Nocturne (Star Trek: TOS zine)

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Zine
Title: Nocturne
Publisher: Defiant Press (London, England) & Onlywomen Press
Editor(s): Lee Owers (main), Lin Anderson and Jean Barron (assistant)
Date(s): July 1981
Series?:
Medium: print
Genre: slash
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links:
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Nocturne is a 202-page (offset) slash Star Trek: TOS anthology published in England. The cover is by Gayle F. Other art by Merle Decker, Nan Lewis, Michael Verina, Barbara P. Gordon (a two-page fold out), Lee Sullivan, Roo, Kim Bascom, and Maria Johnson.

cover by Gayle F. Note: This image has been marked as sexually explicit and has been minimised.

Problems with Finding a Printer

The editor of "Nocturne" had a very difficult time finding a printer.

A fan in 1982 said:

I must say, though, that Lee Owers' description of how she got 'Nocturne' printed, was a tale of courage above and beyond the call of duty. Rather her than me! [1]

From the Editorial

Welcome to NOCTURNE. The production of this zine was never an attempt to rival the well-known (and much-loved) American K/S zines but it is, perhaps true that it began by saying "we can do it, too." Somewhere along the way, nationality was forgotten and the zine's message changed to "let's do it together."NOCTURNE became, in my opinion, an example of the best of K/S fan fiction and art on both sides of the Atlantic. I am gratified that this has happened, not only because the zine has benefited from the blending of skills but because, in its compilation, I have experienced that special unity, cooperation and trust that is the spirit of STAR TREK and fandom.

I would like to thank all the contributors for their enthusiasm and assistance, without which NOCTURNE could not have been produced. My thanks to the writers for sharing their dreams with us and to the artists for turning those dreams into a visual, and beautiful reality. A special "thank you" is due to the following:

To the Ilford Group for their unstinting encouragement, support and aid (whose idea was this anyway?!)
To Jean B. and Jean D. for a shoulder to cry on and endless cups of coffee when assaulted by the "pressures of command"...
To Sheila Clark and Valerie Piacentini for invaluable technical advice.
To Kim for her magnificent graphics at long distance.
And to Bob, the latest in what be a long line of STAR TREK widowers.

Several names in NOCTURNE will not be familiar to you. I hope you agree that, in the light of their contributions, they are destined to become so. There is always a need -- and a warm welcome -- for new writers and artists. Other names are instantly recognisable and I would like to express my appreciation to those established authors and artists for the faith they have shown in a hitherto unknown zine.

Depending on the response to this first issue, we plan to put out NOCTURNE on an 18-monthly basis. DEFIANT PRESS aims to produce the sort of zine you want to see. Your letters of comment are invited and submissions for future issues will be welcomed.

I leave you now to read, and I hope, enjoy. One word of advice to the potential K/S fan:

After a time you will find that wanting is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as having. It is not logical, but it is always true!

Peace in IDIC, Lee

Contents

  • Nocturne by Lin Anderson (4)
  • Credits (5)
  • Editorial (5)
  • Waking by Lin Anderson (6)
  • A Time for Timelessness by Lee Owers (7)
  • How Do I Explain by Lee Owers (44)
  • The Choice You Leave Me by Lee Owers (45)
  • Time Passing by Lee Owers (46)
  • The Matchmaker by Ray Newton (47)
  • Seeing is Believing by Lin Anderson (57)
  • Today and Tomorrow by Lin Anderson (58)
  • Impasse by Lee Owers (59)
  • After the Fire by S. Meek (also in Second Comings) (60)
  • The Silent Hours by Lin Anderson (81)
  • Body Language by Lin Anderson (82)
  • Haven by Lee Owers (83)
  • The Waiting Time by Vivien Young (84)
  • Legacy by Lee Owers (90)
  • Cages by Lin Anderson (91)
  • Nightwatch by Lin Anderson (92)
  • Silver by Ray Newton (94)
  • Solace by Joanna Vidal (119)
  • Reflections by Lee Owers (120)
  • Aphelion by Lee Owers (122)
  • Falls the Shadow by Elaine W. (123)
  • The Logical Choice by Heather Hillsden (136)
  • Worship by Lin Anderson (137)
  • Ultimate Beginning by Joanna Vidal (138)
  • Carnival's End by Madelein Lee (also in Aftermath and Out of Bounds Again) (140)
  • Reunion by Lee Owers (157)
  • Entreaty by Lee Owers (158)
  • Orison by Lee Owers (159)
  • The Unicorn by Jean Barron (160)
  • The Web by Lin Anderson (163)
  • Never... by Lin Anderson (164)
  • Omega by Lee Owers (165)
  • This Time Forever by Lin Anderson (166)
  • Together by Lin Anderson (201)
  • ads (202)

