Motet

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Zine
Title: Motet
Publisher: Keynote Press, out of Canada
Editor(s): Marcelle Gibson
Date(s): 1997-2000
Series?: Yes
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Professionals
Language: English
External Links: online flyers
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Motet Series is a slash anthology. It had four issue and was designed to showcase writers new to Pros.

From an editorial: "A motet is a piece of polyphonic music for voices, usually unaccompanied, which typically celebrates biblical or religious text. In this publication, our voices celebrate Justice and, of course, Love."

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, Mary Margaret O'Shea. From a fan in 2010: "MOTET - Jean Kluge does an incredible cover called Dangerous. They look like men who live and die by the gun. When compared with the smiling MOTET 2, wow. The emotion she conveys in the characters" [1]

Motet for New Voices in B and D was published May 1997 and has fanart by Jean Kluge, Suzan Lovett, Warren Oddsson, Mary Margaret O'Shea (aka Jean Kluge), Joey Rodrigues, and Minou.

From the editorial:

This zine has come into existence directly due to a random act of generosity by Suzan Lovett, whose piece In A Different Reality inspired a story from Anne Higgins, which resulted in a story from Elizabeth Holden... one thing led to another...and Bob's your uncle. The writers of this zine are all new arrivals to the world of CI5--some of us still measure our enthusiasm in months, though most have been fans for a year or so. We have enthused together over the enormous volume of work that has already been created for this fandom, such a huge library in scope and variety that it almost seems hubristic to think that anything could be left unsaid. But of course we each have our own interpretation of CI5's universe, and part of the joy of fandom is the delight and challenge we experience in each other's visions.

Summaries and excerpts for issue #1 below from the flyer (note, there was to be a story issue #1 called "Three Men and a Bodie," but it never appeared here. There is a Pros story by the same name written by LRH Balzer in the gen zine After the Battle).

issue #1, Suzan Lovett: This artwork, titled "In A Different Reality" (later retitled "Brother's Keeper" when it was offered for general sale) inspired the writing of the story "The Promise." It portrays Bodie and Doyle as children. This image is notable because although Pros fanfic and fanart embraced a wide range of tropes and themes, stories featuring Bodie and Doyle as children were rare. The vast majority of the fiction, and thus the art, focused on them as adults, possibly due to the gritty nature of the original series.

One reviewer wrote that the story "is a shorty at two pages long but sweet nonetheless. It's inspired by a gorgeous Suzan Lovett picture featuring Bodie and Doyle as two beautiful, serious-eyed children." [2]

In 1997, another fan wrote: "Doyle encounters a photo of Bodie as a sad child, and paints a picture of the two of them, with Doyle as Bodie's protector. Based on the accompanying Suzan Lovett illo, I assume. Too high an "aww..." factor for me." [3]

