Free Fall (Star Trek: TOS zine)
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| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Free Fall |
| Publisher: | SpartiWerks or Sparti Works, agented by Bill Hupe |
| Editor(s): | Robert Bruce & Zaquia Tarhuntassa |
| Date(s): | 1991-1992 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Free Fall is a gen Star Trek: TOS anthology.
Issue 1
Free Fall 1 was published 1991 and has 120 pages. It has illustrations by Magee Gilks and Zaquia Tarhuntassa.
- McCoy Finds a Refuge by Kay Doty (a story of McCoy's divorce, bittersweet romance and the first two years of his unplanned reenlistment.) (1)
- Any Day Now by Jeanne E. McGrew (33)
- The Poachers by Jill Thomasson (McCoy vanishes on a routine exploratory mission.) (36)
- Checkmate by Charmaine Woods (Kirk flirts.) (64)
- The Landing Party by Magee Gilks (danger with insectoids) (74)
- On Call by Charmaine Woods (A day in the life of a starship surgeon.) (97)
- Captain/Hero by Zaquia Tarhuntassa (A story about Kirk as a child.) (114)
flyer
the warning against copying without permission
inside issue #1
inside issue #1
inside issue #1
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
"Free Fall One is an action-oriented zine produced by Spartiwerks and edited by Robert Bruce and Zaquia Tarhuntassa. The illustrations are by Magee Gilks and Zaquia Tarhuntassa. (Zaquia's name should be recognizable to STARLink readers for some terrific cover portraits). Free Fall One, produced in 1991, is 117 pages and consists of seven stories by Doty, McGrew, Thomasson, Wood, Gilks and Tarhuntassa. But pirates beware - this zine opens with a terrific copyright violation warning. So read, but don't copy without permission, lest Klingons gnaw your entrails. The opening story, "McCoy Finds a Refuge" by Kay Doty, takes McCoy from his failing marriage with Jocelyn to his first meeting with an injured Ensign Kirk. Doty paints a picture of a battered, weary McCoy struggling to survive the chaos of his personal life. He finds refuge in the bottle and, eventually, in the arms of a Starfleet officer temporarily home on shore leave. Lieutenant Elaine Morris picks up a sodden, feverish McCoy after a bingeful night of drinking leaves him unconscious. She is realistically portrayed as both annoyed and bothered by her unwelcome guest, but as McCoy regains his health, she soon finds herself hot and bothered for quite a different reason. The idyllic romantic interlude eventually ends and McCoy continues on in an increasingly empty life. One day, on a whim, he joins Starfleet. Complications ensue when his daughter Joanna reenters his life but all ends on an upbeat note as McCoy is reunited with Elaine and practices his healing touch on a young man named Kirk. "McCoy Finds a Refuge" has a good focus on McCoy's life prior to Starfleet and successfully portrays the hopeless, exhausting life he was leading. This story, along with the subsequent "On Call" by Charmaine Wood, is an effective portrayal of the dedication McCoy brings to his calling. At times, the story condenses important events for the sake of the plotline and this tends to convey an overly simplistic tone to the story. But, on the whole, an enjoyable read. "Any Day Now" by Jeanne Elizabeth McGrew is an alternative universe view of Star Trek. What if the Vulcans are real and they convince a TV producer to create a television series that would introduce their race in such a way that would create trust and respect for them? "Any Day Now" poses that question, and then leaves you hanging. Spock and Sarek real? What happens next? Please, a sequel. "The Poachers" by Jill Thomasson was difficult to read. It concerns the continued torture of Dr. McCoy by a trio of poachers who initially capture him while he is on landing party duty. This story featured uncharacteristic actions and behavior by Spock and Kirk. While necessary to the plotline, the motivations behind their words was not clearly developed and thus the story seemed forced and contrived. Also, the continual escape of the prisoners was highly unrealistic. More of a Three Stooges escape than the actions of a highly trained Starfleet Security force. There was, however, a nice witty repartee between the Big Three at the ending of the story reminiscent of the great television endings. "Checkmates" by Charmaine Wood features a Captain Kirk on the prowl for a pretty Starfleet lieutenant. His romantic intentions are intermittently interrupted by a formidable Commander conducting a health inspection. Kirk, playing fast and loose with his affections, ultimately outfoxes himself and winds up playing a lonely game of chess with Spock. I liked the lighthearted, tongue in cheek, tone of this story. For once, the Captain didn't get the girl. "The Landing Party" by Magee Gilk views a disastrous landing party from the eyes of a young ensign. In a nice use of story technique, "The Landing Party" is told in flashback. The tale unfolds as a young reporter interviews Anton Burillo, a reclusive millionaire who founded CarBurcorp - a sort of galaxy-wide insect extermination company. Burillo tells the young reporter that, once upon a time, he was in Starfleet. Young and green, he was finally given a chance at landing party duty. The subsequent story is imaginative, and, at times, a wee bit gruesome, in its details. "On Call" by Charmaine Wood focuses on an exhausting day in Sickbay that portrays McCoy's dedication and plain bullheadedness as he stumbles tiredly from one crisis to another. This story was set prior to the arrival of Dr. M'Benga and portrayed McCoy as the only doctor on call. Although unrealistic, McCoy's dedication and exhaustion are effectively conveyed. "Captain/Hero" by Zaquia Tarhuntassa is a brief action-oriented story that jumps immediately into a dramatic ship battle. The story seems overly simplistic until the "cute" ending which I won't give away. A nice story, but not strong enough to close the zine. It would have been more effectively located earlier in the zine. Free Fall One is an interesting effort. The stories are light and easily read, but lacking in any great depth or characterization. It needs a stronger anchor piece and perhaps a more focused editorial vision. The artwork is well done, predominantly featuring portraits of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. My final score for Free Fall One is 65. The artwork receives 20 points. I deducted 5 points because it would have been nice to see a little more variety in the selections. The overall presentation received 15 points. The zine is easy to read but could have benefitted from a more imaginative font and design in the opening pages. (Although this should not detract from the good job Lisa HaderHe-Baker did on the copyright calligraphy). 15 points for ultimate value and 10 points for the writing, which could have included stronger, more focused pieces. Ultimately, Free Fall One is a nice little zine especially for McCoy fans who can sit back and enjoy the spotlight shining on one of their favorite doctors. Sigh! Now if only our doctors now were like that."[1]
Issue 2
Free Fall 2 was published 1992 and has 200 pages. It has illustrations by Magee Gilks and Zaquia Tarhuntassa.
- Rain Daughter by Magee Gilks (A Mayan descendant sacrifices to a rain god.) (1)
- The Admiral's Shore Leave by Kay Doty (McCoy wins a bride.) (reprinted as a serial in some 1995 issues of Trexperts) (53)
- Season's Greetings by Charmaine Wood (McCoy and Joanna spend Christmas on the Enterprise.) (72)
- Pendulum by Magee Gilks (after STIV - anemia outbreak; time-travel effects) (83)
- An Old Country Doctor Goes Home by Charmaine Wood (A death story.) (119)
- The Haunted Castle by Kay Doty (Uhura and others are kidnapped for their internal organs.) (123)
- To Have and Have Not by Kay Doty (McCoy's reunion with Elaine; a "Refuge" sequel.) (158)
cover of issue #2, by Zaquia Tarhuntassa
inside page from issue #2, sample text
inside page from issue #2, Zaquia Tarhuntassa
inside page from issue #2, Magee Gilks
inside page from issue #2, Zaquia Tarhuntassa
