A Tremor in the Force/Issue 009

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Issue 9

front cover of issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

back cover of issue #9, Gerald Crotty

flyer for issue #9

A Tremor in the Force 9 was published in 1996 and is 252 pages long. The story "Falling -- Author: M.J. Mink won the 1997 FanQ Award For Best Star Wars Gen Story. The zine also won the 1996 STAR Award for Best Star Wars zine.

The art is by Gerald Crotty, Nancy Stasulis, Wanda Lybarger, Z. P. Florian, Laura Virgil, Melea Fisher, Donna Frayser, John Fredericks, Mark Fisher, Dani, Sarah E. Glasgow.

• LoCs (3)
• Keeper of the Stars by Debbie Kittle (8)
• Chewbacca Goes Shopping by Z.P. Florian (Star Award Honorable Mention The fair on Kashyyyk always brought merchants and gypsies selling their various wares. This time, for some reason, the small naked human boy being abused by his gypsy "father" aroused Chewbacca's interest and he stepped in to alter the situation.) (9)
• Ambulance, Day Shift by Jason Grant (13)
• The Planting; also here by MJ Mink. It is Planting Time on Tatooine and Luke must undergo an important ritual to insure harvest. Can he supply the all-important Fertilizer that will make the seed grow? (15)
• The Wrong Message by Sarah E. Glasgow (16)
• Legend of the Queen of Light by Wanda Lybarger (17)
• Blue Harvest by Yvette Chilean (21)
• Time; also here by M.J. Mink (The Force was growing stronger in Luke but there was one aspect he hadn't expected—the ability to feel the pain and deaths of every pilot, either Imperial or Rebel, that was killed around him in battle. Could he learn to control this or would he be doomed to suffer this unexpectedly personal side of war forever?) (29)
• Thoughts of a Jedi by Sarah E. Glasgow (33)
• I'd Rather Call You Sweetheart, filk by Susan Zahn (to the tune of I'd Rather Call You Baby" by Seymour-Lawnhurst, as sung by Fats Waller)(34)
• Career Choice by Pat Nissan (Han and Leia have come to the realization that any children they have will be pawns of the New Republic and Luke's New Jedi Order. Together they reach a painful decision.) (35)
• A.W.O.L. by Louise Turner, art by Gerald Crotty. (Luke has disappeared following the evacuation from Hoth. Was his ship destroyed in the mad scramble off the planet or—even more unthinkable—has he deserted? Wedge Antilles can't believe either one and he's sure that Luke will return. But meantime he has been thrust into the role of Red Leader.) (37)
• Silent Night; also here by M.J. Mink (A time to remember those lost on Alderaan.) (55)
• Where Do I Go To Now? by Tammy Olsen, filk to the tune of Where Does My Heart Beat Now" by Celine Dion (56)
• Ashes by Veronica Wilson, art by Z. P. Florian. Star Award Honorable Mention. (You will never forget this Cinderella story about a Darkside witch and the Prince Charming she seduces!) (58)
• Disturbance by Marti Schuller (66)
• In the X-Wing by Sarah E. Glasgow (68)
• Start Over Again by Tammy Olsen, filk to the tune of If We Could Start Over" by Celine Dion (69)
• Luke-a-Palooza by Mary Jo Fox. Star Award Winner. (The Jedi Academy has this cash flow problem, see, and Luke thinks he's found a way to raise capital. First you get all these great bands together, then you find an empty field...) (70)
• Shifting Sands by Veronica Wilson (Vader has seen so much death and destruction that even he was beginning to crumble under its weight. Palpatine couldn't afford to lose his most valuable servant. Could he pull the Dark Lord back from the precipice of madness before it was too late?) (81)
• Dangerous by Maggie Nowakowska (four filks) (90)
  • Dangerous Scheming, to the tune of The Skye Boat Song" [Scottish lament for Prince Charles Edward Smart])
  • Dangerous Debts, verse melody: "Meadowlands" - chorus melody: the bridge melody from "The Volga Boat Song" (both Russian folk songs)
  • Dangerous Dreaming, to the tune of "Aldonza", minus the 2-line bridge; from Man of La Mancha
  • Dangerous to Let, also to the tune of "Aldonza", minus the 2-line bridge; from Man of La Mancha
• Market Strategy by Donna Frayser (99)
• A Father's Choice by Sarah Glasgow (100)
• Half of My Blood by Debbie Kittle, filk to the tune of Cain's Blood by 4-Runner (101)
• Varastus, the River Beast by John Fredericks (103)
• A Different Light by Debbie Kittle (119)
• "Falling". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by MJ Mink, art by Nancy Stasulis. Fan Q and Star Award Winner. Luke has been captured by Vader who undertakes his son's education regarding the Jedi and the Dark Side of the Force. The longer he listens, the more sense Vader begins to make and Luke realizes that his much-feared father has a lot more knowledge to impart than Obi-Wan or Yoda ever would have told him. Can he reach a balance without succumbing to evil? (121)
• Ishtiil's Legacy by Rich Gawel (140)
• The Art of Wanda Lybarger, art portfolio (142)
• The Last of the Jedi by Z.P. Florian (What would have happened if Kenobi hadn't been killed on the Death Star and had been able to continue Luke's training as a Jedi? What sort of Jedi Knight would Luke have become?) (146)
• The Saga According to Darth Vader by Jacqueline Taero (162)
• Fandom, the Next Generation by Katy Cargill (166)
• The House in the Woods by Marti Schuller. Star Award Honorable Mention. (Luke is on a much needed vacation on a pastoral planet and finds great peace in a small village. But there is a house in the woods shunned by the villagers and from it he senses pain and sadness. Unable to keep away, he finds a lonely young woman in need of love and the healing spirit of a gentle Jedi.) (169)
• "On the Side of Light". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Martie (Benedict) O'Brien, art by Dani. Star Award Winner. (Optyl was not a nice place, a planet whose rotation caused one side to always face its sun, the other side to always face away. Life was only possible in a narrow strip between the two extremes. And now a religious war seemed ready to break out there as well. So, why had Han Solo accepted a consignment to haul a load of religious artifacts in to one of the warring sides while the other was fanatically determined to stop him? Well, being destitute had a way of making a man do some pretty desperate things to stay alive...) (194)

