Futures Without End

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Zine
Title: Futures Without End
Publisher: the agent in the UK was S.A.S.T. Press
Editor(s): Maygra de Rhema, Melina, elynross (editors); Killa (principal artist)
Date(s): 1998-2001
Series?:
Medium: print
Genre: slash
Fandom: Highlander
External Links: Futures Without End (now offline, only the front page has been archived)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Futures Without End is a Duncan/Methos slash zine. The web edition is hosted by Mediafans.org.

Origins

At Escapade in 1998, Maygra de Rhema and Melina were disappointed by the lack of Highlander zines, particularly Duncan/Methos zines. With a rather stunning lack of knowledge about just what they were getting into, they decided to remedy this by starting a Duncan/Methos zine.

As Issue I began to take form, elynross stepped into help with the editing and was involved with both story selection and editing thereafter. Megan Kent, an experienced zine publisher, offered the newbie editors invaluable advice about logistics.

Online

Links to .html versions of the stories, where available, are below. Note, however, that as of 2013 many of these pages are offline and may not have been archived.

Issue 1

cover of Futures #1

Futures Without End 1 debuted at DragonCon in September 1998 and contains 176 pages (over 135,000 words). The artwork is by Eng. It contains original poetry by Carmel Macpherson, Jatona P. Walker, Robinson Jeffers, and t.a. selby.

Issue 1 was available in .pdf format at the FWE web site (offline, not archived).

From the zine:

Please note that the stories don't include individual warnings—you know what to expect here, right? The stories vary from an implied same-sex relationship to graphic sex and violence, so please consider yourself duly warned.

We welcome (okay, crave) your comments. Please send your letters either to our postal address (see the cover page) or to [email protected]; if appropriate, your mail will be forwarded to the individual authors.

A project like this one is a collaborative effort that would be impossible without the assistance of many people. Eng, &e amazing artist who will keep you sighing as you visit our world, has contributed so much to Futures Without End thai we will never be able to thank her adequately. We also owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Ellen for stepping in as Associate Editor and helping to whip the stories into final form. Our sincere thanks to Megan Kent for her advice and encouragement. Last, but certainly not least, our thanks to all of the authors for their talent, patience, and endless good humor.

Editorial by Maygra:

I have to admit: I am addicted to the written word. Obsessed even. Have been for years. And I am a romantic at heart.

Who'd have ever thought that technology would be the thing to bring the two together for me?

This publication came about because Melina is very persuasive and did most of the work. She is also a romantic at heart if you hadn't noticed. So are our contributing writers, to the last one.

The term 'labor of love' has never been represented on so many levels as in the collection you now hold in your hands. We worked at this, the writers did, (and dam if we didn't make Mac and Methos work a bit for it too!) All so you could sit back and enjoy—we hope you do. This particular romantic pairing may be larger than life—it may be an impossible dream but it's the dreams furthest from us that we reach for most often and even if you never get all of it...nearly every time you get to bring a piece of it back with you. A little love, a little humor, a little pathos...but always a little more than you had before.

Editorial by Melina:

Futures Without End was conceived at Escapade 8, partly because (with the very notable exception of Walking Distance) I couldn't find zines with Duncan and Methos stories. Happily, this situation has changed in the intervening months, but you can just never have too much Duncan and Methos...

So, there we are at Escapade, and I approach Mag with the idea of putting together a zine. A nice little project—nothing enormous. Highlander is my first experience with either reading or writing fanfic; I had never purchased a zine before Escapade. Because I knew nothing about the process, modest goals seemed best.

We go home, and within a month, we've received so many stories we truly couldn't tum down that the "small" concept is a thing of the past...I guess that's what happens when you make your own plans—we should have let an expert like Methos organize things for us.

One part of the plan we have kept to quite successfully was our goal of producing a diverse collection of stories, and we're proud to offer you the eclectic mix assembled here. The talented women I've had the good fortune to work with over the last few months are to the last great writers, but they are also incredible human beings, and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to work with each of them. Please enjoy the art they've created, and let us hear from you about your experience with Futures Without End.

