Oblaque

Zine
Title:	Oblaque
Publisher:	Oblique Publications and GBH Productions
Editor(s):	Caroline K. Carbis
Date(s):	1988-1993
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Blake's 7
Language:	English
External Links:	offline; some of the fic has been archived as pdfs
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Oblaque is a slash Blake's 7 anthology. The publisher describes it as "slash that's a little bit over the edge."

General Fan Comments

I don't mind a well-written dark story now and then, but I did find some of the Oblaque zines rather depressing on the whole. I never did finish reading OBLAQUE, OBLAQUER and OBLAQUEST because they were excruciatingly dark and depressing. The Wee Scott definitely has an unfailing pessimism for the characters of BLAKE'S 7. Some of her B/D fiction is very dark, but I suspect the percentage of her hard-edge-type PROS stories is lower thanthat for her B7 stories. If I recall correctly, the Wee Scott has said at a panel at Z-Con that she hates writing romantic or cutsey stories.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1

Oblaque 1 was published October 1988 and contains 130 pages.

• The Things We Do for Love by M. Fae Glasgow (Avon/Blake and Avon/Vila)
• Destiny by Adrian Alexander (Avon/Blake)
• Love's Raw Edge by Adrian Alexander (Avon/Vila)
• Tea for Two by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Edi N. Burgh) (Avon/Vila)
• In a Plain Brown Wrapper by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Cally Donia) (Avon/Vila)
• Cream by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Emma Scot) (Avon/Blake)
• Cream and Sugar by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Gael X. Ile) (Avon/Blake)
• If Only I Could by A. L. Hughes (Blake/Vila and Avon/Vila)
• Backfire by M. Fae Glasgow (Avon/Vila)
• Rise... by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Cally Donia) (Avon/Blake and Avon/Vila)
• The Protector by M. Fae Glasgow (Avon/Gan)
• Motif by Leigh Graham (prequel to Leitmotif in Oblaquer, Avon/Blake and Avon/Vila)

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Cream.

See reactions and reviews for Cream and Sugar.

See reactions and reviews for Destiny.

See reactions and reviews for Motif.

See reactions and reviews for If Only I Could.

See reactions and reviews for Rise....

See reactions and reviews for The Things We Do for Love.

Issue 2

cover of issue #2

Oblaque 2 has the title, "Oblaquer" on the cover. It was published February 1989 and contains 153 pages.

From Media Monitor: "Further exploration of the dark psychology of Blake's 7 with special attention to Avon. Stories by M. Fae Glasgow (and pseuds.). Adrian Alexander. Leigh Graham. Sean Charles. Contains the wonderful first story in the Dome Cycle."

• The Truth Will Out by M. Fae Glasgow (A/B)
• Through a Glass Darkly by Adrian Alexander (A/V)
• Terms of Surrender by Sean Charles (A/B) (reprinted in Double Vision)
• Needs Must by M. Fae Glasgow (A/V)
• Coverup by Grennen Barrett (A/V)
• Black Leather and Stud by Grennen Barrett (Avon/Tarrant)
• Domestic Bliss, or, Truth and Consequences by M. Fae Glasgow (A/V)
• Bucolic Bliss by M. Fae Glasgow (A/B)
• Bathtub by Adrian Alexander (A/V)
• Once More, Dear Friend, Into the Breeches by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Cally Donia) (A/V)
• The Emperor's New Clothes by A. L. Hughes (A/V)
• Leitmotif by Leigh Graham (The Sisterhood Trilogy II) (A/Ta)
• Hidden in Plain Sight by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Cally Donia) (A/V)
• The Gauntlet by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Gael X. Ile) (A/Ta)
• Exeunt by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Emma Scot) (A/V)
• Coming Home by Sean Charles (A/V) (reprinted in Double Vision)
• Against the Wall by M. Fae Glasgow (writing as Edi N. Burgh) (A/B)
• Appetite by Caroline K. Carbis (A/B/V)
• The Way of It by M. Fae Glasgow (The Dome Cycle, 1) (A/V)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for Terms of Surrender.

