The whole point of fanfic, part 3
Mar. 25th, 2026 10:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kathleen_daileyJust when I'm about to give up on finding a non-run-of-the-mill, TOS-centric fic that engrosses, provokes thought, and assumes a reader's willingness to reflect and theorize along with the author, AO3 offers me this:
"The Proliferation Problem (or: David Marcus Built a Garden Tool)" by InForestPlace
Rating: General audiences
Warnings: No archive warnings apply
Fandoms: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Fandom, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Fandom
Characters: David Marcus, James T. Kirk, Khan Noonien Singh, Carol Marcus
Author's summary: David Marcus died believing Starfleet wanted to weaponize his work. He was right that it was beautiful. He was wrong about almost everything else. A structural analysis of what Genesis actually was, what Khan understood immediately, what Starfleet could not explain, and why Kirk's hand went against the glass.
The author's note calls this work "meta-fic," but except for a specific mention of "TWOK" it reads like a wholly in-universe post-mission analysis, prepared by, perhaps, a respected military historian or political-science scholar, and delivered--not in an academic journal but in person at some high-level meeting, because the piece is informal, personal, and reflective--to very senior Federation policy makers and Starfleet leadership.
And this author can write: the style, pacing, and structure of the story are all very skillfully handled.
The story captured my interest from the very first line. An impressive find.
"The Proliferation Problem (or: David Marcus Built a Garden Tool)" by InForestPlace
Rating: General audiences
Warnings: No archive warnings apply
Fandoms: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Fandom, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Fandom
Characters: David Marcus, James T. Kirk, Khan Noonien Singh, Carol Marcus
Author's summary: David Marcus died believing Starfleet wanted to weaponize his work. He was right that it was beautiful. He was wrong about almost everything else. A structural analysis of what Genesis actually was, what Khan understood immediately, what Starfleet could not explain, and why Kirk's hand went against the glass.
The author's note calls this work "meta-fic," but except for a specific mention of "TWOK" it reads like a wholly in-universe post-mission analysis, prepared by, perhaps, a respected military historian or political-science scholar, and delivered--not in an academic journal but in person at some high-level meeting, because the piece is informal, personal, and reflective--to very senior Federation policy makers and Starfleet leadership.
And this author can write: the style, pacing, and structure of the story are all very skillfully handled.
The story captured my interest from the very first line. An impressive find.
