Some Comments on "Troublesome Minds" (Possible Spoilers)

[Christopher]

I was thinking a telepathic race won't need hearing to know when a predator is near, since they would sense another being's emotion/thoughts long before it comes near them. slightly harder to explain would be cases like natural events, like volcano eruption, land slide, etc. but how often do those things happen? I don't think our hearings were evolved for those things. we don't have the senses like the animals do to feel the oncoming of an earthquake, for example. so it's not too hard to imagine that a telepathic race did not evolve hearing for natural disasters. they probably train themselves to tune to the natural world and sense the panic of the animals around and react accordingly.

Hearing evolved because it had many uses, including the ability to detect approaching storms, floods, and other dangers. It makes no sense to assume that an evolutionary process would be selective in its reasons for developing a specific sense. Evolution doesn't happen by conscious design. A trait develops to serve one purpose, and if it happens to provide another advantage, it can then evolve further to increase that advantage. The first creatures to evolve rudimentary hearing probably did develop it as an elaboration upon the ability to sense vibrations through their bodies. Vibration is vibration, regardless of the source.

And of course no species evolves in isolation. A humanoid is the end result of hundreds of millions of years of evolution from earlier multicellular forms. On Earth, hearing probably evolved before brains per se, certainly long before any kind of consciousness arose. So it's likely that if telepathy evolved on any given alien world, it would be long, long after hearing evolved. So the question isn't whether a telepathic race would need to evolve hearing; the question is whether having telepathy would make it unnecessary for that species to keep its ancestral ability to hear. On the whole, I'd say no; hearing is too useful for many functions beyond communication within one's own species, so telepathy would not justify the complete loss of hearing.

However, I gather from what Dave said above that only some members of the species in Troublesome Minds are deaf, not the entire species. That's more justifiable. It means that if deafness arose as a mutation in some of the population, it would be compensated for by the ability to communicate telepathically with others who could hear and could instantly share what they heard. So deaf individuals in such a species would not be weeded out by death to the same extent they'd be in a non-telepathic species, and thus congenital deafness would be able to spread further through the population -- not as an adaptive trait that would become dominant over time, but as a relatively harmless mutation that simply wouldn't be eliminated.

 

[Rosalind]

^ ok, that makes sense.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

considering there are a few species on Earth that are deaf, a telepathic race should have other way to perceive their environment.

But those are lower species of animals such as insects or mollusks that have the ability to sense vibrations in the surfaces they occupy, so they're still getting the equivalent of acoustical information. A humanoid, walking around with only a small surface area in contact with the ground, would not be able to rely on that.

On the other hand, maybe what you're suggesting is that a race with telepathic senses might have some sort of clairvoyance/remote viewing ability as well? Or maybe just the ability to use their psionic emanations as some sort of radar?

This is blindness, not deafness I'm talking about, of course, but something like the Aenar are implied to possess?

 

[KimMH]

Finally fnished last night. Wow! After a 30 year acquaintance with Spock I felt like he was an enigma again. His internal life was explored quite interestingly. The conclusion was not the only one I imagined but it felt very TOS era. Bravo!

I had been ruminating over the idea that humanity - which some literature and myth atrributes vestigial capabilities of telepathy my have evolved past the use of it to spoken language because of the need to defend one's thought from others. This book actually fed that idea in spite of going the other direction with telepathy as the primary communication form and sign language as the secondary backup form. It was interesting to read the book while I'd been thinking of the other - it put me in the same mind.

 

[KingstonTrekker]

Sorry it doesn't do it for you. It wasn't a rush job, I assure you. But, one can't be everyone's cup of tea.


Dave -- I just finished the book. First, I want to apologize for my earlier post -- now that I have read the whole book I can see the amount of energy, creativity, and thought which you put into it. It is an excellent TOS book -- one of the best.

I am embarrassed that I judged it prematurely based on the first 40 pages (which honestly did not grip me) -- it developed from there into a deep, involved, and moving novel. The ending was provocative and powerful. Spock has seldom received such excellent charactization in a TOS novel.

The ending reminded me of "Requiem for Methuselah" -- these events will impact Spock, Kirk, and McCoy for quite sometime.

One question -- I read a review that claimed that this novel is set near the end of the original 5 year mission. I did not find this referenced anywhere in the book. It makes sense though -- was it your intention to have these events serve as a possible catalyst for Spock leaving Starfleet to pursue Kholinar after the 5YM ended?