See reactions and reviews for Exeunt.

See reactions and reviews for Appetite.

See reactions and reviews for Against the Wall.

See reactions and reviews for Bucolic Bliss.

See reactions and reviews for The Truth Will Out.

[zine]:

It's gone all quiet in here again - might as well give a 'zine review for anyone who wants one. Another old 'zine.

The Truth Will Out (A/B) - M. Fae Glasgow

Blake is upset about the memory wipe. All that remains to him is politics & practical details. When Avon says he was Blake's friend before, Blake pesters him to tell him about his lover - and is rather surprised to find out the truth. Some splendid rows and Avon-snarling. Watch out for one of *those* endings - well, it is by M.Fae...

Through a Glass Darkly (A/V) - Adrian Alexander.

Vila, after a bang on the head, has a delusion that he is Avon and Avon is him. The first problem for Avon is being treated as an idiot by Vila. The second problem is the relationship Vila fantasises they had.

Terms of Surrender (A/B) - Sean Charles

Avon has been raped under interrogation, and Blake had to let it happen otherwise he knew they would use his feelings for Avon to break him. Can he convince Avon to trust him again?

Needs Must (A/V) - M. Fae Glasgow

In other 'zines a PGP story is a moment of optimism. In _Oblaque_, of course, it is much more likely to be full of very dark implications.

Coverup () - Grennen Barrett

Yes, that's right, an _Oblaque_ story with no sex scene. No wonder it's very short! The crew are speculating on why Avon wears all that black leather...

Black Leather and Stud (Tarrant/Avon's glove) - Grennen Barrett

Tarrant has a few quiet moments alone w/ a fantasy and Avon's glove. Unfortunately, some stains really are hell to get out of black leather...

Domestic Bliss (A/V) - M. Fae Glasgow

A "cosy" story from M.Fae? Avon & Vila are wondering how their relationship became so comfortable & so long-lasting. Another of *those* endings.

Bucolic Bliss (A/B) - M.Fae Glasgow

PWP in which Blake first shares a rural idyll with Avon and then discovers that when you have to watch your back with Avon is not at the time but afterwards. Contains a splendid "ouch!" piece of dialogue, but that's M.Fae for you.

Bathtub (A/V) - Adrian Alexander

PWP. Gossip, giggles and sex in the unlikely setting of a radiation-struck planet.

Once More Into The Breeches (A/V) - Cally Donia

PWP. Vila convinces a fourth-series (i.e. borderline-nutter) Avon that what he really needs is gratuitous sex.

The Emperor's New Clothes (A/V) - A.L. Hughes

Very, very silly PWP. Why is somebody willing to bet unfeasibly large sums of money to witness Vila giving Avon a blow job? Yes, well, told you it was silly! Fun, though.

Leitmotif (A/T) - Leigh Graham

I can't figure this one out at all (doesn't help that it's the second section of a three-parter). Doesn't feel like an _Oblaque_ story at all: heavy on Big Plot, but no relish in describing the intricacies of sex or murky psychology. Somebody else who likes that sort of thing can review this one...

Hidden in Plain Sight () - Cally Donia

Another exploration of just why the man wears so much damn leather... The two following stories both follow this in order.

The Gauntlet (A/T) - Gael X. Ile

(PWP, but, confusingly, this is *not* the story w/ Tarrant & the glove...). Avon is a fairly harsh topman and Tarrant loves every moment of it.

Exeunt (A/V) - Emma Scot

Can Vila act as therapist for Avon and get him out of his obsession with cruelty before it's too late...

Coming Home (A/V) - Sean Charles

Comfortable A/V PWP - not much to say about that.

Against the Wall (A/B - sort of) - Edi N. Burgh

Avon & Blake share casual, anonymous sex with a stranger, because they're too chicken to cope w/ their feelings for each other.

