Star Trek: Death's Angel by Kathleen Sky (1981)

[Damian]

I usually wait until I complete a novel before posting a thread about it. I'm currently about a 3rd of the way through. This novel I've seen on various comments has a bit of a bad reputation, and I'm starting to see why and I wanted to post some thoughts. Unfortunately for Bantam, this would would be their last Star Trek novel, not a good way for their run to end, but then a number of their novels were less than stellar.

I'm around chapter 14 or 15 right now. The book started off ok. It starts off with Kirk and his landing party coming back from a mission in an unusual coma. They wake up but Kirk continues to have strange dreams, but otherwise they are all ok. I assume something about that mission will come up again later in the story (though with Bantam novels, who can know--I've seen threads left unfinished in prior books so we'll see). Then the Enterprise is sent to ferry a bunch of ambassadors to a détente meeting the Romulans have requested. It is reminiscent of "Journey to Babel" and Sarek is leading the diplomatic mission. The other ambassadors feature the widest variety of species I've seen in a novel. I'll give Sky some credit for going beyond the usual humanoid aliens, though it would have been nice to throw in an Andorian or Tellarite for good measure. The only issue perhaps you could take is all the ambassadors are basically anthropomorphized Earth animals. There is a crocodile-like ambassador, one that looks like a koala bear, one like a lamprey, one like a cat, and even one reminiscent of a vampire--and they even exhibit similar characteristics to their less advanced Earth counterparts. For instance the vampire-like ambassador requires blood for nourishment, the crocodile-like ambassador eats small animals, etc. So perhaps I'm giving her too much credit for creating unusual aliens since they are not all that unusual after all.

But so far nothing too crazy. It first goes off the rails when Captain Kirk becomes enamored with one of the ambassadors, an amphibian like being. He asks her to have dinner with him and she senses he might want something more. She explains to him that she is like Earth amphibians (go figure) and so cannot have sex with him. He is visibly disappointed by this and jealous of the time she spends with others. I think my jaw dropped. Seriously, that's what she thinks of Captain Kirk? That all he wants is sex and he acts like a petulant school boy when he can't get what he wants.

But ok, two ambassadors die of what appear to be natural causes, coincidentally two who are against détente with the Romulans. Dr. McCoy and Dr. M'Benga are investigating but because of the wide variety of animals, er, ambassadors, McCoy requests the assistance of Dr Ruth Rigel (who I believe was featured in Sky's novel "Vulcan!" as well--probably not a great sign) who happens to be a vet. Obviously there might be issues if ambassadors found they were being treated by a vet so they say she's some exobiologist or something along that line. Anyway some other ambassadors demand Kirk request assistance from some Federation security group down as the "Special Security Division" (SSD). They remind me just a bit of Section 31, even wearing black suits, and they are said to act as judge, jury and sometimes executioner, much like Section 31, except they are out in the open and not hidden in the shadows. Anyway Kirk requests their assistance even though he feels they can handle the situation internally because one of the ambassadors claimed to have seen 'Death's Angel'.

And apparently Death's Angel wants the détente to succeed so h/she or whatever it is, is causing the death's of ambassadors who are opposed to détente. Why, do you ask? Apparently death is tired and needs some sort of vacation and if détente occurs, there will be a lot less need for Death's services.

Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Death is tired of death and wants a break.