A fan in 2004 wrote: "About 10 years ago I'd found a print of this piece for sale at a con, and when I asked Suzan about it, she told me it was part of a sort of series she'd done of some of her favourites as children. There were lovely ones of Starsky and Hutch and Spock that had been in older zines. I've managed to find copies in the original zines thanks to generous friends. Brother's Keeper was published in the first Motet with Suzan's permission, but I do not think it had been published before then." [4]
  • Spring-Heeled Jack by Georgina Kirrin ("I'm taking Angela to the Shakespeare in the Park." "Bit hypocritical, isn't it?" said Bodie sourly, and could have bitten his tongue. Doyle reappeared from under the towel, his eyes alight with an infuriating combination of affection and amusement. He glanced round the Changing Room and saw they were alone. "Hey, it's not my fault I'm only a part-time poofter," he said cheerfully.) (1)
  • A Safe Bet by D. Ramsey (31)
  • Faces from the Past; also on AO3 by Anne Higgins (Confused, his lips tingling and probably a bit swollen from the kiss, Bodie forgot to flirt with Cowley's secretary, and just followed Doyle into the Controller's office. He nearly collided with Ray, who had stopped dead just inside the door. "What the --?" Bodie demanded, his glance sweeping into the room to locate the source of Ray's sudden immobility. Cowley sat behind his desk, his face a bit more sombre than usual, nothing lethal about that, but he wasn't alone. A woman sat in a chair opposite their boss. Soft orange-red hair worn at shoulder length told Bodie who she was even before she turned to face them. Ann Holly. Damn.) (33)
  • The NATO Proposition by Elizabeth Holden (77)
  • Introducing: The Bisto Bears by Minou (87)
  • The Celebration by Anne Higgins (Bodie stirred a bit beneath Doyle's hand, snuggling even deeper into the pillow resting on Doyle's lap. It always made Doyle feel annoyingly sloppy when Bodie did that. A nice lazy afternoon with his lover curled up against him for a kip. One of the benefits of living together, that was. Doyle smiled. That was it. The day they'd officially moved in together -- a year ago, five weeks from tomorrow. That should give him enough time to come up with something special.) (93)
  • Cheating the Boatman by Elizabeth Holden ("Think how you felt when Ann Holly went. That's what Bodie feels like now." That sounded oddly like a sort of permission. "Thought you didn't approve of involvement between operatives, sir." "It's hardly a question of that, Doyle, unless you've a hankering to bed the man yourself. Do you?" "No, sir," said Doyle flatly, knowing even as he said the words that they were a lie. A huge, leviathan albatross of a lie such as he had seldom told. He hankered for Bodie fiercely.) (99)
  • Waiting, for Doyle by LMH ("Let's go home Ray. Please let's go now." Ray sat down with him, held him. He felt the warmth of arms about him and knew for certain now that this was not some cruel dream. But Ray looked so sad, confusing Bodie. Everything was all right now. Wasn't it? Another man came, spoke to Cowley, and took something out of a leather bag he had with him. He felt the prick of a needle. Cold, it was cold too. But Ray would warm him. Soon he would be warm again. The room darkened, and he slept.) (111)
  • No Floaties, Please, We're British by Tash (He was so obviously fit to burst Cade took pity on him. "McCloud, you seem to be nursing something. What could possibly distract you from the delightful prospect of baby-sitting a flock of spoiled art-brats and their inflatable pets?" "We had an incident...." McCloud bit his lip the briefest moment before continuing, "I thought it should be brought to your attention. We stopped a man for speeding and public endangerment. He was spotted in several locations driving a Jaguar XJ-12 erratically and then seen doing 80 K in a commercial zone, but by the time we caught up with him he had done a U-turn in town centre and headed off in the other direction. We found him parked on a sidewalk in front of the Lolly Dolly sweetshop. We apprehended him coming out with a bag of Swiss Rolls.") (123)
  • When the Time Is Now by Meridian (141))
  • Out of the Past by Danajeanne Norris ("Yeah, whatever it is, it's very dead." Doyle swallowed noisily, and took a deep breath, coughing. "Oh shit. Pick up the tarp, Bodie." "ME?" "God-dammit, Bodie...." Ignoring the astonished look Bodie gave him, [?]ay turned his back, leaning his forehead against the cold brick wall. Jaw clenched, Bodie reached over and yanked at the dirt-encrusted tarp. It slid off smoothly, leaving behind three bodies, and Bodie's gaze wandered over them in the dim light. Three men, no -- two men and one woman. Or was it two women and one man? He leaned in closer, puzzled.) (148)
  • The Initiation by Meridian (180)
  • Continuing Adventures of the Bisto Bears by Minou (187)
  • Fugitive by Elizabeth Holden ("Reckon he was right?" asked Doyle, pausing before a huge painting of a dark gentleman with whiskers. The emergency lights were on, nothing else. It lent a dark, sinister look to the portrait. But then, he reflected, he probably looked like a thug himself, and Bodie looked downright dangerous. "Sir Thomas More?" Bodie was thinking about something else entirely. He was wearing a black leather jacket and white T-shirt, his dark leather holster and black denim jeans. Doyle thought of the contrast; he looked more like Bodie the ex-mercenary than the elegant young CI5 agent who favoured double-breasted suits and dark ties. He'd changed over a year or two. He'd changed a lot.) (191)
  • The Promise by Anne Higgins (A short story inspired by Suzan Lovett's artwork entitled "In A Different Reality".) (231)

Art:

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Spring-Heeled Jack.

[art]: MOTET for New Voices in B and D - This has multiple artists including a wonderful passionate embrace by M. Margaret O'Shea on pg, 92. By the same artist, the piece on pg 120/1 begs you to read the accompanying story as does the color SL shot on pg 233. Best kid shot I'd ever seen until SGA, DC Universe, and Naruto fandom. It's beautiful. [7]

