Kobayashi Maru (Star Trek: TOS zine)

Zine
Title:	Kobayashi Maru
Publisher:	STFU Press
Editor(s):	Teri Thorowgood
Date(s):	1983
Series?:
Medium:	print
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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front cover

back cover

Kobayashi Maru is a 138-page gen Star Trek: TOS anthology. It has are by M.J. Millard, Kathi Scheller, Christine Myers, Wendy Snow, Bob Eggleton, P.S. Nim, Ann Crouch, Mary S., Melody Rondeau, Ann Smothers.

Contents

• Another Saturday Night by M.J. Millard (humor) (8)
• Silver Dream, poem by Caro Hedge (12)
• McCoy, the Doctor, My Friend by Irene Kress (13)
• Solace by Debbie Gilbert (McCoy after Star Trek II, we experience the time immediately following Spock's death until his funeral. We follow McCoy through his attempts to help Kirk, at first refused, the autopsy, the memories of time and adventures he shared with Spock to a final gentle time when he helps Kirk to accept the death and begin the grieving process.) (14)
• The Vulcan's Quietude, poem by Irene Kress (21)
• Trilogy of Our Yesterdays by Betsy Barr (All Our Yesterdays seen through the eyes of Spock, Zarabeth and McCoy.) (24)
• Train Up the Child by Pamela Becker (27)
• Three, Blind Drunk by Mary Millard and Merel Inglis (45)
• Uhura, poem by Irene Kress (54)
• Mary's Toast, poem by Irene Kress (55)
• Spock Elegy, poem by Betsy Barr (55)
• The First Half Of The Battle by Beth Carlson (Spock has been seriously injured and ue watch as McCoy, Christine and Kirk fight to save their friend.) (57)
• Fireflies, poem by M.J. Millard (73)
• Water Planet, poem by M.J. Millard (74)
• Where My Heart Would Go by M.J. Millard (Spock/Leila) (75)

Sample Interior

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Reactions and Reviews

1983

... the smashing debut issue of KOBAYASHI MARU.

It's neatly and attractively done in 138 perfect-bound pages, and its cover will catch your eye at once w1th its stunning portrait of Spock and Saavik, courtesy of T.J. Burns1de.

Between the covers, you'll find a pleasing variety of mater1al with a heavy dose of humor. Editor Mary Millard has done a couple of spoofs, one which ridicules the whole K/S genre, the other describing a shore leave incident in which everyone got thoroughly drunk-including Spock. To further ag1tate your funny bone, there are horrendous cartoon. and limericks scattered throughout the zine.

On the serious side, there is "Solace", which fills in the gap in the movie between Spock's death and the funeral scene, and "The First Half of the Battle". The latter story, by Beth Carlson, is very well-written. Beth does not need to use the Trek universe as a crutch; she is ripe and ready for the professional market. This unusual story centers around Christine Chapel, who communicates with the comatose Spock via the "emotional stress indicator" and convinces him to choose life over death.

For action-adventure fans, there is "Train Up the Child" by Pam Becker, which asks the question, who is trying to sabotage this newly designed starship, and why?

The last and longest story in the zine is "Where My Heart Would Go" by Mary M1llard. (Ordinarily I would criticize the editor's decision to include three of her own stor1es in this zine, but they are such good stories, I can't complain.) In this engrossing and entirely plausible account of Spock's early relationship with Leila Kalomi, we see Spock as an individual person in his own right, years before he became merely one of the players on the stage of the Enterprise. Leila is depicted as a delightfully warm but impulsive young woman, and Spock is never out of character; he approaches everyth1ng, including sex, in a strictly Vulcan manner.

As for the artwork, nearly all of it is superior quality, done by some of the best people in the field, including Christine Myers and P.S. Nim.

KOBAYASHI MARU ranks as one of the better Trekzines to come out in recent years. Send a SASE to STFU Press [...].

For all of you who are turned off by blatant K/S and explicit sex, and who would like a good, clean, all-around enjoyable fanzine, [Kobayashi Maru] would make fine addition to your zine library.

1985

KOBAYASHI MARU is a Trek reader's feast of short stories, poetry, and cartoons.

For the skimmers of comedy, there is the Trek parody entitled "Another Saturday Night," which depicts the problems a starship commander has to face to find suitable recreation.

"Where My Heart Would Go" is a touching story of Leila Kalomi and her love for Spock. As Spock comes to understand Leila's feelings, he cannot remain unloved by her. How they resolve their mutual concerns makes great reading.

For straight forward adventurists in the Trek milieu, there is "Train Up The Child." A series of strange events aboard the USS Forrestal threaten Kirk's life and those of her crew. The mysteries must be solved quickly. If not, all of Starfleet's policies are in jeopardy. Can Kirk do it? Alone?

The poetry touches Chekov and Uhura as well as the major characters aboard the Enterprise and the limericks are, pure, delight. For all of those readers who never get enough of Christine Chapel, they'll be pleased to find her included in these pages.

The art is outstanding, but the cartoons provide that touch of dessert that every Trekker loves.

KOBAYASHI MARU is a superb zine of 140 cram-packed pages of pure Trek. Look for Saavik and Spock on the cover and snatch up your copy fast. They won't last long at their very conservative selling price.