Make It So

Zine
Title:	Make It So
Publisher:	ScoTpress, was also sold through Bill Hupe's catalog
Editor(s):	Sheila Clark, Valerie Piacentini
Date(s):	1989-1996
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:	gen group photo of issues #1-#26
Fandom:	Star Trek: TNG
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Make It So is a gen Star Trek: TNG anthology.

The printing and proofreading were handled by Janet Quarton, the fan who the character Q was named after.

Content Requirements: A Balancing Act

From the first issue:

Our policy for MAKE IT SO (or for any novel-length TNG story) is much the same as our policy for ENTERPRISE - LOG ENTRIES; no stories about the crews of other ships (ie where all the characters are of the writer's invention) and no stories concerning the death of the main characters (apart from Yar, of course).

From the second issue:

No death of main characters (except Yar), no stories about other ships (unless they feature one of the characters on an ealier ship), no adult themes. These are, after all, 'The voyages of the Starship Enterprise..."

From the third issue:

MAKE IT SO 2 has been criticised for including a couple of stories involving the characters from Original Trek. As we already said in the IDIC newsletter, we have a problem here. What should we do with OT/TNG cross-over stories? As we see it, we have three options; put the story in the time slot where it occurs (which we did); put it where the main character is 'at home’, so to speak (which, again, we did); or do we keep one zine purely for these stories? As readers of MAKE IT SO, which would you prefer? We’ve already had one or two suggestions from IDIC members, but we’d like a wider range of opinions. The problem has not arisen in this issue -- all the stories in it are pure TNG - but we know of at least: three writers who are working on cross-over stories.

From the fourth issue:

The question of what makes us assign a story to Make It So has arisen again, and here seems as good a place as any to detail our criteria.

A story must have in it one or more characters who appeared in TNG - these could be either the main crew or guest characters; or in the case of a cross-series story involving the crew of the original Enterprise, be set in TNG's time using TNG's technology. The story in the last issue using an elderly Admiral McCoy and the holodeck, for example , had to go in Make I t So because that technology didn't exist on the original Enterprise (and of course McCoy is a TNG guest character). A story could be about a character of the writer's invention who has been assigned to NCC-1701-D, as long as that character is interacting with the regular crew and as long as the dreaded Lt. Mary Sue doesn't show up! (Who is Mary Sue? A female crewmember who is young, beautiful, so sweet-natured she is loved by everyone and so brilliant she can take over any position on the ship, including that of Captain, as efficiently as the regular incumbent - and at some point usually does. Oh, yes -- she is also passionately in love with whoever the writer's favourite character happens to be.)

We don't want stories involving the death of any of the main characters (apart from Yar, for obvious reasons) and we're not interested in stories dealing with explicit sex.

We realise that some of you would prefer all the stories to be about the main crew and their interaction with each other, but we would ask those readers to remember that we also have to cater for other readers who prefer a wider range of stories or who have a fondness for one or more of the guest characters. In addition, we can only print what we get! (In other words, to get exactly the sort of story you like to read... you have to write it!)

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, Sandra Finch

Make It So 1 was published in February 1989 and contains 72 pages.

The art is by Sandra Finch, Ann Neilson, and Sue Jones.

From the editorial:

Hello, and welcome to this first issue of MAKE IT SO.

Considering how few episodes of THE NEXT GENERATION are available in this country so far, it is very encouraging that we have been sent enough stories to put out an issue so soon after announcing our plans for a TNG zine. Let's hope that this is the first of many.

The writers whose work appears here are Sandy Catchick, J A Clarke, Sheila Clark, Pam Crabtree, Lynette Muir, Tina Pole, and Karen Sparks; the zine features Karen's BECOMING FRIENDS. Pam's SMILE . . . got second place in the Midcon '88 fiction competition. The artists who produced work for this issue are Sue Jones, Ann Neilson and Sandra Finch Pam is a new writer in our ranks, and we hope that this is the first story of many to come from her pen.

I must thank Valerie Piacentini for helping me with the plot for ACADEMY EXERCISE; the story began easily but refused to develop properly, and Valerie came up with a suggestion that allowed it to be finished.

We hope that more writers decide to try their hand at TNG stories. The new series is giving us new characters and relationships to explore; can we rise to the challenge?

Valerie and I may not - at least not yet; I'm in the middle of two long stories, one of them set in the Mirror universe, the other a total alternate universe one, and we're also trying to get on with Variations on a Theme 9 (but don't hold your breath).

• Admission by Sandy Catchick (1)
• Pinocchio by Lynette Muir (poem) (5)
• Academy Exercise by Sheila Clark (6)
• Diplomacy by Tina Pols (16)
• Nightmare by J A Clarke (23)
• Smile... by Pam Crabtree (32)
• Becoming Friends by Karen Sparks (42)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

"Make It So", a British fanzine, is a zine that I would recommend for readers of all ages. Although the title is a Picardism, the stories are about the entire crew. There are two Data stories, a Picard-Beverly-Wesley story, a Picard at the Academy story, a Riker story, and a Lwaxana story.

Another nice thing about tibia British zine is that there seems to be a tendency to stress plot, story line, characterization and action over sex. In fact, there isn't a sex scene in the entire issue. Also, the authors seem to have figured out how to include humor or a humorous situation without degenerating into drivel and parody.

Of the six stories and one poem in the issue, there are three that I enjoyed immensely. "Academy Exercise" written by Sheila Clark, "Smile" written by Pam Crabtree and "Becoming Friends" written by Karen Sparks.

"Academy Exercise" deals with Cadets Jean-Luc Picard and Jack Crusher and the compulsory Survival 101. Non-security students just can't see the necessary of the course. Then comes the infamous first exam. Without giving all the nice bits away, let's just say that both Picard and Crusher were cadets that paid attention to the professor. I really liked the fact that both cadets needed skills the other possessed to survive, and thereby, pass the test.

"Smile" has the crew of the Big E taking shore leave on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet All the crew has been accounted for, but Data. Picard and Chief Engineer MacDougal beam down to find him. And guess where they find him....A very funny story.

"Becoming Friends" is the Picard-Beverly-Wesley story. The action takes place near the beginning of the ship's mission and the title states what the premise of the story is about For all of the P/C fans out there, there are a couple of good scenes. The best is deals with Beverly's nightmare.

"Admission" written by Sandy Catchick deals with Data's Academy entrance interview-cum-exam. After reading this story, I wished that last six paragraphs were not included. I felt that they were unnecessary and repetitious. I believed the story would have been more effective without them.

The other two stories and one poem are "Diploma" written by Tina Pole, "Nightmare" written by J. A. Clark and "Pinocchio" written by Lynette Muir.

"Diploma", a Lwaxana Troi story, was the one I liked the least. Maybe, it was because I felt that it was a little rushed and underdeveloped.

"Nightmare" is the Riker story, set after SKIN OF EVIL and it seems that our Number One is suffering from nightmares. The story centers around what Picard does to help his loner of a first officer realize that friends are needed to aid people in coming to terms with the death of a loved one.

This is, as far as I know, the first British zine devoted to "The Next Generation". It contains 6 stories and 1 poem, in good quality print.

The first story, 'Admission', concerns Data's application to Starfleet Academy and is a short, succinct place which reveals a little about his motivations.

Following on from this is a poem about the android in question.

'Academy Exercise' follows cadets Picard and Crusher on a survival course which turns out a little trickier than their tutor planned. This story ends rather abruptly without much character development, but it works as a small adventure.

'Diplomacy' is a hilarious tale about Picard's attempts to avoid Lwaxana Troi when she pays a surprise visit. Picard may be able to out-talk most adversaries but he meets his match in Lwaxana.

'Nightmare' follows on from 'Skin of Evil'; a compact story covering Riker's reaction to his 'tar bath'. Written in the best tradition of 'but what did he feel about it?' fan stories, 'Nightmare' is well structured and logical. Only one grumble - Picard calls Riker 'William'. In at least three of the first season episodes, he calls him as 'Will'.

The second humorous story, 'Smile...', is one I keep returning to. Data goes missing on a trip to Wrigley's Pleasure Planet and Picard enlists the aid of Chief Engineer MacDougall to search for him. It's a beautiful look at the more human side of Picard and MacDougall is an excellent sidekick. I only wish they'd kept her as a semi-regular.

The last, and longest: story is 'Becoming Friends' and I cannot praise it highly enough. I've lost count of the number of times I've re-read It. The Enterprise has to aid the planet where Jack Crusher was murdered. Old memories are reawakened, with deep repercussions for Picard and the Crushers. The author understands her characters perfectly and expertly develops the situation to where the protagonists gain an insight into their inner feelings.

'Make It So 1" is rounded off with an excellent cover illo of Riker and is well worth having in any collection.

If you read 'Make It So 1' before 'Make it So 2' you may not think it strange that it contains stories about the Next Generation. When I read it I was quite surprised to find that all the stories and poems really were about TNG characters. The reason for my surprise what that I had read 'Make It So 2' first and nearly a third of that zine is about original characters!

'Make It So 1' contains 6 stories and I poem by various authors and ALL of them are about TNG charcters.

Admission - Data is interviewed for admission to Starfleet Acadamy. I wish this had been longer.

Academy Exercise - Picard and Jack Crusher are Starfleet Academy students undergoing a practical examination. Diplomacy - (includes 1 illustration) Lwaxana Troi visits the Enterprise. I loved the bombshell in the middle of the story. Maybe I should have seen it coming but I'm glad I didn't!

Nightmare - Aftermath of Riker's experience in 'Skin of Evil'. Smile - (includes 2 illustrations) The Enterprise stops at Wrigley's Pleasure Planet where some of the crew get a little carried away and Picard has to sort things out. I found this story particularly interesting because it uses Chief Engineer McDougal, whom I only remember seeing in 'The Naked Now'. I thought the actress was terrible and was not at all surprised not to see her again. However this story shows what could have been done with a whisky drinking older woman in engineering, and her potential relationship with Picard. (And Geordi could have stayed on the bridge where his performance in 'Arsenal of Freedom' shows he belonged.)

Becoming Friends -- This story occupies half of the zine. It explores the relationship between Picard and Dr. Crusher, and how Jack Crusher and Wesley affect the relationship. A disaster that the Enterprise goes to deal with provides the background. Pinocchio- a poem about Data's desire to be human.

The styles vary because there are several authors; some stories I found a little more emotional than I really like but that did not prevent me enjoying all the pieces. Overall I enjoyed the zine very much and recommend it as a good mix of TNG stories.

A buddy sent ma the first issue of a TNG zine called MAKE IT SO. While this isn't Earth-Shaking Great Literature, it is entertaining.

'Admission,' by Sandy Catchick, deals with Data's application to Starfleet Academy. It's short, but Sandy tries for ambience and believable dialogue, and manages pretty well.

