A Tremor in the Force/Issue 003

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Issue 3

front cover issue #3, Jim Markle

back cover of issue #3, Dianne Smith

A Tremor in the Force 3 was published in May 1986 and is 238 pages.

This issue was dedicated to the memory of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The art is by Judith Tyler, Mark Murphy, Steven Fox, Dianne Smith, Jim Markle, Dani, Ronda Henderson, Jenni, Yvonne Zan, Pat Easley, Melea Fisher, Sandi Jones, Wanda Lybarger, Mark Fisher, Nancy Stasulis, Barbara Frances-Simon, Martynn, Peggy Dixon and Beth Lentz.

[The editorial]:

Welcome to the third issue of A TREMOR IN THE FORCE. There was a general bemoaning throughout SW fandom during the past year that SW zines are dying out, that no one is writing SW fiction anymore, that there's not enough interest to keep the fandom going. Well...you couldn't prove it by me! This issue of TIF is bigger and better than ever! I've already got contributions coming in for #4! Maybe some of the old-time fans are gafiating or moving on to other pursuits, but there are still plenty of people out there for whom SW still holds an immense fascination.

This issue sees some of our regulars returning in full form ~ Carolyn Golledge, Marcia Brin, Jeanine Hennig, T. S. Weddell, Wanda Lybarger and Dani ~ plus many artists and writers who have not been published here before. Some are well known names — Michelle Malkin, Carol Mularski and Jacqueline Taero. Others are brand-new — Ronda Henderson, Sandi Jones and Judith Tyler, Matthew Whitney, Karen Finch and Katherine Gillen. To all we extend welcome.

In the art department, we are very, very proud to welcome into our ranks Dianne Smith, a generous and talented lady from West Yorkshire, England, who is bestowing on fandom some of the most lovely art it has seen in quite sometime. I know you will enjoy her stunning portraits in the portfolio published here as well as the bacover. I plan to feature lots of Dianne's art in the future — including, for all you rabid Fordfans out there, one of the most luscious color portraits I've seen in quite some time as the cover of my new Fordzine, CHOICE PARTS, due out later this year. I suggest you wear a bib; you're gonna need it!

I'm also happy to welcome Steven Fox, whose sf portfolio I'm sure you will also enjoy. Besides sheer technical artistry, his drawings are whimsical and imaginative. We hope to feature more of Steven's art in the future.

And finally welcome to Jim Markle, Mark and Melea Fisher, and Mark Murphy, all local Dallas artists. This issue of TIF features a lot of local talent. Besides these four, Jenni, Gail Small and Pat Easley are all members of the Southern Enclave! Thanks, gang! We couldn't have done it without you!