Appetite (A/B/V) - Caroline K. Carbis

Blake is prowling around looking for a midnight snack (quite the little subgenre, this is...) when he happens to see Avon & Vila snogging passionately. This leads to Avon developing some interest in the puzzle of Blake's lost libido, which he of course manages to solve. IMO Vila is treated as a bit of a plot device, though: Vila fans are likely to feel a little short-changed by this one.

The Way of It (Dome Cycle) - M. Fae Glasgow

Avon struggles to adjust to the horrors of life among the Deltas, where Vila is far better equipped to deal with things.

Issue 3

cover of issue #3

Oblaque 3 has the title, "Oblaquest" on the cover. It was published June 1989 and contains 177 pages.

flyer with a focus on issue #3

From Media Monitor: "Contains M. Fae Glasgow's brilliant tale of the ramifications of Orbit (ReOrbit), another Dome Cycle story, plus various romantic, humorous, and emotion-wrenching stories."

From a flyer:

In Oblaquest we ask the following questions:

What happens when a Scot rewrites Shakespeare?

Is revenge as sweet as they say?

What exactly does Kerr Avon wear under his kilt?

What goes on in the Room?

Flow gently sweet Afton-or is that hoping for too much?

Who will stop the Sisterhood from Life, the Universe, and Everything?

And will M. Fae Glasgow manage to fit a spanking into another one of her stories?

Also included in this issue:

a second tale in the Dickensian Dome Cycle

a dark look into the consequences of Orbit

and more stories by M. Fae Glasgow, Leigh Graham, Sean Charles, Adrian Alexander, and others.

• ReOrbit: The Darkness Drops by M. Fae Glasgow
• ReOrbit: Stony Sleep by M. Fae Glasgow
• Flow Gently, Sweet Afton by Leigh Graham
• Hauf Fun, Hale Earnest by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Donia
• He Who Laughs Last by B. Sassenach
• Appearances by Sean Charles (reprinted in Double Vision)
• The Price to Pay by M. Fae Glasgow
• You're It: A Game of Tag, Part I by Caroline Dare
• The Forest for the Trees by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Emma Scot
• A Complete Ball's Up by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Gael X. Ile
• Hell by Adrian Alexander
• In the Beginning by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Edi N. Burgh
• Lament, Part I by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Donia
• Lament, Part II (Love's Great Adventure) by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Donia
• ReOrbit: The Second Coming by M. Fae Glasgow
• The Warm Patch by Adrian Alexander
• The Room by M. Fae Glasgow
• Something to Live For by Sean Charles (reprinted in Double Vision)
• The Ties That Bind by M. Fae Glasgow writing as L. A. Scotian
• For A' That by M. Fae Glasgow (The Dome Cycle II)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

See reactions and reviews for You're It.

See reactions and reviews for Hauf Fun, Hale Earnest.

See reactions and reviews for Flow Gently, Sweet Afton.

See reactions and reviews for For A' That.

See reactions and reviews for The Room.

See reactions and reviews for The Warm Patch.

See reactions and reviews for Something to Live For.

See reactions and reviews for Hell.

[zine]: Oblaque is one of my favourite slash 'zines. It has a very decided house style (rather more than most other b7 slash 'zines I've seen). No artwork, no poetry, just very well-written slash stories concentrated on emotional and sexual intensity (with a leaning towards the dark side of both). Some people find it twisted and kinky, I find it twisted, kinky and deeply enjoyable (even if I can end up slightly squicked or depressed after reading some of the stories).

This is one of the earlier "milder" Oblaques (the issues from IV onwards seem to have been harsher and weirder) but it's still got enough dark to give a hearts and flowers slash fan the screaming abdabs for a week (luckily the hearts and flowers slashfen are probably concentrating on B/G (DS9) and avoiding b7 like the plague).....

ReOrbit: The Darkness Drops (A/V) - M.Fae Glasgow Another cracking dose of emotional pain from M.Fae. No cuddly sex scenes, but plenty of the dark, destructive side of love. Following Orbit, Vila has finally been driven beyond his endurance, and has to hit back. Grim and unrelieved.