[zine]; This is a very well produced zine with some good artwork, with a special mention for Suzan Lovett's In A Different Reality". As it is such a large zine it allows for some decent-length stories, ranging from first-timers to humorous ones. All the authors are new to the B/D universe. The editor has also helpfully given the reader an index so you know the general genre of each story. Cuddly Bear story alert - The Bisto Bears' are ruff, tuff 'n' stuffed! BoBo bear is smooth-haired and DeeDee bear isn't. This is a tale of a curry comb and a dustbuster. With cute cartoons. 'With The Celebration', don't just suspend reality; take it to a cliff-edge and push it off. Then just wallow in a lovely, sentimental, romantic story. "No Floaties Please, We're British' is a personal favourite of mine. It's simply a joy to read. If Bodie can't be with Doyle then Cade. (The Chief) is a very suitable replacement This story needs a sequel; it left me wanting to know more. How did Bodie lose Doyle? (Death, or was he walked-out on?) Why did Bodie believe Cade was Doyle? Was he really out of CI5? The silver necklace Bodie gives Cade - was it really Doyle's? The Promise" is a shorty at two pages long but sweet nonetheless. It's inspired by a gorgeous Suzan Lovett picture featuring Bodie and Doyle as two beautiful, serious-eyed children. "Waiting, For Doyle' - death story alert. Some time before Doyle dies he makes Bodie promise to go on living, a promise Bodie very nearly doesn't keep. Cade is also featured in the story. (Which could maybe give another reason as to why Doyle joined the police force in the first place). In 'Out Of The Past' an old multi-murder case comes back to haunt Doyle, revealing to Bodie much of Doyle's past A good case-based story. The Initiation' is a Plot? What Plot? tumble story. I've only scratched the surface of Motet In short, there is something for everyone's taste in this zine. [8]

[zine]: This is the only all-Pros zine I've read that bids fair to match the

Unprofessional Conduct series in terms of quality, variety and all-round satisfaction. I'm more pleased than I can say that its publisher intends to bring out a second edition (in November, if all goes well).

Be Warned, however - you're reading a review from someone who enjoyed it immensely, so please bear that in mind when you're deciding whether to buy it. All I can say is, if you like it, you'll like it a lot.

Right, let's start by being as objective as I can: I didn't enjoy every single story as much as I did some. Then again, considering that the best stories were superb, and closely followed by the merely excellent, that's not much of a criticism. What else?

Um, it's heavy.

Okay, try again. The artwork . . . damn. I usually dislike artwork on account of its a) taking up space I'd rather see devoted to stories and b) not being very good. In this case, however, there's so much to read and the pictures are so beautiful, I found myself oh-oh- ohing over them to a nauseating degree. There's one of a mourning Bodie which actually brought a lump to my throat, for heavens' sake.

Scratch that, then.

The presentation? Clear, typo-free copy in a handsome binding . . . No joy there. No, it's no use, I can't think of a single thing I disliked about this zine enough to make a point of it. Not that it's perfect - only in that Great Convention In The Sky could we expect the Perfect Zine - but its flaws are minor enough that on a first, happy reading I didn't spot any. And when it comes to value-for-money, this is as good a deal as you'd get from Gryphon Press; to my mind, $25.00 (overseas p&p included) is remarkable, considering the size and look of the thing.

The stories range from light-&-funny to tense-&-gripping, taking in Sentimental (in its best and oldest sense) on the way. There is one death story but unless you're a die-hard avoider of such, I strongly recommend it; it's so moving and beautiful that although I read it in absolute floods, I wouldn't have missed it for worlds. (Definitely three-hankie stuff.) It's called "Waiting, For Doyle" and LMH is to be congratulated for writing so touchingly without being the least bit self-indulgent. Note for the nervous: all the stories are flagged on the contents page with an indication of their subject matter.

I haven't space to comment on all the stories, which is a pity as there isn't one undeserving of a mention; but as time presses, I've chosen three favourites. The first, "Spring-Heeled Jack" by Georgina Kirrin, is the best story of its length I've read this year. Quite simply, it has everything: good premise, excellent dialogue, real, page-turning tension and best of all, a beautifully anguished Doyle who, while making me gulp, was never the least bit girly. Here, triumphantly, G. Kirrin proves that you can make Doyle cry without diminishing his masculinity one jot; enhancing it, even. And the surprising thing, given what I've just said, is that the story is about Bodie even more than it's about Doyle.

A really good 'case' story is quite rare in Pros fiction. The marvellous thing about this one is that alongside that, you get all the angst, affection and sexy banter you could want. (Did I say it made me laugh, too?) I can't tell you much about the plot because it's so tightly woven I might give too much away. But I'd be very surprised indeed if anyone could read this and not come away wanting to cheer.

The second, "Fugitive", is by Elizabeth Holden. It's also a case story, set around (in its second half, at least) the episode of the same name. It seemed, as I was first reading it, to be much quieter in tone than "Spring-Heeled Jack" but its effect is cumulative; gradually I was drawn into the emotional dilemma it presents until I was utterly absorbed in the slow coming-to-his-senses of a wary Bodie. I really liked the relationship between the two of them here - it rang very true. This Bodie was stubborn without being stupid and Doyle was loving without being wet. (And persuasive without being wheedling, come to that.) In fact, I think this is one of those rare, treasured stories one enjoys even more on subsequent readings; I was too busy trying to find out 'what happened' the first time to pick up on some of the phrasings and nuances which really pleased me the second time around.