Sample Gallery

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Silver.

See reactions and reviews for After the Fire.

See reactions and reviews for Carnival's End.

See reactions and reviews for Falls the Shadow.

See reactions and reviews for The Matchmaker.

See reactions and reviews for This Time Forever.

See reactions and reviews for A Time for Timelessness.

See reactions and reviews for The Unicorn.

See reactions and reviews for The Waiting Time.

Reactions and Reviews

Unknown Date

[zine]: From what I understand from friends in the UK, homosexuality was still illegal in the UK when women began writing and publishing K/S. Most K/S zines in the UK at the time were done on mimeo machines or other types of home copying that entirely controllable by the editor. K/S fanzines from the US were often seized as pornographic by Customs. [2]

1981

[zine]: There is a new British KS Zine coming out shortly -- NOCTURNE. All zines are brought out with a mixture of blood, sweat, tears and most of all, love. Love of the characters, and of Star Trek, and being privileged to know at least one of the girls involved in NOCTURNE -- [Ms. Jean B] -- I can assure you, that if she is involved, there will be 'love in abundance' ... and so from me, Good Luck, Girls! Any new KS Zine must be a welcome sight on the horizon! [3]

[zine]:

'Nocturne' is a K/S zine, the first of such zines from Defiant Press. It is 200 pages long and its price of £6.50 makes it in general £2.00 more expensive than its rivals. It does contain explicit same-sex relationship material and should be read with that in mind. Having said that it is expensive by British standards, I must qualify that by saying that it is one of the best produced British zines I have ever seen. The printing and presentation are excellent and able to stand with anything produced in the States.

75% of the zine is taken up with nine stories, ranging from three to forty pages in length. Owing to their length, some of them are difficult to review without giving away too much information on their storyline and thereby ruining someone's future reading. With this in mind, I have tried not to give too much away in any of my reviews. I decided to review three of the longer stories and I stress that selection was simply based on length not on personal preference.

A TIME FOR TIMELESSNESS by Lee Owers is an alternative view of the ending of ST-TMP. The plot hinges on Scott's line, "We can have you back on Vulcan' in four days, Mr. Spock". To which Spock replies, "That will be satisfactory, Mr Scott". The story revolves around Kirk's reaction to that comment and his bid to force Spock to reveal his reasons for going. Spock's reason is simply that he loves Kirk, while Kirk has to resolve his own feelings about Spock and why he desperately wants him to stay.

I found the storyline excellent and the characterisation good. At one point, both were prepared to sacrifice what they wanted for themselves believing that their feelings would distress the other. Spock is filled with emotions he cannot hope to control and Kirk with the realisation that his days as a woman-chaser are over. The physical relationship is presented as an act of deep love and commitment to each other. The story was enhanced for me by the illustrations of my favourite Trek artist Nan Lewis.

