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DS9 Genetic Enhancement Related Content Roundup Post

So. Star Trek Deep Space Nine introduced the idea of genetically enhanced Julian Bashir, essentially hand-waved any problems this could cause for him, and only really explored the issue in two more episodes and one joke. Bad form, right? Thankfully, more content exploring this plot point exists, in both fanfiction and, for those who want something they can buy, in the DS9 relaunch novels. Part one of this post rounds up fanfiction (51 fics!) related to Bashir’s genetic enhancements, ranging in size from one shots to novel-length, canon-compliant and wildly AU. The second part highlights Bashir-focused star trek novels, with some notes for those who haven’t read TrekLit before. Happy reading, nerds.

Part One: Fanfiction

Note: Fics roughly sorted by word count. Although I will not share awful fics, I’m aiming slightly on the side of scope over quality. I tend to note if it contains noticeable cliches or grammar errors. Assume complete unless otherwise specified.

Prompted Writing by WriterToBridge. Word Count: n/a. A series of one-shot DS9 stories, often Garak/Bashir. Chapter 29 (Jules), chapter 82 (Control), and chapter 83 (Engineered) all focus on genetic enhancements in varied ways.

Little Boy Jules by dragonchysalis. Word Count: 526. Roughly what it says on the tin/title. A fic from the perspective of little boy Jules.

Hidden Talents by akite. Word Count: 681. A little missing scene for Dr. Bashir, I Presume. Garak/Bashir.

Unchallenged by Lady Drace: Word Count: 688. A humorous take on Garak finding out about Bashir’s enhancements. It’s tagged as Garak/Bashir but it reads as platonic.

A Little More than Kin, and a Little Less than Kind by Selena. Word Count: 955. Bashir receives a note from Lauren. Warning for suicide references.

Objects in the Mirror by Alowl. Word Count: 989. A light-hearted, canon-compliant oneshot. Garak is concerned about his friend’s sensitivity to the subject of genetic enhancement; in typical Garak fashion, he comes up with a train-wreck plan to solve the problem. It involves a holoprogram.

Valuable Tears by Tamuril2. Word Count: 1k. An extended version of the conversation Julian and Miles have about genetic enhancement. Just 1000 words of emotional support and friendship.

Functional by tornyourdress. Word Count: 1187. A post genetic-enhancements reveal fic that actually shows Julian working to the full extent of his abilities. Canon-compliant. Miles O’Brien/Julian Bashir in an unrequited, wonky sort of way.

Many Parts by tornyourdress. Word Count: 1202. A Jadzia & Julian missing scene for Dr. Bashir, I Presume. It’s notable for having a Jadzia who isn’t accepting right off the bat, but is still in character.

The Secret by bgmatic. Word Count: 1364. After the Lethean Attack in Distant Voices, Garak discovers Bashir’s secret. Canon-compliant. One-sided Garak/Bashir; some explicit language.

Perfect Game by Subatoi_9. Word Count: 1471. An angsty, canon-compliant explanation for Bashir’s behavior in Take Me Out to the Holosuite. The execution of the story is a little heavy handed for my taste, but I’m quite fond of the premise.

Standardized by babel. Word Count: 1653. Canon-compliant moments of Bashir’s life from childhood to late in the series timeline. Features the elder Bashirs, Garak, and Bashir’s many feelings of inadequacy.

A Game of Darts by AllThoseOtherWorlds. Word Count: 1883. The author tags this as “introspective writing on actual scenes” and there isn’t really a more accurate description. Features general introspection about genetic engineering, some aftermath for Section 31/Extreme Measures, and the lovely Bashir & O’Brien friendship.

The Children are Our Future by WerewolvesAreReal. Word Count: 1903. A very moving minimalist piece that shows young Jules and the elder Bashirs concerns. It’s also nice that even though the older Bashirs aren’t vilified, the narrative still manages to question their decision.

Adigeon Prime by Rising Winter. Word Count: 2k+. A gorgeous introspective piece, ranging from Bashir’s experiences on Adigeon Prime to an early season conversation with Miles O’Brien. Mildly canon inconsistent in when Julian discovers his enhancements. (Rising Winter has two other Bashir one-shots, check ‘em out.)

Deal With Me on Your Own by AllThoseOtherWorlds. Word Count: 2188. Bashir tells his friends about his enhancements after Dr. Bashir, I Presume. One of the rare Julian Bashir & Jadzia Dax fics; also features Garak/Bashir as a very minor part.

It Began with the Biscuits by Lion_owl. Word Count: 2202. *Ongoing/Incomplete. Last Update March 6/17* The start of an angsty AU to Dr. Bashir, I Presume where Miles is less supportive, Bashir resigns from Starfleet, and Garak swoops in to pick up the pieces.

