Line #101 Literature/SpocksWorld


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_spocks_world_book_covers.png]]
2
3	''Spock's World'' is a 1988 ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novel by Creator/DianeDuane.
4
5	The ''Enterprise'' crew's shore leave is interrupted when Kirk, Spock, and [=McCoy=] receive an invitation to speak at a referendum. The topic? Whether or not Vulcan should secede from the Federation. As the trio make their way through the discussions, they encounter prejudice and secrets and an old enemy makes a surprising return. Can even the crew of the ''Enterprise'' keep Vulcan from withdrawing?
6
7	In addition to this, there is a side plot about the history of Vulcan, climaxing with the marriage of Sarek and Amanda and the birth of Spock.
8
9	----
10	!!''Spock's World'' contains examples of:
11
12	* AIIsACrapshoot: Averted with [[spoiler: Moira]]. She is sometimes snarky, but she doesn't hurt anyone, and even helps [=McCoy=] uncover useful information about the conspiracy.
13	* AlienSky: Sarek finds Earth's tiny, silvery moon a bizarre spectacle that helps him come to terms with the idea that he's really on another planet. The moon -- [[ExactWords sorry, sister planet]] -- that Sarek is used to seeing in the sky is a volcano-covered beast that takes up a third of the horizon, by the way. Our itty-bitty moon looks somewhat pathetic by comparison in his opinion.
14	* ArmorPiercingResponse: Selv answers [=McCoy=]'s argument accusing the secession movement of wanting to rip open healing wounds by saying that the Vulcans can bind their own wounds and it doesn't matter about the other planets. [=McCoy=] promptly quotes one of Surak's proverbs equating another's wounds with one's own. While it's unknown whether this affected Selv, it does considerably undermine him to other Vulcans.
15	* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Kirk describes Vulcan as being "like Southern California, but with less rain." Even setting aside the increased gravity, the average temperature and lack of precipitation is more reminiscent of the American Southwest or the Middle East.
16	* AuthorAppeal: As is standard for Duane's ''Trek'' novels, [=McCoy=]'s sheer awesome is down to the good doctor being the author's all-time favorite.
17	* BestServedCold: The revenge planned by [[spoiler:T'Pring]] comes long after the incident that started it, but it's absolutely vicious. Even Spock admires it for its "flawless logic" and efficiency.
18	* BizarreAlienBiology: Thinking he was having a heart attack, Amanda once started doing chest compressions on Sarek. He amusedly informed her that she was pressing on his liver.
19	* BlackComedy: At the beginning of his speech, Kirk references his near-death in "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E1AmokTime Amok Time]]" by saying that "those of you who know the circumstances under which [he] left [Vulcan would] guess [he] was rather glad to get away again." Despite the privacy and embarrassment surrounding ''ponn farr'', the crowd finds the oblique comment mildly amusing.
20	* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: [=McCoy=] insists on calling his hacking "borrowing" rather than "stealing."
21	* BlindIdiotTranslation:
22	** [=McCoy=] calls a Vulcan, Selv, out on his poor translation of the human documents he is using to support his prejudiced claims.
23	--->An Andorian spirit dancer using a Ouiji board could do a better job. Though I must say I enjoyed your article on the evolution of blood sacrifice in Earth culture. That is ''not'' what major-league football is for...
24	** Also brought up in the other direction. It is revealed that the "logic" Vulcans have always gone on about in the series is a bad translation of the Vulcan concept of "reality-truth", which means seeing the universe as it is, not as you would like it to be.
25	* BridgeBunnies: Subverted with Uhura. When Kirk casually asks her about how one of her doctoral dissertations is shaping up, she launches into a head-spinningly complex discussion of alien syntaxes, translation algorithms, and xenolinguistics that leaves Kirk utterly in the dust, privately ashamed for ever thinking that Uhura's job was some kind of glorified switchboard operator.
26	* BusCrash: [[spoiler: Stonn]] died prior to the events of this book due to a hormonal imbalance invoked to recapture [[spoiler:T'Pring]]'s attention.
27	* CallBack: [[spoiler: The events of "Amok Time"]] receive multiple references throughout the story. As it turns out, there's a good reason for this.
28	* CategoryTraitor: [=McCoy=] employs this a good deal, reminding the Vulcans at every turn that their planetary hero, Surak, taught "infinite diversity in infinite combinations."
29	* TheConspiracy: A group of Vulcans have been stirring up the planet to secession.
30	* ContinuityNod: Naraht, the ''Enterprise's'' only Horta crew member, to "The Devil in the Dark."
