Provenance of Shadows is the first book in the Crucible trilogy of Star Trek: The Original Series novels written by David R. George III released as part of the 40th Anniversary of The Original Series. The trilogy explores how the events of the TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" affected the lives of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk. This novel focuses on McCoy.
Description[]
- IN A SINGLE MOMENT
- ...the lives of three men will be forever changed. In that split second, defined paradoxically by both salvation and loss, they will destroy the world and then restore it. Much had come before, and much would come after, but nothing would color their lives more than that one, isolated instant on the edge of forever.
- IN A SINGLE MOMENT
- ...Leonard McCoy, displaced in time, saves a woman from dying in a traffic accident, and in so doing alters Earth's history. Stranded in the past, he struggles to find a way back to his own century. But living an existence he was not meant to, he will eventually have to move on, and ultimately face the shadows born of his lost life.
- IN A SINGLE MOMENT
- ...Leonard McCoy, displaced in time, is prevented from saving a woman from dying in a traffic accident, allowing Earth's history to remain unchanged. Returning to the present, he encounters a medical mystery he is committed to solving. But the echoes of an existence he never lived haunt him, and the specter of a premature death will bring him full circle to the shadows he has never faced.
References[]
Characters[]
- Helena Albrecht • Farraj al-Saliba • Althouse • Gregg Anderson • Tonia Barrows • Jimmy Bartell • Paul Bates • Ricardo Beltrán • Berkeley • Randi Bryce • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Jimmy Clayton • Cortez • Beverly Crusher • Data • Delta • Lisa Dennehy • Vincent DeSalle • Lynn Dickinson • Philip Dickinson • Marcella DiFalco • Doran • Dorsant • Billy Fuster • David Galloway • Dwight Gladdy • Pru Glaston • Golec • Bill Hadley • Jana Haines • Immamura • John Harriman • Harrison • Faith Homeyer • Zahra Jamal • Edith Keeler • James T. Kirk • Jonsa • Westervliet Komack • Korax • John Kyle • Lai • Ryan Leslie • Lukoze • William Lyles • Duncan MacNair • Jabilo M'Benga • Joanna McCoy • Leonard McCoy • M'Ress • Natira • Heihachiro Nogura • Daisy Palmer • Woodward Palmer • Sitara Rahda • Janice Rand • Robitaille • Benny Russell • Turner Robinson • Saavik • Antonia Salvatori • Ignacio Sanchez • Sarek • Montgomery Scott • Shaw • Shivol • Spock • Gillian Taylor • Temple • Thraza • Tiroli • T'Lar • Tulugaq • Nyota Uhura • Vort • Doug Warnick • Millie Warnick • Petra Zabrzeski • Zarabeth • Olga Zhuravlova
- Referenced only
- Daniel Alden • Alice • Robert April • Aristotle • Newton Armitage • Margaret Atwood • Bo Bartell • Ray Bolger • Lewis Carroll • Lance Cartwright • Samuel Clemens • John Christopher • Billy Claiborne • Ronald Coleman • Nancy Crater • Emony Dax • Richard Daystrom • Willard Decker • Delgado • Olivia de Havilland • Lisa Dennehy • Mary Denton • Randy Denton • Tommy Denton • Willard Decker • Jefferson Donner • Elaan • John Farrell • Edward Fisher • Jerry Freeman • Billy Fuster • Gallagher • Arlene Galway • Mahatma Gandhi • Greer Garson • George • Gorkon, son of Toq • Gracie • Amanda Grayson • Audie Glaston • Amanda Grayson • Guardian of Forever • Mattea Hahn • John "Blackjack" Harriman • Henderson • Hirohito • Adolf Hitler • Faith Homeyer • Horta • I-Chaya • Becky Jensen • Ducky Jensen • Danny Johnson • Leila Kalomi • Rayna Kapec • Korlant • Alexander Kirk • Aurelan Kirk • George Samuel Kirk, Jr. • George Samuel Kirk, Sr. • Julius Kirk • Peter Kirk • Winona Kirk • Koloth • Roger Korby • Geordi La Forge • Ryan Leslie • Losira • David McCoy • Eleanora McCoy • Jocelyn McCoy • Miramanee • Gary Mitchell • Shiboline M'Ress • Harry Mudd • Benito Mussolini • Jawaharlal Nehru • Harriet Nelson • Ozzie Nelson • Ray Peavey • Elizabeth Palmer • Henry Palmer • Justin Palmer • Woody Palmer • Phanomyong • Christopher Pike • William T. Riker • Rodent • Franklin D. Roosevelt • Hiram Roth • Sakar • J.D. Salinger • Santa Claus • Sarek • salt dependent creature • Gary Seven • Shalira • Michal Smitonick • James Stewart • George Stocker • Sybok • T'Lar • Alfred Tennyson • Harry S. Truman • Mark Twain • Tyree • Jules Verne • V'Ger • Olivia Warnick • Viola Warnick • H. G. Wells • Thornton Wilder • Zhontu
