A Tremor in the Force/Issue 008

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Issue 8

front cover of issue #8, Nancy Stasulis

back cover of issue #8

flyer for issue #8

A Tremor in the Force 8 was published in 1994 and is 351 pages long. It contains a massive amount of art. The color front cover is by Nancy Stasulis, the back cover is by Nicola Pearce.

Interior art by Robert Beard, Tina Bentrup, Cheree Cargill, Catherine Churko, Gerald Crotty, Cheryl DeLuca, Z.P. Florian, Carolyn Golledge, Melanie Guttierrez, Wanda Lybarger, Margaret McNickle, Nicola Pearce, Laura Sherman, and Nancy Stasulis

Two contributors won FanQ Awards for their work in this zine:

• 1995 'Best Star Wars (Gen) Poem/Filk': "Musings of a Princess/Musings of a Smuggler" by Kathy Agel (A Tremor in the Force #8)
• 1995 Best Star Wars (Gen) Story: "Mercy Mission" by Cheree Cargill (A Tremor in the Force #8)
• Letters of Comment (3)
• It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Super Mon? poem by Jacqueline Taero (9)
• Man To Man by Carol Hines-Stroede. (There were a few things Luke had never learned about the Force. And sometimes a boy's just gotta talk to his father.) (11)
• Musings of a Princess, poem by Kathryn Agel (14)
• Musings of a Smuggler, poem by Kathryn Agel (15)
• Lamentations by Louise Turner (16)
• Alliance Avant-Garde by Susan Zahn (25)
• The Day After by Yvette Ghilan (35)
• Midnight At Home by Susan Deborah Smith (41)
• Time Will Tell by C. Anson (44)
• Luke, Store Front—Aging Man's Mission, poem by Jennifer Moore (62)
• Mediation Aboard the Crispian by Lisa Papp (63)
• The Trial (by Patricia Kelley, art by Catherine Churko. (Luke Skywalker had saved his father's life when he pulled him from the impending explosion of the second Death Star. He didn't think about what might be ahead for Anakin once he recovered from his wounds.) (65)
• Night Thoughts, poem by Kathryn Agel (88)
• Her Ladyship by Marti Schuller, art by Z.P. Florian. (The venerable Lady of Alderaan had outlived all her companions and only she remembered the truth about the Rebellion Against the Empire. Now she must pass her knowledge along to a new generation.) (91)
• The Daemon by Mary Jo Fox (101)
• After the War: Another View, poem by Jacqueline Taero (109)
• Portfolio: The Art of Robert Beard
• Seek, and Ye Shall Find by Catriona Campbell, art by Gerald Crotty. (Two new stories in the Penumbra series. While on Tatooine to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt, Leia takes time to visit the Lars farmstead, searching for some remembrance of Luke. Meanwhile, the Son of Vader prepares for battle.) (115)
• Mercy Mission by Cheree Cargill, art by Wanda Lybarger. 1995 Fan Q Winner for Best Star Wars Short Story! (All Leia needed Han to do was fly to an Imperial controlled planet, pick up some supplies and fly back. She absolutely, positively guaranteed nothing could go wrong. Nothing!) (121)
• I Want a Whiskey Voice Like Princess Leia's, filk by Susan Deborah Smith (143)
• Contemplating Frost, poem by Veronica Wilson (144)
• Shadow Talk by Z. P. Florian. (The Emperor has Luke Skywalker in his possession. Now the battle of wills begins.) (146)
• The Right Thing by Nora Mayers. (Han and Leia's children were strong in the Force. It was now time that they be trained by Luke, but not surprisingly Han had equally strong objections.) (149)
• Need by Sandi Jones (159)
• All the Marbles by Martie Benedict, art by Wanda Lybarger. (Once again, Han Solo was dead broke and without a cargo. But lady luck almost literally fell into his lap in the form of a little alien named Tymee. She had a scheme for getting rich. She just needed a couple of partners who could make it happen.) (163)
• The Secret, poem by Yvette Ghilan (185)
• The Burden, poem by Yvette Ghilan (186)
• My Friend, poem by Yvette Ghilan (187)
• Patterns Of Battle by Catriona Campbell (188)
• "Every Droid's Dream". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golledge, art by Z. P. Florian. (Han and fellow Corellian Kellahen have crashed their experimental craft in the desert and must walk to safety. It's unlikely that they will make it unless an unlikely rescuer can come through for them ... Threepio!) (194)
• Force Visions by Lisa Papp (231)
• Storms of Passion, poem by Lynda Siegel (233)
• "Heart's Blood" by Marti Schuller, art by Melanie Guttierrez. (The Alliance has had a valuable source inside the Empire supplying them with information. Now that source has gone silent. Han, Luke and Leia are sent in to investigate ... and rescue the source, if possible.) (234)
• "On the Third Day" by Carol Hines-Stroede, art by Nancy Stasulis. (An Alan Patronis story. Vader is dead, the Alliance is in power, and the Dark Lord's top assassin is in custody. But when he attempts suicide, it is up to his long time friend, Dr. Jen Berani, to save his life. Little does she dream that her past associations will now come home to haunt her.) (271)
• "Balance of Power". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Veronica Wilson, art by Z. P. Florian. (Tarkin and Vader are both vying for the special attention of the Emperor. And Palpatine is thoroughly enjoying the show. (Enduring rivalry between Vader and Tarkin nearly turns deadly as Palpatine determines who should command the Empire's newest battle station.) (307)

