Echoes from the Past

You may be looking for Echoes of the Past, a Star Trek: TNG novel OR "Echoes from the Past," the novel by Phaedra Morgan that makes up the entirety of Matter/Antimatter #9.

Zine
Title:	Echoes from the Past
Publisher:	Rebecca Ross and M.A. Carson
Editor:
Author(s):	Rebecca Ross
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):	see article
Date(s):	1978
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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front cover by Heather Firth

back cover, Pat Bradshaw

Echoes from the Past is a gen Star Trek: TOS 58-page (60,000 words) novel by Rebecca Ross. Artwork by Heather Firth, Pat Bradshaw (back cover), and Jude Huntsberger (chapter-end illios). Proofreader: Cindy Simons. The original print run of this zine was 400.

According to an ad in The World of Dark Shadows #27, this novel had "DS references."

The Sequel That Never Happened

1987 flyer

In 1987, the novel, "Echoes of the Mirror" was advertised but it was never published. From a 1987 flyer:

After a hiatus of several years, the Southern Star is back in business... We are now ready to publish Rebecca Ross's sequel to 'Echoes from the Past.' This new novel, entitled 'Echoes from the Mirror,' begins where 'Echoes' left off, and involves the Enterprise crew in a Federation which may be dissolving. The novel is twice the length of 'Echoes of the Past,' and will be extensively illustrated.' We hope to have both these publications available during the first part of 1988 -- certainly by the end of March, when they will be available at Magum Opus Con in Columbus, Ohio.

Descriptions

It is a Southern Star Special Edition and is an action/adventure/romance by the author of the Carmilla and the Mariah stories in "Southern Star."

Summary from an ad in Fanfare #1:

It deals with one Aidan Little Fire McLaren, a half-Scot, half-Navajo and a werewolf named Quentin in McLaren's past. An action/adventure/romance...

Summary from an ad in Scuttlebutt #11:

An old-fashioned romance/action/adventure tale concerning Aidan Little Fire McLaren, a half-Scot, half-Navajo woman who is thrust into the Vulcan society after dragons interfere with her destiny. This books follows her attempts to adapt to a new life-style different from the one she knew previously, including her entablements with certain well-known Vulcans, as well as humans.

Editorial

Dear Reader: It is my ferverent hope that you will enjoy ECHOS [sic] FROM THE PAST. For me, it has been a great pleasure to write and I hope that you will derive just as much pleasure from reading it.

Before I get too far along, I would like to thank some of the people who helped make ECHOS a reality: Sharon Emily, who read the manuscript in a much earlier form and made many excellent suggestions (and she, by the way, helped me keep my time tracks straight); Mac Carson, who argued and argued over certain sections, and when I refused to change those questionable passages, came up with ways to validate them; Cindy Sirmons, my proofreader. What would I do without her sharp eyes to catch all my misspellings and typ@s; the artists, Pat Bradshaw, Heather Firth, and Jude Huntsberger. They came through in the clinch with some really fantastic artwork. Lastly I would like to thank my husband and sons for their patience and understanding. It's hell living with a writer, ain't it?

ECHOS is not my first TREK work. Far from it. But it is my first TREK novel. It began quite a few years ago and has evolved into a far more complex idea which will probably generate sequels. The animated series gave me additional information regarding Vulcan, and Vulcan society, and I was able to expand on Aidan's desert crossing as well as her stay on Vulcan. ECHOS seems to have grown with the years until it has finally matured. Unlike this, my present novel (not an ECHOS sequel) seems to be springing full-blown to the page.

There will, of course, be many different opinions regarding ECHOS. Some will even call this a Mary Sue story. If this be the case then I can only say "thank you". Now why, you may ask do I choose to regard a derogatory term as a compliment? In the parliance of some Trekkers, a Mary Sue story is one in which the author injects herself into a self-created character. This is quite a misconception. Writing courses teach that an author must put some portion of herself into a character, otherwise it is difficult to maintain believability. If a portion of one's own personality is integrated within a character, the author can then be in touch with the character and can allow the character to act and react realistically. (As to which portions of my personality are incorporated within Aidan, that is for me to know and for you to guess). Therefore, I can only conclude that if you choose to call this a Mary Sue story, you must have enjoyed it.

