Southern Seven/Issue 008
Southern Seven is a long-running gen Blake's 7 anthology of art, fiction, and poems.
See more at Southern Seven.
Issue 8
Southern Seven 8 was published in May 1994 and has 178 pages.
The art is by Leah Rosenthal (front cover), Mariann Howarth, Jane Mailander, Melody Rondeau, MaryAnn Jorgensen, Leigh Motooka, Adrian Morgan, Judith Kitzes, Samantha Hayman, Todd Parrish, and Kathryn Andersen (back cover).
- Letters of Comment (3)
- Blakes Seven Test by Kaye Dunham (16)
- Half a Soul, poem by Jacqui Topp (19)
- Rebellion on Their Minds by K. Avon (filk, Too Much Heaven on Their Minds, from Jesus Christ Superstar) (20)
- Ripple Effect by Roberta L. Brown ("Avon seemed to have bad luck—was it something more sinister?") (22)
- Somewhere, poem by Jacqui Topp (24)
- Extermination, poem by Kathryn Andersen(25)
- Candidate, fiction by CarolMel Ambassador ("A young Blake's psychostrategist professor prepares him for a life in the rebellion.") (26)
- A Sound Like Thunder, fiction by Jacqui Topp (27)
- Searches by Sharyn Sobel (filk, Is Anybody There, from 1776) (28)
- Yet Another Garden Paradise, fiction by Shoshanna ("The Liberator needs repairs but a trip to the planet Bailey’s Seven to mine for crystals could prove fatal to Vila." Crossover with song "Little Fuzzy Animals" by Frank Hayes.) (29)
- Hiding Scared by Angela Reese (filk, Be Prepared, by Tom Lehrer) (39)
- Wilderness Sojourn, fiction by Peggy Hartsook ("A mission into the wilderness of Kenore goes awry when the former rebel leader that Blake wants to return to his people balks at the notion.") (40)
- Wake Up, C'mon Vila by Angela Reese (filk, Wake Up, Little Susie) (47)
- Face from the Past, fiction by Beth Masterson ("A young survivor of a slaughtered rebel group turns out to be Vila's lost daughter.") (48)
- Eternal Champion, poem by Rebecca Ann Brothers (58)
- History Will Teach Us Nothing, fiction by Alicia Ann Fox ("An exercise in cross-gender casting": a teleport malfunction lands Blake in a universe gone topsy-turvy.") (59)
- Free for All, fiction by Alicia Ann Fox (a story concurrent with 'History Will Teach Us Nothing'.) (66)
- The Andromedan War Anthem by Angela Reese (filk, Memory, from Cats) (71)
- Non Omis [sic] Moriar (I shall not wholly die), poem by Rebecca Ann Brothers (72)
- The Paths of Glory Lead But to the Grave, fiction by Amy L. Hull (Cally and Jenna's POV on the events of "Pressure Point". (73)
- An Idealist Appeals to a Cynic, poem by Rebecca Ann Brothers (78)
- A Womb of One's Own, fiction by Rebecca Ann Brothers ("When Jenna discovers that she's pregnant with Blake's child, she worries about the potential consequences.") (79)
- Avon by My Side by Angela Reese (filk, Take Me Home, Country Roads, by John Denver) (81)
- A Blake's 7 Alphabet, poem by Jenny Hayward) (82)
- Lady's Choice, fiction by Leokadija ("When the crew rescues an attractive courier from a damaged ship, she takes an interest in Vila.") (84)
- All I Needed to Know About the Universe I Learned from Blake's 7 by Kathryn Andersen (quotes) (94)
- A Terrible Thing to Waste, fiction by Joelle Augustine ("After the events of Sarcophagus, Cally is having nightmares...and so is Avon.") (95)
- Decisions, Decisions by Angela Reese (filk, Silver Bells) (102)
- The Starborn, fiction by Kaye Dunham ("A mission gone wrong isn’t the only problem facing the crew of the Liberator when Vila rescues a baby.") (103)
- Hunter and Prey (For Two Voices), poem by Jane Mailander (110)
- Avon's Adventures Underground, fiction by Jane Mailander ("In the aftermath of Malodaar, Avon wanders through surreal dream landscapes, and comes to some realizations.") (111)
- The Game, poem by Jacqui Topp 125)
- White Rebel, or Terminal Trip by Jane Mailander (filk, White Rabbit, by Jefferson Airplane) (126)
- All That Glitters, fiction by Dana Morez ("A society of telepaths chooses Vila to become one with them...if he's willing to discard his friends.") (127)
- Vila's Condemnation, or The Price for Not Asking the Right Question, poem by Jane Mailander (135)
- Dome Shopping Club Catalogue by Kaye Dunham (136)
- Journey's End, poem by Jacqui Topp (139)
- To Sleep, Perchance to Dream, fiction by Sophia Mulvey ("A dying Avon dreams of Anna.") (140)
- DSV, poem by Kathryn Andersen (141)
