K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits)/Issues 21-32
| K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) Issues | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues 001-002 | Issues 003-004 | Issues 005-006 | Issues 007-008 | Issues 009-010 | |
| Issues 011-012 | Issues 013-014 | Issues 015-016 | Issues 017-018 | Issues 019-020 | Issues 021-054 |
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Central Mailers: BH (#1-#12), NS (#13-), DM (1988), LB (1993), BA (1997-1998) |
| Type: | APA, letterzine |
| Date(s): | 1982 until at least 1998 (as print), however, it also moved online in 1996 to become K/S Circle |
| Frequency: | supposedly every two months but was more erratic than that |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) is a Kirk/Spock Star Trek: TOS bi-monthly apazine.
They were published between 1982 and 1998.
Issue 41 was published around July 1992. Issues 61-65 were published in 1993.
Issue 21 (August 1986)
K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) 21
- tribs by Edi, Susan Beth, Linda Frankel, Morjana Lee, Cicatrice, Ruth, and others
Issue 22 (October 1986)
- tribs by Judy O, Morjana Lee, Linda Frankel, Edi, and others
Issue 23 (December 1986)
- trib by T'Purr, Judith, Pat Diggs, Ruth, Edi, Sandra Spriner, and others
Issue 24 (February 1987)
- "Vagraries," Vel Jaeger's second trib (dated December 17, 1986)
- other unknown tribs
[Vel Jaeger]:...back on track is TREKisM AT LENGTH 8 — I wasn't able to even lay a hand on it for the entire 2 months I worked in St. Pete, which frustrated me to no end. BETWEEN THE SHEETS has enough stories to go to print now, with only a little bit of editing to do. The latter is our "adult" zine, which satisfies Kim Knapp's need for a juicy hetero publication — it's been slow going accumulating stories with a plot (one author tried four times before hitting a winner), but worth the wait. I lost my typist when she went back to work (and this was a local one, too), so I may end up typing the mss myself. In January we'll be checking up on stories for TREK ENCORE 4, Ginna LaCroix's retrospective series, to see if any more have gone out of print. WHISTLING IN THE DARK, Beth Carlson's sequel to REUNION, is on indefinite hold until the author regains her health. As of this writing, Beth is scheduled for a third operation on her back, and we hope this one will put her back on her feet. We all miss her talents in fanfiction, and most of all her cheerful presence. Being sick is bad enough, and during the holidays is the worst of all.
Coming up next from ICoEP (Emergency Press) is a retrospective of stories by Lynda Carraher, tentatively titled, A HELL OF A GOOD UNIVERSE NEXT DOOR (that out over her other suggestion, "Chaos Campground and Chickenshit Marching Society Handbook." Some of her stories are hopelessly buried in issues of SAURIAN BRANDY DIGEST, not to mention the fiasco with MIRRORED FACES and sequel. She's been honoring orders placed with Sylvia Stancyzk out of her own pocket, a most honorable writer who deserves a lot more exposure (in writing, fools!). The copies of the mss I didn't have in my collection are on their way from Kim, and I can't wait to pig out on fresh material.
Think that brings the Zine Scene up to date — TaL 7 went in the mails in October (I think it was October) but didn't make the listings, in case anyone was wondering. Everyone keeps asking when we're going to do a K/S retro: give us time, we're working on it. Right now the hang-up is enough typists to get the copy ready — besides, [Gayle F] just did my favorite series, COSMIC COLLECTED (and yes, I have my copy already, even though I've had all the stories for ages, lovingly dogeared from constant rereading and loaning. I'll be attaching my photocopies of the Connie Faddis illos to Between Friends, just to keep them all together). Anyone have any suggestions as to authors they'd like to see "retro'd?" We know who we'd like to "do," but haven't worked up the nerve yet. The problem with many of the early "classic" writers is that they've either gafiated, or don't want any kind of K/S publicity. It's a shame, as it makes it so hard for newcomers to find the gems. Speaking of newcomers, did ALIEN BROTHERS ever go to press? The editor wailed so long and hard about being sabotaged that I wonder if she wasn’t using that subterfuge as an excuse for not producing. Never heard another sound from her after my "California Artist" letter in INTERSTAT.