31	** Upon learning that [[spoiler:Moira has become self aware, Kirk reminds everyone of the last time they had a self-aware computer onboard: M5.]]
32	* CrapsackWorld: Vulcan was definitely this before Surak's reforms, as the historical chapters show.
33	* CrusadingWidow :
34	** T'Theliah murders her captors with her PsychicPowers after one of them kills her husband.
35	** [[spoiler:T'Pring]] reveals this as [[spoiler:her]] primary motivation.
36	* CrystalDragonJesus: Surak. While the history takes pain to note Surak was a normal Vulcan child growing up into a normal adult, his HeroicBSOD that drives him into the desert shares a lot with the tribulations of Jesus and Buddha.
37	* DeadpanSnarker: [=McCoy=], as usual.
38	* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler: Ruin T'Pring's happiness with Stonn by driving her beloved to suicide? She'll]] force the ''entire planet to vote to secede from the Federation'', which would either send Spock and his family into exile or else trap Spock on Vulcan forever, ending his heroic and legendary trek to the stars. It doesn't help that, much like the MisplacedRetribution trope spells out, [[spoiler:T'Pring is more responsible for what happened to Stonn than Spock is.]]
39	* DontYouDarePityMe: [[spoiler:T'Pring]] has this reaction toward [=McCoy=] at the book's conclusion. He retorts that he's got no time for pity and that [[spoiler:T'Pring]] needs to pull [[spoiler: herself]] together.
40	* DrivenToSuicide:
41	** T'Thelaih, who's been struggling with suicidal thoughts from her introduction, finally kills herself after purposefully using her deadly PsychicPowers for the first time to avenge her husband.
42	** [[spoiler: Stonn. Convinced somehow that Spock won after the events of "Amok Time", he undergoes a hormonal treatment to induce plak'tow to mate with T'Pring. It goes horribly wrong.]]
43	* DroppingTheBombshell:
44	** Sarek announces his resignation from his position within the heavy implication that he will be leaving Vulcan should they vote to secede. Given that [[spoiler:Sarek is a descendant of Surak and next in line to be Head of House]], this shocks the audience into absolute silence.
45	** [=McCoy=]'s question at the end of Sarek's discourse: "What do[es the government] think of the scheme to sell off formerly Federation-owned property on Vulcan, after the secession, to secret buyers with strong anti-Federation leanings, who have already made substantial payoffs to Vulcan officials to ensure that the property will be sold to them at 'lowest bid' before anyone else hears of it?"
46	** Followed seconds later by ''another'' such line. Sarek says that the government can't respond to that allegation without seeing solid evidence of it, and [=McCoy=] says, "Sir, I await your convenience." The author describes the reaction thusly: "And the room went mad." Kirk playfully grouches afterwards that [=McCoy=] needs to warn him when he's planning to do something like that.
47	* DyingMomentOfAwesome:
48	** Surak. He knew his movement for Logical pacifism would lead to his death. But he also knew [[SacrificialLion that his years of living out that path]] would build a better peaceful Vulcan that would survive him. "Much could be done, with a death..."
49	** [[spoiler: T'Pau, who times her death with the revelation of the bribery scandal to make it seem the news had killed her, knowing it would shame the planet into rejecting the secession vote. Also, she passed her katra - her spirit/memory - into human Amanda Grayson, which meant that if the secession vote succeeded the katra of the Surak bloodline would be forced off Vulcan.]]
50	* EmptyPromise: Kirk wants to tell [[spoiler: T'Pau]] that they're not going to die, but he feels as though the sheer blatant falsehood of it would be insulting.
51	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The book portrays [[spoiler:T'Pring]] without any of the qualities that might have led to sympathy in [[spoiler:her]] original appearance. After the secession movement has crumbled, [[spoiler:T'Pring]] asks to see Spock and suggest he wants to mock [[spoiler:her]] over [[spoiler:her]] obviously failed plotting skills. He answers that if he did, no one would consider it blameworthy. [[spoiler:T'Pring]] then attacks Spock over his emotional reaction during their last encounter, saying that he only behaved as he did lest someone should think poorly of him, rather than his obvious guilt and devastation over [[spoiler: accidentally murdering his best friend.]]
52	* EvilGloating: [[spoiler:T'Pring]] rubs it in Spock's face when it looks like Vulcan will actually secede, even saying that [[spoiler:she]] plans to attend the referendum to watch the fun.
53	* FantasticRacism: Many Vulcans think humans are little more than dangerous, disgusting animals.