ReOrbit: Stony Sleep (A/V) - M.Fae Glasgow Sequel to the above. Avon's viewpoint as he sinks into a severe depression, and realises that Vila is in danger because Blake's trying to manipulate the situation for reasons of his own. More unrelieved gloom.

Flow Gently, Sweet Afton (A/B) - Leigh Graham "Karl Afton", a mild-mannered man totally reconditioned by the Federation, bumps into a certain Roj Blake who has most uncomfortable effects on the hidden parts of his memories. Yes, folks, just for a change we've got an Avon-more-mindwiped-than-Blake-story. I thought it was a reasonably clever idea but the sketched-in relationships don't really work Doesn't have the punch and conviction of the tangled passions in M.Fae's stories.

Hauf Fun, Hale Earnest (A/B) - Cally Donia Ah, now this one's a nice treat for us A/B fans who were getting a bit depressed at the gloom and the decidedly-nasty Blake in the previous stories. As the title implies, this story starts out jokey and ends up romantic. The crew go to a planet with a very Scottish culture, expecting to have to make political speeches, but they end up having a party instead. Nice description of Avon looking absolutely gorgeous in full Highland ceremonial rig-out. Lovely seduction scene.

He who Laughs Last (A/V - sort of) - B. Sassenach This one seems to be meant in black humour rather than a serious attempt to be convincing. Guess who was a Federation spy and an Alpha all along, cunningly disguised... Neither nice nor convincing, but it's an interesting idea... The first in a section entitled And Sundry Other Bastards, i.e. the writers are having fun inventing a character who is Even More Of a Bastard than Avon!

Appearances (A/V) - Morgan & O'Cullane Blake rushes into Avon's room to save Vila, who is apparently being beaten and raped. However, appearances can be deceptive. Can Avon and Vila convince Blake that what he saw wasn't the real truth before Blake drops Avon on a deserted planet in disgust? I think this one is misfiled in this section - there are no real villains in it.

The Price to Pay (A/"Brodie") - M.Fae Glasgow I think this is a crossover but am not sure (have seen little Pros slash and none of the series). However, as the character is called "Andru Brodie", has intense blue eyes and calls Avon "sunshine", it probably is an AU Pros crossover. A nicely nasty little piece, anyway. Avon picks up this character in a brothel and finds he's a bit too much to handle. The end scene, where Blake teleports down to get Avon, is one of the best bits in the whole 'zine. M.Fae can do Avon being Horribly Embarrassed better than anybody else I have yet discovered (see also the Delta Dome episode in Ob IV for wince-making laughter).

You're It (A Game of Tag part 1) (A/B) - Caroline Dare A change of pace. After the "bastards" section, which was heavy in parts, we get to the traditional "gratuitous sex" section in the middle of an Oblaque (probably on the principle that after all that angst it's just what the reader needs). The middle part of a nice PWP series in which Avon, Blake and Vila go off on shore-leave for a few hours of al fresco s/m. I like the way she implies that there is real affection under all the rough play (they're trying to be convincingly cruel without actually hurting each other). Any slash fans who turn on to the idea of Avon getting all ruffled and dirty and being forced to beg for sexual pleasure will find this one fairly hot.

A Complete Balls-Up (A/V) - Gael X. Ile A PWP with a fairly obvious idea, but none the worse for that. Avon puts his back out when he's having sex with Vila and they have to discover how to get out of that position, preferably without either making it worse or having to ask Cally to come and disentangle them. Good irritably-funny dialogue and jokey ending. Hell (A/B) - Adrian Alexander The start of the more romantic section of the 'zine. A short vignette. Blake and Avon are on a horribly hot planet (a certain fellow-feeling here; summer has come to blight my existence, too early as usual....) and Blake can't sleep, but is standing admiring Avon and wondering if he dares do anything.

In the Beginning (A/V) - Edi N. Burgh A nice sweet one, this. Avon and Vila decide on a casual no-strings "arrangement", but find more affection and fun than either expected.

Lament (A/V) - Cally Donia Can't tell you the idea of this one without ruining it for everyone. Lovely story, anyway.