I also quite enjoyed the way the author wove her story in and out of dialogue taken directly from the episode "Fugitive". I think this could be a dangerous technique, taken too far - you run the risk of driving a reader up the wall with too much of it - but here, Elizabeth Holden stays just this side of the danger-line. (I have to say, just one paragraph more of transcribed dialogue would have stuck in my throat.) And I was intrigued by the way she tucked her 'extra bits' so cleverly in and out of what we can see on screen. You know that definition of slash as '. . what happens off-camera . .' ? Well, this story shows us exactly that. Does it well, too. I ought to say, a propos of the episode bits, that the author leads up to them very cleverly by having the catalytic event happen in the course of another (invented) case which takes up the first chunk of the story. (And I must confess a great fondness for that hot little scene in the dark and silent corridors of a great, empty building.)

There was real feeling in this story, complex emotions, all conveyed in a restrained tone that felt very British. (The author is Canadian.) While 'Britishness' isn't my chief criterion, the controlled and skilful narrative voice played a large part in my enjoyment. This is one of those stories you can relax with, and know the author's not going to let you down. I liked it a lot.

The third story - and ye gods, it was difficult sticking to three! - is "The Promise" by Anne Higgins. Very different from the other two - much shorter, for one thing - it is, to my mind, a superb example of that hardest of types, the short-&-sweet. It's beautifully judged: touching, poignant and convincing. When you think how hard it is to write a story that shows the chaps' abiding love without being mawkish, then add in the proviso that it should involve a picture of them as kids . . . well, I take my hat off to Anne Higgins. This little gem was written to accompany the Suzanne Lovett colour picture which ends the zine. I'm an admirer of Ms. Lovett's work but I have to say that this one is too sugary for my taste. If I hadn't read the story first, I would have winced at the prospect. Never fear. The remarkable thing is that "The Promise" so completely avoids the predictable. I can't say anything about its premise without giving the whole thing away - it's only about a thousand words long, at a rough estimate - but it made me feel very happy indeed. And it was a wonderful way of closing the zine; a lovely bonne bouche after a very satisfying feast.

And oh look, I haven't even mentioned the charming "The Celebration", or the funny "No Floaties Please, We're British", or the sweetly warming "A Safe Bet", nor even the completely disarming Bisto Bears. And there's more than that - the zine's a hefty 233 pages long, including artwork; far too long for me to give it the attention it deserves. Not much of a help, I admit, if you're trying to decide whether to part with hard-earned cash. But for what it's worth, I loved it.

I won't say mortgage the cat to buy it. But you might consider renting out the hamster. [9]

[zine]: First of all, several disclaimers. The opinions below are mine alone, and are not intended to represent immutable fact. Any comments or opinions are directed at the written word, not at any of the creators of said written word. This is the first time I've posted a review, and while I do honesty just fine, I'm not so talented in the tact department. I've tried to avoid major spoilers in the story descriptions, but I may not have succeeded.

MOTET is a long zine, especially by Pros standards, at 224 pages, and sells for $25. There's no word count provided, but it appears to be adequate value (in terms of word count) for the length.

Short take: The quality of MOTET is very uneven. It has a couple of stories that are well worth the money, but the rest aren't, in my opinion. For those who expect the majority of stories in a zine to be winners, I'd say try to find a used copy.