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  from issue #9, Z.P. Florian

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  from issue #9, Gerald Crotty

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  from issue #9, Gerald Crotty

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  from issue #9, Laura Virgil

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  from issue #9, Margaret McNickle, "Surfin' the Net"

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  from issue #9, Z.P. Florian

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  from issue #9, Donna Frayser

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  from issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

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  from issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

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  from issue #9, Wanda Lybarger

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  from issue #9, Laura Virgil

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  from issue #9, Sarah E. Glasgow

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  from issue #9, Dani

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9

Congratulations, Cheree, on another beautiful issue of Tremor! The front and back covers by Nancy Stasulis (as well as her illos throughout) and Gerald Crotty are lovely, and Crotty's portrayal of Yoda is very striking and detailed. The entire layout of the zine is extremely well done, and I particularly enjoyed the different graphics you used for the titles and as page borders. The contents are uniformly terrific, so I'll try to confine my comments to a manageable length.

Z. P. Florian's "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" is an interesting variation on the story of how Han and Chewie met her "Last of the Jedi" is fascinating in its portrayal of Obi-Wan, with her Luke as strong and enigmatic as always. Her illustrations throughout Tremor are wonderful.

Wanda Lybarger's "The Legend of the Queen of Light" is very rich and colorful in its descriptions. Sarah Glasgow's art and poetry is absolutely charming, and I hope to see more from her. Pat Nussman's "Career Choice" is a thoughtful piece and very plausible.

