Nor No Man Ever Loved

Zine
Title:	Nor No Man Ever Loved
Publisher:	D. DaBinnett (UK), FireTrine Press (US)
Editor:
Author(s):	K.S. T'Lan, edited by D. DaBinett
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):	Virginia Lee Smith
Date(s):	1982, 1989
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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Nor No Man Ever Loved is a slash Star Trek: TOS novel written by K.S. T'Lan and edited by D. DaBinett. The zine is interspersed with poetry by Lee Owers and illustrated by Virginia Lee Smith.

It required an age statement to purchase.

Two Editions

There were two versions published. The original is 236 pages long and was released in the UK in 1982 by D. DaBinett.

The other version, in American English, was re-printed and published in the US in 1989 by Firetrine Press. It contains 220 pages and appears to have different art, some by Pat Friedman. It was also slightly re-edited to take out some of the "Britishisms." This reprint was published around the same time that Pat Friedman passed away.

See Way of the Warrior #3 regarding the art contest that originated from an illo in the American version "Nor No Man Ever Loved."

cover of the British edition (1982)

cover of the US edition (1989)

from the US edition (1989)

Summaries

From an ebay seller in 2007: "This is a story about the intimate nature of Vulcans. As pointed out in the preview, in Amok Time, T'Pring was given to Stonn, and also when she challenged, T'Pau said 'Are you prepared to become the property of the victor,' so on Vulcan unlike Earth it is possible to own a person. This story is then a explanation and a examination in a wonderful flowing story of Vulcan."

From Gilda F: "Spock loses his memory when he and Kirk crash on a deserted planet, but once rescued and his memory returns forgets their months as lovers there."

From the Author's Introduction: 1982 UK Edition

This story sets out to paint for us a very different view of Vulcan and her people than we normally find in fan fiction, or Kraith. The premise for this is based in part on the very small amount of actual hard information we have from the original T.V. series, the Movie, and in some respects the animated series... but more specifically from JOURNEY TO BABEL and AMOK TIME, and of course the behaviour of Spock himself thoughout the entire series. In 'JOURNEY TO BABEL" we get a small glimpse of how the Vulcan male treats his mate - although probably Sarek was not so formal with Amanda as he might have been with a Vulcan woman.

In 'AMOK TIME' we see yet another surprising aspect of Vulcan at Koon-ut-kal-if-fee, but more particularly the words spoken by T'Pau herself:

"T'Pring, thee has chosen the Kal-if-feef the Challenge. Thee are prepared to become the property of the victor?"

"I am prepared."

And later Spock 'gives' T'Pring to Stonn....

"She is yours..."

It was then that we became aware for the first time in the T.V. Series that it was still possible for a Vulcan to own a person as 'property.' Vulcan then is a very different planet than Earth in all respects. It is from this small amount of real information that this tale is woven, and we are presented with a very different, a very alien view of modern Vulcan, but one that I feel most of you will agree, is as plausible as any other....

From the Publisher's Introduction: 1989 US Edition

This zine has been a labor of love.

You're holding in your hands the culmination of an idea that germinated long, long ago in the misty reaches of antiquity...oh, must be at least five years. "Nor No Man Ever Loved" was one of the first zines I read after I 'discovered the world of fandom. I had not yet contracted the virus of zine editing, but my hand Kept reaching for a red pencil (one of the first symptoms, I believe) when I came to Kirk or McCoy speaking in colloquial British, and realized that the term "English language" is a blanket designation for two divergent tongues. There is British (the Queen's English), and there is American English, which is broken into regional dialects—accents. Now, "Nor No Man Ever Loved" is a British zine—but Kirk and McCoy are Terran North American, and McCoy has a distinctive speech pattern reflecting his Southern origins. Imagine, if you will, a James Bond who speaks Southern California slang.

Doesn't fly, does it?

Aside from the foregoing, I loved this story. Here was a story with all the Star Trek elements—adventure, suspense, crisis, investigation of alien cultures—with the added attraction of the beginning and development of the Kirk/Spock relationship on a perfectly valid premise.