54	* FantasticSlur: The Vulcan insult ''tviokh''... which actually means "neighbor" [[note]]In this context, a 'neighbor' is the enemy, as you compete with them for the sparse resources that Vulcan has to offer[[/note]] and predates Vulcan contact with aliens by a great deal.
55	* FirstContact: We learn the history of the Vulcans' First Contact during the Surak backstory chapter. To say it went poorly is an understatement - it was with the predecessors of the Orion Pirates, introduced the concept of xenophobia to the Vulcans, and triggered a fifty year long war against those pirates as well as the split between the Vulcans and the Literature/{{Rihannsu}}.
56	* GeneticMemory: [=McCoy=] takes an RNA 'language course', which makes him better even than the universal translator at understanding and speaking Vulcan.
57	* GoAndSinNoMore: Kirk and [=McCoy=] tell [[spoiler:T'Pring]] to get back out of prison and do some good with that intelligence.
58	* GoToSleepEnding: In the last chapter, after they have successfully kept Vulcan from seceding, Kirk wraps things up with Moira (who was instrumental in the process) and goes to take a well-deserved night's sleep.
59	* GutFeeling: Vulcans have a word "nehau" which roughly translates to "vibes." The "nehau" that one picks up from someone is usually accurate.
60	* HalfBreedDiscrimination: Kirk argues that Spock should be given the opportunity to prove himself and not be rejected for his ancestry or possible "bad influence" from his mother.
61	* HalfHumanHybrid: Spock's conception is discussed. Apparently, Vulcan/Human hybrids are possible, but only with extensive scientific assistance and a bit of luck.
62	* HaveYouComeToGloat: The BigBad [[spoiler: T'Pring]] asks Spock if he has the desire to mock [[spoiler:her]] for slipping logic. Spock answers, "If that was my thought, there is nothing in it to do me ill credit." But he doesn't.
63	* HoldingTheFloor: [=McCoy=] gives a speech denouncing the calls for Vulcan secession. His speech is met with a standing ovation.
64	* HollywoodProvincialism: An hilariously odd variant. In a description of ''[[RefugeInAudacity Vulcan]]''- "Jim tended to think of it as southern California, but with less rain." [[note]]For those who have no idea why this is so funny, Capt. James T. Kirk hails from Iowa. Starfleet HQ is in California, but ''Northern'' California, not at all the same thing... Southern California averages about 35 rainy days per year near the coast in the winter and spring (less in the inland desert areas), with summer and autumn typically being rain-free or nearly so. From the other descriptions we get, the Vulcan climate seems more on par with Arizona in the summer, or perhaps the Middle East.[[/note]]
65	* InsideAComputerSystem: The novel has several historical interludes. In one, a member of a pre-Reformation Vulcan family-ship crew spends considerable time participating in the mind-nets, a telepathic/computer net virtual reality. When a mutiny on board sends the ship out of control, she retreats into the mind-nets until the ship is destroyed.
66	* InstantAIJustAddWater: Spock added a "personality" to [[spoiler: Moira]], but nobody expected her to "wake up."
67	* [[BitchInSheepsClothing Jerk In Sheeps Clothing]]: In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', [[spoiler:T'Pring]] may have seemed [[JerkassWoobie semi-sympathetic]]. However, the book's depiction of her is as a wholly self-centered jerk with no redeeming qualities. [[spoiler: After the events of the kal-i-fee, T'Pring]] brooded over matters not having worked out exactly as [[spoiler:she]] wanted. Convinced [[spoiler:T'Pring]] was in love with Spock or someone else, [[spoiler:Stonn]] took a suicidal risk to make their bond "real". Afterwards, [[spoiler:T'Pring]] didn't even seem that upset about the loss itself, as opposed to not getting what [[spoiler:she]] wanted ''again''. This spurred the idea of hate-mongering Vulcan towards secession specifically to hurt Spock, ignoring how many millions of other people the movement would hurt.
68	* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoiler: T'Pring]] surprisingly won the last conflict with the ''Enterprise'' crew, but doesn't know when to quit. Trying to talk Vulcan into secession to hurt Spock over [[spoiler: Stonn's death]] leads to being exposed as a corrupting element to the entire planet and being taken into custody.
69	* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:T'Pring]], despite supposedly getting exactly what [[spoiler:she'd]] wanted last time. However, the it's revealed that Spock's [[WantingIsBetterThanHaving prediction]] came true and [[spoiler:T'Pring]] began brooding over things not going precisely according to plan. The ultimately results in the loss of [[spoiler:her]] mate, reputation, and freedom.
70	* LittleGreenMen: after Amanda marries Sarek, she responds to a tabloid running the headline "I Married a Little Green Man" with the retort, "There is nothing little about my husband."
