Time Warp (multifandom zine)

From Fanlore
(Redirected from TIME WARP)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Zine
Title: Time Warp
Publisher: Isis Press, see editors for other circumstances
Editor(s): Anne Elizabeth Zeek (#1, #2), Anne Elizabeth Zeek and Regina Gottesman (#3, #4), Fern Marder and Carol Walske (#6/7 was "ghost-published" and edited by Fern and Carol)
Date(s): 1977-1984
Series?:
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: multimedia , Star Wars , Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links: Issue #1 on the Internet Archive
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Time Warp is a gen multimedia zine, with an emphasis on Star Wars (Issue #3 and onwards) and Star Trek. The first issue was digest size, the rest full-size.

From a submission request in Jundland Wastes #1: "Stories must be of the high quality that has set our zine apart to date. No Han/Luke stories. Other than that, query us if you think a topic might be taboo."

Issue 1

Time Warp 1 is an all-Star Trek zine. It was published in 1977. It has art by Anne Elizabeth Zeek, Laura Duchon, Richard Olsen, Virginia Lee Smith, Kathy Carlson, Susan Armstrong, and Amy Harlib.

It was originally published in very early 1977 as a digest-sized zine with 122 pages. It was quickly republished in April 1977 as a full-sized zine. This second edition had a new lay-out and front cover as well as a very slightly different content. An ad in the second T'Con program book said it had "all new artwork" and "over 150 pages of fiction, poetry, articles, and reviews."

The original issue contains: "A Puzzle for Bones" (new officers, 1 page), "Trivialities" (43 Star Trek questions, 2 pages), and "Uhura's Starfleet Message" (crossword puzzle, 3 pages). The reissue does not include these three items.

The second edition contains three things the original edition does not: "Reader Response, a poetry/short story contest," "Outview:A Pot Pouri [sic] (short zine descriptions, movie description, con announcements), and "Postscript."

Note: Andrina Lewis, Elspeth Mosher, and Gerald Roberts are all Zeek's pseuds, a connection she makes in The Compleat Zeek.

front cover of issue #1, first edition
back cover of issue #1, first edition, is a You Are Receiving This Zine Because activity
appears to be a frontispiece from issue #1, first edition,
back cover of issue #1, second edition published in 1978, Amy Falkowitz, this illo was also used as a challenge for a story contest -- the winners were printed in the second issue
front cover of issue #1, second edition published in 1978, 136 pages, cover design by Richard Olsen

From the editorial in the second edition (Anne Elizabeth Zeek):

My first exposure to fandom - of any kind - came when I read Star Trek Lives! and suddenly realized that those reruns on WPIX were not being broadcast to me alone. There were, quite literally, thousands, maybe millions who found the STAR TREK universe to be "fascinating". I WAS NOT ALONE!

I decided to get my feet wet. I entered the waters of STAR TREK fandom by attending both New York STAR TREK conventions (remember -- January--and February In New York?). Curiouser and curiouser. Although I failed to see the connection between a "space-port girly-girl" and STAR TREK (I'd been under the Impression that "girly-girls". belonged to the multi-leveled universe of Cordwainer Smith), I enjoyed myself mightily.

Then a friend became involved with the publication of a fanzine, FROM THE INTERGALACTIC CORPORATION OF QUADROTRITICALE QUIRPS, LTD. (I kid you not. That is the title of their 'zine. In desperation, the editors now refer to it as THE INTERGALACTIC ETC.). She approached me for a TREK story, and I - poor fool - willingly agreed. The difficult part came as soon as I had to determine what to write. I must have read the final chapter of Star Trek Lives! fifty times over. Gradually, it dawned on me. I could write anything! I could answer, any questions I might have about the STAR TREK universe (thank you, Leslie Fish! At last I know why Andorians have antennae!) I could provide sequels to "unfinished" episodes, I could create my own "alternate universes", I could envision "new voyages" for the USS Enterprise. All the "what ifs" that had been haunting me for years could now be shared. I could have an audience - an appreciative audience -- by all I could determine -- for the stories I had begun plotting while still in complete ignorance of STAR TREK fandom and fanzines (and every time I think of those wasted years I cry!!)…

Not being one to do things in a small way, I began to explore the world of STAR TREK fanzines - and, incidentally, of fanzines In general. I was soon engrossed by the snippets of Trekfic (see how quickly one picks up the language?) presented In Star Trek Lives! or reprinted in New Voyages, so I tried to track down as many of the stories and articles as possible. It has been difficult, and even impossible In some cases (many of the stories and articles mentioned in STL or reprinted in NV first appeared in fanzines that are looong out of print!), but it has been a fascinating search with ever-widening ripples of influence.

Contents of the second edition:

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1: Original Digest Sized Issue

The format of this new zine is folded-over 8 1/2 by 11, so the book is digest-size. The type is exceedingly small, 35% reduction, but it is -- just -- readable. Not only a new zine, but 'Time Warp' introduces several new writers, including Anne Elizabeth herself. 'The Clandestine Adventure of the Arcane Tomato' is about typical of the shorter piece, such as 'Spock's Elf' and 'Encounter,' in that the stories' plots are much better than the characterizations, which are pretty bad. Still, the storyline is complete in each of these; there is a definite beginning, middle, and resolving end. The primary feature of TW, however, is 'The Cytherean Cycle,' an (other) explanation of the Rom Com from 'Enterprise Incident,' her background and mission. It is not too bad; there are some interesting characters introduced. But despite all the Silver Stars, High Priests and Galactic Missions dragged in, nothing happens, nothing is resolved, because, as you guessed it, this is part one. In spite of its squinchy print, high school art, and plethora of filler puzzles, TW is a sincere zine. Ambitious, too. If the editors can only dock some of the florid adjectives not just from her own work, but from her contributors, TW will be very good. Contents - 2 Graphics - 2 $ Worth - ? (I don't know the price)[1]