[Vel Jaeger]: Re respecting pseudonyms: agree, under no circumstance should anyone violate the confidence of a pseudonym. Ail that accomplishes is usually to deprive fandom of a talented writer — and it seems that the most talented always seem to be the ones who are hurt. I've written far more than anyone would expect, as I keep changing pseudonyms, a different name for each genre: some are probably obvious, such as my art pen name — my style is pretty hard to disguise, but I have fun trying (and no, I'm not going to mention it). Those I don't keep secret are Vera Cacciatore for filthy limericks,though it's been years since I've indulged in them, and Ellen Hulley for poetry/vignettes that I publish in one of my own zines. It's not that I'm ashamed of what I've written, but rather that I think it looks tacky to have an editor's name dominate the contents page — and mostly stuff written to fit an orphan illo, or sometimes I need something at the last minute to fit X number of inches of dead space. It's been one of my biggest thrills in writing that one of those "poems by the inch" inspired a whole new fan universe (TALES FROM THE VULCAN HEARTH), and at least one other story I know of (so far).
[Vel Jaeger]: Re STAR TREK fan categories: I'm an (A) type — other fandoms don't interest me in the to another slash fandom. If they don't interest me in the slightest; I've tried reading a few S&H, MUNCLE, SWARS, and there just aren't any chimes rung. And should I ever tire of K/S (which shows no sign of happening after about 9 years), I doubt I would switch interest to another slash fandom. If they don't interest me in general, why would the "/" aspect? Same holds true with gay fiction — I've read some of the good ones, and with the exception of Renault's Alexander, they just don't do a thing for me. Film, on the other hand, I find very stimulating. Some of the most fun I ever had was watching 2 gay porn films in San Diego (as I recall, the titles were "Boys from Venice", and "Weekend Pass) — and a lot of the fun was watching the audience. That's the only time I've been in a theater where there was no line to the ladies room at intermission. The men's room line, however, circled the lobby several times. Anyway, back to the subject — as a matter of preference I prefer the suggestive to the explicit (anyone can write crudely, it takes far more skill to be subtle -- prime example being Diana King's CAPTIVES, still one of my all-time favorite K/S novels). Thus the seduction scenes in the film, "Making Love" (between Harry Hamlin & Michael Ontkean) are incredibly effective. In all, I agree that I consider K/S to be about two people in love, who just happen to be male.
[Vel Jaeger]: First Time stories — no problem at all in picking my favorite: "Shelter", with close seconds being "Desert Heat", "Nightvisions", and "Captives." Over the years, all the other first timers have faded in memory, but these still stand out bright and clear.
[Vel Jaeger]:Funny you should have a dream about "Thrust for the Blind," as such a thing actually exists. Way back when I had to return my borrowed copy of THRUST, and didn't have any access to a copy machine that wasn't exorbitantly expensive (not to mention publicly exposed), and recorded the whole damn zine on audio tapes. Later on I finally did get a hard copy (sorry, couldn't resist), but still have the tapes. If anyone knows of a visually impaired K/S fan who'd like them, they're free for the asking. I certainly no longer need 'em, but couldn't bring myself to erase all that work (I think the tapes are about 5 hours long, as I recall).
I wonder if the Vulcan doll you saw in San Francisco was one of Lynda Johnson's — she does beautiful work (I have a little Jimmie Kirk in bib overalls and correct anatomy). Last I heard she was working on a little Lenny McCoy.
[Vel Jaeger]: I'll make a point of following the progress of THE FULLNESS OF TIME; the concept is one that bolsters the argument that we can never run out of material for fan fiction. The richness of all the Trek universes hasn't begun to be exhausted.
