Fizzbin (Star Trek: TOS correspondence club zine)

Zine
Title:	Fizzbin
Publisher:	Star Trek Correspondence Club (STCC) (out of the UK)
Editor(s):	the first four issues (unknown), issue #5 and onwards (Judy Mortimore)
Date(s):	around 1976 to the early 1980s
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Fizzbin is a gen Star Trek: TOS correspondence club zine with at least seventeen issues. It contains both fiction and articles.

An adult content sister zine is Private Enterprise.

Reactions and Reviews

This zine is notable mainly for the 'Nova' series written by our honourable Chairman (take a bow, Ray [Dowsett]!). This is a naval story set in the Star Trek universe, but not on the Enterprise. It starts in 011. I also enjoyed The Collector' by Helen Sneddon in #6. A benevolent energy alien stops the Enterprise and asks for a gift for her race's collection. 'Doctor's Orders' by Sam Armitage in #16 has McCoy In the centre seat, and in 'Confrontation' by Janet Stewart in #17, Spock requests a transfer after Kirk has needlessly risked his life again.

Issue 1

Fizzbin 1 contains 82 pages.

Issue 2

Fizzbin 2

Issue 3

Fizzbin 3

Issue 4

Fizzbin 4 contains 45 pages.

Issue 5

Fizzbin 5 was published in 1978 or before and contains 50 pages.

• fiction by Sheila Clarke, Janet Blowers
• an article by Christine Hall on James Blish
• an con report on the 1976 New York Star Trek Convention
• other unknown content

Issue 6

Fizzbin 6 was published in 1978 or before and contains 43 pages.

• fiction by Judy Mortimer, Paul Dakeyene, Helen Sneddon, Sheila Clarke, Lesley E. Hatch, Peter A. Lane, and A.J. Marshall
• poetry
• article on Star Wars

Issue 7

Fizzbin 7 was published in 1978 or before and contains 47 pages.

• contains a full-length story: "Marooned on the planet Zirgonia, Spock finds a lost Vulcan colony. A must for all Spock fans. Sequel to follow shortly."

Issue 8

Fizzbin 8 was published in 1978 and contains 49 pages.

cover of issue #8

Issue 9

Fizzbin 9 contains 40 pages.

Issue 10

Fizzbin 10

Issue 11

Fizzbin 11 was published in 1980 and contains 46 pages. It has art by Katy Brown (cover), Linda McGrath and Margaret Winks.

It was printed for U.F.P. Con (1980, De Vere Hotel, Coventry).

cover of issue #11, Katy Brown

Excerpt from "Running Blind":

"I don't want to [leave you], Jim." The Vulcan's voice was barely aud ible now. "Only I'm so cold. So awfully cold..."

Oh God let him live! I never wanted anything so much in my whole life, but if Spock dies there'll be nothing left in this whole wide universe for me He felt the rain running down his face like tears.

"Jim," Spock whispered, "Jim..."

And then, very deliberately, Kirk leaned forward and kissed that rain-soaked, haggard face very tenderly, very gently, and it didn't seem at all strange that he did so. Spock's eyes filled with quiet understanding and real affection. "Strange," he whispered, his lips hardly moving, "It....is only now that I feel I can tell you.....I love you, Jim." He stopped for a moment, just gazing into that bewhiskered face above him, and then with an effort added, "I couldn't even tell my mother that I loved her. And you..."

"There'll be time for everything, Spock. I promise you..."

"No," the Vulcan said, very softly, clinging to Kirk's hand as if it were the only thing that was keeping him from the darkness, "No more time. Not now, Now it's just....me and you, for ever." He closed his eyes, the rain running over his face and washing away the blood from his mouth, making everything clean and fresh again.

• Yet Another Editorial (2)
• Planet Virgo by Anne Turnham (3)
• Discovery of Love by Carol Livingstone (9)
• Introduction to NOVA, a sequence of original fiction stories set in the Star Trek universe (11)
• NOVA by Ray Dowsett, part one "Drafted!" (12)
• quiz by Janet Balch (17)
• Christine Chapel's Letter by Karen Levett (19)
• wordmaze by Katy Brown (20)
• Running Blind by Janet Kilbourne (21)
• Meaning, poem by Katy Brown (45)
• answers to quiz (45, so says the table of contents, but they are not on that page)
• Final Fling (your editor again) (46)

• 

  inside issue #11, sample text

• 

  inside issue #11, illo by Linda McGrath

• 

  inside issue #11, illo by Linda McGrath

• 

  inside issue #11, illo by Margaret Winks

Issue 12

Fizzbin 12 was published in 1980 (same time as issue #11) and contains 46 pages. It has art by Katy Brown (cover) and Linda McGrath.

cover of issue #12, Katy Brown

It was printed for U.F.P. Con (1980, De Vere Hotel, Coventry).

• Yet Another Editorial (2)
• Trouble with Your Head by Janet Balach (3)
• The Enterprise, poem by Martina O'Hagan (7)
• wordmaze by Katy Brown (8)
• NOVA series, part two "Ship-Miss" by Ray Dowsett (9)
• Shore Leave by Janet Balch (20)
• wordmaze by Katy Brown (22)
• The Merad Trinity by Janet Kilbourne (23)
• Meaning, poem by Katy Brown (24)
• Final Fling by the editor (46)

• 

  inside issue #12, sample text

• 

  inside issue #12, illo by Linda McGrath

Issue 13

Fizzbin 13 was published in 1981.

Issue 14

Fizzbin 14 was published in 1981.

Issue 15

Fizzbin 15 is undated, though was published in 1981 and contains 48 pages.

front cover of issue #15, Janet Balch-Mortimore

back cover of issue #15, Linda McGrath

• Editorial and General Waffle (2)
• An Unfriendly Wave by J.S.C. Broadribb (3)
• Open Hailing Frequencies by Katy Brown (8)
• The Darker Side of Space by David R. Elvy (9)
• I Must Try Harder, poem by Katy Brown (23)
• NOVA, part 4 -- Operation ShipSmash: The Search by Ray Dowsett (24)
• quiz by Lesley E. Hatch (34)
• Diary of a Security Officer by Janette Stainton (35)
• What? by J.S.C. Broadribb (46)
• Name Game by J. McClean (47)
• quiz answers, solution of Name Game (48)
• Endwork (blink and you'll miss it) (48)

Issue 16

Fizzbin 16 was published in 1981 and contains 51 pages. It was published in time for AuCon. This issue has art by J.S.C. Broadribb, "translated onto stencil" by Judy Mortimore.

front cover of issue #16, Lynn Campion

• Words from the Editor (2)
• A Study in Darkness by Chris Anderson (3)
• The Silver Lady by Karen Hayden (9)
• Doctor's Orders by Sam Armitage (10)
• Spockology, quiz by L.E. Hatch (18)
• Stop Them by J.S.C. Broadribb (19)
• NOVA, part 5, "Contact" by Ray Dowsett (34)
• Thank You, Fairy Godmother, and Goodnight by Therese Holmes (42)
• answers to Spockology (51)

Issue 17

Fizzbin 17 was published in 1982 or before. It contains a story called "Confrontation" by Janet Stewart which may be related to Time Is: Time Was: Time Yet to Be and All Loss Restored.