This is a first ish for this editor, and is quite impressive, size-wise for a first effort. There are probably the equivalent of 150-250 full sized pages in this digest-sized zine, considering the reduction. The reduction however is also a hinderance since whoever did the typing had a typewriter that had a tendency to type too lightly or fill in entire lines as black blotches. The resulting effect takes a mighty toll on your eyesight. The first story is "The Clandestine Adventure of the Arcane Tomato." It is ST/Sherlock Holmes spoof which tries to be funny, witty and cute, but ... Actually I didn't find it boring, it's just kinda there, like the nitrogen in the atmosphere. It makes a nice filler but I wouldn't It mind if it wasn't there. "Taproots" is a character study of Kirk. No story, no plot, just a little vignette. It's okay. Following is "A Quibble with Tribbles" which is a straight article by David Lubkin speculating on what tribbles really are or what they're supposed to be. The problem never particularly plagued my every waking moment..."Spock's Elf" is a story much like "Shore Leave," but with a different twist. A landing party from the Big E discovers some strange happenings on a planet. Spock and McCoy pursue the problem despite a variety of obstacles. The author takes a little of the fun out of the story by allowing Spock to solve the problem a bit too simply, but on the other hand, the conflicts between Spock & McCoy along the way are a plus. "First Contact" is a story of Kirk from the days when he was aboard the Farragut, and his first contact with the Kzinti or who he thinks is the Kzin. The author could have reasearched the already-existing details on the Kzin in any of Larry Niven's known space stories. If you're going to borrow someone else's fantasy, you may as well do it with a minimum of changes. Otherwise the story is okay for a "before" story ... a tighter plot might have kept some parts from dragging tho. "The Cytherean Cycle" a nicely unfinished novella by Anne Elizabeth Zeek is the main feature of this zine. It is an after story following up the events surrounding the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident." It has quite an interesting plot, namely, the overthrow of the Romulan empire because of internal corruption and other factors and how Lareesha (the Commander) winds up in charge of things by default. (Everyone else gets killed off ... great way to simplify your plot). The story even has a historical preface to the Romulan beginnings drawn from information in "Paradise Syndrome" and although the story isn't complete, it ends in a beautiful spot. The next edition of the serial will be in Time Warp #2. The only story in this zine worth your money is the novella by Zeek. The others are of a similar quality that you can find as fillers in any second rate fanzine. A word of warning--if you have any problems with your eyesight~ do not buy this zine. That's not an overblown opinion, just fact ... there are entire paragraphs that are nothing more than blobs and many of the titles and typos (all?) are written in by hand. I am slightly astigmatic and near-sighted, and normally don't have any problems with reduced type, but Time Warp was physically painful for me to read. Be warned if you have the same problem, especially if you're far-sighted. The graphics could use a lot of help too. The layout and visual graphics on TW are, without mincing words, plain lousy. The titles are hand lettered and even the dry-transfer lettering that was used was applied unevenly. Com'on, if you're going to pay $2.50 a sheet for rub on lettering you should be able to spend 3 seconds to draw a pencil line to apply it straight. As for the illos, the best illo inside is a map, that should give anyone an indication of what the drawings look like. This wouldn't be a bad fanzine at all if it was just a little better visually and if it weren't totally illegible in spots. Maybe the next ish will be better. [2]

'Time Warp,' despite its reduced size and occasionally spotty printing, not to mention handwritten portions, is in my opinion, a zine worth the money. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the editorial to the latest hilarious scoop on the ST movie. The overall quality of content was good to excellent by fanfic standards. The standout stories were 'Taproots,' which sheds interesting light on Kirk's relationship with his childhood, 'A Quibble with Tribbles,' an article dealing with all the questions posed by those enigmatic little fuzzballs that don't seem to have occurred to anyone else, and 'First Contact,' a very well-handled Lt. Kirk story. I'd like to see more of Gerald Robert's work. These are all excellent, but I'm saving the best for last, and that is 'The Cytherean Cycle.' I've noticed an increasing number of alternative universes creeping up, dealing with various of the big three -- Kraith, AU 4, The Weight, alternate Kraith universes, even my own Delphian Chronicles. Very few have gone into the depth of the so-called enemies, particularly the Romulans. Now we have 'The Cytherean Cycle,' part one of which centers on out intriguing ladyfriend, the Romulan Commander. In this first portion, she is faced with a decision between life and death, not only for herself, but for the entire Romulan nation. Technically, the story is well-plotted, with strong characters and fair to excellent description, particularly of the battle scenes. Some of the scene transitions are a bit confusing, and in some places the description tended to bog down the story, while in others, it was badly rushed. On the whole, however, the story held my interest well, and I eagerly await part two. I have only one question. How come some of the Romulans have Roman names? Even if you think the flyer over-extols this zine, buy it. [3]

In may ways, this zine surprised me. Stories were, in general, varied and interesting, and often quite well-written. They ranged from humorous to serious. My two major criticisms of the zine are its form: reduced print and pamphlet size. The other is that the art was only poor to fair, though I realize that this is a first effort, and not all zine editors are lucky enough to get a Landon or a Faddis on their first few tries. (I think there was some unevenness to the print quality -- heavy to patchy, and this sometimes hurt the art.) A few of the stories, 'The Clandestine Adventure of the Arcane Tomato' is a rather silly Sherlock Bones tale. David Lubkin presents a highly entertaining speculation on tribbles, 'A Quibble with Tribbles.' 'Spock's Elf' was interesting, but not fleshed out as it could have been and the ending seem to jump into being... 'First Contact,' a story concerning the Federation's first contact with a species we got to know on the animated Star Trek, is very well handled, one of the best in the zine. 'De Romulani' is a speculation/history of the Romulans and is followed by the main story in the zine, 'The Cytherean Cycle.' This is Zeek's story of the Romulan Commander from 'The Enterprise Incident,' and it is just the first part of a massive work. I was amazed at how well the ideas were developed. It is a very intriguing work, with a few minor predictabilities, and it gives a different view of both the Romulans and this one particular Rom. I do not agree with all Zeek's ideas, but I find them well-handled and am looking forward to more of the novel. [4]

Readability: Because of the reduced type there was, at times, a legibility problem due to blurring and fade-out. When a typing error was made, the editor wrote in the correction, which proved very distracting to me as a reader.

Art Work: I give it an overall rating of C+. I would have liked more of the better pieces. In all fairness, I do understand that the editor had a problem in getting artists. Also, I must point out that I preferred this cover [as opposed to the cover of the reprint] [5]

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1: Reprint

Readability: Excellent mimeo; . reproduction. Better, in fact, than the offset 1st edition, typing errors are minimal. Corrections made with a typewriter.

Art Work: Contained a great deal of new artwork. The improvement is tremendous! Susan Armstrong did some fantastic work for "The Cytherean Cycle" (see below). Overall rating, A-.

Stories: By far, the most interesting this in this issue is "The Cytherean Cycle" by Anne Elizabeth Zeek. Anne may well have written the first part of the definitive Romulan epic. Here we see the Romulans as a people, a culture, and more, than just enemies of the Federation. If I have an objection, and it - is not a strong one, 4t is that Anne based her Romulan culture strongly on the old Roman culture. I must admit, though, she took her cues from "Balance of Terror" and did a superb job. I am looking forward to reading, another segment in TW#2. And heaven help you, Anne, if it is missing ....

I enjoy young Kirk stories, stories where Jim is just starting out. I thought that Gerald Roberts did a very nice job of portraying James Kirk as. he struggles to acquire those capabilities which will make him an excellent commander. Telling the story of the Federation's first encounter with the Caitians kind of gave an insight into why Kirk is the way he is. "First Contact" is recommended.