  • sample interior from issue #1

  • sample interior from issue #1

  • sample interior from issue #1

  • sample interior from issue #1

Issue 2

Futures Without End 2 debuted at Escapade in February 1999. The cover and interior artwork was by Killa. It contains 200 pages (over 157,000 words).

The stories in Issue 2 were available in .html format at the FWE web site (offline, not archived).

The cover of Futures Without End II, art by Killa
cover showing binding

Editorial by Melina:

Anniversaries are a funny thing. In just a few weeks, it will have been four years since a come-hither smile and a can of beer soared across a Paris apartment. And nothing's been quite the same since.

It's been just over one year since the craziness that is Futures Without End began—and nothing's been quite the same since then, either! I'll be the first to admit that we had no idea what we were doing, particularly when it came to the logistics of producing and distributing a print publication. We learned. Quickly. By trial and error, with a little help from our friends. It hasn't always been an easy road, but it certainly hasn't been dull.

Everyone, from the readers to our contributors, has given us more support and cooperation than we ever could have hoped for, and we are thankful for each and every one of you. If you enjoy this issue, please offer an extra special thank you to elynross and Killa. Their editorial and artistic contributions have made this issue arrive on the promised date without sacrificing quality (or sanity!)

Even during stressful moments, FWE has been a labor of love, because I really adore Duncan, Methos, and this whole wacky, quarrelsome fandom. As far as I'm concerned, there can be only two.

Shakespeare called the future "the undiscovered country," as if it were a far-off place that hadn't been found quite yet. What has always interested me is not what we will find when we arrive at a new place, but what will happen on the way. Maybe that's why I like road trips— because I often find the journey more interesting than the destination. It's about getting there instead of getting there. Like our two favorite guys, I've no idea what the undiscovered country holds, but so far it's been one hell of a trip. Thanks for being a part of mine, and may your own journeys be full of faith, peace, and love.

Editorial by Maygra:

There is a difference between being a writer and an editor and an even larger difference between being a writer and a publisher. Talk about 'undiscovered countries'! Talented contributors make an editor's job both easier and more difficult. We rejected as many fine submissions as we accepted—rarely on the basis of artistic merit, but because as publishers of an anthology, the balance between the works we accepted was as important as the quality of the works themselves—at least the publisher in me hopes so.

Futures Without End began as an idea to gather the kind of stories we liked together in one place, to help them be the best they could be. There were seeds of selfishness in that desire and a bit of exhibitionism (which is why it became a zine and not a website). It ended up being a year-long series of new horizons to be reached, learning all the way, sometimes frustrating, sometimes too many hours crammed into a week, but mostly it was Melina and Maygra's marvelous adventure. An adventure that took us not only into the imaginations that brought to life such marvelous romantic and epic stories, but also into ourselves, how we view writing and editing, and the roller coaster ride we call fandom.

There is no teacher like experience and nothing more wonderful than having experiences that teach you lessons you can use the rest of your life. These were not just about being a writer. Given the talent in this volume I would have to be dense as a post not to have gained a great deal from the craftsmanship offered here, but I also learned about who people are and what they stand for— including myself.

For me. Futures Without End has as much application in my own life as it does in celebrating a romance that is as immortal as its participants.

Regarding content:

Warnings...okay. The stories vary from an implied same-sex relationship to graphic depictions of consensual and non-consensual sex between adults. There's also adult language and some "fantasy violence." In short, this publication is not appropriate for minors or the faint of heart. Good, now you're warned.