ReOrbit: The Second Coming - M.Fae Glasgow The Editor said M.Fae was "blackmailed" into providing a happy ending for the doom-and-gloom ReOrbit stories. M.Fae said this story was so sweet it should come with extra toothpaste. I think it would be too sweet on its own, but it's just right if you're feeling agonised from having read the two first stories. But then I like darkish slash which manages to pull off a happy ending Against All The Odds. Slash is about doing the impossible, anyway.

The Warm Patch (A/B) - Adrian Alexander Out of the romance section. This one is fairly agonised. Blake is trying to convince Avon to take the risk of love, but even love and sex can't quite convince him - and he hits back when threatened. Slight hurt/comfort aspect.

The Room (A/B) - M.Fae Glasgow Much more distant/isolated in tone than M.Fae's usual style. No dialogue. The idea is that Blake & Avon go to an isolated room and have sex every so often, but Avon refuses to submit to Blake's desire for love. This satisfies their immediate sexual desire, but does nothing to fulfil any of their other needs.

Something to Live For (A/B) - Morgan & O'Cullane A PGP (traditional It Was The Clone style) where both Blake and Avon believe the other one is dead. Gloom at the beginning but a happy ending with a new ship and several new recruits. I would really like it, but I think it's trying to do too much at once, so it ends up slightly sketchy.

The Ties That Bind (A/V) - L.A. Scotia Cheerful little PWP. The crew are getting irritated with Vila's boasting that he's better as a thief than Tarrant as a pilot or even Avon as a computer expert. Avon dares Vila into a bet - and finally comes up with an interesting lock for him to pick.

For A' That (A/V at least in this episode) - M.Fae Glasgow The second installment of the Dome Cycle. AU plot where Avon takes cover with Vila and Vila's family in the Delta Dome. I love this sequence. The lovingly-crafted social backgrounds between the Deltas and the Alphas are wonderful. I also like the idea that Vila is the one who knows what he's doing and Avon is tagging along. Too many bad A/V stories just have Vila needy & vulnerable while Avon isn't, and you end up with a gay version of an Alpha-male (!) wounded-hero romance novel. M.Fae is doing a good job of convincing me that the Avon/Vila dynamic is more complicated than having all the power on Avon's side.

....Hope this review is of some help to new fans trying to decide what to go for first. People usually either really like Oblaque or really hate it.

Footnote from Judith. I enjoy Oblaque greatly, but I would not recommend it for a first slash read. It is extremely explicit, frequently bleak, and would probably come as too much of a shock to a first time slash reader. Try something milder first, then you'll be ready to enjoy Oblaque to the full if you find that you want something stronger (not everyone does).

Issue 4

cover of issue #4

Oblaque 4 is titled "Oblaque IV: to be taken intravenously". It was published April 1990 and contains 184 pages.

From Media Monitor: "Huge bumper issue (reduced print) marked by the return of Sebastian to fan writing and the debut of Jane Baron. Also Catocala, N.T. Casillas, Caroline Dare, and a multiplicity of pieces from M. Fae Glasgow. Includes the third installment in the Dome Cycle, the horrifying 'The Farmer's Wife', and the shocking Field of Human Conflict."

• Bittersweet by Sebastian
• Fade to Gray by Catocala
• Witness by Jane Baron
• The Farmer's Wife by M. Fae Glasgow
• The Other Side of the Coin by M. Fae Glasgow
• Sweet the Sin by N. T. Casillas
• The Fifth Day by M. Fae Glasgow writing as L. A. Scotian
• The Blink of an Eye by Jane Baron
• The Field of Human Conflict by M. Fae Glasgow
• A Spanking Good Time!: A Game of Tag, Part II by Caroline Dare
• On the Tip of His Tongue by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Donia
• Mist by M. Fae Glasgow
• Come as You Are by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Emma Scot
• Promises, Promises... by M. Fae Glasgow (The Dome Cycle III)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for Fade to Gray.

See reactions and reviews for A Spanking Good Time!.

See reactions and reviews for Come as You Are.

See reactions and reviews for The Blink of an Eye.

