Uhura's Song - Janet Kagan Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Janet Kagan

"Uhura's Song"
Message Board

Janet Kagan Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: Tabitha Higgins

SCHOLARS:

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary

An unknown disease is ravaging the homeworld of the Eeiauoans, a graceful, cat-like species with Federation membership. The epidemic is so horrific that no one can find a cure, and there are not enough healthy Eeiauoans to care for those who are critically ill.

The only hope is found in old secret songs, which Uhura has learned from an Eeiauoan friend who is now also in a coma from this disease. The songs imply that this species had come from another world originally, and that the cure for this disease might come from there. The crew of the Enterprise set out to find this unknown planet, on nothing but the strength of a song. Finally locating the planet from the clues in an old children's rhyme ("Sivoa, where the North Star beats like the heart of a child" indicates a pulsar which had been the north star), Captain Kirk and an away team beam down and find a jungle civilization of creatures nearly the twin of the Eeiauoans.

These Sivoans are very friendly and welcoming to the away team, but they have heavy cultural restrictions against even discussing the Eeauoans, and no one can find out why. Eventually the team discover that they are believed to be children.
Tabitha Higgins, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Uhura's Song

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - fighting a disease/illness affecting everyone
Kind of series - Star Trek
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Star Trek or Star Wars book? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - diplomat
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - natural phenomena
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount

Setting
Terrain - Jungle
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - inhabited by friendly aliens
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to Uhura's Song
The Murdered Sun - Star Trek Voyager 6 by Christie Golden
Marooned - Star Trek Voyager 14 by Christie Golden
The Garden - Star Trek Voyager 11 by Melissa Scott
Caretaker - Star Trek Voyager by L.A. Graf
Immortal Coil - Star Trek The Next Generation by Jeffrey Lang

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 7/5/2008 11:53:33 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 7/5/2008 11:48:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best Doctor? 7/5/2008 4:23:13 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7/5/2008 2:40:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Newest slaves:
Luke Skywalker 8:00:53 PM
Athena 7:59:21 PM
Goodnight 7:58:42 PM
Captain Sisko 7:57:52 PM
Major Kira 7:57:52 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 7:53:49 PM
Rebecca DeMornay 7:53:34 PM
Heather Graham 7:50:21 PM
Princess Leia 7:50:00 PM
Counselor Deanna Troi 7:40:51 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)