Alpha Continuum

Zine
Title:	Alpha Continuum
Publisher:	WTUU
Editor(s):	Marty Siegrist, Tina Henry
Date(s):	1976 - 1980
Series?:	yes
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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Alpha Continuum was a Star Trek: TOS fanzine edited by Marty Siegrist. Four issues were published between 1976 to 1980.

Issue 1

cover issue #1 by Marty Siegrist

Alpha Continuum 1 was published in 1976 and contains 56 pages. Cover: Marty Siegrist; back cover: Signe Landon. Other art by Paula Block, Ingrid Cross, Connie Faddis, Kathi Lynn Higley, Gee Moaven, Laurraine Tutihasi, Thetis "Mother Rock."

• Conspiratorials (editorial) (2)
• No Time For Past Regrets by Ingrid Cross (4)
• Wings of Wonder by Valerie McLean (21)
• Caison Occurence by Signe Jesson (a crossover with Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern) (26)
• Encounter by Ingrid Cross (41)
• Dancer by Ingrid Cross (45)
• The Sight of Kollos by Leslie Fish (47)
• Night Creatures by Mandi Schultz (51)
• Apres un reve by Cheryl Rice (64)
• The Fear Of You by Annelaurie Logan (65)
• Never Enough Dark by Cheryl Rice (79)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

This first effort by Siegrist is extremely uneven in writing quality though it has excellent art. On the plus side are a trio of short stories by Ingrid Cross: 'No Time for Past Regrets' shows us McCoy as he is joining the crew and we get an inside on why McCoy and Spock may have difficulty being open with each other; 'Encounter' gives us McCoy's view of a mindmeld with Spock, from the inside; 'Dancer' tells us what Uhura does while waiting for all those frequencies to hail. Leslie Fish has a visual vignette of Spock in his Kollos-madness, 'The Sight of Kollows,' that is quite good. 'Night Creatures,' by Mandi Schultz, is a story out of her Diamonds and Rust series that relates to what happened to Kirk on Tarsus IV. Many may disagree with the character analysis of the younger Kodos, but the story is impelling in telling. 'Wings of Wonder' had potential, but we never find out why, of the whole landing party, only Marie is affected OR what caused her disassociation, except for maybe a hidden desire to mind-meld with Spock. 'Caison Occurrence' is your average Lt. Mary Sue story story, complete with plastic characters, contrived plot, and unrealistic dialogue. The only thing missing is that the heroine didn't have to die saving the situation. Annelaurie Logan's 'The Fear of You, and the Dread' started off fine, but after Spock and Megan beam down, mass confusion sets in. I can't honestly report what happened, though perhaps it is through some fault of mine. 'Never Enough Dark' is by Cheryl Rice and this is not one of her best, it is basically a rescue story but is extremely bland. There just isn't enough gut emotion that the plot line deserves. Overall, it is a toss-up on value. Reproduction is fair, the artwork is sometimes faded out, but the illos are very good. One suggestion I would offer is that cover stock be used for the covers; it will protect the zine better.

1976 was a vintage year in Star Trek fan-lit, and ALPHA CONTINUUM 1 is a first class reprint of vintage material. Enough has already been made by me of Mandi Schultz's "Night Creatures," a succes de scandale of D&R. Ingrid Cross' "No Time for Past Regrets" is a sensitive and wise portrait of the first meeting of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. McCaffrey fans can luxuriate in Signe Jesson's "Caison Occurence." "Never Enough Dark" by Cheryl Rice gives one claustrophobia as well as thoughtful sketches of Kirk and Spock under pressure. Many will like Annelaurie Logan's "The Fear of You" better than I; it is extremely well done. Leslie Fish's poetic vignette a-bout Spock and Kollos is excellent, and Paula Block slips gracefully across the line between good taste and hilarity to end the zine. Illustrators include Siegrist, Faddis, Moaven, Landon, and Tutihasi. Not all of the art reproduction is successful. However, the text is offset and reduced, and it is easy on the eye. Beg, borrow, steal, BUY these zines [issues #1 and #4]. They are cheap at twice the price. They can be used to proselytise the heathen or to subvert the believer. Marty Siegrist makes some, not all, of the $12 to $15 wonders of recent years look bloated and stupid. (A wistful message to Mandi and Cheryl: Rust Never Sleeps. But if that's all there is, thank you. I'll never forget the trip.).

Issue 2

back cover issue #2 by Marty Siegrist

silkscreened front cover issue #2 by Marty Siegrist

Alpha Continuum 2 was published in 1977 and contains 154 pages, offset, reduced. It is a "McCoy issue." Cover & back cover: Marty Siegrist. It has the subtitle, "... In Wonderland."

Note: the first edition was 120 pages, offset, reduced. Original cost was $5.60 first class.

