Seasons of Light and Darkness is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel, an eBook written by Michael A. Martin. Released in April 2014, it was the first of four TOS eBbooks released by Pocket Books during the 2010s decade. The framing story took place during the beginning of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, while the main story featured Leonard McCoy's first visit to Capella IV as mentioned in TOS episode: "Friday's Child".
Description[]
- An original Star Trek e-novella set in the Original Series universe, taking place prior to the events of the feature film The Wrath of Khan.
References[]
Characters[]
- Amy • Garrett Aylesworth • Efeer • Mohammed Girard • Huuk • Jeen • Keer (Capellan) • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Naheer • Phil Plait • Aaron Shellenbarger • Spock • Usaak • Rigby Wieland
- Referenced only
- Baan (Capellan) • Baan (myth) • Nancy Bierce • Eleen • Skyfather Gaar • Joanna McCoy • William Frederick McCoy • Naar • Mark Piper • Saavik • Jocelyn Treadway • V'Ger
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Enterprise-class refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Yegorov
- Referenced only
- USS Constitution • USS Farragut • USS Republic • tractor
Locations[]
- Capella (Capella IV • Baan • Eastgorge • Gaar) • Earth (Sausalito • San Francisco • San Francisco Bay • Starfleet Headquarters) • the galaxy
- Referenced only
- Altimara • New France colony • Saturn • Starbase 7 • Texas • Uranus • Valhalla • Vulcan
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation (Federation Resource Utilization Bureau • Federation Council) • French Foreign Legion • Starfleet (Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Medical) • Ten Tribes (Canyonfolk Tribe • Council of the Ten Tribes • Miir Tribe)
Science and classification[]
- allergy • Andronesian encephalitis • geology • lifeform • materials science • measurement • medical tricorder • medicine • medkit • medscanner • metallurgy • mineralogy • prefabricated shelter • presbyopia • replica • star (binary star • giant star • red dwarf • yellow star) • stardate • technology • transporter • transporter platform • tricorder • universal translator • warp drive • weapon • xenoimmunology
Lifeforms[]
- humanoid • Saccharomyces cerevisiae • Saccharomyces romii
Materials and substances[]
- alcohol • ale • anesthazine • antibiotic • antimatter • aphrodisiac • atmosphere • Bahamian whiskey • blood • bone • champagne • corophizine • fog • food • fruit • gas • granite • hydrogen • juice • meat • milk • mineral • Retnax 5 • Romulan ale • sedative • topaline • wood • X-ray • yeast
Measurement[]
- AU • centimeter • day • decade • century • kilometer • light year • month • year
Technology and weapons[]
- beacon • chronometer • communicator • data slate • desktop viewer • eyeglasses • food slot
Weapons[]
Occupations and titles[]
- admiral • aide • captain • chieftain • commander • doctor • duty officer • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2278-2350s) • flag officer • geologist • grand panjandrum • groomsman • high teer • hunter • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lieutenant junior grade • med-tech • midshipman • monk • nurse • officer • pirate • regent • science officer • security chief • security officer • senior officer • subchief • subteer • surgeon • Starfleet Surgeon General • talekeeper • warrior
Other references[]
- A Tale of Two Cities • alien • amnesia • animal • aurora • bacteria • barbecue • beam • birthday • boot • bridge • canyon • Capellan power cat • cargo hold • clothing • coma • concussion • continent • coup • crew • culture • disease • dishonorable discharge • divorce • earthquake • electricity • energy • Federation standard • fermentation • fire • flagship • funeral • funeral pyre • galaxy • galley • gold cadeusus • government • graveyard • handshake • hangover cure • hardcover • hayfever • headache • healing trance • Highland games • Hippocratic Oath • infection • infirmary • jacket • Kobayashi Maru scenario • landing party • library • life support • logic • magic • magnetic field • marriage • matter • medical • medical log • medical school • medical ship • meditation • memory • meter • mining • myth • nation-state • ocean • orbit • pants • pipe organ • planet • poker • pre-warp civilization • Prime Directive • quarters • quickblossom • races and cultures • rank • red tape • science • security • sedation • Ship's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) • shore leave • Skyfather festival • sorcery • space • star system • stardate • Starfleet regulations • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • starship • suicide • superstition • taboo • taboo • tent • tent of dying • time • title • transporter beam • tree • tumbler • tunic • uniform • uniform insignia • universe • Veganism • vegetarianism • wedding • wedding ring • year
Chronology[]
- 23rd century
-
- 2250s decade:
- 20 April 2254: Doctor Leonard McCoy is approved for a months-long mission to Capella.
