Southern Seven/Issue 009
Southern Seven is a long-running gen Blake's 7 anthology of art, fiction, and poems.
See more at Southern Seven.
Issue 9
Southern Seven 9 was published in May 1994 and has 191 pages.
The art is by Leah Rosenthal (front cover), Kate Knepper, Suzan Lovett, Todd Parrish, Samantha Hayman, Mary Gerstner, Kathryn Andersen, Leigh Motooka, Maryann Jorgensen, and Adrian Morgan (back cover).
- Sojourn at House Thanos, fiction by Diana Smith & Pat Dunn (Kill the Dead, this fic was originally supposed to have been in Ghyste Mortua.) (3)
- Success, poem by Shannon (14)
- The Innocent, fiction by K. Ann Yost ("Avon didn’t have a happy childhood — a race of aliens is going to give him another chance.") (15)
- It's My Series by Leah Rosenthal (filk, It's My Party & I'll Cry If I Want To) (23)
- Rumours of Life, poem by Anne Collins Smith (25)
- Contact, fiction by Sara Talbot (26)
- A B7 Guide for the Perceptually Handicapped and Creatively Impaired by Linda Terrell (28)
- Vila-ness, fiction by Kaye Dunn (29)
- Post Script, fiction by Teresa Ward (35)
- Escape, fiction by Jennifer Smallwood (36)
- Discussion, fiction by CarolMel Ambassador (37)
- Vault, fiction by Jennifer Smallwood ("Vila Restal could never resist a challenge — but this vault could prove to be his undoing.") (39)
- Servita! by Mary Orwig (ad; humor) (43)
- Vila Restal and the Enchanted Drake of Oz, fiction by Dee Beetem & Margaret McNickle ("Vila was just minding his own business when suddenly he found himself in a strange place where ducks talked and asked him to go on rescue missions.") (Wizard of Oz crossover) (44)
- From the Ashes, fiction by Mary Gerstner (53)
- Cally by Mary Orwig (filk, Mary O'Meara) (55)
- Waiting for Avon -- Klyn's P.O.V. by Mary Orwig (filk, Lola, by the Kinks) (56)
- In Transit, fiction by Colette Boch & Kathy Martin (Professionals crossover) (58)
- Rescue, fiction by Teresa Ward (74)
- Dark Songs, poem by Arlene Masder (77)
- A Fourth-Season Plot Is Not a Happy One by Anne Collins Smith (filk, A Policeman's Lot Is Not a Happy One") (78)
- When Memories Die, fiction by Katie Clapham (79)
- Gauda Prime, poem by Melissa Mastoris (105)
- Lonely Round the Base by Sharyn Sobel (filk, The Fields of Athenry) (106)
- Eve of Destruction, fiction by Alan Moravian (108)
- Alphan Omega, poem by Sharyn Sobel (110)
- Familiar Haunts, fiction by Roxie Ray (112)
- Heart of Hearts, poem by CarolMel Ambassador (118)
- This Avon Must Die by Rebecca Donahue (filk, This Jesus Must Die, from Jesus Christ Superstar) (119)
- Showdown Over Domo, fiction by Rebecca Donahue (120)
- Just Deserts, poem by CarolMel Ambassador (126)
- The Road Not Taken II, fiction by Kathy Coy (128)
- The Road Not Taken II, fiction by Jeannie Webster (130)
- In Vino Veritas, fiction by Melanie Ogle (132)
- Safe With You, fiction by Donna Wilson (139)
- Cruelty Has a Human Heart, fiction by Jane Carnall (143)
- Hallucinations, fiction by Nicole Petty & Michelle Moyer ("Avon’s hallucination tries to warn him of Gauda Prime but he pays no heed.") (149)
- A Second Chance, fiction by Betty Monfette (155)
- Within My Grasp, poem by CarolMel Ambassador (157)
- The Once and Future Pilot, fiction by Sherri Fillingham (158)
- Hellhound Catalogue, non-fiction by Katrina Larkin (Hellhound universe) (166)
- Acknowledgement of Guilt, fiction by Linda Knights ("In the wake of Gauda Prime, Avon confronts some hard truths about himself.") (170)
- Avon Stood in Blake's Body, fiction by Peter Flanagan & Amanda Rothman (173)
- Payment in Full, fiction by CarolMel Ambassador (181)
- By My Own Choice, poem by CarolMel Ambassador (182)
- Scoring Points for the Losing Side, fiction by Patricia Blasi (183)
from issue #9, Suzan Lovett
from issue #9, Suzan Lovett
from issue #9, Samantha J. Hayman
from issue #9, Mary Gerstner
from issue #9, Kathryn Andersen
from issue #9, Kate Knepper
from issue #9, Leigh Motooka
from issue #9, Leigh Motooka
from issue #9, Marilyn Jorgensen
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9
There are rather too many stories in this zine to comment on individually, so this review will concentrate on the longer ones."Sojourn at House Thanos" has a play on the names of messrs. Darrow and Keating, and is presumably an in-joke as the story doesn't otherwise amount to much.