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Puzzles by Lynda Vandiver and Marci Erwin (17)
• Darth Vader's Revenge by Judith Tyler, art by Tyler ("A five-part story presented here in its entirety. Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side and Palpatine is determined that he will remain there.") (20)
• The Emperor's Elite by Karen Finch, art by Mark Murphy (38)
• Presenting the Art of Steven Fox: Portfolio (42)
• The Girl Back Home by Carol Mularski, art by Dani ("Sixteen-year-old Luke Skywalker could only feel the call of the stars. How could he gently dissuade the lovely young girl who had set her cap for him?") (This story was originally to have been in Mos Eisley Tribune #4 in 1980.) (49)
• Soliloquy in Silence by Jacqueline Taero (60)
• A Candle for Alderaan by Ronda Henderson, art by Henderson (62)
• Tales from the Dark Side, art by Jenni (64)
• Father and Son, poem by Michelle Malkin (65)
• Of Good Intentions, poem by Jeanine Hennig (66)
• And Then Again by Michelle Malkin (67)
• To the Victor... Belongs the Spoils by Robin White, art by Yvonne Zan (70)
• The Sins of the Mother by Gail Small, art by Pat Easley (74)
• Another Reality by Michelle Malkin, art by Melea Fisher and Yvonne Zan (78)
• Darkside Trio, poems by Pat Easley (82)
• Two Points of View by Sandi Jones, art by Jones ("Written in counterpoint to Susan Matthews' "The Burdens of His Life" (TIF#2), this story explores both Luke's thoughts and those of a woman bearing his child.") (84)
• Unseen Hand by Jacqueline Taero ("Who knows what Force lurks behind the events we have seen?") (88)
• "White Feather". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by T.S. Weddell, art by Wanda Lybarger (A story of Han's early ill-fated military career. "Young Han Solo had it all—a budding career in the Starfleet and a beautiful fiancee from a wealthy and powerful family. Then suddenly everything goes wrong because he will not compromise his honor. Publicly court-martialed as a coward and traitor, he becomes a symbol of contempt to all Corell. It is only a lone Wookiee that seems to understand what honor is all about.") (93)
• Blame It On Bespin by Cheree Cargill (116)
• Of Matters Baronial by Jacqueline Taero (117)
• Dawn on the Forest Moon by Matthew Whitney, art by Mark and Melea Fisher ("It was the morning after the night of celebration on Endor. Luke had been unable to sleep and now found solace in forest of the Ewoks.") (118)
• On the Road by Marty Benedict, art by Jim Markle (128)
• Musings of a Princess by Jean Thompson (125)
• The Next Step by Katherine Gillen, art by Jim Markle (128)
• The Man with Laughter in His Eyes by Kate Birkel, art by Nancy Stasulis ("An alternate for ROTJ. Jabba has had Han released from carbon freeze for the sole purpose of enjoying his pain through torture. What Luke, Lando and Chewie finally rescue can scarcely be called human. The physical body, however, can be repaired. But what happens if the mind and soul of that body has escaped to unknown reaches and cannot be found? ") (133)
• The Dark Lord and Land, poem by Ronda Henderson (143)
• The Art of Dianne Smith: Portfolio (144)
• Winner Takes All by Robin White, art by Barbara Frances-Simon ("Alliance agents on Tatooine are being killed. Luke and Han are sent to infiltrate and find the killer.") (149)
• Pillow Talk by Carol Mularski, art by Martin (161)
• Legacy by Judith Tyler, art by Yvonne Zan (166)
• "Murder On the Interstellar Empress". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Marcia Brin, art by Dani (Set post Return of the Jedi. "Taking their first vacation in years, Han and Leia set sail on the luxury star liner. Interstellar Empress. It is a dream come true, until they run across an apparently drug-related murder. No one seems inclined to investigate, so they undertake to find the killer themselves—and discover that they have now become targets.") (169)
• A True Partner by Marci Erwin (182)
• "Full Circle". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golledge, art by Dani ( (Post Return of the Jedi. Boba Fett has survived the sarlacc and is determined to take revenge on Solo. "A full-length post-JEDI novel. Boba Fett has survived the Sarlacc pit, crawling up from its gut as the powerful stomach acids ate away his armor and skin. Found wandering in the Dune Sea by Trella, an empath, he is nursed back to health. The two fall in love and, listening to Fett's fevered rantings of the events leading up to his fall, Trella grows to hate Han Solo with the same passion as did Fett. Once he has recovered and is strong again, the two set out after Solo, bent on revenge.") 184)
• The Ultimate "Trash the Corellian" Story by Roz, art by Dianne Smith (236)

• 

  from issue #3, Yvonne Zan

• 

  from issue #3, Mark Murphy

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Dani

• 

  from issue #3, Ronda Henderson

• 

  from issue #3, Jenni

• 

  from issue #3, Melea Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Pat Easley

• 

  from issue #3, Mark Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Melea Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Jim Markle

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, inside back cover, Yvonne Zan

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith, a fusion with Gremlins, for The Ultimate "Trash the Corellian" Story

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

Cheree Cargill's third issue of A Tremor in the Force, like its predeces sors, is S clean, well-designed zine. Especially strong is the selection of fiction, with its combination of new and well-known authors. The art is also distinctive, with representations from the works of Mark and Melea Fisher, Dani Lane, Jim Markle and Dianne Smith, as well as others.

A special section is new and different with its "Tales From the Dark Side," a series of short stories and art by Michelle Malkin, Jeanine Hennig, Robin White, Gail Small, Jacqueline Taero, Sandi Jones and Yvonne Zan. All the stories have a Dark slant, with Luke or Leia's eventual fall to, or destruction by, the evil side of the Force. The variations writers found on this theme are intriguing and suggest even more stories.

Carolyn Golledge's "Full Circle" is the longest story in the zine, as she brings back Boba Fett from the Sarlacc's pit, determined to avenge himself on the man responsible for his defeat, Han Solo. But as Boba Fett should well know from dealing with Solo in the past, things rarely go according to plan. Marcia Brin's "Murder on the Interstellar Empress" is an old-fashioned mystery, as Han and Leia's incognito vacation turns into a murder investigation when Leia finds a dead body in her locker.

Robin White's "Winner Loses All" returns Luke and Han to Tatooine, where old friends just might be involved in the disappearance of Rebel agents.

