Damage Control (Sentinel zine)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Damage Control |
| Publisher: | Almost Foolproof Press |
| Editor: | |
| Author(s): | Kim Gasper |
| Cover Artist(s): | |
| Illustrator(s): | no art, b/w screencaps |
| Date(s): | February 1997 |
| Series?: | No |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | The Sentinel |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | Damage Control online |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Damage Control is a 79-page Sentinel novel by Kim Gasper.
It was posted to the internet before it was published as a print zine.
Topic
In 2000, the author said: "I never actually intended it to be a *rape story*. The rape takes place before the story begins. What it is, however, is a rape recovery story. :-)" [1]
Disclaimer
WARNING: NC-17. Do not read if you're under 18. This story is intended for a mature adult audience. It contains graphic descriptions of two consenting, adult men having sex together, some references to rape, and the aftermath of dealing with it, as well as language what may be offensive to some.
Author's Note
From the print zine:
This story has undergone considerable revision/rewriting, and wouldn't have been possible without a lot of help and input from several different individuals. I'd like to lake the time to say Thank you to James, Sherry and Sarah; I couldn't have done it without your help.
When I first (originally) wrote this story, all I had in mind was a hurt/comfort scenario: Blair is sexually assaulted, and Jim comforts/heals him. Well, it was pointed out to me that that sort of thing isn't (generally) realistic, that it doesn't work that way. So I started to rewrite the story, and discovered along the way that Blair and Jim had a lot of healing (both of them) to do before they could even consider physical intimacy.
This is not a rape story. I'd like to clarify that right off the bat. There are references to sexual assault having taken place, but the actual assault takes place before the story starts. What this is, is a hurt/comfort story, with strong emphasis on Blair and Jim helping each other to heal, discovering at the same time just what they mean to each other, and discovering the strength in their relationship.
I hope you enjoy the story. Thank you.
Reactions and Reviews
Unknown Date
This story has been available on the Net for several years - I first read it on the original SXF archive back in 1997. I loved it then and I love it now. When I saw that Almost Foolproof Press had published it in a small zine with photos from the series, and that it cost only $7, I went ahead and bought it. I've already read it twice since then - money well spent, in my opinion. This zine is a classic Sentinel hurt/comfort zine, about Blair's recovery from rape and abuse. It's *not* a rape story, since the zine takes place after-the-fact, but rather a strict h/c, depicting the *reality* of recovering from rape (unlike most slash stories, there's no 'fall-immediately-into-bed-with-another-man-right-after-being-raped' here). The authenticity of the characters and their reactions is almost painful to read at times, and yet searingly beautiful. There's a beautiful development of the relationship between Jim and Blair, and this story contains one of the BEST 'trapped-inside-during-a-snowstorm-and-curled-up-in-front-of-a-warm-fire' scenes ever! {grins fondly} [2]
2000
I think it was the first TS rape story, and I consider it a meaningful, well-done masterpiece in that genre. [3]
References
- ^ comments at Prospect-L, quoted anonymously (October 2000)
- ^ [www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/2564/zines.html#Man Raonaid's Zine Recommendations], Archived version
- ^ comments at Prospect-L, quoted anonymously (October 2000)