Louise Turner's "A.W.O.L." is a good look at a turning point in Wedge's life, very well done, and Gerald Crotty's illos for it are marvelous. "Luke-A-Palooza" by Mary Jo Fox is totally bizarre and funny! Veronica Wilson's "Shifting Sands" is an absorbing view of the interaction between Palpatine and Vader regarding Luke's existence. Maggie Nowakowska's "Dangerous" is beautifully lyrical.

"Varastus, the River Beast" by John Fredericks is refreshingly unusual and a well-told tale. Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy" is a great background piece for a neglected character, Ackbar. Jacqueline Taero's "The Saga According to Darth Vader" - an engagrng and clever recitation by poor, misunderstood Darth - is a delight!

Tremor #9 was a beautiful zine, especially the detailed front and back covers. Gerald Crotty's Yoda was frameable. All of the artwork was great, too. "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" by Z.P. Florian was a different look at how Han and Chewie hooked up. "Time" by MJ. Mink blew me away. This story seemed to fit perfectly between TESB and ROTJ. Great insights into Luke's character. Her "Silent Night" was strange and interesting, too. Ditto for "Falling" and the character of Tal. I enjoyed "A.W.O.L." by Louise Turner a great deal, especially how Wedge wasn't really sure what

happened to Luke but didn't want to believe he was a deserter. Mary Jo Fox's "Luke-a-Palooza,, was a scream, especially Han's line about "For a few bucks more, why not get the real thing?" "Shifting Sands,, by Veronica Wilson was another dark look at Vader and Palpatine's relationship. Liked the bit about Beru's plants.

Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy" was good in filling out the character of Ackbar. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. It seemed like the first part of something bigger. Finish it out, Rich. I'd like to know what happens next "The House in the Woods" by Marti Schuller was a believable story. Her Luke and Hazba became real people to me. My only concern is Luke's taking her on as a lover and then leaving her. Physical intimacy tends to bind people very deeply, and I have to wonder whether Luke did the right thing for her knowing that he had to leave her eventually. I really wanted to like "On the Side of Light" by Martie Benedict O'Brien. It had a fast moving plot, a novel way to produce rain, and believable characters in the Androgene, Raelis, and Gresham DeChanter. However, there were a number of things which kept throwing me out of the SW universe everytime I came across them. One was the teleportation device and "phasers". These "Trekkisms" just don't fit in with the movies. Also, there was an abundance of swearing (including frequent use of the f-word). There is nothing in the movies to suggest that Han was a foul-mouthed pig. Perhaps most of these words could have been substituted with a SW slang term. Overall the zine was excellent and thanks to all the author, artists and Cheree for the hours of good reading it provided. I appreciated the Leia, Wedge, Chewie and Ackbar stories for the diversity they provided. Hope to see more of these in the future and maybe some stories featuring Lando aud the droids more prominently. How about it, writers?

The zine looked great, as usual. The art throughout was wonderful. I really loved Martie Benedict's "On the Side of Light." Favorite elements were the description and detail of the planet, the characterization of Han and Chewie (loved the bit where Chewie is reading the adventure novel) and the space battle towards the end. I also loved "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" by Z.P. Florian and Wanda Lybarger's "Legend of the Queen of Light."

Though like many of your loyal readers I hate seeing Tremor go to an every other year publishing schedule, I certainly understand and can but hope that there will be more issues to look forward to, regardless of the time between them. Tremor has set the standard for some of the best zines and will always remain among my prized possessions.

Now to issue #9... Laura Vrgil's illos on pages 66 and 147 were incredible. It is so great to see this talented fan back!

As always, Gerald Crotty's art is phenomenal. His back cover of Yoda was incredible, as were his illos for "A.W.O.L." by Louise Turner. His talent just grows increasingly more astonishing and awe-inspiring. How lucky SW fanfic is to share his wonderful gift!

