Highly Illogical (Star Trek: TOS anthology)

Zine
Title:	Highly Illogical
Publisher:	clubzine, U.S.S. Sol out of Fairbanks, Alaska
Editor(s):	Robyn Russell
Date(s):	1986-1989
Series?:
Medium:	print
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS, later issues contain Star Trek:TNG
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

1988 flyer

Highly Illogical is a gen clubzine edited by Robyn Russell. It contains reviews, club news, fiction, art, and much poetry. There were twelve issues.

This zine was an outgrowth of the club's original bi-monthly newsletter/zine Open Channels.

"Highly Illogical" has a sister zine called A Fistful of Credits.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, Phillip Livingstone

the editor hard at work at her new "McIntosh Apple" shortly before being transported to outer space, artist Phillip Livingstone

Highly Illogical 1 (v.1 n.1) was published in 1986 and contains 44 pages. Illos by Phillip Livingstone.

• Sol Primer (2)
• Visit to a Weird Starship, fiction by Beth Hartt (this a self-insertion story featuring members of the club aboard the spaceship "U.S.S. Sol") (4)
• Messing With the Gene Pool, fiction by Cynthia McCormick (30)
• Goldilocks and the Space Bears, short-short by L. Selek (32)
• Technical Article (34)
• Gamer's Review ("Star Trek: The Adventure Game" and "Starship Combat Game") (35)
• a review of Spockanalia (36)
• club news (37)
• The Bond of Imagination, poem (40)
• Friendship, poem (41)
• Who is Dr. Spock, poem (43)
• Trivia Time (44)
• Filks: Lost In Space (Jingle Bells) / Colleen Verdon (inside front cover)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

• Sol Primer / "See Dick" introduction to the Sol's crew
• Visit to a Weird Starship / Nicely executed version of the the old "fans on the Enterprise" story.
• Messing With the Gene Pool / Early days of the eugenics experiments and the birth of Khan
• Goldilocks and the Space Bears / Evaluating the Potential of Co-habitational Adjustment of Alien Life Forms to a Predominantly Human Closed Environment
• Filks: Lost In Space (Jingle Bells)
• Also club news, reviews, poetry

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Juanne Michaud

Highly Illogical 2 was published in 1986 and contains 44 pages. Cover: Juanne Michaud.

• Editorial / Robyn Russell (1)
• Cadet's Easy Form Letter Home (2)
• Error of Mercy / Shirzi-Li, Sharon Baxter, and Pat McLean (3)
• Three Little Space Pigs / Billie Mundorff (15)
• Con Reports: 20th Anniversary
• Filk Tape Review: Skybound (Leslie Fish)
• club news and reviews

Issue 3

inside back cover of issue #3, Dotty Schenk, a fine example of holiday hats

front cover of issue #3, Juanne Michaud

Highly Illogical 3 was published in 1986 and contains 44 pages. This is the last issue that is 7x8 1/2. Artists are Juanne Michaud and Dotty Schenk.

• Write Your Own ST Episode (1)
• A Mid-Winter's Night's Dream, fiction by Cmdr. Shirzi-Li, Lt. Cmdr. Sharon Baxter, and Lt. Cmdr. Beth Hartt (2)
• Floodgate, fiction by Carol Mel Ambassador (14)
• a con report for a pro-con held June 21–22, 1986 at the Disneyland Hotel (15)
• a con report for Expo '86, Vancouver, B.C.
• a memorial/obit for a fan who was a member of the club: T'Pysa/Billie Murdoff
• Homecoming, a fictional account of a fictional funeral for the fan who had recently passed away (23)
• a Funeral Report for the fan who had passed away (It was noted that her fannish name (T'Psya), as well as well as her "civilian name," was printed on her funeral card) (25)
• Symbiosis, a poem for T'Pysa (26)

inside art from issue #3, Juanne Michaud

• White Star, a poem for T'Pysa (26)
• Random Mutation, fiction by Lynn McCrary (27)
• a review of ST:IV (29)
• ST:IV Trivia (32)
• Thank You, a poem by Vonne Shepard (34)
• My Place, a poem by T'Pysa (35)
• And There Was Love, a poem by T'Pysa (36)
• V'Ger's Gift, poem by Gloria DeLeon (37)
• Khan's Dream, poem by C.E. Clarr (38)
• Friends or Enemies, poem by Vonne J. Shepard (39)
• Star Trek's 20 Years, poem by Vonne Shepard (40)
• a crossword puzzle by Sue Richey (41)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

This is a club zine running only 43 pages 6-3/4 x 8-1/2. Considering the size of .the zine there is a good amount of poetry, and while none of it is outstanding, it satisfies. Most of the fiction consists of stories featuring a ship other than the Enterprise and characters created by the authors. There is a review of ST IV and a brief 'Write your own episode'. While the zine is not to my personal taste, it is nevertheless well done.

