A Tremor in the Force/Issue 004

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Issue 4

front cover issue #4, Dianne Smith

back cover of issue #4, Jim Markle

inside back cover of issue #4, Carol Peters

A Tremor in the Force 4 was published in 1988 and is 207 pages.

• Letters of Comment (3)
• A Long Night's Journey Into Day, story by Judith Tyler (Obi-Wan has watched and waited. Now the New Hope of the Jedi is ready to start his journey.) (7)
• Nothing More Than Feelings, story by Judith Tyler (Leia must stand before Vader and watch helplessly as Han is lowered into the carbonite pit.) (10)
• Hyl Rann's Discovery, story by Judith Tyler (The imperial spy has uncovered vital information on Yavin that could spell the end of the Death Star and now must bear dark tidings to his master, Darth Vader.) (13)
• Boushh, poem by Susan Zahn (20)
• Love Resurrected, poem by Susan Zahn (21)
• Merry Days, My Lovely, story by Kate Birkel (It has been twenty years since Han Solo stormed out of his marriage to Leia Organa. Can a certain Jedi bring them back together at long last?) (22)
• A Mother's Love, story by Ruth Radecki (The time of celebration on Endor following the destruction of the Death Star was also a time of intimate sharing and soul-searching for both Han and Leia.) (38)
• A Scene from the Past: What Could Have Happened by Margaret Lynn Stewart (42)
• Reclaimed, story by Barbara Gardner ("Darth Vader has discovered that he has a son in hiding on Tatooine. It is simplicity itself to slip into the Lars holding and reclaim 4-year-old Luke.") (43)
• To Be A Jedi, story by Marti Schuller (Luke takes three students to Dagobah to finalize their training as Jedi. The pathway for each is different and, ultimately, each must face his own trial with the Dark Side.) (47)
• The Lando Calrissian Last-Minute Hero Blues, poem by Jacqueline Taero (64)
• "Diamond of the First Water". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Marcia Brin (Set post Return of the Jedi. Han and Leia go to Trantos for a diplomatic affair that develops complications. A jewel theft and diplomatic intrigue await Han and Leia as they attend a treaty conference outside the Alliance's jurisdiction.) (65)
• Bright Suns Shone by Maggie Nowakowska ("A lost Jedi soul searches for understanding in a dialogue with its mentor.") (83)
• Weight Wars: Jabba's New Hope by Peggy Dixon and Diane Pitman (88)
• Changeling, story by Matthew Whitney ("The child of Owen and Beru Lars had died at birth, but now Owen's brother, Ben Kenobi, approached them with a desperate request—that they foster the newborn son of Anakin Skywalker and pass the babe as their own.") (99)
• Into the Dark Side, story by James Booth (Han and Leia have moved with their son to the remote world of Ella where Leia discovers that the Emperor's reach from the Dark Side is not limited by death or distance.) (103)
• Time To Go, vignette by Melanie Guttierrez (120)
• Who Dares Do More by Irina Ozernoy ("Did you ever wonder how Wedge Antilles made it through the Rebellion without a scratch?") (122)
• The Conspiracy of Kommnor, story by Angela Fassio ("Originally published in the Italian zine ALLIANCE, this is the first time this outstanding novella has been translated into English! The end of the war and the consequent fall of the Empire marked the beginning of a ticklish period during which the stormy and dramatic events that had troubled the Galaxy were still vividly remembered and the ghosts of the past seemed to dim the New Era. During this difficult time of transition, several traps and threats hid themselves in the shadows...") (123)
• "Victory Scars". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (Burning debris rains on Endor after the destruction of the Death Star. Massive forest fires result—and the ewok tribes in the distant hills look for the person responsible. Luke Skywalker is targeted as an offering to the Fire Demons. Can Han find him in time? And how can Endor be saved?) (143)
• Sith Before Weddings, story by Kerry Nash (The Sith are ethereal beings who have always been tied to the Jedi. Now Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are their only contacts and such contact is interlaced with hidden perils.) (162)

• 

  from issue #4, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #4, Dani

• 

  from issue #4, Melanie Guttierrez

• 

  from issue #4, Pat Easley

• 

  from issue #4, Rebecca Carey

• 

  from issue #4, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #4, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #4, Dianne Smith, reprinted in "Never Say Die" #4

• 

  from issue #4, Fabrizio Bertellino

• 

  from issue #4, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #4, Catherine Churko

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

A Tremor in the Force has always been a quality zine, and after a brief hiatus, its return to publishing is most welcome. With a combination of new names and old favorites, readers will find excellent fiction, from a Han-Leia detective story to a ghostly reunion.

