“Ghost-Walker” by Barbara Hambly.
Finished “Ghost-Walker” by Barbara Hambly.
It's good on a number of levels. Not the least of which as a ghost story, which is appropriate for the time of year.
Enterprise is delivering a team of Federation scientists to study the culture of the Midgwis. A world between Federation and Klingon space, and previously contacted by the Klingons, who the Midgwis managed to repel.
On the way to the planet, Kirk strikes up a relationship with Hellen Gordon, one of the scientists. She is left with the choice, to stay on Midgwis with the scientists, and continue her scientific career, or to stay with Kirk. Joining Starfleet, and the crew of the Enterprise as a low ranking Science division assistant.
The Midgwins are an intelligent species, though leading a rustic preindustrial life. They're communal, tribal in a way, to the point that the Klingons didn't consider them sentient at first. Any contact with the outside galaxy would make for a drastic change in their way of life. A lot could be said about the Prime Directive, but the Federation is compelled to step in because they feel if they don't, the Klingons will. At least with the Federation, the cultural impact on Midgwis would be less bad.
After the Klingons leave, the Federation establishes contact with their usual offer of assistance and partnership. Most of the Midgwins are amenable, but a small faction including Yarblis Geshkerroth known as the “Ghost-Walker” by his people, who was largely responsible for repelling the Klingons, are distrustful. Even after reading Kirk's mind to verify his true intent.
When I say that it's good on a number of levels, we're already exploring the colonial relationship of the Federation and Klingons to other cultures in their overlapping spheres of influence, and the difficulty of a civilian choosing between pursuing their own career, or a romantic relationship with a Starfleet officer, while touching on the friendship that Hellen has taken up with Uhura and Chapel while on board. There are poignant themes being handled fairly well and giving the reader a lot to consider AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE MAIN PLOT YET.
Hellen chooses to stay aboard the Enterprise, join the crew, and stay with Kirk. But not long after they've returned to the ship and broken orbit, strange things start to happen. McCoy's lab is ransacked, though the door was locked, so there's no way in or out. Reports of noises and other unusual activity on the lower decks. Poltergeist like activity, making the crew aware of an alien intruder aboard. And they've lost contact with the scientists back on Midgwis, so they turn back, all the while trying to find the troublesome spirit haunting the ship.
I'm glossing over some detail at this point to avoid spoilers. I appreciated being able to get to this point unspoiled, and other readers coming new to this book would appreciate it too. And yes, it's a 30 year old book, and it's all over Memory Beta already for those who want to know, and if I'd planned to discuss in more detail I might have to. But I'm not planning on doing that at this time, so I won't.
It suffers a little bit from the classic “The villain was right, but went too far” trope. Because the villain's motivations were right to an extent. The Midgwins could not pursue a diplomatic relationship with the Federation without fundamentally changing who they are as a species. Even though the Federation's intentions are benign, it stands to dramatically change who they are as a species, and as a culture, and their relationship to their world. They're be right to proceed carefully. They're right to take deep consideration into how contact with outside influences, even benign and well meaning influence, will change their culture.
There's a thematic parallel with Hellen Gordan's choice to consider as well. A young, up and coming scientist, on her first long term field assignment, falling in love with a Starfleet captain who's going to warp off into the sunset and maaaaaaybe be back in 6 months assuming he doesn't get reassigned somewhere else. Or, she could abandon her career, join Starfleet to be with him, starting as a low ranking Science officer. How will pursuing that relationship fundamentally change who she is? Her career path? Kirk will never give up his career, and she knows that, so the choice falls to her, which path to pursue. And not for the first time in novels, or even in canon. Carol Marcus, Ruth Bonne, Charlotte Sanchez, probably others I'm forgetting. I've noticed a particular theme with other Starfleet officers in this era in relationships with civilians, leaving partners home with families for months or years at a time. The alternative being to choose between their career or their relationship. Kirk's own parents even struggled with this.
There are other topics touched on, and handled about as well as can be expected, but that would require spoiler discussion. But there's a lot going on, and well recommended if you prefer your Trek a little bit heady. Though maybe not for young children.