A review by taaya
The Autobiography of James T. Kirk by David A. Goodman
2.0
This was rather disappointing. First of all the writing style was somewhat slow to read. It's not bad in any way, but something in the style prevented me to reach my usual reading speed.
But the content buggs me more. I mean, Kirk is a character I just can't really like anyway. Too self-absorbed, boy-ish, sexist, adventurous, impatient in firing too soon and rushing in to break the prime directive again and again before trying other approaches. That's the Kirk portrayed in the show.
The Kirk in this book is even worse. Sabotaging love all around him, just because he screwed up his love life, hating on Klingons long before the trauma of losing his son, and basically brooding (or scheming) whenever he doesn't get his way. And all the while he's doubting himself - but changing his ways or at least getting a therapist? Nah, he's too much absorbed by his toxic masculinity to even think about that.
And everything comes back to Edith Keeler in this one. Why? He had a thing with her, sure, but not long enough to be love. (Neuroscience has found out it takes 6-8 months to become love.) In the show Kirk was even more heartbroken after Reyna died, until Spock took those memories - and he had only known Reyna for a day.
There are other annoying things:
- Kirk had a kid with the sex slave in Bread and Circusses
- Saavik is pregnant (either David or Spock is the father, in some other novels it is Spock)
- Star Trek V was just a movie created on a world they visited to tell about how the inhabitants of the world picture space travel
But what bugs me most is that it's ignoring canon in some things. And it's also ignoring both T'hy'la and the interview in which Roddenberry said Kirk and Spock love each other. I mean, 21st century and still authors are too scared to write what the CREATOR said is true?! Why?!
The only thing I liked about this book is that it's detached from religion. There are some hints to it, but Kirk is not religious and at least here it follows the show where religion is almost non-existent. After having read too many books where all characters are suddenly religious, this was actually a positive surprise. But the only one.
But the content buggs me more. I mean, Kirk is a character I just can't really like anyway. Too self-absorbed, boy-ish, sexist, adventurous, impatient in firing too soon and rushing in to break the prime directive again and again before trying other approaches. That's the Kirk portrayed in the show.
The Kirk in this book is even worse. Sabotaging love all around him, just because he screwed up his love life, hating on Klingons long before the trauma of losing his son, and basically brooding (or scheming) whenever he doesn't get his way. And all the while he's doubting himself - but changing his ways or at least getting a therapist? Nah, he's too much absorbed by his toxic masculinity to even think about that.
And everything comes back to Edith Keeler in this one. Why? He had a thing with her, sure, but not long enough to be love. (Neuroscience has found out it takes 6-8 months to become love.) In the show Kirk was even more heartbroken after Reyna died, until Spock took those memories - and he had only known Reyna for a day.
There are other annoying things:
- Kirk had a kid with the sex slave in Bread and Circusses
- Saavik is pregnant (either David or Spock is the father, in some other novels it is Spock)
- Star Trek V was just a movie created on a world they visited to tell about how the inhabitants of the world picture space travel
But what bugs me most is that it's ignoring canon in some things. And it's also ignoring both T'hy'la and the interview in which Roddenberry said Kirk and Spock love each other. I mean, 21st century and still authors are too scared to write what the CREATOR said is true?! Why?!
The only thing I liked about this book is that it's detached from religion. There are some hints to it, but Kirk is not religious and at least here it follows the show where religion is almost non-existent. After having read too many books where all characters are suddenly religious, this was actually a positive surprise. But the only one.