And Han's inability to obey an order destroying innocent travelers has incredible repercussions in "The White Feather," by T. S. Weddell.

I agree about the art in TREMOR #3. I wrote in my LoC that all the art was so good that I couldn't pick favorites, and it was no exaggeration! Before I wrote my letter, I made a list of all the notable pieces, and by the time I was finished, realized I'd best say "everything." Yeah, Dianne Smith is especially good; saw some of her oils at WorldCon and I think she did well, so everybody must agree with us!

In TREMOR IN THE FORCE, I particularly liked the art portfolio of Dianne Smith. I'm no expert, of course, but she seems to be an especially talented artist! Jenni's Darkside Luke is a real charmer (those EYES!) and Jim Markle's cover drawing is well done also.

Well, what can I say?! Even I, possibly the world's biggest glutton for SW fic have only now completed digesting this feast! The most satisfying heavy meal since I gorged myself on KESSEL RUN 4. You did a great job, Cheree! But what a mammoth effort! You must have been exhausted! Everyone involved is certainly to be congratulated! For me, the most immediately striking aspect of this issue was the abundance of excellent artwork. How could you ever choose a favorite?! What with Jim Markle's eerily threatening front cover (what are they confronted with, Jim?), to Dianne Smith's breathtaking portraits (I like her bacover best, I think...though Luke is superb! ...and Han with baby Ewok! Just right! Two cuties together! But there is some sort of light, a sheer joy of living, a pride in one another, something that makes the bacover of Han and Chewie really grab you and keep you looking!

Whoops, prattling again! Steven Fox's work gave me so many ideas for stories! I'd love to see these in color! Then, of course, there was what we now take for granted, excellent bring-the-story-to- life illos by Wanda Lybarger and Dani Lane. The icing on the cake was the variety, newcomers, so many wonderful styles! From the soft pencil-look of Barbara Frances-Simon to the stark black and whites of Ronda Henderson, Pat Easley's free-flowing lines...Stasulis, Martynn, Zan! Where did you find so many, Cheree?!

That's only a skimpy comment on the art work! I'd have to write an epic to truly tell you how much and why I enjoyed everything in a zine which will always be kept near the top of my pile, in easy reach for a re-read.

The two stories that most stick in my mind are Judith Tyler's excellent "Darth Vader's Revenge" (had me choking back tears when baby Luke responded to his father's desperate plea!) and T. S. Weddell's "The White Feather" (which I have raved on about elsewhere). All I will say here is that for me there are now no gaps in my mental image of Han's life and the reasons for his bitterness and dislike of authority...and fear of falling for the Princess. It's all here and, as usual, a beautifully crafted, can't-put-it-down read.

The Dark Side stories! I was awaiting these with great interest and I wasn't disappointed! But, c'mon, guys--show some mercy. It may be summer over there when you get your zines, but it's winter here! I didn't need anymore chilling! Personally, I enjoyed Michelle Malkin's alternates the most. (Hang on a tic, I don't think "enjoyed" was quite the right word!) Anyway, "Another Reality" was a fascinatingly convoluted twist.

(Heck! I forgot to rave about Melea Fisher's artwork! What talent! I can't get enough of her illos! The likenesses to the actors are so accurate, but besides that, she captures mood in a way that reaches out and takes you by the throat... [shut up, Darth]).

I particularly like stories that are written in answer to or because they are sparked by a previous story on the same topic, and the second writer approaches the issue from another angle entirely. Therefore, I found Sandi Jones' "Two Points of View" intriguing reading. I don't think I've read a story that tells the same incident (ahem) from two POV's (Ben woulda like this one!) and I found it a refreshing tactic.

I love Matthew Whitney's stories for the humanity he brings to the characters. They are very real and their reactions and thoughts are amazingly true to the people of the films. Also like his talent for background description. (Aftermath of a party, huh, Matthew? Sorry, couldn't resist!) Line I liked best? "He [Vader] had been human, and the reality had been better than the fantasy." The Fishers' artwork for this was an absolute treat.

First person writing is always difficult, but Jean Thompson's "Musings of a Princess" sounded straight from Leia's heart. Liked it very much. Kate Birkel's "The Man With Laughter in His Eyes" made me almost glad Lucas portrayed Jabba as far less evil than I had expected. Kate's is probably a more real interpretation of what would have happened had this not been a fairy-tale universe. It left me feeling shakey! The description of the "place" Han had been sorta wrapped around the reader, too, and hung on. Very well written.