"Spock's Elf" by Elspeth Mosher almost made me believe in elves. I'd ' have added dragons to the end of that Sentence, but Anne McCaffrey has already taken care of that.

Overall comments: In general, I must say that the editor crammed a great deal of material between her covers. She managed to introduce a number of new authors whom I, for one, hope to see much more of. All the material contained within the 'zine is enjoyable, and one thing you can't fault the editor for is skimping on content. She packed everything she could into the zine -- and kept costs down, too!

Perhaps the best way to compare TW#1 and its reprint is to say that the reprint shows the tremendous growth of the editor's ability. She "corrected" most of her earlier mistakes, and for a first attempt at putting out a fanzine there weren't that many to begin with! I am looking forward to seeing the second issue of TIME WAPR. If it shows even half the improvement the reprint did, it should be a success. [6]

Issue 2

cover issue #2, "Dimension Warp" -- "A beautiful chrome finish color cover by Bev Zuk!!!"
flyer for #2 printed in Falcon's Flight #4 -- "All new!! 175 to 200 pages of superior fan science fiction!!!"
back cover of issue #2, "Grooming the Steed" by Amy Falkowitz -- from the editor: "Oh yes. My bacover. THAT, my dears, is the illo that spawned a fanzine of its own. Seems Amy Falkowitz believed me when I said I liked dragons and wanted an illo of one. I saw this, and wrote back, "Why not do me a whole portfolio of dragon illos?" So she did. THEN I said... anywho, the end result was PERN PORTFOLIO, a McCaffrey zine."
centerfold from issue #2, Signe Landon for "The Outsider"

Time Warp was published in 1978 and is 208 pages long. It contains Star Trek: TOS, Battlestar Galactica, and Fantasy.

The front cover is by Beverly Zuk and the back cover by Amy Falkowitz. This issue contains a massive amount of art, samples of which can be seen below.

From the editorial:

You will notice that Part Two of the "Cytherian Cycle" is missing from this issue, as are the T'Pring and the Han Solo stories originally scheduled. Yes. Well, I can explain. "Cytheria" will be written. It's just that right now Lareesha is giving me problems. Those of you who write know that sometimes one gets a character who is so real they 'come to life' as it were. Lareesha has done so -- and now she adamantly refuses to follow the original script I had devised for her. She says she wouldn't act that way, that it would be 'out of character'. She knows where she wants to go -- and it sure ain't where I want to send her! I have the distinctly lowering feeling that she'll win this battle of wills, but since this was such a good sized issue to begin with, I decided to put that epic battle off yet a bit. Hey, I never said I wasn't a coward. Just that Lareesha isn't.)

The T'Pring novella will appear later this year as an "IDIC Special" [7]. As for the Han Solo story I promised you, well, that grew, and grew, and grew, right into the 'seed story' for my decision to make TIMEWARP 3 a STAR WARS Special Issue. And, the Force be willing, it 'also' will be out in February.)

(As of this writing, I do not know if the Kirk/Uhura horror story I wanted to bring you, "Ultima Mater", will be ready in time for publication. The story is taking longer than originally anticipated; with typing, layouts, paste-ups, and all the many other time-consuming chores that go into making a 'zine, I simply may not have the time for the final editing that this story deserves. You will eventually see the tale, but it may not be until TIMEWARP 4 or 5.)

Also from the editorial:

Why, then, do we risk mental, and sometimes physical, health? What is the strange attraction drawing more and more people into the fanzine trap? There is, of course, the delightful boost to the ego at producing a fanzine in which others are able to find pleasure. There is the satisfaction at knowing you've done your best, and that that best is really quite good. There's the thrill of discovery when a talented young author or artist contacts you and you can introduce him/her to the zine-reading public. A friend of mine once described my involvement with fanzines as an instant get-poor-quick scheme." She was right. Editing a fanzine has got to rank with diamond-collecting as the world's most expensive hobby. But the returns I listed above, and others I've not had the time to go into, make it all worth while.

Back cover of issue #1, second edition published in 1978, Amy Falkowitz. This is the illo that was used in the story challenge, winners were printed in this issue

This issue contains a massive amount of art, samples of which can be seen below.

Issue 3

front cover issue #3, Richard Olsen
back cover of issue #3, Carol Walske
flyer for issue #3, printed in Falcon's Flight #4

Time Warp was published in 1979 and is 180 pages long.

From the editorial:

Welcome to the third issue of TIME WARP. We think you'll enjoy it, but we'll let you discover the goodies for yourself. Read — and enjoy!! And then, please LOC! Unless we hear from you, we don't know what we're doing right (or wrong). Fanzines are bi-lateral forms of communication. We--the editors, writers, artists — have certain visions we want to share with you. But we can't tell how successful we are unless you respond. All comments will be passed on to the 'creator' concerned, unless you request otherwise. But do write. It gets lonely here, honest.

Also from the editorial:

You will note that TW2 and TW3 are being mailed "as able". LONG story, folks. Unfortunately, when we first took orders for TIME WARP #2, it was for $3.00 or for $2.50 as part of a 'special offer' with MIRROR WORLDS and CYTHEREAN CYCLE. Well. TW2 is a lot bigger, and more expensive, than planned. It's a 210 page zine costing $5.00, people! Needless to say, the postal costs are also correspondingly higher. We have been picking up the difference in these expenses out of our own pockets -- working toward our second $3,000.00 loss, as it were!! The zines WILL be mailed to you, if you have them on order, just as soon as we are able to get the postage together. They'll then be mailed in order of receipt. We sent out a mail-fund appeal several months ago, got some lovely responses from some lovely people — and nothing from the rest of you. So, hey, this is a second appeal—help, please? We happen to think the products put out by Isis Press are the best value for your dollar you can get in fandom. We wouldn't be doing the bl**dy coolie work involved in it (typing, lay-out, collating, etc.) otherwise. But we can't go to debtor's prison because of it. We want Isis Press to pay its own way. That's the only way you can be assured of continuing to receive the best we can give you.