  • "Spring-heeled Jack" (or possibly "Spring-Heeled Jack" -- the header and the title didn't match) by Georgina Kirrin -- Bodie discovers Doyle, who is ostensibly on leave, is actually on a one-man Operation Susie. The stress Doyle is under leads him to make a request he might not have otherwise done -- that Bodie spend the night with him, just this once. This is a brilliant story. It has humor, angst, plot, and fine characterization. If one were going to buy MOTET on the strength of one story, this is the story.
  • "A Safe Bet" by D. Ramsey -- Cowley muses about the nature of Bodie's and Doyle's characters, and makes a bet with himself about the current nature of their relationship. Competently written, but I found it mawkish. Cowley may be more sentimental than he lets himself show, but not *that* much.
  • "Faces from the Past" by Anne Higgins -- Sinclair (the rich guy from "Where the Jungle Ends") vows vengeance on Bodie and Doyle, not (as far as I can tell) for kidnapping his daughter, but for bluffing about kidnapping his daughter. I detested this story. The writing is of a competent level, but the plot is incredibly contrived and unbelievable. I also found the personal interactions between Bodie and Doyle unrealistic -- a sample quote from Doyle is "You're an idiot, pet; I'm not good enough for you."
  • "The NATO Proposition" by Elizabeth Holden -- A woman from Bodie's past shows up and offers him a new job: member of NATO anti-terrorist team and her bedmate. Doyle makes Bodie a better offer. There's not a great deal to this story, but I liked it.
  • "The Bisto Bears" by Minou -- BoBo and DeeDee, the Bisto Bears, are un-bear-ably cute. I *think* this was supposed to be parody, but it's hard to tell. In any case, it didn't hit my humor button at all, except for the bit where DeeDee wished that teddies had opposable thumbs.
  • "The Celebration" by Anne Higgins -- A PWP in which Doyle gives Bodie a ring to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their moving in together. This isn't any Bodie I know. Not a Bodie who stutters and cries because he's so happy.
  • "Cheating the Boatman" by Elizabeth Holden -- Doyle discovers that Bodie is bi and in love with him, but Doyle isn't interested. They agree that they can go on as normal. Then an undercover op goes wrong and Bodie goes missing. I have a bit of difficulty with the role Cowley plays in this story as go-between, but I enjoyed the high-tension final scene.
  • "Waiting, for Doyle" by LMH -- A death story. Doyle made Bodie promise, before Doyle died, that Bodie wouldn't commit suicide to follow him. Bodie is finding the promise impossibly difficult to keep. Meeting Alan Cade (Doyle's cousin) brings things to a crisis, and Cade tells Bodie that he's not bound by his promise; Doyle wouldn't have made him promise if he knew how much pain it would cause him. I *think* the point of this story is that Bodie has to find his own reason to live, not just to honor his promise to Doyle. While I like certain death stories, this one just struck me as tedious.
  • "No Floaties Please, We're British" by tash -- Cade finds his life invaded by a Bodie who has all sorts of unlikely weapons and tools in his Jaguar XJ-12, performs sex on Cade (while calling him Ray), and paints a bunch of cows with smiley faces. The humorous bits were fine, but for me this story was fatally flawed by the failure to deal with the fate of Doyle. If he was dead and Bodie was mistaking Cade for Doyle, then he was a few bricks short of a load; and if Doyle was around somewhere, where was he? The characterization of Bodie just didn't quite work for me; I don't see Bodie as the trickster type -- neither Coyote nor Loki.
  • "When the Time is Now" by KayCee -- Doyle announces that he's marrying Claire, which provokes a mutual confession of love (between Bodie and Doyle) and a sex scene. While there's occasionally some nice imagery, the overall writing is so amateurish as to make the story very difficult going.
  • "Out of the Past" by Danajeanne Norris -- Bodie and Doyle are assigned to a case involving extremely nasty serial murders, because the case has resonances with a case that Doyle worked on when he was with the Met. As soon as the murderer walks onstage, it's apparent that he's the one, despite a valiant attempt to muddy the waters with a red herring. (The red herring is never adequately explained, either.) Every so often, behind the scenes, Bodie and Doyle bill and coo at each other. Not to my taste.
  • "The Initiation" by KayCee -- Bodie and Doyle have dinner and then fuck. Plot, what plot? Story, what story? Bother, why bother?
  • "The Bisto Bears 2" by Minou -- More em-bear-assing cuteness.
  • "Fugitive" by Elizabeth Holden -- Bodie and Doyle have sex in the aftermath of a tough case, and Bodie believes that's all it is -- because love is too dangerous. The story follows the events of the episode "Fugitive." This was my second-favorite story in the zine. I liked the portrayal of Christina Herzog, which was not the usual one, and I liked all the "what we didn't see on screen" bits. And a fine wrap-up.
  • "The Promise" by Anne Higgins -- Doyle encounters a photo of Bodie as a sad child, and paints a picture of the two of them, with Doyle as Bodie's protector. Based on the accompanying Suzan Lovett illo, I assume. Too high an "aww..." factor for me.

Below are a few general comments about the layout. Nothing terribly important, but I include them because I noted them.

There is quite a bit of artwork, all of high quality. I found it a bit distracting that the headers and footers remained on most of pages with artwork; also, since it's clear that at least some of the artwork was screened, it might have been worthwhile resizing some of the pictures so that they didn't look so lonely on the page. I'd also suggest trimming the screened artwork so that the fuzzy background doesn't show.

I found the single-column, 10-point (at at guess) layout hard to read. I'd prefer either a double-column format or a slightly larger font. This was exacerbated by the fact that apparently there were printer problems -- the front half of the zine has much poorer reproduction than the back half.

I liked the spiral binding.

