Timeless (Starsky and Hutch zine)

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Zine
Title: Timeless
Publisher:
Editor(s): Flamingo
Date(s): 2003-2010
Series?: Yes
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch
Language: English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Timeless is a slash Starsky and Hutch AU anthology. The cover art is by Suzan Lovett.

From the editorial in issue #1:

Traditionally, there have never been many AUs in SH, especially in comparison to Star Trek or Pros. In fact, Mirror Universe stories -- a Star Trek canon concept of another universe where the same characters exist but in malevolent roles-- can be found in almost every fandom... except Starsky and Hutch... If you are still unsure of just what is an alternate universe , at least by my standards... it can be as complex as putting our boys in another country and another time, say England 1858, or France during World War I. Or it can mean just changing one thing about their normal universe, such as, what might have happened if Starsky's dad never died, or he was never sent to LA as a kid, and became a cop in New York instead. It can be even subtler than that -- how different would their lives be if Hutch did have a brother? Or you can tilt their known Bay City universe just by hiding a telltale pointy ear tip under magical glamor.

General Reactions and Reviews

...has one of the most mind-blowingly beautiful covers you'll ever see anywhere. (Buy two copies and frame one cover.) Plus, hey, the stories are pretty good, and I don't even like A/Us much. [1]

Issue 1

Timeless 1 was published in October 2003 and is 216 pages. The original cover art for this zine sold for $3000 at ZebraCon.

From a October 12, 2003 announcement:

Well, unless there's a disaster in the printing process (always a possibility), it looks like TIMELESS, a Starsky/Hutch AU zine WILL be out for Zcon. I sent an url a few days ago for the wonderful cover art Suzan did for the zine. It will be a double sized fold out color cover. The zine will be 215+ pages long, and will *wonderful* stories from Charlotte Frost, jat sapphire, Dana Austin Marsh, [Rosemary C], Elizabeth Lowery, James, and LAPinn, with art by Virginia Sky. Because I haven't been to the printers with it yet, I can't predict the price yet, especially since I know the cover is going to cost more than usual (but worth it!) I think folks will find a little of everything to please them in this zine. It's romantic, charming, sexy as hell, funny, intense, innovative, and very well written and well plotted. I love these stories and I'm hoping you will, too. Debuting at Zcon and available by mail afterward (and also at Eclecticon!) [2]

Summaries below are by Flamingo: [3]

  • Intro by Flamingo (ii)
  • The Horsemaster/The Horsemaster by Charlotte Frost ("In the 1800's Starsky is an immigrant furniture builder who comes to a British estate to create new furniture for the great house's new wing. There he meets Kenneth Hutchinson, the head groom. After a rocky start, the two men develop a friendship, perhaps the first in their lives. As they begin to fall in love, they realize how cautious they must be, especially considering the master of the manor's antagonism towards his head groom.") (1)
  • NA 31/5 5:35 by L. A. Pinn (44)
  • Brother’s Keeper by Elizabeth Lowry (45) (this is a slash version of a story printed in Don't Give Up On Us #2, "Hutch's brother comes to visit the partners after having recovered from years in a prisoner of war camp in VietNam. Can Hutch resolve his complex feelings toward the older brother who'd always shadowed his life, especially after the years he'd mourned his death? Can Starsky find anything familiar in this man who had once been his superior in VietNam, and had saved his life many times over?")
  • Gentlemen, Start Your Engines by Dana Austin Marsh (winner of a 2004 FanQ, "Detective Hutchinson is still working without a partner, much to Captain Dobey's frustration. But a case involving smuggled drugs being traded on the local race car circuit pulls him. The trouble is, Hutch doesn't know anything about racing or cars, either, for that matter. Fortunately, Huggy has a friend in from New York that might help Hutch: a hot shot race car driver with a huge chip on his shoulder that's named Dave Starsky. Dave has no love for cops. Will he help Hutch? And can Hutch accept the dangerous undercover personae Starsky insists is the only way they can plausibly explain Hutch's presence at the track? Can straight-laced Detective Hutchinson successfully pretend to be Dave Starsky's new California boy-toy?") (73)
  • Befogged by Rosemary C. ("Starsky is in danger of death from Gunther's bullets as Hutch keeps vigil over him. As Hutch realizes how close Starsky is to death, he also realizes how foolish it was not to let Starsky know how he really felt about him. Now all their opportunities are slipping through his fingers with Starsky's life force. As Hutch is confronted with the sudden appearance of a tiny man who speaks in rhyme, he must decide if his grief is making him hallucinate, or if Starsky is truly from another reality. Can the little man convince Hutch of this? Will Hutch stop playing it safe and take the risk necessary to save Starsky's life and give them a second chance of a future together?") (145)
  • Me and Thee by James Walkswithwind ("A short-short story as Starsky tells Hutch about his run in with a vampire slayer.") (165)
  • Another Dawn Patrol by jat sapphire ("It's World War I, and Starsky & Hutch, long-time lovers, are flying aces fighting the Germans in France. This romantic story, rewritten from a movie starring David Niven and Errol Flynn, takes us to places the movie could surely never go, as the two men not only have to fight the forces of evil, but the enormity of a war that seems determined to tear them apart.") (167)
  • Driving Me Wild by James Walkswithwind ("This short-short futuristic story finds Hutch struggling with Starsky's perpetual lateness as they struggle to get to work on time.") (215)


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.