[Vel Jaeger]:I agree with you entirely on the high calibre of Vonda McIntyre's writing. I’ve been reading her stuff since the short story version of DREAMSNAKE (Of Mist...etc). Though I haven't had a chance yet to read her novelization of ST IV, I'm certain I'd enjoy it just as much as I have the previous two. I have no trouble at all with her characterization of the Big 3, which seems to be a major point of argument among fans. I particularly enjoy the way she "fleshes out" the novels with side-plots and new characters. All through her work is ample evidence of her genuine affection for ail the characters, which certainly can't be said for all the pro writers (Sky, Marshak & Culbreath, & Cooper come to mind as being particularly unsympathetic).
[Vel Jaeger]:Having been interested in science fiction long before Trek aired, I sort of have a foot in both camps (I started reading Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was eleven, enjoying his Martian novels every bit as much as the Tarzan fantasies; in jr. high I discovered HG Wells, and was ready and waiting for OUTER LIMITS, TWILIGHT ZONE, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, and of course all the B-Bem movies.
I had been reading Clarke, Heinlein, Anderson, and a lot of short story anthologies when Trek aired in 66, and it was an instant love affair. So, my love of SF hooked me on Trek, but now Trek lit is far more fulfilling than SF ever was, and I haven’t even read any mainstream SF in years. I've attended both SF & Trek and all mixtures in between sort of cons, and discovered I had far more fun at all-Trek cons.
Even at the WorldCon in LA, I found myself spending all my time in the dealers room talking to friends; that's the only mainstream SF con that had a decent amount of fanfiction for sale. One thing you haven't mentioned in comparing SF with media fans is that SF pubbers think it's incredibly tacky to charge money for a zine; they give theirs away, or charge only token amounts. Of course that's when a lot of people cranked their own mimeos, but who wants a zine that will dissolve in your closet in ten years.
[Vel Jaeger]: I agree with your vision of K/S being an alternate universe, and that no matter what happens in films, TV, or whatever version of Trek anyone produces, I still have my own imagination and put them where think they belong.
[Vel Jaeger]: I was excited to see that you've discovered a "music video" artist in Mary Van Deusen — I'm dying to get a copy of the tape with "The Gambler" & "Starry, Starry Night" — now if I can just wring a bit more out of the checkbook after the holidays ... My own favorite was put together by Fran Panabaker, and I have a new version, professionally edited (her husband was a film editor at a TV station here, and she learned how to use that equipment) — it's set to the Leslie Fish's "Eternal Loser", and shows Kirk and the four loves mentioned on the song (Edith, Miramanee, Ruth, and Rayne Kopec). A guaranteed hankee wringer.
[Vel Jaeger]: Re the new TREK tv series ("The Next Generation") and the Trek movies. By setting the tv series beyond the time frame of the movies, I agree that we can have the best of both worlds. It would be a serious mistake to try to duplicate the original series, but to expand upon that universe would be very exciting to me. I've always enjoyed Roddenberry's imagination (QUESTOR TAPES, GENESIS II), and with D.C. Fontana along for the ride as story editor, the final product promises lots of good writing. We'll still have our movies, as long as they make money (and there's no arguing the box office on ST IV), already looking ahead to #V and Shatner's directing. We have a beautiful trilogy in WRATH, SEARCH, and VOYAGE, and I have great hopes for the next adventure.
[Vel Jaeger]:Thanks for sharing the article by Camille Bacon-Smith, "Spock Among the Women"; thoroughly enjoyed it. Being pro writers, it's understandable that Jean Lorrah & Jacqueline Lichtenberg comprise the majority of discussion — but I would like to have seen some of the other long-time fan favorites as well (Connie Faddis, for example). Personally, I find most of KRAITH excruciatingly boring; any story that requires research to understand and a glossary at hand loses me instantly. Not to say they aren't well written, they simply don't hold my interest.
I do wish we had fresh Sarek/Amanda stories from Jean, though, as those are still favorites (am eagerly anticipating the sequel to VULCAN ACADEMY MURDERS next year).
