Quicksilver Rising

Zine
Title:	Quicksilver Rising
Publisher:	Vilaworld
Editor(s):	Yvette Clark
Date(s):	1984-1986
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Blake’s 7
Language:	English
External Links:
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Quicksilver Rising is a slash and het Blake's 7 anthology.

Issue 1

Quicksilver Rising 1 was published in 1984 and contains 70 pages.

Denise Walton is the over artist. It contains both slash and het (mainly het).

cover of issue #1

• A Twist of the Skein by Ariadne
• Life-Saver by Silver Reed
• And I Shall Fear No Darkness by Eos
• No Choice by Smiley (V/oc)
• A Lot of Experience in the Hen House by L. Fitzpatrick
• And Time Heals No Broken Butterflies by Narrelle Harris
• Lessons by Crystal Adams
• A Beaker of Trouble by Cynthia Helos
• Nine and Sixty Ways by ER
• A Religious Experience by Paula
• Solitaire for Two by Jacaranda Brown
• Farewell Upon the Bridge of Time, poem by Ambergris

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

Vilaworld adult zine (over 18 age statement required) £1.50 inc. p &p, 68 pages, A4 duplicated, nicely presented with drawing on cover. Cheap but adequate covers and binding. 11 stories featuring Vila specifically but, I emphasize, enjoyable reading even for those who aren't Vila fanatics. Vila meets a couple of old flames, suffers a few injuries and dramatic experiences and, in a particularly moving tale, remembers life in prison. Two very atmospheric tales fantasise, two of the shorties are hilarious and two of the longer stories light-hearted and very amusing.

Issue 2

cover of issue #2

Quicksilver Rising 2 was published in 1984 and 68 pages long. ER is the cover artist.

The story, The Bondstone, is the majority of the zine.

• The Bondstone by Paula (This story was later published as a stand-alone zine.)
• Aftershock by Julie Kramer

Issue 3

Quicksilver Rising 3 was published in 1985 and contains 58 pages. Vikki Weidner is the cover artist.

cover of issue #3

• Katherine by Ros Williams
• New Paths by Cynthia Helos
• What Are Friends For? by Louisa Dunne
• Having a Lovely Time by Ros Williams
• Paradise is for a Clever Fool by Ros Williams

Issue 4

Quicksilver Rising 4 was published in August 1986 and contains 56 pages.

• Doolie, fiction by Louise Dunne (1)
• The Matchmaker's Dilemma, fiction by Ros Williams (18)
• Matriarch, fiction by Cavea Lector (27)
• untitled story by Jane Carnall (41)
• Broken Fantasy, fiction by Erica Leonard (also in Forbidden Zone #3; has a sequel, "Mended Dream", in Southern Lights #3.75) (50)
• Pillow Talk by Henrietta Street (reprinted in Southern Lights Special #3.5) (54)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

This is an adult zine containing six stories, straight and slash though none of them is notably explicit (probably rates around 3 on a 1-10 scale where 1 equals very mild). They focus, as one would expect in a Vila club zine, on Vila. "Doolie" by Louisa Dunne is a fairly mundane old acquaintance-from-the -past story, and the basic situation takes a bit of believing. "Matriarch" by Cavea Lector also covers familiar ground, with Avon and Vila attending Cally on a quest to a female-dominated society; by the way Avon, not Vila, is the one who gets Cally. "The Matchmaker's Dilemma" by Ros Williams is a witty and light-hearted piece about Vila's match-making attempts among the crew. I particularly liked Avon's line to a predatory Cally, "I am normal. I and my parameters". "Untitled story" by Jane Carnall is rather darker in tone, though far from explicit, having Tarrant as a yob abusing Vila while Avon is apparently dead. It's not the most original on this theme that I've ever read, and I wish Vila wasn't quite so abject, but it is nevertheless an involving and enjoyable story (unless of course you're a Tarrant fan). "Broken Fantasy" by Erica Leonard is a short story telling how Avon's desire for Vila has results rather different than those he expected. Quite good. The last story "Pillow talk" by Henrietta Street is a very short comic one which has also been published in Southern Lights.

56pp, duplicated with a xeroxed photo of Vila on the cover. This is an adult magazine and all the stories are tastefully told —in fact they nearly all have plots! Except the last story which I think was a mental aberration (a slight insanity - and a great note to end it all with) after the typing of the rest of the zine. I know exact 1v how that feels!

The stories range from the touching to the humourous and all feature Vila (in all his talents). "Doolie" was poignant, "The Matchmaker's Dilemma" hysterical. "Matriarch" showed aside of Vila I'd love to get to experience... and "Broken Fantasy" was enough to move you to tears without any cop-out ending. The hardest story was an alternative universe one "Untitled Story" which is bitter, and sad and perhaps more out of character than any of the others. The ending felt right without going into er, details.

I enjoy this series of zines -they are always well-written, mostly starring my favourite character (ask any one whose seen my lounge room some time!), adult without obscenities. Depends heavily on what you want out of an adult zine. This fills my criterion without disappointment.