• 

  from issue #8, Robert Beard

• 

  from issue #8, Robert Beard

• 

  from issue #8, Gerald Crotty

• 

  from issue #8, unknown artist

• 

  from issue #8, Z.P. Florian

• 

  from issue #8, Catherine Churko

• 

  from issue #8, Robert Beard

• 

  from issue #8, Catherine Churko

• 

  from issue #8, Catherine Churko

• 

  from issue #8, filk

• 

  from issue #8, Z.P. Florian

• 

  from issue #8, HLN

• 

  from issue #8, unknown artist

• 

  from issue #8, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #8, Laura Sherman

• 

  from issue #8, Nancy Stasulis

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8

The cover and back cover artwork were stunning! If s great to see Leia on the cover of a zine for a change. Speaking of Her Worship, Gerald Crotty's illo on page 114 is spectacular! It tops the one he did in #7. You have to do some work for Snowfire...) As always, Wanda Lybarger and Catherine Churko did excellent work, Melanie Guttierrez's Luke portraits were terrific, and Carolyn Golledge's artwork shows a lot of promise. And, oh, the stories... Too many for me to comment on, so I'll just highlight the ones that really caught my attention. My absolute favorite was Marti Schuller's "Her Ladyship" and not just because of my affiliation with the Royal House of Alderaan. It's a poignant story that drags at the heartstrings. The end was a tearjerker if there ever was one, particularly Leia's story about the painting (which was funny at the same time). This is one story I'll remember for a long, longtime. Thanks, Marti.

Catriona Campbell's "Seek, And Ye Shall Find" and "Patterns of Battle" were very good alternate universe stories. Is the conclusion on the horizon?

"Alliance Avant Garde" explains how Leia learned to use a welder in TESB (and I always thought they taught shop in the ol' palace!) and does a fine job of developing the characters' relationships. The ending was a hoot, too. "Every Droid's Dream" is classic Golledge with lots of action, great dialogue, and humor. Of course, let's not forget the pain and suffering, though it's poor Jake that bears the brunt of the bruising. Veronica Wilson's "Balance of Power" does a terrific job portraying Imperial intrigue and exploring Vader's character. My quibble with the story, however, is that it seems to me a lot of the same points were repeated over and over. Vader and Tarkin don't like each other, Tarkin's a petty jealous schmuck, the emperor wants to play them against each other, etc. I still enjoyed the story.

Not only were there many stories, there were also many poems! Yvette's and Jacqueline's poems are as good as always, and I appreciate seeing stuff by people I'm not familiar with like Lynda Siegel.

Again, if I didnt comment on a story or something, it was because there were just too many to go into detail. Overall, this zine was a success, like the other issues I've read.