• When the Good is Gone from Goodbye by Karen Fleming (p. 8-10)
• Change of Habit by Meg Hogue (p. 11-21)
• Any Time But This, Any Place But Now by Cheryl Rice (p. 23)
• To the Edge by Mona Delitsky (p. 26-32)
• No Child of Man by Anne Laurie Logan (p. 37-41)
• The Southern Surgeon’s Nightmare by Paula Block (p. 42-43)
• Night by Leslie Hobart (p. 44)
• Ain’t No Virgins by Paula Block (p. 46)
• Mad Dogs and Earthmen by C.R. Faddis (p. 48-50)
• The Real McCoy by Leslie Hobart (p. 52-62)
• De-Funitions (p. 63-67)
• To Each His Own by Mandi Schultz & Cheryl Rice [Diamonds & Rust series, Chapter 3] (p. 72-99)
• Idols I Have Loved by Mandi Schultz & Cheryl Rice [Diamonds & Rust series, Chapter 4] (p. 100-144)
• Logjam by April Pentland (p. 145-150)
• POEM: The Naked Time by Gerry Downes (p. 33)
• POEM: Prisoners in a Cold Cell by J. Feaster (p. 34)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

Everything in this McCoy-emphasis issue is nicely handled: graphics, layout, prose, humor, artwork. Visually, it's impressive, with the usual talented artists (Faddis, Landon, Moaven) dong their usual first-rate jobs. Siegrist's previously pleasant artwork has shown outstanding improvement in terms of overall composition. Kathy Lynn Higley's illios for some of the most wretched puns in galactic history are utterly delightful. Likewise, Rich Schultz's cartoons for Leslie Fish's 'Bones' are a stitch. None of the fiction is outstanding, but all is well-written. We have two installments of the 'Diamonds and Rust' saga which is the classiest Mary Sue story around and probably the best constructed. Leslie Hobart's comical melodrama, 'The Real McCoy,' is enjoyable, if thin, in spots. As with any McCoy zine, there are the usual stories and poems portraying his crummy marriage, his estranged and occasionally VERY strange daughter, and his numerous harey encounters with lovable lepuses and, there is the now-standard-for-many-zines fantasia section of illios and interpretations, which range from the strange ('Night' by Leslie Hobart) to the silly ('Ain't No Virgins' by yours truly). There is a warm, self-mocking tone to AC #2 that keeps it from becoming too self-impressed. Marty's efforts have made this an enjoyable zine, one of the rare ones prepared with the kind of T.L.C. that I wouldn't mind forking over 5 bucks for.

The theme of this McCoy issue is 'Wonderland,' whatever that means. I read through the zine, poring over the very nice art (lots and lots of art), perusing the fiction, and belching through the 'De-finitions' humor (?). The bulk of the zine, and the only substantial fiction, are two more chapters of Diamonds and Rust, 'To Each His Own' and 'Idols I Have Loved.' In them, a really unfortunate incident occurs between McCoy and his daughter, Joanna, which is elusively tied into the mysterious goings-on that Chantal is involved with. These chapters, like the others that have appeared elsewhere, suffer from two flaws that make them difficult for me to enjoy: a plot-pacing that would barely do credit to a crippled amoeba; and, the inescapable fact that these are, chapters to a longer story and do not stand up well on their own. The story ideas are, at least from what we can see of them so far, sophisticated, and the writing is competent. I tend to think that D&R Collected, to be published later this year, will be the best way to enjoy the series. The quality of the shorter fiction in the zine is also good, though taken as a whole, AC#2 lacks stories to think your teeth into -- like being handed a giant stein of fine beer and discovering that all you got was foam.

Issue 3

silkscreened cover of issue #3, (yes, even though it says issue #4)

Alpha Continuum 3 is an all Spock issue. It says #4 on the cover, but it's actually #3. The editor offers an explanation for this in the zine. Edited by Tina Henry. Published 1980. Printed offset, stapled, 82 pages. Art by Lisa Agostinelli, Shona Jackson, Vel Jaeger, Marty Siegrist, Laura Virgil, and Allyson Whitfield.

• Editorial (3)
• Hostage of Fortune by Anne Laurie Logan (5)
• Gentle Healer by Frankie Jemison (17)
• Specified Explanation by L. Jeanne Powers (18)
• The Challenge by L. Jeanne Powers (21)
• Human Dream, Vulcan Reality by Garol A. Taddeo (22)
• Sarpeidon Apogee by Jocelyn Feaster (27)
• A Warrior's Death by Ingrid Cross (30)
• Visions: Omens by Laurie Shanahan (36)
  • Omens by Laurie Shanahan (36)
  • Making Plans by Cheryl Rice (38)
  • The Dream by Ginna LaCroix (42)
  • Untitled by Ingrid Cross (44)
  • Beggars Would Ride by Cheryl Rice (47)
• The Final Voyage by Jeanne Cavalos (50)
• Beta Niobe Poem by L. Jeanne Powers (56)
• Amulet by Toni Cardinal-Price (57)
• The Dancer by Jocelyn Feaster (81)

Issue 4

front cover issue #4 by Marty Siegrist

Alpha Continuum 4 was published in 1980 and contains 98 pages. This issue emphasizes Kirk. Cover: Marty Siegrist. Other art by Randy Ash, Amy Falkowitz, Kathi Lynn Higley, Signe Landon, Joni Wagner (back cover), Allyson Whitfield, and Marty Siegrist.