Never very widely circulated in the U.S., it went out of print several years ago, and is not easily available to new fans. My humanitarian instincts thus aroused, and not wishing to see said new fans deprived of an exciting reading experience, I broached the suggestion of a reprint to 1) the author, who readily agreed, and tells me that the reprint royalty will go to a British charity, and 2) my partner. She pounced -- and here it is. Enjoy it. -- Jean

"Pounced?! Pounced??!!" she says.

Groaned, screamed, fainted is more like it.

I envisioned a reasonable amount of time devoted to a reasonable amount of work, some of which had already been taken care of.

Then she drops another brick in the boat! Two zines in a less than reasonable amount of time for one! (Of course, the idea to bring them both out at Koon-ut-CaliCon was mine....)

Anyway, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy one of my favorite K/S zines and we both want to thank K. S. T'Lan and Doreen DaBinett for allowing us to reprint it.

And I’m gonna hide the coffee. (That'll fix her!)

--Pat

Excerpt

Kirk and Spock are new lovers, spending time in a mountain top cabin. A sudden snowstorm has confined them inside, and they are sitting at a table, finishing lunch, as Spock says:

"…Every movement you make these days seems to me to be an invitation, but I am prepared to concede that my own wishes in the matter are being satisfactorily complied with…most of the time."

Kirk’s stomach was tying itself in knots of longing. "For God’s sake, Spock, stop talking like that or I’ll fuck you across the table,'" he gasped.

The dark eyes continued to meet his calmly, a fire beginning to gleam in their depths. "Will you?

The Parts

• The Island
• The Return
• The Mountain
• The Ship
• The City
• The Desert
• The Starbase
• The Crisis

Gallery/Non-Explicit: 1982 UK Edition

• 

  interior art by Virginia Lee Smith, the British edition (1982)

• 

  interior art by Virginia Lee Smith, the British edition (1982)

Gallery/Explicit: 1982 UK Edition

• 

  interior art by Virginia Lee Smith. Note: This image has been marked as sexually explicit and has been minimised.

• 

  interior art by Virginia Lee Smith. Note: This image has been marked as sexually explicit and has been minimised.

Gallery: 1989 US Edition

• 

  Pat Friedman -- this art was later plagiarized by Barbara P. Gordon. It was also used in Way of the Warrior #3 as an art challenge

Reactions and Reviews

1982

Marooned on an uninhabited planet owing to the shuttlceraft crashing, Spock and Kirk spend four months on their own until they are rescued by the Enterprise. Spock has amnesia, owing to a head injury and reverts to a semi-childlike state, remembering nothing about the Enterprise. He does,however, remember Kirk. The relationship develops at Spock's instigation from parent/child to that of lovers. Although I dislike the premise of one-seducing the other when they are both not in full possession of all their faculties, the writing of those particular passages was beautifully done. K.S.T'Lan has succeeded in portraying an uninhibited Spock and a very hesitant Kirk, ever mindful of the problems which will arise when they return to the ship.

These problems at first force a barrier between them, when Spock remembers what happened. Kirk's main problem is to persuade the highly embarrassed Vulcan that he was not offended by anything that had happened between them on the island and that he would like to make their relationship permanent.

Half the story revolves around their bonding and the problems it causes. It is received well on the Enterprise but not on Vulcan. Male bonding is not encouraged due to a static population. Therefore only those males, who really have to bond, do so, as the laws are strict and humiliating. The weaker telepath, in this case Kirk, becomes the property or chattel of the other. He has no rights, has to walk behind his mate and cannot speak to others unless given permission. Spock is hesitant o bond, believing that Kirk cannot play the part but is overcome by Kirk's persistence and by the Captain's appeal to T'Pau.

The problems Spock envisages on Vulcan in fact manifest themselves on the Enterprise when Kirk finds it impossible to function as Captain while carrying Vulcans aboard during a diplomatic mission. Their joint behaviour, however, impresses the Vulcan council sufficiently for them to change the laws on male bonding so that both are equal.