  • inside page from issue #2, Killa

  • inside page from issue #2, Killa

  • inside page from issue #2, Killa

  • inside page from issue #2, Killa

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

[A Roof Against The Rain]: Tiffanie's "A Roof Against The Rain", at first published in "Futures without End II". This is a sequel to her story "The Stonecutters", what is a First Time D/M slash story. "Roof Against The rain" deals with the morning... er... afternoon after, and is great because it is anything but sweet pillow talk, but deals quite realistically with two men who don't know if the night before has blown their friendship to hell and are not ready to speak (or even *think*) about love yet.... For a slash story concentrating on relationship, this one is really great. [1]

[zine]: At the end of 1998 I was lamenting how few really excellent slash stories were available. Well, the situation has turned around in 1999. More than half my slash top ten were fics that I read during the past year both on the net and in fanzines. The most noteable fanzine was Futures Without End 2. The zine is now out of print and all the stories that appeared in that zine have been posted. There are stories by Devo and Rac that appeared in this zine which I particularly recommend. [2]

Issue 3

Futures Without End 3 debuted at Escapade in February 2000. The artwork was by Killa. It contains 281 pages (129,000 words).

The stories in Issue 3 was available in .html format at the FWE web site (offline, not archived).

The cover of Futures Without End III, art by Killa

The editorial:

Maybe a face flashed across the television screen while you were channel-surfing, pulling you into your chair and into a fandom; or maybe you were at a con, watching vids, and you grabbed a friend's arm to ask, "Who is that guy!?" Maybe you were watching Highlander horn the beginning; some people were that lucky.

However you made your way into the fandom, if you looked there were people there ready to help, to copy tapes, to point you to lists where you could discuss the new objects of your obsession, to find you stories, to encourage you to write your own.

As we met and talked, many of us saw that there was something special about the relationship between Duncan and Methos, something in the way they supported each other, teased each other—the way they kept coming back together, even after moments that could have, should have, driven them apart. And we wanted more. We wanted to know what happened in those hidden moments, how they overcame the obstacles they'd built, what happened when there wasn't a crisis—did they laugh together? Did they talk about the things that happened between them? Did they tell each other how they really felt?

So some of us started to write our own stories, aided by the murmurs in the backs of out heads that wouldn't go away until we had things down on paper—or in pixels. And some of us wanted to do more, to draw new people in, to give back to the fandom that had made us so happy. A part of that gift you hold in your hands, and it is a gift given by many people.

Every writer in this zine has her own story of how she found Highlander, what drew her to writing for it, how her story came about. We don't know all of those stories behind the stories, but we do know that every one of them is a love story, the story of a fan's love for two guys who clearly belong together. This issue contains romance, humor, angst. There are new beginnings, ongoing relationships, and one or two stories that might seem to test the boundaries of the title, but trust us: all of these stories are about the two guys who brought us together.

Futures Without End wouldn't exist without the persistence, talent and hard work of our contributors. Many, many, thanks to all of the authors, to Valentin for her editorial support, to g.l.m. for creating our lovely crossed-sword logo, and to Annie and Penny for allowing us to use the photos that became part of the cover art. Last, but certainly not least, we simply can't overstate Killashandra's contribution to FWE. She spends dozens of hours to bring you the beautiful artwork you'll find in this issue, and she does it all with a warmth and grace that is truly remarkable. Finally, our thanks to you, the reader, for your encouragement and support during the past two years. We hope you enjoy the zine.

From the zine, comments on warnings and feedback:

Please be warned: the stories vary from an implied same-sex relationship to graphic depictions of consensual and non-consensual sex between adults. There's also adult language and some "fantasy violence." In short, this publication is not appropriate for minors, those who find homoerotic material offensive, or the faint of heart.

One of the major shortcomings of zine writing/publication is the lack of feedback compared to stories posted on the Internet. The authors and editors hunger for your comments just as much as any Internet author (and we are mostly Internet authors), so if you're so moved, please drop a line. It really does matter. Your

thoughts can be sent to our postal address (see the title page), to futures_zine(2)mindspring.com, or you can fill out our handy feedback form at http://www.flashbase.com/forms/fwe3. We really appreciate your comments through whatever medium is most convenient.