"Academy Exercise," by Sheila Clark, pits young Jack Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard against the elements in Scotland as part of a survival test. It's a nice story that (bakes me believe the writer knows the area and activities whereof she writes. Settings and characters are handled with wit and humor.

Tina Pole's "Diplomacy" is sort of a mild Lwaxana's revenge tale, but it isn't as funny as it wants to be. The dialogue is stiff, and grammar and syntax need work.

The premise of J.A. Clark's "Nightmare" is, I think, relatively unexplored in fanfic. Everyone' talked Tasha's "Skin of Evil" death to death, but they seem to ignore how unwilling close contact with "Slick" might've affected poor Riker. This story does a good job of tackling that. A bit of polish—some shortening of dialogue in spots, a bit more care in word choice and sentence construction—and this story would be seriously moving. The characters read true and, for the roost part, the dialogue works.

Then there's Pam Crabtree's "Smile.... Data's missing on Wrigley's Planet, so Picard and Chief Engineer MacDougall go searching for him. The characters are great, the premise is silly, and it's just plain, simple fun.

"Becoming Friends," by Karen Sparks, was the longest story, and the weakest. The premise — the Enterprise renders medical aid to the planet where Jack Crusher was killed — is okay, but the story's contrived. Character motivations ring false, overplayed, and the characters are skewed to fit the scenario, rather than the other way around.

Artwork throughout is sparse, and what's there isn't very good. The interior illos appear to be simple pencil sketches, printed without benefit of prior screening. It's a shame, because there are a few scenes that just cry out for illos — Picard and MacDougall trying to carry a drunken Data, for instance, or some of the imagery in "Nightmare.' Aarrgghh!

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Lorraine Goodison

Make It So 2 was published in August 1989 and contains 100 pages. The art is by Lorraine Goodison and Nola Frame-Gray.

From the editorial:

Hello, and welcome to this second issue of MAKE IT SO. It's encouraging that so many writers are taking pen in hand to produce stories set in this incarnation of Star Trek.

Lorraine Goodison makes a welcome return to Trek writing with no fewer than three stories, as does Sue Meek with a poem: Jacqueline Comben is known to members of BSFR and Lesley McCartney is known in fandom but both are new to our pages; and several new contributors make their appearance - Scott Carrick, one of the few male writers in fandom, provides the longest story in the zine, while Nola Frame-Gray's cartoons give us the chance to break new ground.

We don't often feature a story - however, for the second time in two issues of Make it So, we have a feature story. In this issue we're featuring Teresa Abbott's story LINK. It may seem a little unusual to feature a 9-page story but this is my game and I make the rules. I loved this story on sight, and when I turned to the Last page I had a gut reaction that left left me in tears - and it's a rare story indeed that does that to me.

Author's foreword to "The Return":

After writing ’A Twist in Time’, I happened to have two friends to stay and they read the story. One was concerned about Spock. She agreed that he had been obliged to answer ”I cannot tell you of your own future,” when questioned by Kirk, and that this left it open to the reader to supply the answer which seemed most fitting to that individual. However, she asked me how I visualised Spock’s life progressing. I gave her a quick verbal summary and she asked me to write this as a story. After reading the result, given to her at Sol III, my friend declared that she thought ScoTpress would like to publish it. I told her it was hers to do with as she wished. She showed it to Sheila and, to my surprise, I was asked to put it on a computer disc for ease of publication. What follows is that little addition to ’A Twist in Time’....

• Reasons for Living by Karen Sparks (3)
• Like a Lady, poem by Linda Wood ("Winner, 3rd prize, poetry competition, UFP Convention 1988") (11)
• Chasing Clouds by Lorraine Goodison (13)
• Departed Friend, poem by Karen Sparks (16)
• A Twist in Time by Jacqueline Comben (sequel is "Return") (18)
• Return by Jacqueline Comben (36)
• An Ignominious by L.G. (41)
• Replay by Scott Carrick (48)
• It's Over, poem by S. Meek (81)
• Say Goodbye to it All by Lorraine Goodison (82)
• Captain's Nightmare, poem by Lesley McCartney (90)
• Link by Teresa Abbott (92)

• 

  from issue #2, Nola Frame-Gray

• 

  from issue #2, Nola Frame-Gray

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

This terrific zine is edited by Sheila Clark, a past winner of the Fan Q Award as Best Star Trek editor. Make It So 7 is the current production according to my latest flyer, but issue 2 is available as a back issue. Published in August 1989, it is 100 pages long and features prose and poetry by Sparks, Wood, Goodison, Comben, Carrick, Meek, McCartney, Abbott and L.G. The artwork is by Goodison and Frame-Gray.

I thoroughly enjoyed Make It So 2. Although the artwork is minimal and the print and layout is very ordinary, the stories are so good that it doesn't really matter.

Make It So 2 opens with a story by Karen Sparks called "Reasons for Leaving." The story, told from Beverly Crusher's point of view, focuses on her anguished state of mind as she contemplates leaving the Enterprise for the position of CMO of Starfleet Headquarters. I have never been a big Crusher fan but in recent years have enjoyed seeing her character grow and evolve from a one-dimensional portrayal into a character with interesting quirks and layers. "Reasons for Leaving" uses Beverly's anger at Picard's unemotionalism over her departure to review the events of the first two seasons. Picard's actions seen through Beverly's eyes give a new slant to his behavior. Since so much has happened since those early years, it was fun to look back again. Scattered throughout the zine are offbeat cartoons and poetry.

The next lengthy story, "A Twist in Time" by Jacqueline Comben, earns four stars on my enjoyment meter. I loved this crossover time travel story! It featured wonderful characterizations of both Star Trek crews. The story opens with Picard inwardly grousing over the increasing number of people beaming on board to inspect the Enterprise. While en route to the planet Laneron, the Enterprise is again diverted to pick up yet another Admiral. It turns out to be Spock, whose purported purpose is to inspect and evaluate the computer while in operation. Spock is rude and cold to all on board, especially Data. Meanwhile, Picard completes his mission on Laneron and beams up, BUT there is a warp in time (don't you love all these crazy time warps out there) and Kirk (who is also beaming up) and Picard exchange places. Kirk's impressions of the Enterprise, especially the bridge, Data, and the concept of the children on board the ship are terrific and very funny. I found myself laughing out loud as I read this story. From Kirk's shocked "What idiot designed this bridge?" to his final look at the Enterprise 1701D - two little girls running by the turbo lift doors with a nibble - the pace is nonstop and full of deft comedic touches. The Next Gen's impressions are less detailed since Picard stays in the transporter room, but their presence is also strongly felt. The story ends on an upbeat note as Troi tells everyone of the warm change in Admiral Spock after Kirk beamed back to his own ship. This is a wonderful story for fans of both generations.

"Return" by Jacqueline Comben is a rarity in zine fiction. This story is a sequel to "A Twist in Time" in the same zine, which picks up the thread of the story after Kirk beams back to his own time. Continuing the story in the present, Spock resigns his position in Starfleet and purchases a ship which he names the Silver Lady. He then joins Kirk, who is crippled with arthritis (STC: The Deadly Years) and they board their new ship and head out "thataway." This added a nice sense of completeness to the original story.

"An Ignominious End" by L.G. features a newly assigned Riker seething over the perimeters of his authority. When Riker attempts to protect Picard during a terrorist incident, he is shot by a poisoned dart in the rear. The antidote is administered in time, but it turns his skin blue. There was a good deprecating tone by Riker throughout the story and an imaginative brew of blue jokes.

"Replay" by Scott Carrick has a startling beginning as the bridge crew suddenly sees Tasha Yar standing at her old station. She seems confused and a few moments later vanishes. More familiar faces appear and disappear, as at the same time, the engines experience a massive power drain. This story takes various twists and turns and eventually winds up as a confrontation with Q. Whether you enjoy this story or not depends on your feelings about Q. I enjoy Q and find his verbal clashes and unrelenting curiosity about the human race stimulating reading. The story drags on a little long however, and should have ended about eight pages earlier. The ending is also outdated, as the scene between Guinan and Q as future friends is unlikely given the scenes between them now on the show. But this doesn't detract from an interesting story with an intriguing array of character appearances.

"Say Goodbye to it All" by Lorraine Goodison is another look at Dr. Crusher's exit from the Enterprise. This is a downbeat story focusing once again on Beverly's grief and anger over Picard's reaction. The ending is particularly sad, with Beverly sobbing over Wesley's decision to remain behind.

Make It So 2 ends with the featured story "Link" by Teresa Abbott. This is an unusual tale of the Traveller's meeting with the child Spock. They enjoy an instant attraction and meeting of minds. The Traveller opens the universe to Spock and encourages him to be more than just a scientist. Ultimately, the Traveller is called away but before leaving promises Spock he will return. An apprehensive Amanda spirits Spock away before he comes back. The Traveller must continue his journey but before he goes, he leaves a message for Spock. The story ends with a poem by Walter de la Mare that shows how the Traveller kept his word. A moving story, with a haunting lyrical ending that provides a strong, emotional conclusion to the zine.

I give Make It So 2 a final score of 80 points: 25 for writing, 25 for overall value of the zine (a remarkably low price), 15 for artwork. I would have loved to have seen more, especially in "A Twist in Time," and finally 15 for overall presentation. This zine reflects Sheila Clark's professional job as editor. I highly recommend the Make It So series.

Having bought the zine expecting it to contain purely TNG stories, the first thing that struck me was how much Kirk and Spock appeared in it of eight stories, they appear in three of them. Whilst I liked the idea behind each story, on a personal level, I would prefer to keep original Trek and TNG separate. I particularly like the stories 'Reason for Leaving' and 'Chasing Clouds' and liked the way the author linked the poem to the story in "Link". I enjoyed every poem particularly 'Like a Lady'; McCoy's cameo in 'Encounter at Farpoint' is one of the most poignant scenes in the film. One story I'm afraid I had to take exception to was 'A Twist in Time'. I feel Kirk and Spock's hostility towards TNG was quite out of character: Spock's comment that Troi was prying into other's privacy for no reason and without permission seems to totally ignore the fact that she is a valued, fully commissioned Starfleet officer; his other comment that Data only got into the Academy because of a fault with Starfleet and that, if he had the power, he would have him removed says very little for his philosophy of IDIC. I was left with the impression that the author is using Kirk and Spock as a medium through which to vent her own feelings against TNG. It would be nice to see a return to pure TNG with Make It So 3.

'Make It So 2' really was a great disappointment to me. It was advertised in the IDIC newsletter as 'stories about the Next Generation' and the cover of the zine states 'Star Trek the Next Generation.' But what do I find? Thirty two of the 98 pages are stories about the original series crew! In my opinion this is quite disgraceful.