Locations[]
- Alpha V colony (Memory Apsû) • Deneb IV • Deneva • Earth (Atlanta, Georgia • Angel Island • Avenue Valent • Brooklyn • Brooklyn Bridge • Bruggeman-Johnson Medical Research Center • Druid Hills • Erickson Transporter Complex • Georgia • Golden Gate Bridge • Hayden, South Carolina • Hudson River • Iowa • Lost River, Idaho • Lubyanka Square • Madame Chang's Mandarin Cafe • Manhattan • Naker Square • New York City • New York City Subway • New York Public Library • Pentabo • Riverside • Russian Hill • Russian Hill Tower • Saint Patrick's Cathedral • San Francisco • San Francisco Bay • Times Square • Twenty-First Street Mission • United States Capitol • Washington, DC) • Gateway (Einstein Station) • Ingraham B • Levinius V • Sarpeidon • Space Lab Regula I • Starbase 10 (Starlight on the Water) • Starfleet Headquarters • Verillia (Pentabo) • Yonada
- Referenced only
- Alonis • Altair • Amusement Park planet • Aquarius Formation • Beta Omicron Delta III • Beta III • Beta Portolan • Beta Quadrant • Black Star • Canopus Planet • Daran V • Deep Space KR-3 • Deneva • Dramia • Earth (Africa • Argentina • Asia • Atlantic Ocean • Australia • Belgium • Boston • Brazil • Brisbane • Canada • Canberra • Cardiff • Central America • Charleston, South Carolina • Charlotte, North Carolina • Chile • China • Colorado • Czechoslovakia • Denmark • Dublin • Edinburgh • Eiffel Tower • Estonia • Europe • France • Germany • Gotthard Base Tunnel • Great Britain • Grand Canyon • Grand Central Terminal • Greece • Guam • Half Moon Bay • Hastings • Hawaii • Hudson River • Ireland • Italy • Japan • Kansas • Kharkov • Kiev • Diogenes Laërtius • Latvia • Leningrad • Lithuania • London • Luxembourg • Massachusetts • Melbourne, Australia • Mexico • Mill Valley • Minsk • Netherlands • New Mexico • New Orleans • New Zealand • North America • Norway • Odessa • Oklahoma • Pacific Ocean • Pearl Harbor • Peru • Philadelphia • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Richmond, Virginia • Rome • Russia • San Luis Rey • Sausalito • Sevastopol • South America • South Carolina • Soviet Union • Spain • Switzerland • Sydney • Tennessee • Texas • Tombstone, Arizona • Victoria Falls • Yugoslavia) • Eminiar • Exo III • Gamma Hydra IV • Genesis Planet • Ingraham B • Janus VI • Levinius V • Mantilles (Ravent) • Omega IV • Omicron Ceti III • Orion • Pallas XIV • Psi 2000 • Rigel • Space Station K-7 • Starbase 9 • Starbase 13 • Tarsus IV • Theta Cygni XII • Triskelion • Troyius • Vendikar • Vulcan (Mount Seleya) • Zeno
Starships and vehicles[]
- aircraft • airpod • USS Alar • USS Algonquin • automobile • HMS Bounty • Caroline Herschel • USS Clemson • USS Enterprise • USS Enterprise-A • USS Enterprise-B • USS Enterprise-D • USS Excelsior • Galileo (type-6 shuttlecraft) • IKS Goren • USS Grampus (light cruiser) • IKS Gr'oth • USS Hood • Kepler (shuttlecraft) • maglev • Messerschmitt • USS Minerva (Paladin-class destroyer) • monorail • Newton • pickup truck • IKS Rikkon • Shras • IKS Vintahg
- Referenced only
- USS Algonquin (Canada-class) • USS Appomattox • USS Arizona (battleship) • Chawla • Douglas DC-3 • USS Enterprise-C • USS Exeter • freighter • garbage scow • USS Gödel (science vessel) • USS Reliant • Reykjavik (transport ship) • USS Sakar (science vessel) • Seydlitz (aircraft carrier) • USS Tucker • USS Yorktown
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • Fabrini • Human (Inuit) • Ilyran • Klingon • Otevrel • Verillian • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Chenari • Coridan • Horta • Human (British • English • French • German • Irish • Italian • Japanese • Russian • Scottish • Welsh) • Kalandan • Kelvan • Melkotian • Organian • Phylosian • Providers • Romulan • Vedala
States and organizations[]
- American Pacifist Movement • Bruggeman-Johnson Medical Research Center • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Emory University • Federation Council • New York Public Library • Ravent General Hospital • Starfleet • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Operations • United Federation of Planets • United States of America • University of Alpha Centauri
- Referenced only
- Maritime Cetacean Institute • Guelph-Waterloo Institute • Nazi Germany • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Military Operations • United States Army • University of Mississippi • Vulcan Science Academy