The stories have "smart quotes," which is nice, but the required search-and-replace to deal with words that start with apostrophes (like 'twas) wasn't done, so that all such words have the apostrophes curving in the wrong direction. The same is true of words starting with apostrophes that follow quotes. [10]

[zine]:

I liked "No Floaties" quite a lot, too. It was a fun read and Cade's reactions were marvelous--if he turns out to be Doyle--that is. All else that I can say is-- there is a sequel coming -- right? I'd be heart broken if there wasn't and doubly heart broken if Cade doesn't turn out to be Doyle with amnesia or something like that.

"Spring-Heeled Jack" -- I liked this story quite a bit but would have preferred just a bit more at the end and a little less set up but that's a very minor quibble. It was a nice plot and I loved the way that once D realized B loved him he wasn't about to give up. Very yummy.

"A Safe Bet" by D. Ramsey -- [snip] Competently written, but I found it mawkish. Cowley may be more sentimental than he lets himself show, but not *that* much.

I liked this one and found it quite nice and I can easily believe that Cowley felt like this--not showed it mind but cared in this way yes. I liked the insight and the third person look at the two characters and the brief interlude. Didn't find it too sweet at all. And thanks very much for increasing my vocabulary I had to look mawkish up. bg.

"Faces from the Past" by Anne Higgins --

Okay only done one read through on this one so I can't comment in depth. Liked the portrayal of Ann Holly--very nasty take that but it did fit in with her portrayal in the show. As for the vendetta by the mob boss--well it's not my favorite plot device but once I accepted that the story flowed along nicely from there. I liked how B and D were struggling with caring and commentment and felt that it was pretty realistic. As for pet names--shrug--people get silly sometimes and I didn't find any in this story that made me shudder like I some times have in other stories. Lots of babies and sweethearts from men like B and D and S/H or K/S leave me truly cold. Too mawkish. bg ;-). I didn't get that feeling here. And I love the convention of Cowley as B's father. Wouldn't want to see it in all the stories but every now and again it's quite nice.

"The NATO Proposition" by Elizabeth Holden -- There's not a great deal to this story, but I liked it.

Again only read it once and it didn't stick out in my mind one way or another. Nice read but nothing gripping.

"The Bisto Bears" by Minou -- I thought these were cute and funny... and I loved the cartoons that went along with them. Now I normally don't like cartoons in zines-- don't find them funny but the one where the bears decide to watch B and D and then are in shock because they discover they have some parts missing--well I still snicker at it.

Again I liked "The Celebration" and thought it was nice but then I like stories where they give each other rings as a sign of commitment.

"Cheating the Boatman" - If I've read it I don't remember it very well so might comment later.

"Waiting for Doyle" - Hated this one--not because of the writing --it was an interesting idea -- but because I hate death stories. In fact the better they are written the more I hate them because they depress me. This one had an interesting twist but again I couldn't enjoy it because it was a death story.

"When the Time is Now" - Liked this one too. Lots of fun and esp cute when it comes out that D has told B before asking Claire--least I think this was the one.

"Fugitive" - This one I vaguely remember as being okay but nothing sticks out in my mind. Again I like to have read stories more than once before commenting on them.

"The Promise" - Well I liked it. THe picture was very sweet and the tone of the story that accompanied it very nice as well.

Now for some general comments.

I thought the zine was very nice. The art work and layouts excellent. Editing very good--don't remember any typos off hand. And I didn't find the print to be too small for my tastes. The spiral binding was nice--keeps pages from getting ripped (bit of a problem cause I sometimes like to take the art work out and make copies to put up. Much harder to do that with this type of binding.) and there were a lot of stories for the money. THis zine definitely gave value for the money and I think was well worth the cost. It was a beautiful zine overall and excellently done. [11]

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, Mary Margaret O'Shea

Motet Opus 2 in B and D was published around July 1997 and contains 208 pages and has art by Suzan Lovett, Kate Nuernberg, Karen River, and Mary Margaret O'Shea.

This issue sometimes appears on fans' Desert Island lists.[12]

Art:

  • black-and-white cover drawings by M. Margaret O'Shea of Bodie and Doyle
  • interior illos by Karen River, Kate Nuernberg, tash, Joey Rodrigues, and Suzan Lovett
  • inside issue #2, "Night Vision" by Karen River

    inside issue #2, "Night Vision" by Karen River

  • inside issue #2, "Bodie" by tash

    inside issue #2, "Bodie" by tash

  • inside issue #2, "Men Always Make Passes at Guys Who Wear Glasses" by Kate Nuernberg

    inside issue #2, "Men Always Make Passes at Guys Who Wear Glasses" by Kate Nuernberg

  • inside issue #2, "Bodie" by Joey

    inside issue #2, "Bodie" by Joey

  • inside issue #2, "Nightmares from the Past" by Suzan Lovett

    inside issue #2, "Nightmares from the Past" by Suzan Lovett

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for Whatever Happened to Raymond Doyle?.