[Vel Jaeger]: I've heard from several sources now that D.C. Fontana will be story editor for the new Trek TV series I was surprised to learn she was a guest at the Anaheim 20th Con. It was my understanding that she had purposefully distanced herself from any Trek connection, for professional reasons. I still remember her contributions to the short-lived SF series, "Fantastic Journey"; her writing contributions to Trek "canon" are timeless, and I'm looking forward to her participation.
[Vel Jaeger]:I recently received a Press Kit for ST IV, and cannot resist passing along a quote which absolutely made my day ... month ... year!
Nothing like a little recognition to fuel the inspiration, eh? Sounds like PPC is actually bragging about all this fan activity — or if nothing else, they're not about to discourage it. The above quote is from the HANDBOOK OF PRODUCTION INFORMATION...
- But it wasn't enough to just watch the show. The fans insisted on participating, whether by attending a convention dressed as a favorite character or by publishing a limited-run newsletter or "fanzine" exploring the many facets of the universe created by Gene Roddenberry. More than 600 of these fanzines have been published over the years, and continue to flourish today. Many of these publications are devoted to a particular facet of "Star Trek," and all one has to do to find one's own special interest group is contact the "Star Trek We I committee," an information clearing-house organized by fans to assist other fans. Currently, there is even a "Star Trek" group consisting of members of MENSA, the organization of geniuses.
Issue 25 (April 1987)
- tribs by Liz Ellington, Edi Bjorklund, Dorothy Loaong, Linda Simpson, Ruth Quitko Lyn, Laurie, Linda Frankel, Dawn Montell, Sandra, Judith Gran
Issue 26 (June 1987)
- "Vagraries," Vel Jaeger's trib (dated May 27, 1987)
[Vel Jaeger]:The trip was all I hoped for, and more. It's a good thing I'd seen or spoken to all the actors before; newcomers were practically catatonic with delight. (My oldest teenager refers to them as "freshmen fans." I like that a lot better than "neos.") The highlight was being introduced to DeForest Kelley by his wife!
[...]
[ David Gerrold ] was a last-minute replacement for Gene Roddenberry on the cruise, but didn't have much to say except for talking about the new characters. The rest of the time he was by himself except for his roommate; no one ever seemed to be approaching him.
The sad part is that people kept trying to bait everyone with questions on Shatner, hoping for some mudslinging. Mark Lenard was beautiful, saying all sorts of complimentary things. Even Jimmy Doohan cleaned up his act, and only let a few innuendos slip by. Personally, I'm delighted that we have two forms of new Trek in the making, with TNG on TV and still ST V with our old friends (especially Harve Bennett as producer; I may not always agree with some of his choices, but he always gives us one hell of a story).
The only disappointment on the cruise was the dealers room — only 4 dealers, packed wall to wall with shoppers (Lincoln Enterprises, Intergalactic Trading Co., ST Movie Fan Club, and Bloom County T-shirts). All I bought were T-shirts and some pro-zines (American Cinematographer and Cinefantastique have some beautiful photos and articles on ST IV). Most of the zines for sale were K/S (referred to as the "kinky" ones), just plopped out in a box for anyone, including kids, to go through. Does anyone else object to this as much as I do? There is enough controversy over the genre without inviting more. If an age statement is required to sell a zine, there should be an equal amount of discretion in table sales.
Issue 27 (August 1987)
1987
Issue 28 (October 1987)
K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) 28
- tribs by Dorothy, Linda 1, JoAnne, Laurie, Vel Jaeger, Edi, Dawn, Morjana, Linda 2, Ruth, Judith
[Vel Jaeger]: You raise an interesting question on whether fan friendships would still remain if someone gafiated — from personal experience, it depends upon the friend. With some. Trek is the only connection we have in common, and only get together for conventions, etc. With others. Trek is only a part of a friendship based on many mutual interests. I have several local friends who are diehard into Trek, but also strong art backgrounds — we probably spend more time gallery crawling than we do talking Trek. Therefore, should one of us gafiate, there'd still be much common ground. A stronger factionalizing occurs between those who like k/s and those who don't. It can put quite a strain on a conversation to remember not to mention the subject. For myself, the responsibilities of family and job are so that I have very little outside contacts that aren't Trek connected. Trek fans don't expect you to do lunch weekly, nor be in constant contact to maintain the friendship. Some I don't hear from for months, but we can still pick right up where we left off.