Avon becomes a dear little four year old whom Blake and Vila predictably take to their hearts in "The Innocent". Either you like this sort of sentiment or you find it excruciating.
"Vila-ness" is unquestionably original. Vila accidentally changes sex and is understandably peeved; everyone has a hard time adjusting - well you would, wouldn't you? I thought this would be cringe-making but actually it's not at all bad.
"Vault" is an excellent short story in which Vila gets trapped and Avon and Cally go after him. Very good on Avon and Vila's personal and working relationship.
"Vila Restal and the Enchanted Drake of Oz" is self-explanatory. Not exactly a cross-over with the Wizard of Oz but that way inclined.
In the brief "From the Ashes" Avon comforts Cally after Auron, and she returns the favour after Anna.
"In Transit" has Avon and Vila left to cope on a planet while Liberator has to run for it. They meet up with others who are not necessarily what they seem. Don't say "not again"; this is a skilfully written story and the dialogue is exceptionally good.
"When memories die" is a treat for Blake fans, a long story about what happened after Star One and how he comes to s decision about his future. Quite a sombre read.
"Familiar Haunts" is set in the "A Friend in Need" universe. Soolin formerly joins the crew, but someone is playing tricks on them all.
"Showdown over Domo" starts with that hardy perennial the slave auction, where Servalan successfully bids for the man of her dreams, but the action quickly transfers to Scorpio. The plot requires Servalan to be uncharacteristically stupid and is therefore a bit hard to take.
The Vila Restal memorial angst and post-alternative Orbit wallow section is one great wallow. The first "Roads not Taken" is anguished, the second savage. The outstanding "In Vino Veritas" is longer, a night time confrontation between Vila and a drunken Avon, and "Safe with You" is another; the outcome of each is very different. "Cruelty has a human heart" concentrates on events from Soolin's point of view.
In "Hallucinations" Avon is haunted by Cally who warns him unavailingly about the future.
"A second chance" is an alternative Gauda Prime scenario in which different mistake are made. The ending is fairly weird.
"Once and future pilot" has a post-Star one Jenna meeting a resistance leader called Del...
"Acknowledgement of Guilt" is a well-written PGP soliloquy which puts forward an explanation for Avon's behaviour. Short and bitter.
Everyone makes an appearance in "Avon stood in Blake's body", which parodies just about every fan cliche.
Tarrant and an almost catatonic Vila escape from the GP shoot-out in "Scoring points for the losing side", and ultimately get revenge. I really enjoyed this one, both for characterisation and the intriguing plot. [1]
My question for this issue is: who did the little sketch of Vila on p. 34? It looks like maybe Todd Parrish, but it's not signed or listed in the art credits.This is an especially good issue for Vila fans. Not only is there an entire section of Orbit stories, but he features prominently in a number of other stories as well.
My favorite thing in this issue is Donna Wilson's "Safe with Me," a very dark, intense alternate-post-Orbit A-V story. At the other end of the emotional spectrum, I like "Vila Restal and the Enchanted Drake of Oz," a wacky crossover that's been mentioned in these parts before.
"Cruelty Has a Human Heart" is a beautifully written story that I take to be discreet f/f slash. At least, the close relationship between Dayna and Soolin might be sisterly, but I don't think so!
