Trek Crime Fiction

I went to a Star Trek convention and now we all have to suffer

I consider two fictional universes to be part of my DNA. One is The Lord of the Rings (which could be considered crime fiction—there is a very significant theft by a very unlikely burglar without which the plot would not plot) and the other is Star Trek. Which is how I found myself at Trek Long Island (a great con—check it out if you’re in the area next June) a few weekends ago.

True to form, the only purchase I made was a book, and a piece of crime fiction at that!

Reader,, I SCREAMED

I 100% judged this book if not by its cover (which was smart, this scene in no way occurs in the text) then definitely by its title. I love academia lit, I love murder mysteries, and I love the thought of Spock solving them. This novel . . . well, let’s just say that despite its 1984 publication date, it is a little *too* indebted to the conventions of the original series for my taste.¹ There’s lots of awkward descriptions of women; to wit:

She was exquisite—exactly the physical type that made Kirk’s blood pound in his arteries. Human, blond, petite, with a soft, innocent face and huge blue eyes. . . . He found most compelling the kind of highly-intelligent woman who looked as if she could get anything she wanted just by batting her big blue eyes.

Kirk ends up being the detective (really should have seen that coming), and does a . . . not great job? His process seems to involve making a list and not much else. Which, as someone who loves to make lists for projects and never follow through, I did find relatable. He is also only able to solve the case after the murderer tries and fails to kill him, so not quite ready for Scotland Yard.

And yes, he manages to get his shirt off.

But reading it reminded me of how many great episodes of Star Trek involve investigating and solving crimes. Here is a by no means comprehensive viewing guide for some episodes of Trek Crime Fiction:

• “Court Martial” (The Original Series; season 1 episode 20)

  • My favorite episode of TOS (sorry, “City on the Edge of Forever”) and in my top five of all the series. It finds Kirk accused of criminal negligence and perjury, and his court martial is a truly thrilling enactment of a frequent, and prescient, Star Trek plot: exploring the limitations of AI.

• “Wolf in the Fold” (The Original Series; season 2, episode 14)

  • This one finds Scotty credibly accused of being a serial killer. Like, really credibly accused.

The evidence is . . . more than circumstantial.

I won’t spoil the nearly fifty-year-old reveal, but for those who want a hint, check out my first True Crime Goes to London post.

• “The Drumhead” (The Next Generation, season 4, episode 21)

  • Oooh this is a goodie. Directed by Jonathan “Two Takes” Frakes himself, this episode, much like “Court Martial,” is a courtroom drama, and its scope similarly extends beyond the verdict on one particular crime. Suspicion of sabotage on the Enterprise leads to the revelation of a secret identity, the weaponization of Captain Picard’s past trauma, and one of the all-time great Speeches of Moral and Ethical Responsibility from Jean-Luc: “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.” Goosebunps.

• “Suspicions” (The Next Generation, season 6, episode 22)

  • For my Crusher Heads out there. Using the frame of retrospective narration to Guinan, Dr. Beverly Crusher explains the circumstances leading to her own impending court martial. This one involves racial profiling, an unexplained death, and some truly noir-ish detecting from BC, MD.

• And since we’re talking TNG and detective fiction, of course any episode involving this dapper detective about town is a must-watch.

Google “Dixon Hill” and thank me later.

• “In the Pale Moonlight” (Deep Space Nine, season 6, episode 19)

  • There are those who feel DS9 is not “real” Star Trek because there . . . isn’t a ship? I don’t know. But if you haven’t watched any episodes of this series, treat yourself to some of the finest sci-fi writing that has ever aired on network television. This episode, taking the form of a personal captain’s log entry from icon Benjamin Sisko, engages with and deconstructs Foucault’s concept of confession as obedience to and exposure of regimes of power. The pacing is exquisite, the performances exceptional, and it contains perhaps the most devastating and compelling last line of any Star Trek episode.

Thank you for indulging me in this geekfest over Star Trek! If there are any other inhabitants of the Venn diagram overlap between Trekkies and fans of crime fiction, let me know which episodes I missed!

1. I will say that the author, Jean Lorrah, seems like an absolute badass and a living legend in Trek fandom.