• Editorial (2)
• Year of the Cat by Cheryl Rice & Mandi Schultz (Diamonds & Rust series) (3)
• Made for Each Other by Anne Laurie Logan [reprinted from Warped Space #6] (8)
• Wide Open Spaces by Vicky Edgerton (19)
• K/S by Dayle Palko (22)
• Visions, interpretations (23)
  • Sea Change by Cheryl Rice
  • Girl of My Dreams by Donna Toutant
  • Sunflower by Cheryl Rice
  • Untitled. by Daphne Hamilton
  • Spell Sword by Ingrid Cross
  • Where Sirens Sing by Mandi Schultz
  • Untitled by April Pentland
  • Responsibility by Anne Laurie Logan
• Home Leave by L. Jeanne Powers (51)
• Song of the Jellicles by April Pentland (52)
• Reunion by Rusty Hancock (73)
• No Special Hurry by Cheryl Rice & Mandi Schultz [Diamonds & Rust series. Editorial notes that Diamonds & Rust was supposed to be a multivolume series. Volume 1 was published, but volume 2 was never completed. In this story, the authors wrap up loose ends and summarize where the tale was intended to go.] (80)
• Memento Mori by Cheryl Rice [Reprinted from Guardian #2] (92)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for Made for Each Other.

[zine]: There come times when one must make sweeping generalizations, justify one's prejudices, create necessary pigeon-holes for square-peg in round-hole theories. So here goes: At its very best, be it blues or rhythm and blues, be it old gangster films or the works of science fiction masters from Heinlein to Fish, or Andy Warhol's art; American popular art is characterized by vitality and deliberate trashiness, by a nearly innocent corruption that simultaneously repels and endears, by purity and rawness of emotion. Melodrama is never far away. The in-ness of American popular art gives promise of telling those who seek out its mysteries where, in Tom Wolfe's phrase, the Right Stuff is and of what it consists. But, it never relinquishes the funky, elemental obligation of revealing where the bodies are buried. With the above in mind, I turn to the world of Chantal Caberfae and her once and future lover, James Kirk. The twisted and tarnished angels of DIAMONDS AND RUST come to us from a time as incompatible with human decency, as crippling, indeed horrifying as our own time. Chantal and Jim grab for the brass ring on their lives' little merry-go-round; and, Oh, God, is that ring ever made of brass! They seek a moment of shared sublimity and end up praying separately to whatever demented, minor god they still acknowledge that their grubby secrets will not, not surface, and that somehow, in their hour of honesty and abandon, their isolated hearts will not break. They are like Bogart and Bergman in CASABLANCA, and ever so much more like the real, drop-dead, romantic pair of that film, Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains. Mandi Schultz and Cheryl Rice have vested the DIAMONDS AND RUST universe with a basic sleaze that in its way is as irresistible as Hemingway's incompleteness, Vonnegut's innocence, or Billie Holiday's addiction. Chantal and Jim know, centuries hence, the dark, off-key, off-color worlds of Scott Fitzgerald, Lou Reed, and Edward Hopper. And through all their trials, the ghost of a half-forgotten old Viennese Jew, Sigmund Freud, who loved all who struggle in emotional shadow, observes the apparently doomed lovers as they learn the awful realities of the endless, unforgiving human condition. (See "Year of the Cat," AC 4 and "Night Creatures," AC 1) With a strained sort of mercy, Schultz and Rice give us a postlude to DIAMONDS AND RUST in AC 4, a moment in time shortly after the V'ger incident. It will not do. It is not enough. Who the Hell is Yang —The Target? What tawdry Gotterdammerimg was acted out on Cappela? When will the lovers meet again? What a terrifying reunion! Chantal and Jim are getting older, not better. (See "No Special Hurry," AC 4) No matter, like Yoko and John's occasional messages during the seventies (and now Yoke's), any message from Action Central is better than none at all. And a message from Hell is infinitely more exciting than anything a heavenly choir might transmit. When you are sufficiently sated by Chantal and Jim, plunge further into AC 4, prepared to absorb one of the most originally plotted ST short stories in a long time, April Pentland's "Song of the Jellicles," which"" would make a lovely TV episode and in which McCoy has a lovely role. Rusty Hancock's "Reunion" left me more tolerant of Matt Decker's fair-haired boy, Will, than I thought possible I liked Annelaurie Logan's light mixture of werewolves and the Enterprise crew, and Vicky Edgerton's "Wide Open Spaces" reveals things witty and surprising at the Galactic rim. Rice's "Momento Mori," which first appeared in GUARDIAN 2 is a nightmare richly deserved by that old tomcat, Kirk. The "Visions" section is outstanding. ALPHA CONTINUUM 4 is a class operation. Its authors can write. The dialogue is appropriate and lucid. No mindless platitudes here, although there are a few mindless pleasures. Little sentimentality. No imitation poetry. Dayle Palko does it in 17 syllables Jeanne Powers' "Home Leave" rings tersely true. Layout and graphics are excellent. The art work ranges from excellent to serviceable, and it is well used. The cover is not as good as the book. Marty Siegrist calls AC 4 by a second name, PHOENIX; and it is a literal phoenix. It flies!