Starfleet Communications
You may be looking for Star-Fleet Communications, published by The Star Trek National Fan Club.
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Starfleet Communications |
| Publisher: | STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. |
| Editor(s): | John Bradbury (the first 9 issues), Adeline Longshaw (four issues?), Tammy Browne (the last issue) |
| Type: | |
| Date(s): | 1975-1979 |
| Frequency: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek |
| External Links: | A copy of issue #3 is archived here; History of the newsletter and fan club |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Starfleet Communications was the official newsletter of the STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. fan club.
It is not to be confused with Star-Fleet Communications an earlier fan club newsletter for Star Trek National Fan Club.
Publication of Starfleet Communications was often so intermittent that fans started up an unofficial newsletter in the 1980s called the Starfleet Communique.
Issue 1
Starfleet Communications 1 was published in 1975 (2505.9-2565.9) and contains 6 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
Its content is mainly club rules and information about its organization.
Issue 2
Starfleet Communications 2 was published in 1975 (STARDATES 2566.0-2621.0) and contains 3 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
Issue 3
Starfleet Communications 3 was published in 1975 and contains 8 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
Issue 4
Starfleet Communications 4 was published in 1975 and contains 5 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
About the proposed club fanzine (one that ultimately did not make it off the ground):
The following is a list of accepted entries submitted for the Starfleet Fanzine Name Contest. Some entries were rejected because they were too specialized or not in context with the type of material to be presented. Each member of Starfleet votes for five names and sends them on a separate sheet of paper to Starfleet Command. The top five overall will be printed in the next issue of Starfleet Communications and the final voting will take place then. Votes must be in by January 28, 1976 to be included in the compiling.
- Android
- Archon
- Arena
- The Babelonian
- Beyond the Farthest Star
- Leaving Orbit
- By Any Other Name
- Companion
- Computer Analysis
- Constellation
- Dagger of the Mind
- Di-Kironium
- Entering Orbit
- Live Long and Prosper
- Magnification
- Neutral Zone
- Nomad
- The Oracle
- Phaser Fire
- Priority One
- The Zenithon
- Galaxian
- Galaxy Gazette
- IDIC
- Infinity
- The Space Warp
- Stardust
- Subspace Radio
- Transporter
- The Transporter Room
- Ultimate Computer Readout
- Universal Translator
- Warp Factor
- Where No Man Has Gone Before
- Yesteryear
Issue 5
Starfleet Communications 5 was published in 1976 (March or before) and contains 6 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
Fanzine. The following are the five entries voted for most often in the Starfleet Fanzine Name Contest. Each member of Starfleet should now vote for one (1) of these names for the final balloting and send the name to Starfleet Central. The winning entry will be announced in Starfleet Com- munications #6, and the author of the name will receive a free copy of the first issue of the fanzine when it is published. Votes must be received by Starfleet Central by March 28, 1976 to be included in the balloting.
- Computer Analysis
- Galaxy Gazette
- Magnification
- Subspace Radio
- Universal Translator
Issue 6
Starfleet Communications 6 was published in 1976 (April or before) and contains 5 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
Issue 7
Starfleet Communications 7 was published in 1976 and contains 7 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
"As of Stardate 2926.0, Starfleet has 139 officers and 118 crewmembers on seven Starships and three Starbases for a total of 257 members in 21 states and provinces. 67 of these members joined during this period."
Fanzine. The results of the Starfleet Fanzine Name Contest have been compiled and the name Magnification (with the issue number) was the winner. As usual, the response was poor. Lieutenant Commander Warren Scherfrriu, who suggested the entry, will receive a free copy of Magnification 1 when it is published. All persons whose material is used in any issue of Magnification will receive a free copy of the issue their material appears in. As always we encourage members to send in stories, articles, art, etcetera.
Issue 8
Starfleet Communications 8 was published in 1976 (July or before) and contains 8 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
"As of Stardate 2986.0, Starfleet has 304 members in 23 states and provinces. 55 members joined during this period and 9 were discharged. Pre- sent fleet strength is 9 starships, 3 major bases including Starfleet Central, and 24 minor bases."
"We now have one story for Magnification, but we are in need of more. Stories should be a maximum of 30 pages unless other arrangements are made. We also accept articles and illustrations."
Issue 9
Starfleet Communications 9 was published in 1976 and contains 5 pages. The editor was John Bradbury.
