Ista Weyr
| Fan Club | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ista Weyr |
| Dates: | 1980s |
| Founder(s): | |
| Leadership: | Marilyn Alm and Harry Alm |
| Country based in: | New Orleans, USA |
| Focus: | Pern |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Ista Weyr was a fan run fan club that focused on the Pern books written by Anne McCaffrey.
The Weyr was originally based in the deep south of the United States, but eventually spanned 38 states and two countries. Each of these local groups were identified as "Name X Hold" which mirrored the political and geographic structure of the Pern Books.
An example of one of these Holds was the Moss Island Hold that was based in Georgia and run by Dale M. Stanley and published its own newsletter Moss Island Minutes (see flyer below). Ista Weyr also published its own newsletter, Weyr Words for all its member Holds.
Two zines proposed in 1980 were Istan Images (poetry, persona stories, etc) and Red Star Rising (a zine modeled after the Darkover zine Starstone). Red Star Rising was still in the planning stages as of 1983. It is unknown if these two zines ended up being published. Ista Images and Ista Coloring Books were both advertised in issue #8 of Harper Beat.
In Darkover Newsletter #24, fans were encouraged to "donate $4 a Turn [year] to the worthy cause of getting that holy of holies, a Bulk Mailing Permit!"
Ista Weyr's official colors were sky blue and bronze, according to Harper Beat #8.
For more details about the Ista Weyr fan club click on the flyer to read the larger version.
Ista Weyr flyer
1988 Moss Island Hold Flyer page 1
1988 Moss Island Hold Flyer page 2
About
Ista Weyr, 9th Pass, Ruathan: one of the oldest fannish Weyrs, founded in 1978, Ista 9 is set in an alternate Pern. This is a Pern in which Canth *did* fly Wirenth, and Ruth is not a sterile mule -- in fact he has many offspring known as "Ruathan" dragons who have his time-sense and memory. This Weyr is unique in that it has a limited permission from the Dragonlady for Anne McCaffrey's own characters to appear in fan fiction. Contact Weyrwoman Merelan aka Marilyn L. Alm [...], Headwoman-Second Petira / bluerider T'ric aka Bunny Hagerty [...], or bronzerider P'tel aka Dennis A. Coyle [...] for more information. Or download the compressed file ISTA9.ZIP, which requires PKUNZIP (available in Library 1) to unzip. Other files related to Ista 9 are: ISTA9PER.TXT (the I9 persona sheet), HEALER.ZIP, EREKCO.ZIP, ISTA9TIM.ZIP (the *very* large timeline), CO940206.ZIP. ISTAH&H.GIF (Ista Hold and Harbour GIF), ISTABOWL.GIF (Ista Weyr Bowl GIF), WH-52.TXT, , JRC109.GIF, SLIPER.ZIP, PEPPER.ZIP, PEPHIS.ZIP (Sliper, Pepper & Pephis all concern Pepper Hold), IHHALL.ZIP (about the Ista Harper Hall), TRPLTS.ZIP, CO0611.ZIP, IHHALL-1.GIF (ground level map of the Ista Harper Hall), IHHALL-2.GIF (upper level of the Ista Harper Hall), WYRPOINT.TXT, WCANNE.GIF, SOUISTA.ZIP, ISTA9.BMP (Ista logo suitable for Windows wallpaper), HEALERCO.ZIP. Ista 9's newsletter is called *Weyr Words*. Ista Weyrwoman Merelan hosts regular story-creating conferences as Chief Story Consultant (CSC) Marilyn; members from all Weyrs are more than welcome to come and offer ideas and Images."Playing Pern" on Rhiannon James' Welcome to Pern site