  • Outtime, editorial (2)
  • Invocation by Angela Marie Varesano, art by Caroline Carrock (7)
  • From the Jedi Vow by Angela Marie Varesano, art by the same (9)
  • Before the Fall by Kelly Hill (11)
  • From the Sacred Writings of the Jedi by Angela Maria Varesano, art by same (13)
  • Pern Meets the Empire by Colleen Waters (19)
  • The Challenge by Fern Marder, art by same (20)
  • Rubber Ducky by Carrie Rowles (22)
  • The Cinncinnatus Caper by Anne Elizabeth Zeek, art by Mary Rosalind Oberdieck-Ludwig (23) ("Han's first meeting with Jabba the Hut, the criminal kingpin who will come to exercise such an important role in his life, with Greedo the Crinlian, Jabba's former ace pilot, and with Antibe, Jabba's — First Officer?")
  • The Jedi Master by Angela Marie Varesano, art by the same with Carrie Rowles (A poetry cycle translated from the works of Master Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi.) (59)
  • Desert Winds, Dying Winds by Sarah Liebold, art by Kyrol Waters (76)
  • Battle Prayer by Angela Marie Varesano (78)
  • The End and the Beginning by Andrina Lewis, art by Randy Ash (80)
  • Cats in the Dark by Joyce Yasner, art by Hans Dietrich ("Kass Eastad, a resourceful vacationer hi-jacked by an alien slaver ship, effects an escape with the help of a most unusual cell-mate.") (83)
  • Tall, Dark and... by Carrie Rowles (110)
  • Souveneirs of Alderaan by Sheryl Adsit, art by Virginia Lee Smith ("Han at his most Han-nish ("I'm here for sentimental reasons," he said. Yeah, he thought, the idea of all that money going to waste makes me wanna cry.) once again per forms a great service for the Alliance.") (111)
  • Soliloquy by Susan Matthews, art by Patrick O'Neill (135)
  • A Tale of Two Lukes by Maggie Nowakowska, art by Pam Kowalski ("Luke's introduction to Cergaelugos, the Whillish being whose appointed (self-appointed?) task it is to write the True History of the Young Jedi Knight. Luke does not approve. A "ThousandWorlds Cycle" story.") (139)
  • Pern Meets the Empire, Part Two by Colleen Winters (171)
  • Knight and Dragon, The Quest by Rebecca Greenberg, art by Colleen Winters (172)
  • After the Revolution by Karen Osman (originally in The Alpha Centaura Communicator) (174)
  • Shakled Spirit by Kelly Hill, art by Virginia Lee Smith (175)
  • Have You Heard the One About the Travelling Wookiee (review of The Star Wars Holiday Special) by Paula Block, art by Martynn (176)
  • Blurbles, Oddments and Such (179)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

Undoubtedly the most direct and honest story dealing with Vader as a sexual partner is 'Cat's in the Dark' by Joyce Yasner. Here Vader rescues Kass Eastad, a resourceful and spirited girl, then claims the appropriate reward from her. She reluctantly agrees, but discovers the situation is much less unpleasant than she anticipated. Joyce describes the mechanics in considerable and ingenious detail, but with a saving sense of humor that prevents the story from becoming morbid or maudlin. 'Cats' is unique in facing the physical aspects of Vader's prosthetic equipment and speculating on its effects on his everyday life and sexuality from a sympathetic and positive viewpoint, yet demonstrates a relentless realism. While Joyce's Dark Lord retains his dignity and dry wit, he has none of the mythic grandeur of Maggie's Vader [in 'Notions'] or the chivalric image of Ann Wilson's hero. He is unflinchingly humanized, and is probably the most contemporary-sounding Vader in fan fiction. [8]

This is an all-Star Wars issue; contains a ThousandWorlds story by Maggie Nowakowska, bountiful poetry by Angela-Marie Veresano, a knock-out three-color cover, and a marvelous Dirty Darth story by Joyce Yasner. Also, some McCaffrey/SW art vignettes. Highly recommended. [9]

You asked for it, you got: an LOC for TIME WARP 3. I've gone through from beginning to end, as if I were reading it for the first time, instead of the fiftieth.

I didn't care for "Invocation" and "From the Jedi Vow" for reasons which have nothing to do with the excellence of Whitfield's calligraphy or the quality of Varesano's writing; I'm simply not that hooked into Jedi philosophy, or Ben Kenobi. The illos were both good—I did a drawing something like Carrock's myself, though not half as well, and was interested to see that it could be made to work out after all. I feel constrained to say that I regard both these pieces as chants, rather than poems, because they lack the imagery and life which it's my understanding poetry should possess. However, from the titles, I presume this is also the author's view of them.

Hill's "Before the Fall" is nicely crafted, as all of her work is. I'm always suspicious of rhyming verse-forms, but Kelly has done this very well: the rhythm flows effortlessly, and she hasn't had to reach for rhymes. The rhyming form, in effect, does not distract from the meaning of the poem, or from the reader's absorption with it. Someone should set this to music.

More "Sacred Writings" — please see my first comments. "Sacred writings" are like salt: excellent as an addition to almost anything, but tending to spoil the soup if sprinkled too heavily.

"Interstellar Traffic Jam" was cute. Crowded, but cute.

I liked "The Challenge". It's an interesting speculation on Kenobi's comment about Vader murdering Skywalker Senior. I particularly liked the opening passages wherein Vader is (rather childishly) resentful of the Master's attentions to the more malleable students. Again, I think 1t could have been done as prose, but I liked it.

Rowles's "Rubber Ducky Vader" was lovely (nice boots!), but I wish someone had caught "your the one" before it went to press.

I loved "The Cinncinnatus Caper". You've caught Han beautifully, and the whole business of the entry into Jabba's presence and the subliminal pro jector was very interesting. I have one question: why doesn't Antibe, who obviously has brains, take over Jabba's operation and get rid of the old tub of lard? I want to know what happens next. Your ending was tantalizing in the extreme—Han is obviously trying to reassure himself, as well as Chewie. How does it all work out? More sacred writings. Hmmm.

"Desert Wind, Death Wind" is the best piece of blank verse so far! It degenerates out of pure poetry into narrative in the third stanza, but the ghostly quality of the ending redeems it. The illustration is very good. Full of loneliness and harsh contrasts and the coming of night.

"Battle Prayer" reads very well and is, I think, Varesano's best piece in TIME WARP 3. I didn't care for the illo on the facing page, but couldn't have done it better. 'Nuff said.

"End... And Beginning" puzzles me. "Darth! My son??? I see it primarily as a narrative without life, without sensory detail, without much interest. So the Sith Lord heard the psychic deaths of ten thousand men. So what? What the hell does that sound like?

Yasner's "Cats in the Dark", on the other hand, is a masterpiece. I loved her description of the lovemaking and Kass and Darth's mutual struggle against the great god Respirator. Many writers have tried to humanize Darth, but this is the first time I've felt it worked. I wondered, however, if Darth would have withdrawn so completely from her. Of course, he doesn't want to seem too human, but I'd have thought he'd be a little more forthcoming than he's portrayed here. That line about knowing her name and where she lives sounds almost like a threat! How- aver, the attitude is nicely explained, and this is a quibble on my part. Hans Dietrich's illos are, of course, fabulous. The ending of the story is quite a letdown and I'd like to know if Darth sees her again.

"Hey, Babe. . ." is a nice cartoon. Love that girl's expression!

