Elysia

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Zine
Title: Elysia
Publisher: Elysian Publications
Editor(s): Terry Sue Shank
Date(s): 1986-1989
Series?:
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links: zine flyer
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Elysia is a gen Star Trek: TOS anthology.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, Ann Mara Crouch

FRIENDS & FOES (Trek Character Profiles)

  • Dax Created by Terry Sue Shank
  • Bug Created by Barbara Lenore Snowberger
  • Jack Redbeard Created by Bonnie Reitz
  • Nomae-Jen Created by Barbara Lenore Snowberger
  • Taz Created by Terry Sue Shank
  • Kalin Created by Linda Slusher
  • Stauk Created by Rowena Warner
  • "Another" Poem by Patt Demetri
  • THE ELYSIAN COUNCIL (Letters-of-Comment)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

I’ve just finished reading ‘Elysia 1’. It’s a B&W illo’d 195 page zine with some longer stories and some poetry as well as art. The print is crisp and large, running full across the page, and the repro is very good. The contents live up to the packaging. Though the lead story, ‘Through Time and Tears,’ is by the editor/publisher, it does not fall below standard. It might, however, verge on what the Treklink #6 editorial considered a Mary Sue. Now, I personally have a stronger tolerance for Mary Sue and tend to cleave to the older definition of a story where the lead character is an idealized projection of the author herself… To me, that true Mary Sue is one which could never be salvaged without destroying the thematic point. Therefore, If found ‘Through Time and Tears to be utterly delightful mainly because it brazenly violated every precept laid down by Pocket for their novels. (I’ve just finished outlining a ST novel to submit, and was craving more freedom.) Shank’s main character is Lt. Gaea Stark, a fully human cousin of Spock raised by Sarek and Amanda. She stayed on Vulcan, taking Vulcan citizenship and completing a Vulcan Science Academy education, becoming a Healer. She’s as good at it as any human could be, but not as good as a Vulcan, and has the scheme of teaching self-healing to the humans of Starfleet. So she’s assigned to the Enterprise, and has a time of it with Spock, trying to dance between the strictures of two cultures. The writing is strong, and there were only a few points where the narrative waltzed by some more obvious solutions to a problem in order to set up a more dramatic situation. Gaea is believable to me because she is no telepath, and has learned her limits. When she has to guide Spock through the grief of the loss of Amanda, she botches the job. But she’s learned to take failure in stride and she comes back strong. Perhaps Gaea has all the hallmarks of a Mary Sue, but stands outside of what I consider the limits of the genre simply because the plotting of the story is excellent. Or perhaps I don’t included the ‘goody-goody-too-impossibly-good’ lead character in the definition of Mary Sue because I’ve seen too many sf many scripts in writing workshops that have the same flaw, but are NOT Mary Sue at all. I see it as the typical error of most beginning writers… I consider Terry Sue Shank one of the better editors today because in putting the ‘zine together, she has put her strongest pieces at the beginning and the end of the ‘zine. The ending pieces constitute a short novelette, ‘Asteria: Memories of Otherwhen and To Live Long.’ ‘Asteria’ must have been written before the 4th movie was out… She edges up to what the movie actually did. Frankly, I think I prefer her version… I must admit that ‘Asteria,’ too, has a few plot glitches where a more obvious solution is overlooked for the sake of contriving a dramtic solution – but nothing that couldn’t have been fixed by strong editing. It starts with an interesting problem in re-educating Spock after his revival, and develops the theme nicely through the death of an ancestor of T’Pau and involves Kirk and Spock in an unusual (but not sex-related – at least not so stated in this story) type of mental bonding of which only the Romulans are experts…. Another hallmark of Shank’s editing skills is that none of the stories leaves you with that annoying, ‘unfinished’ feeling, because they are indeed complete stories. However, they don’t have that other sort of annoying feel of being TOTALLY OVER. There’s plenty or room for further development both of Gaea Stark’s adventures and fo this new type of K/S bonding (reminiscent in some ways of Kraith because it does not seem to have sexual overtones). [1]

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Mike Brown

Elysia 2 was published in 1987 and contains 147 pages. The cover is by Mike Brown. Other artists: Mike Brown, Teruyo Chayama, Don Harden, Bobbie Hawkins, Thomas F. Howard, Pat Kilner, Melody Rondeau, Barbara L. Snowberger, and Gennie Summers.

