Shadowstar/Issues 16-17
Issue 16
Shadowstar 16 was published in Fall 1984 and contains 121 pages. This issue did not print any letters of comment.
From the editorial:
I may be entirely possible that this issue presented us more knotty last-minute problems than any other to date, despite its lack of exceeding length. Murphy's Law strikes again; because we had so very little time in which to prepare both this and ILLUMINATIONS, it simply had to be a proverbial pain-in-the-klarn. Remember that choke-a-bantha issue we had last time? The 170 page monster? This time, the problem was reversed. Once everything was typed up and printed, we found ourselves coming dreadfully short of anything akin to a decent page count. We kept adding and adding and adding, and still, things came up short.
In retrospect I can see three major reasons for why this is so: A. the average length of the contributions intended for this issue was relatively short, B. the extremely tight lead-time between this issue and the last forced a virtual dearth of art; most artists find it tough to fit things in on a two-week deadline, especially when they and I live some hundreds of miles apart, and C. unforeseen difficulties forced the withdrawal of one of the more lengthy pieces from this issue.
Speaking of both B and C: although we indicated last issue that this publication would include the first part of "Honor's Price" (from The Pirate and the Lady) by Christine Jeffords and Eluki bes Shahar, an art snafu forced us to put it on hold. Hopefully, the matter will be cleared up by #17, so that we can bring you the start of a truly fascinating tale. Our apologies to both the readers and the authors. I just hate when things like this happen.
Well, all these problems aside, we have a marvelous diversity of short tales for you this time, both humorous and tragic. Brevity in no way lessens the quality of these pieces, and we hope you enjoy them all.
- A Letter from the Editor (1)
- Shady Thoughts: An Open Letter to George Lucas by Dorothy P. Freda (2)
- A Christmas Carol? by Mary Jean Holmes (Star Wars) (3)
- Cry Havoc! by Misty Lackey (Dawntreader) (11)
- "Star Lord" and "Other Times," two poems by Chris Smith (15)
- The Loremaster's Apprentice by Kathryn Sullivan (original fantasy) (16)
- Allies by Roberta Stuemke ("Not all the entries in our recent contest were winners, but, as I said, they were all good. Here we have another of Roberta s, the one that didn't win. She asked my permission to set it in the post-ROTJ universe I had devised, and I happily conceded.") (Star Wars) (18)
- word search puzzle by Lynda Vandiver (24)
- The Lykoniad, part three by Mike Winkle (original fiction) (25)
- Over the Rainbow? by Misty Lackey (Includes a bit of Tuckerism: "Once again, this submission, like its predecessor ("Worldwalker", SHADOWSTAR #14), was not in any way solicited ('cept maybe for saying "yes" when the author asked if she could send it). Although it might have been better-suited for publication in one of our other 'zines (due to its specific subject matter), we include it here in part to balance off the incredible morosity of Misty's submission "Cry Havoc!" and in part because of the editor's "oblique" inclusion within it (hey, I get a name this time!). The plot thickens.") (Diana Tregarde/Indiana Jones) (44)
- Space Lover's Puzzle by Marci Erwin (crossword puzzle) (50)
- Interlude in the Kilghard Hills by Mary Frances Zambreno (Stars Wars/Darkover) ("The following is a story set in an alternate universe -- combining versions of two different universes -- neither of which should ever have been permitted within a half-mile of each other. Still, one can't help wondering...") (52)
- Anakin, poem by Pat Molitor (Star Wars) (60)
- I am a Jedi, illo by D.L. Miller (Star Wars) (62)
- Selkie, Selkie by Misty Lackey (Diana Tregarde) (64)
- Name Game, word search by Marci Erwin (68)
- You Can Fool Some of the People... by Karen Klinck (Star Wars) (70)
- Let it Be a Tombstone by Kenneth Goltz (original science fiction) (73)
- It's Not My Fault, poem by Ann Wortham (78)
- Luke Skywalker's Response to "The Mary Sue Fan Fiction Blues" by Jacqueline Taero (A response to the "Mary Su Fan Fiction Blues," which appeared in Shadowstar #9) (Star Wars) (79)
- An Evening with a Solo by Joyce Devine (Star Wars) (80)
- Carbonized Corellian, poem by Marci Erwin (Star Wars) (83)
- The Coming of Darkness by Terry O'Brien (original science fiction) (84)
- Lost in the Shuffle, part two of a Star Wars novel by Mary Jean Holmes (Star Wars) (89)
- ads (122)
- art by Mary Jean Holmes (both covers), Wanda Lybarger, Martynn, Karen Pauli, Carol Paulson, Virginia Rogers, John Sies, Mark Wallace, Mary WOod
from issue #16, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #16, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #16, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #16, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #16, Mark Wallace for "Over the Rainbow?"