[Vel Jaeger]: Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't find much entertainment at mainstream SF cons, even though I started off as a fan of written SF. Even at WorldCon in LA in 1984 I spent all my time with Trek friends, and the few SF things I attended weren't interesting (especially not David Gerrold, who spent most of his time reading to the audience out of his next book -- borrrring). SF people also seem to be more interested in games than in real people; it's very hard to talk with them.
[Vel Jaeger]:Agree with you that the Tellus Romulan story in K/S/X was one of the best — and still can't believe how well Gayle made the Spock/McCoy story work. But then, her "Between Friends" was one of the only believable trois stories, imhop.
I'll wait to borrow a copy of ALIEN BROTHERS, if it indeed ever sees print. Besides, I doubt the editor would sell me a copy, since she's convinced that I've "sabotaged" her from the beginning. I've also given up on the Conway series in NOME — I just read the rest of the goodies and ignore the serials. I've they're ever finished. I'll read 'em all at once.
Pro dealers: presume you're referring to the scalper prices they charge at cons, even for those still in print. Sandy Zier (MIND MELD) has the right idea: print the price smack in the middle of the title page, so the buyer will at least know how much he's being ripped off. We've started doing that with all of our zines; even if the price goes up in reprints, it's simple enough to replace one sheet of paper.
To answer your question: I'm not printing any K/S zines, at least not yet. I've discussed possibilities with some friends, and we might someday. Then there's the problem of printing "that homo stuff", as it's still referred to in our dear Old South; a complication I can't really deal with right now.
HOUNDS is still in a basket on my shelf, waiting for me to finish the last-minute editing on last-minute story additions to BETWEEN THE SHEETS.
[Vel Jaeger]:Hurt/comfort — oh, my, you do want to open a kettle of worms. Well, I guess I'll just have to jump in and squirm around in there with you. My favorite zines include SUN & SHADOW, CONTACT, BROKEN IMAGES, the COMPANION series (especially #3, THE REST OF THE STORY), PROGRESSIONS; Susan Haigler's BY HIS SIDE is purposefully taking that direction, and it'll be very interesting to see what she does with #2 [...].
You're right, it doesn't have to be within a K/S framework, but H/C seems to work even better when it is. I guess it's the vulnerability of such strong male images that is the turn-on, perhaps the feeling of the reader being in control. I don't know; it's been decades since I took any psych classes. I do know that the non-stop sex sagas are primarily boring, that all peaks and no valleys aren't any fun to read. Maybe that's part of the appeal of H/C, that when they finally do get together it's that much more effective.
[Vel Jaeger]:Here's another vote for editors being responsible for ail aspects of her zine — to a point.
I had much the same problem with TaL 8 — they were hoping we wouldn't notice the errors. But I had them at a disadvantage, as my boss brokered the job for me on credit, and they wouldn't get paid till they produced a satisfactory product. What made it all the sweeter was that the manager was one of those arrogant sorts who doesn’t think females are capable of operating complicated machinery — he was really embarrassed at having a pair of females point out his errors. But there is a point at which you have to give up and let some flaws go. But as far as production quality of a zine, it's the stories I'm after; the lovely print and art is gravy. I don't care if a story is in purple mimeo on a grocery bag, if it's good writing I'm content to strain my eyes for it. What does anger me is a zine with a full color cover, tons of half-tones, typesetting, and all the trimmings — and the stories suck. Then I feel ripped off, and no amount of cosmetics will change that feeling. Most crudzines with no hope of improvement wither after a few issues; doesn't take long for word to get around; personally,
I only buy zines recommended by a number of people whose literary judgement I respect, or from those editors who have a proven track record.