By Bradbury:
On October 5, 1976, Starfleet will be two years old. Actually, the club hasn’t existed in its present form that long, but the original club that became Starfleet was founded on that day in 1974. We only have two members left today who were in the original club, myself and Peggy Goins. But I think we have progressed much since then. The old USS Enterprise, as the club was then called, only had about 50 members at its peak, and the first newsletter was printed on a primitive copying device known as a hectograph (check the library computer, Mr. Chekov). We’ve come a long way since that time, and yet it wasn’t that long ago.
I have often been asked how I came to form Starfleet; I was new to fan– dome then, and I was search through the STW Directory of Star Trek Organizations for clubs to join. My own particular dream was to be on a starship, but since this was impossible I wanted to join a club organized like one.
To my surprise, however, I was unable to locate such a club. So I decided to form my own club, organized like a starship, and mailed my listing to the STW Directory, thus “officially” becoming a Star Trek fan club. This idea was later to expanded to include all of Starfleet instead of just one ship, and so today’s Starfleet was born.
In these anniversary speeches, I like to give my overall view of the club. I realize we’ve had some problems, particularly with the membership cards, but somehow we’re managed to survive two years and I think we’re capable of lasting longer. Starfleet is presently of the largest and fastest growing clubs in Star Trek fandom, and it gives me great pride to have founded such a club. I’ll admit our projects may be a bit slow in starting, but we are beginning to solve our problems and do more than just collect new members. We’re similar to the jury-rigged Constellation from “The Doomsday Members”, moving slowly and jerkily, but nevertheless moving. Given time, Scotty was able to mend some of the damaged circuits and make it run more smoothly. This is what we’re trying to do now and, given time, I think we can do it. IT means you have to be patient with us, because we (certainly I) don’t have as much time to devote to Starfleet as we really need. We have regular lives to live. But I think we can do it, and I hope during this third year we can make Starfleet into the truly great fan club it can be.
They say the third time works like a charm. Let’s hope so!
Issue 10
Starfleet Communications 10 was published in February 1977 and contains 20 pages. The editor was not named.
- this issue explains that there will be some changes with this newsletter: it will be published every three months rather than two (now four issues a year), issues will be longer (roughly 20 pages, rather than the former limit of 8, possible now as the club has purchased a bulk mail permit, something that has cut postage costs in half) and there will be more features and less club business
- this issue has some long excerpts from the book The World of Star Trek
Issue 11
Starfleet Communications 11 was published in 1977 and contains 11 pages.
- news about Star Trek
- changes to the club and newsletter
- Starfleet Tactics Off-Ship Party Composition by John Bradbury
- The Engineering Log: Warp Drive, article by John Bradbury
- T'Ling's Reviews by Captain T’Ling Xantoprene (Donna Sutton), USS Yorktown (about upcoming zine reviews in subsequent issues)
- graffiti
- ads
About the upcoming zine reviews (note: the "/" between the character names does not mean a sexual relationship, as that symbol did not have that meaning yet):
This column comes about from a genuine interest in providing information on Star Trek zines that are in publication. Many fans spend money on zines that are not worth the price; I know, because I've paid the price. what I shall try to do is review one zine for each issue of Starfleet Communications, because I wish to do justice to the really good zines that are in circulation.
I should preface these reviews by presenting my own way of viewing the Star Trek universe. The Star Trek universe is special and unique. NO other science fiction series has so fired the imagination of people from all walks of life or developed such a following as Star Trek. It's even more amazing when you consider that it ran for only three television seasons and that its popularity has increased rather than decreased. We also know that the TV series left precious little to work with. Brief glimpses of each character's life in the show leaves one free to develop one's own interpretation of this special universe.
As a result, many zines have come into existence because most "Trekkers" seem to have an irrepressible urge to write Star Trek stories. These stories deal with every imaginable situation. Vulcan history an heritage are developed far beyond the brief glimpse we had of it in “Amok Time”. There are the Spock/Kirk, Spock/McCoy, McCoy/Kirk, Spock/Christine, and Uhura/Kirk relationships, just to name a few, plus a host of totally original characters have been added to the list; you can take your pick.
If you are a strict adherent to the TV series, then you will probably not like some of these stories. But if you can stretch your mind, then the Star Trek universe can grow and expand to its full potential. It is from the later position that I will write this column. Please note that I am not excluding other science fiction from my perspective, because there is better science fiction than Star Trek, some of which I will mention in later columns. I don’t wish to be accused of making broad sweeping statements which exclude other classic science fiction.