"Souvenirs of Alderaan" is good, with reservations. I was intrigued by Adsit's idea that Han loves free-fall. It's a logical extension of his love of piloting, and I liked the idea that he wishes he had someone to share it with. However, I think Jack Tarr was a bit much, and the whole character of Aithne was just a little too precocious to be believable. The idea of Han salvaging pieces of Alderaan is perfect: it's just what he would do. What would Leia think? The illos in my copy were quite blobby, so they didn't look too great. No doubt the originals were much better.

"Soliloquy" by Susan Matthews is easily my favorite piece in the whole zine. She captures Han so perfectly: the nostalgia Han feels, triggered by Luke's excitement, is so beautifully expressed, and the melancholy of having to come to earth when all he and his "battered baby" want to do is soar is so wonderful. Han's gained some distance from the kind of excitement Luke feels, and that's rather sad, too. It's all about compromises, and coming to terms with what you can. get, and understanding that sometimes you have to do things you're not really proud of so you can be where you need to be. I can't rave enough about this poem.

"A Tale of Two Lukes" is a good, well-written story, as all the THOUSANDWORLDS stories are. I am not deeply enamored of the Whills, so I was not wild about it. I did like the meeting of the Whills with Han Solo—two abrasive personalities coming together! Maggie Nowakowska/Pam Kowalski should be a professional; I don't know what she does for a living, but if she's not a writer she's depriving the world. The same goes for Susan Matthews. I understand they are roommates — the creative energies floating around their place must be tremendous!

"Knight and Dragon: Quest" could have been prose, but I liked it.

"After the Revolution" frightened me, because it could quite easily happen. Luke, with his idealism and relative inexperience of life, might come to see Han as an undesirable. And you know, Han wouldn't be any more law abiding under Alliance rule than Imperial rule; it would be a pretty problem if the Alliance wins But what a heart-breaking situation for Han to find himself in, and how well the author expresses it!

"Shackled Spirit" is another version of the same situation, beautifully done by Kelly, Hill. I particularly liked ". . .Silver star-bird/destroyed beyond hope/and I, no better. . ." and "my severed form". That's what imagery is all about.

Reviews usually bore or annoy me, but nothing Paula Block writes is ever boring, and I happened to agree with her: why should a wookiee find Dihann Carroll erotically attractive? I'm not wildly turned on by Chewie, although the idea has its amusing aspects. . . I liked Martynn's illo, too, but then, I always like Martynn's illos. I like her Han-drawings better, but that's because I'm addicted to Han.

So that's it. It's taken me a whole Saturday morning to do this, and I've consumed about half a gallon of tea, so I'm going to close now. Quickly! [10]

I've been wanting to write for ages to tell you how much I enjoyed reading TIME WARP 3, The writing and the artwork is superb, the two stories that stick out in my mind being Yaz's "Cats in the Dark" and Nowakowska's "A Tale of Two Lukes . Then, of course, there's Matthew's "Soliloquy, but I've been a fan of her poetry for so long that it doesn't surprise me she's produced another winner.

Hans Dietrich's and Carrie Rowles's art work has knocked me for a loop; it's simply fantastic. Rowles's "Darth-in-a-Bathtub" scene left me in stitches. And only a Vader fan can appreciate the illos that Dietrich did for Yasner's story.

All in all, I'd say that TIME WARP 3 is one of the "must have" zines in STAR WARS fandom. I don't know about other people, but I myself appreciate how sturdily it's put together. I'm rather rough on zines, liking to read and re-read them until they start to shed pages like fall leaves, but after months of handling, my copy of TIME WARP 3 hasn't even shed one staple! [11]

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Carol Walske
from issue #4, Hans Dietrich for "An Alien Portfolio"
from issue #4, Hans Dietrich for "An Alien Portfolio" -- The artist's notes from "Time Warp" -- "How can you waste your time drawing that ugly monster? Oh, come now. Dallas isn't that bad looking… seriously, the alien is simply perfect for cartooning (and finer arts too). I like to draw from one of Ridley Scott's earlier concepts; that of a sleeker, slenderer animal, fantastically acrobatic and very, very fast. Pity a lot of that was lost, but of course there's only so much one can do with a costume…. The bulk of the work in this folio was done with rapidograph mechanical drafting pens: #1 point, and a #000 point for the finer work. I used presstone texture film for some of the shading."

Time Warp 4 published in 1980 and is 148 pages long. The front cover is by Carol Walske, the back cover is blank.

From the editorial:

It's 2:30 in the morning, ME-Con is due to start in seven hours, and I rather doubt this zine will be in the Dealer's Room until the second day of the Con. Once again I misjudged time needed for production and am working AFTER the last possible minute. (Well, at least this time around I estimated ((or, rather, Regina estimated)) the expenses more correctly and TW4 should break even—the first Isis Press publication to do so. Maybe now we can start getting our back orders and what-not out!!)

Isis Press was originally founded because I wanted to prove that an attractive, nicely-balanced, good-reading fanzine could be produced at a reasonable cost. Well, we've done that. The only thing is, the method of reproduction chosen, though relatively inexpensive, is a HELL of a lot of work. So we are exploring the feasibility of several other methods of printing, hoping to find another method that combines quality of reproduction with reasonable costs. We have several possibilities in mind, but whether any any them will work out, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, rest assured—we will never chose the easiest, quickest, slickest, most expensive method of reproduction just to bring out something that is impressive, but vastly overpriced. Zines are pricing themselves out of the market—and we don't intend to join the lemming parade.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

The cover of TIME WARP 4 is certainly beautiful -- those colors just seem to leap off the page! I just hope this one holds together better than #3...

I couldn't agree with you more about EMPIRE. I've seen it ten-times-going-on-eleven and still I find things I hadn't noticed before. I, too, am impressed by the Walkers. Their animal-like movements are fascinating. But for me, the asteroid field is the most exciting. I love to see Han fly that ship! What I love most about EMPIRE is the closeness that has developed between Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewie. I truly believe that, despite all the grim happenings in the film, we can take heart from their loyalty and devotion to each other. Their time is coming. I'm very optimistic and looking forward to the next film.

It's great to see two THOUSANDWORLDS stories in this issue. "Fate is the Name" was excellent.

It's good to get some background on Chewbacca, and this dovetails nicely with "The Reluctant Rebel" ((GUARDIAN 2)). Chewie certainly has been around. No wonder he thinks of Han as a mere "pup". I would, too, with two hundred years of experience behind me. Of course, Han would not see the relationship in quite the same way, but from Chewie's point of view, twenty-five years is a mere drop in the bucket.

"Cat Dancing" was a very well-written story. I've always liked Susan Matthews' work. Han's gentleness with Thera was very touching. That's my Han! The love-making scene was very nicely done, and the ending was a riot. Of all the illos, the one on page 72 is my favorite.