I was, to put it mildly, thrilled to see how well my "Han on Hoth" portrait reproduced. You did an excellent job and I'm very honored to be used by TF. Thank you! Nancy Stasulis' color cover portrait is awesome. You could really get lost in the depths of this picture. Love the faraway look that, even in profile, is evident on Leia's face. In my imagination, Han is in the hut behind her, perhaps sleeping — and much snoring! Nice image! What a whopper! You always manage to out do yourself, Cheree. You should feel very proud of yourself.

I have lots of favorite stories (and there certainly wasnt a "bad apple" in this entire "barrel")! Too many to mention all in an LoC, but here are a few of my favorites.

"Alliance Avant-Garde". I have always enjoyed Susan Zahn's SW fiction. She writes Han and Leia with a perfect amount of tenderness, stubbornness and caustic wit, and this story is no exception. Loved the idea of Han teaching Leia how to use a microfuser (gorgeous illo from Wanda Lybarger, incidentally — she is my favorite artistic "hero"). I burst out laughing at the passage where Luke discovers that Han has his oily handprint on Leia's rear. My only lament is that Wanda didnt draw an accompanying illo for tills scene — though I can imagine quite a bit! *ha ha* "Time Will Tell". I've never read a Cat Anson story I didn't like. She and I must be very alike, in our view of that caressable Corellian because she writes him exactly as I see him. She also captures Leia's character perfectly and I love how she slowly but inexorably builds up Han and Leia's growing relationship, introducing new reasons for them to start to trust each otiier. I can certainly see Han being good whh children. Despite all his reckless behavior and restless nature, Itn sure he has a protective, affectionate streak a mile wide beneatii his tou^ veneer. The scene between Han and Leia at the end was tenderly erotic and beautifully written. I tiiink ifs just as well that their relationship wasnt consummated just then as they needed to have more trust and knowledge of each other for their relationship to last Carolyn's illos were great, weren't they? Her ceaseless talents are sickening! (Only joking, Carolyn! I look forward to seeing more of your lovely artwork!)

"Her Ladyship" was bittersweet I felt so sorry for Leia, left all alone, and so happy for her when she and Han were reunited again.

"Mercy Mission". Wonderful! Loved the picture and the illo of Leia tending to a sick Han, while also looking to her own gains. Well, she's not a diplomat for nothing! Great adventure in this story, lots of good old fashion Solo-style action. Liked the role reversal at the end.

"All the Marbles." Utterly wonderful to see Martie actively back in fan fiction. She certainly ain't lost the knack. In true Martie fashion, she gets Han in and out of a lucrative, if rather bizarre, situation with much action and a great deal of humor. For me, one of the funniest things was the transvox's interpretations of colloquialisms. Very, very clever, Martie, and extremely inventive. Shape-changing, huh? Well, Captain Solo can get "rutty" with me anytime!

"Every Droid's Dream". Another masterpiece from Carolyn. How does she keep coming up with these new and ingenious ideas for stories? She's awe-inspiring. She managed to "trash" poor ol' Jake good and proper again! He's getting to be nearly as bad as Han. Talking of which, dont forget to give Han a good "trashing" soon. I miss seeing the poor guy all beat up. On a serious note, I was very impressed with Carolyn's idea of the droids segregating themselves according to their color. This is a depressing thought, but all too believable, considering that many of the Imperials, who programmed their "ancestor", were inclined to be this way and may have 'rubbed off' in their programming. Very thought provoking stuff.

Poetry-wise, I liked Kathy Agel's "Musings of a Princess" and "Musings of a Smuggler", "The Secret", and "My Friend" by Yvette Ghilan, and "Stonns of Passion" by Lynda Siegel.

Gerald Crotty's cartoon on page 23 was a real hoot! Also love his illo on page 114. Robert Beard's art portfolio was really beautiful. I especially liked the portrait of Yoda.

Altogether a terrific zine. Beautifully put together, presented and edited, and packed with exciting stories and artwork. Thank you for all your hard work.

Had to write and diank you for all your hard work on TVemor #8. As far as I'm concerned, it was certainly worth it. From the wonderful covers front and back, I was especially pleased to see Nicola Pearce's work getting an airing. The presentation was as always superb. I can only say a heartfelt thank you.

As for the stories, I'll say straight away that I enjoyed "Mercy Mission" best of all. I loved the start, middle and end. Han stories have always been my favorites and a story that contains humor, action and suspense is bound to be a winner for me, beautifully complemented by die Lybarger illustrations.

