Header The Great Song: A Review of “The Tears of the Singers”

The Great Song: A Review of “The Tears of the Singers”

“Grief and loss aren’t necessarily bad things. Oftentimes we grow as a result of such experiences.” —Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

There are, to my knowledge, only two 80’s and 90’s era Star Trek Pocket books that star Uhura as the main character. The first is “Uhura’s Song” by Janet Kagan, and is a great favourite of mine. The second one is “The Tears of the Singers.” Written by Melinda Snodgrass, the same writer who gave us TNG episodes “The Measure of a Man” and “Ensigns of Command,” this novel gives us a rare glimpse into Uhura’s mind and heart. Some elements of the book did not age well, and there are as many missed opportunities as there were in “Uhura’s Song” to make Uhura the hero of her own story. But a novel that lets us get to know this underutilized character better is to be cherished.

(Pocket Books) The Tears of the Singers Cover
(Pocket Books) The Tears of the Singers Cover
Uhura: Starfleet Officer, Musician, and Woman

What I love best about this novel is how much it reveals to us about Uhura. We see her as an excellent officer who is efficient and good at her job, both as a bridge officer and a member of the landing party. More importantly, we learn that she loves her work, is deeply committed to Starfleet and cherishes the new experiences she garners as a comm officer on an exploratory mission. She enjoys the feeling of solid terra firma under her boots, but she never feels cramped onboard the starship.

Best of all, we learn that she cherishes ambitions for a ship and command of her own. We see her thrown into circumstances that force her to weigh what she really wants. Knowing from watching Captain Kirk just how much devotion to career it costs to become a starship captain, she asks herself if that is the right choice for her? Or does she want to settle down permanently, marry and have children? Does she have to choose between those two dreams, as a woman serving in Starfleet? It is good to see Uhura wrestling with these questions, just as Kirk did.

The Bad Boy of Classical Music

The novel opens upon Uhura, dressed to the nines and on Spock’s arm, off to a classical music concert on Starbase 24. The main attraction is virtuoso pianist Guy Maslin. Although his skill as a musician is equal to that of Mozart, as a person, he is spoiled, rude, entitled, disrespectful, arrogant… and desperately ill. And when he is asked to join the Enterprise on a mission requiring his musical skills, he and Uhura embark upon a troubling affair.

This is the most problematic element of an otherwise beautiful book. I would love to see a well-written love interest for Uhura. This is not it. Guy Maslin spends the entire novel disrespecting Uhura, trying to come between her and her work in Starfleet, being rude and dismissive of her, playing upon her pity with his serious health condition, and in general, showcasing a most unhealthy relationship. She tells him she won’t tolerate his behaviour toward her, but she spends the whole novel bringing him food, helping him pack for the landing party, and instructing him to stop calling her “Madame Starfleet.” During the dangers they encounter, confronting the Klingons, he clings to her like a frightened child.

Instead of using her gifts and talents as a musician, comm officer, and linguist, she steps aside to let him take charge of the mission. She spends the entire novel cradling him in her arms, begging him to take care of himself, and brushing the hair away from his forehead. The attraction she feels toward him is purely physical; there is no intellectual, emotional, or spiritual compatibility. She consents to become his lover because he wants her. As her feelings for him develop, she threatens to resign her Starfleet commission for his sake.

By the end of the novel, he has the eminent good sense to die in her arms. With his last breath, he implores her to pursue her dreams of becoming a starship captain.

(CBS) Uhura accompanying herself on the lute
(CBS) Uhura accompanying herself on the lute
O Tempora! O, Mores!

Had this book been written by a male writer of the eighties, I would have more easily understood. However, it was not. This kind of sexist language from a woman writer is troubling.

The grossest example of sexism was Kirk’s “male bias” toward Uhura. Instead of ascertaining that she was safe, cared for, and respected in her relationship, he records an official captain’s log, on the bridge, in front of her fellow officers, wondering what the outcome of this attachment was going to be and if Uhura’s efficiency as an officer was going to be compromised. And he does this right in front of Uhura.

Halfway through the book, it finally occurs to Kirk that he has a new love interest every week and no one questions his efficiency. But when Maslin passes away, instead of offering sympathy, he advises her to try to put her loss behind her, and forget.

Dr McCoy counters Kirk’s toxic masculinity by being a friend and ally to Uhura. He believes they should support her and be happy for her for choosing something besides Starfleet.

Et In Arcadia, Ego

But for all the problematic elements of this novel, it contains one of the most hauntingly beautiful settings in all of Trek. On the planet Taygeta, “an ice green sea lapped softly at the sparkling sands and crystal cliffs”, all lit by three moons. The planet is inhabited by seal-like creatures whose eyes are “the profound midnight blue of adulthood,” and those eyes see past time and into eternity. Whilst their offspring, the furry cubs, tumble and play and wrestle and hum on the beach, their parents are endlessly engaged in singing a siren-like song as intricate and as complex as a Bach cantata or a Mahler symphony.

Taygeta is far beyond the jurisdiction of the Federation and is vulnerable to fortune hunters and poachers. The Singers are hunted for the tears they shed when they are killed. The blue viscous liquid “tears” harden into gemstones and are prized on many worlds.

   I really struggled with this aspect of the book. How could the Federation stand by and permit this slaughter, just because it did not recognize the Taygetians as sentient intelligent beings? How could money be such a driving factor? This seemed anachronistic in the Star Trek universe, despite the strong environmental message. And finally, why did it take a galaxy-threatening subspace rift near the planet of Taygeta to finally draw the attention of Starfleet to the plight of that world?

(CBS) Uhura and Spock jamming together
(CBS) Uhura and Spock jamming together
Campfires, Cliffs, Coffee, and Kali

Spock draws a connection between the Great Song and the “phenomenon” in space. He works together with Maslin and Uhura, with the questionable aid of the Klingons who have shown up to investigate the phenomenon, on the planet’s surface. They discover that the song is a language that cannot be parsed by the UT, but that because of the poaching, parts of the song were missing. They learn that the Taygetans are able to manipulate their physical environment by their song, creating forests where there were deserts, and causing deserts to bloom. They further learn that the phenomenon was caused by a disruption of the harmonics in warp space brought about by the loss of the voices of the singers. They learn to communicate with the Singers through music, explain the danger the rift poses, and help the Taygetians to close it.

I enjoyed the inside look at the Klingons’ culture, most especially the return of Kor. Kor is by now a much older, wiser Klingon,  who no longer blindly accepts Empire propaganda and dogma. He has lost his taste for wholesale slaughter. He and Kirk fulfil the Organian’s prophecy by becoming friends, drinking Saurian brandy and working together, sharing their stories of command and solving problems.

We meet Kor’s new wife Kali, who likewise feels drawn to the humans and who is enchanted by the Great Song, and Kor’s best friend Kandi, who likes to importune Federation officers for trashy novels. Kali and Uhura create a lovely bond around the landing party’s campfire, as she shares a cup of coffee with the Starfleet people and listens to Uhura sing.

Requiem and Ratings

Much of this novel is the kind of writing we expect to see in fanfic. We expect to see professional work held to a somewhat higher standard.

However, the portrayal of the Taygetians, the insight into Uhura’s character, and the beautiful science fiction concept makes me love this deeply flawed novel. I give it three out of five blue crystal tears of the singers.

Author’s Note: Upon completing this piece, it was brought to my attention that one of the memorial plaques at Starfleet Academy, shown in Picard: “The Star Gazer,” was dedicated to Captain Nyota Uhura. Captain Uhura is canon. I can die happy!

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