Blake is seduced by Arlen, with disastrous results, in "A Second Chance." In "The Once and Future Pilot," part of the series that also appears in Threads Through Infinity, Jenna is torn between Blake and Tarrant.
"Avon Stood in Blake's Body" is a fun, nutty PGP with a slightly Bizarro flavor and some farcical bedhopping (I didn't try to describe the pairings, though). It reminds me a bit of some of the goings-on in Hotel Smut, except that nothing is described explicitly.
"Scoring Points for the Losing Side" is a somewhat unusual angsty PGP-- unusual in that the only two survivors are Vila and Tarrant. Highly recommended for fans of either of those characters.
As usual with SS, the zine is attractively laid out, with a typeface that is small enough to be efficient but large enough to be easily legible, and has very nice art. In this issue I especially like Adrian Morgan's portrait of Blake on the back cover, and Leah's cartoon illos for the "Drake of Oz." [2]
Southern Seven 9: "Vila-ness." By Kaye by Dunham. Did Vila actually resemble Anna, or did Avon himself create the connection? The latter seems a more interesting idea.
"Vila Restal & the Enchanted Drake of Oz" by Beetem & McNickle. This one is terrific, and Vila gets to be the hero, managing to remain himself in a completely alien setting. Vila did very well for himself this issue.
"From the Ashes" by Mary Gerstner. I like the neat way everything is tied together.
"In Transit" by Bolech & Martin. Carried me along very -pleasantly And of course Vila was the hero.
Hellhound merchandising: Someone would undoubtedly buy those T-shirts...
My favorite story this issue was "Scoring Points for the Losing Side" by Patricia Blasi. Great job of characterization, both Tarrant and Vila, especially the ways they reacted to the disaster.
Adrian Morgan's Blake on the back cover has a compelling pair of eyes. [3]
SS 9—Adrian Morgan's back cover Blake is good, although Blake is rather thin. Virgil's cartoon — Vila's "wallow" on p. 127 is delightful. Of course. the two Lovett's on pp. 16 & 20 are superb! Blake's face on 16 is perfection. (I'm a Lovett fan.) Kate Knepper's Blake on p. 81 is another good but too thin Blake. (Yes. I am a Blakie. How did Vila sneak into this? That thief!)
The humor pieces I enjoyed are Linda Terrell's "B7 Guide for the Perceptually Handicapped and Creatively Impaired" and the utterly silly and even more bizarre than Bizorro "Avon Stood in Blake's Body" by Flanagan and Rothman. Loved both.
K. Ann Yost's The Innocent" is a vehicle for the Lovett drawings and virtually drowned me in sentimental goo. I liked it, but was embarrassed to like it. In my opinion, it needed development to anchor it, make it a study in characterization instead being just an excuse to show off neat Lovett's. (Actually, the Lovett drawings were done as illustrations for Karen's story. In other words, the story was written first and Suzie illustrated it! Ed.)
"Discussion" by Carolmel Ambassador definitely needed development, and, of course, I loved it) Yeah. Jenna!
Katie Clapham's "When Memories Die" is a marvelous story. I'm surprised it's only 20 pages, as it seemed more complex. This story I'd pick as the best in the zine. (That's today. Tomorrow I may find another one that grabs me more. I'm fickle.) I may need Blake to be a hero, but I know he's flawed. She did a good job of portraying his conflicts.
"Scoring Points for the Losing Side" by Patricia Blasi was a strange story. No Blake, but I enjoyed it anyway.
"A Second Chance" by Betty Monfette sent chills down my back. What a unique twist! I wouldn't mind a sequel.
I don't like long LoC's. Just warned to let you know I enjoy the SSz. I was lucky to be able to buy the original 1-7s from a fan who had treated them lovingly. I also, own a beat up (now, really, Rae, what were you doing with it?) Southern Comfort 7.5 which doesn't have nearly enough Blake in it. Phooey. However, the two stories he figures prominently in "makes it all worthwhile." (To be fair, Rae has a nice 7.5 and gave me the poor copy free.) [4]
- ^ from CB at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site
- ^ 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