- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Edith Keeler (mirror).
Edith Keeler was a Human woman who moved to Manhattan on Earth prior to 1930. She had a brother, Stephen Keeler, but he was dead by 1930. (TOS short story: "Triptych").
History
Edith Keeler with James T. Kirk
Keeler ran a soup kitchen for the extreme poor of New York City in 1930. She was also a social worker who helped people find jobs when she could. Apart from from being a social worker, she was also an advocate for peace who was extremely perceptive on many topics. Her perceptive talents also extended to judging people's character. As she observed about the friendship between James T. Kirk and Spock; that Spock belonged at Kirk's side, that he'd always been there and would always be. Leonard McCoy, who, suffering from paranoid delusions caused by an accidental drug overdose was sent into the past by the Guardian of Forever. In this condition, he saved Edith from dying in a traffic accident thus changing the course of history. In the altered timeline caused by this series of events, Edith's survival formed a pacifist movement that delayed the United States entry into World War II. This resulted in Germany perfecting the atomic bomb sooner and winning the war. Kirk and Spock had to return to prevent the change to the timeline. Upon arriving in the past, they acquired period clothes and sought shelter by breaking into the basement of the rescue mission that Edith ran. With Edith's help, Kirk and Spock were able to find work and a place to live. Spock's subsequent analysis of historical records determined that Edith had to die in order to restore the timeline to normal. Matters were further complicated when James T. Kirk fell in love with Edith. The two began a relationship. Doctor McCoy, still sick, eventually found his way to Edith's rescue mission. Edith promptly took care of him. Despite her goodness, Kirk had no option when he realized that he had to prevent McCoy from saving her life, letting her die so that the world they knew might still exist. (TOS episode & novelization: The City on the Edge of Forever)
After Edith's death, Spock speculated in his science log that she may have possessed the ability to perceive timelines. (TOS comic: "Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 1")
The trauma of Edith's death led Kirk to retreat to his family's farm in Iowa, where he spent time perusing a series of old letters from his father. (TOS novel: Final Frontier)
Kirk subsequently named a schooner after Edith Keeler. (TOS novel: Battlestations!)
Alternate timelines
In an alternate timeline, Kirk and Spock were unable to prevent McCoy from saving Keeler. (TOS short story: "Triptych")
In another alternate timeline, Kirk brought Keeler back with him to 2267, thus preserving history while allowing her to live. (TOS short story: "Remembering the Future")
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Appendices
Appearances
- TOS episode & novelization: The City on the Edge of Forever
- TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows
- TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose
- TOS - Crucible novel: The Star to Every Wandering
- TOS short story: "Triptych"
- TOS short story: "Remembering the Future"
- TOS comic: "Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, Issue 3"
- TOS comic: "Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, Issue 4"
- TOS comic: "Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, Issue 5"
References
- TOS comic: "Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 1"
- TOS novel: The Tears of the Singers
- TOS novel: Ishmael
- TOS novel: Final Frontier
- TOS novel: Battlestations!
- TOS novel: Chain of Attack
- TOS novel: Timetrap
- TOS novel: Ghost-Walker
- TOS novel: The Rings of Tautee
- TOS novel: Assignment: Eternity
- TOS novel: Crossroad
- TOS - The Lost Years novel: Recovery
- TOS novel: Ex Machina
- TOS novel: Triangle
- TOS novel: Shadows on the Sun
- TNG novelization: Generations
- TOS novel: Preserver
- TNG novel: Engines of Destiny
- TOS novel: Star Trek: The Captain's Table (Biography: James T. Kirk)
- TOS - Star Trek: The New Voyages short story: "Mind-Sifter"
- TOS - Strange New Worlds short story: "Reflections (TOS)"
- TOS - Strange New Worlds short story: "Marking Time"
External link
- Edith Keeler article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.