So, moving on, the SSD sends an agent to assist named Colonel Elizabeth Schaeffer (who I'll refer to as Elizabeth). Apparently she is incredibly beautiful and has a bit of alien blood in her making her somewhat exotic. Schoolboy, I mean Captain Kirk is immediately smitten with her and he becomes jealous when even Spock seems smitten by Elizabeth. (Did Sky even watch the original series?). It's almost embarrassing. Why is she taking the deaths so seriously? Because apparently she believes Death's Angel is real also. She decides to quarantine the Enterprise and demands Kirk shut the engines down or a secret bomb in her ship will detonate and destroy the Enterprise. Wow. At least in Section 31's case they are an extra-legal organization. The SSD is fully legal within the Federation, at least in Sky's Federation. Well Kirk relents. But he does so petulantly. He doesn't want to give the order to the bridge so he makes Spock do it. And Spock is the one that encourages Kirk to agree in such a way to suggest he agrees with her actions. Then Kirk agrees to take her to sickbay where we learn she cannot be examined or undergo a Sigmund (another holdover from "Vulcan!") by anyone other than an SSD physician. She also learns Dr. Rigel is a vet. Dr. Rigel is afraid of her finding out because she is afraid she and possibly McCoy would be drummed out of the service for such an infraction (not sure why such severe action would be taken but at this point I'm just going with it). So the very first thing Dr Rigel does is confess to their 'crime.' Of course, isn't that what you would do? Well, all's good, Elizabeth doesn't make a big deal about it (though somehow I have the feeling a penance will be demanded later--but who can know?).

And that's where I'm at currently. You talk about a story going off the rails. Wow. It's funny, it's almost entertaining in its badness. I mean, the Phoenix books were bad, disturbing in some ways and not at all entertaining. But this reminds me of that movie "Troll 2" that people watch because it's so bad it's funny.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, the laziness of the "aliens" in Death's Angel was one of my biggest issues with it. Not just the fact that they're all just big talking Earth animals or fantasy creatures, but the obvious Earthliness of the names -- a pyramid creature named Hotep, a cat named Neko (Japanese for cat), etc.

Schaeffer was my other biggest issue. She's probably the most blatant "Mary Sue" ever seen in professional Trek fiction -- a character whose professed amazingness is absurdly overstated and inadequately demonstrated, with the characters around her being written grossly out of character in order to illustrate how amazing they think she is or how much they pale in comparison to her.

 

[Damian]

Yeah, the laziness of the "aliens" in Death's Angel was one of my biggest issues with it. Not just the fact that they're all just big talking Earth animals or fantasy creatures, but the obvious Earthliness of the names -- a pyramid creature named Hotep, a cat named Neko (Japanese for cat), etc.

Schaeffer was my other biggest issue. She's probably the most blatant "Mary Sue" ever seen in professional Trek fiction -- a character whose professed amazingness is absurdly overstated and inadequately demonstrated, with the characters around her being written grossly out of character in order to illustrate how amazing they think she is or how much they pale in comparison to her.

I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt with the aliens. Ok, they were at least non-humanoids. One Earth-like creature, two, maybe. There was even a lobster-like creature. But every single one had some Earth equivalent. And not only did they appear as so, but they had the same characteristics which bugged me. The pyramid creature was really over the top. Sarek is the only 'realistic' alien there.

I had heard this book was another "Mary Sue" style story and I strongly suspected Elizabeth was the Mary Sue. At first I thought it was going to be the amphibian ambassador Kirk was so enamored with. But when Elizabeth showed up I figured it was probably going to be here.

But like I said, in some ways the badness almost has its own entertainment value. I'll be interested to see just how bad this story can get

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The SSD was very un-Federationlike. I'm surprised a Trek novel dared to go that far. They were, in many ways, worse than Section 31...

Other than that, though, I thought this novel was pretty good. And the true identity of the death's angel was definitely a twist...

 

[F. King Daniel]

I loved the aliens in this one. Goofy as fuck, but lots of fun. And the SSD was Disco's version of Section 31, 4 decades early.

 

[Christopher]

And the SSD was Disco's version of Section 31, 4 decades early.

I don't consider that a positive.

 

[Damian]

The problem I see with the SSD in this novel is they are fully sanctioned by the Federation. I try to be fair and only consider the information she had at the time about the Federation, which was limited to the original series and TMP (assuming she saw the film before writing the book--I'm not sure how long she took to write it). But even with that limited information I find it hard to believe the Federation would sanction the SSD. It was noted they acted even as executioner when necessary. That flies directly in the face of what we know--that the only death penalty on the books was for visiting Talos IV.