71	* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Comes up often during the historical tales about how Vulcan came to be. [[spoiler: Becomes important when T'Pring reveals her motivation using the secession vote to hurt Spock over what happened to Stonn...]]
72	* TheNeedsOfTheMany: a Vulcan drags this up during Kirk's discourse. The captain, of course, doesn't buy it and turns it around on him by arguing that just because there are more people doesn't mean their needs are more important and that in any case, the "many" is composed of numerous "ones" who must accept responsibility for what the "many" is doing.
73	* ManipulativeBastard: the BigBad, [[spoiler: T'Pring]], who cunningly stirs up the anti-human attitudes on the planet using nothing more than words and a small inherited estate.
74	* MarriageBeforeRomance: T'Thelaih and Mahak... although the people who arranged it not only didn't care about their feelings, they were expecting and even hoping that she would kill him with her PsychicPowers.
75	* MisplacedRetribution:[[spoiler:T'Pring]] is doing this to punish Spock for a death in the family...except it's hard to see how he is responsible. [[spoiler: After the plot is revealed and T'Pring is arrested for her crimes, Spock considers pointing out how T'Pring was more to blame for Stonn's fall, but he can't bring himself to say it.]]
76	* MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave: Invoked by [=McCoy=], who asks what Surak, the "Father of All that Vulcan Became", would think about the secession movement and the damage it's causing. In his conclusion, he rams it home by saying that Surak would be disappointed in them if their pride and fear caused the race to self-destruct.
77	* MotiveRant: [[spoiler:T'Pring]] gives a calmer-than-usual version to Spock about how he was responsible for all the misfortunes in [[spoiler:her life]], so he should have to make a sadistic choice between the things he loves.
78	* MundaneUtility: Spock came up with the method of storing non-essential food and drink for long space voyages by keeping their patterns in the transporter buffer. The primary benefit as far as the crew is concerned isn't how much space is cleared up for other storage; [[MustHaveCoffee it's that the coffee beans stay fresh as they don't age while within the buffer.]]
79	* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:T'Pring]] blames Spock for [[spoiler:Stonn]] taking a suicidal risk to cement their mating bond due to fear that [[spoiler:T'Pring]] still pined for Spock. [[spoiler: After the events of "Amok Time", she slowly began to brood about how things had not gone according to plan. Stonn grew jealous and artificially induced ''plak tow'' in himself to make their bonding 'real'. When he died, T'Pring decided it was Spock's fault.]]
80	* NotSoStoic: The entire Vulcan race. The race's Hat of being driven by logic is thoroughly deconstructed in this novel, not only with the historical chapters but with the present day chapters where [[spoiler:T'Pring's plot and the latent racism of the secessionist movement prove that Vulcans as a whole are just as hypocritical as every other species.]] It proves to be a major plot point [[spoiler:when [=McCoy=] uncovers the bribery/kickbacks scheme behind the secessionist movement]]. Because everyone else viewed the Vulcan race as above suspicion, no one else - Spock and Sarek included - noticed... except for the good Doctor...
81	* OhCrap: [=McCoy=] gets a huge one when during his research into the groups behind the secession movement, he spots a name that stuns him, and ''keeps'' finding it: [[spoiler:T'Pring.]]
82	* OurPhlebotinumChild: Sarek and Amanda had to rely on Vulcan science to create Spock, owing to the difference in their biologies.
83	* OutsideInsideSlur: When a Vulcan points out that Spock is halfblood, Kirk spends a good few words drawing out his real meaning -- namely, that because Spock is a halfblood, he's "a fake Earth person", not a Vulcan.
84	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Several, of the FantasticRacism variety.
85	* PlotTriggeringDeath: [[spoiler: Stonn]]'s death triggered [[spoiler:T'Pring]] to set out to destroy Spock.
86	* PulledFromYourDayOff: The ''Ent''-Nil crew are yanked from shore leave when Vulcan decides to discuss secession.
87	* RecurringCharacter:
88	** Sarek, Amanda, T'Pau and [[spoiler: T'Pring]] all appear again.
89	** The spider scientist K's't'lk from Duane's earlier novel ''[[Creator/DianeDuane The Wounded Sky]]'' makes a cameo during the secession debate. She bites one arrogant Vulcan secessionist's leg to prove a point.
90	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Spock's former betrothed, T'Pring, is trying to drive the planet to secession.]]
91	* {{Revenge}}: It seems to be the motivation of the BigBad, [[spoiler:T'Pring]].
92	** RevengeMyopia: The BigBad ''completely'' ignores several elements that might show Spock innocent.