The artwork in general, 10% of the zine, is outstanding. Nan, Roo, Verina, Lee Sullivan and others have combined to produce the best artwork I have seen in a British K/S zine, I do not need explicit illos to enjoy my zines and 'Nocturne' has catered for ray tastes. My only objection to the artwork was the cover, not that I object to [Gayle F'] work but I prefer my zines not to have explicit illos on the cover.

SILVER by Ray Newton has Spock as its central character. A deserter, criminal and drug taker, Spock wanders the galaxy having convinced himself that Kirk is dead. The facade of Vulcan civilisation is torn away as Spock tries to lose himself in the vastness of space, living only on his memories of Kirk and their love for each other. 'Silver' is an unusual story with an intriguing plot. The characterisation of Kirk, as he searches for his lover, is straightforward but the characterisation of Spock is different from any other story of Spock I have ever read. This Spock had lost all self-confidence and self-assurance because of an unconsummated pon farr owing to Kirk's disappearance. Despite the strong storyline, I found the character of Spock difficult to accept.

Ray Newton also wrote MATCHMAKER in the zine, the story which I would choose as my favourite. However,it really should be read without any hints as to the plot, so I will say no more.

THIS TIME FOREVER by Lin Anderson is the final story in the zine and has Kirk as its central character. I chose this as opposed to CARNIVAL'S END by Madeline Lee, which is of equal length, because of the very good characterisation of McCoy in Lin's story. Spock is caught up in a Romulan-Klingon battle and Kirk feels the bond disappear. McCoy contacts a Vulcan healer to ease the pain of the loss of the bond for Kirk. The story was intricate and well thought cut. The Kirk of this story is incapable of returning to normal duty after the loss of Spock and is in danger of losing the Enterprise owing to his absence. He is riddled with guilt because theirs was a death bond so why is he still alive? I had very mixed feelings about Kirk; half of me wanted to give him a good shake and tell him to pull himself together, half of me sympathised with his obvious distress. The former course was taken by McCoy. Bones' natural compassion for Kirk is overridden by his sense of duty which forces him to snap Kirk out of the melancholy he has fallen into.

No K/S zine would be complete without pon farr stories; 'Nocturne' has four, I enjoyed all of them, most followed the usual pattern, except for FALLS THE SHADOW by Elaine W. which is an excellent alternative to "Amok Time" taking place after Kirk and Spock have gone to "mind the store".

Poetry comprises 15% of the zine. Everybody sees different things in poetry and so it is almost impossible to review. I liked most of what I read, especially Sue Meek's short poem attached to her story AFTER THE FIRE.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed the zine. I love K/S stories anyway, so perhaps I started off slightly biased. The stories in general were well above average and the physical aspect of the K/S relationship was always represented as an integral part of the story and not, as can happen, an excuse to cram as much sex as possible onto a page.

Nocturne. 200 pages. Stories 75%, poetry 15%, artwork 10%. [4]

1990

[zine]:

Nocturne is unusual, being an attempt by a British group to produce a K/S zine of the same type as those produced in America. It is even more remarkable considering that the group had never produced any zine before. Unfortunately, it only had one issue, as the problems were so complex, finding a printer, for example, was a very difficult undertaking.

The most unusual feature of Nocturne is its artwork, of a quality rarely seen in British zines, and never before or since in such quantity. There is a Gayle F cover, and the interior illos really bring the text to life.

Most of the writers are British, and the stories range from the exquisite vignette "The Unicorn" to "A Time for Timelessness" an alternative ending for ST-TMP in which Spock decides he must return to Vulcan because he is certain Kirk will feel betrayed if he learns that Spock loves him. In "Matchmaker", a Vulcan custom takes Kirk by surprise; "After the Fire" has Kirk delayed in reaching Spock at pon farr. In "The Waiting Time" Kirk, trapped in a cave, has a premonition of Spock's retreat to Gol. "Silver" has Spock driven half insane at Kirk's supposed death. "Falls the Shadow" is set after Amok Time, and deals with the beginning of the relationship. "After the Carnival" has Spock learning to handle jealousy when a young crewman develops a crush on Kirk. In "This Time Forever", McCoy calls in a Vulcan healer to help Kirk deal with the breaking of his bond when Spock is captured and killed by aliens. T'Par learns that Spock is still alive, and guides his rescue. The poetry is as rich and varied as the stories and artwork, and rounds out a truly remarkable zine... It is well worth reading, as is, as the editor said, "An example of the best of K/S fan fiction and art on both sides of the Atlantic." It is also quite explicit in parts. [5]