"Winner Loses All" by Robin White...clever idea. Loved Han's reaction to Luke's...um...cunning.

Straight dialogue vignettes are another favorite of mine, so I enjoyed Carol Mularski's "Pillow Talk" also. Laughed over Han's, "Yeah, and Darth Vader was your father, too" and Leia's response. Favorite cartoon: Peggy Dixon's Han Solo-- Family Man! HA! Should have made mention of a third story that stuck with me, Marcia Brin's "Murder on the Interstellar Empress". Loved a more light-hearted adventure after the heavier stuff. But it sticks because of the wonderful banter between Han and Leia, reminds me of Liz S.'s wonderful portrayal of them in "Command Performance." Laughter prolonged and to the point of sore sides and tears in the eyes? ROZ (? Okay, who are ya?)--"The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story"! After the ad nauseum things I did to the poor guy in "Full Circle", I couldn't help but feel this one was dedicated to me! (Although those references seemed to be to others more...Lmm..skilled than I!) At any rate, this was the one I read over out loud to any unfortunate I could tie down long enough!

Poetry: I am now as hooked on Ronda Henderson's beautiful emotive pieces as I am on Jacqueline Taero's clever rhymes. I have had the privilege to read more of Ronda's work which is yet to be printed. Watch for it. She has a talent for warming your heart and leaving you with the same good feeling that the final scene of ROTJ created. Well, I can't go into any more depth on the feelings left by TIF#3 or Cheree'd never have the room to print the stories for which I am already avidly craving! Keep up the good work, Cheree, and maybe I'll let you have Han back to...umm...keep up your morale!

What can I say about TIF#3? It had one great story after another. "Darth Vader's Revenge" was probably the best pre-New Hope story I've read. It was totally absorbing, emotionally powerful and presented a quite plausible scenario. I found the "Tales from the Dark Side" section to be an interesting change of pace. While I would never like to see our heroes really fall to the darkside, these stories add a little diversity and spice to their lives. I particularly liked "Another Reality", "The Sins of the Mother", and my favorite among the Dark Side stories, "To the Victor...Belong the Spoils". The perversion and decadence of Luke's soul is so thick you could cut it with a knife! Leia, on the other hand, is willing to sacrifice her own soul to the dark so that Light could live and conquer the darkness--a sacrifice probably more unselfish and noble than giving her life itself. Somehow I doubt that she would truly ever be lost to that darkness.

I found "Dawn on the Forest Moon" to be a realistic and sensitive portrayal of what Luke might be feeling the morning after the big blowout. His father was no longer some far away person to be idolized but a person like him who could fail and still have the strength and courage to pick himself up and succeed. It made Luke realize it was OK not to be perfect and that there is always hope for all of us.

"The Next Step" was sweet with Luke's mom coming to comfort him as well as Leia. I would like to see more interaction between the twins and their mother.

"Legacy" was touching and "Pillow Talk" lighthearted and a lot of fun. "Murder on the Interstellar Empress" provided a nice little adventure for Han and Leia. An honorable Boba Fett? It is an interest ing concept, and like "Mindlink", another good story by Carolyn Golledge. It could perhaps have been trimmed down a bit in places, but all in all, it was captivating and well written. Finally, my favorite story was "The Man With Laughter in His Eyes". It was again a story of love and caring in the purest sense. The star that Han needed and probably sought all his adult life was the ability to love, and once he opened up his own heart to the truth, he found he had that ability all along. Cheree, you get the grammy for "Blame It On Bespin"!

That about sums it up on ATITF for now. All three books had an excellent and diverse range of topics, love, romance, action, tension. It was well put together and the art was beautiful. I EAGERLY await #4!

As usual, TIF was a pleasure to read. "Darth Vader's Revenge"--Excel lent, a tragic story that nevertheless has a spark of hope at the end. I got entirely involved with the characters; their feelings were well-conveyed. "Tales from the Darkside"--Sigh. I have an aversion to Darkside stories, which has nothing whatsoever to do with a particular author or the high quality of the writing. And it seems a bit unfair that most such stories deal with Luke. Nice illo on page 80.

"The White Feather"--It's amazing how people can twist the facts to suit themselves, truly amazing. But I'm glad Han did what he did. We can't just go along like automotons, when we know something is wrong. And, I knew, like Chewie, that Han had not lost his basic decency and never would, no matter what he pretended.