I Picked You by Psilent. Word Count: 2265. A canon compliant story where Bashir talks to his closest friends: Garak, Jadzia, and Miles about the aftereffect of lying by omission. The Miles portion is very much a hurt/comfort fic. It’s very well-written and it’s nice to see different reactions from different characters.

An Unusual Proposition by RachelClark. Word Count: 2411. *On-going fic, 1 out of 2 chapters completed* An AU story where a teenage Julian is exiled from the Federation and finds himself on DS9 10 years before the end of the Occupation. Features trans!Julian Bashir. Since Julian is so young, the fic takes a different approach to exiled!Julian than similar stories.

A Secret Between Friends by bmouse. Word Count: 2810. A fic dealing with the emotional aftermath of Purgatory’s Shadow/Dr.Bashir, I Presume between Garak and Bashir. Ties up every emotional loose end. I strongly recommend this fic.

Swing Me Your Bones by disquisitemind. Word Count: 2957. A canon-compliant write up of Bashir’s reaction to the Carrington Award Nomination that accounts for the GE. Garak/Bashir.

Jump to Fly by katiemariie. Word Count: 3308. Julian is actually a secondary character in this piece on the Jack Pack, but it’s worth mentioning. This is a slightly AU fic exploring ableism and in-universe treatment of the genetically enhanced. Jack/Sarina is the pairing.

Not Coming Out by the Tystie. Word Count: 3687. A canon-compliant internal monologue by Bashir at the end of Hippocratic Oath. Bashir considers telling O’Brien about his enhancements.

Half-Baked Plans and Finished Tea Cakes by DictionaryWrites. Word Count: 4k+. Bashir goes to Garak for suggestions for what to do after he tenders his resignation to Sisko in Dr. Bashir, I Presume. Canon-compliant.

Oh, The Lies We Tell by Tamuril2. Word Count: 4,074. Not everyone accepts Bashir’s enhancements; Garak helps him deal with the consequences. Platonic Garak and Bashir, technically canon-compliant.

The Better Part of Worry by katiemariie. Word Count: 4589. Bashir finds out that the woman who designed his genetic modifications died in a shuttle accident and the plot snowballs from there. Takes place in the context of established Garak/Bashir on post-canon Cardassia.

Fallen Night by Diamond-Raven. Word Count: 5k+. An AU where Bashir leaves the Federation after Dr. Bashir, I Presume. It’s from Sisko’s POV, which is interesting.

The Right Moment is Now by allemande. Word Count: 5,261. This is an episode-based slow burn fic for the Bashir/Garak ship. Whether or not that meets your normal preferences, the fic is notable for the Dr. Bashir, I Presume segment.

Dr. Bashir, I Presume?Missing Scenes by TheLibrarianIniquity. Word Count: 5668. Pretty much what it says on the tin. Garak/Bashir fic.

you are receding by tinsnip. Word Count: 5775. What happens if Julian’s genetic enhancements weren’t so perfect? Eventually, he recedes. Note that this fanfic has the (dubious?) honor of being the only fanfic to make me cry.

The Presumption of Innocence by allemande. Word Count: 5799. A lighthearted take on Garak discovering Bashir’s enhancements. Garak/Bashir fic. Garak POV.

May I Come In? by wcdarling. Word Count: 5944. Garak comes to check on Bashir part way through the events of Dr. Bashir, I Presume. Bashir explains the situation and introduces Garak to Kukalaka. One of the few solely platonic Garak and Bashir fics.

Dropping the Mask by AllThoseOtherWorlds. Word Count: 5959. An alternate way for Bashir’s enhancements to be revealed. I wouldn’t call this story phenomenal but it’s an interesting enough premise.

Exile by thehoyden. Word Count: 8949. This is usually cited as the must read fic for the fandom. It’s an AU where Bashir was exiled due to his genetic enhancements before the start of the series. He finds himself on Terok Nor, reluctantly working for Dukat. Garak/Bashir pairing.

Internment Camp 371 by Jewels. Word Count: 9720. This is a fill in the blanks story for Bashir’s time in the internment camp. The twist is that Tain is aware of his enhancements. There’s some minor canon consistency errors (the actual title on ff.net is Interment Camp 317), but this is probably one of the most innovative and in-character ds9 fics. Also, it’s one of the few internment camps fics that doesn’t drop a canon disproportionate angst bucket.

Opacity of Paradise by thehoyden. Word Count: 10, 154. A Garak/Bashir fic set after the events of In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light. Without spoiling too much, Garak was already aware of Bashir’s enhancements and has a helpful related proposal. Canon-divergent.

Going Native by Regann. Word Count: 13,848. “An AU take on Season 5's "Doctor Bashir, I Presume." With no recourse but to resign from the service, Bashir takes a chance that he couldn't have contemplated as a Starfleet officer. Meanwhile, the crew looks for a creative solution that will keep their doctor on the station.” Garak/Bashir.