I found the zine riveting. Once started, it took me six hours to read, which I did in one session. Having got over my initial resistance to the island seduction, the writing went from good to brilliant. The story is carried with no let up through out the 255 pages, catching the reader up in the rapid emotional changes: Kirk's frustration, taken out on a china ornament, when he speaks in public and therefore lets Spock down, or Spock almost pleading for McCoy's assistance to help restore Kirk's self-confidence after it has been severely battered by the Vulcan diplomats. The characterisation is excellent, the surprise being the new side to T'Pau that we see, a one-woman crusade trying to persuade her people, whom she accuses of being "so slow", to accept change.

I thoroughly enjoyed the zine and as long as people accept that it does contain explicit sex, would recommend it to everyone.

1984

Interspersed with continuing prose verse by Lee Owers, this is a single novel, in eight 'books' of 3 chapters each; each 'book' dealing with a phase of the developing theme, each one almost a complete story within itself. The theme is one of overwhelming beauty, exploring the depth and totality of the commitment between Kirk and Spock, and the fulfillment of an ancient Vulcan prophecy by their relationship. This basic theme is interwoven into a number of interesting adventures in the tradition of Star Trek, and I found it easy to over-look the occasional British colloquialisms uttered by one or another of the characters, since the story was so absorbing. It is, above all, a love story, although the plot is excellent. All the characters are deeply and lovingly developed, and the theme of the Kirk/Spock relationship is beautifully handled. The zine itself is not much to look at, though it contains some well-done illos— it is a mimeographed copy—but the content is the thing that matters, after all. I consider it to be an outstanding contribution to Star Trek fan fiction, and recommend it highly to all K/S fans. You'll love it!

This British zine is the epitome of the K/S novel--in fact, it contains element of almost every K/S story ever written: marooned on a desert island by shuttlecraft crash; amnesia; sexual discovery; more amnesia!; agonizing over 'it'; getting together, agonizing over bonding; bonding; telling the crew; telling the 'folks'; Vulcan male bonding customs; "the wedding"; hassles on Vulcan; hassles with Starfleet; bondmates in danger; duty vs. relationship; high emotions; frayed nerves; and, of course, lots and lots and lots of sex...and love. I don't recall a zine that contained as much loving reassurance as this one...or as many showers. Wonderful zine with a few very nice spicy illos and interspersed with poems that sum up or rephrase the end of each major section. It was funny to hear Kirk and Spock using British expressions like don't fancy that" or "all at sixes." NOR NO MAN EVER LOVED is a well written, fast paced zine with lots going on and lots of warm tender feelings between K and S by a very talented writer.

1989

I have recently acquired NOR NO MAN EVER LOVED, by K.S. T'Lan, and have only read 50 pages of it so far. It exemplifies her usual vivid imagination and firm writing style and is long enough to be worth $30 or $40 on the American market. However, like her other novels and most K/S, it has a "contrived" feel to it because both Kirk and Spock have undergone "character transplants." The aired/movie Kirks and Spocks are heroic about pain, even emotional pain. In NOR NO MAN, K.S. T'Lan assumes Kirk would be unable to face Spock with the fact that, while Spock was suffering amnesia, they had sex. Kirk prefers to let Spock find this out when a Vulcan Healer probes his mind. To me, this seems cowardly and cruel and most definitely not Kirk. The premise is so intriguing, however, that I expect to read the entire novel with rapt attention, assiduously ignoring the background fact discrepancies as well as the cute Briticisms that always stop my eye. The novel is not dated, so I don't know where this fits in T'lan's body of work, but the skill level of writing is high enough for my taste, though the plotting craftsmanship is not. In summary, NOR NO MAN EVER LOVED tackles immense and potent themes but lacks plot clarity and focus which T'Lan shows in other works.

This story is a beautifully written story and worth every penny in reading it. It's about Kirk and Spock stranded on a planet where Spock suffers from loss of memory, where he finds his feelings out in the open with help from Kirk, Knowing that Spock doesn't know about his previous life, Kirk is turned with taking advantage of Spock in his new sexuality, but it comes to an end when they are rescued There is another head injury when Spock regains his memory on the ship, but has forgotten what had happened on the planet. There are many interesting details to the story and the ending. One of the best K/S stories around with lots of love.

