Interface

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You may be looking for Interphase, a Star Trek: TOS zine.

Zine
Title: Interface
Publisher: Vilaworld, a fan club in the UK
Editor(s): Yvette Clarke, Brenda Callagher
Date(s): 1982-1987
Series?:
Medium: print, zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Blake’s 7
Language: English
External Links:
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Interface is a gen Blake's 7 anthology, the fiction club zine of Vilaworld. There are twelve issues.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1

Interface 1 was published in June 1982 and contains 94 pages.

  • Yvette Clark, "The Limbo Connection"
  • Brenda Callagher, "The Eye of the Needle"

Issue 2

cover of issue #2

Interface 2 contains 83 pages and has a cover by Deb Walsh.


Issue 3

cover of issue #3

Interface 3 was published in April 1983 and contains 83 pages. It has a front cover by Barbara Callagher.

  • Barbara Wakely, "A Surprise in Store" (Are You Being Served crossover)
  • Kathy Hintze, "Double Take"
  • Anna Grant, "The Longest Ten Minutes"
  • Brenda Callagher, "Once Upon a Dream" (Wizard of Oz crossover)
  • Val Douglas, "Mutiny"
  • Barbara Wakely, "Animals"
  • Brenda Callagher, "End of an Era"
  • Barbara Wakely, "The Way Back"
  • Barbara Wakely, "The Keeper"
  • Sheila Paulson, "A Matter of Blame"
  • Heynonimous, "Song from the Bird of Avon (Act 1, Scene 2)" (filk)
  • Sue Harrison, "Triangle" (poem)


Issue 4

Interface 4 contains 122 pages and was published in August 1983.

cover of issue #4
  • Inheritance by Yvette Clark
  • Deathbed, poem by Sarah Berry
  • art by Yvette Clark


Issue 5

cover of issue #5
inside page from issue #5

Interface 5 contains 84 pages and was published in January 1984.

  • Barbara Wakely, "New Crewmember on the Liberator" (1)
  • Kathy Hintze, "Turnabout's Fair Play" (14)
  • Maggie Symon, "Deception" (48)
  • Barbara Wakely, "Scorpio's Strange Visitors" (Munsters crossover) (53)
  • Alex Delicado, "Games" (59)
  • Kathy Hintze, "With Only a Number to Call His Own" (60)
  • Barbara Wakely, "Caught!" (not listed in the table of contents)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

Yvette Clarke wrote a lengthy saga about Avon and Vila lost on a deserted, haunted world, published in Interface 5, that came as close as Machiavelli Factor did to slash, but, like MF, never quite touched it. I enjoyed it - I also enjoyed the first slash story she wrote, the first slash story I ever read to give me the authentic soft thump in the guts. But yes, she does write aridly. It is not without emotion, but it isn't sticky emotion. [1]

Issue 6

cover of issue #6, Vikki Weidner

Interface 6 was published in 1984, contains 81 pages and has a front cover by Vikki Weidner.

  • Ros Williams, "My Diary"
  • Val Douglas, "A Universal Migraine"
  • Jackie Marshal et al., "Wish You Were Here" (Hi-De-Hi crossover)
  • Kathy Hanson, "In the First Place" (reprinted from Down and Unsafe #1)
  • Vikki Weidner, "The Bedtime Story"
  • Sheila Paulson, "The Wings That Fly Us Home" (reprinted in Something... Unfriendly #1)
  • Ann Wheeler, "Avon-- Thoughts After Orbit" (poem)
  • Gervaise Ellis, "Belief" (poem)
  • Gervaise Ellis, "Follower" (poem)


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

Vilaworld zine, £1,50 inc. p S p - 81 pages A4 duplicated. Nicely presented with A photocopied photos and drawing of Vila as jester on cover. Cheap but adequate covers and binding. Great stories, as usual, especially the 2 long ones, first being a 3rd series story in which Blake is conditioned by Servalan and then is out to kill Avon, and the second an hilarious and very long skit on Hi-de-Hi, with a few other series popping in briefly. (Ed - this story was brilliant -one part had me choking on my cornflakes.) I shouldn't review this zine as one of my short stories is in it, but it is well worth buying anyway. [2]

Issue 7

cover of issue #7

Interface 7 was published in September 1984 and contains 70 pages. It has a front cover by Rosemary Woodhouse.

