Crossroads (Sentinel zine)

You may be looking for the Sentinel story by Alyjude called Crossroads.

Zine
Title:	Crossroads
Publisher:	Teeny Gozer Production
Editor(s):	Shoshanna, Margie, Celeste Hotaling-Lyons, and Seah
Date(s):	2000
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	The Sentinel
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Crossroads is a Sentinel slash Jim/Blair anthology released in 2000 and contains 270 pages.

It features two artworks by Katharine Scarritt alongside 16 stories.

The printing sold out very quickly, and the zine has been out of print since shortly after it debuted.

Zine Dedication

Crossroads has been in the works for over two years now, and during that time invaluable contributions towards putting it together have been made by a number of people. Shoshanna, Margie, and Celeste contributed their amazing editorial and beta-reading skills to the process. Without the three of them, we wouldn't have made it this far. Merry contributed ideas regarding the style and look of the fanzine. The authors and artist, of course, contributed both their amazing talents, and their patience throughout the editorial process and the deadlines that just kept moving a little further back. Thank you all for being a part of this project!

We hope you enjoy this zine!

Age statement required.

Contents

Some names have been changed here to meet the author's current online usage.

• At the Movies by Katrina Bowen ("'Okay, Jim, I have a plan. Here's what we're going to do.' He thrust his arm in Jim's general direction. 'Hold my hand.'") (1)
• Definition of Okay by Glacis ("'Jim? Buddy? You okay?' Visions of Lash were dancing in his head. A crazed psychopath had slipped in and caught Jim unaware and killed him and thrown his jacket on the floor as a final triumphant sign of his victory. Sociopathic equivalent of peeing on the chair leg.") (8)
• The Trap by Pumpkin ("'You sound just like him,' Jim told him quietly. 'You look like him too, only prettier.' 'Him?' 'My partner.'") (20)
• Sunrise, Sunset (Part 1, Part 2) by Legion ("Almost as if he were merely a spectator, he watched his own vehicle keep going, never hesitating for the stop light. Analytically he decided he would collide about where the gas tank was on the big rig, and that everyone would think he'd fallen asleep at the wheel after a long shift.") (27)
• The Honeymooners by Penelope Whistle ("As he was wiping his face with one hand and starting the engine with the other, he saw Blair's bedraggled head at the passenger-side window and unlocked the door. 'Change your mind?' The tone was almost acid. 'Yeah. I forgot my car was in the shop.' Blair closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Thanks.' The word came out like an insult.") (60)
• Writing on the Wall by Sandy Justine ("All the lies that I had told myself were beginning to unravel, and I could see, clearly, what I had to do. My hands were shaking as I dialed the phone. 'Ellison.' His tone and the noise in the background suggested that he was in the bullpen. 'I'm in Mexico,' I told him. 'Get your ass on a plane.'") (68)
• Bare by Mickey M ("I knew that every third day he drank peppermint tea with breakfast, and every Thursday he ate two cheeseburgers for lunch. I knew when he jerked off in the shower, and the days he jerked off in bed, instead.") (84)
• Paranoia by Francesca ("He heard Blair whisper his name, he felt Blair's hand splayed against his back. He raised his head to look at the cracked windshield and cringed in sudden horror. Blair was in the car, a gash across his forehead, blood running from his nose, head lolling back against the seat: neck broken.") (90)
• On A Good Day by Arduinna ("Blair, without an ounce of compassion, sat there and ate his mashed potatoes at Jim until they were gone.") (109)
• Senses & Sensibility by Kass ("The worst week of Jim Ellison's life started with a plate of scrambled eggs.") (119)
• Folie a Deux by Sihaya Black ("I hold my beer tightly and take a deep breath. 'I've got something I need to tell you...' Simon's eyes narrow, and Megan tilts her head like she can hear my heart pounding its way through my chest. I look at Jim once, for courage, and continue. 'I'm quitting the Academy.' Then I grab Jim's hand and sit back while they all start to shout at once.") (129)
• Ceiling: Unlimited by Bone ("Brown took me aside once, a couple of months ago, and asked me how in the hell I took living with him and working with him. I didn't tell him it was easy when living with him meant enjoying the most incredibly astonishing, mind-melting, eye-rolling, thought-robbing, crotch-throbbing orgasms of my life and working with him meant my life was complete. I didn't spill those beans. No, I just grinned at him, slapped his back and said it was a nasty job but somebody had to do it.") (144)
• Many Waters by Lanning Cook ("Shit. Shit! Not tonight. Jim reached for the receiver, but Blair laid a gently restraining hand on Jim's chest. 'No,' continued Blair mildly, meeting Jim's gaze with a wry expression. 'This is the little faggot. The big faggot is steam-pressing my negligee at the moment. Can I take a message?'") (151)
• A Lawless Place by Sandy Herrold ("He's on the phone at - I lift the newspaper from where it's fallen onto the clock radio - three twenty-seven a.m. And from the half of the conversation I let myself listen to, he's talking to a librarian somewhere in Australia. After some profuse-sounding thanks, he hangs up the phone and sits back down at his laptop. 'Why can't you be like a normal roommate and call sex lines?' I call down to him.") (194)
• Sex by Anna S ("'You never call me your bitch,' Blair said when they were in the truck, three blocks down the street, Jim taking a light. Jim did not hit any cars when he swerved a foot off-course, and counted himself lucky.") (199)
• A Quiet War by Merryish ("And about the paper. Because on some level, I knew he thought they were one and the same. Inextricably linked. Jim and the paper, the paper and me, me and Jim, and this place. Home. Six chapters to go before the pattern we'd settled into could be broken. I wiped my hands, suddenly slick and cold, against my jeans. Six chapters and we were out of this mess; six chapters, and we were home free.") (215)