This long out-of-print British K/S classic is great reading. The reprint is worth every penny.

1991

A great story! Lots of Vulcan tradition and a lovely portrayal of Sarek, Amanda, and T'Pau! Worth reading!!!

1993

I've never read the British edition of this 1981 novel, just the Americanized, edited one put out by Jean Hinson of Firetrine Press. This is one of the first K/S novels I ever read, and it is still an enduring favorite. Yet whenever I haul it out of the closet to enjoy again, I find that I rarely go beyond the first hundred pages or so. This novel actually reads like two different stories, as if the author had written this wonderfully emotional and satisfying first time story, and then found herself with only half a zine. Then she had to sit down and concoct another plot, and in my opinion the tale of Spock and Kirk's travails on Vulcan and with Vulcans after their formal bonding is only inadequately connected to the first half of the book. But that first half is so wonderful, with the two of them being marooned on an island after their shuttle crashes. Spock loses his memory, and he reacts to Kirk without the restraints that have always bound him in the past. They become lovers, they're rescued, Spock regains his memory, they struggle to come to an understanding that eventually leads them to a bonding. The long interlude in the mountaintop cabin, where McCoy sends them on medical leave to sort things out, is wonderful. That's where the story should have ended, in my opinion.

In the last one hundred pages, the author postulates two premises about Vulcans that I find very difficult to accept. One, that bondmates cannot be separated for any time or distance without losing their sanity or their life, (this one's really tough to swallow. The parameters were never clearly defined in the novel. How far? How long? Although the climax of the story provides the outer limits, it's hard for me to imagine a planet of bonded Vulcans who are shadows to each other. No separate vacations here, unless you have murder in mind!), and two, that when one bondmate dies the other will die also. The death bond has never been my favorite K/S convention, such an absolute over a wide range of millions of different individuals makes me very skeptical. I can live with the author's idea that Vulcans try to discourage same-sex bonding by making the rules for them very difficult and restrictive. I can even accept that one partner becomes the "chattel" of the other, stronger telepath in some cases. After all, T'Pring did promise to become the "property" of the victor. (Although what does property mean to a Vulcan? How accurate is the universal translator, eh? Even though I don't much care for this section of the novel. I have to admire the skillful way the author builds her story. Complex emotions are delineated with skill and care, and the emotional climaxes of the story feel very real.

I am also in awe of the way K.S. T'Lan can move a story along with such ease. Lots of things happen in this novel, and yet you never get the feeling that you're skipping over something important. The author knows exactly when to slow her pace and concentrate on the essential. NOR NO MAN EVER LOVED reads very easily, deceptively so. The easy flow is a sign of, and also masks, a great deal of talent. I would be remiss in not mentioning how much I enjoyed the section where Kirk and Spock reveal their relationship to their shipmates. It's pretty unusual to see such a scene that includes Scotty, Uhura, and Sulu, not to mention various anonymous types who want to "congratulate" Spock in the science labs. No wonder he hid out among the computers!

If I had to rate this book as an integrated whole, I'd give it a six, primarily because I don't think it is integrated. When you get to the end of the novel, it's hard to remember what the first eighty pages were about because they bear so little relation to what happens later. But if I could separate the two halves, ah, then the first half gets a 9.5, and the rest a begrudged 5. Wonderfully well-written, and worth trying to find for new fans who might not have read it yet.

2000

Ahhh... Now this is a damn fine K/S novel!! Got a bit of everything, really -- angst, h/c, hot hot sex, truly loving and wonderful characterizations, not just of Kirk and Spock but of McCoy, Sarek and Amanda -- and surprise, surprise, T'Pau! I like this version of T'Pau, it is very easy to imagine her as Eldest Mother of the clan here. Wonderful insight that in some ways Kirk and T'Pau are alike, in that neither will hesitate to be ruthless in a good cause -- with themselves or others. Fascinating views of Vulcan society and again, they make sense and I found them easy to follow and to believe even though my own views are different. The description of how a bond works and what pon farr is like is very believable and smooth, I enjoyed all of it even though my personal views differ somewhat in some ways. Doesn't matter. The author sucked me right in and kept me there through the whole length of the story. And the ending... BooYah!! Intense! Folksa, ye ought to give yerselves a treat and read this puppy. I gather it was out of print for some time and this is a re-edition with the language switched over to American English. I must admit that although I am a Brit born and bred, I would have found it jarring to see Kirk or Spock use British slang or speech patterns... Because for me, they have to sound right or it doesn't work. At any rate, by whatever magic and whoever done it, in this novel they both sound very right indeed.

