Survive the Alliance
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Survive the Alliance |
| Publisher: | Clean Slate Press |
| Editor: | |
| Author(s): | Sharon Monroe & J.D. Rich |
| Cover Artist(s): | |
| Illustrator(s): | |
| Date(s): | August 1986 |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | gen |
| Fandom: | Battlestar Galactica (1978) with appearances from Airwolf,A-Team,V,Misfits of Science,Knight Rider |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | Both zines online |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Survive the Alliance is a gen crossover 89-page Battlestar Galactica with appearances from Airwolf, A-Team, V, Misfits of Science, Knight Rider novel by Sharon Monroe and J.D. Rich.
"V" and "Battlestar Galactica" with appearances from "A-Team," "Airwolf," "Knight Rider," and others. The Galactica finally discovers Earth, but the Visitors have gotten there first. Apollo is shot down and becomes Diana's converted pet. Starbuck is captured by Phillip's faction, and must become an ambassador of peace, if he can trust the invaders. The Resistance fights to free their potential new allies, but then the new Visitor Leader arrives. Prepare for the battle royale...
The sequel is "The State of the War". Both are available online.
The first two "chapters" of this zine appeared in Purple and Orange? #19 and #20.
Origin Stories
From "Survive the Alliance's" editorial in the standalone zine:
...How, pray tell does someone come up with [this] insane idea? Go to a Mediawestcon panel on the merits of "V" and watch the panelists digress. That is quite literately where this began, as digression on how one could relate the BG and V universes so easily -- the Colonials were fighting a machine race created by reptiles, which had then supposedly been destroyed by their creation.... Then we went back to our room and downed a bottle of schnapps with a few companions, laughing into the night about all the crazy things we could do if we mixed every universe we could think of...
From the editorial in Purple & Orange? #19:
At MediaWest*Con V, last May, a panel was held to discuss the relative merits of V: THE SERIES. During the course of that panel, it was pointed out that there were a number of plausible connections between that television series and another, many years cancelled, called BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. A small group of die-hards continued that discussion late into the night...
Wha'da'ya'mean? Of course we were sober! Hmmph!
Major arguments. The Cylons were created by a reptilian race long ago, which then apparently became extinct, according to Captain Apollo. It is possible, considering the apparent nature cf the Cylons, that they turned on and exterminated their creators. The reptilian Visitors needed raw materials and food supplies to continue a battle against an implacable foe of long standing — perhaps a self-created enemy? The Visitors refer to their supreme commander as the "Leader." To the Cylons, he (she? it?) is referred to as "Imperious Leader." A coincidence, or a common past?
As the discussion continued, it occurred to someone that there were enough connecting points to make a very interesting and even plausible cross-universe tale. Our very irreverent Editorial Assistant (hereafter referred to as Ed. Ass.) suggested that characters from several other California-based series, such as AIRWOLF, KNIGHT RIDER, REMINGTON STEELE and THE A-TEAM could participate in the action.
The result of that convention's kibitzing begins in this issue of PURPLE AND ORANGE?, on page 54. The basic premise is simple. GALACTICA reaches Earth — and finds the shining planet occupied by the Visitors. The Visitors are fighting the Cylons. The Cylons picked up the same signals as our Intrepid Colonials, and are now closing on Earth as well. The Cylons hate everybody. The Visitors and the Colonials have no reason to trust each other. The Earth humans have no reason to trust anybody -- either the Visitors or their space-going brothers (another trick?).
Get the picture? It's a universe of our media favourites. If he/she/it appears on television or 1n the movies, he/she/it could appear 1n "Survive the Alliance." And it's not a private playground ~ there's lots of room for you and your creations. Wide open. For just about anything and anybody. You're welcome to join us there. As long as it works, and there's a reasonable explanation for it. (Authors' and editors' discretion, of course. We have a vested interest in the quality of the universe.)
Oh, the title? There's a line a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the movie), as the humans evacuate the Colonies and head for Carillon, in which Commander Adanta states, "The human race might have one more chance, but first it would have to survive the alliance, the elements, and the unknown dark and sinister threats which would lie ahead." (By the time this story's done, those "dark and sinister threats" may look like a high school dance — not so bad, in retrospect.)