At any rate, I hope you will find pleasure in ECHOS. All comments will be appreciated.

Peace and Long Life, The Force is with you.

Interior Sample

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  inside page, Jude Huntsberger

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  inside page, Heather Firth

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  inside page, Jude Huntsberger

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  inside page, Pat Bradshaw

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  inside pag, Heather Firth

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  inside page, Jude Huntsverger

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  inside page, Heather Firth

Reactions and Reviews

1981

Rebecca Ross says she will be complimented if ECHOES FROM THE PAST is called a "Mary Sue" story. Trekkers have used this term, she says, for stories where the "author injects herself into a self-created character." Well, if this is the definition of "Mary Sue", then I have read some really great stories that fit this description. ECHOES FROM THE PAST is not one of them. The most glaring problem with ECHOES is that the character of Aidan McLaren is not well developed. Instead of seeing a three demensional person evolve, we get a grocery list of of this women's strengths and weaknesses. I have always preferred strong women characters, but Aidan comes across as a spoiled brat. She plays a practical joke on an ambassador's son(; she has to be restrained from killing a Klingon and she swears at Sarek. She is unsympathetic and a bore. It is always very difficult to write an interesting first person narrative. ECHOES suffers from bad dialogue. "If you ask me, Spock," says Aidan, "your captain's getting himself lit. If he doesn't watch out, he's going to outshine that Christmas tree." Or this exerpt, "I have a sixth sense which usually tells me at least two seconds before the shit hits the fan. I rarely ever get hit with any of the fallout. Not so in this case, for my sixth sense was taking a nap." The development of the other characters is almost non-existent. There is no reason I can see for Spock to "love" Aidan, and yet, after two meetings, he wants to marry her. The dialogue between Spock and Aidan is not believable. "I opened my eyes slowly and saw Spock standing there watching me, his features hawkish and cold. 'So,' he remarked, 'now you know Aidan.' For all your observations of us, you never realized exactly what can happen when you draw a Vulcan's deep interest. Perhaps it is best you found out now.'" The illustrations are distracting. In one, Aidan looks a lot like a Halloween witch. In another, Spock is scowling and threatening an alien. Don't spend your money on ECHOES (FROM THE PAST. However, if you want to buy my copy ....

Another large group of stories presents what might be termed an unconsciously negative description of marriage. In these stories the author presents what is apparently intended to be a positive picture of marriage but it is one that contains elements that can only be seen as negative by the skeptical reader. Frequently these stories operate on the underlying assumption that marriage is the normal and desirable condition of mature individuals. They also assume that physical attraction, rather than intellectual or psycho logical compatibility, is the surest foundation for a lasting relationship.

Two examples of this type of story are Echoes of the Past by Rebecca Ross and Castaways by Mary Louise Dodge. Ross' main character is a time-displaced twentieth century woman who becomes attached to Spock and his family in this "old-fashioned love story." The final denouement hinges on the definitely old-fashioned idea that a woman will respond better to a man who uses physical violence as a means of expressing his opinions or wishes.

"Castaways" by Mary Louise Dodge presents an even less enticing view of marriage. The protagonists are Spock and a famous diva, Fiamma Corretti, with whom he falls in love while they are awaiting rescue after the crash of a shuttlecraft. Corretti is married already to a man who had manipulated and debased the relationship, apparently with her agreement and cooperation. She refuses to divorce her husband and marry Spock, however, on the grounds that she "won't do anything to hurt Alberto or bring him to ridicule" though she has already admitted that "ours is not a marriage fidelity has a place in . . . I provide a shield against any permanent commitment." When she and Spock finally part after much soul-searching and breast-beating on the part of all involved, the reader is told that though she refuses to participate in an active relationship, Fiamma will be able to maintain a constant awareness of all of Spock's emotional activities in the future-- a kind of mental "Watch and Ward Society."

In both of these stories the authors believe that their women characters have made reasonable and logical adjustments to the reality of their lives. Neither Ross nor Dodge, however, seems to be in the least concerned about the sexist and coercive attitudes of the societies they have created. The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that neither woman recognizes the essential nature of her creation, but instead believes that such situations are not only inevitable but right.