I am almost prepared to accept 18 out of the 32 pages which belong to 'A Twist in Time'. The Captains Picard and Kirk are exchanged and experience each other's crew. There is interaction with and comments about TNG characters but if stories like this are going to appear in TNG zines the bias should be toward TNG characters. Unfortunately the bias here is towards Spock which really does make its inclusion in a TNG zine questionable.

But I do feel very strongly about the other 14 pages; they are Kirk and Spock stories and they have no place in a TNG zine. 'Like a Lady,' is thinly veiled as a conversation between Data and Dr. McCoy but in reality is a poem about the glorious exploits of the original Enterprise and her crew. 'The Return' is totally completely and utterly about Kirk and Spock and is not even thinly disguised. 'Link' is about the Traveller from 'Where No One Has Gone Before' nipping back in time and meeting the child Spock. However good the story might be it is not about TNG characters. It is about Spock.

Apart from the above pieces which in my opinion should never have been included, the zine contains 5 stories, 3 poems and 3 pages of cartoons.

Reasons for Leaving - A meeting between Beverly and Jean-Luc just after she hands in her resignation to him. 'Chasing Clouds' - Conversation between Riker and Picard just after 'Lonely Among Us.' 'An Ignominious End' - Riker is injured in the line of duty. 'Replay' - this story occupies a third of the zine. The crew have to solve the mystery of figures from the past that keep appearing and disappearing. All the regular crew are involved but the star is Guinan. 'Say Goodbye To It All' - Dr. Crusher leaves the Enterprise and takes up her new position at Starfleet Medical HQ. 'Departed Friends' - Poem about Tasha's memorial gathering. 'It's Over' - Poem exploring Tasha's reasons for rejecting Data. 'Captain's Nightmare' - poem about Picard's difficulties with his bridge crew. Great fun. I loved some of the unlikely phrases it contains. The cartoons. It took me a while to get into the style but once I did I liked them.

My overall enjoyment of this line was spoiled by the intrusion of the original series cast. I feel cheated. I really cannct recommend this -as a TNG zine. There are so many zines with original characters do they really have to be included in one of the few TNG zines?

(Ed: we thought we should make a comment here for the benefit of newer members as the above zine has been covered in earlier newsletters. We will do our best to keep original Trek and TNG in separate zines for those fans like Ann who prefer it that way. But there are also a lot of fans who treat original Trek and TNG as one Star Trek Universe and who want to write stories linking them in various ways. Where we put these stories is a problem, as it wouldn't really be feasible to have a series of zines especially for them. The majority of members who have stated an opinion say they think the choice of which zine cross-series stories should go into should be dictated by which characters the story is mainly about. On this criteria 'A Twist in Time' is marginal and possibly should have gone into 'Log Entries'; but wherever it went, its sequel, 'The Return', had to go with it. On the other hand Sheila feels that 'Link' is mainly about the Traveller, and he is a TNG character. The story wouldn't have made much sense to a non-TNG fan.)

I bought Make It So 2 because of the critique in the last newsletter which revealed that there are several 'crossover' stories included. I have just finished it (in one sitting). Firstly I suspect I have just been won over to reading Next Gen zines, though I am worried that doing so might prejudice me against the filmed episodes - from what I have seen of Next Gen, character development is going to be much more satisfying in zine stories. But back to the point; I bought Make It So 2 for the crossover stories and they are excellent, particularly Link by Teresa Abbott. This featured the Traveller (a character I like) and Spock. Fans of Jacquie Comben's work should know that there are two stories in the zine, A Twist of Time and, very satisfactorily, its sequel Return. I do not want to spoil these by resumeing the story; the emphasis in both is on Kirk and Spock. Of the pure Next Gen, stories I liked best An Ignominious End, but ail the stories are well written and inventive for fans of Q, he features in Replay. Oh, the zine also contains cartoons, and some good poetry - my favourite here is Captain's Nightmare which explores Jean-Luc's attitude to Wes. Overall, the zine is excellent value for money.

Issue 3

cover of issue #3, Lorraine Goodison

from issue #3, Nola Frame-Gray

Make It So 3 was published in February 1990 and contains 98 pages.

The art is by Lorraine Goodison (cover) and Nola Frame-Gray.

From the editorial:

A lot of the writers are still using the TNG episodes, or facts given in one of the episodes, to explore the characters, and three of the stories here typify this well; Lorraine Goodison’n "Turning Point" and Scott Carrlck's "Decision Time" both take as a starting point the episode "Samaritan Snare", in which we learn that Picard has an artificial heart which is malfunctioning and must be replaced; however, where Lorraine explores what happened to Picard as a cadet, Scott; explores Picard’s reactions after his operation. The two stories show very clearly how two people, starting from the same point -- the same information, if you like ~ can produce two totally different stories. And Karen’s "Natasha" is a beautiful story about survival in the most adverse of circumstances.

Lori Scott’s "What’s In a Name" will also be appearing in an American zine. Lori is a new writer, and in all innocence she submitted the story to two editors. When she told us (after we’d typed the story) we thought about it very hard, because it’s not really fair to readers if they buy two zines and the same story is in both. However, it’s a nice little story, and we felt that since it’s only three pages long and the other printing will be (has been?) in America, only one or two readers are likely to find themselves with two copies of it and we could go ahead this time.

MAKE IT SO 2 has been criticised for including a couple of stories involving the characters from Original Trek. As we already said in the IDIC newsletter, we have a problem here. What should we do with OT/TNG cross-over stories? As we see it, we have three options; put the story in the time slot where it occurs (which we did); put it where the main character is 'at home’, so to speak (which, again, we did); or do we keep one zine purely for these stories? As readers of MAKE IT SO, which would you prefer? We’ve already had one or two suggestions from IDIC members, but we’d like a wider range of opinions. The problem has not arisen in this issue -- all the stories in it are pure TNG - but we know of at least: three writers who are working on cross-over stories.

• Turning Point by Lorraine Goodison (3)
• Twenty Minutes, poem by Angela Brown (10)
• On Another's Sorrow by Karen Sparks (11)
• Fortunate Happenstance by Lorraine Goodison (21)
• The Best Years by Michael Simpson (28)
• Lonely Within by Lorraine Goodison (33)
• New Ship, Old Name, poem by Oriel Cooper (40)
• Things Than Go Bump by Ann Neilson (41)
• Visitor, poem by Oriel Cooper (46)
• Dinner Date by Lorraine Goodison (47)
• What's In A Name by Lori Scott (also in The Beverly File #1) (53)
• Decision Time by Scott Carrick (56)
• Pinocchio by Synda Surgenor (66)
• Denial, poem by Synda Surgenor (70)
• Natasha by Karen Sparks (71)

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Lorraine Goodison

Make It So 4 was published in September 1990 and contains 96 pages.

The art is by Lorraine Goodison (cover), Anita Shearman, and Nola Frame-Gray.

The editorial again addresses the content of this zine. See more about this balancing act

• Love Is by Lorraine Goodison (3)
• Get Naked Now, cartoon by Nola Frame-Gray (11)
• Peace Treaty by Sandy Catchick (13)
• Cutting the Strings, poem by Ann Peters (33)
• Biomass by Scott Carrick (35)
• Interstellar Scrap Man, poem by Christine Jones (54)
• In the Mind's Eye by Lorraine Goodison (55)
• Red Alert, poem by Lori Scott (79)
• Fighting Chance by Mary S. Lee (80)

• 

  from issue #4, Nola Frame-Gray

• 

  from issue #4, Nola Frame-Gray

• 

  from issue #4, Anita Shearman

• 

  from issue #4, Anita Shearman

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

"Peace Treaty" by Sandy Catchick tells the story of troubled negotiations during which the Enterprise is visited by an Organian who shows them how Kirk and co. resolved a similar situation against the Klingons. I actually found this story harder to read that any of Sandy's I have read previously, but I think that is probably just because the original series episode "Day of the Dove", dealt with in detail in this story, is one of my least favourites. [Ed. Sorry Karen, the episode was Errand of Mercy).

Scott Carrick's "Biomass" is an adventure story where the away team investigate a planet which fights back and ultimately threatens to destroy the Enterprise.

The last story, "Fighting Chance" by Mary Lee has Picard taking the battle hull (crewed by bridge officers) to rescue scientists who are trapped behind a planetary system's protective net. This net has strange effects on the crew, what I enjoyed most about "Fighting Chance" was the splendid and amusing portrayal of O'Brien. My only criticism of the story was the continual to-ing and fro-ing between bridge and sickbay of almost all the characters, which left me feeling almost as dizzy - though not as sick! - as poor Riker!

The two offerings I enjoyed most were, as I have come to expect, from Lorraine Goodison. I don't know whether I envy Lorraine her artistic or writing talents the most - I certainly feel we are lucky that she is such a regular contributor to Make It So. "Love Is" is a touching and amusing tale of Data deciding to research and understand love! He earnestly seeks advice and opinions on the subject from his colleagues, and this also provides insight into all the main characters. "Love Is" gives a nice "people-y" balance to the more technical, adventure based stories in the zine. "In the Mind's Eye" has the Enterprise transporting a fearsome and dangerous alien criminal, wanted for murder and worse, to his trial. Riker is savagely attacked, and while his body is in sickbay, his mind together with the minds of Troi and Picard, is drawn into that of the alien. There they are tortured and must concentrate and work closely together to survive and escape. I especially liked the depth of character shown for Troi; it's nice to see her as a pivotal element of a story rather than a peripheral character. Even this more serious subject still has touches of the often wry humour which is so characteristic of Lorraine's work.

On the whole, I think Make It So 4 contains a good range of subjects and types of stories and everyone should find something they like.

I was pleased to find Make It So 4 contained stories that 1) have beginnings, middles, and ends; 2) don't try to compress a novel-sized idea into a 20 page story; and 3) have some original ideas. In addition to several well-developed short stories, this 96 page Next Generation fanzine contains several pages of cartoons and a few poems.

Sandra Catchick's "Peace Treaty" (19 pgs.) is notable for its interesting use of Errand of Mercy as a vehicle through which Picard examines his motives in whether or not to go to war- The Enterprise travels to the planet Panacea in order to negotiate a peace treaty with the Thor, a humanoid race about whose history and culture Catchick writes very little- While a detailed history of the Thor wasn't absolutely necessary to the integrity of the story (their role could have easily been filled by Romulans, Ferengi, or any other race with whom the Federation has poor, or no formal relations), it would have made the conflict between the two captains much richer. About the only thing we do learn is that Thor culture is very militaristic, and as such they send one of their best warriors in their most powerful warship to sue for peace with the Federation. When the Enterprise arrives at Panacea, however, it is fired upon by the Thor. The shields prevent any damage, but the attack makes Picard suspicious as to the real intentions of the Thor in coming to Panacea. To placate both their suspicions about each other, the commander of the Thor and Picard even-tually agree to a hostage exchange of first officers to assure that the peace talks will not be delayed or sabotaged- But when the swap takes place, Picard finds that he's traded Riker and a security guard for two of the Thor's ensigns. The deception rankles Picard, and just when he begins to feel that there is no other choice but war with the Thor, the Organians, last seen negotiating peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire in die episode Errand of Mercy, show up co help Picard save the peace negotiations - Catchick's portrayal of Ayleboume seems consistent with the character's history, particularly in his ability to infuriate the Enterprise's captain by challenging his assumptions about what justifies starting a war. He does this by allowing Picard, Troi, Data and Worf the opportunity to relive the events depicted in Errand of Mercy through the eyes of one of the major participants: Ayleboume, Kirk, Spock, and the Klingon commander. How Ayleboume is able to provide such an experience is not explained. To reveal the outcome of die experience will give away the rest of the story, but be assured that the problem is solved by Picard and the Thor and does nor end with the Organians intervening to force a peace.