Judith Tyler starts off the zine with a trio of short stories. "A Long Night's Journey Into Day" sends Kenobi into Anchorhead, to see what Anakin's manchild has become; while Leia, in "Nothing More Than Feelings," finds herself plagued with questions as she recalls the events on Bespin. And "Hyl Rann's Discovery" earns him an unexpected reward when he reveals the identity of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star to Darth Vader.

Two other stories deal with the young Luke Skywalker. Kenobi must make a harsh bargain with his brother to protect Anakin's son, in "Changeling," by Matthew Whitney; and Barbara Gardner provides an imaginative twist in "Reclaimed," when Vader easily retrieves the four-year-old Luke and just as easily gains his affections. In Melanie Guttierrez's "Time to Go," an older Luke reflects back at the place he had in life. And Maggie Nowakowska's "Bright Suns Shone" is a one-sided dialogue between Kenobi and Yoda in the twilight that proves Kenobi still has a lot to learn.

Marcia Brin returns to fan fiction with another mystery for Han and Leia to solve in "Diamond of the First Water." When a fist-sized diamond vanishes at a diplomatic reception, only Han realizes that why a diamond of the first water is the clue to its recovery. Ruth Radecki's "A Mother's Love" finally brings Han and Leia together on Endor.

Kate Birkel makes the path of true love mightily complicated in "Merry Days, My Lovely," in which Luke masterminds Han's re-appearance in Leia's life after a twenty year absence. James Booth's "Into the Dark Side" is a tragic tale of revenge, when both Luke and the only son of Han and Leia are lost in a planetary catastrophe. It is only later that Luke can reveal to Leia that the destruction was arranged by the still-powerful Emperor, and that he and her son are prisoners of the Dark Side. Han's fury at his son's murder leaves Leia to face Palpatine and the Dark Side to free her family.

The four longest stories are all set in the post-"Return of the Jedi" universe. In Carolyn Golledge's "Victory Scars," neither Luke nor Endor have escaped their battles with the Emperor unscathed. Luke cannot reach the Force, and Death Star debris ignites forest fires. As the Ewoks and Alliance fight to save the forest, Luke and Han run afoul of angry Ewoks who want revenge. The future of the Jedi is in doubt when Luke takes his three apprentices to Dagobah for training, in "To Be A Jedi." The results of their test at the tree endangers the Master as well as the students in this story by Marti Schuller.

Kerry Nash reveals the secrets of the Sith in "Sith Before Weddings," when a series of ghostly incidents command the presence of Luke and Leia to investigate. The Sith, angry at the destruction of their allies, the Emperor and Vader, are threatening disaster for the galaxy, and only the twins can persuade them that they had been misled. And in part one of Angela Fassio's "The Conspiracy of Kommnor," a very complicated web of intrigue and danger sends Luke off after the first solid clue to the surviving Jedi; while at the same time, the enemies of the Republic move to destroy him and the missing Jedi.

Thank you for publishing yet another enjoyable publication. I knew that I had no faith that you would publish another issue. Thank you for proving me wrong. It's great! Please do many more. Artwork was wonderful and the stories were delightful to read. Having seen Carolyn in Australia, I was able to have a preview of her "Victory Scars". The lady has some wonderful story ideas. Too bad about the arrow being in the wrong shoulder. I would never have picked it up if I had not been told. Wanda's drawings once again are ny favorite. "Merry Days, My Lovely" Kate Birkel was another gem. "Sith Before Weddings" by Kerry Nash was yet another well-written story that added to an excellent publication.

"Merry Days, My Lovely" and "A Mother's Love", both great stories, and oh, that devious Luke. He is seldom portrayed as such a human type. I like him much better when he behaves in a more human and less mystical way. "Diamond of the First Water" — as usual, Marcia Brin's story was great, but I think she should make a sign to put on the Falcon — "Organa and Solo Private Investigations." "The Conspiracy of Konnnor" — I think I I'm going to like this, but since it fits into my pet zine hate (continued stories), I will wait to make my decision. "Victory Scars" — Carolyn does it again. Anotter great story. These were my favorites, storywise.