"Ambulance - Dayshift" by Jason Grant was an interesting, too brief glimpse of another side of the SW galaxy. Though I wish his stories were a bit longer, I find his characters three-dimensional and intriguing. This writer shows much promise of expanding the playground we all love and I look forward to reading more of his efforts.

"Ashes"by Veronica Wilson was a fine twist on an ancient tale, made uniquely dark and sinister by this very talented writer.

"The Planting" by M.J. Mink was a fascinating look at a time-honored and plausible ritual in young Luke's life, very poignant and sad.

"Silent Night" by the same author was extraordinarily moving, all the moreso for its unexpected last sentence.

"Market Strategy" by Donna Frayser was a gem of a little story with a fun ending. I will eagerly look for future material from this obviously gifted writer.

My favorite piece in this issue, however, was "Luke-a-Palooz-a" by Mary Jo Fox. What a bit of rollicking, silly fun! This had me alternately groaning rolling my eyes, and laughing aloud. A wickedly delightful sense of humor in this author! More!! Until next time, keep up the fine work, everyone!

Well, I finally finished the long-awaited Tremor #9 and overall found it up to the high standards it has set for all other fanzines. The layout is clean and professional- looking, with scarcely a typo in sight! All of us dream of having a zine that looks this good. Again Tremor is graced with great front and back cover art. I especially liked the front cover ... you go. Leia! There was some impressive interior art as well, particularly Gerald Crotty's work on "A.W.O.L. Wanda Lybarger's illos, and Nancy Stasulis' illos for "The Saga According to Darth Vader" and "Falling."

Perhaps my favorite story was Louise Turner's "A.W.O.L." Not only does she do a fine job building on Wedge's character, she excels at presenting the little details from the movies many fan writers often ignore, but are necessary to give a story an authentic SW feel to it. I appreciated the fact that John Fredericks in his story "Varastas, The River Beast" included a long-neglected facet of the SW universe, non-humanoid sentients. Same goes for Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy", which gives a rare glimpse into Admiral Ackbar's youth. "Ashes" was an interesting twist on the old Cinderella fairy tale, but no one lives happily ever after here. I'm guessing Laelara's child is Palpatine, right? "Falling" was another dark and eerie tale (in fact there seemed to be a lot of dark-n-eeriness this issue) where things end on a depressing note. Even though I'm not a big fan of angst-filled SW fan fiction, it was nicely written. "The House in the Woods" need a basic gothic storyline; I would've preferred it to have "felt" more like it was set in the SW universe other than just having Luke present. As for poems, I enjoyed the usual cynical verses from Jacqueline Taero as well as Sarah Glasgow's more romantic view of things. Maggie Nowakowska's "Dangerous" series of filks were exceptional; each one managed to capture the essence of each character. I can't believe I have to wait another two years for #10 ... but I'm sure it'll be worth it!

To start with the problem -- every story was good. Loved "Blue Harvest" by Ghilan. Mink's "Silent Night" was a stunner, "Planting" definitely rates a gasp, "Time" was great, "Falling" was an absolute chiller. Lybarger's "Legend" was breathtakingly sweet "Ashes" by Wilson was very, very clever, and "Shifting Sands" got me with the knife scene. Schuller's "House in the Woods" was very good. Martie Benedict O'Brien's "On the Side of the Light" had one of the best Hans I've ever read, and a great plot Frederick's "Varastus" was definitely entertaining, and the two small pieces, "Ambulance" by Grant and "Ishtiil" by Gawel were fine examples of good background writing. Mary Jo Fox's "Luke-a-Palooza" was a hoot. Nussman's "Career Choice" was a well-aimed arrow through the heart Turner's "A.W.O.L."—good Nowakowska's "Dangerous" got me humming. Art: Laura Virgil's gorgeous Kenobi on page 146, the Lybarger Hans in abundance, the great Yoda by Crotty on the back cover and of course, the front cover with the incomparable laughing Chewie and gloating Leia by Stasulis.