Science and classification[]
- alien • alternate timeline • anesthetic • anthropology • antibiotic • antigrav • antigrav cart • archaeology • asteroid • atomic bomb • bacteria • beaker • Big Bang • biology • biophysics • black hole • blood • botany • burner • centimeter • cheekbone • chronometric particle • chroniton • communicator • cordrazine • cosmology • data card • dilithium • disease • disruptor • duranium • environmental suit • epilepsy • evolution • Fabrini medical database • firearm • genetics • hair • hand scan • heating element • hydrogen peroxide • ileum • immunoglobulin • inductor manifold • influenza • intake manifold • intercom • internal medical scan • laser cannon • light • light-year • liquid • main deflector dish • medication • minute • necrotizing fasciitis • phenytoin • phaser • photon torpedo • Planck time • probability wave function • procaine • quantum physics • retina scan • Riemann Hypothesis • Rigelian fever • science • screen • second • skin graft • starship • star system • stethoscope • stomach • subatomic physics • subspace • subspace communication • surgery • suspended animation • synthococcus novae • telephone • test tube • time • tractor beam • transparent aluminum • tricorder • tritanium • tuberculosis • turbolift • Unified Field Theory • universe • Vegan choriomeningitis • V-2 rocket • viewscreen • warp engine • warp field • xenopolycythemia
Occupations and titles[]
- admiral • anthropologist • biologist • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of Starfleet Operations • chirurgeon • commander • deputy governor • detective • doctor • governor • high priestess • knight • marine biologist • nurse • officer • physician • physicist • priest • psychiatrist • scientist • specialist • street vendor
Other references[]
- March 1930 • 22 February 1931 • 8 September 1955 • 20th century • The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet • Albasynnia affair • almond • Augments • Award of Valor from Starfleet Surgeons • ballroom dancing • baseball • Battle of Narendra III • Battle of Portmagee • Between Two Seas • blastoneuron • book • bookstore • bourbon • The Bridge of San Luis Rey • capitalism • carafe • Carrington Award • The Catcher in the Rye • chair • champagne • chocolate • choli • Christianity • Christmas • closet • clothing • Clouds of Nameless Trouble • coffee • container • Corriere della Sera country • day • Declaration of Independence • desk • diamond • dollar • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde • drawer • drink • earthquake • enlistment agreement • fabric • Fabrini • fal-tor-pan • The Far-off Interest of Tears • fencing • five-year mission • folk music • funeral • gambling • glass • Goodbye, Mr. Chips • Great Depression • Great Expectations • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral • gymnasium • hardcover book • history • horse • hospital • humpback whale • identification badge • ikebana • In Dying Songs a Dead Regret • Instrument of Obedience • jenli • jewelry • joke • katra • Klingon border • knife • Kolinahr • lance • landing party • Landru • language • le-matya • library • Life Before Man • The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII • logic • Lost Horizon • M-5 computer • Madame Curie • Magna Carta • Manhattan Project • marriage • military • mind meld • mint • mint julep • Moonlit Waters • Mrs. Miniver • nation • The New York Times • newspaper • Nobel Prize • Nomad • notepad • novel • office • Old West • Oracle of the People • Organian Peace Treaty • Organon • painting • paper • parrises squares • Ph.D. • The Philadelphia Enquirer • philosophy • planet • poetry • Prime Directive • Random Harvest • rank • Rostopovich-Batista safeguards • sari • Saurian brandy • sector • shelf • sickbay • Silver Moon Single-Barrel • slacks • slate • smock • soul • Space amoeba • Starfleet uniform • Tan Ru • The Star Dispatch • Starfleet Legion of Honor • The Stars, Blindly Run • status epilepticus • supernova • tea • The Times-Picayune • tranya • tunic • uniform • visitor's badge • Voyager 6 • Vulcan nerve pinch • water • wine • The World • The Great War • World War II • year • Zee-Magnees Prize
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever"
- TOS episode: "Operation -- Annihilate!"