2006

Well, after reading [a number of somewhat distressing] stories I needed something a bit more emotionally reassuring, so I picked up the novel by K.S. T’Lan, Nor No Man Ever Loved. I know it was published in 1982 by [D. DaBinett]. But had you heard that it was re-issued by Firetrine Press this year, and “Americanized” for Star Trek-speak the way Spock and Kirk speak it on the series? Since K.S. T’Lan is English, the original story had some expressions that are specific to the English, so the publisher of Firetrine apparently smoothed those over and has re-issued the novel in an American version. I love the opening sequences where Kirk and Spock are marooned on the island together, with Spock without his memory, but even better are when they spend the time together on that mountain cabin, coming to terms with their relationship. K.S. T’Lan wrote T’Zad’u, you remember, which is one great sex scene after another, and Nor No Man also has some pretty, er, satisfying scenes. I like the plotline, too, when they visit Vulcan. A interesting take on a matriarchal society.

2007

This is another very well written and enjoyable tale, which shows Kirk and Spock’s developing relationship from somewhat unexpected and unusual beginnings. The story begins with Kirk waking up on a deserted beach on an apparently uninhabited planet after a shuttle crash which turns out was not accidental but a successful attempt to kill their Andorian diplomat passenger. Although the shuttle is badly damaged, Kirk is more or less in one piece, although it soon becomes clear that Spock was less lucky. Kirk’s concern for him is very well described as he makes it his priority to take care of the unconscious Vulcan, finding shelter etc. His carefully concealed concern that the Vulcan appears to be suffering from complete amnesia is very well defined, when he finally wakes up he doesn’t even know who he is, let alone recognizing Kirk. The author’s depiction of Spock in these circumstances is very good, not only is he amnesiac, he is also rather naïve and childlike and appears to have completely lost the “Vulcan” side of his character, which allows his more emotional human side to come to the fore, as a result of which he no longer makes any attempt to hide his previously very well hidden feelings for Kirk... Of course, when they are eventually rescued and find themselves back on the ship again their problems are far from over. While most authors would have ended the story, there, this one is only just beginning and has many more twists and turns as Kirk and Spock come to ealise what they feel for each other is mutual... In fact this particular author certainly has some very intriguing and original ideas about Vulcan customs and attitudes surrounding same sex bondings and the story gets full marks for originality. The idea that in this particular type of bonding the weaker of the two individuals (in this case Kirk as he is a non-telepath) is considered the property of the other is not something I have seen before and its implications are well thought out and described, especially their effects upon Kirk and his ability to command the Enterprise under such circumstances, when he is not allowed to speak to anyone without Spock’s prior permission and is not allowed to have any possessions of his own either! The author also makes it very clear throughout the story that Spock does not approve or agree with his people’s customs and attitudes towards Kirk and tries very hard to protect him from them and makes it clear he does not consider Kirk to be his inferior in any way. This also explains his initial reluctance to bond with Kirk as he does not want Kirk to be considered as inferior even though this will only be on Vulcan and will not have any effect on their shipboard life together.

2009

Spock loses his memory after his and Kirk's shuttle crashes on a planet, and in the course of their months stranded there the two of them become lovers. However, he forgets those months again once back on the Enterprise and Kirk starts agonizing about his friend's reaction if the memories come back. And that's only the beginning before Vulcan's laws create a shitload of trouble... Some misunderstandings, but not gratuitous ones, and interesting take on contemporary Vulcan customs on male-male bondings. Courageous and admirable Kirk who accepts shameful daily humiliations for the right to be at his love's side, even when it threatened to destroy him. Refreshing portrayal of T'Pau as enlightened and sympathetic instead of unfeeling and narrow-minded.