Rest assured that I will never post about another Star Trek novel (and I do read them all) until I have read the final page.

 

[KimMH]

^^^ welcome to the planet. I've made the same mistake before, too. It hardens your resolve to read before you post/think before you speak. These writers have more than pleasure reading in store for us! Sometimes you learn things you didn't expect . . .

 

[DaveGalanter]

and among whom were many deaf because--really, what did hearing matter among such a race?

Hearing comes in handy when there's no other telepath nearby to telepathically tell you that there's an avalanche about to bury you, or a runaway truck to hit you, or a wild animal growling at you, or that the timer's gone off and your supper's ready, etc.

My brother has yet to have been done in by any of those things. While I have yet to meet a deaf person more sensative to vibration or visual input than a hearing person, they are usually more observant of those things. As well, my brother, for instance, knows that he can't hear a train coming, and so he doesn't walk near train tracks.

Then Christopher said:

However, I gather from what Dave said above that only some members of the species in Troublesome Minds are deaf, not the entire species. That's more justifiable. It means that if deafness arose as a mutation in some of the population, it would be compensated for by the ability to communicate telepathically with others who could hear and could instantly share what they heard. So deaf individuals in such a species would not be weeded out by death to the same extent they'd be in a non-telepathic species, and thus congenital deafness would be able to spread further through the population -- not as an adaptive trait that would become dominant over time, but as a relatively harmless mutation that simply wouldn't be eliminated.

That's exactly right. Humans, in more primitive times, sometimes either killed off deaf people or refused to allow them to procreate, perhaps limiting the number of deaf. In the case of the Isitri, there was no need--the lack of ability to hear was less necessary and more akin to someone who can't smell or needs glasses for reading, so the population grew.

By the way, Christopher, deaf people often use vibration to get one another's attention. They will tap on a table or stomp a floor (if it conducts vibration--i.e. wood rather than concrete) to do this. When my brother and I lived together, and he was upstairs and I downstairs, to get him to come to the top of the stairs I would slam the back door three times. He'd feel it in his room and come see what I wanted.


Then KingstonTrekker (and by the way--I am thrilled you ended up liking the book! Thanks so much for the very kind words!):

One question -- I read a review that claimed that this novel is set near the end of the original 5 year mission. I did not find this referenced anywhere in the book. It makes sense though -- was it your intention to have these events serve as a possible catalyst for Spock leaving Starfleet to pursue Kholinar after the 5YM ended?

It's implied somewhat by the referencing of some earlier missions, but I've also said it in a couple of interviews. And yes, while I didn't want to come out and say it, I felt this would not be THE reason Spock decided to pursue Kholinar, but it would be one of the reasons which would push him toward that path. I believe in leaving things like that to the reader rather than spitting it out at them. One of my goals was to leave a lot to the reader in this book. When my brother read it he asked me if, at the end X was true or Y was true. (Don't want to spoil anyone.) I told him I didn't know. I intentionally didn't decide so that the reader could choose to believe what they think happened, and whatever they choose they are perhaps right.

 

[Christopher]

That's exactly right. Humans, in more primitive times, sometimes either killed off deaf people or refused to allow them to procreate, perhaps limiting the number of deaf.

Not what I was referring to. I was talking about natural dangers -- predators and other hazards -- weeding out those who weren't alert to them. People may be tolerant or intolerant, but nature itself is unforgiving.

 

[DaveGalanter]

That's exactly right. Humans, in more primitive times, sometimes either killed off deaf people or refused to allow them to procreate, perhaps limiting the number of deaf.

Not what I was referring to. I was talking about natural dangers -- predators and other hazards -- weeding out those who weren't alert to them. People may be tolerant or intolerant, but nature itself is unforgiving.

Once a society exists, others tend to help in times of natural disaster. Old people can't avoid hazards as easily either, nor can babies, but loved ones or others who care in intelligent societies help them.

Sadly, where the Deaf are concerned on this planet, eugenics was often encouraged. (Alexander Bell himself, with a deaf mother and a deaf wife, lobbied against both sign language AND deaf being allowed to marry other deaf.)