Artwise, Lybarger as usual is great, Dianne Smith has some nice work also, but I was somewhat disappointed in her cover. I do not believe it was up to her usual standard. Han's face does not seem right. Melanie Guttierrez' picture of the spirits in the Ewok village was outstanding as was the space scene by Catherine Churko. All in all, a really outstanding zine. Thanks for a job well done.

Lots of good and interesting reading this time around by contributors old and new, even if one of them is the dreaded "to be continued" tale. I enjoyed the zine from cover to cover and was sorry to come to the end. One small comment before I go on— isn't it amazing two readers in two different states both thought Bob)a Fett looks just like Clint Eastwood? He does, too. Being a very early fan of his, I thought it was great. ((Ed: I'm sure Dani intended her illos of Boba Fett to look like Clint Eastwood—a wonderful touch.)) Just a couple of things to remark upon this time. I think that Marcia Brin must be a fan of old movies. Her Han and Leia remind me of Nick and Nora Charles and her stories certainly read like the plots of films of the time. Nice to see contributions by the male fans. I know they're out there. They're just very quiet. Also glad to see your Italian story. I really got into it and was a little disappointed to find out I have to wait to find out that happens.

Another fine offering Carolyn Golledge, tho keeps getting better all the time. She trashes Han—again—although too, too badly this time and does the same for Luke, all in a good cause. After all, Palpatine's energy bolts had to have some after effect on Luke. Temporary loss of the Force seems logical and it stands to reason that a peqple as primitive as the Ewoks would blame Luke for their troubles, especially if they knew about the funeral pyre.

Thanks to Dianne Smith for the excellent front cover and to everyone for a marvelous zine. I'm already anticipating number five so much I can't stand it. I know that it will be up to the high standards set by the other four.

Many thanks for putting tte effort into producing the fourth installment of TISKXt IN IHE FEMX. It is so nice to have a new SW fan zine appesa in the mailbox after such a long spell between such offerings! The first thing to catch the eye iqxn unwrapping this delightful package was Dianne Stadth's lovely front oavec illustration. It is truly a work of art! Art tells a story in and of itself and it is fun to leaf through a just-received fanzine to scan the artwork. You can form a story in your mind from these renditions alone. That it's fun to read the accompanying text to see hew the first pictorial impressions correlate or differ from the actual story. The artists for all the fanzines to be thanked for providing those of us have trouble stringing together to form words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs for some very entertaining viewing pleasures. They have a talent I truly envy! Each and everyone's work is predated, even if tteir name does not get mentioned.

This is equally true of the fine authors whose works are represented within the pages of TREMOR, as well. It is difficult to single out all of those whose works are liked as there is only so much space available in a letter. Needless to say, all those who contributed deserve specialized praise for helping to keep SW fandom alive and publishing!

Viewing the table of contorts is rather like viewing a Christmas catalogue filled with fantasy wishes. It is a delight. Seeing all the names of the people whose works I have enjoyed in the past helps me to savor that which is to come in the as-yet-unread issue.

Marcia Brin has crafted a delightful story in "Diamond of the First Water." I rather like the lightness she is able to create in the mood of the tale. It is almost like casting Han and Leia as Nick and Nora Charles. Wanda Lybarger's art adds a nice touch to tte story. It was extremely well done. After not having seen a new SW fanzine in quite a time, having all these stories togetter at once was rather like being a kid in a candy store. It's hard to decide that you want to devour next!

Knowing Carolyn Golledge would have another delightful trash Han piece somewhere in the zine, I hurried to that and it was indeed very much fun. Again, the accompanying art by Wanda was something which doubled the pleasure.

Now I shall sit and await news of the next volume of this zine which will be carrying a to-be-continued story. But with SW, "to be

continued" is the name of the game.

Excellent zine! The covers - well, what can one say? Dianne has not done bad art yet. The varying typestyles was something many people complain about. I liked it! It gave in interest to the zine and probably saved your fingers as well, if you had help. Do it again. I didn't mind at all! ((Ed: I do all the typing on my zines. The varying typestyles are a result of doing the zines on different machines. In TF#4's case, part was done on a Wang laserprinter, part one Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet printer, part on my Brother HR-15 computer printer and on my Adler SE1011 electronic typewriter! This issue (TF#5) was done on the HP LaserJet, on the Brother, and on my new NEC 5300 Pinwriter.))