See reactions and reviews for Bittersweet.

See reactions and reviews for Witness.

See reactions and reviews for The Farmer's Wife.

See reactions and reviews for The Field of Human Conflict.

See reactions and reviews for Mist.

See reactions and reviews for Promises, Promises....

[zine]: Plain card cover comb bound 184 pages. No illustrations. The print is exceptionally clear, layout is excellent and typos rare.

This is unquestionably one of the finest zines I've read, but as Judith has already pointed out the Oblaque series may not suit everyone. Having now read three of them I can see what she means. The stories are unequivocally adult in the fullest sense of the word, not just sexually explicit but set in a society whose harsh reality is convincingly reflected in their language, characterisation, psychology and imagery.

Undercurrents of power, domination both social and sexual, abuse and violence permeate the eroticism of many of these stories, and the tone is generally dark, not so much hurt/comfort as anguish, desperation and a little bit of comfort if you're very lucky. Suffering, whether emotional or physical, really means suffering. Most of the stories in 1V carry a tremendous emotional and erotic charge through the conviction and skill with which they are written, and you might well find the overall effect disturbing.

According to Dumas "All generalisations are dangerous, including this one". Amidst the anguish humour often lurks, much of it tongue in cheek, though that's probably a dangerous phrase to use in this context. There is even the occasional happy ending. Don't let us forget this is pure (sic) fantasy and nobody is getting hurt. As the editorial page points out the stories "are not meant to infringe upon reality in any way shape or form".

Avon, Vila and Blake dominate the zine, so if you're exclusively interested in other characters, buy something else. Oblaque writers also have a splendid disregard for series chronology, altering episodes and re-interpreting characters from story to story as it suits them. When the results are this good don't quibble, just read and enjoy. If you take it for granted that there is lots and lots of sex, it will save me from having to repeat it throughout.

Oblaque 1V is divided into sections, the first of which is "Suffer" and contains four stories.

"Bittersweet" is a forty-five page story revolving around Avon, Blake and Vila and set late in series two. It is intense, very erotic, the relationships tortuous and tortured. Events from the series are dovetailed neatly into the overall story, the dialogue is excellent and the characterisation totally convincing. Avon and Blake relate as per usual but more so, Vila opens another bottle of Chateau Despair. Poignant, venomous, tender, painful etc etc etc. You get the idea.

If "Bittersweet is splendid, "Fade to Gray" is stunning, an absolute must-read for A/V fans. Set in series four, Avon takes Vila with him to negotiate an agreement with a class-ridden society where the Grays are de facto slaves, roughly equivalent to Deltas. Avon and Vila have been lovers but not for some time. Avon is at his most forbidding and Vila, disillusioned and drinking too much, gets himself into trouble and incurs his ex's wrath in a big way. I 'm not going to say what happens next but their estrangement is ultimately resolved. The writing is exquisite, and if this one doesn't get you where it hurts, nothing will.

In "Witness" a lonely Vila hides away to watch Blake and Avon making love, and remembers what happened after Avon rescued him from would be rapists on the London. The flashback scenes are especially well done, with both characters eminently recognisable. The writer uses stock phrases of the "shut up, Vila" variety to great effect rather than as easy options.

The last story in this section is short and gripping. "The Farmers Wife" is as grim as you're likely to get, too much so for me, but it was preceded by a warning for the squeamish. It could well put you off leather too.

The next section is "The Slings and Arrows"; things that get under your skin".

The tantalising "Other Side of the Coin" begins with Vila in hot pursuit of Avon, who is initially unwilling to acknowledge his sexuality. Things do not go quite as Vila had hoped but nevertheless there is what passes in Oblaque for a happy ending after seventeen utterly delicious pages. M.Fae Glsagow writes terrific Vila. I particularly liked the wicked humour in this one, and whether or not you see these two as lovers, the comradeship within their relationship has seldom been better described (look at pages 78 and 83 if you don't believe me). Hurrah for the love of a good Delta.

