Laura Basta
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Laura Basta |
| Alias(es): | Laura Sandler, Laura S., Laura B., Laura Trise Basta-Sandler |
| Type: | |
| Fandoms: | Star Trek: TOS, Star Trek: TNG |
| Communities: | |
| Other: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Laura Basta was an early Star Trek: TOS fanzine writer and publisher. Together, with her sister Margaret Basta they produced some of the first Star Trek fanzines: Babel and Star-Borne.
Nominated for a Hugo Award
In 1974, Lichtenberg was one of two Star Trek fans nominated for a Hugo Award. The other nominations, and winner for Best Fan Writer - Susan Wood, Richard E. Geis, Laura Basta, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and Sandra Miesel. The winner was Susan Wood.
Basta was one of the only two fan fiction writers ever to be nominated for a Hugo Award based solely on their fan fiction Boldly Writing describes the fall-out from the nomination: "Both Jacqueline and Laura were nominated for "best fanzine writer" solely on the basis of their Star Trek fanzine stories, and this created quite a furor in science fiction fandom. Some science fiction fans were aghast at the idea of fans writing stories for what they thought of as a second-rate TV show. Some were afraid that Star Trek fans would distract the World Science Fiction Convention from honoring those who wrote original science fiction novels. Other science fiction fans did not see what all the fuss was about. Thus began a debate about the relationship of Star Trek fans to the science fiction community which has continued, in one form or another, to this day."
See more about this in the editorial for Seldon's Plan v.6 n.4.
Fanac
Basta also helped found S.T.A.R. - the Star Trek Association for Revival in 1972.
Among her notable works
- The Daneswoman and its sequel, Yesterday Always Remains
- Federation And Empire series - an original series about a Star Trek mirror universe that moves into the Next Generation and beyond. These stories generated their own fan club and even have their own Cafe Press store.
Interview
Photos
A photo of Laura and her sister, Margaret, is here: Selling zines at 1971 World Con, Archived version