I won't comment on every story because I don't have the time. Suffice to say ttere wasn't anything I disliked. So I'll just hit the high points.

"Reclaimed" — There but for the Grace of the Force... I do enjoy these stories that show how easily things could have been so different. "To Be a Jedi" — Not quite the picture of Luke I see in my mind, but still a good story. I do suspect the illustrator might be a Jason Connery fan (or am I imagining things?). "Diamond of the First Water" — Why doesn't Marcia Brin turn pro and do some mainstream whodunits? I really enjoy a good mystery though I must admit I figured out where the diamond was hidden the second I read about the water pitcher. I think that trick's been used somewhere before—but it's still a good place to hide stolen "ice".

"Bright Suns Shone" — This one is going to take some tine to digest. Like most of Maggie's stuff, it's heavy on the philosophical side. She likes to make the readers think. I'm going to have to read this one a couple of times and think on it. Perhaps a discussion with her would be nice. I'll have to see if I can coner her sometime soon for that purpose.

"Weight Wars" — Funny—just one comment. I wish it could have used up less pages and left more for something more serious. But I do knew the value of having your punch line on the overleaf page.

"Into the Dark Side" — The writer of this seems to have a talent for turning a phrase. Nice to see some male names ending up now and then. After all, SW is only 2/3 male—right? It was a little depressing but since I do love to depress people with my own stuff, I won't complain about that. As for Dianne Smith's artwork, ditto above. She may be a Ford fan but she certainly draws a NICE Luke!

"Conspiracy of Komnnor" — I HATE continued stories! But I loved the story itself. I suppose it took awhile to translate and that's the reason for the serialization. Hope it lives up to its potential. (I had a story translated into German for publication over there and the translation was six pages shorter than my original version. I wonder how this one stacked ip to the original).

"Who Dares Do More" — It still amazes me that a character with probably no more than six or eight lines in three movies can inspire so many stories and storylines. I always said there was something odd about him.

"Victory Scars" — Excellent idea. Something I don't think anyone has brought up before. Burning debris = forest moon = forest fires. The anthropology of the Ewok culture captured my attention in this story. That there might be other tribes on Endor is some thing to consider and with a primitive culture there would be little communication between them. Perhaps an Ewok war would be something to write about. And if your particular bent is towards hurt/comfort—well, this is the story for you.

"Sith Before Weddings" — Very strange, al most frightening. A different way of looking at that the Sith hadn't have been. I wish George would clear some of this up. Perhaps he's looking at all the different ways the fans have seen them to get ideas. (I doubt it but it never hurts to dream.)

"Merry Days My Lovely" — My favorite story of the zine. It's nice to see mature characters written with maturity. This was an adult story without any "trash". I'm glad Luke was written as a man is assured of himself and comfortable with his own sexuality—not over done—just right. Somehow Luke as a virgin of 45 just doesn't cut it. Personally, I think he probably "lost it" on Tatooine. After all, there wasn't much else to do there.

All in all, I'm pleased with my purchase of TF#4. Thank you, Cheree, for feeding my addiction—just when I thought I was going to turn to Robin of Sherwood as a fandom.

TREMOR IN THE FORCE #4 was certainly worth waiting for! I hope it'll be around for years to come. (Is that a curse or a blessing, Cheree?) The cover by Dianne Smith was gorgeous, but I confess to being prejudiced in my drooling admiration for her portrayal of Luke on page 113. Of course, Dianne's art is usually exceptional. In fact, the artwork throughout the zine was terrific. Dani, Wanda Lybarger, Melanie Guttierrez, Carol Peters, etc. did outstanding jobs. I would like to especially thank Rebecca Carey for her fine illos to my story. This is the first time I've seen Fabrizio Bertellino's art, but I will remember his name after this. Excellent detail! One of the best, if not the best zines for overall art that I've ever seen. I like the designs with the titles, too. Nice artistic touches.

Now to the contents. Peggy Dixon's "Weight Wars: Jabba's New Hope" art and lines with Diane Pitman probably should've been included with my above comments but since the captions were as good as the

drawings, I felt I should mention it separately. Funny, funny material that, unfortunately, I can too readily identify with.