from issue #16, Martynn
from issue #16, Mary Wood: portrays Danilo Syrtis, Luke Skywalker, and Artoo
from issue #16, Virginia Rogers
from issue #16, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #16, Martynn
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 16
[Lost in the Shuffle]:I hate to admit this, but I had not been following Lost in the Shuffle because long stories have been making my eyeballs burn out, of late. However, I glanced over part one in SHADOWSTAR #15, and before I knew it, I was hooked! I hunted down part two, and then I gobbled up part three. And I can't wait for the rest! I especially loved the parts showing how much Han and Chewie (and now Lando) care for one another. And I'll be eternally envious of your ability to keep all the SW universe details straight in your head. That had always intimidated me, for if I can't immediately figure out Evh-ry Gaw-damd De-tail about a story-universe, I sometimes become a little aloof... It's silly, I know, and it's kept me from enjoying several sagas, like Lord of the Rings and the many STAR TREK novels. It's different than, say, Indiana Jones, which is set on the good ol' Earth in a fairly recent and well-documented era.
But LITS has lifted my flagging interest in SW... Maybe someday, I'll try my hand at a SW story. Maybe for the next all SW issue... [1]
Issue 17
Shadowstar 17 was published in Winter 1985 and contains 144 pages.
The art is by Jean Danielsen, Mary Jean Holmes, Jenni Hennig, Misty Lackey, Melody Luke, Wanda Lybarger (back cover), Martynn, Karen Pauli, Carol Paulson, John Sies, and Mary Wood.
From the editorial:
Herein you will find the first of two parts of "Honor's Price," by Christine Jeffords and Eluki bes Shahar. Unfortunately, you will not find the artwork by the artist who was originally intended to illustrate it. It's been a very perplexing and frustrating matter; I blame no one in particular for the snafu (except, perhaps, the Post Offal, which has a fondness for eating certain of my letters), and apologize to both Chris and Eluki, as well as to that ill-starred artist, and you, the readers. I would've loved to see her work grace these pages — and I'm certain it would've enhanced everyone's enjoyment of the story — but I also felt it unfair for the authors to face numerous delays in publication because of an unpredicted and unpredictable foul-up. Hence, Mary Wood and I took on the task at almost literally the last minute. It's an excellent tale, and I hope this compromise is satisfactory all around.
Speaking of quirks in the realm of art: while going through our collection of orphaned "fillos" — scattered independent bits of artwork used to fill dreaded White Space — I found that we're accruing rather a large number of excellent pieces that haven't found homes for one of three reasons: A. beautifully narrative though they might be, they'd been drawn completely at whim and hence have no story to go with the ; B. when their accompanying stories went to press, they'd been bumped for space reasons or such; or, C. the stories they do go with will, for various reasons, never be published. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) Ergo, you will find at points throughout this issue (and most likely in the next few, as well) drawings that look like they should be part of some story, but aren't. (Case in point: the drawing on page 27 was done for my story "Field Promotion," but circumstances prevented its publication. And that drawing on the back cover... shame on you, Wanda!) Enjoy them.