  • Virginia Turpin, "A Matter of Inheritance"
  • Virginia Turpin, "Angel in His Pocket"
  • Ros Williams, "The Three Blaster Operators
  • Sheila Loraine, "A Few Fond Memories" (Knight Rider crossover)
  • Glen Hattersley, "A Splice of Life" (Doctor Who crossover)
  • Sarah Berry, "A New Beginning"
  • Ann Wigmore, "Reivers"
  • Sarah Berry, "Frostbite"
  • Sheila Loraine, "Reminiscences"
  • Diane Buckley, "What If... Forbidden Seed"
  • Mary G. T. Webber, "Gauda Prime-- Evening" (poem reprinted in Panning for Pyrites)
  • Phyllis Milby, "Transformation" (poem)
  • Phyllis Milby, "Respite" (poem)

Issue 8

cover of issue #8

Interface 8 was published in September 1984 and contains 69 pages. It has a cover by EDR.

  • Sue Bursztynski, "Gemini" (reprinted from Chronicles 9/10) (15 pages)
  • Mary Ann James, "To Each His Own" (6 pages)
  • Susan Clarke, "Setting Out" (1 page)
  • Sue Bursztynski, "Saturday Night (reprinted in The Other Side #3) (2 pages)
  • L.H. Evans, "Blake's Law, Part 1" (16 pages)
  • Sue Bursztynski, "Children of Gemini" (reprinted from Chronicles 12/13) (10 pages)
  • Ros Williams, "Tarts" (7 pages)
  • Sue Bursztynski, "Reunions" ( reprinted from Chronicles #17/18) (11 pages)
  • Susan Clarke, "Decision" (2 pages)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8

[unknown story]: Interface zine, may have been No. 8: a very good story about, I think, three of B7's offspring (Avon's certainly but the others I now can't quite specify, probably involving Anna, Servalan, Vila, maybe Blake). Their adventures I can't really recall except as an overall pleasure to read, but a picture how imagined the flight deck of their ship always comes compelling to my mind when I think of this story. [3]

Issue 9

cover of issue #9

Interface 9 was publsihed in March 1985 and contains 66 pages. It has a cover by EDR.

  • Ros Williams, "A Shocking Tale"
  • Darrell Grisham, "Repossession"
  • Sheila Paulson, "Renascence"
  • Sarah Berry, "Stronghold"
  • Ros Williams, "The Three Blaster Operators Return"
  • Susan King, "Commander Vila"
  • Darrell Grisham, "The Favours"
  • Denise Walton, "To Love a Thief" (poem)

Issue 10

cover of issue #10, EDR

Interface 10 was published in March 1986 and contains 102 pages. It has art by EDR (cover, reprinted from Anglo File) and Vikki Weidner (reprinted from Anglo File), and Gin Turpin.

  • Bonnie Vitti, "Transition"
  • L. H. Evans, "Blake's Law, Part 2" (reprinted from Anglo File)
  • EDR, "Dreamscape" also printed as an undated standalone novel
  • Virginia Turpin, "While I Was Bathing"
  • Janet Walker, "Justice Is Served"
  • Janet Walker, "Restitution"
  • Janet Walker, "The Gift of Wings"
  • Virginia Turpin, "Identity"
  • Aileve, untitled poem reprinted from Anglo File.
  • Vikki Weidner, "Conflicting Desires" poem reprinted from Anglo File
  • Blaker, "Ode to a Hero" (poem)
  • Virginia Turpin, "Sense of Proportion" (poem)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 10

[Dreamscape]: Esther Reese's "Dreamscape" ("Interface" #10), is a the-4th-series-was--an-attempt-to-break-*Vila* story, and has a lot of overwrought emotion (I've warned you that I tend to enjoy that, right?) as Avon et all try to help a catatonic Vila back to sanity. (Makes a nice change from all the Avon-as-mental-health-poster-boy pieces.) [4]

Issue 11

cover of issue #11

Interface 11 was published in September 1987 and contains 101 pages. Fiction by Sue Bursztynski, Leigh Arnold, Annie Wortham, Leah Rosenthal, L.S. Willard, Maggie Symon, Joan Hoffman, Carol Wyke, Sue Clarke, Faye Bull, Rose Prior, and Diana Taylor

  • Full Circle by Sue Bursztynski (14 pages)
  • Vila's School of Hard Knocks by Leigh Arnold (6 pages)
  • You Look Marvelous by Annie Wortham and Leah Rosenthal (reprinted in The Chronicles #45) (9 pages)
  • You Know You are Safe by L.S. Willard (4 pages)
  • Intrepid Start by Maggie Symon (37 pages)
  • Parting (1 page)
  • Homecoming (4 pages)
  • Brittle Dreams (3 pages)
  • Faces of the Past (2 pages)
  • When in Rome (11 pages)
  • Dreamer (2 pages)
  • You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby by Linda Terrell (reprinted in Blake, Rabble and Roll #1) (6 pages)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 11

I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the other Interface zines, but at only £3.00 for over one hundred closely typed pages it still gives good value. There are zines costing five times that much which are in no way superior.