[Vel Jaeger]:Reading a bunch of Pro novels all in a row can give you a good perspective on exactly which work and which don't — though that's a strange mixture from a time frame of several years. There's usually something to be gleaned from the pros, and I really think the overall quality has improved (though their treatment of fan writers certainly hasn't). I hear that they're only accepting manuscripts via literary agents, which I think is a shame; it removes the rainbow for a lot of beginning, but very talented writers.
To the list of fan novels that I'd rate as much better than many pro's would be PASSAGES, COURTS OF HONOR, ONE WAY MIRROR, and for the Klingonii GAMES OF LOVE AND DUTY (though I found its sequel to be very disappointing, NO PEACEFUL ROADS LEAD HOME). Another fan writer to watch is Jane Land, and her KISTA and DEMETER novels - though genzines, they're very unique, especially DEMETER with some very interesting questions on how we females view ourselves and our Trek characters.
[Vel Jaeger]:Though it's been years since I read the zines reviewed, I still was able to follow some of your commentary — particularly enjoyed your definitions of 'classic" , and conclusions that k/s is getting awfully tame these days. Can part of this blame be laid on editors, who often define the range of acceptable material so narrowly that all stories accepted seem almost to be written by the same author? As soon as I read "absolutely no" in the ad for a proposed zine, I skip on to something that might be more innovative. This is particularly obvious in the absence of "get 'em" stories — there hasn't been much since THE RACK et al; the only one that comes to mind is the "sequel" to BROKEN IMAGES by Beverly Sutherland (the name escapes me — printed in one of the ANOTHER K/S ZINEs??). I know of cases where one or more of the Big 3 was killed in a story, and the editor required rewriting in which they lived — thus diluting the impact of what would have been a much more powerful story.
Oddly enough, I've received only one "get 'em" as an editor — and that was actually a black comedy (what the Germans label "Galgenhumor," though it had nothing to do with gallows; Germans have some pretty weird ideas about humor).
Which brings me to a topic I don't think I've ever seen discussed — are there K/S stories written in other languages? I know there are large fannish factions in Germany, Japan, and Italy, but I've never seen any translations anywhere. Now there's a research project for someone!
Back to the other subject: I really miss the OUT OF BOUNDS series — the editors weren't afraid of controversy, though as often as not I was ready to toss an issue out the window over at least one story that I disagreed with. But they were always interesting; very seldom did I skim any story, looking for something to hold my interest.
Issue 29 (December 1987)
Issue 30 (February 1988)
- tribs by Dawn, Edi, JoAnne, Lori, Linda, Liz, Sandy, TKG, Judith, Morjana
Issue 31 (April 1988)
- tribs by Pat Diggs, Linda Frankel, Linda Simpson, Dawn, Sandy Springer, Morjana, and others
[Vel Jaeger]:Re publishers [of Star Trek Tie-in books] only accepting mss. via literary agents: the ST genre has always been unique in at least giving new authors a shot at the big time. Quite a few now-established Trek writers made their first sale to Pocket, and it's sad to see that market closed. It is another catch-22 created, in that new authors find it very difficult to be accepted by agents unless they've already been published, and you can't get your mss to a publisher unless you have an agent. But I understand that the volume has reached horrendous levels (submissions of novels, that is), and Pocket has scheduled ST novels through 1990. Of course, my solution is to increase the publishing schedule, having a new novel monthly all year round, instead of just the Christmas buying season.
Personally, I think the novels written by fans are far better than those by pro SF writers who are merely dabbling in the genre; and I've read far better fan-published novels than those published by Pocket, anyway — maybe they're doing us a favor, after all.
