TREK REVIEW: "Fear Itself" by James Swallow

Saru was, for many, the most interesting character in Discovery's first season. A genuinely new and fascinating creation, he stood out in a season that focused on Klingons and Vulcans and other familiar inhabitants of the Trek universe. Much of this was down to the performance of Doug Jones, but the concept of Saru and the writing of his character was just as important. It's no surprise, then, that the third Star Trek: Discovery novel features the Kelpien as its primary protagonist.

Many alien races in Star Trek are personifications of human traits. While they still have personalities and, when written well, distinct and complex characters, individuals of these races still embody these traits. Vulcans are logical and oppressed. Ferengi are greedy and opportunistic. Bajorans are spiritual and proud. Now we have Kelpiens, who are frightened. Despite its simplicity, it's a difficult concept to make work, and could so easily make for an unbelievable character who simply panics at every unexpected event. The sort of character who couldn't possibly make a credible Starfleet officer.

Fear Itself takes as its starting point the question: what would it be like to exist in that constant state of fear? How could that come about, and how would it manifest? How could someone live with it? James Swallow, one of the best of the Star Trek authors, gives us a fascinating exploration of Saru's character, looking at both how he is a typical Kelpien, and how he is different from the rest of his people. Much of the novel is told from Saru's perspective, and those scenes where he's absent involve other characters, mostly his colleagues, speculating on what makes him tick.

Saru is revealed to be an even more fascinating individual than he appears onscreen. In a permanent state of near terror, his nature could be a great weakness, but he turns it into a strength. He is revealed as someone who has honed his instincts to remarkable acuity. We learn that Kelpiens possess an electromagnetic sense, allowing Saru to perceive an aura around each being he meets. Saru is someone who is hyper-aware of everyone and everything around him, all the time.

We have some interesting insights into Saru's life before his rescue by Starfleet, but overall we get very little information about his homeworld (here named as Kaminar), probably because the showrunners are planning a visit to the planet in the new season. Most of the exploration, however, is of his time aboard the Shenzhou, and his unique approach to his duties. As well as a strength, it is made clear to him that his cautious nature is holding him back. He puts himself under constant scrutiny and compares himself to his crewmates, particularly the equally analytical but more headstrong Michael Burnham.

It's easy to see Saru's character as a metaphor for someone living with chronic anxiety, but in a high-functioning, proactive lifestyle. Fear Itself sees the Kelpien set out to prove himself when confronted with a delicate but clearly unethical situation, during which time he makes huge mistakes but learns just how to be the officer he knows he can be. It's to Swallow's credit that the novel is both an in-depth character study and a pacy, fun space adventure.

The novel's official blurb makes it clear it's all about Saru. What is unexpected is just how much of the established Trek universe it explores. The Shenzhou stumbles across a ship in distress, revealed to be from Peliar Zel. The Peliar, who were Federation members by the time of their television appearance in TNG: “The Host,” are here proudly independent, and only beginning their negotiations with the UFP. Aboard the ship are Gorlan refugees, a complex nomadic species with a truly unique society. The Gorlans are a perfect example of taking a tiny piece of Trek lore – a one-line mention in TOS, and in the Mirror Universe at that – and using it as a starting point to create an intriguing new element. Described as rather burly humanoids with four arms – I was put in mind of the Mystics from The Dark Crystal – the Gorlans have a difficult to translate language that Saru is uniquely equipped to decipher. His insight into their situation sparks an intervention that has huge knock-on effects. There are no obvious villains among the Gorlans or Peliar; everyone has a perspective that is understandable and relevant. To make matter worse, Peliar space is on the edge of Tholian territory, and their presence hangs over the narrative like a storm cloud.

In spite of featuring so much established Trek lore, Fear Itself feels original and inventive. We get some much needed exploration of the Shenzhou's crew, giving us more insight into Captain Georgiou and introducing new characters who become an important part of Saru's world. It's Saru who is the hero, though, and it's here that we can see the beginnings of his rise to command that we see in Discovery's first season. A must-read for anyone who enjoyed that series.

This review is also hosted, with extras, at Ex Astris Scientia