  • inside page from issue #3

  • inside page from issue #3

  • inside page from issue #3

  • inside page from issue #3

  • inside page from issue #3

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

[Leaning with the Turns]: Settings ==> It has to be said, the settings are more or less totally absent from this story that really has only one purpose, to tell the hot get-together of our two heroes. The scenery that is slightly painted is just a mean to raise up the interactions between the characters and nothing more.

Characters ==> Typically very fanon types are displayed here which in the end is quite delightful in fact. Methos has a witty sweet tongue, Duncan's behaviour is cute and funny. But all in all, it doesn't really belie what is known of canon.

Plot ==> It isn't exactly a slice of life because it obviously has a goal in itself, to tell their first time. And in that perspective, it succeed brilliantly with a great sense of staging.

Style ==> The writing is reproachless, fine-grained, experienced and remains easy to read. The staging is really neat, the author has a talent for this quiet pace, animated dialogues and warm feelings that suits perfectly that kind of story.

Interest ==> All of her stories has this sweet taste, which is just delightful. And it is amusing to let oneself believe, live those moments with them. Plus the dessert reveals to be all that better.

In conclusion ==> This story is particularly recommended between two thick pieces of angst, it will make you laugh, smile and... drool? After all, it is really hot. [3]

Issue 4

Futures Without End 4 debuted at Escapade in February 2001. The artwork was by Killa and X.

The stories in Issue 4 was available in .html format at the FWE web site (offline, not archived).

The cover of Futures Without End IV, art by Killa

The editorial:

Here we are again.

If you're reading this, you hold in your hands the fourth issue of the Highlander slash zine, Futures Without End. Four issues in four years, but this one was the longest coming. We hope that you'll find that it was worth the wait. We think you will.

Every so often, someone says that Highlander's time is past. The show ended, what's left to talk about? It's all been said, all been discussed, all been written. We'll ignore the fact that the fandom for classic Star Trek seems to be thriving after more than thirty years. Heck, what do they have that we haven't got? I mean...we have Duncan and Methos, right?

And yet, every so often, we wonder if maybe they aren't right. Is it time to move on? Have we really said all there is to say, written and rewritten the same story, over and over? Our lists go silent, we wait hopelessly for new stories to read, new zines to buy...and then something happens, and we fall in love all over again, and we realize that every relationship has its ups and downs. What's important is that we be there for each other, encourage each other, tease each other, maybe even fight with each other a bit. And don't we have great role models for that? There aren't many slash relationships more complex and convoluted than that of Duncan and Methos. As bad as things get, they're drawn back together, time after time. Brief as Methos' appearance in Endgame was, there was the feeling that there was still that connection, that Duncan looked to Methos for help and knew that he could depend on him—and that Methos would understand, and want to help. In this issue of Futures, we hope that we've managed to capture that complexity, from the ridiculous to the sublime, from the bitter to the sweet. We have new authors, some familiar and new only to Futures, and others brand new to the whole fan writing experience, bringing with them new visions and new strengths. We also bring you well-loved, established authors, familiar names that will make you glad just to see them. We bring you romance and struggle, fairy tales and whimsy, the pain of misunderstanding, and the peace of love realized.

We know that each of these authors has poured her time and love into the stories you're about to read. They've been a delight to work with, and we hope you find this collection as stunning as we do. How can you not, with not only so many talented authors, but the stunning artwork of both Killa and X, who is joining our team for the first time, and brings us nothing but beauty?

We hope each piece inspires you to give it the attention it deserves, and that when you're done, you'll know that Duncan and Methos still have a lot to say to us, and a lot to say to each other, and that we, as readers, writers, editors, conversationalists, still have a lot to talk about—at cons, on lists, in stories. Help us continue the conversation that started with a look, a smile, and a beer, and thank you for venturing with us on this journey of love.

From the zine:

Please be warned; the stories vary from an implied same-sex relationship to graphic depictions of consensual and non consensual sex between adults. There's also adult language and violence, happy endings and not-so-happy endings, warm and tender moments, angst and misery, and joy and happiness. Therefore, this publication is not appropriate for minors, those who find homoerotic material offensive, or readers easily upset by any of the hazards listed above.