2010

[zine]:

This zine has just become one of my favourites and should it require a one word of the main subject the stories are somehow (I still don‘t know if accidentally or deliberately although the "night" theme indicates to the latter) dedicated to, it would be sorrow.

Deep, heavy, heart-wrenching, well-written and K/S soaked sorrow. And even though I‘m usually very sensitive, I loved it. All stories do have a good ending though but never ever was the validity of the proverb "the journey is the reward" better proven then here. It‘s the kind of depth that captures your heart and makes you feel the story beyond the words. Aahh, you can see I‘m still pretty awed. Nocturne was planned as a British zine but as published by Defiant Press, England, in 1981 it turned out to have become more of a joint venture when "nationality" was forgotten and the zine‘s message changed to "let's do it together" (quote editorial Lee Owers). And so, indeed, it contains magnificent stories and art works from both side of the Atlantic. It‘s simply a great, great zine.

There‘s just one story in it I couldn't really warm to (Carnival‘s End) as for me both of them were a bit ooc and the entire jealousy-theme, which was the main topic here, is difficult for me. But all the others grew very dear to my heart:

The Waiting Time by Vivian Young which is rather cryptic and made my heart ache, After the Fire by Sue Meek which has our guys missing each other terribly during a separation that threatens to destroy Spock when his pon farr arrives. The Matchmaker by Ray Newton, which is gentle and tender combined with a cute idea to bring them together, Falls the Shadow by [Elaine W.] which takes place after Amok Time and gives Kirk a hard time. This Time Forever by Lian Anderson in which the bond breaks and while Spock is thought dead, Kirk can‘t find his way back to his normal life. And of course Time for Timelessness by Lee Owers and Silver by Ray Newton which I will review more comprehensively.

I‘m doing this zine review because I could not decide which of the stories I should recommend and as none of the stories seems to be at the K/S archive, one might get the whole zine anyway. Fortunately it‘s available at the KSP library (thank you for this) and I‘d say: Get it!

Again I‘d advise to just start reading the zine without knowing too much about the stories as the effect will be so much more...effective I guess. I know it makes little sense to write a review here and then say go read the zine instead but I still believe it‘d be the best.

However, I will look at the two stories a bit deeper as I especially loved those ones and I still feel the warmth and impact they left: Time for Timelessness by Lee Owers [and] Silver by Ray Newton [see those pages for this fan's comments] [6]

2011

The editor of Nocturne decided they wanted to do an "American-style" K/S zine, i.e., using photo offset printing rather than mimeo, which required finding a professional printshop willing to handle the material. IIRC, she did a great deal of research into finding a printshop that would handle this material; a lesbian-owned printshop agreed to print the zine. There are several other instances I am aware of where fanzine editors researched for gay- or lesbian-owned print shops to publish slash fanzines.[7]

References

  1. ^ from a fan who attended the 1982 Star Trek Writers' Workshop
  2. ^ Kathy Resch shared her recollections on the creation of the zine, unknown date, likely 2010ish
  3. ^ from the editorial of Duet #3 (spring or summer 1981)
  4. ^ from Communicator #1
  5. ^ from IDIC #9 (1990)
  6. ^ from The K/S Press #168 (2010)
  7. ^ Recollection posted in 'The Pages Two and Three K/S-zine heaven (My trip to the University of Iowa Fanzine Archives)', dated March 3, 2011, quoted with permission.
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