See reactions and reviews for The Acorn Syndrome.

[zine]: Motet Opus 2 weighs in at slightly smaller than Motet I. It's still a good size at 208 pages, though, and again, you get a good mixture of stories. It's a warm welcome back to the cute Bisto Bears. Its strange the way Minou captures the wicked personalities of Bodie and Doyle in this cuddly twosome. Anne Higgins' 'Whatever Happened To Raymond Doyle' manages to tie in The Chief in a credible way. After a tragedy Doyle retreats into one of his undercover roles. Afraid for his sanity, Bodie has to separate himself from Doyle. Now, fifteen years later, it's Bodie's last chance for happiness. Kate Nuernberg's 'Men always make passes at guys who wear glasses' is a companion picture -a lovely piece of artwork, especially the portrait of Doyle - to the short story 'Days of Future' by Danajeanne Norris. Both fit together and make you feel good. 'Priorities' by Elessar has Bodie kicking against the boundaries of his new relationship with Doyle. It's a settling-into-a-relationship story that lets you see Bodie going through a learning process. 'Emancipation' by Elizabeth Holden re-introduces the gruesome Kamal Rahad. CI5 are after him once again, much to the regret of Bodie who ends up in his coils. Bodie refuses to free himself so it's up to Doyle to free his lover. 'Beautiful Bodie' by Anne Higgins is an episode-based story. It's also an installment of a longer noveL Though it can be read as a story by itself, it does have the feel of being part of something bigger. Most fans would find this zine happy reading, which is the best sort of compliment any zine can get.[13]

[What I liked about] Motet2 - "Silent Star" by Elizabeth, 'Xmas' story that was very touching, very satisfying, and "Acorn Syndrome" by Georgina Kirrin, notable because it is the *only* story I've read featuring a very OLD B&D that I actually liked, thanks to a deft use of POV. Both very well-written!

[...]

Motet2 had stories that me grit my teeth in ways that would make a poor dentist deliriously happy. At the same time, Motet is a very good *looking* zine, with lovely, lovely artwork by Lovett, Nurenberg, and River and good layout (I really like the binding they use, BTW), and it had those two

stories that I very much enjoyed and admired. That's my 2 cents. [14]

Issue 3

cover of issue #3, Suzan Lovett. Title: The Protectors

Motet Opus 3 in B and D has 221 pages and was published October 1999. It has a cover by Suzan Lovett but contains no interior art.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

See reactions and reviews for The Joy of Camping.

See reactions and reviews for Sunshine After Rain.

See reactions and reviews for Firestorm.

See reactions and reviews for Bats at Noon.

See reactions and reviews for Cards, and Cards on the Table.

See reactions and reviews for Fait Accompli.

[Glass Houses]: In the aftermath of the events in "Klansmen" and Bodie's prejudice towards black people, the story is from Doyle's POW, his views of his partner and of himself. I like my fanfiction to be real, with believable characterizations and events, and this one is as real as it gets. The story has a lot of beautiful moments and the way it all comes together in the end is perfect. [15]

[zine]: **Not Recommended** ~ How amazingly disappointing. Every other zine in this series has been unforgettable, while every story in this zine is completely unmemorable. I'm not sure what the lesson is in all this... maybe that a Pros zine without a story by Anne Higgins in it isn't worth reading? I don't know. My best friend bought a copy of this zine, too, and was as unimpressed as I was. Maybe the lesson is that you *can* judge a book (or in this case, a zine) by its cover, since this is the first Keynote zine with a standard black plastic binding and cheaper, thinner card stock covers. (It takes some serious effort to make a Suzan Lovett cover look *bad*.) The other Keynote zines are a thing of beauty, while this looked just plain tacky from the get-go. I bought it anyway, hoping its ugly exterior covered hidden treasures. Sadly, it was not so.[16]

– Raonaid's Zine Recommendations

[zine]: Motet Opus in B and D A Keynote Press zine. This zine consists of 3 issues from a new wave of Pros writers. Briefly, I would like to say that I'm disappointed in the third issue. I had no problems with the stories, but I was shocked at the layout errors. Most especially the errors in G. Kirrin's second story. In several places, a line would break after only three to four words. Everytime this happened I was yanked out of the story, and into "whatthehell happened" mode. I'm sure that this zine was published under a tight deadline, but the amount of errors I discovered give me an uneasy feeling about the future of Keynote Press. Here's hoping that the master is corrected, and others don't have to put up with the errors. UPDATE - JUNE 2000 I was was recently contacted by the editor of the Motets, and informed me that the master for Motet 3 has been corrected. That everyone, is class. I can think of a couple presses that wouldn't even bother to fix their masters, or even honestly address fan concerns about it. [17]

