The Voyages (Star Trek: TOS zine published in the 1970s)

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See also Voyage (disambiguation) for similarly titled zines.

Zine
Title: The Voyages
Publisher: Sickbay Publication
Editor(s): Pat Zotti, Jim Thomas, Maureen B.
Date(s): 1972-1974
Series?:
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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The Voyages

The Voyages is a gen Star Trek: TOS anthology.

One focus of the zine is McCoy's relationship with Amy Bedford, a half-Lythian empath who in many ways foreshadows Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The First McCoy Zine

According to Boldly Writing, it is the first zine dedicated to the character, McCoy. It also has a rare way of introducing the stories, with a dialogue between the editors. The first issue cost "$1.00 or pre-arranged trade."

An ad in 1973 says: "For all McCoy fans! Beat the Great Kelley/McCoy famine! Buy a copy of "Voyages." [1]

A Kraith Connection

The Kraith story Spock's Decision, was to have originally appeared in this zine. See that page for more from Jacqueline Lichtenberg.

The Voyages 1

cover of issue #1, the 1974 reprint, Allan Asherman
cover of issue #1, the 1973 edition, "Maureen [B.] with an enterprising lift from Bill Warren"

The Voyages 1 was published in 1972 and contains 54 pages. The cover is by Maureen B and Bill Warren. The 1974 reprint has 50 pages, cover artist is Allan Asherman.

The interior art & illustrations for both issues are the same: Marilyn Hawkes, Ellen Winder, C. Lee Healy, MKS, Pam Tacoma.

It was edited by Pat Zotti.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

[zine]:
  • Matchmaker, Make me a Match / While returning various Babel ambassadors, McCoy receives a message from an old friend they will be picking up to try to find him a bride. McCoy tries, but no one will agree to an arranged marriage. He gets side-tracked by an outbreak of bubonic plague. Once the plague is quelled, the buddy reports that he'll take care of his wooing himself, and we find that Christine refused because of her own Spock campaign, in cahoots with Amanda. This was a cute set-up, but the plague didn't seem to fit in and the execution was pretty pedestrian.
  • Of That Ilk / Speculation that McCoy's ancestor was Vince Grayson (of Kelley's early film Fear in the Night); hence he might be related to Spock through Amanda Grayson.
  • Memo / Spock/McCoy memo exchange on the subject of the disorder "blahsandyucks." Not terribly amusing.
  • My Horses Know Them / Interesting vignette. Young man finds inexplicable footprints out of nowhere... or the sky.
  • From the Captain / Memo from Kirk to Starfleet defending his officers' "hostile" relationship.
  • Yeoman's Journal / Silly vignette of McCoy forcing Spock into a bunny costume for Halloween
  • Amy / A Mary Sue for McCoy. A very standard Mary Sue. Amy is a telepathic Lythian who escaped from Klingon Kalak's tortures by stowing away among cargo bound for Enterprise. McCoy falls in love at first sight. So does everyone else. Just as she declares her love for him and him alone, the Klingons arrive demanding her, and she valiantly beams over to save the Enterprise. Just as the Klingons are about to destroy Enterprise, she telepathically convinces the Klingon helmsman to turn broadside and offer a target. Back aboard she finishes her declaration and they fall into each other's arms, fade to bedroom.... [3]

The Voyages 2

cover of issue #2, Kathie Maynard
from issue #2, Kraith bibliography as of 1972, click to read
from issue #2, Kraith bibliography as of 1972, click to read

The Voyages 2 was published in 1973 and 61 pages. Cover by Kathie Maynard. Art & illustrations: Marilyn Hawkes, Alan Andres, Pam Tacoma, Steve Barnes. It was edited by Pat Zotti and Jim Thomas.

Many fans complained that this zine physically fell apart very easily, and that the editors needed a better binding system.

  • Dedication (1)
  • Our Side: Editorial by Pat Zotti (3)
  • Your Side: Lettercol (4)
  • Channels of Communication by Jacqueline Lichtenberg (Kraith) (8)
  • Remember, Remember Me by Pat Zotti (9)
  • Zephram Cochrane in Space by Patricia Wakayama (29)
  • The Day Sick Bay Almost Wasn't by Kathy Surgenor (in play form) (30)
  • Thoughts of Friendship, poem by Dawn Sanders (34)
  • I Never Said That! - Quiz (35)
  • The Birthday Present by Kathy Farnell (36)
  • Memo by A. Rodgers (40)
  • The Doc and the Wishful Thinking Dept. (42)
  • The Regent of the Ten Tribes to Mac-Coy by Gail Eirann (43)
  • Kraith Bibliography 1972 (44)
  • From the Parallel Universe by an unnamed fan (46)
  • The Tanya Entry by Pat Zotti (51) (a Kraith story)
  • You are Receiving this Zine Because (61)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