Sample Interior

• 

  one of the two inside illos by Katharine Scarritt

• 

  sample text, from the story A Quiet War

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Many Waters.

See reactions and reviews for A Quiet War.

See reactions and reviews for Sex.

See reactions and reviews for Folie a Deux.

See reactions and reviews for On a Good Day.

See reactions and reviews for Paranoia.

Unknown Date

Pretty much a "who's who" collection of great stuff from folks I like in this fandom. (Plus it's well edited and has a tasteful cover, both of which are rarities in TS zine-land.)

Probably the finest collection of Sentinel stories that ever has been and will ever be. Be warned, it's an expensive zine (app $30). The zine clocks in at 270 pages, has spiral binding, and color art. Some of the finest authors in the fandom contributed to this zine. Meredith Lynne, Kim Gasper and Bone to name a very few of them. Some authors that I'd thought had left the fandom, like Katrina Bowen and Penelope Whistle turned up. I don't think there is anyway that this could be considered a sweet and romantic zine. There is romance, because well, this is slash but the zine just doesn't give me the same warm'n'fuzzy feeling I get after reading some of the sweeter zines. I honestly don't know how to explain it any better then that. If you like your zines a little grittier then the average, then this is probably the zine buy.

2000

When I look at a zine, I don't just look at the stories, even though they are, ostensibly, the biggest part of buying the zine. If the production values aren't up to par, and the zine is barely readable, even the best stories lose some of their appeal. Crossroads is one of the best laid out zines I have ever read. It has a very nice, two column lay out, with very easy-to-read font types that don't strain the eyes after an hour of reading.

As far as the stories go, this is a wonderful anthology. All the stories are strong, and all the authors rank in my "favoured" list. I'm not going to go into details on all the stories, because there's just too many of them, but I will tell you that the characterization in all of them is dead on, and it's chock full of the snarky, LOL dialog that I love.

Francesca's Paranoia is one of my favorites in this, as is Many Waters, by Lanning Cook, and a Quiet War by Merry Lynn. As an aside, I really didn't think I'd like this one very much, because, as a rule, I'm not that much into heavy angst, but it was sweet, and brought tears to my eyes in more than one place. Very good work all around on this one.

A very interesting style of writing in this 'zine. I sorta felt like I was at one of those art exhibits where they have to put up descriptions so you know what you're looking at! :-) Some very talented authors are represented in this 'zine. Sadly, though, I suppose I'm just not literarily advanced enough to enjoy this style as much as I'm sure I should be able to!

Most of the stories were "first-times". In The Trap we got some highly coveted, much sought after Jim-owies! Senses and Sensibility was a very interesting look at Jim's repressive abilities! That was one hot story! I particularly enjoyed At The Movies for it's humor. I thought the author did a great characterization of Jim and Blair. Lawless Place was not so much slash, as perhaps wishful thinking on Jim's part. A nice introspection piece.

This is probably one of the most interesting 'zines as far as writing styles I've seen. Perhaps a little beyond this kid, as I prefer not to have to think so hard while enjoying my slash ;-). But for those who enjoy more depth in their stories you probably won't want to miss this one.

All the stories are strong, and all the authors rank in my "favoured" list. I'm not going to go into details on all the stories, because there's just too many of them, but I will tell you that the characterization in all of them is dead on, and it's chock full of the snarky, LOL dialog that I love.