In Section 31's case, they were an underground group. They were only supported by a small group within the Federation and Starfleet. And others who find out about Section 31, like Dr. Bashier, Chief O'Brien, Captain Sisko and Captain Archer, just to name a few, are disturbed, even horrified to learn of their methods. In "Death's Angel" they are out in the open and no one is particularly bothered by them, except in how they might interfere with the mission at hand.

Though I'll admit I do find some of the similarities between SSD and Section 31 interesting.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Section 31. When they first appeared in DS9 I thought it was a great episode. But I'm starting to think they are a bit overused, like the Borg. But at the same time they were involved in some great stories. I liked the novels that featured them, and how David Mack and Christopher tied their Section 31 plots together. I liked seeing the beginnings of the Control program (Uraei was it?) and it's endings--it was a nice bookending Section 31 plot between the two. Part of what bothers me I guess is the Federation is supposed to be the good guys. Not perfect, they make mistakes, but they try to do the right thing. Section 31 is NOT the right thing. But some of it makes sense, if that makes any sense.

 

[Christopher]

The problem I see with the SSD in this novel is they are fully sanctioned by the Federation. I try to be fair and only consider the information she had at the time about the Federation, which was limited to the original series and TMP (assuming she saw the film before writing the book--I'm not sure how long she took to write it). But even with that limited information I find it hard to believe the Federation would sanction the SSD. It was noted they acted even as executioner when necessary. That flies directly in the face of what we know--that the only death penalty on the books was for visiting Talos IV.

Yeah... I don't recall for sure, but I think I always found that notion problematical.

Though I'll admit I do find some of the similarities between SSD and Section 31 interesting.

That's just because they're both based on longstanding spy/black-ops tropes from other fiction.

 

[Damian]

That's just because they're both based on longstanding spy/black-ops tropes from other fiction

Yeah, you're probably right. While I was reading I just thought, hmm, sounds a little like Section 31, right down to the black suits. But then when you look at Star Trek fiction, as some have noted, there's so much out there now you'll probably find a lot of coincidental similarities. This just happens to be one.

You also got to love that one of Dr Rigel's pets (a real pet this time) was named Fuzzybutt . I was like, seriously. Fuzzybutt. Oy . I never read any of Sky's other works, but hopefully her other non-Trek related books were better. The version of Death's Angel I have from 1995 noted she was working on a non-Trek sci-fi trilogy. I guess that was never published because I just did a search and other than a short story she did with ex-husband Stephen Goldin in 2004 she hasn't had a book published since 1984. I was interested to see she appeared as a crewperson on the rec deck in TMP. You learn something new everyday.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I was interested to see she appeared as a crewperson on the rec deck in TMP. You learn something new everyday.

I was visiting with Bjo Trimble in Los Angeles in January 1984. While I was there, there was a knock at the door and in walked "Cinefantastique" reviewer, Dennis Fischer, whose name I recognised from an article he had written for "Enterprise Incidents" ("Part of the magic: the experience of being a Star Trek extra", which had appeared in issue #7, Nov 1979, pp 4-8). If that wasn't exciting enough, a few minutes after he left, David Gerrold (who had also featured on the Rec Deck, as had Bjo) popped in to return Trek film clips he had borrowed to illustrate his revised edition of "The World of Star Trek". Then George Takei rang. An amazing day.

Bjo wanted to show me a huge LA supermarket. While we were there, we bumped into... Kathleen Sky, who had also appeared on the Rec Deck, which I already knew from reading Dennis's article. (Supposedly, Kathleen was working on a new Trek novel to show the Pocket editors. It's working title was "Spock's Bride".)


TMP fan extras with Grace Lee Whitney by Ian McLean, on Flickr
Front row, from left: Marlene Willauer, Grace Lee Whitney's son Scott Dweck (as a Vulcan), Paula Crist (as Worene), Bjo Trimble, Grace Lee Whitney (as Janice Rand), Susan Sackett and Louise Stange.
Next row, from left: Kathleen Sky, Leigh Strother-Vien and the very tall Dennis Fischer. David Gerrold is behind Grace Lee Whitney.