In "Biomass" (20 pgs.) by Scott Carrick, the Enterprise is exploring an uncharted section of space when it encounters a class M planet. The Enterprise picks up strange electromagnetic and gravimetric readings from the planet, and because of a dense Van Allen Belt around the planet, Picard sends an away team vin shuttle to investigate the surface. The away team discovers that the planet is a living organism. It attacks them and they flee in the shutdecraft. The planet then begins to "melt," stretching itself out through space to attack the Enterprise. This is the most disappointing story in this collection because of poor characterization. Worf, especially, is so effusive that one wonders if Carrick really understands the character. Especially glaring are the Klingon's remarks on the planet he and the awayteam are investigating: "This place reminds me of the stories about the great Klagatt Desert on the Klingon homeworld," Worf said to whoever was listening. "It is where the Klingon warriors go to prove their fierceness and strength by living alone for many months with no shelter or weapons. But at least there is life there—hostile and dangerous, but life. This place is dead and empty. Commander Riker, even I am uneasy here—I do nor think we should remain here for long." That a character who usually speaks so little at all should suddenly begin reminiscing to "whoever was listening" is wholly inconsistent with what we know about the character. Carrick's depiction of Riker is also less than flattering, and in fact makes him (and in another case, Worf) out to be a fool or a commander who has no respect for his subordinates' abilities. In a scene that takes place in the shuttlecraft as the away team approaches the planet... [much snipped due to length] ...

I thought Mary S. Lee's "Fighting Chance" (15 pgs.) was going to be an O'Brien story and was disappointed when it turned out the Transporter Chief once again got only a supporting role. The opening and closing scenes that frame the story arc a bit difficult to make sense of: it is left to the reader to imagine what kind of program Riker and O'Brien are running in the Holodeck. It obviously has something to do with mermaids, but what I'm not quite sure. Despite the lack of clarity about what is going on, the opening scene is an effective one in exploring O'Brien's character, particularly his feelings of being "left out" in away team assignments. Like the TV scries, however, the story introduces a great idea, drops it for something else, and later returns to try and pick up the thread, by which time you've lost interest and wonder how all the little subplots fit together. The main plot begins with the Federation receiving message drones from a research team sent to explore Silia 4H, a planet in the Silian System abandoned for unknown reasons by a highly advanced race. The system is surrounded and protected by an energy field known as the Net. While the research team was able to penetrate the energy field to reach Silia 4H, it has since begun to close itself around Silia 4H. The Enterprise battle hull attempts to penetrate the Net in order to rescue the research team, but Picard finds it produces strange psychological effects on some members of the crew. The concept behind the Net and its ability to test an intruder's psyche and intent is interesting, though one wonders why the test is necessary at all The animals Riker and Worf confront in their tests are obviously "created" by the Net from images or memories taken from those being tested, but if they can read minds well enough to sift and select memories, why the need for an actual test?

The two best offerings in Make It So 4 are written by Lorraine Goodison. "In The Mind's Eye" (24 pgs.) is memorable for not only the unique villain, but for an intriguing plot as well. While on a routine courtesy call to the planet Zenaan, Picard is asked to transport a criminal to a penal institution* The authorities refuse to divulge any details on the criminal or his crime, but since Starfleet has promised their services in this regard, Picard is forced to take on Dern Saire. The criminal rums out to have incredible psychic powers which he puts to use on Picard, Riker and Troi, dragging their consciousnesses into his own for a deadly duel of minds. Data, Worf, Pulaski, and Selar work to free their comrades from Saire's psychic grip. Ms. Goodison has created a character that demands fuller treatment and I hope she brings back the mind-ramperer Dem Saire to fill us in on his past history. The scenes with Worf and Data discussing how "hard" they should distract Sflire are hilarious; she got the characters just right!

I also hope Ms. Goodison will continue to write stories like "Love Is" (8 pgs.), in which Data researches the topic of love and learns a very important lesson from Geordi. Ms. Goodison has captured the very essence of Data's charming naivete, the one aspect that makes the character so appealing to thousands of viewers.

Lastly, there are several interesting and amusing cartoons by Ms. Nola Frame-Grey [sic]. While the artwork is anything but polished, the crudity of line is in itself part of the comic appeal of her stories. I hope Ms. Frame-Grey will continue to produce longer, more coherent pieces like "Get Naked Now," a satire of The Naked Now, instead of one-shot gag cartoons. I'm looking forward to the time when her 'toons can be collected and published in one book.

Overall, Make It So 4 is a fine effort, with enough interesting and adequately developed ideas and well written stories to please most fans (except there are very few appearances by Dr. Crusher or her son, so those fans might be a little disappointed).

Issue 5

cover of issue #5, Lorraine Goodison

Make It So 5 was published in April 1991 and contains 96 pages.

The art is by Lorraine Goodison (cover), M. Street, Anita Shearman, Nola Frame-Gray, and Ruth Mellor.

This issue is the first to not have an editorial.

• The Interrogator by Marie Chettle (3)
• Yes He Is. No They Didn't by P.J. Poole (7)
• Better the Riker You Know by Margaret Connor (9)
• Painful Memories by Oriel Cooper (19)
• Heaven or Hell by Marie Chettle (22)
• Happy Birthday by Lori Scott (36)
• Requiem for Tasha by Linda Wood (poem) (49)
• A Small Measure by Brenda Kelsey (50)
• Watermark by Lorraine Goodison (55)
• Brother of Mine by J. Schmidt (58)
• My Daughter or Data by Jacquie Groom (poem) (68)
• Academy Legacy by Jackie Groom (69)
• Ambassador Royale by Ann E. Routley (80)
• Companions by Mary Soon Lee (88)

• 

  from issue #5, M. Street

• 

  from issue #5, Ruth Mellor

• 

  from issue #5, Anita Shearman

• 

  from issue #5, Ruth Mellor

• 

  from issue #5, Ruth Mellor

Issue 6

cover of issue #6, Keren Breen

Make It So 6 was published in August 1991 and contains 98 pages

The art is by Keren Breen (cover), Ruth Mellor, Nola Frame-Gray, and Anita Shearman.

• On returning from Where No Man Has Gone Before by Teresa Abbott (3)
• Neutral Justice by P.J. Poole (8)
• Nicknames by Marcia Pecor (19)
• What Will Happen Now?, poem by Ann Peters (25)
• Illusions by Gail Christison (26)
• A Little Romance by Lori Scott (53)
• Masquerade by Jackie Marshall (63)

• 

  from issue #6, Ruth Mellor, portrays Katherine Pulaski

• 

  from issue #6, Anita Shearman

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

[Illusions]: Data and Riker go on a mission to a planet resembling medieval Earth where, among other things, Data's a big hit with the local female populace. The title refers in part to Data's opportunity to wear a disguise and pass for human. A somewhat routine adventure story, but still quite enjoyable. PG.

[zine]: This features six stories and one poem, and is an entertaining collection of reading. My personal favourites? They have to be Masquerade by Jackie Marshall, A Little Romance by Lori Scott and Illusions by Gail Christison. I must confess that the first time I read this zine I did not read Masquerade... it was on the second pass that I actually corrected that mistake, and discovered that I had missed a really good story; a colourful tale of intrigue and alien cultures in which Yar and Picard attempt to locate and retrieve an abducted Deanna Troi. Well worth reading.

A Little Romance is blatant Picard and Crusher, and I love it. The characterisation is very good, and the humour had me chuckling all the way through... and some bits involving Commander Riker were great... and others involving Crusher even better ("I have just been ordered to stop chasing a man I don't even want by some ittle brat in a see through dress").

Illusions by Gail Christison is the longest story in the zine and features Data and Riker in an undercover operation to determine what the Ferengi are up to on the planet Shalamar in theTheta Majoris system.

Neutral Justice deals with a very awkward topic within the context of the Star Trek universe, where Dr Selar is assaulted by a Romulan. It works well, and is nicely handled by P J Poole. Nicknames by Marcia Pecor and On Returning from Where No Man Has Gone Before by Teresa Abbott are also eminently readable.

Issue 7

cover of issue #7, Paul Privitera

Make It So 7 was published in February 1992 and contains 98 pages.

The art is by Paul Privitera (cover), Keren Breen, Kari M. John, and Ruth Mellor.

• …Or Your Dreams Will Come True by Marie Chettle (3)
• Iceworks by Gaile Wood (19)
• Warning, poem by Helen Connor (32)
• Armus, poem by Helen Connor (32)
• The Daedelus Factor by Gail Christison (33)
• A Man With Vision by Michael Simpson (51)
• Stormy Ride (Sequel to Ambassador Royale, Issue 5) by Ann E. Routley (54)
• Fun on Angel One, poem by Helen Connor (63)
• Eyes, poem by Ann E. Routley (64)
• Wesley, poem by Helen Connor ) (64)
• Cinidh by Gail Christison (68)

• 

  from issue #7, Keren Breen

• 

  from issue #7, Kari M. John

• 

  from issue #7, Ruth Mellor

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7

This TNG zine features an excellent cover illustration of Riker and the Enterprise. Its 98 pages contain a selection of artwork, poems and short stories. "Iceworks" by Gaile Wood gives a very nice portrayal of an early Data, showing his innocence, naivete and eagerness to learn, The story itself is divided into definite scenes and proceeds like an episode. MIS7 held a welcome surprise for me. have discovered a new (to me) writer who will definitely go on my "Keep an eye open for other work by .... " list. I think that Gail Christison's two stories in this zine are quite outstanding. The first one, "The Daedelus Factor" holds something of all my favourite ingredients of a good Trek story, Picard breaks bad news to Riker who has great difficulty coming to terms with the memories and feelings it disturbs. All his friends in their own way try to help him through this difficult time. Touches of humour are added with an alien creature accidentally beamed aboard the ship. Gail's second story, the last and longest in the zine, is called 'Cinidh'. I do not usually enjoy Trek stories which are not set aboard the Enterprise at all, and which do not include at least two or three of the regular characters - I somehow feel cheated; but this writer's own characters and background are written so convincingly that I very soon became interested in their lives. Riker chooses to spend shore leave on a remote planet inhabited only by a married couple, a marine biologist and a botanist, close friends of his since his early Starfleet days, The planet, Bremah, is thought to have no intelligent life but Riker develops an affinity and compelling interest for its beautiful, whale-like inhabitants, The story deals well with a probJem often ignored in fan fiction, that of scientists working completely alone on remote, inhospitable planets, with no communication, no convenient starships just over the horizon to provide help and resources, When Riker has an accident, the hopeless despair of his friend who knows there is no possibility of outside help, no rescue, no-one else to take over or give support, is extremely well drawn, I would recommend MIS7 to anyone who enjoys good character writing, just for Gail's contributions alone.