- 11 July 2254: McCoy is struck by an electric discharge from a Capellan power cat on Capella IV.
- 13 July 2254: After two days in an induced coma, McCoy awakens.
- 19 August 2254: McCoy saves Phil Plait's life during a Capellan festival.
- 16 November 2254: Young hunter Naheer is gravely injured by a Capellan power cat. Subteer Keer refuses to allow Starfleet medical treatment.
- 17 November 2254: McCoy is prevented from secretly treating Naheer, who eventually dies from his injuries.
- 2260s decade:
- 13 May 2264: McCoy accepts Captain James T. Kirk's offer to become CMO of the USS Enterprise.
- 2280s decade:
- 22 March 2285: McCoy gives Romulan ale and a pair of eyeglasses to Kirk as birthday gifts. That evening, the doctor shares his Capellan experiences with Captain Spock.
- 23 March 2285: Kirk assumes command of the Enterprise during a Starfleet Academy training cruise and diverts the starship to Regula I.
- 2250s decade:
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: Friday's Child – Established the Capellans, McCoy's mission to Capella IV, and how a fruit offering could lead to combat.
- TAS episode & Log Six novelization: How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth – Established McCoy's familiarity with Capellan power cats.
- TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Wrath of Khan – McCoy's visit on Kirk's birthday was retold from the doctor's point of view.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: Amok Time – McCoy mentioned having been Spock's groomsman.
- TAS episode & Log Seven novelization: The Counter-Clock Incident – Introduction of the quickblossom, the fast-growing Capellan flower.
Background[]
- The framing story took place during the first and second day of the events in The Wrath of Khan. The epilogue took place in the early hours of the second day up through Kirk assuming command of the Enterprise.
- The prologue took place after the Kobayashi Maru scenario. It featured details not seen in the final film but included in the novelization, such as Kirk not knowing what glasses were.
- In his acknowledgements, author Michael A. Martin noted that he named the Yegorov for Boris Yegorov, the first medical doctor in space.
- Martin also explained that the background of how Kirk and McCoy first met was sourced from TOS novel: Crisis on Centaurus.
- The Hippocratic Oath was excerpted at the beginning of the ebook.
Continuity[]
- TOS - My Brother's Keeper novel: Enterprise stated that McCoy's visit to Capella took place ten year's later, in 2264.
Images[]
Cover image.
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: Its Hour Come Round Mere Anarchy |
TOS novels (eBooks) |
Next story: The More Things Change |
| Previous story: No Time Like the Past |
TOS novels (Pocket TOS paperbacks) |
Next story: Serpents in the Garden |
| Previous story: Fallen Gods |
Stories by: Michael A. Martin |
Next story: latest story |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Captain's Log: Pike Captain's Log |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Conflicting Natures Enterprise Logs |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2254. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 2 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Burning Dreams Chapter 20, section 1 |
2264 | Next adventure: Mirror Images, Issue 1 Mirror Images |
| Previous adventure: The Wrath of Khan |
2285 | Next adventure: The Wrath of Khan |
External links[]
- Seasons of Light and Darkness article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Seasons of Light and Darkness review at TrekCore.
- Seasons of Light and Darkness article with Chapter 1 excerpted at Simon & Schuster.com.