A Civil Death by Regann. Word Count: 13, 896. After the series end, Garak finds himself back on DS9, targeted by an assassin, who he doesn’t quite take seriously. Meanwhile, Bashir uncovers some truths about his enhancements. A Garak/Bashir fic.

Complementing Baggage by Kittyknowsthings. Word Count: 16,377. *Ongoing fic with bi-weekly updates. Word Count posted at 8/16 chapters.” This fic is a modern day AU in the Deep Dish Nine Universe (where most of the characters work at a pizza shop and each alien world is actually a country on earth). If that sounds, uh, cheesy - don’t be fooled. This is probably the most emotionally affecting fanfiction I’ve read. After all, this is about Julian’s enhancements, except in this ‘verse, Adigeon Prime is a highly unethical “treatment” center for neurologically atypical kids. (Which is what it is in DS9 proper, but I digress). Garak/Bashir pairing. Warnings for past depictions of abuse and ableism.

A note on the reading order: This is a companion piece to @tinsnip‘s Rewiring series. The first portion of the series is an AU version of The Wire. The second portion is Splice; where Garak and Julian go on a little retreat to recover from the emotional impact of Garak’s drug withdrawal. Complementing Baggage is a companion piece to splice that adds POV details and extends past the original work.

The Exiles Together Series by Steerpike13713. Word Count: 22, 683. *On-going fic. Already tells a complete storyline* Although this is similar in premise to Exile by thehoyden, it tells a far broader story. So far the story covers Bashir on the run from the Federation up to a month before the end of the Cardassian Occupation. However, the author has a tumblr, thornfield1373, fielding ask questions up to the post-series timeline. Those comments can be found by searching for the exilestogetherau tag. Bashir/Palis Devon, later Bashir/Garak

Images in a Broken Mirror by Kathryn Ramage. Word Count: 23,775. Kathryn Ramage is an older DS9 writer, whose stories are very much in the vein of “Bad Things Happen to Julian, his Good Friends O’Brien, Garak or both Help Him Through and Maybe They Fall in Love.” Whether or not this is normally your sort of jam, the fic is notable for an AU version of Mirror!Bashir, who is less aggressive and a lot closer to Jules. Although the genetic enhancements are never explicitly stated, the author clearly hints. The fic gives the reader the GE Bashir/non-GE Bashir interaction that canon did not deliver. There is a sequel called Crossback, which contains most of the Bashir/Mirror!Bashir interaction. Warning for sexual assault.

Firewall by Little Tanuki. Word Count: 26, 292. This is a point-of-divergence fic where Bashir is not allowed to stay in Starfleet. It’s not a well-known fic, but it is one of my favourites. Characterization is good, we get to see Garak and Martok interact, and there is an alternate version of the later seasons’ Section 31 plot. This can be read as a stand alone, or as the first in the Firewall AU series, where Bashir gets up to various civilian shenanigans. Warning for suicide references.

Got to Begin Again by vaiya. Word Count: 34, 932. *incomplete fic* An AU where Bashir is ousted from Starfleet, and no convenient backdoor options exist. Things still get a little worse. Garak/Bashir.

Desperately Seeking Closure by disquisitemind. Word Count: 43,827. *Incomplete Fic* An AU where Bashir is unofficially but definitively exiled from the Federation. He lands up on an AU Bajor, meets Garak and his unusual secretaries, Leeta and Mardah, and saves the Kai’s life. All in all, a wildly AU, touching and amusing fic.

The Secrets We Keep by Mijra. Word count: 61,092. A story of Julian Bashir at Starfleet Academy. I haven’t read through the entirety of this fic, as the premise doesn’t exactly appeal to me, but I can tell that the writing quality is fairly good and that genetic enhancements feature significantly. Plus, the first chapter is Julian actually confiding in someone. Isn’t that nice?

In Exile Series by wcdarling. Word Count: 61, 583. An AU where Bashir loses his Starfleet commission. The first portion of the series deals with the immediate aftermath. The second portion recovers the remainder of the series with the changed circumstances. Garak/Bashir.

Stubborn Mouths: Humans in Translation by Hannah. Word Count: 62,940. An AU where Bashir is explicitly autistic and never underwent genetic enhancements. Although I can’t speak from a position of experience/expertise, this fic is a really pleasant introduction of an explicitly autistic character and a solid analysis of ableism. Like any good AU, events parallel canon without duplicating canon. Garak/Bashir.

Game-Set-Match by jin_fenghuang. Word count: 69, 142. *Incomplete Fic* This is a lovely, Julian POV canon-compliant fic for seasons 1 & 2. It essentially retells the first season while incorporating in the impacts of his enhancements and a secret relationship with Garak. (Yes, it is a Garak/Bashir fic) Contains lovely little twists and explains Bashir’s awkward behavior and social isolation. (Mild spoiler - genetically enhanced hearing is used to full potential).