"The Man With Laughter in His Eyes"-- Honestly, I'm of two minds about this story. The beginning is like something out of Stephen King, truly awful. The escape symbolism, the starfield, is quite good. If only the first part weren't so horrible. I doubt if anyone would want to see this on the screen. You don't have to tell me about Dianne Smith. I have one of her works hanging proudly on my wall.

"Winner Loses All"--If I didn't know better, I would think that Camie and Fixer were the victims in this story, and Luke the criminal. Certainly, Camie knew what buttons to push to make Luke feel that way. "Murder on the Interstellar Empress"-- Marcia always does Han and Leia well. "Full Circle"--Gee, Boba Fett looks just like Clint Eastwood! I can hear him now..."Go ahead...make my day!" Han is certainly picking up some interesting friends. There were a couple of lines that gave me a chuckle--"the General's meth ods of self-destruction were really becoming interesting" and "It's okay- The kid's not violent when he's just finished breakfast."

"The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story"-- How true!

I think I mentioned in a previous letter how hard it is to find decent SW fanzines at the local cons. (How hard it is to find ANY decent fanzines!) I was so used to seeing the usual, cliche'd stories that TIF completely blew me away!! I don't think I disliked a single story in the entire zine! I'll try not to comment on every single one, but bear with me if I do.

"Darth Vader's Revenge"--It's so nice to see a story where Vader is more than a huffing and puffing sadist. Of course, in the story Vader is still mostly Anakin, but still... It's such a sad story, really, a classic "fall of the hero" cycle-- that last bit of humanity stamped out of Anakin's soul. And yet, one can see how he can still have good in him.

"The Emperor's Elite"--What a total surprise! A SW story with none of the characters from any of the movies. Great story, too--does a lot to flesh out that particular universe. "The Girl Back Home"--Such a nice, sweet story! We grounding of Luke's dreams, etc. "Tales From the Dark Side"--This whole section completely blew me away! I sort of sat there with my mouth open, making inane noises--and then I started biting my nails. I mean, all these situations could have occurred! So, briefly...

"Father and Son"--This one might have happened, but I guess we'll never know. "Of Good Intent ions"--Oh, the irony of it!! "I will deal with them as I have dealt with you" sent shivers up and down my spine! I love this one! "And Then Again..."--I'm glad it didn't happen this way! (What an understatement!) I mean, where would we be if it had?

"To the Victor..."--The end was so poignantly effective; the line from JEDI nearly did me in. Poor Leia. Onto the other stories in the zine-- "Unseen the Hand"--It's a very funny story, but somehow, I didn't quite get it. I'll have to re-read, I guess. "The White Feather"--so that's how it happened! I liked the way the author tied in Han's trial/"treachery" with his meeting of Chewbacca. I have to admit that I've often wondered how exactly Han was thrown out of the Corellian fleet, and the story was even better than excellent! I wish I could write stuff like that. Sigh.

"The Man with Laughter in His Eyes"--In spite of some minor details in Han and Leia's relationship I didn't agree with, this was one of my favorite stories. To paraphrase Marion Raven- wood, "Han never seems to get a break, does he?" Figuratively, ngt literally! He certain got enough "breaks" in this one! I think I am running out of adjectives here, but it was just such a good story! I'm glad it had a happy ending (so to speak). "Pillow Talk"--Hysterical! Deliciously funny! (Maybe I'm not running out of adjectives)

"Gasp--how did you know?" Hee-hee-hee! "Murder on the Interstellar Empress"-- Marcia Brin is such a good writer. I like this vision of our heroes' future the best. It seems just like the way Han and the Princess wound end up. Great plot, great characterization, great dialogue, great everything! "Full Circle"-Wow! Boba Fett looks like Clint Eastwood?? It was a very good story, excel lently using and expanding a fairly unpleasant minor character into a living person. I personally don't think that Fett would turn out to have been such a nice guy, but good story anyway! And finally, last, but never least, "The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story". Oh, God! I thought I would die laughing! I wish I could give a copy to all the writers who have ever trashed poor Han! It was more than funny--it was utterly, absolutely, undeniably, incredibly hysterical! I was in stitches--and still am every time I re-read. It's just that the Caressable Corellian is so much fun to trash! (I should know--having attempted to do so in a couple of stories.) Ten stars to Roz-- she certainly deserves them!

Well, despite my best efforts, I still created a monster. I'm sorry I wasn't able to mention any of the other stuff I I iked--the poems, cartoons and artwork! However, I must mention Dianne Smith's portfolio--it made me want to burn my pencils and drawing pads! Oh, drool, drool, into eternity! What a talented lady!