Issue 4

Motet Opus 4 in B and Dwas published November 2000 and contains 207 pages. It contains no interior art.

cover of issue #4, M. Margaret O'Shea

The issue sometimes appears on fan's Desert Island lists.[18]

  • Asking by Georgina Kirrin ("He couldn't ask for it. He could never ask for it. Not when it was so wrong. But there were ways, ways without words and so he used those.") (1)
  • Little Lies by Elizabeth Holden (3)
  • Can't Really Be Gone by Dana Austin Marsh (13)
  • Cider with Bodie by Lizzie ("The cider, as before, quickly took effect as drowsy contentment once again settled itself upon me. But no snoozing today. The dark-haired man rose, looking pointedly at me and strolled off in the direction of the woods. I waited a minute or so and then followed, already growing hard within the constriction of my trousers.") (15)
  • Encounter in Cascade by Meridian ("Ellison pressed a button on the answering machine as he walked past it into the kitchen. An eerily familiar voice filled the room. "Hi Blair, it's Drew Stevens. I finally tracked down that book you were looking for, old son. And you owe me big time for it. Call me when you get a chance. Bye." Alan's breath caught painfully in his chest. He knew that voice! Would know it anywhere, at any time.") (a crossover with The Sentinel) (27)
  • Nightmare: Cauchemar translation by (translation by Elizabeth Holden) (40)
  • Cauchemar by Bennett (41)
  • Enlargement by Simhag (""Wish she'd change me." Doyle's mood veered still further from green. "You look a right berk going round in those underpants with hearts on, but at least she changes you to evening dress when you get home. She's had me in this daft Superman outfit for days."") (46)
  • The Third Friday of October by Dana Austin Marsh ("Bodie. It really was Bodie sitting across the room calmly ordering his dinner from a waitress who was already showing all the signs of succumbing to that never-miss smile. The same man who had supported Doyle's decision to leave CI5. The same best friend who had stood as witness for him as he had promised to love, honour and cherish Kathy. The man who had stood at the curb, a pint in one hand, a lecherous/drunken grin on his face, and seen Doyle off on his honeymoon. And that was the last time Doyle had seen him.") (49)
  • Close of Day by Elizabeth Holden (113)
  • Sacrifices by Elspeth Leigh (125)
  • The Missing Piece by Cassidy Collins (139)
  • The Perfect Prezzie by Dana Austin Marsh (145)
  • An Encounter in Eastland by Meridian (147)
  • Prices to Pay by Owlet (163)
  • My Golden Afternoon with the Grim Reaper by P. R. Zed (167)
  • Aftershock by Elizabeth Holden (179)

Reactions/Reviews

See reactions and reviews for The Third Friday of October.

See reactions and reviews for Cider with Bodie.

See reactions and reviews for My Golden Afternoon with the Grim Reaper.

References

  1. ^ from a mailing list, quoted anonymously (November 2020)
  2. ^ from DIAL #3
  3. ^ In 1997, Jan Levine posted this as part of a review to the Virgule-L mailing list. It is quoted here with permission along with the note that this was one of her early reviews and while she still stands by the opinions, she believes that with more experience, her review would have been more tactful.
  4. ^ from Suzan Lovett art ... Help needed
  5. ^ "Weapons Drawn"
  6. ^ at the author's website, Bittersweet
  7. ^ from a mailing list, quoted anonymously (November 2020)
  8. ^ from DIAL #3
  9. ^ from DIAL #3, also posted to Virgule-L (September 1997)
  10. ^ Jan Levine posted this review to the Virgule-L mailing list. It is quoted here with permission along with the note that this was one of her early reviews and while she still stands by the opinions, she believes that with more experience, her review would have been more tactful. (June 7, 1997)
  11. ^ from Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (June 7, 1997)
  12. ^ Close Quarters Desert Island Episode/Zine/Fic dated July 18, 2009
  13. ^ from DIAL #6
  14. ^ quoted anonymously from Virgule-L (November 19, 1997)
  15. ^ from 2007 rec50
  16. ^ "Raonaid's Zine Recommendations". 2004-02-27. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12.
  17. ^ [members.aol.com/lynnwfic/pros/pindex.html The Professionals Fanzines], Archived version
  18. ^ Close Quarters] Desert Island Episode/Zine/Fic] dated July 18, 2009; reference link.
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