93	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
94	** T'Thelaih mentally kills everyone in the house where she's being held captive after her husband is killed.
95	** Played with concerning the BigBad. [[TheStoic Modern-day Vulcans]] do not rampage, but [[spoiler:T'Pring]]'s revenge is so epic in scope - trick an entire planet to secede [[spoiler:just to piss off her ex-husband Spock]] - it makes Human-driven roaring rampages pale in comparison. The exact Vulcan concept of revenge is called ''ashv'cezh'', literally, ''revenge worse than death'', and Spock mentally comments that simple death is a mercy compared to that.
96	* SadisticChoice: Spock and Sarek are nearly forced into this. If the planet secedes, Spock will be forced to choose between Vulcan and his career with Starfleet and his friends on the ''Enterprise''; Sarek will be forced to choose between living on Vulcan and living with Amanda, who would be expelled as a non-native.
97	* SequelEpisode: The novel is a sequel to [[spoiler: "Amok Time."]]
98	* SideBet: Apparently, Spock and [=McCoy=] had one on the outcome of the vote on secession. Spock won.
99	* SilverFox: The silver-haired Amanda is described as being even lovelier than before.
100	* SlapSlapKiss:
101	** A young (pre-Surak) Vulcan couple. They begin to look forward to their arranged marriage when they realize, by living together, they can argue uninterrupted by curfews.
102	** Parts of Sarek and Amanda's courtship followed this pattern, albeit playfully more than seriously.
103	* SolarFlareDisaster: A massive prehistoric flare transformed Vulcan from a verdant planet with extensive forests into the familiar desert planet of the present. Solar instability continued until the time of the Reformation, and Vulcans constructed massive refuges against sunstorm weather. The secession debate takes place in one of these, repurposed as a grand auditorium for the Vulcan Science Academy.
104	* SubspaceAnsible: The book tells the history of the planet Vulcan, and points out that since Vulcans are [[PsychicPowers psychic]] to varying extents and telepathy is assumed to be instantaneous, telepathy was their first subspace FTL communication. The limiting factor is that only a small minority of Vulcans are strong enough telepaths for this to be practical.
105	* SureWhyNot: Implied with the name Vulcan for the planet and its inhabitants. Spock states that the Vulcans do not reveal their name for the planet, so when humans told them they had named it Vulcan on their star charts, the Vulcans didn't dispute it.
106	* ThanatosGambit: [=McCoy=] theorizes that [[spoiler:T'Pau]] pulled this, given that [[spoiler:she passed on her katra to Amanda]] and made it clear to the newspapers that [[spoiler:she'd]] heard about the conspiracy before dying, intentionally giving the media the impression that it shocked her to death.
107	* TookALevelInKindness: T'Pau, who last appeared as an antagonist, returns as an ally.
108	** Sarek is shown to be far more personable than in the show.
109	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: in addition to the plot about the possible secession of Vulcan, there is a second plot about Vulcan history, which winds up with the story of Sarek and Amanda's courtship, marriage, and the birth of Spock.
110	* TwoOutOfThreeAintBad: When a Vulcan asks about Kirk's readiness, for the referendum, the Captain answers, "Ready, willing, and able." [[DeadpanSnarker [=McCoy=]]] mutters, "At least two out of three ain't bad."
111	* {{Understatement}}: Kirk's comment on his last visit to Vulcan: "Being strangled with an ''ahn-woon'' can ruin your whole day."
112	* VillainWithGoodPublicity:[[spoiler: T'Pring]], until [=McCoy=] uncovers the plot and Sarek has the truth revealed to the media.
113	* WackyCravings: While pregnant, Amanda found herself wanting to eat only pickles. This annoyed her because of its cliche nature, but Sarek took it in stride; the closest he comes to complaining is merely taking note of the cost of shipping pickles from Earth to Vulcan.
114	* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Discussed by [=McCoy=] when talking to [[spoiler:T'Pring]] at the end. He even mentions Spock's comment to the same effect.
115	* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: [[spoiler: Moira]] argues that the "intelligence" of humans or machines is all just atoms. Kirk doesn't seem to mind having a sentient computer onboard, but he knows Starfleet might pull such a computer's plugs, so he orders [[spoiler: Moira]] to keep it secret.
116	* WomanScorned: [[spoiler: T'Pring, pissed at Spock for ruining her gambit during "Amok Time".]] Lampshaded by Kirk when [=McCoy=] tells him [[spoiler: T'Pring's name keeps cropping up in the various secession groups.]]

Context Literature / SpocksWorld