Judith Tyler's three opening pieces are delightful gems! Though previously I've been unfamiliar with Ms. Tyler's work, I certainly will look forward to more from this talented lady. Not only are the characters captured fully and dimensionally, but their thoughts and actions are beautifully appropriate and very nicely expressed. Another professional quality author is always a treasure to discover and welcome. We in SW fandom are so fortunate to have such talents as Ms. Tyler's. "Merry Days, My lovely" by Kate Mrkel was an interesting hypothesis. While I personally cannot see this scenario, Ms. Birkel presents her story with believable conviction on her part and an obvious talent for writing. Marcia Brin's "Diamond of the First Water" was a joy to read and one of my favorites. A well-plotted mystery, it sharply reminded me, with Han and Leia's easy bantering, of the remarkable THIN MAN movies—personal favorites of mine also, I admit. I'd love to see more of her humor. I laughed aloud more than once and, for me, that is rare. Excellent! "Tine to Go" by Melanie Gattierrez was a most insightful piece, filled vith vise observations—sad, yet comforting. Nice work. Although I get decidedly jealous of those who can both draw and write, I look forward to more of this lady's work, as well. "Who Dares Do More"---a unique scenario, chillingly presented by Irina Ozernoy and one I'm relieved not to have witnessed. Poor Wedge, and poor lake! Carolyn Golledge's "Victory Scars" was another rollicking adventure that Carolyn's readers have come to expect from this talented Australian. I've run out of superlatives to describe her work, but she knows how I feel. Green! "The Conspiracy of Kcnnnor" by Angela Fassio promises to be very exciting and I eagerly await its conclusion. The planet of Heraklyon is realistic and well thought out with Yxel seeming a very probable inhabitant. The descriptive phrasing is also quite good. Susan Zahn's poens are nice added pieces as well.

I repeat, Cheree, this issue is a superior piece of work. You deserve credit for producing such a fine product and I sincerely hope you will continue your good work.

The zine looked absolutely great, from one cover to the next. The cover was beautiful. The only problem I had with the actual layout was with duplicate pages in the latter half of the zine. Thinking I was intelligent, I took out all the pages and went to restore only one copy of each page. Now I need a favor: could you tell me the trick of how to get the pages back in? ((Ed: Either tediously by hand or easily with a GBC or comparable binding machine. And I do apologize for anyone who got copies with duplicate pages. Since my printer collated and bound this issue, I'm gonna be like Han Solo and say, "It's not my fault!"))

To be honest, the first thing I did was turn to "Sith Before Weddings". I had to see it and I owe a great deal of thanks for the great job you, Wanda Lybarger and Catherine Churko, did in making it look so good. I hope the readers think my part of the project as well done. The artwork I loved; they actually took the pictures from my head and put them down on paper. I've copied them and hung them up as they're the cnly pictures I've had done for my stories that are individual to the plots themselves. Thanks again to the three of you.

Along the same lines, Dianne Smith's pencil sketches were beautiful. The shadows added just the right softness for the intimacy between the characters.

"Into the Dark Side" by James Booth lived up to its title since we're dragged into the Dark Side vith Leia when not only her son dies but Luke as well. I mean, Luke? Dead? That's a hard loss to take (unless, for some reason, you really hate the guy) and it makes the struggle in the story more real. You feel bad for the characters with Skyoda's death but Luke's is more personal to the reader since we know him and he's such a large part of the SW universe. I have to admit that I hoped in the end there'd be some way of bringing them back, but dead is dead unless there's a Genesis torpedo around.

I like the way Marcia writes about Han and Leia's marriage; she brings out the comfortable relationship a long term couple has instead of the flowery or stiffness you see elsewhere (and that I'm afraid I've done myself). Her last murder mystery story had more serious elements in it, which I enjoyed, but this one was pure fun. And you can hear Leia and Han exchanging such lines as, "Is that you?" "I hope so or I'll have to ask you to kill whoever's grabbing that particular part of my anatomy." "Thought it felt familiar."

I liked "Bright Suns Shone" by Maggie Nowakowska because of the way it opens up the mind and feelings so simply. The way she used the mainstream relationship presented these those thoughts without having to use a levy of adjectives to get the meaning across. Ruth Radecki's "A Mother's Love" brought out a basic point -- never underestimate a mother's love and be prepared for the surprises that she'll do in the name of it.

On a final note, "The Lando Calrissian Last Minute Hero Blues" was a piece of fun thrown in. It was happy-go-lucky, like Lando himself.

I enjoyed it all and it was certainly worth waiting for. Thanks again for all you did.