Controversy Regarding Permissions
About "Survive the Alliance":
An unauthorized version of this story appeared in OSIRIS FILES 1 and 2, but the official version [was] available in a stand-alone 'zine from Sharon Monroe. The scoop, from Laura Michaels: Sharon Monroe pulled her story from [OSIRIS]. The Osiris Files continued to publish *their own version* and claimed the story was theirs. Sharon went on to publish the *entire* story in Survive the Alliance (her 'zine). Osiris Files did not have the entire story so could not publish an identical piece. They started with Sharon's work and supposedly diverged from there. [1]
From the editor in Osiris Files issue #2:
As our readers ere no doubt by this time aware, the following story underwent a complete change of authorship following publication of Part II In our predecessor fanzine PURPLE AND ORANGE? — which ceased publication following issue #20 solely because the editorial staff chose to go on to other, more professionally satisfying fanzines under the OSIRIS banner. However, because of the terms of the copyright under which we operate, confirmed by a written agreement with the principal original author, the story remained the exclusive property of OSIRIS Publications. What follows should therefore not be confused with any other story bearing the same title, as no one else is legally authorized to continue this adventure.
For the information of our readers, and despite comments published elsewhere by Individuals no longer associated with OSIRIS Publications, we were never "blackmailed/coerced/convinced/bribed...to try this story as a serialization." It was, according to the original authors and perpetrators, to be a series of related short stories, each one complete in itself. Needless to say, we were misled ~ but do not wish to mislead our readers, to whom we apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this situation may have caused.
Following is the conclusion of the only authentic, legally authorized version of ["Survive the Alliance"].
Sample Interior
Reactions and Reviews
1988
I definitely prefer the treatment Athena received in SURVIVE THE ALLIANCE and in SECOND COMING as well. Though I have to admit one thing. The final scene in SURVIVE THE ALLIANCE was what touched me the most. It was beautiful. Maybe the rest confused me a little too much die to all the people in it that I don't know. Those shows simply haven't been shown in Sweden. The idea with the Visitors as the builders of the Cylons was eminently logical -- so logical I'm surprised no one else has come up with it before -- once someone points it out... And Julie and Donovan finally did get an answer to their signal. In the series that just petered out into nothing at all which was disappointing. It is also probably the best held together multi-universe story ever! [2]
Thank you for sending SURVIVE THE ALLIANCE so quickly. Would you believe that I read it the same day I got it?... I found that I kept wanting to see what went next. I really enjoyed the zine. Nice to see Archangel pop up so much. He was always my favorite character on Airwolf. And the thought of Starbuck and Face encountering each other was fun. I liked the references to other characters from other shows as well, and it was interesting to see how Lydia turned out, as well as Elizabeth. [3]
You now the problem with SURVIVE THE ALLIANCE? the characters refuse to be cardboard. They keep coming to life and acting like real people. [4]
This is the one everybody's been waiting for, to judge by the number of queries. First impressions are that the zine's well up to the quality of other CSP material, with the usual impressive standard of layout. The cover art -- the Visitor and GALACTICA emblems behind a large "V", Phillip and Apollo in the foreground on a bright red background -- is immediately striking and well-executed. The storyline involves so many characters, and so many separate twists, it needs and deserves to be taken slowly.
And all that is just first impressions! Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave it there, retreat to my bedroom, throw out the cats, shut the door, and lose myself between those red covers for a couple of hours. [5]
1996
This fanzine is predominantly a V/Battlestar Galactica crossover novella, however, it features guest appearances by many characters from 80s action tv shows, including the A-Team. The basic plot revolves around the Galactica reaching Earth, just after the events of the closing of the V weekly series (with Elizabeth leaving for the Visitor's Homeworld with the Leader). The plot cleverly ties together several elements of both series (remember how the Cylons were originally designed by a "reptillian race"? Remember the distress signal Julie sent out in the original V miniseries, hoping for the help of the enemies of the Visitors?) while detailing a new plot involving the last-ditch effort by some of the Visitors to regain control of Earth. That's where the A-Team comes into the story, trying to capture that evilist-of-all-lizards, Diana. Along with the A-Team, there are plots and appearances involving Airwolf and Knight Rider, and even guest appearances by the Misfits of Science and many more.
All in all, this 'zine makes for a really fun and entertaining read, especially if you were a big fan of 80s tv. The writing is crisp and captures well even the more secondary characters. The artwork ranges from adequate to outstanding, and there is a suggestion of a possible sequel to the story, but it hasn't been written to date. But, I suppose we can only hope that it will... [6]
References
- ^ THE A-TEAM FAN-FICTION INDEX, Archived version
- ^ from Galactica #14
- ^ from Galactica #14
- ^ from Galactica #14
- ^ from Galactica #14
- ^ from On the Jazz, posted August 26, 1996, accessed June 3, 2013