Issue 8

Guinan is on the cover of issue #8, Ruth Mellor

Make It So 8 was published in April 1992 and contains 99 pages.

It has art by art by Ruth Mellor and Lorraine Goodison.

• Coming Home by Morag Phillips (3)
• Two As One, poem by Helen Connor (13)
• C'est la Q by Elena Bond (15) ("A Riker/Q story, in which a female Q appears and starts off by giving everyone their heart's desire -- in suitably twisted form, of course.")
• Regrets by Helen Connor (31)
• Watch Out For The… by Lorraine Goodison (33)
• Forever Weeping, poem by Morag Phillips (37)
• Double Trouble by Lisa Dearnley Davison (38)
• Friends, poem by Helen Connor (49)
• Genesis by Gaile Wood (50)
• The Headache, poe by Helen Connor (99)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8

Ruth Mellor's cover sets up the whole thing. A well-drawn, not too overstated drawing of Guinan which has managed to show the character as well as features. Her other two drawings are equally low-key and effective, though I noticed one of my own artistic escapes in one of them (no offence, Ruth. I have a similar problem!) The contents were varied and unusual. Helen Connor's poems were short, to the poim. and references not oven but easy to place. Well done.

I suffer from the problem of accurately placing a story within the TNG continuity - my list of stardales is rather heavily annotated by now, so trying to place some of the stories accurately was understandably difficult. Perhaps I'm too much of a perfectionist bur a stardate would make things much easier.

Coming Home by Morag Phillips suffers no such problem. The account of Beverly's return to the Enterprise is well done, balanced by the use of some minor characters as well as the main one.

Prize for the funniest goes to Watch Out For The... by Lorraine Goodison. Excellently written, it doesn't try to be overly funny, it just is. The last line is an absolute gem.

Genesis by Gaile Wood is well thought out, if a little slow going at first. The characterisations are clear and accurate: I could hear the voices of Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn speaking some of the lines. However, I would make one tiny point. Despite its use in The Host, there is no such word (in English or American) as 'symbiont'. The word is 'symbiotc'.

Double Trouble by Lisa Dearnley Davison will either be plainly evident or - as I found it on first reading - highly confusing. It did become clearer later, fortunately, as it is a good story. Officers working under sealed or secret orders rarely make coherent stories: this is a very good attempt at one.

To Elena Bond's C'Est La Q. The female of the species docs indeed appear to be deadlier than the male. As if giving Picard a multicoloured Mohican haircut and inflicting something unmentionable on Data were not enough - which though funny was injurious to the character, besides being impossible for an android - she then proceeds to lavish her attention on Riker... What a choice! Riker fans will love it. But please, come back John de Lancie, all is forgiven!

If you're a Riker fan you'll love it. All the stories are well-written and of good length, no wasted pages - something I find in the professionally-written novels time and again. If this is the standard of all IDICs writers then I can recommend it... especially for someone like me who, after reading a professional novel, says. "I can do belter than that!" These writers have proved it.

Issue 9

cover of issue #9, Ruth Mellor

Make It So 9 was published in April 1992 and 100 pages.

The art is by Ruth Mellor (cover) and Nola Frame-Gray.

• Retribution by J. Schmidt (3)
• The Loss, poem by Sheryl Peterson (29)
• Judgement by Peter J. Poole (30)
• Tin Man, poem by Sheryl Peterson (38)
• Here Today, poem by Sheryl Peterson (39)
• That Which Hungers by Gaile Wood (41)
• Advice From a Friend, poem by Helen Connor (100)
• Sales Talk by Helen Connor (poem) (100)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9

The ScoTpress zine contains 3 stories and 5 poems, of which my favorite is "The Loss" by Sheryl Peterson.

The first story, "Retribution," by J. Schmidt sees the Enterprise called to a troubled planet to assist after the overthrow of a cruel and bloody government. The perpetrators of the atrocities on non Humans must be transported to be tried by Federation, not planetary, law. Beverly and Worf combine to help a single survivor through the trauma of her recovery. Possibly not for the squeamish, the theme of this story (in the best tradition of aired Trek) is horribly relevant today as any news programme reminds us.

"That Which Hungers" by Gaile Wood takes up the second half of the zine. The Enterprise investigates a planet whose colony has mysteriously disappeared. The landing party find grisly human remains, and the beast responsible manages to board the ship and continues its gruesome trail of destruction there, A terrified child is rescued and attaches herself to Worf, much to the warriors discomfort. An interesting story, although I would have liked it to include the scene where Worf and the child parted, since their relationship was such an integral part of the story.

My favourite story is P J Poole's "Question of Judgment." Troi is convinced that a child is being badly treated on board, but finds her empathic "knowledge" is insufficient lo persuade Picard to take direct action in such a delicate matter- although he finds another way to help. There is an excellent scene between Guinan and Troi, discussing the differences in their roles and with insight from Guinan on Picard's character. It also includes the splendid quote, "It's taken me all day to get this tense and I would hate to waste it." Personally I think the Troi/Guinan relationship is potentially one of the most interesting in TNG and one which is rarely written about, either by fans or in episodes - but this story goes a long way towards redressing the balance. All in all, a most enjoyable zine.

Issue 10

cover of issue #10, Gordon Smith

Make It So 10 was published in June 1992 and 100 pages.

The art is by Gordon Smith (cover), Anita Shearman, Morag Phillips, Gill Marsden, Keren Breen, and Gaile Wood.

• Pipeline by Lisa Dearnley Davison (3)
• Visions, poem by Margaret Connor (16)
• Invisible Fury by Margaret Connor (17)
• A Death of Value by Oriel Cooper (28)
• Friendly Spirit by Helen Connor (30)
• Comment/Replies, poem by Helen Connor (40)
• Past's Hidden by Sally Woods (41)
• The Tinkerbell Experience by Gaile Wood (65)
• Data or Lore, poem by Helen Connor (p (82)
• The Firemaker by Matthew Conway (83).

• 

  from issue #10, Gaile Wood

• 

  from issue #10, Gaile Wood

Issue 11

cover of issue #11, Gaile Wood

Make It So 11 - Poppies was published in October 1992 and contains 86 pages. It is a novel written and illustrated by Gaile Wood.

Summary

The Enterprise has been called to Injaab, which is trying to break away from the Ferengi, but some of the Injaabi are happy with the status quo. Dr. Crusher has the job of tracking down what is poisoning the Injaabi women.

• 

  from issue #11

• 

  from issue #11

• 

  from issue #11

• 

  from issue #11

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 11

The Enterprise is summoned to the planet Injaab, where treacherous Ferengi mischief is at its deadliest Picard is reunited with an old friend and Dr Crusher finds herself faced with a life-threatening challenge. Gaile Wood has created an intricate and absorbing culture in the form of the Injaabii people; her individual characterizations are both believable and riveting. Tne Enterprise crew are exactly how we would expect them to be and the character of Ambassador Lelltorin is a wonderful diplomatic foil for Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The writing is excellent, the story flowing beautifully fluently. This zine has just about everything, so all I can say is - congratulations. Gaile. Great stuff! For anyone who hasn't yet got a copy -what are you waiting for! if you want a decent read then take a look at Poppies. Yes, I think it's safe to assume that I recommend this one 9 out of 10.

This is a very attractively set out zine; illustrated by Gaile Wood and one of the first ScoTpress zines to feature the improved fonts, resulting in a most professional layout.

Poppies is a story in which Dr Crusher has to find out what is poisoning the women of Injaabi. An interesting tale, although in all fairness, the story seems to have just as much to do with the diplomatic effects on the part of the Enterprise to out manoeuvre the Ferengi. I'll not spoil the story by telling you if they are successful or not! The Injaabi are quite a complex race, whose customs seem to carry a hint of eastern culture about them - for instance, for me anyhow, the concept of Sister Brides. And this backdrop gives the usual crew of the USS Enterprise a lot of scope for intrigue and excitement.

Poppies is an incredibly polished story that easily knocks efforts such as Grounded by Bischoff and Devil's Heart by Carter, off the shell. The story doesn't lack pace, and characterisation is excellent. If I have one criticism - it's that it's maybe a little too professional. The interpersonal relationships are exactly what you would expect - nothing more. Everyone behaves very much in character. But hey, if that's the only thing I can find to criticise in this novella length story (and that's only what I think, after all) doesn't that say something? Now then - if you were going to ask my opinion of Bischoff s Grounded...

Issue 12

cover of issue #12, Gordon Smith

from issue #12, Ruth Mellor

Make It So 12 was published in January 1993 and 100 pages.

The art is by Gordon Smith (cover) and Ruth Mellor.

Summary from Bill Hupe's catalog:

Lore's youth; a Poppet story; the crew is subjected to testing by an advanced race; a freighter carrying Picard and Worf is attacked by pirates; the Enterprise is carrying two ambassadors... or are they?

• The Storyteller by Bonnie Holmyard (3)
• Situation Wanted, poem by Helen Connor (8)
• You Lived Among the Colonists, poem by Christine Carr (9)
• Genetics, poem by Helen Connor (26)
• Party Animal by Peter J. Poole (27)
• The Loss, poem by Sheryl Peterson (33)
• Trial by Error by Margaret Connor (34)
• Yin 'Etlh, Hegh 'Etlh by Gail Christison (53)
• Memories by Jenny Howsam (poem) (75)
• Dangerous Diplomacy by John Gallacher (76)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 12

An interesting read, and one of the MISs to boast the very professional layout and fonts that ScoTpress have been using since MIS 11.

Okay, this zine has a wide variety of stories in it, and I'm not going to offer any prizes for my most favourite one of all. So I'll start with that. Yin 'Etlh, Hegh 'Etlh (Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword) by Gail Christison. It's a Picard and Worf story and is a good one. Picard gets injured. Should Worf do the honourable Klingon thing - and finish him off? Read it and find out. Other stories that, in my opinion, qualify for a mention in despatches are Party Animal by P J Poole and Dangerous Diplomacy by John Gallacher.