- TOS episode: "Shore Leave"
- TOS episode: "Spectre of the Gun"
- TOS episode: "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"
- TOS episode: "All Our Yesterdays"
- TAS episode: "Yesteryear"
- TNG episode: "Encounter at Farpoint"
- TOS movie: The Motion Picture
- TOS movie: The Wrath of Khan
- TOS movie: The Search for Spock
- TOS movie: The Voyage Home
- TNG movie: Generations
Background[]
- The story provides an alternative description for the events of Captain Kirk's second five-year mission aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).
- An excerpt from this novel was published in issue 128 of the Star Trek Magazine.
- Kirk's nephews, Alex, Julius, and Peter, the first two of whom were named as such in The Last Roundup, are mentioned again...but in reverse order of age.
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Constellations |
TOS novels | Next novel: The Empty Chair Rihannsu, Book Five |
| Previous novel: First in trilogy |
Crucible | Next novel: The Fire and the Rose |
| Previous story: Iron and Sacrifice Tales from the Captain's Table |
Stories by: David R. George III |
Next story: The Fire and the Rose Crucible |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Shades of Gray |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Vectors Double Helix |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2366. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 36 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: The Fire and the Rose Timeline 1 Chapter 6, section 1; chapters 8, 11, 13, 15, 17 & Intersection: Crucible Crucible |
1930 Timeline 2 Overture & chapters 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 |
Next adventure: Triptych Chapter 1, sections 1 & 2; chapter 2, sections 1 - 5 & chapter 3, sections 1 - 7 Strange New Worlds II |
| Previous adventure: Disappearance on 21st Street Strange New Worlds V |
1931 to 1937 Timeline 2 Chapters 12 - 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 - 28, 30, 32 & 34 |
Next adventure: Captain Proton and the Orb of Bajor Strange New Worlds IV |
| Previous adventure: Far Beyond the Stars Chapters 10, 13, 16 - 17, 24, 26 & 32 - 35 |
1941 Timeline 2 Chapters 36 & 38 |
Next adventure: Home is the Hunter Chapters 5, 9, 12, 17, 23, 26, 31, 37 & 40 |
| Previous adventure: Storm Front |
1944 Timeline 2 Chapter 40 |
Next adventure: Trapped in Time Chapters 4 - 11 |
| Previous adventure: Trapped in Time Chapters 4 - 11 |
1946 Timeline 2 Chapter 42 |
Next adventure: Little Green Men Past |
| Previous adventure: From History's Shadow Chapters 3 & 4 |
1948 to 1949 Timeline 2 Chapters 44 & 46, section 1 |
Next adventure: Elusive Salvation Chapters 8 & 9 |
| Previous adventure: From History's Shadow Chapters 6 - 8 |
1952 Timeline 2 Chapter 46, section 2 |
Next adventure: When the Stars Come a-Calling Star Trek: Special |
| Previous adventure: Isolation Ward 4 Strange New Worlds IV |
1954 Timeline 2 Chapter 48, 50 & 52, section 1 |
Next adventure: From History's Shadow Chapter 10 |
| Previous adventure: A Bomb in Time Kirk's time travel |
1955 Timeline 2 Chapter 52, section 2 |
Next adventure: Summer Days Can Last Forever Star Trek: Explorer |
| Previous adventure: The City on the Edge of Forever |
Early April 2267 Chapter 1, 3 & 5 |
Next adventure: Forgotten History Chapter 1, section 2 Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations |
| Previous adventure: Operation -- Annihilate! |
Later April 2267 Chapter 7, sections 1 & 2 |
Next adventure: The Winged Dreamers Star Trek: The New Voyages |
| Previous adventure: The Leader Constellations |
Early May 2267 Chapter 7, sections 3 & 4 |
Next adventure: Indomitable Strange New Worlds VII |
| Previous adventure: The Disinherited |
Early June 2267 Chapters 9 & 11 |
Next adventure: Sweet Sorrow Star Trek: New Visions |
| Previous adventure: Spectre of the Gun |