"Sweet the Sin" is also A/V. A young Avon explores the Delta areas and is forced to have sex with his captor. However things may not be quite as they seem to the reader and there are significant twists before the sombre ending.

It's Christmas and PWP time in "The Fifth Day". Vila gets to find out at length what Avon hides under his shirt, to name but one item of clothing.

Section 111 is "...Of Outrageous Fortune".

In "The Blink of an Eye" Blake and Avon have an explosive near-rape encounter with the usual themes - who's manipulating whom, who's the boss, why is Avon so bloody difficult, is Blake a hero or a devious bastard? What is unusual is the skill with which these familiar themes are handled.

It's back to A/V in "The Field of Human Conflict", at least to begin with. Avon is on the psychological rack when Blake tries blackmail to force him to help destroy Star One. Avon fears that if Blake revealed his secret he would lose Vila; yes folks, this time it's love on both their sides. However the plot thickens considerably and this is ultimately a very bleak story where none of the protagonists can escape their earlier experiences and conditioning. An anguished and powerful portrayal of all three men, heavily laced with dramatic irony.

Section 1V is "In a lighter vein".

Did you say "and about time?" Two PWPs; "A spanking good time" is self-explanatory, and is part 11 of a series. Vila inadvertently embarrasses Avon on the flight deck but then takes the advantage in "On the tip of his tongue".

Section V "Addicted to Love" is back to the angst with a vengeance.

In "Mist" Avon is taking drugs and using Vila for sex and nothing more. Vila loves him and uses his addiction to try and get some affection as well. The drug and Blake get in the way. Alas, poor Vila! Heartrending stuff.

"Come as you are" (Don't you just love all these ambivalent titles?) is another vitriolic Blake and Avon story.

Section V1; and so it goes: the Dome Cycle.

This is part three of an ongoing series, "Promises, Promises". I've read part one but am awaiting the arrival of part two, avidly. Part one centred on Vila and Avon's escape into the Delta levels where he and Vila became a publicly acknowledged couple, initially because it was necessary for their survival though naturally there's more to it than that. By this episode they have re-encountered Blake, Avon is embroiled with him and Vila in the middle of a revolution. The brutality and deprivation of life in the Domes is vividly and very convincingly brought to life. Lots of turmoil, guilt, remorse, longing, hurt, betrayal and so on. How the reader feels for them both.

This is vivid, fast-moving stuff. The only minor quibble I have is with the Delta dialect, which occasionally brings to mind Dick Van Dyke's version of cockney in Mary Poppins, but this is a VERY minor quibble. Dialect is incredibly difficult to bring off, especially when you are writing for fans on different continents, and here it is an integral part of the plot. So you thought Avon couldn't act Delta? Read on, and I hope on - there is another episode isn't there?

Issue 5

cover of issue #5

Oblaque 5, titled "Oblaque V: In Venery Veritas" is a collection of 13 stories, 150 pages long and was published in May 1991.

From Media Monitor: "Overall theme of venery: the "chase" and the gratification of sexual desire. Also a Dome Cycle tale."

• Incipit by M. Fae Glasgow (Venery I) (A/B/V)
• Glass House by K. Thomas and D. D. Montgomery (A/B)
• Heatstroke by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Gael X. Ile (A/B)
• Cat's Cradle I by Sebastian (A/B)
• Cat's Cradle II by Sebastian (A/B)
• In Medias Res by M. Fae Glasgow (Venery II) (A/B/V)
• Lights Out by Caroline Dare (A Game of Tag, Part III) (A/B/V)
• In Vino Veritas by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Donia (A/V)
• And Dreaming, Awake by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Emma Scot (A/V)
• Caveat Emptor by M. Fae Glasgow (A/B)
• Ante Mortem by M. Fae Glasgow (Venery III) (A/B/V)
• Should Auld Acquaintance by M. Fae Glasgow (The Dome Cycle, 4) (A/B/V)
• Terminus by M. Fae Glasgow (Venery IV) (A/B/V)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Terminus.

See reactions and reviews for Should Auld Acquaintance.

See reactions and reviews for Lights Out.