The first features the 8-foot otter-like Mijbillem Poppet again, and has got some brilliantly funny bits - my favourite being the attempted exit by Riker et al from Ten Forward, as they struggle with a drunken 8-foot otter being. Dangerous Diplomacy is an interesting tale of deceit and treachery, which I can't tell you too much about or I'll spoil the story.

The Storyteller is well written, but maybe a little too short for my taste - atmospheric, tense, it just seems to get going and then it's finished. You Lived Among the Colonists? is a Lore story, an interesting development of Lore and Soong's life on Omicron Theta. It is cleverly handled with good characterisation, but was not really my cup of tea. The same goes for Trial and Error bv Margaret Connor - but then I'm not the world's greatest Riker fan... yet.

So there you have it. There are also four poems. The cover illustration is one of Data as Sherlock Holmes, looking as if someone's knocked against his off switch. By that, I mean he's got that Ah!- expression on his face.

Issue 13

cover of issue #13, Lynn Henricks

Make It So 13 was published in January 1993 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Lynn Henricks (cover), Keren Breen, and Nola Frame-Gray.

Summary from Bill Hupe's catalog:

Two Poppet tales; an Enterprise teacher becomes empathic; a crashed spacecraft creates a puzzle for the Enterprise crew; more.

• Tail of the Unexpected by Lorraine Goodison (3)
• Excuse Me, Is This Holodeck Taken? by Elizabeth Roberts (15)
• No Savour, poem by Margaret Connor (25)
• Terminus by Debbie Lee ("A scornful classmate of Jeremy Aster's is taken aback by his Klingon connections.") (26)
• Fate, poem by Helen Connor (40)
• Tailored Environment by Peter J. Poole (41)
• Geordie, poem by Rachel Lindfield (46)
• Marella by Helen Connor (47)
• After by Gail Christison (63)
• Old Friend, poem by Margaret Connor (66)
• A Question of Being by Gail Christison (67)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 13

First off, I think Make It So 13 is possibly the best collection of TNG stories I have read in terms of breadth of material in it (and I'm not just saying that honest!) I can be a very intolerant reader if I don't like something (I gave up on Grounded by David Bischoff after chapter 3) but I had no such problems with this edition of Make It So.

There are seven stories and four short poems. All the stories are very good; Tail of the Unexpected by Lorraine Goodison, Excuse Me, is This Holodeck Taken? by Elizabeth Roberts, Tailored Environment by Peter J Poole, Marella by Helen Connor, After bv Gail Christison and A Question of Being by Gail Christison. (The seventh is by me, but I'll let others be the judge of that one - it's called Terminus.)

Tail of the Unexpected and Tailored Environment are both Poppet stories, alive with the humour I have come to expect from the TNG stories featuring Poppet, an eight foot high otter-like being; but my personal favourites have to be Excuse Me, is This Holodeck Taken?, After and A Question of Being. Excuse Me, is This Holodeck Taken? is a very clever short story. Elizabeth Roberts takes us through various holodeck vignettes from a hilarious account of a school trip by the Enterprise's infants' to Data's investigations into being more Human, to Picard trying to view his ship as the lower ranks would experience it, to Geordi simply relaxing on a beach. Excellent stuff. And then we get on to the stories After and A Question of Being, both by Gail Christison. Now those who know me know that I'm a complete and utter fan of Gail Christison's stories - which are always totally excellent (in my view). After is a very short one, devoted to Captain Picard's attempts to deal with the aftermath of being so badly borgified in The Best of Both Worlds. It's a sensitively done story that shows Gail's ability to show TNG character interaction better than almost any other author I know of (and if you are reading this, Mr Bischoff, you could do worse than get Gail Christison to give you a lesson on this subject).

This is followed by A Question of Being, by Gail Christison again. It is the longest story in the zine, and is a Data/Geordi ,one of surprising complexity. Without spoiling it. Data leads an Away Team to investigate a crashed vessel and ensuing events result in the death of Jennifer D"Sora (yes, THAT Jennifer) and the near fatal injury of Geordi (by Data, as he attempts to protect his friend). Again, the character interaction is excellent all the way through and what starts off as an almost standard TNG Away Team type story soon has you caught up in a tale of terrific depth.

So there you have it. I am an avid zine reader now, having stopped buying the TNG novels because I found them so disappointing I think I'll stick with my zine reading for now!

Issue 14

cover of issue #14, Christa Richert

Make It So 14 was published in February 1993 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Christa Richert (cover), Ruth Mellor, Gaile Wood, Maxine, and Nola Frame-Gray.

Summary from Bill Hupe's catalog:

Worf hosts a special meeting of the command crew; the Enterprise is called to bear witness to the inheritance of a new planetary leader; Dr. Crusher is accidentally left behind on an evacuated planet that is suffering radiation poisoning.

• Inquest on a Final Mission by Peter J, Poole (3)
• Remembering Q by Gail Michael Crouch (8)
• Surprise! Surprise! by Bonnie Holmyard (9)
• The Right Born by Gaile Wood (16)
• Captains Doctors and Rogue Archaeologists, poem by Jenny Howsam (47)
• Letting Go, poem by Lee Sansome (49)
• Lost and Found by Debbie Lee (50)

• 

  from issue #14, Ruth Mellor

• 

  from issue #14, Gaile Wood

• 

  from issue #14, Gaile Wood

• 

  from issue #14, Gaile Wood

• 

  from issue #14, Maxine

• 

  from issue #14, Maxine

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 14

From Christa's luminous cover to the last word of Debbie Lee's "Lost and Found". Make II So 14 is a treasure trove of fan fiction at its finest.

Of particular note are two pieces of art by 'Maxine'; Letting Go' by Lee Sansome (Riker's feelings as he accedes to the Captains chair whilst Picard is a prisoner or" the Borg); The Right Born by Caile Wood and the a foremen turned Losi and Found'. In The Right Born, Gaile Wood uses her brilliant descriptive abilities to introduce us to a new and utterly convincing alien species whilst capturing the characters we are so familiar with with enviable ease. Lost and Found, whilst a trifle unlikely in its initial premise (Dr Crusher removes her com badge and it is subsequently transported to the Enterprise, fooling the computer that she is aboard) soon settles into a galloping romp across the galaxy in true Star Trek style, taking in a study of Bev Crusher's character, the impact of her loss upon her crewmates, a new and surprising life form and a familiar 'villain'.

I also enjoyed Inquest on a Final Mission (no guesses what that's about!); Remembering Q; Captains, Doctors and Rogue Archaeologists and Surprise, Surprise (although I had it figured out what the alien was from early on. All the artwork was admirable if not outstanding.

Do you get the message? Make It So 14 is ScoTpresss best effort to date if haven t read MIS 15 yet). Read it if you have to beg, borrow or "steal" it; read it. You may never buy another Titan' again.

This zine has a lovely art cover by Christa Richert which warmed me to it before I'd even opened it! It contains three poems and four stories. Being a fan writer I have a great respect for poets; I always find poetry so hard. All the ones in here are excellent. Particular mention must go to Lee Sansome's Letting Go - Riker's thoughts on taking command following Picard's abduction by the Borg. A very moving depiction.

Inquest on a Final Mission by PJ Poole is what the title says, reallv - a short story centering around Wesley Crusher. I really liked this, which speaks volumes as Wes has never been a favourite of mine. I loved Captain Poshkov. I know this zine was probably printed a few years ago (being number 14, and ScoTpress is currently on number 25!) but a crossover story pitching her against Picard - what a story that would make!

Surprise, Surprise by Bonnie Holmyard. A story about Worf's attempts to entertain the other senior staff, and what happens when it doesn't go according to plan. This was quite good, one of several, I gathered, about the senior officers spending more leisure time together. I liked the idea - you never saw much of that in the programme, and I'm sure they would have in reality (apart from the constant poker games, and why do they always wear their uniforms even when they are off duty?)

The Right Born by Gaile Wood. Quite an interesting read, introducing the Lavithians, a blind humanoid race who have developed sonar abilities and telepathy. The story concerns the inauguration of a new President after the death of the old one under suspicious circumstances.

Lost and Found bv Debbie Lee. The final and longest story, which took up over half the zine. I loved this - what a great story, and a must tor Beverly Crusher fans. "How the hell did we manage to leave one of our most senior officers behind?" Riker asks, but the answer is totally believable. The good Doctor is accidentally left on Batia 5 after its evacuation. Still unconscious, she is taken aboard a ship captained by none other than Lore. The verbal duelling between them is very enjoyable. The author depicts Beverly's firm, no-nonsense attitude to her predicament brilliantly, and Lore's obviously unstable nature and bizarre mood swings are equally accurate. Dialogue is hard to write, but in this story you can hear the characters speaking. It's simply great!

All in all, MIS 14 is one to get your little mittens on. I've read lots of Make It Sos and this is definitely one of my favourites.

Issue 15

cover of issue #15, Corinne Meyer

from issue #15, Lorraine Goodison

Make It So 15 was published in February 1993 and contains 102 pages.

The art is by Corinne Meyer (cover), Lorraine Goodison, and Nola Frame-Gray.

Summary from Bill Hupe's catalog:

The Enterprise answer a distress call; Yar takes a group of young crew members on a survival exercise; a colonizing ship gives Picard's crew a problem; and more.

• Warriors by Gail Christison (3)
• Behind the Tear, poem by Jenny Howsam (6)
• The End by Lisa Dearnley-Davison (7)
• K'ehleyr's Point of View, poem by Margaret Connor (11)
• Truth Unveiled by Bonnie Holmyard (12)
• The Hunter and the Hunted by Lisa Dearnley-Davison (20)
• Survival by Gail Christison (48)
• Full Marks by Gaile Wood (81)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 15

The new A5 format front ScoTpress debuts here as Make It So 15, and is most impressive. (Plus that, it doesn't hurt your nose if you tall asleep while reading it in bed.) At last, a zine that you can get into your handbag - that is, for those of us who have handbags. Make II So 15 features six stories and two poems.... My favourite of all of these is the Bonnie Holmyard's storv called Truth Unveiled combines two great interests of mine, TN and tarot, to great effect. An unusual story, nicely told. The two Gail Christison ones are as good a read as ever, the first a short holodeck story-entitled Warriors, the second one called Survival. Both feature Tasha Yar and Worf as the main characters, and are written in Gail's usual inspired way. Anyone who has encountered Lisa Dearnley-Davison in previous editions of Make It So will be familiar with this writer's distinctive style. Interestingly enough, she's managed to rework this without spoiling it to deliver a story out of the usual wav called The End, which features Geordi La Forge. The Hunter and the Hunted is much longer, and different yet again in delivery - Riker is in danger and the Enterprise is racing against time to save a planet. The final story is Full Marks by Gaile Wood, and combines a clever plot with Gaile's gift for narrative. She has a knack of introducing very believable races and unusual groups into the TNG universe and the occupants of the Ark are no exception. A 24th century equivalent of New Age Travellers, maybe? Needless to say, Picard el al have their work cut out for them when they encounter Aaron Fielding and his band of followers. recommending as being worth the price of the zine on its own.