Also very much enjoyed "Every Droid's Dream" by Carolyn Golledge. What a terrible way to get revenge on poor Han! Placing him on a droid-ruled planet! I loved it!

Martie Benedict's "All the Marbles" more than lived up to its advance press. She has a wonderful way of putting over a story. Another favorite was Marti SchuUer's "Heart's Blood". A very tightly paced story widi lots of action. "Alliance Avant Garde" was wonderful, too. I'm a big fan of Susan Zahn's work and again beautifully illustrated by Wanda Lybarger.

Biggest surprise to me was the fact that I so much enjoyed reading Veronica Wilson's "Balance of Power". Not being a lover of Vader, I hadn't expected to get much from it, but I really thought it was wonderfully put together, giving a new dimension to Vader, making him more "human". Thank you.

There was so much else to enjoy that I can't go through them all. Suffice it to say that this has to be my zine of the year. I'm already looking forward to Tremor #9.

Number Eight! What a zine! It was enormous and full of good quality stories and art.

Hines-Stroede's "Man-to-Man" was a perfect humor piece. It make sense to me that Anakin would appear as a handsome young man. Vader always was one for the appearance. "Go ahead, Luke, use the Force." TTiat line killed me. Sorry that I didn't like the Alan Patronis story. Though it was well-written, it was a trifle too dark for my tastes. Turner's "Lamentations" was a good look at Wedge. It is good to see stories about the "minor" characters more often. Kelley's "The Trial" was a wonderful "what if. I agree that it might be difficult for Vader to give up his arrogance even given his deathbed conversion. Catherine Churko's art was outstanding, especially that haunting drawing of Anakin at die prison bars on page 81. "Her Ladyship" by Schuller was a wonderful tribute to Leia as a person. Her "Heart's Blood" was an intriguing look at Rebel sympathizers. Loved Melanie's art that went with this one. Was Fox's "The Daemon" intended as an Aliens crossover? Certainly seemed that way to me. "Mercy Mission" had excellent characterization, specially Han sneezing at the wrong moment.

Z. P.'s "Shadowtalk" was a wonderful look at the Dark Side. Her Luke is always so self-assured, not some space weinie. Mayers "The Right Thing" skillfully answered the question of what Han would do should Leia die. She did a good job incorporating the pro novels continuity. It is nice to see some of the characters pop up here and there. Benedict's "All the Marbles" was a good action yam. I loved the translations of the Wookiee curses. Just wish Tymee had found another way distract Bekhow. I sometimes loan my zines to my students, but can't if they contain too many sexual suggestions.

"Every Droid's Dream" by Golledge was a great way to showcase Threepio. I ^ways enjoy tie banter between Jake and Han. Say, Carolyn, how about a Han/Lando story showcasing tiieir relationship? Last, but definitely not least, was Wilson's "Balance of Power". She has Vader, Palpatine and Tarkin down pat. Vader releases tiie hounds at tiie end. All I can say is more!!! Flo's art here and there through the rest of the zine was terrific as always.

Keep up the good work.

As always, receiving my copy of Tremor was like getting a terrific gift unexpectedly, one especially appreciated this year. But, Cheree, Cheree, Tremor seems to be growing fatter than the national debt! Not that I'm complaining, mind you! :)

As usual, the artwork was exceptional. Nancy Stasulis' cover was lovely, as were her illos for "On the Third Day". I love her detail. Wanda Lybarger is always outstanding, of course. Nicola Pearce's back cover was very good, very lifelike. And then there's Z.P. What can I say about dear, prolific Z.P. that hasn't already been said? I especially liked her illos on pages 90 (thanks), 324 and 341. My favorite piece of art in the zine, however, was on page 189 by Gerald Crotty. Wow!! Such a gorgeous work that it literally gave me goosebumps. Outstanding!

The contents were wonderful, too, but if I commented on everything in this issue, this LoC would run into a novella, so I'll only remark on those stories that most touched me personally.