See reactions and reviews for In Vino Veritas.

See reactions and reviews for Heatstroke.

See reactions and reviews for Cat's Cradle.

See reactions and reviews for Glass House.

See reactions and reviews for Ante Mortem.

See reactions and reviews for Caveat Emptor.

See reactions and reviews for Incipit.

See reactions and reviews for In Medias Res.

[zine]: I'm always impressed by The Glaswegian's work: unlike many fan writers who seem to start a story off in a sort of nebulous way, meander off in a vague direction for an undetermined length of time and then stop when they've put enough words on the paper, The Glaswegian's tales have a beginning, a middle, and an end. 'Oblaque' #5 taken overall isn't' quite as good as 'Oblaque' #4, which is the best zine I've ever read, gen, adult, or slash. For one thing, it's not a beginner's zine -- it requires some knowledge of both the genre and the program; without that a reader would be a little lost, and it is continuing themes that the 'Oblaque' writers and editor have started in previous zines, which may not be familiar to new readers. It also needs a very high level of reading skills -- the Glaswegian and the other contributors don't write for fools! A very nitpicking review would pick up on the fact that some of it is, by virtue of its very depth, somewhat inaccessible, but that shouldn't necessarily stop anyone from reading it. Particularly good stories are 'Caveat Emptor,' an exploration of the relationship between Blake and Avon; Thomas and Montgomery's 'Glass House,' also Blake and Avon in an a/u setting with nary a word wrong; and Caroline Dare's 'Lights Out,' a nice (and heavy) Blake/Avon/Vila sex scene.

Issue 6

Oblaque 6, also known as "Sextus", was published in January 1993 and is 144 pages long.

From Media Monitor: "In it, our authors M. Fae Glasgow, Sebastian, and Jane Mailander explore a number of variations and 'versions' of that dark universe, from Aversion to Diversion, from Perversion to Subversion, Curiouser and curiouser."

• Virtual Reality by Sebastian (5 pages)
• E-Male by M. Fae Glasgow
• Hey Diddle, Diddle by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Emma Scot (12 pages)
• Rosetta Stone by M. Fae Glasgow (33 pages)
• Romancing the Stone by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Cally Fornia Donia (10 pages)
• The Pilot’s Tail by Jane Mailander (8 pages)
• Philadelphia by M. Fae Glasgow (31 pages)
• One In A Million by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Gael X. Ile (10 pages)
• The Dome Cycle Part 5: Oh L’Amour by M. Fae Glasgow (14 pages)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

See reactions and reviews for E-Male.

See reactions and review for Rosetta Stone.

See reactions and reviews for Romancing the Stone.

See reactions and reviews for The Pilot's Tail.

See reactions and reviews for Oh L’Amour.

See reactions and reviews for Virtual Reality.

[zine]:

Well, I've just started reading SEXTUS and I swear, I ain't never gonna feel guilty about participating in slash fan fiction again. Slash is positively TAME compared to some of the fan-written stuff out there, folks...frankly, a sensation I've had before with some of the more brutally graphic 'get-ums' I've seen over my 22 (very) odd years in fandom. I'm not about to make judgements. As Leonard Nimoy said about slash, "whatever floats your boat". But I do admit I kind of went far beyond my limit with "golden shower" stories and an adult Avon cuddling on child molestor Blake's lap, cooing and calling him "Daddy". Then again, I suppose somebody else might look at the bond between Avon, Vila and Kerril in LAST STAND and go "eeewwww...yukk!"

[zine]: I really enjoyed Oblaque Sextus — dare one admit to "liking" such dangerous and perverse material? Once again the limits have been pushed back in some very creative ways, and I keep finding myself going back for another look — wicked stuff, skillfully done. Congratulations once again to Jenn and Christine, and M. Fae and Nancy! So...what's next?

[zine]: I *of course* bought Oblaque Sextus. I read it on the plane, and don't think I would have noticed if I had crashed. If anyone out there remembers M. Fae saying that there were two subjects about which she wouldn't write, be warned, she gets very close to one here...