[...]

We'd like to say that no characters were harmed during the production of this zine, but geez, everyone would know that's a lie.. .and what fun would that be, anyway? The good news is that any damage was only temporary, and we cleaned them off and put them back in the great fanfic toybox for other writers to play with.

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

  • sample page from issue #4

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for The Snow Queen.

See reactions and reviews for Conjugal Visits.

See reactions and reviews for Concurrence.

[zine]:

i have never read a story by 'chelle that i did not absolutely love for the truth of the characters and the reality of the sexual situations. not just that the two immortals think about sex All The Time (well, if i didn't have to go to work or worry about feeding the dogs and cleaning out the pen or the kitty litter...see i digress, that is what a normal human would do) and could return shall i say readiness at the drop of the rain, i might have sex all day too. (we had a discussion re: misconceptions on another site re: pregnancy and some of my listsibs and i agreed that we could not get enough sex in the early part of our pregnancies before we got a little tummy-round.)

and every other story in fwe4 is so well-written. i just wanted to say that i took some cold medication (fighting the sniffles) last night, went to bed w/my copy, and was surprised that some of the stories seemed so bleak to me.

T had mentioned taselby's "conjugal visits" and i went to that one first. it again is well-written, well-thought out, realistic, truthful, so many good adjectives, but it was so sad. i began to cry at the end (like duncan) and my husband said, hey, i thought you liked this stuff. and i said it was just so bleak. believable but bleak. i then read 'chelle/kamil's story, and they wrote happy sex and i laughed and my husband said that's it. the light is out, elvis is leaving the building. so i went to bed.

i have not yet finished the whole magazine. again, i want to say the quality of the work is unarguably terrific and first-rate. the illos are wonderful. should i wait 'til my cold goes away, i am not medicated, and then re- read the WHOLE thing at one sitting? [4]

[zine]: yes, The Snow Queen is an amazing story. i wish i had dream-interpretation background so i could know what things symbolize in the dreamworld. i thought there would be more horton (but there wasn't); i wondered where joe was (not in the story at all); i liked duncan's perception that methos wanted duncan to be the "bad-guy" in his story. this sort of a "dream-story" draws me into it again and again; i've already read it three times!

btw, T. i read Conjugal Visits first thing because you mentioned it, but i had taken some of my heavy-duty super-duper cough syrup AND some cold meds, and i just got into a crying jag (like duncan at the end of the story) and my husband said, "This is supposed to be enjoyable. No more slashzine for you!" and took it away. taselby did that to me w/her two dead-duncan stories too (there is a little too much alliteration there, neh?). so i feared that skimming the zine while i was so "downed" made me think everything was a downer. i am so glad i woke up on saturday and the sun was shining and i reread Concurrences. i felt down when i read it the first time, but enjoyed it immensely the second. i know what you mean about the tangled tongue syndrome right after the magic penis effect. but what the hey, somebody has to write slash so that i can read it. i liked the bit being from duncan's POV in the shop; i liked the change of scene from joe's and the barge. and the dialogue was just fine in the sunshine in my eyes.

how about ellynross's story? that was such a terrific setup imo. or did you find the sex "without ze sizzle" too? ok, everybody whoever had almost-sex in an elevator, raise your hands. everybody who did you don't have to; i loved the armenian lady and her Maine Coon in his harness.

oh boy, i am a-laughin' again. [5]

References

  1. ^ POLL:The best HL fanfic author on the net, Aislynn, November 1999
  2. ^ from alt.tv.highlander.creative, January 2000
  3. ^ from >> Must Read << (August 12, 2005)
  4. ^ comment by eva at Re: "Concurrence" by chelle & kamil in FWE 4 - spoilers, December 15, 2001
  5. ^ comment by eva at Futures without end - 'The Snow Queen' Review/Spoilers, December 2001
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