  • Keys by Barbara L. Snowberger (one of the very first Star Trek: TNG stories)
  • An Afternoon With 'NUMBER ONE'
  • Majel Barrett interview by Barbara L. Snowberger
  • A Day In The Life (or Has Anybody Seen My Plant?) by Dottie Christianson & Della Shuler
  • The Magical Elfin by Regenia Marracino
  • Journey To Babble (or The Ultimate Mary Sue) by Helen Sargeant
  • The Final Wish by Thomas F. Howard
  • Star Trek: The Contemporary Fairy Tale by Bonnie Mae Ward
  • All That We See Or Seem by L. P. Santos--Sequel to "Shadows of Tomorrow" in Orion #23.
  • The Coral Sea by P. D. Frasure
  • Touching and Touched (beginning) by Midge Clark and Margaret Eastburn
  • THE ELYSIAN COUNCIL (Letters-of-Comment)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

  • Keys / Odd little bits of Spock's consciousness during and after his death and fal-tor-pan. This is bits from "the light" and so forth, not his presence in McCoy. He finds himself in some kind of council, as a 'Grace-Admiral,' planning for the new Enterprise; then talking with a star-struck 20th century American boy.
  • An Afternoon With 'Number One' / interview: Majel Barrett
  • A Day In the Life (or, Has Anybody Seen My Plant?) / Cadets Sulu and Tysca Dallas are being harassed by Stiles due to Dallas' homeplanet royal connections. Entertaining shenanigans as the cadets attempt to recover a rare plant that walks off from the botany lab and eventually into the salad bar. Cute.
  • The Magical Elfin / Kirk, Spock & McCoy are found by a giant and kept as living dolls for his gravely-ill daughter. The cat gets Spock and the girl "fixes" him, sending him into shock from iodine burn. Kinda cute, fun premise with good characterization, but seems unfinished - suddenly the story ends, no explanation of how the boys got back.
  • Journey to Babble (or, the Ultimate Mary Sue) / Standard Mary Sue parody
  • The Final Wish / A not-particularly-ST "three wishes" story.
  • Star Trek: The Contemporary Fairy Tale [Essay]
  • All That We See or Seem / (Sequel to Shadows of Tomorrow, Orion #23) Spock meets his son by Leila; the son misinterprets Spock's reactions to him until Spock saves him from kidnappers and melds with him to pull him out of a sensory-deprivation coma.
  • The Coral Sea / Enterprise is sent to recover a first-contact team, and discovers them missing - and that local creatures are dying of Symbelene blood burn, despite the absence of vector insects. There is also cultural conflict between villagers and "Ascetics" who try not to take life and condemn the villagers for fishing and eating pollen. Some points for biology, but loses them for more hybrid love affairs.
  • Asteria: Touching and Touched / (Sequel to Asteria: Memories of Otherwhen, Elysia #1; concluded in Elysia #3) Enterprise is sent to retrieve Spock's cousin, Sarel, who is about to become Prince of Vulcan and has been raised on a xenophobic planet. Sarel has hi-psi ratings, and is in love with visions of a young girl, a freak like himself -- who just happens to be the daughter of Kang. Too much coincidental plotline, poorly worked out. For example, Kirk and McCoy know Sarel is Spock's cousin, but are shocked to find that he is vulcanoid. Huh? And points deducted for bringing Vulcan royalty in again. [2]

Issue 3

cover of issue #3, Teruyo Chayama

Elysia 3 was published in 1988 and contains 178 pages. The cover is by Teruyo Chayama. Other artists: Teruyo Chayama, Bobbie Hawkins, Tom Howard, Pat Kilner, Melody Rondeau, Gennie Summers, Sherry Veltkamp, and Jacquelyn Zoost.

  • Fair Exchange by Sharon Pillsbury (1)
  • Sheer Escapism by Sharon Pillsbury (30)
  • The New Generation by Julie A. Dickson
  • Asteria: Brother by Midge Clark and Margaret Eastburn (33)
  • A Family Matter by Susan K. McLeod (Spock/Christine) (46)
  • The Conflict by Julie A. Dickson
  • For The Good Of The Service by Helen Sargeant (74)
  • Be Prepared by Adele Peterson (81)
  • Spock' s Test by Julie A. Dickson
  • Mission To Nogallion by Shirley R. Gibbons (83)
  • The Whales by Julie A. Dickson
  • Star Trek IV Art Portfolio (by the Elysia Artists)
  • The Winds of Change by L. P. Santos (100)
  • Personal Log (Poem) by Gloria DeLeon & Anne G. Burns
  • Asteria: Touching and Touched (Summary) by Midge Clark (131)
  • Drearming The Dream (Poem) by Gloria DeLeon
  • Asteria: Touching and Touched (Conclusion) by Midge Clark & Margaret Eastburn (133)
  • A Mom For All Reasons (Interview with Jane Wyatt) by Barbara Snowberger (170)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