- Letter from the Editor (1)
- Shady Thoughts: Why I Like Reading/Writing Fan Fiction by Misty Lackey (2)
- Fuzzy Thoughts, tongue-in-cheek essay by a wookiee about why fans are now more excited about the Ewoks than the Wookiees (4)
- Penumbra (6)
- Ties of Life -- and Death by Jeanine Hennig ("Sent from Yavin on a mission to scout out new base sites, Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles discover things about themselves, secrets of old acquaintances, and treachery...") (chapter in the Catalyst series) (Star Wars) (12)
- Companion by Melody Luke (science fiction) (28)
- The Hearth Calleth, poem by Paula Freda (30)
- One Good Turn..., fiction by Lynda Vandiver (not listed in the table of contents) (Star Wars) (31)
- Star Wars Double Trouble Puzzle by Marci Erwin (35)
- Alien, poem by Paul Freda (reprinted from "Small Press Writers and Artists' Organization Showcase" IV, 1984) (36)
- Not for Burning by Misty Lackey ("Gifted with the Sight, befriended by animals, orphaned, and forced to flee in the face of accusations of witchcraft in Puritan England, Cassandra Tregarde is led to a fate she has only dreamed...") (science fiction, part of Lackey'sDiana Tregarde eventual pro series.) (37)
- Honor's Price, part one by Christine Jeffords and eluki bes shahar (part of the Brightstar Universe) ("Part one, from The Pirate and the Lady series by Christine Jeffords and Eluki bes Shahar. "Freed from the Emperor but unable to reach her Lord, Dolca, the Lady Vader of Vader, finds herself confronted with rebellion and mutiny, and her only hope for escape is via the pirate captain, Mari Sevenstars... " Recap from "Shadowstar" #18: "In Part One: While en route to meet with her lord, Darth Vader, Dolca, Lady Vader of Vader and Force-adept, finds herself onboard an Imperial cruiser in the midst of mutiny. While the battle rages and the ship hangs helpless in space, it is detected by the pirate ship Tusken Raider, captained by Mari Sevenstars. Intending to strip the cruiser of anything valuable, the pirate crew boards and takes control of the Imperial ship; sensing that they are her only hope for reaching Lord Vader, Dolca aids the pirates in their takeover, then hires the ship to take her to her Lord, Although she is bound by her Azaeli code of honor to protect her passenger, Mari is uncertain of her intentions; she holds Dolca in confinement as she would a hostage. For her part, Dolca is no more certain of the pirate captain than Mari is of her...") (Star Wars) (47)
- Imagine and Ride Other Wings, two poems by Chris Smith ("Imagine" was originally published in "SPWAO Newsletter" v.6 n.5, 1984) (74)
- Jedi Character Hunt by Marci Erwin (75)
- Looking Glass by Mary Frances Zambreno ("When he purchased the unusual mirror for his quarters, Luke Skywalker could never have imagined what waited on the other side...") (76)
- Flights of Fancy, poem by Paula Freda (reprinted from "Labyrinth" -- spring 1983) (83)
- The Lykoniad, part four by Mike Winkle (science fiction)(83)
- Lost in the Shuffle, part three by Mary Jean Holmes ("Wherein we learn of Han's fate at the inn, the schemes for power of an Imperial Governor, the anger of the Merchants' Guild, and Lando's plans for revenge... ") (Star Wars) (97)
- ads (157)
from issue #17
from issue #17, Jenni Hennig
from issue #17, Jenni Hennig
from issue #17, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #17, Martynn
from issue #17, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #17, Mary Jean Holmes
from issue #17, Wanda Lybarger
from issue #17, Misty Lackey
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 17
"Ties of Life" — After reading the article on Wedge Antilles in STARLOG, I watched for him in ROTJ when I saw it — again. But he didn't become a real person to me until I read "Ties of Life — and Death." I suspect we'll be seeing more of Wedge in future stories. While everyone seems to prefer tales about the already-established SW characters (as you pointed out), I don't think your contributors will want to write Han, Luke, and Leia to death. Thus the search for characters in the series that haven't been used too much. Wedge, having been in all three films [and survived!] looks like a logical start.
