Yesterday's Son

(Star Trek 11)
by
A.C. Crispin

Pocket, August 1983, 191 pp.
ISBN: 0-671-47315-8

Genre: Science Fiction
Subgenre: TV Tie-In
Reviewed: 7/6/2002

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Read Part of the Book

The Romulan Threat Closes In...

Zar was crouched, fingers digging at the rock, breathing in gasps, his upper lip beaded with sweat. "I'm going to die," the whisper reached the Vulcan like the rattle of ipanki leaves in the wind. "I'm frightened...I hate them...I'm going to die."

Spock was sickened, and at the same time, he felt an irrational impulse to comfort his son. He reached out a hand, shook his shoulder, gently. "Stop it, Zar."

"Shut up," Zar gasped, then ignored him. He mumbled again, a litany, "I'm scared. I hate them. I'm going to die...death..." His gaze fastened on the guards, eyes wide, glazing. "Die..." His body stiffened, then the hands clenched on the rock loosened, and he tumbled over bonelessly.

Shocked, Spock stared at him, then in reflex looked at the guards. They were sprawled, not moving.

Nightmarish-slow, he scrambled over the limp figure, touched the wrist. Nothing. He pulled his son's head into his lap, felt his throat--a flutter, very slight... His fingers went to the temples. Summoning his mind, he concentrated, finally picking up the kar-selan mind-activity. Secondary--weak, very weak. But there. He took a long breath.

Probing, reaching, calling. The name, over and over, for as ancient magic would have it, the name is the identity. Zar--Zar--Gateway faded, the rocks were gone. The pain in his hands erased. Zar--Finally....he...touched! ZAR!

Review

Spock views the image of a young Vulcan man is a cave drawing that is 5000 years old from the destroyed planet Sarpedian. A few years before , McCoy and Spock had had traveled 5000 years into the past and were trapped on Sarpedian, which was stuck in an iceage. They were rescued by Zarabeth, a beautiful human woman. When Spock had been sent back in time, he regressed back 5000 years to when Vulcans did not repress their emotions. Now, Spock realizes that this young man must be be his son and he has go and rescue his son from an icy life. While the Enterprise is being repaired for two weeks, Spock, Kirk and McCoy travel to the Guardian of Forever and use it to travel to Sarpedian 5000 years in the past. But they calculate the jump incorrectly and Spock's son, Zar, is about 28 Earth years old. After bringing Zar to the Enterprise, Spock begins teaching him how to be a Vulcan. Zar eventually rebels against the harsh training and cannot understand why his own father is not very warm towards his son. Meanwhile, the Romulans have noticed that the planet that the Guardian rests on always has a starship guarding the system. They decide that it is time to find out what the Federation of Planets finds so interesting about the planet. The Enterprise receives a message pleading for help from a wounded Lexington and answers it call for assistance. Little do they know that 10 more Romulan ships are on their way to investigate the planet.

This Star Trek book takes place during the original 5-year mission, I think, probably near the end of it. The number of the book is 11. This Star Trek cover is a little deceptive as it shows and older looking Spock and a young looking Zar. But from the reading, you get the impression that he should look like Spock in the original series and his son should look about 28 years old, not 16..

I love Star Trek books that tie into the original shows. A.C. Crippin has done a wonderful job of creating a story in the Star Trek world that I remember reading almost 20 years ago. This story has always stuck out in my memory as one to etch into my brain. There are a few places that I even found myself laughing out loud as her characterization of the main players was perfect, and the humor was right on. I quite enjoyed reading about Spock and his relationship with his son, even though it was not as it would be with a human father and son, but fit in well with the Vulcan philosophy. Kirk and McCoy, the other two main characters in this novel, are portrayed flawlessly and the story moves along at a fast pace. This, in my mind, is a classic good old-fashioned Star Trek story that all Star Trek fans will love. And if you like this story, don't miss the sequel, Time for Yesterday, Star Trek #39.

I rated this book an 8 out of 10.