"The Promise" touches on something very dear to me. Nothing would please me more than for Leia to be carrying Han's child, whether it was the Other or not. They are very much in love, and I hope to see them married and raising a family. "Revenant" really broke my heart, until I had thought about it a while. It's like the problem with long space voyages: every one and everything has changed but you. The readjustment problems would be tremendous, but I know Han is not a quitter. He could and would adjust and adapt and make a new life for himself. These people obviously care very much for Han or they would not have spent thirty years searching for him.

"That Share of Glory" was beautiful, and so touching it made me cry. I can certainly understand Arde-Wan's fears for his son; all parents fear for their children, but in this case it's even greater, because Arde-Wan recognizes the gifts the boy has. There will be a follow-up story to this, I assume?

As to what I would like to see in future issues, I hope you will continue to print THOUSANDWORLDS stories, so I can keep my collection complete. I would also like to see you expand on "Revenant" and "The Promise", and of course I would like to see more post-TESB stories, especially about Han and Leia. [12]

Please find some other way of putting your zine together than those ghue-awful staples.

I fully appreciate your efforts to produce quality work at a reasonable cost, but one thing that should never be scrimped on is the binding—especially in a zine as thick as TIME WARP 4. Chasing pages detracts from an enjoyment of one of the better zines around. (Angry subway conductors and foot prints don't help either. Mine fell apart on the LL.)

Second gripe: I do love good calligraphy, and Whitfield's is gorgeous, but I find pages of it hard to read. "The Wit and the Wisdom of the Lords of Kobal" strikes me as a waste of a great talent.

"Revenant" hit me where I live. Just that single, one-page story is worth the entire price of the zine. Han Solo being lost for thirty years is so very probable; it fits right in with the mythic and heroic traditions George Lucas has been molding in STAR WARS.. (I want more! The little you let me read (( of the expanded version)) only whet my appetite!)

Is TIME WARP turning into a THOUSANDWORLDS' zine? Two THOUSANDWORLDS stories and one which, even without the main credit line, seemed to partake of elements of that universe. . . Is "Cat Dancing" a THOUSANDWORLDS story? Or has the author simply accepted the THOUSANDWORLDS background as gospel? (("Cat Dancing" is not a THOUSANDWORLDS story. ^It makes use of certain THOUSANDWORLDS concepts with the permission of the creators thereto.)) "Cat Dancing" was fun. Will we be seeing more? I got the distinct impression that this story is part of a much larger series. Drusha was too fully realized to be just a passing character. Dispen the Param made a marvelously inept spy. And at last, a female not afraid to make some of the moves; this helps turn "Cat Dancing" into a far more believable "lay-Han" story.

"Fate is the Name" is the best Chewbacca story I've read yet. At last, a wookiee who really is two hundred years old, with all the experience that simply living that long implies. This story fills in Chewbacca's background very creditably. It shows us a Chewie who is gentle and patient (and he must have been, to have spent so many years a slave!), but also amoral enough to suffer no qualms of conscience about entering a pirate's life. I never envisioned Chewbacca as a leader, but "Fate is the Name" convinced me of it. Having him use his size and the wookiee reputation for ferociousness to put over a 'vicious, rampaging wookiee' act is the perfect touch; it adds some humor the story is otherwise lacking. (That is my main difficulty with all the THOUSANDWORLDS stories. They take themselves too seriously. They present too few opportunities to laugh. "Cat Dancing" does not carry this fault, though otherwise it echoes across the THOUSANDWORLDS universe.)

"That Share of Glory" almost sinks under its own weight. It is good: well-written, full of personal conflict, better than many pro books I've read. Arde-wan Kenobi's self-delusions about his son, and his being less than overjoyed at the boy's Jedi leanings, foreshadow Owen Lars's attitude about Luke, the older Obi-Wan, and 'damn fool crusades'. Nowakowska has taken this attitude toward the Jedi and their goals to its logical conclusion and I wish she hadn't. If a story can suffer from an intrusion of too much reality, this one does. I would like a little more laughter, a little more 'gee-wilikers-wonderfulness' and it's just not there. The THOUSANDWORLDS writers are chronicling a tragedy, a Greek tragedy at that. They know their heroes will die and it covers all their work with gloom. As terrible as things get in STAR WARS and EMPIRE, there is always a glimpse of humor, there is always hope. When Chewbacca and Lando go to rescue at the end of EMPIRE, I know they'll succeed. If it were a THOUSANDWORLDS tale, I'd start to worry.

"Arika" is another excellent story, and a truly unusual STAR TREK story, to boot. "What-if-Kirk- failed?" stories have been done to death, but never like this. Bravo! Kirk falling, but going on to give his captain, Spock, his full loyalty fits the men I remember from the series. An interesting twist, havinq Kirk the lieutenant commander and Spock the captain. I don't think any other story has placed Kirk second to Spock and kept them believable. Kirk tends to snatch jealously at command. I say? I love ((first season)) Buck Rogers and have seen far too little of it, since I work Thursday evenings. You know I'm crazy about STAR WARS. The two together is sheer heaven. Adsit's Buck & Co. are very true to form. However, her Luke and Leia, what little is seen of them, come over like a couple of overactive kids. Her own STAR WARS people are handled so much better -- what happened?

Yasner has a warped sense of humor. I had a few good laughs out of "Bedroom Farce". In reality, however, I think that, after EMPIRE, Leia would be more likely to take a blaster to Vader, than Vader to her bed. (Random observation on Solo: he is a smell noticer, isn't he? Trash mashers and tauntauns. This after seeing EMPIRE for the fifth time.)

"Prologue". . . December 1977? Did you have a premonition? Or a friend of a friend of a third cousin working in Lucas's office? That last verse really hits so closely to the mark, it's uncanny! [13]

...TIME WARP 4 is lovely, just wonderful! I like the wide-ranging subject matter, as I've said before. The professional quality of your zine in in sharp contrast to ((others)) I have seen recently. Your obvious care shines. I will admit that the small print is a bit difficult at times, but that's MY eyesight problem... I had total hysterics over the ALIEN segment! It was inspired. (Do I, or do I not, detect a certain feeling of THE PINK PANTHER about it?) I also, have a friend who pointed out that it was obvious that there had to be a gap in time between 'that first paralyzing kiss' and the cloud city. Leia being pregnant is highly amusing and, to cop a phrase from Spock, highly logical. . . [14]

I'll start with the cover: stunning! Congratulations to Carol Walske on a truly lovely piece of work. But I do wish you'd use large staples. I had to restaple the back cover, and I'm not expecting my repair job to last long.