So to begin with I shall review the following zines over the next months. Kraith Collected is a collection of stories which develops the Spock/Kirk relationship, plus introducing some new and interesting characters. It especially contains a great deal of Spock's Vulcan heritage as the Guardian of Tradition and other Vulcan elements. Alternate Universe 4 is totally dedicated to the character of Captain Kirk, although Spock and McCoy are not
left out. It tells what happens to Kirk when he’s washed out of Starfleet because of the one tragic mistake of his career, one that costs the lives of an entire star system. Spock Enslaved is a Spock novel entire in itself. The Night of the Twin Moons deals with Sarek and Amanda and their lives before they were married and how Spock was born, plus an exciting adventure on an alien planet. It is available only to those 16 and over. Delta Triad is a collection of stories which features the Uhura/Kirk relationship. Terra-Vulcan, a zine put out by the club of the same name, had some very Vulcan stories, as it is totally devoted to Vulcan philosophy. I know because I belong to it and just recently became a co-editor. I’ll also review some pro-zines: Trek, Starlog, and Enterprise Incidents. There will also be others to come.
Issue 12
Starfleet Communications 12 was published in September 1977 and contains 6 pages. The editor was Rob T. Saunders.
There appears to have been a shake-up in command. Some comments by Adeline Longshaw:
Starfleet is a living entity, a composite of your hopes and dreams for a future bright with promise. I am very proud to be a part of Starfleet and as the Chief of Staff I will strive to excel in every way and to be a worthy leader.
Your many messages of encouragement and support are a real source of inspiration to me. My sincerest thanks go to each of you. I do wish to note the excellent command assistance rendered by the USS Yorktown personnel under the expert command of Commodore T’Ling Mantoprene. Commodore Robyn Saunders of the USS Eagle deserves special commendation for his unswerving loyalty and dedication to Starfleet.
Most of the records have been transferred from the Starbase in Texas to the new Starfleet Central here in California and the files are now operational. Duo to com— puter malfunction, manual recall procedures have been implemented, so it may take longer than expected to update the files. Roster preparation was given top priority. If you feel your record has not been updated, contact Commodore Greg Wion at Starfleet Central...
Despite promises from the last issue of zine reviews, there aren't any.
There are long comments by Saunders about Paramount's wishy-washy future Trek plans ("Well, Paramount has done it again... this time they have decided to go back to doing a STAR TREK movie, instead of a TV series.") as well as a long excerpt from from a widely-circulated letter by Gene Roddenberry.
"As of Stardate 3555.0 Starfleet has 631 members in 44 states, provinces, and countries. Present fleet strength stands at l4 starships, 3 command bases, and 37 outposts. New regions have been established in Alaska and Washington, D.C."
Issue 13
Starfleet Communications 13 was published in September 1978 (yeah, a year later) and contains 16 pages. The editor was Rob T. Saunders.
- Star Trek Lives, news of the movie
- announcement of a fan's phone call with William Shatner
- Ode to a kl Starship Captain, poem by Tammy Browne
- The Ballad of Surag, long poem by T'Kyra
- Words to a Friend Never Spoken, poem by Tammy Browne
- various bits of news
- word find
- review by T'Ling of the zine Kraith Collected #1 and Kraith Creator's Manual, see those pages
- a description by T'Ling of the Kraith universe
Issue 14
Starfleet Communications 14 was published in November 1979 (yeah, another year later) and contains 24 pages.
The editor was Tammy Browne.
This issue is all about the upcoming movie. It contains many articles, testimonials, and a letter from Gene Roddenberry
There is the announcement that Starfleet, the club, was re-formatting:
As you may have surmised, there have been some major and important changes in Starfleet's structure. It has been designed more around actual military formats so that it may operate at top efficiency.
About the movie:
It has been almost 14 years since Star Trek first went on the air and 11 years since it went out of production. During that 11 years, all of us have been an integral part of what has been called the "Star Trek Phenomenon". We have watched the re—runs until we know every word by heart. We have attended conventions, started and joined clubs, bought any symbol of ST that we can get our hands on, and we have written -- everything from epics and theses to articles and letters. Literally tons of letters, to the stars of ST, to magazines and fanzines, to each other, and, perhaps most important of all, to Paramount "gently requesting" that they continue ST in one form or another.
We have been patient. We have been stubborn. And now all the waiting has paid off. On or about December 7, 1979 Paramount will release "STAR TREK — The Motion Picture"!
[...]
Yes, we have waited a long time for this movie. We will be going into the theatre with high expectations (Roddenberry was in charge, the original actors returned), trepidation (can they pull it off? will they change it too much?) and most of all, excitement -- after all this time, they made it! Much is new, much is different, but it is back!!!