See reactions and reviews for Another Dawn Patrol.

[the cover art by Lovett]: As for paying quite a bit of money for a [non-fannish] oil painting, well actually I don't have any qualms about that at all - if nothing else it will hopefully be an investment as well as giving you pleasure. It should (all being well) appreciate in value. I'm not sure why I don't feel the same about a painting of a fannish nature. Part of it could be that I'm not a big Lovett fan (the gorgeous manips that people like Killa do are much more to my taste), but also I couldn't help thinking that it was an awful lot of money for what it is. It's unlikely that the work will be recognised as a future classic, unlike an oil painting such as the one you purchased. And then I think I'm being awfully snobby. After all, if I can be of the opinion (which I am) that the best fanfiction is as good as most of the pro fiction out there, who am I to decry the worth of a fannish painting? [4]

I thought "Timeless" was fantastic, and I'm one of those people that has prejudices; I can't stand AU in S/H. I *thought* I couldn't stand it, anyway. "Brother's Keeper," by Elizabeth Lowry, changed my mind. I thought it was strong, sexy and brilliant, and not so far from cannon that I couldn't believe it absolutely. This was emotional kick-ass time. The ending poleaxed me and made me read the whole darn thing over--and over--again.

"Gentlemen, Start Your Engines," by Dana Austin Marsh was recommended to me before the "Timeless" was even printed, which did nothing except make me think, "Aw, *no*." Boy, was I *ever* wrong. It was incredible; an psychological and physical roller-coaster. The ever-present danger of what Starsky was doing (and the stunning love story/sex) drew the whole story taut as a stretched bowstring.

"Me & Thee," by James, had me laughing...sort of...at first. Then I had to lock all the doors and draw the blinds on the windows. *Shiver*! I'd like to see a sequel to *that* one, and I wish it had been longer; but in its brevity was its shocking strength.

"Befogged," by [Rosemary C], did something else I didn't think an AU could do...it sucked me into another of my favorite worlds and blended it with S/H so seamlessly and poetically I could practically hear music while I was reading it. The sense of sacrifice was palpable and heart-rending. And the phrasing of words themselves was magical.

I don't want to say *too* much about "Another Dawn Patrol," by jat sapphire. The incredible amount of research that went into the story made the dialogue, as well as the setting, entirely believable. On top of the wonderful story, as I started to read the love/sex scene at the end, I thought, "Whoa! This is a "Dangerous Vision" on *top* of being an AU!!" So neatly placed, it whacks you in the face with its "And you thought *this* was the *end*, sucker!! *Wrong*!!"

So, YES, Flamingo, "Timeless" was a resounding success, as far as I was concerned. Though I'll always cling to "Dangerous Visions" along with the other beautiful, familiar S/H fic I've read, "Timeless" converted me. Now, aside from Suzan's "Goliath," (that masterpiece of "gen" fic--well, as slashy as gen can get; leave it to Suzan,) I'm waiting with bated breath for you to convert a religious slash reader to gen. Which I don't think the second coming could do, but it seems you're working miracles here... [5]

Issue 2

Timeless 2 was published in October 2005 (in time for ZebraCon #17) and is 199 pages. Cover art by Suzan Lovett; interior art by Suzan Lovett, Selena, and L.A. Pinn.

front cover of issue #2, Suzan Lovett -- the artist's title is "Enchantment"
front cover issue #2 with clear plastic overlay-cover in place


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for Pigs in Space.

See reactions and reviews for Switch Hitters.

Issue 3

Timeless 3 was published in 2010 and contains 180 pages. Suzan Lovett cover and interior art by Enednoviel and Nicky Gabriel.

front cover of issue #3, Suzan Lovett: "The Devil’s in the Details – So is the Angel"
inside art from issue #3 for the story The Secrets of Men, Enednoviel

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

[Murder Ward]: I read this originally when it was in a zine, so I was really excited that is is now online. This is an AU version of the episode Murder Ward. Starsky is still a cop but partnered with a man who has been injured, so he wasn't able to go undercover with Starsky to Cabrillo State. Starsky's on his own as a suicidal patient, and has to rely and trust the sympathetic orderly Ken Hutchinson for his safety. I love how Dana Austin Marsh weaves Starsky's history in (the incident with Prudholm) yet slightly alters the events because now Hutch isn't a cop. They still have that instant connection, but aren't quite sure how to trust one another. DAM's attention to detail is always a joy, and this is a long, satisfying read. [6]

References

  1. ^ from This is Katya
  2. ^ An announcement at The Pits by Flamingo. This mailing list required membership and is now offline. This quote by Flamingo is posted to Fanlore with her permission.
  3. ^ March 13, 2004, post to VenicePlace, used on Fanlore with Flamingo's permission
  4. ^ post by mandragora, Archived version, October 30, 2003, discussing the "value" of fanart, displaying fanart, and the fact that the cover of "Timeless" #1 sold for $3000 at ZebraCon
  5. ^ a comment at VenicePlace, December 4, 2003, quoted anonymously
  6. ^ a 2013 rec at Crack Van