April 2268 Chapter 14 |
Next adventure: What Judgments Come Chapters 1 - 39 Star Trek: Vanguard |
| Previous adventure: Cloak Star Trek: Section 31 |
circa September 2268 Chapter 16 |
Next adventure: For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky |
| Previous adventure: For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky |
circa September 2268 Chapters 18 & 20 |
Next adventure: The Badlands, Part I |
| Previous adventure: All Our Yesterdays |
March 2269 Chapter 22, section 1 |
Next adventure: Forgotten History Chapter 3, section 2 Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations |
| Previous adventure: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh Chapters 16 - 18 |
May 2269 Chapter 22, section 2 |
Next adventure: In the Maze Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 |
| Previous adventure: The Final Voyage |
December 2270 Chapter 24 & 26 |
Next adventure: The Fire and the Rose Chapter 19, sections 2 & 3 Crucible |
| Previous adventure: The Motion Picture The Motion Picture (Marvel) |
August 2273 Chapter 29, section 1 |
Next adventure: V'Ger The Motion Picture (Marvel) |
| Previous adventure: Ex Machina Prologue, chapters 1 - 17 & 19 |
September 2273 Chapter 29, section 2 |
Next adventure: Pawns and Symbols Chapters 1 - 4 |
| Previous adventure: Past Imperfect Untold Voyages |
2276 Chapter 31 |
Next adventure: The Star to Every Wandering Chapter 8, section 2 & chapter 9, section 2 Crucible |
| Previous adventure: Foundations, Book Three Star Trek: Corps of Engineers |
2280 Chapter 33 & 35 |
Next adventure: The Pandora Principle |
| Previous adventure: The Sundered Chapter 14, section 3 |
2282 Chapter 37 |
Next adventure: The Star to Every Wandering Chapters 1 & 2, section 1 & chapter 6, section 2 Crucible |
| Previous adventure: Elusive Salvation |
2283 Chapter 39, section 1 |
Next adventure: The Darkness Drops Again Epilogue Mere Anarchy |
| Previous adventure: The Star to Every Wandering Chapter 12, section 2 Crucible |
2284 Chapter 39, section 2 & chapter 41 |
Next adventure: So Near the Touch Flashback |
| Previous adventure: Seasons of Light and Darkness |
March 2285 Chapter 43, section 1 |
Next adventure: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh Chapter 26 |
| Previous adventure: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock |
2285 Chapter 43, section 2 |
Next adventure: A Vulcan, A Klingon, and an Angel Star Trek III Short Stories |
| Previous adventure: The Fire and the Rose Chapter 18, section 2 Crucible |
2286 Chapter 45 |
Next adventure: Choices! |
| Previous adventure: The Rift |
2287 Chapter 47, section 1 |
Next adventure: The Sorrows of Empire Chapter 39 |
| Previous adventure: The Tree of Life, the Branches of Heaven |
2289 Chapter 47, section 2 |
Next adventure: Echoes of Yesterday 2289 storyline |
| Previous adventure: Excelsior: Forged in Fire |
January 2290 Chapter 49 |
Next adventure: Housewarming Star Trek: Explorer |
| Previous adventure: The Star to Every Wandering Chapters 15 - 18, section 1 Crucible |
2293 Chapters 51 & 53 |
Next adventure: The Fire and the Rose Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 - 10 & 12 Crucible |
| Previous adventure: Obligations Discharged Strange New Worlds VII |
2294 Chapter 54, section 1 |
Next adventure: The Fire and the Rose Chapters 14 & 16 Crucible |
| Previous adventure: Pathways Chapter 14, section 4 |
2299 Chapter 54, section 2 |
Next adventure: Cast No Shadow |
| Previous adventure: Encounter at Farpoint |
2364 Chapter 55 |
Next adventure: All Good Things... Chapters 3, 6, 7 - 8, 11, 15 - 16, 18, 20 - 21, 23 & 24 (Alternate timeline) |
Translations[]
- 2011
- German : Die Herkunft der Schatten, translated by Anika Klüver. (Cross Cult)
External Link[]
- Provenance of Shadows article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.