There are twelve stories in all. The longest is post-GP; "Intrepid Start" by Maggie Symon starts from the premise that Avon and Vila are the only PGP survivors. The plot idea is fine but a bit under-developed in places, and the other characters bland, existing only as plot devices. The focus is Avon and Vila's equivocal relationship, but too often this is stated as a fact rather than demonstrated by what they say and do. The motivation, particularly on Avon's side, is sketched in a perfunctory fashion. It's just not enough to say there's been a change of heart, we want to see why. Important matters are not given the exploration they merit; for example, Vila is worried by Malodaar, has a two minute chat with a doctor, and suddenly everything's ok. It's a great shame, because there's some excellent ideas in there and the plot line is well-thought out. Unlike some PGP stories it also has a convincing time scale.

There are several light-hearted stories in this edition. I enjoyed Leigh Arnold's "Vila's School of Hard Knocks", an adept and amusing twist on the Avon-Vila running feud, and "You look Marvellous" by Annie Wortham and Leah Rosenthal. There's also another creditable Orbit story "You Know You are Safe" by Linda Willard, though you need to believe Avon is a rotten shot to make the ending believable.

The second longest story "Full Circle" by Sue Bursztynski, is part 3 of a continuing saga featuring clones of Avon, Cally and Blake, with a bit part for Vila. I haven't read the first two parts or I might have liked this one more. It's difficult to get involved with new characters towards the end of their development, and as I'm not personally keen on stories featuring non-original series characters I didn't really enjoy this. However the writing is competent and if you've read the earlier parts you should enjoy this one.

The remaining stories are comparatively brief, and are a mixture of action, comedy and sentiment, but with no full-blown hurt/comfort. Authors are Joan Hoffman, Carol Wyke, Sue Clarke (Gan story), Faye Bull, Rose Prior, and Diana Taylor. [5]

Issue 12

cover of issue #12, Kathryn Andersen

Interface 12 was published in April 1987 and contains 100 pages and a cover by Kathryn Andersen. There is no interior illustrations.

  • Dragonrider by Narrelle Harris (1)
  • Blood Brothers by Helen Parkinson (24)
  • The BBC (Beeb Budget Cuts) or (Why Blake really happened) by Jan H (Doctor Who crossover) (27)
  • Vila's Story by Natalie Jane Prior (34)
  • Traitor by Barbara Wakely (52)
  • Intergalactic Velvet by Leah Rosenthal and Ann Wortham (reprinted from Southern Seven #1; also in The Bizarro Zine #2)) (53)
  • Outside by Helen Parkinson (65)
  • Perils of Cheat and Charmer by Ros Williams (67)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 12

The cover has a fetching drawing of Vila by Kathryn Andersen, and the stories cover a range of writing styles. "Dragonrider" by Narrelle Harris has Vila in a mythical world fighting against and alongside dragons, dwarves and the like. "The BBC (Beeb Budget Cuts) or (Why Blake really happened)" by [Jan H] is quite an amusing piece of writing that also involves Dr Who.

"Vila's Story" by Natalie Jane Pryor is an eighteen page story about Vila's life in the months leading up to the London. This is a well thought out and convincing account that fits with the Vila we see in the series; it's not too sentimental but certainly not devoid of feeling.

"Intergalactic Velvet" by Leah Rosenthal and Ann Wortham first appeared in Southern Seven. The title makes any explanation of the content superfluous; if you like comic stories, this is a very good one. "Outside" by Helen Parkinson is one of those deceptively simple narratives that uses a brief moment to bring out different aspects of character. It reveals Vila's reactions on being briefly left alone on Saurian Major, his feelings of agoraphobia, uncertainty and need for reassurance, and his experiences of life as a Delta. Short but excellent. I have a weakness for this type of story; more, please.

The last story is "Perils of Cheat and Charmer" by Ros Williams, which has Vila as a prisoner of Servalan. I didn't find this one very convincing. I can't see the crew, especially Cally, abandoning him to his fate for over two months, nor Servalan behaving as unwisely as she does here. [6]

References

  1. ^ from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #8 (995)
  2. ^ from a fan in Horizon Newsletter #13 (January 1985)
  3. ^ comments by Ros Williams in Horizon Letterzine #3 (August 1992), naming some of the best Blake's 7 fic they're read
  4. ^ Lysator, Mary Alice W, dated September 9, 1994.
  5. ^ a review by CB at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site
  6. ^ a review by CB at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site