Kirkland's "Fate is the Name" is excellent. I've read other background stories on Chewbacca, and this is by far the best, as a story and as characterization. Is there any chance the THOUSANDWORLD Stories will be collected- Nowakowska's and Kirkland's with Kowalski illos? (Yes, l know Nowakowska and Kowalski are the same person.)

Hans Dietrich's "ALIEN Folio" is a delight -- I ever act around to seeing the movie again I think I'll be seeing Hans' interpretation and laughing all through it!

Karen Osman's "Taken at the Flood" is maybe not the best written story I've ever read, but as a story it's fine. She did a good job of getting inside a trooper's skin, I think. There are too many Darth Vader stories around -- about time somebody showed the Imperial cannon fodder's point of view. Naturally, I loved Matthews' "Cat Dancing" -- I don't think I've read a dud by Matthews yet. There's a delightful creature. I do feel sorry for Han -- almost as funny as the bar scene where Han kidnapped" Thera. Now there's, a scene I'd love to see in 70mm! Gelt's casual reaction is so perfect! Too bad Martynn's illos aren't quite up to the story. The best is on page 72; the others are too static, and Han's face is obviously taken from photos. But the one on p. 72 is beautiful.

"Bedroom Farce" wasn't particularly funny.

"The Promise"— not exactly original, and frankly, I think it's unrealistic. If the Alliance has to wait till Leia's child grows up, at least to midteens, it can't possibly hold out long enough for the kid to get necessary training, even if the training begins in infancy. The Emperor's too strong. It's much more likely the Other is someone already involved, like Leia herself — or, as a friend has suggested (and come up with convincing arguments for), even Han. "Revenant" is better as a story and more believable, assuming my friend is wrong about Han!

Nowakowska's "That Share of Glory" is great — of course, it's Nowakowska. Really, if Lucasfilm doesn't hire her, they're absolutely insane.

All in all, a fine issue, people. Keep it up! [15]

All in all, TIME WARP 4 is one of the finest looking zines I've seen so far. Any chance of my buying copies of numbers 1-3? ((Sorry, those zines are effectively out-of-print -- ed)

"The Promise" and "Revenant" were two perfect gems. More! In "The Promise", who was the father, Han or Luke? (It must have been a long time between the asteroid field and Bespin. Who knows what could have happened?) I would like to see more stories about Leia. She's been getting bad press of late, and I don't think she deserves it.

Maybe this would be asking for trouble, but why not produce a one-shot zine featuring the female of the species: Leia, Wilma Deering, Uhura, and so on. And don't just ask for contributions. Go out and solicit them actively from fan writers you know and whose work you enjoy. If all else fails, write the stories yourself. It's time for the women to strike back! And you don't have to be a woman to enjoy the fray.

"Hazardman" should get his own fanzine.

Susan Matthews has the delightful tendency to steam my glasses up. "Cat Dancing" could have been a farce, but she pulled it off masterfully. I know she can do more than send my hormones zinging, as she has proven in the past. But she surely knows how to titillate a reader, if only subliminally. Someone should turn her purple pen in the direction of a certain 'inexperienced' farmboy and/or a very proper princess. Han can't have all the fun.

More Hans Dietrich, and more of his ALIEN. 'Nuff said. [16]

The first thing that strikes you about TIME WARP 4 is the' cover; Walske's dynamic design with its use of bold colors is one of the best. Can't say anything about the bacover, as the zine fell apart and I seem to have misplaced it. Now, this is no big criticism — they all do, it's almost expected.

I absolutely 1oved "Fate is the Name. . .". Normally I don't care for single character stories (unless they're about Han Solo), but this intrigued me no end. The only thing wrong with it was that it was underwritten, and not long enough! Kirkland has an excellent feel for creating settings and making them believable.

I'm a great fan of Susan Matthews, and have a terrible time keeping track of her work. Susan has a feel for her material that translates well to the reader (at least, to me). Liked the character Thera, but Dispen. . . Well, the idea was goad, but I can't believe he'd be that stupid. I realize Susan needed the device in order to have Han rescue the dancer, but it's still a gimmick. And what happened at the end? Where's she go? Hunh? Martynn's art was -superb; those on pages 63 and 70 were especially so.

Howlett's "Street Punk" was a pleasant surprise. Rather than the expected cliche, the story was a skillful and deceptively simple piece of writing. "Promise" cracked me up! It's so logical! Mary Cascio and the group were here when the zine arrived, and it just blew us away! What a thought! And "Revenant"—what can be said? Very moving.

I am a devotee of the THOUSANDWORLDS Chronicles, and while it didn't pick up after the last installment in SKYWALKER, I wasn't disappointed. Maggie's imagination and skillful storytelling are awesome.

Sorry to say, I'm not fond of poetry, and don't feel qualified to judge.

While I like Dietrich's art, the ALIEN subject bores me, so maybe I shouldn't criticize (( the port folio)) . "Taken at the Flood" just didn't hold my attention, but the artwork was excellent. Whitfield does wonderful calligraphy, but I thought that, in this instance, "The Book of the Word" was a waste of paper. Yasner's "Bedroom Farce" was. . . well, I read somewhere that once you accept the premise it's funny, but really, Yaz could find something else. For some reason I couldn't get into "Arika" or the Buck Rogers/ STAR WARS story (but I'm waiting for the "new" Buck Rogers to meet the Cylons. . . ).

Pat O'Neill's "Adventures of Chris Sheridan" absolutely disgusted me for no objective reason- purely subjective. I owned a comix/SF store for two years and am thoroughly sickened at the sight of any thing resembling "The Shadow", "The Spirit", and so forth. I didn't appreciate seeing it in a ST/SW zine. As I said, it's not a rational comment and shouldn't be constructed as a put-down.

All in all, a good zine and well worth the wait and the price. [17]

I like the idea of having LOCs in TIME WARP 4. It is always very interesting to read what other people have to say, even if they have violently different opinions than your own. Sometimes they can even make you see

a story in an entirely, new light. By all means, please continue.

Everything in the issue was very high quality, although I didn't like any of the poetry as well as some in earlier issues; maybe it just didn't hit me right this time.

"Fate is the Name" dragged a bit, but it was well worth reading. I admire people who are willing to tackle wookiees, because they really have so little material to work with from the films that they have to have quite a bit of imagination. I tend to ignore the TV Special, which I consider a gross ripoff and an insult to the original. I liked the idea that Chewie had a life of his own before meeting Han, and enjoyed following his adventures. I also thought the author did a good job of characterizing him, although not as good a job of making him truly alien as "Rites of Passage" in PEGASUS IV.

"An ALIEN Folio" was a pure delight, absolutely marvelous. Even though I haven't seen the movie, I think it was my favorite thing in the issue. The drawing was excellent, and I laughed all the way through it, and as far as I'm concerned the artist [has the] right on wasting time drawing that ugly monster for as long as he wants.