"Companion" — A very large dose of "Elfquest," here, considering Amran isn't the Wolfrider's world (which has two moons instead of three), but I can't help liking a story with wolves in it, can I?
"One Good Turn..." Well... Han wanted Leia's attention, after all. Does Lynda intend to write the implied follow-up?
"Not for Burning" — Looks like Misty slipped a story by without letting me get a look at it. So that's where the Tregardes come from, huh?
"Looking Glass" — I had a suspicion it was going to end up that way right from the start. Alice sure gets around, doesn't she?
The Lykoniad — granted, there's been a lack of letters to Penumbra, but nobody but Misty Lackey has even deigned to mention it... *sigh* I knew nobody really liked it...[2]
"Ties of Life — and Death" — Wedge is my favorite minor character. He's sort of the "common man" I can identify with, and has a sufficiently undisclosed past so that there's plenty to think about. "Ties" neatly fills in two things about him: how he and Luke got to be friends, and how he handled the necessity of leaving the attack on the DEATH STAR without being able to help in its destruction. I like reading about friendships, and about coming to terms with one's self."One Good Turn..." — Lynda seems to have a flair for these funny stories.
"Not for Burning" — I always wondered how Diana Tregarde came by her powers, and this was a satisfactory explanation. For the history buff in me, it was also very accurate to its period.
"Looking Glass" — I confess, I'm a sucker for a good cross-universe story. Combining fantasy with SW can be fun, or a pain in the "you-know." Sounds like Mary Frances had fun with this one.
The Lykoniad — I've already declared my admiration for Mike's writing. The unusual first-person point of view is well-realized here. Having to switch between human and bestial perceptions — and then do a combination of them...! Wonderful!
Lost in the Shuffle — Like I said, I'm an old fan of Mary Jean's. I keep telling her she's good, but one never believes one's friends. Like everything else she's written I think this one is really great.
Poetry, puzzles, and other small things: I'm glad to see an outlet for these things, too. Especially the poetry. There aren't many markets out there for the poet, even the amateur, but poetry is one of the most succinct ways of expressing some things.
That's all I have to say (I know, I know, it's already too much). Just one last thing, to Pat Molitor, who had no stories in issue #17: Let's hear from you again. It seems like a long time since you've written anything. I've always thought you had a nice insight into the character of Anakin/Vader (as the poem in #16 showed), and I like to see people look deeper than the breath-mask. This is my official "keep it up" statement. I'd hate to see you fade into the realm of "past issues."
Thanks, Mary Jean (and the rest of you writers and artists), for a very exceptional 'zine. [3]
1 enjoyed SHADOWSTAR #17 very auch. 1 love Wanda Lybarger's back cover! I'm relieved to note that, even though there's no story that goes with it, it's not intended as a "kill." I detest those types and I'm glad to hear that you don't care for them, either. As usual, Jeanine Hennig's story, "Ties of Life...and Death" provides some tense moments, and was great reading. Martynn's, Lybarger's, and your own art had to be ay favorites throughout the 'zine. Very nice. "Honor's Price" by Christine Jeffords and Eluki bes Shahar also has to be the best Mari Sevenstars story 1 have read. The second part in #18 was particularly good, perhaps because this story focused none on Mari's personality, or perhaps because she's faced with someone as strong as herself, but in different ways. At any rate, it was excellent! I am very intrigued with Dolca Koban L'll Huethrys-Ardath, Lady Vader of Vader. Let's see aore of her!
Lost in the Shuffle parts three and four were lots of fun — and the most logical explanation I've heard for how Han won the Millennium Falcon, Congratulations — you did a great job! I really hated to have that series of stories end. [4]