also, I don't remember if this was the authors' intention, but the book planted the idea rather firmly in my mind that part of the reason for Spock's interest in reunification was Saavik's Romulan heritage.
Star Trek Mirror Universe: Glass Empires - "The Sorrows of Empire" by David Mack
in paperback | for Kindle | for Nook
Summary: Set entirely in the Mirror Universe, and a direct sequel to the TOS episode, "Mirror, Mirror," this is the story of the long game Mirror!Spock sets in motion to destroy the Terran Empire. Mirror!Saavik plays a much smaller role in this story than her counterpart does in the other two, but it is still pivotal. In fact, the final chapter is from her POV. (Oh, and as a bonus, the same volume contains a story centering around another awesome, overlooked Trek female: Hoshi Sato.)
Well, there you have it. My three favorite licensed tie-ins featuring Saavik. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have. :-)
This entry was originally posted at http://azarsuerte.dreamwidth.org/37598.html. Please comment there using OpenID.