BTW, a Trek friend had assumed I would have loved "Death's Angel", simply because it had so many new alien ambassadors in it, but I didn't like it much. He did though, and made this costume for his first convention in 1982.


Si-s-s-s (click) by Ian McLean, on Flickr

 

[F. King Daniel]

The problem I see with the SSD in this novel is they are fully sanctioned by the Federation. I try to be fair and only consider the information she had at the time about the Federation, which was limited to the original series and TMP (assuming she saw the film before writing the book--I'm not sure how long she took to write it). But even with that limited information I find it hard to believe the Federation would sanction the SSD. It was noted they acted even as executioner when necessary. That flies directly in the face of what we know--that the only death penalty on the books was for visiting Talos IV.

In Section 31's case, they were an underground group. They were only supported by a small group within the Federation and Starfleet. And others who find out about Section 31, like Dr. Bashier, Chief O'Brien, Captain Sisko and Captain Archer, just to name a few, are disturbed, even horrified to learn of their methods. In "Death's Angel" they are out in the open and no one is particularly bothered by them, except in how they might interfere with the mission at hand.

Though I'll admit I do find some of the similarities between SSD and Section 31 interesting.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Section 31. When they first appeared in DS9 I thought it was a great episode. But I'm starting to think they are a bit overused, like the Borg. But at the same time they were involved in some great stories. I liked the novels that featured them, and how David Mack and Christopher tied their Section 31 plots together. I liked seeing the beginnings of the Control program (Uraei was it?) and it's endings--it was a nice bookending Section 31 plot between the two. Part of what bothers me I guess is the Federation is supposed to be the good guys. Not perfect, they make mistakes, but they try to do the right thing. Section 31 is NOT the right thing. But some of it makes sense, if that makes any sense.

DS9's Section 31 was was more of a conspiracy, but Discovery's S31 (and seemingly Into Darkness' before it) was a legitimate branch of Starfleet with their own uniforms, technology, Starbase HQ and a fleet of ships. They just kind of unapologetically have this weird futuristic SS flying around and to Discovery's version of Starfleet it's the norm. And that's pretty much what Kathleen Sky imagined with her SSD In Death's Angel, right down to the black uniforms.

I found it a fascinating concept that the Starfleet we all know as the heroes have this division going around recruiting genocidal Mirror Universe refugees and former Klingon infiltrators and doing all kinds of unpleasant things to keep the peace (and did when I read the novel many years ago too). It's a shame Discovery never actually had anyone really question whether Section 31 was necessary and what it meant for the "good guys" to all accept their existence, but I suspect they're saving such questions for the Section 31 spin-off series in a couple of years.

 

[Damian]

I read a couple more chapters of this 'infamous' book this weekend and figured I'd post some more thoughts. Two things.

One, there is a chapter where Kirk and Elizabeth have some 'alone' time and we see a bit of the Kirk we are familiar with. She decides to confide in him some of her marriage problems. Apparently she and her husband, another SSD agent, have a marriage contract (I think it was featured in Vulcan! as well). It's time for the renewal and she is not sure she wants to renew. Her husband is portrayed as petulant. They were supposed to meet when she was called away on this mission and he is very upset she left (even though she was ordered to). He is not portrayed in a very good light. He shows no understanding that this is her duty and she didn't exactly have a choice. He is also upset that she is slightly ahead of him in the chain of command based on her seniority.

Anyway she discusses this with Kirk, and Kirk is his usual understanding self. But at the end of the conversation he tells her they might have something. At the same time he talks about how he'd never leave the Enterprise. So I'm not sure what he's hoping for because she's committed to her duty as well. Though he says a long distance relationship can have it's advantages. It ends on bit of a clumsy note, but perhaps later in the book that will be resolved in some fashion.

