Snakepit! (Star Trek: TOS story)
| Star Trek TOS Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Snakepit! (zine title), ("Snake Pit!") (title in Star Trek: The New Voyages) |
| Author(s): | Connie Faddis |
| Date(s): | 1975, 1977, 1978 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | available online at AO3 |
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Snakepit! is a Star Trek: TOS story by Connie Faddis.
Publishing History
It was first published in the print zines and Universal Transmitter (1975) and Rigel (1977) and then printed again in Star Trek: The New Voyages #2 (1978).
The title in the zines was "Snakepit!" and in the probook was "Snake Pit!". The content of the zine story and the one printed in Star Trek: The New Voyages #2 appears to be identical.
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 Preface
The women who go "where no man has gone before" also have to be in the where-no-man, out- side-the-square category, cast in no mold and stopped by no boundaries.
Star Trek recognized that with Romulan Commanders, Amazons, matriarchs and the like, but it remained for what we might call the second generation of Star Trek fiction to develop that kind of theme fully, particularly for Uhura and Christine Chapel. We have had many requests for stories featuring one or the other, or both, as they most really be.
Chapel, after all, is a doctor of research biology who trained as a nursing specialist in order to get into space to search for her lost fiance Roger Corby. She found him, lost him, then found an outside-the-square love for a Vulcan — and a profound admiration for the starship Captain who saw her through the search for Roger Corby.
In this story, Chapel isn't going to let that Captain down, and she certainly is not going to go back to face a certain Vulcan without him...
Connie Faddis is also a woman who is stopped by no boundaries. A talented writer, she also does magnificent artwork, and is the editor and publisher of a beautiful, well-produced Star Trek fanzine, Interphase.
This marks her first professional publication, but obviously not her last—and it is by no accident that she is represented here by two stories, "Snake Pit" and "Marginal Existence."
Art Notes
Gee Moaven is the artist for this story as it appeared in Universal Transmitter and Rigel.
"Universal Transmitter" includes two larger pieces of art, and some smaller illos. The art in Rigel reprints only the full-page illo.
Art and Text
first page as it appeared in Universal Transmitter
first page as it appeared in Rigel
art by Gee Moaven for this story in Universal Transmitter
art for this story by Gee Moaven in Rigel and Universal Transmitter
Reactions and Reviews
Unknown Date
...tells of Kirk and Christine Chapel’s visit to the planet Vestalan where a native uprising is in progress thus depriving the Federation of a badly needed serum. During the course of their visit, they find themselves prisoners of the natives with Kirk becoming a sacrificial victim to their gods. This story, written by Connie Faddis, is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats as Chapel tries to rescue the captain from certain death. [1]
Snakepit, by Connie Faddis, is a typical example of the "wish fulfillment" genre of fan writing, where the author is identifying herself with one of the secondary characters, in this case Nurse Chapel, whose role is then inflated so that she can perform great acts of heroism to save the Captain's life - at the expense of her own, naturally - to the universal admiration of the rest of the crew. Strong overtones of women's lib in this one, too, though the message is not handled with any great subtlety. [2]
1985
I admit that the only portrayal of Chapel I've read that doesn't offend me is in "Snake Pit" by Connie Faddis (NEW VOYAGES 2) where Chapel was an active hero. [3]
References
- ^ reviewed by Carolyn Kaberline at Orion Press
- ^ from Pat Smith in Starship Exeter Organisation Newsletter #6 (May 1979), this review contains a black and white image of the Corgi UK edition
- ^ from K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) #16