This is the first A5-sized issue of Make It So. It contains 6 stories and 2 poems. The first story is Warriors by Gail Christison, which is only three pages long. Worf and Tasha exercise together on the holodeck and get to know one another a little better. Short but sweet. The second story is The End by Lisa Dearnley-Davison and is four and a half pages long. Geordi wakes to find the crew of the Enterprise missing - but is it a dream or not? A little empty and esoteric. Then there is Truth Unveiled by Bonnie Holmyard which is 8 pages long. This is a very enjoyable short story where Troi reads the fortunes of the rest of the bridge crew in the Tarot. Very amusing. Next is The Hunter and the Hunted bv Lisa Dearnley-Davison, which is twenty seven and a half pages long. A feline species is being decimated by a virus. In a bid to help, an away team beams down. Through an accident Riker contracts the virus. Most of the story is taken up by finding a cure. There is nothing technically wrong, but I found the story lacking in interest. Survival by Gail Christison is thirty three pages long. Lt Yar decides her security team is lacking in practical experience and takes a group on a survival exercise. Things go very wrong once they are alone on the planet. A good story, well written, exciting and also food for thought Last is Full Marks by Gaile Wood, which is twenty one pages long. An Ark of technophobes runs into technical difficulties- The Enterprise lends a hand, only to run into a technical problem of their own - a contagious itch. An amusing story. The two poems are Behind the Tear by Jenny Howsam, concerning how Picard felt when he was LocutUS, and K'ehlevr's Point of View by Margaret Connor. Survival is the best story, followed by Truth Unveiled and then Full Marks. The ones I liked least were The End and The Hunter and the Hunted.

Issue 16

cover of issue #16

Make It So 16 - The Distaff Side was published in August 1993.

It is a 96-page novel by Debbie Lee.

This issue contains no art.

In it, the women of the Enterprise crew get the chance to show their mettle.

Issue 17

cover of issue #17, Steve John Davies

Make It So 17 was published in October 1993 and contains 104 pages.

The art is by Steve John Davies (cover), Ruth Mellor, and Maxine.

• To Be or Not to Be by Martin Stahl ("A crewman falls in love with a Holodeck girl.") (3)
• Sound of Souls, poem by Gaile Wood (9)
• The Garden of Eden by Sally Woods ("Vellarus has asked for Federation help but not everyone wants it. There is sabotage leading to a surprising incident.") (10)
• Shoot to Kill, poem by Ann Peters (33)
• The Impossible Dream, poem by Margaret Connor (34)
• Crossing the Line by Alan Butler ("A medical team is needed on Deltori, where the King is very ill.") (36)
• Skin of Evil by Gail Christison ("The crew's reaction to Yar's death.") (44)
• Meld, poem by Linda C Wood (53)
• Not to be Sniffed At by David Gallagher (55)
• Perspectives by Lee Sansome ("Picard and Worf go on a diplomatic mission; Picard is still recovering from being a Borg, and the mission is not as simple as it seems.") (56)
• War Games, poem by Helen Connor (104)

• 

  from issue #17, Maxine

• 

  from issue #17, Maxine, an example of art imitation: Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper

• 

  from issue #17, Maxine

• 

  from issue #17, Maxine

Issue 18

cover of issue #18, Christine Carr

from issue #18, Christine Carr

Make It So 18 was published in December 1993 and contains 98 pages.

The cover and single interior illo are by Christine Carr.

This issue has an editorial, the first since the fifth issue. Most of it concerns zine production details and sales:

This is the fifth zine we've put out in the new A5 size. Most of you seem to like - or at least have no objection to - the new size; ease of carrying, of storing, and of course a lower price are all positive advantages that most of you mentioned. Of course, it wasn't w1til the first three had been out for two or three months that a picture of reader reaction began to emerge, and the fourth one was printed while that reaction was still coming in. With this issue we're taking note of certain of your comments.

The biggest objection levelled at the new size of zine was the small print (though it was exactly the same as the print in the newsletter). We've therefore increased the size of print slightly; we hope this helps. The new size would have increased the length from 100 pages to around 112 if we had left it single column; this would have meant either cutting it by 12 pages (to keep it at 100 pages, since we've found that to be the easiest length to work to) or increasing the price. By double columning it we not only saved those extra pages, we were able to slot in four additional pages.

We're still looking for reader reaction - do you think this is easier to read than the single-columned zine in the same size of print as the newsletter? The shorter line is supposed to be easier to read in this size of print, and also lets us include 1nore material. We'd like as much reaction as possible before the beginning of February, since we'll be putting zines to the printer during February and March in readiness for next year's cons and if we get any helpful, constructive comments we would like to act on them for these zines.

Earlier in 1993, everyone putting out zines found sales had dropped alarmingly; our solution, the A5 size which let us cut the price, has resulted in an increase in sales. As long as this continues, we no longer need to think of cutting back on zine production.

• Dreaming Through the Twilight by Jackie Marshall ("Riker goes on shore leave with Picard after the Borg incident.") (3)
• Remembrance, poem by Gaile Wood (11)
• And I Dreamed I was An Eagle by Brenda Kelsey ("Sela has her own reasons for what she's done.") (12)
• Of Empathy, poem by Gaile Wood (15)
• Triptych by P.J. Poole ("Picard tries to come to terms with the Hitaan memories... and the Borg.") (16)
• Memories of Earth, poem by Jenny Howsam (21)
• The Positronic Dream Made Flesh by Carol Sterenberg ("From Lore's activation to the destruction of the planet by the Crystal Entity.") (22)
• Yuta, poem by Helen Connor (40)
• Calling Out, poem by Jenny Howsam (41)
• A Test of Warrior Skill by Sherry Golding ("Riker and Worf and two holodeck programs.") (42)
• Altered Images, poem by Margaret & Helen Connor (45)
• Run-In by Brenda Kelsey ("Guinan and Picard meet. (46)
• Guinan's View of Q, poem by Margaret Connor (48)
• Strands by Gaile Wood ("A child of an alien race has been kidnapped. It is vital that the child be retrieved before it matures, but finding it is not so easy.") (49)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 18

Geordi on the front Worf inside and 98 pages of fan-fantasy make this one of the best TNG zines from ScoTpress. There are 7 stories and 7 poems, all of a very high standard.

Being a Picard fan I particularly liked Dreaming Through the Twilight by Jackie Marshall and Tryptych by P J Poole. In the first story, Beverly and Deanna persuade Riker to go on shore leave with Picard after the Borg incident which has placed a great strain on the relationship between Captain and First Officer. Alone on the planet someone has to make the first move. This is a short but tense story with convincing characterisation, revealing the vulnerabilities of both men.

In Tryptych Picard is tormented by nightmares involving both the Borg and his 'wife' and 'children' from Resslk. A possible solution is to erase the Hitaan memories altogether, not an easy decision for the Captain. This story again reveals the closeness of the main characters, particularly Deanna and the Captain.

There are two very different stories by Brenda Kelsey. And I Dreamed I Was an Eagle is a Sela story giving another slant on the events of Redemption and Unification and presuming a very different relationship between Sela and her mother I thought this story was excellent and 1 would like to see Ms Kolsey's premise taken up by Paramount. On the other hand Running is a short, sharp musing on the first (?) meeting between Guinan and Picard.

Strands by Gaile Wood is a long Worf and Riker story taking up the second half of the zine. Our heroes, posing as renegades, are on a mission to save the child of an alien race. Amongst other things they have to contend with a Russian slave trader, a brothel madam and an enigmatic heroine It was nice to see Worf 'getting lucky and my only complaint is that we don't get lo hear him speaking Russian, which would have surprised the hell out of the slave trader!

The Positronic Dream Made Flesh by C Sterenberg is a Lore story. A Test of Warrior Skill by S Guiding is another short story with Worf and Riker on the holodeck.

Overall I give Make It So 18 an 8 out of 10 rating. Enjoy!

Issue 19

cover of issue #19, Christine Carr

Make It So 19 was published in February 1994 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Christine Carr (cover), Gill Marsden, and Maike Zock.

• Number Five by Brenda Kelsey ("Wes comes back on board...with a problem.") (3)
• Just a Game, poem by Helen Connor (11)
• Friends by Ryan O'Neill ("An urgent medical mission goes wrong, and Data has to choose between duty and friendship.") (12)
• What Do You See?, poem by Helen Connor (44)
• Selza O'Rein by Sherry Golding ("An away team discovers puzzles on a planet.") (45)
• Temporary Alliance, poem by Margaret Connor (48)
• A Time of Confidence by Christine Carr ("Carmin Reo failed at Academy, and now she has crashed her civilian ship. Incompetence...or something else? Could Data clear her name?") (49)
• Perchance To Dream by Carol Sterenberg ("Why Data doesn't sleep.") (64)
• The Healing, poem by Sean Christie (66)
• The Human Condition, poem by Gaile Wood (68)
• Pride by Sherry Golding ("Is it stronger to accept a challenge--or refuse it?") (69)
• Geordi's Luck, poem by Margaret Connor (73)
• Some Kind of Justice by Carol Sterenberg ("Data has attacked Crusher but insists the attacker was Lore--who was last seen being beamed into space and must have been destroyed.") (74)
• The Borg, poem by Helen Connor (100)

• 

  from issue #19, Gill Marsden

• 

  from issue #19, Maike Zock

Issue 20

cover of issue #20, Gaile Wood

Make It So 20 was published in February 1994 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Gaile Wood (cover), Ruth Mellor, and Nola Frame-Gray.

• Time Out of Mind by Nina Lynch ("Captain Lerette has come forward in time 85 years--and insists on trying to return 'home' despite the arguments of the Enterprise crew.") (3)
• Hidden Feelings, poem by Helen Connor (43)
• The Closet Officer by Nola Frame-Gray ("A health inspector turns up an irregularity in Data's quarters.") (44)
• We're Back, poem by Helen Connor (60)
• Picking Up the Pieces by Margaret Connor (61)
• Messenger by Sandra Edge ("The Enterprise is sent to check on a warring planet.") (62)
• Lutan, poem by Margaret Connor (69)
• A Bloody Revenge, poem by Jenny Howsam (70)
• No Place for the Innocent by Sean Christie ("A distress call is cancelled...but things on Veltae II are far from all right.") (71)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 20

First of all, this is my first (but not my last) fanzine -- in fact, the first time I've read any Trek. (After hearing all the reviews about Make It So, I thought I'd try it myself.) And I must say, it is excellent.