 

[Christopher]

^That's true, but the point is that when developing an alien race, one has to take environmental factors into account as well as social ones. As suggested above, it would be naive to claim that an entire telepathic species would be able to go without hearing, because that assumes that hearing is only necessary for communication, which is not true. My comments to which you responded were part of a discussion about the role of environmental factors in evolution. I'm simply clarifying that I was referring to that aspect of evolution rather than the social dynamics you mention.

 

[DaveGalanter]

^Understood, and that was the reason that all Isitri are NOT deaf. But I was specifically making a point about their society--that the reason they had a high deaf population was that they, perhaps unlike other races, neither saw a reason to "breed it out" nor "cure" it. When I said you were exactly right, I was saying that about the fact that not all Isitri were deaf. Then I was giving my reason for that.

 

[brandnewfan]

Hey Dave! I just picked up the book and was getting ready to start reading it. Before I begin any Trek book, I like to know in general around what time frame it occurs. When you were writing this one did you have a specific place in Trek continuity in mind for it to take place in? Thanks! Can't wait to start reading!!!

 

[DaveGalanter]

^No specific time frame, but toward the end of the first 5 year mission. Hope you enjoy!

 

[brandnewfan]

Awesome! Thanks! I'm only up to chapter 4 at the moment but I'm really liking it so far.

 

[dukesman]

Dave,

I just finished the book and I wanted to say thanks! I love all things about current serial Trek Lit, but a "one and done" adventure like this one is always welcome. Good characterizations of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and an intriguing alien species to go along with the appropriate moral dilemma make for perfect summer Trek reading! I hope you'll give us more Trek in the near future (unless there is a short story you've written in one of the MU collections, I don't recall.)

Also, thanks for jumping in with the rest of us here on the boards. Always nice to see the authors relating with the fans!

Thanks again and take care.

 

[DaveGalanter]

^I'm glad you enjoyed! No plans for anything right now, as I'm trying to focus on a social life. I have no doubt the time will come when I'm ready to write another Trek book, and I'm counting the minutes until those conditions are right.

 

[brandnewfan]

psh....we Trek fans don't *need* social lives.

 

[wew]

I read the book yesterday, it was definitely a short read, in fact that was probably the most disappointing about the book. But, guess you can't have everything.

I see the most interesting question being that of dealing with consequences (whether positive or negative) of our actions and their potential impact on others. In Kirk's case, a seemingly proper response has serious consequences at all sorts of levels from the personal to societal areas.

In this case, I like the fact to some degree that the reprecussions of Kirk's initial decision are not just wiped away or rebooted as if nothing has actually happened. Real losses on the societies and for Kirk, McCoy, and Spock; and most likely others occur.

I believe the book is thought provoking in terms of the question of dealing with repreccusions of our own actions. Hindsight as they say is 20/20, we deal with matters in a linear fashion since we can't forsee what comes in the future with 100% certainty. If Kirk could go back and change his decision would he or would not change his decision. Because what would be the case if he did.

If I recall one of the short stories written about DS9 dealt with the killing of Santa Anna while he was at the Alamo, which resulted in the new commander of the Mexican army going on and defeating Sam Houston's forces. Although only a holosuite story, it has a similar theme about decisions made and not made.

I really enjoyed the book and should Galanter's next book whenever he chooses to write one be of similar quality I wouldn't hesistate to buy it and to recommend it anyone.

 

[Supervisor 194]

I just finished the book, and thoroughly enjoyed it! It really took me back to the heyday of Pocket Books Trek novels of the 80s: imaginative, one-and-done stories that played similarly to the actual TV show.

Thinking along those lines, I was wondering who you might have cast as Berlis and Meshu had this actually been an episode (say, in a hypothetical fourth season)? Taking into account the actors of the day and the constraints of TV of the period, I think Robert Culp could have played a very nuanced Berlis, and Agnes Moorehead would have made a fine Meshu.

 

[DaveGalanter]

wew: I'm really glad you enjoyed!

Supervisor 194: That's an awesome question! I love the idea of Agnes Moorehead for Meshu. She was an amazing actress. Honestly, Kathryn Hays would have done a great job (Gem in "The Empath") if they aged her a bit.

While I think Culp is great, I'm not sure I'd picture him as Berlis. Could be, though. He, too, is a great actor. I'd picture someone a bit younger for him. Culp was 40 in 1970. Maybe Jack Wild for Berlis? (Jimmy in H.R. Puffinstuff.)