[Vel Jaeger]: You're not alone in observing the "aesthetic problems with the frequent use of gustatory and olfactory images in fan fiction (and especially in fiction that is meant to be erotic)." I've long been advocate of the suggestive being far more erotic than the explicit, and lengthy and exotic descriptions of taste and smell sensations more often than not leave me flipping the pages in search of less purple prose. And as an editor, I find my red pen occupied quite often at toning down such passages — unless, of course, they're incredibly creative, which doesn't occur very often. Not to say that I haven't been guilty of an occasional lapse myself (attaching wintergreen to Romulans, eg) — perhaps the fault lies in the author searching for a new method of describing an alien species, or perhaps setting them apart from humanoids in yet another way. But a little goes a long way. Yet I still can't pass anthuriums in a nursery without thinking about [Gayle F's] stories. Or was it Leslie Schell? [1] Anyway, the poor plant in inexorably linked to K/S in my mind. How's that for warped reality?!
[Vel Jaeger]: Re: Kelley at the Tampa Con (I couldn't attend the second day in Ft. Lauderdale, as that's a 5-hour drive; I haven't decided if the split con was such a good idea — though for sure it lined the con promoter's pockets with twice the attendees). He didn't say much of anything new, but since this was his first time at a con in Florida, it was mostly new to his audience. The con itself was so poorly managed (check out Pres. Sue Keenan's blazing report in the latest De Kelley Dispatch for a blow-by-blow lambasting of all that was wrong) that it took awhile for Kelley to relax, but the audience was so genuinely enthusiastic that he eventually mellowed -- even took on a bit of a drawl, especially after two birthday cakes, one wishing him a happy "138th birthday." The bottle in the brown paper bag cheered him considerably, too. It was interesting to look at my photos — he doesn't even crack a smile till the 3rd role of film, quite uncharacteristic for him.
[Vel Jaeger]:Re: Joyce Mason and the WSF. I heard that she's taking more of a role in the functioning of the club, which may lead to even more members leaving in droves. She was the one who authored the nasty letter to the English members (which appeared only in the English edition of The Shatner File), and is generally credited with the Members Handbook which created such a furor. And now she's ripping apart their own Regional Assistants for daring to question some of the actions of the leadership — they're being told that WSF is a "sole proprietorship," and that Helen Molloy doesn't have to answer to any of them for her actions or financial arrangements. So much for fellowship. Glad I bailed out when I did.
[Vel Jaeger]:ALIEN BROTHERS? Are we looking at the same zine? I borrowed a copy, and am so glad I didn't shell out even $5 for such a disappointment. Yes, there are some interesting graphics — though many of the illustrations/decoration are straight out of Dover's Art Nouveau & Victorian clip-art and display books, but a few of the artists are quite good: [Gayle F], of course, and Sethera Dragon and Virginia Lee Smith are outstanding (though I seem to recall seeing some of Virginia's drawings elsewhere -- English zines, DUET perhaps?); it's obvious that Jacqueline Zoost has started to hit her stride (note the date of '86), as has Chris Soto. Mary Stacy-MacDonald's is some of the best I've seen of her work. I guess there is quite a bit of good art, but there's no excuse for some of the dreadful drawings -- blank pages would be better. And does anyone remember Ms. Seabright's protestations of not even knowing Barbara Gordon? Then how did 8 of her drawings end up in the zine? Even though not credited, they can be seen on pp. 65, 69, 209, & 227 (though credited to Kyla Weston), and on 68, 69, 133, 186. Since I've never heard of Jana Desorcy, listed as the Graphics Designer, I strongly suspect yet another pseudonym.
Taken on its own merits, I guess the zine wouldn't be that bad, but with all the horn-tooting about this zine being the best thing to hit fandom since INTERPHASE and THRUST, I expected a hell of a lot better. And I don't think I'm taking Helena Seabright's personal attacks as a basis for judging the zine -- I've bought from editors I consider moral toads before, and don't let that stand in the way of a good read.
I'm only half-way through the stories, but so far I haven't found anything worth keeping -- maybe the best is in the last. Given a $25 price tag, I'm far happier that I sent that amount to HEARTSTRINGS,[2] whose editors have a proven track record (even if I don't read the Elwyn Conway segments).
