Spock: Messiah!

This novel was the second original full length novel to be published after the series, (after Spock Must Die!) published in 1976 by Bantam Books (and republished 1977, 1984, 1994)

The writing is flawed at best, downright insulting at worst. Basically they’re doing a cultural survey of a medieval society using an experimental form of neural link, collected by newcomer ensign george. She’s collected over 200 samples of these links and best matched them to the crew who’ll be doing the survey mission. But Ensign George is a woman invested in her work, methodical and with a secret crush on Spock. She spies the neural pattern of a belly dancer (their doppelgangers are called dops) and she decides to go with it, someone completely opposite of her and bam. Now she’s exuding sexuality as well as other things. Under the influence of this dop she decides to do the same with Spock and match him with someone with a high libido. Except this dop she’s chosen is also highly paranoid, meglomaniac, delusions of grandeur and a…yep messiah complex. We don’t know any of this at first of course, only that Spock stole some precious dilithium (trilithium actually ) crystals from the Enterprise, they can’t warp out and a radiation storm will render her uninhabitable in a little over a week. Kirk, McCoy, Chekov and Scotty will try many times to rescue Spock from this new personality whose set himself as a holy leader and with intents of cleansing the planet - with logical precision. 

Below are some *choice* diaogue excerpts (some funny, some grating)

“It was going to be a long evening. Kirk stripped, stepped into a shower cabinet set in one bulkhead, and set it for frigid needle spray. He gasped as the high pressure jets buffted his taut, muscular body, massaging and cleansing at the same time.” (thinking of Kirk as taut, muscular…)

“Sara did that?” (McCoy) said incredulously. “Jim, she couldn’t have. She’s one of the starchiest female I’ve run into in years. I gave her a friendly pat one day and she almost took my head off. It’s a shame such a lovely woman should have such anachronistic beliefs about the human body.”  Okay am I misreading where he patted her??

I regret to inform you that the Enterprise and her crew are at the mercy of a madman. Mr. Spock has gone insane. Can I get that on a greeting card?

We took off our clothes and made love. We were like two rutting cats. Way to describe sex with Spock, Ensign George 

When we locate (Spock), and our little sex machine gets him turned on, our problems will be solved.

Kirk raised his eyes to the figure’s face. He felt safe from detection behind his healer’s robe, buta glance from the Messiah made him turn away. As he did so, a soft sigh escaped his lips. “Spock…” tell me more 

(Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Chekov’s) hair, now dyed a purplish black, had been shaved on each side so that only a five-centimeter-wide strip remained. Thanks for the imagery

Chekov chortled. “Sara doesn’t need a Beshwa dop. As long as there are males around, our little belly dancer will be able to handle the situation. Right, little vabushka?” he said, reaching over as hif to pat her firmly rounded rump. “Ensign George to you, if you please,” she said. And keep your hands to yourself. My dop doesn’t engage in erotic play with children. - just in case there was doubt where the pat was going.

Are you out of your star-picking mind? - Bones.

“Besides, I think (The Messiah) has designs on our little ensign.” McCoy chuckled “I wouldn’t doubt it. When she tossed her G-string to the crowd on her final exit, I had a few myself.

Maleness is also used a couple of times as a euphemism for arousal. 

Woebegone was also used in a sentence.

Chekov also gets to scream.