Issue 4

back cover of issue #4, Juanne Michaud

front cover of issue #4, Dotty Schenk

Highly Illogical 4 was published in April 1987 and contains 38 pages. This zine becomes full-sized with this issue.

• Reality, poem by T'Psya/Billie Mundorff (inside front cover)
• Rabbit's Foot, story by Shirzi-Li (2)
• A Job Well Done, short- short by Cyn Kelley (12)
• In Passing, short-short, uncredited (13)
• Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor, uncredited (14)
• Book Review, "Chain of Attack" (15)
• Beam Down Coordinates: Anchorage Alaska, an account of "Fur Rendezvous," a festival in Alaska, James Doohan was a guest (16) ("Jimmy Doohan was, by all accounts, was somewhat angry throughout his entire visit to Anchorage. Apparently, the people bring him up -- presumably the Fur Rendezvous Committee -- didn't tell him that he would be expected to drive a dogsled down Main Street, or that he would be used to draw customers to the bazaar.")
• Club News (22)
• I Don't Understand, poem by Vonne Shepard (28)
• Adrift Near Cygnus, poem by Lynn McCrary (29)
• Uplift, poem by Dayl Waldron/T'Shen (30)
• Last of the Gods, poem by Catherine Clark (31)
• Together, poem by Catherine Clark (34)
• Beautiful Lady, poem by Vonne Shepard (35)
• word find (36)

• 

  from issue #4, Juanne Michaud, "Our Founder: Gene Roddenberry"

• 

  inside back cover of issue #4, Juanne Michaud

Issue 5

back cover of issue #5, Dotty Schenk

front cover of issue #5, Dotty Schenk

Highly Illogical 5 (v.2 n.1) was published in August 1987 and contains 36 pages.

• a full-page reprint of a Funky Winkerbean comic (2)
• Life on a Starship, story by Nancy Hardenberg (3)
• Perspective, fiction by Allison Drury (11)
• Reflections, a self-insertion fiction featuring Cmdr. Shirzi-Li (13)
• Meet the Crew (16)
• Club News (18)
• Tribute, poem by Allison Drury (25)
• Motion, poem by Andrew Phillips (27)
• Like Father, Like Son, poem by Vonne Shepard (28)
• Beyond Our Sphere, poem dedicated to Christa McAulifffe by Allison Drury (29)
• Truly Hom, poem by Allison Drury (34)
• Keeping the Balance, poem by Dayl Waldron ( 35)
• word search and quiz (35)

• 

  back cover of issue #5, Dotty Schenk

• 

  front cover of issue #5, Juanne Michaud

Issue 6

back cover of issue #6, uncredited

front cover of issue #6, Dotty Schenk

Highly Illogical 6 (v.2 n.2) was published in October 1987 and contains 48 pages. Dotty Schenk is the cover editor, Joan Verba did the calligraphy.

• Big White Warping Hood, story by T'Shi/Liz Cunningham (2)
• An Offer of Friendship, fiction by T'Shen/Dayl Waldron (4)
• On the Good Ship Enterprise, fiction by Dona Namet (6)
• ST Cruise East Reports/Trekruise East '87 (9)
• Fleetmeet '87 Reports (21)
• Golden Days Parade Report (37)
• Visit to Paramount (39)
• Meet the Crew (40)
• Pen Pal Listings (42)
• club news (44)
• many poems and filks (48)

Issue 7

art from issue #7, Scott Shaddon

front cover of issue #7, Cynthia Case

Highly Illogical 7 was published in January 1988 and contains 27 pages. It has one piece of art by Scott Chaddon and calligraphy by Joan Verba. It also has an uncredited bit of art by Elizabeth Marshall.

• Edtiorial (1)
• Enterprise Bulletin Board (2)
• The Unbalance of Terror, fiction by Justin Oldham (3)
• Different Worlds, short-short by D. Damet (14)
• Star Trek: TNG episode reviews, "Encounter at Farpoint," "The Naked Now," "Code of Honor" (15)
• Trivia Time (19)
• Memo (21)
• Meet the Crew (22)
• Ode to McCoy, poem by T'Shi (Elizabeth Cunningham and Sancia Bonvardie) (24)
• Christine's Wish, poem by T'Shi (Elizabeth Cunningham and Sancia Bonvardie) (25)
• Journey to Babel, poem by Anna Collins Smith 26)
• club news, including the report that the club has "adopted" a whale named Flo (27)

Issue 8

back cover of issue #8, Cynthia Case

front cover of issue #8, Lana Brown

Highly Illogical 8 was published in April 1988 and contains 46 pages. It has art by Cynthia Case, Lana Brown, and calligraphy by Joan Verba.