Limitless by Cyrelia_J. Word Count: 95,788. *Incomplete Fic* A dark!Bashir story, where he attempts to become an improved version of Genghis Khan. Note the tags, because this fic goes places.

The Manipulation of Julian Bashir by the Tystie. Word count: 218, 339. Manipulation focuses on both the aftermath of Bashir’s time in the prison camp and an alternate ending for Dr. Bashir, I Presume. Bashir is still allowed in Starfleet, but the deal has more conditions and he faces a lot of bigotry. The story also contains a strong platonic/mentor relationship between Bashir, Captain Sisko, and Joesph Sisko; a coherent explanation of Bashir’s psychology, and lots of lovely legal drama.

The Garak/Bashir Mysteries by La Demonessa. Word Count: 320, 179. I consider this to be my most reluctant of recs. The Garak/Bashir mysteries features 4 novel length fics, of which I have read the last two, which are highly AU takes on In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light and the after effects of Dr. Bashir, I Presume. Bashir’s genetic enhancements feature in both the plot and his characterization. The author really plays with the idea that Bashir’s secret made him an easy target for Changeling Infiltration.

As for why this rec is reluctant and where it isn’t...

Aesthetically and thematically, this fic really doesn’t feel like Star Trek. It feels like a military movie. Ben Sisko curses and sexism is still a problem in the 24th century. Everyone’s characterization is off, which is excusable in Garak (imagined as a romantic, deep down) and Bashir (imagined as a cynic, deep down); less excusable for everyone else. But the plotting in the third novel is excellent and we do get the most interesting Garak backstory. So, mixed bag overall. Also, if it wasn’t obvious already, this is a Garak/Bashir fic.

Honorary Mentions: Analysis is a short, au ending to Inquisition. The concept of genetic enhancements is sort of an underlying plot influence. The Final Gift is short, dark, and quite AU ending to the Dominion War. Bashir engages in two activities (biological research and S31) that are closely tied to his enhancements. The Taking Series is a massive au where the Federation signs a treaty with the Dominion. Bashir is a primary character and his enhancements are subtly hinted at. Convergence is a lengthy, canon-compliant Garashir slow burn. One chapter is devoted to the after effects of Dr. Bashir, I Presume.

Part Two: The DS9 Relaunch Novels

Relaunch Novels vs. Other Novels: So in Treklit, we have two types of novel: general novels and the relaunch novels. The general novels are not canon, not obligated to be consistent with each other, and contain some of the goofier premises. (For example, I have a TNG novel where Lwaxanna briefly gains the powers of a Q). In contratst, the relaunch novels are set post series for TNG/DS9/VOY, form their own canon, share characters/overarching plot points, and are internally consistent. Memory Beta’s article lists the ds9 novels by publishing order and is very helpful if you want to know where to start.

Which DS9 Relaunch Novels focus on Bashir’s Genetic Enhancements?

Three novels focus strongly on Bashir’s genetic enhancements: Section 31: Abyss by Jeffery Lang and David Weddle, Mission Gamma: Cathedral by Michael Martin & Andy Mangles, and Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game by David Mack.

In Section 31: Abyss, S31 recruits Bashir for the least objectionable mission they can: stopping a genetically engineered former doctor from creating his own army of Jem H’adar. It’s a lovely novel that lets Bashir see a sort of inverse of himself and question what he should do with his enhancements. The novel is technically part of a S31 series, but each novel is a complete stand alone. The novel also incorporates in relaunch characters, but it makes sense without reading any other DS9 novels.

In Mission Gamma: Cathedral, an away team consisting of Bashir, Dax, and Nog encounter a bizarre alien artifact on a Gamma Quadrant exploration mission. After encounter the artifact, they undergo unusual physical changes and eventually see alternate versions of themselves. Each character makes peace with a residual hurt: Bashir’s enhancements, Nog’s disability, Ezri and Dax’s fractious joining. The subplots may be a bit confusing for someone who hasn’t read other relaunch novels, but essentially you just need to know that the Bajoran people are debating whether the Prophets are Gods or munificent aliens, and a large part of the debate was instigated by Kira broadcasting controversial prophecies.

In Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game, Bashir is recruited by Starfleet Intelligence for a mission on the Tzenkethi home-world. This novel isn’t interested in Bashir’s enhancements so much for character reasons as for plot; it’s his enhancements that make him valuable to SI. Also, we get an appearance of the Jack Pack.

But I want more!

The nice thing about the relaunch novels is that a lot of the general novels contain small, appropriate references to Bashir’s enhancements. There’s also more Bashir-centric novels, all by David Mack: A Ceremony of Losses, Section 31: Disavowed, and Section 31: Control.

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