Issue 32 (June 1988)
- "Vagraries," Vel Jaeger's trib (dated May 1988)
[Vel Jeager]:... A.C. Crispin's latest (and incidentally, only second Trek novel: It's not bad, it just doesn't live up to its predecessor, YESTERDAY'S SON.
TIME FOR YESTERDAY is overwhelmed by her preoccupation with a barbarian society, and as happens too often, the crew of the Enterprise is called to Save the Galaxy and Life 6s We Knew It. My interest is in the characters, and I don't require universal Armageddon as a scenic backdrop in order to enjoy those characters in a believable setting. Her introduction to the book has to be one of the most condescending — and therefore infuriating — that I've read yet! She dishes out pages of discouragement to would-be writers, telling them in essence to not waste their time writing in the Star Trek universe. Seems it did all right with her. A few phrases for thought: "Believe me, i understand the attraction writing STAR TREK stories has for Star Trek fans. It's a siren lure... wanting to put words in the mouths of characters we know and love so well. And for me (and for other writers I know), part of the enticement is that it's much easier to write STAR TREK stories than to write original stories.
Does anyone else read what I do between these lines? Is there a message that ST is only worthwhile for getting one's foot in the professional publishers door, and of course plugging one's real writing? Or am I merely applying the derogatory comments that Crispin has been known to make about fan writing at conventions?
- "To me, writing a Star Trek novel is like swimming in a nice heated pool. You grow tired, you get exercise, but it’s comparatively effortless. But, as I discovered when I began working on other original stories, plotting one of my own novels, or the first book in my upcoming Star Bridge series, writing in my own universe was like trying to swim in the cold ocean surf. You have to work harder just to stay afloat; making headway is slow difficult going. (For example, I've been working on one book of mine, Suncastle, for five years.)"
[Vel Jaeger]:You asked about cons — I've had to limit my con-iving to local ones (Tampa Bay and Orlando areas), which are small and have no incentive to attract fans fron afar. (They range from the Quickin’ Dirty Creation Cons — held in one of the sleazier sections of the Cigar City at a cut-rate dump — I passed on that one, much as I enjoy seeing Nichelle Nichols, through a surprisingly enjoyable Vulkon with Jonathon Frakes. I say "surprising," as the Vulkon with DeForest Kelley in January was an utter disaster. DK was his usual charming self, but all else was chaos.
But now the Bay area has been "fished out," as a dealer at this month's con so aptly expressed it, with about 5 cons in the last 6 months. I took a dealer's table at this month's Trekon, with Wil Wheaton as guest. A very together young man, and I was glad I had brought my two youngest kids along — even if I didn't even break even on expenses.
From what I've been hearing, Denver (Labor Day Weekend) and IDICon are the primo sites this year.
I'd love to attend SHORE LEAVE too, as long as I'm wishing, as that seems to have maintained its fannish roots. Sure wish the bigger cons could offer a "dream package" of membership, hotel, and a chunk of airfare on a raffle basis — that, or hitting the newest variation of the Florida Lottery (up to $12 million this week — local wag quoted the odds as even with being struck by an asteroid while surfing) is the only shot I'll have at conning far afield this year. You'd think a smart promoter would set up a regular yearly con in the Orlando area, to take advantage of all the tourist attractions there (Disney World, Sea World, Boardwalk, etc) — especially at a time of year when the rest of the country's freezing.
[Vel Jaeger]: Typical that ST merchandisers have such limited imagination when it comes to marketing to the Trek audience. Bet if they ever witnessed a bidding war at a large Trek art show — or saw how much their products sold for as collectibles (including those still on the market) because of their poor marketing and distribution — they’d wake up and smell the coffee. Personally, I’m tired of buying toys to stash away in a closet, and having to feed all those stale Cheerios to the birds and squirrels — simply because this is the only Trekanalia available.
References
- ^ Actually, it is Leslie Fish.
- ^ "Heartstrings" never made if off the ground.