There were 4 stories and 7 poems in this issue. The first story (and in my opinion, the best) took up the first half of the zine. It's called Time out of Mind and was written by Nina Lynch. Captain Lerette comes forward in time 85 years after escaping the Klingons' Mindsifter and, even though she is half-Vulcan, her mind is being slowly destroyed by its effects. The only way to set her mind at rest is to go back in time. There is an excellent twist at the end. I'd give this story 9 out of 10.

The next story was not to my taste at all, as it is an A/U story- It is called The Closet Officer (by Nola Frame-Gray) and is about an Admiral doing a routine health inspection. The Admiral finds out that Data's quarters are too small and the story leads on from there. It had some funny incidents, but over all, I feel I can only give it 5 out of 10.

The next story is called The Messenger and is written by Sandra Edge. It is a very good story, with great characterisation, though not too original- The Enterprise is sent to check on a warring planet to find out how things are going. However, when they arrive there is no sign of life or technology. Then the life support systems begin to fail. I'd give this story 7 out of 10.

The final story concerns a past friend of the Captain's who has survived many years living underground on a planet. My one quibble is that it focused too much on the guest' characters. Still, it's highly enjoyable.

All the poems were of high quality and ranged from the events of The Naked Now (my favourite) to the Romulans returning.

Over all, an enjoyable first encounter, and I recommend fanzines to everyone.

Issue 21

cover of issue #21, Karen Breen

Make It So 21 was published in March 1994 and has 100 pages.

The art is by Karen Breen (front cover) and Maike Zock.

• Q'Oymi Pachakuti by Taruka Quauhtezcatl ("Problems on Fomalhaut V extend to the Enterprise.") (3)
• Lament, poem by Gaile Wood (24)
• When Thou Hast by Brenda Kelsey ("Guinan struggles with Picard's abduction by the Borg.") (25)
• Personal Conflict by Richard Meade ("Picard, Riker and Data are kidnapped by Romulans.") (27)
• Sentience, poem by Helen Connor (40)
• The Sleeper Shall Awaken by Nigel Turner ("The Algonians and the Delgarians have been at war for many years. Now a peace conference has been arranged. Meanwhile the Enterprise picks up a man who's been in cryogenic sleep since the end of the 20th century--and whose ship couldn't possibly have reached so far into space.") (41)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 21

Make It So 21 is a solid enjoyable read with the usual pot pourri. There are 4 short stories and 2 poems, The first short story (Q'oymi Pachakuli) has 3 of the show's favourite guest characters - Ro, Q and one other. At times I felt the characters were reading their lines from a teleprompter, so to speak. The twist made up for this (although I had already guessed it). When Thou Hast by Brenda Kelsey is short and to the point. It concerned Guinan's indecision over whether or not to help Riker kill Picard in Best of Both Worlds. My only quibble is that it's hard to imagine Guinan being as troubled as she was. The next story is called Personal Conflict, written by Richard Meade. It felt as if it was an episode, and a good one at that. Basically, Riker, Data and Picard are kidnapped by Romulans and Worf is forced to go on a solo rescue mission. It flowed smoothly and the tension was kept up. The final and deservedly longest story is The Sleeper Shall Awaken by Nigel Turner. Once again it has an episode-like quality to it. The writing is descriptive and the characters acting as they do on the show. The story deals with the Enterprise going to salvage a peace conference between two warring factors (so what's new?). On the way a man in cryogenic sleep is picked up (sound familiar?). Despite the lack of originality, the plot and subplot fuse together seamlessly, providing a satisfactory story.

Issue 22

cover of issue #22, Corinne Meyer

Make It So 22 was published in March 1994 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Corinne Meyer (front cover), Ruth Mellor, Kari Melissa, and Anita Shearman.

This issue was originally planned as a single novel zine called "Space Trial." Instead, that novel became part of several stories in this issue.

• Holodeck Homicide by Christine Carr ("A Holodeck program has gone wrong; Data has been attacked and left for dead. Accident or murder?") (3)
• The Answer, poem by Margaret Connor (19)
• One of Those Days by Carol Sterenberg ("Picard has a problem -- it's just one of those days.") (21)
• The Wanderer, poem by Helen Connor (poem) (25)
• Elegy for Lal by Lyn Muir (26)
• Space Trial by Debbie Lee ("Leah Brahms calls on Geordi, Wesley and Robin Lefler to help her run a space trial of an experimental propulsion") (27)
• Liko, poem by Margaret Connor (100)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 22

I don't read a lot of fan fiction but when a fellow IDIC member lent me a couple of issues of Make It So' I thought I'd give them a try. This issue was an interesting mixture even though three quarters of it was taken up by one story.

We open with 'Holodeck Homicide" by Chrisrine Carr- I quite enjoyed this story since it showed us something we see all too rarely in TNG - Troi being useful. Most Troi episodes seem to involve her being exceedingly wet and helpless with a few going to the opposite extreme (e.g. "Face of the Enemy'). In this story, we actually see Troi making use of her abilities in the investigation of an attempt on Data's life. The interplay between the Starbase Security Chief and Troi is a variation on the well-worn theme of a mis-matched pairing who initially clash before coming to respect each other. However, it was entertaining and so I'll forgive them for taking 16 pages to spot a connection that I saw in the opening scene. Scores 7.5 out of 10.

'One of Those Days' bv Carol Sterenberg is a bit of a letdown. Basically it's one joke extended to 2 1/2 pages by which time it loses the impact. I'm pretty sure I've seen it before in a Classic Trek setting and I didn't find it that funny there either. Scores a grudging 4 out of 10.

'Elegy for Lai' by Lyn Muir offers us more - a deeper view of Data's relationship to Lai with a quietly poignant tone. It's short but it achieves its end and the style and tone are reminiscent of how Data would express the emotion if he were a better poet than he seems to be. Scores 7 out of 10.

Finally, and most lengthily, we have 'Space Trial' by Debbie Lee. This fully deserves to take up most of the zine. I felt as if I was reading an episode, the plot and the behaviour of the characters felt right, the links to earlier episodes fitted and the pace was smooth. Tension is kept up on a number of fronts although this does require a little suspension of disbelief when it comes to the process by which Starfieet conducts the space-going trials of a new design oi warp drive. I don't alwavs see the excitement value in academic rivalry (although it crops up a fair few times in the Trek universe) but thankfully Debbie brings in other ideas to keep us on edge. I would have awarded 8.5 but I have to dock a quarter point for the opening scene. We are at Starfleet Academy, premier educational establishment of the Federation and the lecturer is still using flipcharts! Scores 8.25 out of 10.

Issue 23

cover of issue #23, Gordon Smith

Make It So 23 was published in January 1995 and contains 96 pages.

The art is by Gordon Smith (front cover), Matthew Christie, and Zaquia Tarhuntassa (Tarhantassa's art may have been reprinted from another zine.).

Summary from Bill Hupe's catalog:

Data joins the Enterprise and finds it completely different than any previous posting; Data is intrigued by a new crew person, a friend of Keiko's who is also telekinetic; Deanna Troi is kidnapped; why does Captain Morgan think Jack Crusher is still alive?

• It by Kirstie Jordan ("Why does Captain Morgan think that Jack Crusher is still alive and Wesley is just a baby?") (3)
• Curious Interloper by Sandra Edge ("Four new crewmembers join the Enterprise...but what is the mysterious link they share?") (10)
• Spot's Musings by Christine Carr (24)
• Debutant by Christine Carr ("Data's new captain and crewmates make him more welcome than he's been before.") (reprinted in D-Tales) (26)
• Wesley, poem by Helen Connor (40)
• Q by Helen Connor (poem) (40)
• Saffron by J. Schmidt ("Data is intrigued by a new crew person, a friend of Keiko's who is also telekinetic.") (41)
• Warning, poem by Margaret Connor (77)
• In the Captain's Shoes by Pen Cramphorn ("The real Captain of the Enterprise inspects the ship.") (78)
• The Eye of the Beholder by Jacquie Groom ("Deanna Troi is kidnapped, and the Enterprise is refused permission to search for her.") (81)

• 

  from issue #23, Matthew Christie

• 

  from issue #23, Zaquia Tarhuntassa

Issue 24

cover of issue #24, Gordon Smith

Make It So 24 was published in 1995 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Gordon Smith (front cover), Ruth Mellor, and Zaquia Tarhuntassa.

• Cuckoos in the Nest by Sandra Edge ("It seems that someone is trying to kill Riker.") (3)
• After by Ruth King ("Riker and Guinan talk.") (22)
• Then Ten-Year Mission, poem by Helen Connor (25)
• Enterprise Saturday Night, Chief O'Brien's Song, filk by Alan Boag (26)
• Golden Star, Morning Wisdom by Taruka Quauhtezcatl ("Avery is a Q who has chosen to leave the Continuum, and the Enterprise comes to the rescue of her adopted race.") (28)
• William Thomas Riker, poem by Jacquie Groom (100)

Issue 25

cover of issue #25, Matthew Christie

Make It So 25 was published in August 1995 and is 100 pages long.

The art is by Matthew Christie (front cover), C. MacLeod, and Zaquia Tarhuntassa.

• Necessary Evil by Anne Keown ("After "The Mind's Eye", Geordi is violently interrogated by Starfleet to discover whether he is a traitor.") (3)
• Fledgeling by Sandra Edge ("A sequel to "Cuckoos in the Nest" in issue #24. Children have been kidnapped for sale as slaves. Can Riker use the rescue attempt to find his lost daughter?") (27)
• Just Desserts by Liz Aris ("Worf, Riker, and Geordi get involved in a shoreleave fight.") (58)
• Aftermath by Christine Carr ("After the Borg and Soong incidents, Picard and Data doubt themselves.") (61)

Issue 26

cover of issue #26, Zaquia Tarhuntassa

from issue #26, Matthew Christie

Make It So 26 was published in April 1996 and contains 100 pages.

The art is by Zaquia Tarhuntassa (front cover) and Matthew Christie.

It was the last issue in the series. It contains no editorial comments, about this, or anything else.

• A Little Ado by Eve Robinson ("The men in the crew are irresistibly attracted to a new, temporary crewmember.") (3)
• Cousins by Sandra P. Edge ("A mercenary group raids Dr. Soong's laboratory and the Daystrom Institute.") (15)
• Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow by Eve Robinson ("A lab assistant helps a disconnected android which is being studied.") (24)
• Body Language, poem by Jenny Howsam (26)
• A Boy Dreams, poem by Ann Lindsay Wright (27)
• To Press the Trigger, poem by Jenny Howsam (28)
• Where No Cat Has Gone Before by Pen Cramphorn ("Spot accidentally joins an away team.") (29)
• A Man, poem by Ann Lindsay (38)
• Let Us Prey by Christine Carr ("Answering a distress call from Exa III, the Enterprise finds a social problem--but solving it in the most humane fashion means breaching the Prime Directive.") (39)
• The Right Decision, poem by Arline Lewis (100)