Otherwise the story gets into her investigation. She meets with the final ambassador left who is against détente with the Romulans and as she goes to meet with him the crocodile ambassador, who's species apparently liked play acting, decides to take on the role of Sherlock Holmes and would like Elizabeth to be his Watson (though he is willing to be her Watson if necessary). She gamely sends him away to speak to some of the other ambassadors to look for 'clues' while she talks with the remaining ambassador who worries he may be next. Then she meets a neutral ambassador who states he was visited by the Angel of Death and decides to support détente purely out of fear.

But other than some of the dopey antics of the croc ambassador it's more or less your typical investigatory plot at this point in the book. Elizabeth is gathering information to see if she can find out if Death's Angel is for real or is it someone taking on the role for some other purpose.

 

[flandry84]

This sounds as if you need to be stoned to enjoy it

 

[Christopher]

Apparently she and her husband, another SSD agent, have a marriage contract (I think it was featured in Vulcan! as well).

The idea of renewable marriage contracts was a common bit of futurism in '70s SF, I believe. It was the era of swingers and rising divorce rates, and I guess the thinking was that society would move beyond the expectation that marriage would be permanent, or at least that it would make divorce less painful and messy if it were a simple matter of choosing not to renew the contract.

Although I just did a bit of looking around online, and it looks like the idea of reforming marriage as a form of contractual arrangement with provisions for termination or built-in expiration goes back at least as far as H.G. Wells's 1905 novel A Modern Utopia.

 

[ClayinCA]

Didn't Roddenberry write about term marriages in the novel of The Motion Picture? It's been a long time since I've read it.

 

[Christopher]

Didn't Roddenberry write about term marriages in the novel of The Motion Picture? It's been a long time since I've read it.

Yeah, as I recall, Kirk had a short-term marriage to Lori Ciana.

 

[JD]

DS9's Section 31 was was more of a conspiracy, but Discovery's S31 (and seemingly Into Darkness' before it) was a legitimate branch of Starfleet with their own uniforms, technology, Starbase HQ and a fleet of ships. They just kind of unapologetically have this weird futuristic SS flying around and to Discovery's version of Starfleet it's the norm. And that's pretty much what Kathleen Sky imagined with her SSD In Death's Angel, right down to the black uniforms.

I found it a fascinating concept that the Starfleet we all know as the heroes have this division going around recruiting genocidal Mirror Universe refugees and former Klingon infiltrators and doing all kinds of unpleasant things to keep the peace (and did when I read the novel many years ago too). It's a shame Discovery never actually had anyone really question whether Section 31 was necessary and what it meant for the "good guys" to all accept their existence, but I suspect they're saving such questions for the Section 31 spin-off series in a couple of years.

Sorry to go off topic, but the openness of Section 31 was the one thing that really bothered in Disco Season 2.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The idea of renewable marriage contracts was a common bit of futurism in '70s SF, I believe.

Since Kathleen Sky, Gene Roddenberry and Bjo Trimble are long-time acquaintances/friends, I assume those SF think tank panels at the LA conventions, both Trek and general SF, would have also generated many sparks for people's novels and short stories. ("Vulcan!" would have been written before Roddenberry's TMP's novelization, but "Death's Angel" might have been written, or was being edited, after?)

Sorry to go off topic, but the openness of Section 31 was the one thing that really bothered in Disco Season 2.

I really don't see a problem. They would just go deep even if told to disband. Plenty of time to "vanish" from plain sight.

 

[Christopher]

Sorry to go off topic, but the openness of Section 31 was the one thing that really bothered in Disco Season 2.

In a way, though, it made more sense of it. As I've remarked many times before (and addressed in Patterns of Interference), the idea that any large conspiracy could be kept secret for centuries is preposterous. There are always going to be leaks or mistakes or people with bouts of conscience or investigators who dig deeply enough, so eventually any sizeable conspiracy will be exposed. It makes far more sense if S31 was a formerly open organization that was apparently disbanded but got clandestinely revived sometime later.

 

[JD]

I just thought that if it had been openly active that recently, the characters in DS9 would have at least been aware of them, but it DS9 nobody had ever heard of the organization at all.
It wasn't enough to effect my overall enjoyment of the season, which I loved, it was just the one thing that bugged me with the story.