- Be All My Sins Remembered, poem by Rebecca Ann Brothers ) (142)
- Probability Factor, fiction by Roberta L. Brown ("Servalan’s true origins are revealed and the Liberator is regained in quite an unusual way." Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy crossover.) (143)
- Merrit by Jane Mailander (filk, Challenge, by Julia Ecklar; Last Stand universe) (145)
- Precious Vengeance, fiction by Annita K. Smith (sequel to "Out of the Night" in Blake's Doubles #1) (146)
- Knight Tarrant, poem by Rebecca Ann Brothers (162)
- The Treasure Outside the Door, fiction by Annita K. Smith (sequel to "Precious Vengeance") (163)
- The Pilot's Prayer, poem by Teresa Ward (171)
- The Best Is Yet to Be, fiction by Melody C. ("It's long after the revolution and the revolutionaries have grown peacefully old. But Blake finds a way to make a new beginning.") (172)
- Quotes from 'It's Howdy Duty Time!' by Ann Wortham and Leah Rosenthal (176)
from issue #8, Judith Kitzes
from issue #8, not credited
from issue #8, MaryAnn Jorgensen
from issue #8, Leigh Motooka
from issue #8, Samantha Hayman
from issue #8, Adrian Morgan
from issue #8, Mariann Howarth, Kerr Avon gets a pie in the face courtesy of Vila Restal
from issue #8, Sue Williams
from issue #8, Melody Rondeau
from issue #8, Leah Rosenthal
from issue #8, sample text
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8
[A Womb of One's Own]: Hmm, didn't realize one had to have maternal instincts to get into a story like "Womb"-I've never had children, after all. The story was written in response to all those stories detailing Avon's fatherhood. And I gave Blake and Jenna a daughter because it's really annoying that fans only ever give the heroes sons. Are daughters an indication the father isn't macho, or something? [1]
This issue and #9 were really a kind of double issue, since they were published simultaneously.There's another mystery illo in this issue-- a nice portrait of Vila, on p. 57. I wondered whether it might perhaps be by the author of the story it accompanies, "Face from the Past," since sketches of Vila are mentioned in the story.
In addition to Vila's tragic past romance in "Face," he gets a current romance in "Lady's Choice," complete with a very romantic illo. Avon is paired off with an original female character in the two stories by Annita K. Smith. I had the feeling that the first of these was itself a sequel to some other story, but I can't remember seeing such a story anywhere.
Vickie's cross-gendered stories are among the special features of this issue. Also noteworthy is Jane Mailander's "Avon Underground," which manages to utilize all of the story contest illos from the previous issue by presenting them as the hallucinations of a drugged Avon. Very ingenious! This author, BTW, is another of the fan writers who's in the process of going pro; I know she's had some SF stories published, although I don't have the details.
I was rather struck by "Ripple Effect," a PWB in which a young lady with an unrequited crush on Avon summons up a demon to curse him with a terrible life. This sounds rather silly, but the emotions that the story evokes are very powerful.
I also especially liked Angela Reese's filk, "The Andromedan War Anthem," to the tune of "Memory." It's such a different POV. [2]
Southern Seven 8: I absolutely loved the cover. The flaming skyline implies a story, making the figures of Vila and Cally more meaningful than just a portrait. I was glad to see such a good rendering of Cally. I think this is the first time she's been on an Southern Seven cover, isn't it? As usual. I enjoyed Mailander's cartoons. My favorite illustrative art, this time around, was that of Judith Kitzes' especially her impressionistic Vila on page 41. and her Avon on page 148. The towering nose on page 177 gave me a laugh!
"Yet Another Garden Paradise" by [Shoshanna]: Everyone seemed marvelously in character, Jenna got to use her piloting skills, and there was terrific by-play between Cally and Vila.
"History Will Teach Us Nothing" and "Free for All." Hmm. I think my writing has improved since 1988, but I haven't been able to top the idea.
"Avon's Adventures Underground" by Jane Mailander: Wow All of those pictures included. Wow. What a great story.