Probably the finest collection of Sentinel stories that ever has been and will ever be. Be warned, it's an expensive zine (app $30). The zine clocks in at 270 pages, has spiral binding, and color art. Some of the finest authors in the fandom contributed to this zine. Meredith Lynne, Kim Gasper and Bone to name a very few of them. Some authors that I'd thought had left the fandom, like Katrina Bowen and Penelope Whistle turned up. I don't think there is anyway that this could be considered a sweet and romantic zine. There is romance, because well, this is slash but the zine just doesn't give me the same warm'n'fuzzy feeling I get after reading some of the sweeter zines. I honestly don't know how to explain it any better then that. If you like your zines a little grittier then the average, then this is probably the zine buy.

Sandy, Anna and Merry have, in between updating their rec pages, written extremely readable stories for a Sentinel zine, Crossroads. Yes, a zine rec--sixteen stories by sixteen writers, most of them pretty good, some of them pretty damn good indeed. Which may sound like lukewarm praise, but the truth is, this zine is good enough to make me critical, and there's no way I could like sixteen stories by sixteen very different writers equally much. My personal favorite is Merry's A quiet war...

One of the best TS zines ever was Crossroads, and the stories from the zine have started showing up on the web. Of the first ones to appear, my two favorites are Writing on the Wall by Justine -- a lovely Blair-centered look at what the Eye of God really meant to them -- and one of my favorite "what happens after Blair starts the Academy" stories, Folie a Deux, by Sihaya Black, where mistakes can be corrected, and love does conquer all.

CROSSROADS has first-rate production values, and I wouldn't give up any of them--from the embossed cover to the 60# paper. It all adds up to quality. A level of quality that is, by and large, not reflected in zine production in TS fandom (specific company excepted).

I'm a sucker for a beautifully-produced zine. I've been pulled into entire new *fandoms* by a good-looking zine. And, unlike some discussing this thread, I have even purchased zines *just* for the artwork. The list of fan artists whose work I have been treated to over the decades is as long as my arm--I would have hated to miss out on *any* of them.

Fanzines aren't just text on a page--you can get that yourself by printing out stories from your computer. Fanzines *should* offer more than that. Fanzines can provide visual and tactile elements that bring a whole new dimension to the fan fiction experience. One of the first things I do when I get a new fanzine like CROSSROADS or CHANGES is to . . . feel it. Hold it and feel the heft of it. Flip through the pages and run my fingers across them to absorb the texture. Consider the layout. Admire the illustrations. Read a paragraph or two. The fiction is only part of the attraction. (And, in the years of yester, I could also be entertained by a chatty Editor's Page, tantalized by zine ads and reviews, and invigorated/exasperated by a meaty LoC column.)

Plus, fanzines provide an opportunity for the zine producer to participate in fandom (and exercise her talents in editing, design and layout, etc), as well as a forum for the artists and cartoonists to share their work. Fanzines aren't just for fan fiction writers, after all.

2001

I've been reading through this zine (I was a late buyer, just got it a few weeks ago), and more than half the stories I find myself thinking "that's this author's best work yet." So what I'm wondering is, do authors hold back their best stories from the net 'cause they want their most precious jewels in print? Or is there some awesome editor at work and the stories are better than when they were submitted? Or am I just getting excited because they're stories I haven't read and reread a dozen times already?

I liked two of the stories, as I recall, but the rest seemed flat to me; as if they could have been about anyone. I would never have thought of any of these as "best works", though I am certainly glad so many disagree with me: I like that people get excited in a good way about what they read.

I did not finish two of the stories, a rare occurrence for me. I was halfway through "A Quiet War" and suddenly thought: I have no idea what this is about. It took too long to get to the point and I was not interested enough for the trip. "Paranoia" eluded me. I prefer a more linear style of writing.

I felt similarly about several of the other stories. It seemed as if (some of) the stories were about a certain idea the *author* wanted to present and they picked Jim and Blair to illustrate it. I prefer that Jim and Blair have something to say and use the author to do so.

I am not saying such a writing style is bad craft, of course. Many writers have an idea they want to convey and make up characters which can accomplish that. However, for my TS pleasure, I prefer a story about Jim and Blair with *their* thoughts, actions, reactions, etc. Or at least one in which the theme of the story is solid enough to hold my interest.

Then again, if we all liked the same thing, there would not be enough for everyone.

I adored Crossroads as a zine, thought it was a great value and basked

with bliss in the quality of the editing -- low rates of spelling and grammatical errors just make me feel so SAFE. But I felt a little of what [C] was getting at, too. One or two of the stories did feel a little formulaic, and others didn't connect very well with what I expected of Jim and Blair. I wouldn't say they were "any two guys" stories, but . . . Hmmm. How to put it? All the stories were well-written and technically excellent, but there were only a couple of them that successfully pushed my buttons. And since I tend to have the same buttons as many of the story authors, that's rather strange.