  • Fair Exchange / In an effort to force peace, the Organians put Kirk and Kor in charge of each other's ships.
  • Sheer Escapism / McCoy takes Spock & Kirk to watch the "Superman" movie.
  • Asteria: Brother / The Asteria series has to do with Vulcan and Spock's family history - this one establishes how T'Pau became Matriach. Didn't actually read this one.
  • A Family Matter / Spock vanishes, with Chapel, leaving Kirk and Sarek to determine that he has gone after a saboteur. During their capture by the Romulan saboteurs, escape, and subsequent near-death from starvation before they are rescued, Chapel learns that all this time she has been bonded to Spock - though she's no longer particularly anxious to be. Nice twist on the S/C relationship, though they work it out, predictably, in bed.
  • For the Good of the Service / Pleasant little farce - Nogura needs nude models among Starfleet's finest for a calendar to counter one produced by the Klingons which is having alarming sales. Spock is elected.
  • Be Prepared / Vignette farce - Kirk takes along everything they might need to survive any situation they've yet encountered - to go have dinner with Sarek & Amanda.
  • Mission to Nogallion / Kirk, Spock & McCoy beam down to Nogallion to determine what happened to a ship that disappeared there long ago, carrying Kirk's father. Kirk has been ill but ignores it. The uninhabited planet turns out to be inhabited by an underground race that doesn't want contamination. While a council deliberates over whether to execute them, Kirk's illness turns into full-blown appendicitis. The captors offer to use their Healing Room on him, as they did on sole survivor of the earlier crash - but McCoy refuses, because it turned her into a living rock. He gets them to give him a medkit from the old ship & performs the surgery with a messy old-fashioned scalpel. The aliens are convinced to let them go with a promise to leave them alone.
  • Star Trek IV Art Portfolio
  • The Winds of Change / Courtship of Phillip (Spock & Leila's son) and T'Shanna, Stonn's daughter. Didn't read this one. Majel Barrett Roddenberry makes an appearance, though.
  • Asteria: Touching and Touched (summary)
  • Asteria: Touching and Touched (conclusion)
  • A Mom for All Reasons / Interview/ biography of Jane Wyatt [3]

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Teruyo Chayama

Elysia 4 was published in 1989 and contains 110 pages. The cover art is by Teruyo Chayama. Other artists: Teruyo Chayama, Pat Kilner, Gennie Summers, and Jacquelyn Zoost.

  • The Old Homeplace by Peggy Avant (1)
  • For Joanna by Julie Dickson (19)
  • Friendships Real by Julie Dickson
  • Night Visitor by Michelle Perry and Sandy Hall (20)
  • Letter of the Law by Michelle Perry (young Sarek faces the death penalty.) (23)
  • The Desperate Call by Julie Dickson (29)
  • Echoes of the Mind by Sharon Pillsbury (30)
  • Triumverate by Gloria DeLeon
  • Ebony Eyes by Julie Dickson
  • Mr. Adventure by Julie Dickson
  • "Another One Of Those Days!" by E. A. Mackrille (68)
  • Love For Her by Julie Dickson (74)
  • Atonement by Sandy Hall (75)
  • Seeing Vulcans by Gloria DeLeon (78)
  • Bloopers, Trivia, Accidents, Production Mistakes by Peggy Avant (79)
  • Through Klingon Eyes by Julie Dickson
  • The Klingons: After All by Julie Dickson
  • The Touch of Life by Julie Dickson (85)
  • The Thoughts Invade by Julie Dickson (89)
  • In The Age Of Dreams by L. P. Santos (90)
  • Born Anew by Julie Dickson (106)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

  • The Old Homeplace / McCoy goes home to sell the old place but is troubled by a childhood promise.
  • Night Visitor / Sarek and elder brother discuss kahs-wan
  • Letter of the Law / The young Sarek breaks a law by trying to reach another's mind.
  • Echoes of the Mind / McCoy and Scott try to rescue mind-blocked Kirk, now a miner.
  • Another One of Those Days / Fan struck by lightning ends up in Spock's body.
  • Atonement / Christine suffers aftermath of Plato's Stepchildren events.
  • Bloopers
  • The Touch of Life / Troi's mindtouch rescues Deltan
  • In the Age of Dreams / Romulan/Vulcan split from the age of Surak [4]

References

  1. ^ by Jacqueline Lichtenberg an excerpt from a much longer review in Treklink #8
  2. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
  3. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
  4. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
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