"Lamentations" by Louise Turner—a well-written tale of Wedge's grief. Though the subject was depressing, I thought the story itself was quite good. "My Friend" by Yvette Ghilan — a nicely expressed piece of Solo's feelings for his young friend. "Contemplating Frost" by Veronica Wilson — a beautiful, moving look at Vader's sad, empty soul. "The Trial" by Patricia Kelley — though I personally dislike the ysalamiri and most other non-film references, I'm glad I persevered with this story. Although an alternate universe tale — another of my personal dislikes — this was a well-conceived, well-written tale. I'll look for Ms. Kelley's work in future with interest.

"Allance Avant-Garde" by Susan Zahn — a cute, believable story. Susan's understanding of Leia, her grasp of the complex yet growing relationship between the princess and Solo were well-expressed and rang true to the film's characters. Very nice work.

"Seek, and Ye Shall Find" by Catriona Campbell — this installment in Treena's ongoing "Penumbra" series is, so far, my favorite. Leia's discovery of her buried past rings true, sorrowful, but without melodrama. As always, the writing was crisp, the plot tight, the emotion and characters genuine.

"Mercy Mission" by Cheree Cargill — I liked this story a lot. The characters were those I know, the tale exciting, well-plotted and the writing excellent. I also appreciated the welcome bits of humor that rounded the story out so superbly.

"All the Marbles" by Martie Benedict — when I first became active in SW fanlit, I repeatedly heard the name Martie Benedict referred to with respect and admiration. After reading this wonderful work, I now know why. Let's hope this immensely talented writer has returned to us for good! My favorite story in this huge issue, however, was "Balance of Power" by Veronica Wilson. I say this, not because Veronica is a friend, but because I honestly found the story truly astonishing. Veronica weaves a tapestry of political intrigues and emotional rainbows with all the skill of a master storyteller. Her interpretation of the minds of Tarkin, Vader and Palpatine are so in keeping with the film's scant glimpse of each, yet so much more in depth, that it's often difficult for me to remember that these are strictly her views and not necessarily Lucas'. The final line of this marvelously executed tale is magnificently apt and, no pun intended, chilling. Fantastic!

Overall, Tremor is still the finest SW zine on the market today. Please keep up your excellent work, Cheree. SW fandom would be lost without you.

TiF 8 was another huge success, a good issue. "Man-to-Man" by Carol Hines-Stroede was a riot Muffy Mothma! I about choked when I read it. Good thing I wasn't eating at the time.

Great Sue Zahn story, "Alliance Avant-Garde". Nicely done.

"Her Ladyship" by Marti Schuller was wonderful. I had tears in my eyes at the end. You sure know how to tug at those heartstrings! I also truly enjoyed "Heart's Blood". Cheree's "Mercy Mission" had me in stitches. And Wanda's illos went with the story beautifully.

It was good to see Martie Benedict's return with "All The Marbles". I've enjoyed her other work and this was no exception. Catriona Campbell's "Patterns of Battle" was wonderful. And Gerald Crotly's illo of that Luke stopped me in my tracks. I can see the Darkness in his face.

"Every Droid's Dream" by Carolyn Golledge was a chuckle-fest. Loved Z.P.'s illos for the story, too. Nicola Pearce's bacover was extremely life-like. And Nancy Stasulis' front cover was breathtakingly beautiful. Just wish I could find a couple of thousand more

different words to describe the stories and words in this issue without sounding repetitive. Good job done by all and I am looking forward to #9.

The general look of the zine, the artwork and the layout, were excellent as usual. I liked the cover very much, too. I enjoyed "Alliance Avant-Garde" by Susan Zahn and "Midnight at Home" by Susan Deborah Smith. I also liked "Mercy Mission" quite a bit. I'd love to see the scene in the bordello acted out. (That line sounds errible out of context, doesn't it?) I really liked Wanda Lybarger's illos on this one, too.

"Time Will Tell" by C. Anson was quite good. I like her characterizations of Han and Leia's relationship a lot, and the scenes with the kids were good — not too cute or sentimental, but just right Some nice illos by Carolyn Golledge on this one.

My favorite story was "All the Marbles" by Martie Benedict During the scene where Chewie puts on the translator, I laughed so hard I fell out of my chair. I hope this means Martie Benedict will be doing more stories. I love her characterizations of Han and Chewie, and she's always been one of my favorite fen writers.