I also stopped reading A Quiet War because it seemed very slow-paced. But I've hesitated to make that a serious criticism because, well, it's hard to make a good critique of a story you haven't finished. And I thought it was partly because it was the last story in the zine -- I keep meaning to go back and try it out again when I'm not suffering from literary overindulgence. And THEN I can make a good criticism of it, or not. But just on the basis of my first attack on the zine, I can see what cat was saying. I look at the table of contents, and I can only remember the subject matter of the three stories I enjoyed the most.

I do think it will be a good zine for re-reading, though. I'm looking forward to that. Maybe I've forgotten enough of the stories that I should start re-reading now. The zine WILL be coming on vacation with me, anyway.

I can't tell you how often I've read most of the stories in Crossroads. If I know I'm going to be on the road for a few days this zine is the one I throw in my overnight bag. I say *most* as there were a couple that I didn't enjoy much. I love Kim's work, but I didn't like "Bare." It was well written but along the lines of a PWP, voyeuristic, sexual fantasy - a little on the harsh side. I prefer a story with more substance and tenderness.

Some mentioned that Merry's story was a little slow. I didn't get that feeling at all. It was sort of like sitting back with a big dish of French Vanilla ice cream - to be savored. Francesca's "Paranoia" had me on delicious edge the whole time and I read it in one sitting. I love *love* Lanning Cook's *everything she writes* and "Many Waters" was terrific. The little singing-scene always makes me smile. Justine's "Writing on the Wall" is one of the best "back to the Temple" stories I've read and Blair is kick ass and brilliant. Sihaya rocks! I loved Pumpkin's dialogue. Katrina's "At the Movies" was laugh out loud funny and tender at the same time - and *so* Jim and Blair. Brenda's "Definition of Okay" is a Jim's senses are whacked out story - and I love that scenario. I wish Blair had gotten a clue earlier in this one though. But it was a nice read. Legion's "Sunrise, Sunset" is so, well...Legion:) I just love how she puts Jim and Blair together - great story, terrific dialogue, an in your face yet tender Blair and her Jim is always so very *Jim*. "Sex" by Anna - ahh..Anna - wonderful, crisp, witty dialogue. Kass's "Senses & Sensibility!" I loved this one from line one - <The worst week of Jim Ellison's life started with a plate of scrambled eggs.> I fell in love with Jim all over again in her story - Jim's avoiding and his senses are out of whack. I love a strong, yet vulnerable Jim and a comforting Blair. Good story but much too short;)

Like I said, Crossroads is a joy to read, along with Changes, Primal Instincts, Unsleeping and Sirocco.

So, what's the chances of a drop dead gorgeous, beautifully edited "Crossroads II?" Hmm? Please?!

It's interesting to hear someone say this about Crossroads, because I

• almost* agree. I really enjoyed the stories in Crossroads, but they

didn't have any deep impact on me. After reading the 'zine, no stories really stood out. I couldn't even remember what Francesca's or Anna's stories were about after putting it away. I still can't.

There were a couple of stories that were really something, but I'd have to re-read the zine to tell you which they were IMO. The rest of the stories were good, but not awesome. I don't know if it's okay for me to say this since I have yet to try my hand at Sentinel and since I'm pretty sure any of my stories wouldn't be up to par with any of the Crossroads stories. But frankly, I'd heard so much good about Crossroads that I was kind of disappointed when I got it. Maybe that was the reason, that everyone had praised it to the skies, so that when I got it, I couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

Also, it seems to be everybody's opinion that Crossroads is the best 'zine out there of all the Sentinel zines, and that frightens me a bit. Is there any other zines out there that are really good?

I enjoyed it, but while I know editors can spot things a writer

and even her betas can miss, I felt that maybe the stories here were a trifle over-edited, to the point where they lost some freshness.

But I definitely appreciated the production values.

I guess that's the down side of enthusiastic recommendations. Expectations run high and some readers are disappointed. I loved Crossroads but they're a style of writing I like. (Long, plot and character driven stories are actually my favorites). Other readers may dislike and completely dismiss the stories in Crossroads.

2011

...track down the stories that were in the Crossroads zine... It's pretty much a who's who of the big names in TS fandom at the time. (Though from that zine I don't think any of the actual stories went on to hit it big except "A Quiet War," and that also because it kind of went with a Media Cannibals vid for "Walking on a Wire," and yes it was a big deal to have stories with associated vids back then.)

2013

This is the best Sentinel anthology zine I ever saw. Good writers, good editing, good layout, gorgeous cover. (I should put a disclaimer here that I'm in it as an author and editor: but I'm one of many authors, and one of several editors, and the overall zines is just aces.)

2016

A very classy production, if a bit on the plain side, graphically, for my taste. These editors, as I know from their past participation in fandom, represent a great deal of editing talent and very high standards. The contents of this zine, even stories that are not to my personal preference, are never less than sterling.