"'You stopped kicking doors,' said Kirk, 'but you never got used to death'"
Review
This book was a really enjoyable read!! I'm once again a big fan of the "monster of the week" in this one -- I'm a huge sucker for horror premises that are, in essence, "You become the thing that killed you" (like the bear in Annhilation, or radiation poisoning in real life lol), and this novel has it in spades. Also a big win for fans of xenobiology narratives -- it's not quite as prevalent in this novel as it was in "Doctor's Orders", but we still got some good dissection and speculation about the new aliens and what they are / how they work scattered throughout the plot.
It was also another good character read. Although the plot more or less Centers primarily on McCoy, he spends most of the novel with amnesia that gives you a better sense for the kind of person he was some 25 years earlier (while also under considerable stress, given the circumstances), but there are a good few Spock moments scattered throughout (might even go so far as to say autistic Spock moments, but of course I'm biased lol), and a bunch of very good Spones lines as well! A few of my favorite little segments for you:
"You mean to say that you found him hostile to the initiatives of peace?" asked McCoy solemnly, lifting a rounded eyebrow to match the cant of Spock's slanted one. Kirk noted that the doctor's impersonation of the Vulcan was improving.
--
"He's spitting tacks," insisted McCoy.
This time Spock's face froze in concentration as he tried to make sense of the unfamiliar idiom. McCoy was searching for yet another colorful phrase with which to confound the Vulcan when Kirk returned the conversation to factual matters.
--
Spock entered the room... He was wearing the look of self-absorbed concentration that accompanied every ship refitting. He launched into a stream of technical jargon without any preamble; at times like these he tended to forget Human social conventions.
"Hold on there," interrupted McCoy with a wave of his hand... "I didn't hear, much less understand a word you said. I was prepared for a 'Good morning, how are you?' or at least a simple, 'Hello, Doctor'."
Spock did not argue the issue. "Hello, Doctor," he said flatly and began to repeat his statements.
--
"Yes, Captain. Most interesting." Spock's tolerance for teasing was high, but Kirk suspected he had approached his limit in one area -- lately Spock tended to avoid the word "fascinating".
--
Anyone unfamiliar with the complexities of the half-Vulcan's character might have mistaken his reticence for indifference, but Kirk knew the opposite was more likely. The concern was too deep to voice.
--
Kirk said out loud what neither of his two friends would ever voice themselves. "That Human side is quite fond of you, although the Vulcan half never lets him admit it."
--
"Doctor," said Spock very softly. "There is indeed a solid floor beneath your feet."
"Yes, I know that," replied McCoy calmly, though his eyes remained shut.
--
It's good!! The conflict surrounding McCoy is interesting too -- the tension between the amnesiac McCoy and his reluctance/refusal to make an effort in recovering his memories. One of those character moments where you're definitely frustrated by their actions, but also can't help but sympathize with them in a big way. It would be alarming to suddenly wake up 25 years in the future, surrounded by strangers telling you about major life milestones that you have no touchstone for, while being aware of the fact that the memories they want you to remember would effectively lead to your 'death'. It's good angst -- not only in McCoy's own internal dialogue, but also his interactions with the rest of the Enterprise crew. The fact that the amnesia regressed McCoy to a point in his life where he had very recently encountered a patient who had experience with the alien threat the Enterprise is facing was also a very neat touch -- the medical officer who points out to Leonard that Bones's amnesia was not only a method of escape from a recent psychological shock, but also an unconscious desire to help his friends made my breath catch a little bit lol.
Same for the moment immediately after McCoy finally recovers his memory -- that was a really good scene. This whole book was very good!! I enjoyed it a lot :3c