• Editorial (1)
• Make Me Proud of You, fiction by Sue Crites (reprinted from Sublight Reading #1) (3)
• All Our Yesterdays, fiction by Mary Sue Donym/Caro Hedge (reprinted from Sublight Reading #1) (6)
• How Farr?, by Mary Sue Donym (reprinted from Sublight Reading #1) (6)
• Breaking Away is Hard to Do, fiction by Mary Sue Donym (11) (reprinted from Sublight Reading #2)
• All in the Family by Jane Elza (22)
• The Last Outpost, review (23)
• Where No One Has Gone Before, review (24)
• Lonely Among Us, review (25)
• Justice, review (27)
• The Battle, review (28)
• Hide and Q, review (29)
• Trivia Time (30)
• Club News (32)
• Meet the Crew (40)
• Inevitable, poem by Jane Elza (42)
• Home/Land, poem by Catherine Clark (43)
• A Speculation, poem by Anne Collins Smith (44)
• Data, poem by Vonne Shepard (45)
• The Next Generation, poem by Vonne Shepard (46)

• 

  from issue #8, Lana Brown

• 

  inside back cover from issue #8, uncredited

Issue 9/10

Highly Illogical 9/10 was published in July/October 1988 and contains 72 pages. It has art by Shona Jackson, Christine Myers, Juanne Myers, Lillian McManus, Caro Hedges, calligraphy by Joan Verba, Lana Brown and Julie Cesari.

back cover of issue #9/10, Christine Myers

front front cover of issue #9/10, Juanne Michaud

• Editorial (1)
• Letters to the Editor (2)
• Homecoming, fiction by Andrew Phillips (3)
• The Wizard of Ooze, fiction by Mary Sue Donym/Caro Hedge 9)
• Questions, short fiction by T'Shi/Elizabeth Cunningham (23)
• Five Year Reflections by Trina Anderson and Nan Dooley and Robyn Russell and Anne Collins Smith (25)
• Confessions of a Closet Trekkie by Louise Kordus (35)
• Con Report for Starbase Indy '88 (40)
• Con Report for Creation Con Salutes Star Trek (42)
• Golden Days Parade Report (50)
• Fleetmeet '88 (52)
• Club News (55)
• Landing Party, poem by T'Klai/Shona Jackson (60)
• Song to a Distant Visitor, poem by T'Klai/Shona Jackson (61)
• Sarek: On Logic and Sehlat Cubs, poem by T'Klai/Shona Jackson (62)
• Enterprise Blues—The Next Generation, filk by David J. Smith (63)
• Uhura's Insight, poem by Allison Drury (67)
• To Be Human, poem by Vonne Shepard (71)
• Hope, poem by T'Reen (71)

• 

  from issue #9/10, Lana Brown

• 

  from issue #9/10, Juli Cesari

Issue 11

Highly Illogical 11 was published in January 1989 and contains 32 pages. It has art by Lana Brown, Juanne Michaud, Christine Myers, Juli Cesari, and uncredited art by Elizabeth Marshall.

back cover of issue #11, Christine Myers

front cover of issue #11, Juanne Michaud

• Editorial (1)
• Rec Room Graffiti (2)
• The Rock and Roll Machine (3)
• ST:TNG's First Season Balloting (7)
• ST:TNG's Second Season Reviews (16)
• Meet the Crew (26)
• State of the Ship Address (26)
• Club News (27)
• Echoes, poem by T'Reen (32)
• Lies, poem by T'Reen (33)
• A Limerick for Dr. Pulaski, poem by Anne Collins Smith (34)
• Fascinating, Illogical... But Fascinating by C.M. Parkhill (35)
• In Space, It's Never Miller Time or Steve "Hired Gun" Dallas on the Final Frontier, poem by C.M. Parkhill (36)

• 

  inside back cover from issue #11, Julie Cesari

• 

  inside front cover from issue #11, Lana Brown

Issue 12

back cover of issue #12, Christine Myers

front cover of issue #12, Lana Brown

Highly Illogical 12 was published in August 1989 and contains 23 pages. It is the last issue.

From the editor: "Yes, I have decided that this will be the last issue I will produce. Even with the extended deadline, it's still difficult to find submissions. Furthermore, I'm getting tired of putting a zine together on a regular basis. I would like to spend more time contributing rather than editing."

• Editorial (1)
• How Big of a ST Fan Are You? , a fill-in the blank test by Robyn Russell (2)
• I Saw Mommy Kissing a Strange-Looking Elf and Other Christmas Tales, fiction by Bill Mullis and David Allen (4)
• Alien Numbers, an article by Peter Graham (17)
• Vulcan Squares, article on Vulcan math by Peter Graham (20)
• Betrayal, poem by Allison Drury (21)
• Silver, Blue and Gold, poem by Allison Drury (22)
• Star Trekkin': The Sequel, a filk (23)