'"Dome Shopping Club Catalog" by Kaye Dunham. I'll take a copy of "Well, Now..." .. and two sets of Yesyesyes Men. [3]
What Did I think of Southern Seven 8? First things first: LOVED the cover. Of course, I've yet to see a piece of art created by Leah Rosenthal that I don't like, so my feelings on this particular one could probably be discounted a little, but nevertheless, I stand by my exuberance. I LOVED the cover. She does very interesting things with composition and color that I could probably say something about if I was an artist and knew the correct words, but I'm not, so I won't But the cover was marvelous. As was much of the interior artwork—there wasn't anything amateurish about any of the art, but my favorite interior piece would have to be the illustration of Vila and Connie on page 91, from "Lady's Choice." Stylistically, it reminded me of nothing so much as a stained-glass window from the Renaissance period (then again, I also found my fingers itching to reach for a crayon to color it in, but that's just my "inner child" or some such nonsense). I enjoy "uncluttered" artwork, and this really struck me from the first time I saw it Nice, clean lines and romantic subject matter—my favorites!I'm not much for poetry (although I really enjoyed "White Rebel, or Terminal Trip"), but what I skimmed over seemed to match the consistent high quality I've come to expect from a Wortham zine (no. that's not just a gratuitous compliment I really mean it). But even if I'm not much for poetry and filks, I am much for cartoons, and the Bloom County takeoff is and various silly things sprinkled through the zine had me rolling (especially the "Blake's Seven Test" and "All I Needed to Know About the Universe...")!
I think the stories are really too numerous to list individually, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the number of them that I truly liked Not that I actually disliked any of them, but I enjoyed and re-read more than I usually do in a zine. The standouts include "Ripple Effect" (which I wasn't sure I liked the first time I read it. then I read it again and one more time and decided it was one of my favorites). "Face From the Past- (very touching, nicely bittersweet ending), "Avon's Adventures Underground" (nyuk. nyuk. nyuk). "Precious Vengeance" and "The Treasure Outside the Door" (I assume there's a first installment—or first several installments—of this story somewhere? May one inquire where? [The original novella appeared is Blakes Doubles #I and was, in fact, nominated for a Fan Q award the year it appeared. Ed]), and my personal favorite, "All That Glitters" Why that one? Because of a basic contradiction in myself. When I read a zine story, I expect to find something that the TV show/movie/whatever didn't have. Sometimes it's things budgets wouldn't allow (flashier storylines) or things that wouldn't translate well in a visual medium (more "intellectual" stories, or "interior" stories dealing more with character's feelings rather than actions), or things the show just didn't do well (romance springs to mind in almost all instances excepted perhaps. Beauty and the Beast). Ail this is leading up to the fact that I really enjoyed "All That Glitters," more than every other story in the zine. in spite of (and because of) the fact that it comes under my own personal classification of "easily turned into an episode." And it was because it was so well-written, and contained characterization as well as action, that I was easily able to overcome my personal prejudices and enjoy reading it more than once.
Of course, I cannot close without mentioning "It's Howdy Duty Time," the never-to-be released, etc., etc. All I can say is. this installment leaves me. as always, thirsting tor more). I of course won't comment on "A Terrible Thing To Waste"; my innate modesty won't allow me to state my true feelings about such a wonderful piece of work... Okay. Okay. I'll slop Actually , I rarely enjoy my own stuff once it sees print, mainly because I've read it so many times looking for flaws that they're all I can see! Oh well. I suppose that happens to everyone.
Is that it? I guess so. I can't say I actually disliked any stories, although I did feel very frustrated with "A Womb of One's Own." Please tell me it's an excerpt faun a larger work? Pretty please? Because that's what it felt like, more than anything else. It was nice, by the way. to see Jenna pregnant tor a change; usually it's poor Cally who gets stuck in the maternity ward! But I felt a little disappointed at the brevity of the story, and hope it will be expanded to answer all the unanswered questions I have. (Such as. how did Jenna and Blake "get together"? What happened between the discovery of the pregnancy) and the birth of the baby? How many mutoids does it take to screw—whoops, sorry. Wrong place for that question!) All right, all right that's realty it for me. Overall, the zine gets a hearty thumbs up from me, as usual. Keep up the good work! [4]
- ^ Author's comment in Rallying Call #11
- ^ from Sarah Thompson at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site
- ^ from an LoC in "Southern Comfort" #10
- ^ from an LoC in "Southern Comfort" #10