  • Channels of Communication / Spock sends a set of old Vulcan aphorisms to McCoy.
  • Remember, Remember Me / Sequel to "Amy" and marginally more interesting. Amy and McCoy are now living in wedded bliss. Amy and Spock, on landing party, are wiped of their memories by mysterious aliens, and Spock becomes very possessive of her, which inexplicably frightens her. McCoy manages to sneak downplanet, finds them in an embrace, and accosts them; Spock reacts by beating McCoy up. When Kirk arrives, the beings appear, revealing that they were using Spock and Amy to satisfy their own "needs." (This point is not clear, nor elaborated.) But they offer to let them choose whether to return to their previous lives. Amy has been convinced by her telepathy that McCoy is her husband, and persuades Spock to return to Enterprise. Back aboard, memories restored, Spock and Amy each manage to reconcile with McCoy. The premise was okay, but the telling needed work.
  • The Day Sick Bay Almost Wasn't / Spoof - Geraldine (Flip Wilson) Jones, a new nurse, is sent over to Kang when he demands a doctor.
  • The Birthday Present / Spock decides to find a bride by computer, and McCoy spends a month's salary to fix it so Christine is chosen. Cute.
  • Memo / exchange between Kirk & McCoy regarding Saurian Brandy prescriptions and physicals
  • From the Parallel Universe / Interesting first-person short dealing with sexual politics on the ISS Enterprise, and a rougher, but still loving and lovable McCoy.
  • The Tanya Entry / First-person account from Amy of her relationship with Tanya (of Kraith) and machinations to get her together with Spock.. Ho hum.
  • Poetry: Best is: Zephram Cochrane in Space / Patricia Wakayama (In the morning which never comes...) [4]

The Voyages 3

cover of issue #3, Pat Carroll

The Voyages 3 was published in 1974 and contains 148 pages. It is a novel, called Odyssey and is in the "Amy" storyline from the two previous issues. The story is by Carmen Carter, Kathie Farnell, and Pat Zotti. Cover: Pat Carroll. Art & illustrations: Alan Andres, Janice, De Petersen, Marilyn Hawkes Tighe, Pat Carroll

Summary: "Leonard McCoy is participating in a diplomatic mission when word reaches the Enterprise that the entire delegation has been assassinated. In truth McCoy is still alive, but in hiding as he attempts to escape to safety. Amy McCoy returns to Earth to be with the doctor's family. When McCoy finally returns to the ship it is to learn that Amy has been kidnapped by slave traders." [5]

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

Carmen Carter's touch much improves the "Amy" storyline! Married to Amy for a few years now, McCoy is ordered to accompany a diplomatic mission investigating admission of Cirdan to the Federation. They find that McCoy's old friend, now the ruling Reyer, has been forcing modernization on an unwilling population, and a revolutionary movement bombs the meetings. McCoy is trapped on the planet for weeks, as the surviving Federation party first escape out of the city, then attempt to negotiate with the revolutionaries. Meanwhile the Enterprise is informed that he has been killed, and Amy, disconsolate, goes to Georgia to be with Joanna and the rest of Len's family for a service. (This is one of the best parts of the story, as some of McCoy's relatives are preachers and their encounter with Amy is entertaining.) On her way back, Amy is (oh, no, not again... yep, you guessed it...) kidnapped by slavers, as a valuable and rare Lythian. She pines, tries to escape from the evil Syndicate, does some pleasing damage to her captor, and eventually becomes friends with her telepathic guard and another slave, and they manage to escape. However, Amy has protected Liza from the worst of the Pit (a form of mind-sifter, it seems) and is too weak to complete the escape. Liza leaves her and goes looking for... she forgets what, in her confusion from the Pit. But she comes upon... our heroes! Kirk and McCoy, duded up as Syndicate buyers, have been granted 5 hours to find Amy. (Well, at first, Starfleet didn't want to acknowledge McCoy's resurrection, so for Fleet, this is actually doing good.) They have discovered that she has escaped the underground city and go looking when Liza finds them trying to steal an aircar. She begs for help; McCoy ignores her in his frenzy about Amy, but Kirk insists on rescuing her and then they discover they are all looking for Amy. They find her and the other slave, and after a brief fight with slavers, all go back happily ever after to the Enterprise. It was really pretty fun. But Amy's pretty sappy, and the slaver bit... geez. Faulwell's such a better mate for him. [6]

Artwork is all full page and absolutely gorgeous. 'Odyssey' is a novel of over 100 pages. The story's point of view changes from third person to first person from Amy's point of view to first person from Joanna McCoy's point of view to third person... If you have read and liked the Myfanwy and Dorothy series in T-Negative, you'll probably like this one. There are two stories, one in which McCoy is lost and presumed dead on a planet which is suffering a revolution and one is which Amy is kidnapped by slave traders. Of the two, McCoy's wandering around on the planet with a small party surviving the destruction of the embassy is better. I find Amy's part of 'Odyssey' just too unbelievable. But, I know people who enjoy the whole zine. [7]

References