"Cat Dancing" was a very pleasant little story, and Thera was well characterized. I found "Street Punk" rather pointless, but I don't think I was really trying hard enough. As for Yasner's, ah, thing: Oh, dear, what can I say? I really hate to see poor Darth humiliated like that, even at friendly hands (at least, the writer's were friendly...). But it was funny, and the last line was hilarious: I've often wondered just what those buttons do myself. Treated seriously, the basic idea of a political marriage between Darth and Leia to fight the Emperor is very interesting and actually rather plausible, given the iron will and dedication of the two parties. I think they are really more alike than either is willing to admit, which is probably why they hate each other so. Or rather, why Leia hates Vader. I'm not so sure he hates her; actually, I'd be willing to believe, as Joyce says, that Vader actually admires Leia and would be quite willing to like her given the chance. In any case, he is the only character in the movie who is man enough to tame her, though Solo is quite good enough as a lover and partner for her. Certainly, Vader gave no evidence in the movies of treating Leia with anything other than respect for a worthy opponent, as one aristocrat to another. For, after all, they are both nobility and understand one another's back ground, while both Luke and Han are commoners.

1 liked "Arika" and thought the idea was intriguing but on most ST stuff I have to say "No comment". Ditto for Sheryl Adsit's story: it was well-written, I couldn't have any complaints there, but I usually dislike cross-universe stories—not always, there have been exceptions. In any case, I loathe Buck Rogers and his obnoxious little droids (God, they're even worse than C3P0 and R2D2, and that's saying something!), so I can hardly be impartial towards this story. I consider the TV Buck Rogers a smartass macho creep with all of Han Solo s faults and absolutely none of his (many) redeeming qualities. I could go on at length about how truly repulsive I found him, but I think you get my drift.

"That Share of Glory" was a fine story in the child-prodigy tradition about that Tricky Dick Nixon of- the spaceways, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The only fault I have to find in Maggie's writing style 1s a tendency to ramble on verbosely; I think most of her stories would be improved by a bit of tightening up on the action. However, when she got to the point, it was very effective. I think she is really a novelist In disguise, and perhaps all these interrelated stories will become one major work sometime in the future (If they do, I'll certainly buy it).

Finally, "The Promise" and "Revenant": both are thought-provoking, although I don't think either will be borne out 1n the third movie. I, personally, don't think the "other" Yoda is talking about is Leia's child; I think it is another hope, not another person. With absolutely no evidence to support my theory whatever, I'll plug my favorite character into the slot, and say that it would be nice if it meant Vader and the Alliance Jedi could come to some sort of accommodation and restore the Order to peace, to reunite the y1n and the yang of the universe into a whole. If Luke can be "turned", maybe Vader can be also, and the two can meet at some point. There is no reason why this should be, however, and we'll just have to wait for III. The idea of Han being awakened years after everyone he has known is dead sets up very Interesting possibilities, and I would like to see you flesh it out into a complete story.

So there you are, a very quick comment on the material in TIME WARP IV. [18]

...finished reading TIME WARP 4, which I picked up at World Con. Lovely. I tend to read from cover to cover, in that order, and so I reached "That Share of Glory" last. I was placidly reading along, as I have done with other THOUSANDWORLDS stories. The others I've read dealt more with "Corell" and Han; I disagreed with many of their basic precepts, so I never got too involved in the stories. Also, I prefer somewhat shorter stories than these tend to be. So there I was, all unaware, when suddenly I was—well, thunder struck is the only word that comes to mind. As far as I am concerned, this is a masterwork, and putting it last in the zine was a stroke of genius. [19]

Creating a personal universe, or an individual adaptation of an existing universe, seems to come as naturally as breathing to fans. Tigriffin is certainly not against this, being somewhat of an individualist herself. But there is one common, easy to overlook mistake possibly inherent in writing stories based on one's private fictional landscape, and that is leaving out previously established reference points on people, places, and events. Fans don't need to be told about Vulcan's logic in each new Trek story. They do need to be given the ground rules and introduction in any universe where there are major changes in the established order, or extrapolations the author has created on her own to use as a story base. At least half the stories in 'Time Warp' #4 are out of the writer's personally created universe, such as 'Thousand Worlds.' None of the stories are of poor literary quality. The reader should know in advance, however, that a few will be quite confusing in spots.

In this issue, 'Fate is the Name.': This tale reads very much like the background notes some writers keep on the life of their characters for their own personal reference. It concerns Chewbacca's life history up to the time he meets Han Solo, in the Thousand Worlds Chronicles, and so he will be of interest to devotees of that series. However, when a writer wants to tell a tale that spans two centuries, she would be well-advised not to choose the short story format in which to do it. Condensing this much detail into 19 pages lets some fascinating ideas just whirl by in a blur.

Poetry: all of fine quality. Sarah Liebold's is particularly touching.

'An Alien Folio': excellent art and marvelous humor. Hans Dietrich is in her usual top form here.

'Taken at the Flood': interesting examination of the outlook of the average Stormtrooper. Especially intriguing was the question it raised of how personality might begin to develop in artificially-raised cloned humans.

'The Book of Emon' Kobol Scripture... far be it from Tigriffin to comment on anyone's chosen religion.

'Cat Dancing' a lay-Han story, interesting because the lady in question is a fleionoid with a tail. Basically a nicely crafted anecdote set in, yes, the author's favored universe. 'Street Punk': telling a story by telling two separate stories is difficult, but when it works out successfully, the technique is a large part of the charm. Pages are spoken with one line here. This story of Uhura and a fellow Enterprise crewmember telling about the incidents from their past should be read quickly once for the total effect, then studied in their mind; the ensuing events are funny. Tigriffin would still like to know how it all came about.

'Arika': Trigriffin would also like to know the details preceding this story. Spock's the captain, Kirk's the lieutenant. Waiting for a clue that never comes leaves the reader uncertain about what actually went on in the course of this short action/adventure.

'The Promise': a one-page set-up for the 'The Revenant.' And one hint is all that is needed to make the reader aware of what the clues in the story of Han's reawakening are leading up to. Nicely done, both.

'A Long Time Ago in the 25th Century Far, Far Away': If the reader can't guess this is a combination of a Buck Rogers and a Star Wars from the title, he or she is going to be in deep trouble on this one. Some of the premise wobbles perceptibly, but the chatty dialog clips along so cleverly it doesn't seem to matter. Other half of Best of Zine Award.

'H is for Hostage': obviously part of an ongoing superhero saga, but the author remembered to fill in the necessary blanks. Running the illos side by side with the text, in comic strip fashion is a novel idea but Tigriffin feels the art suffered because quality was sacrificed to quantity. A series to keep in eye on, though. There are some interesting ideas.

'That Share of Glory': some touching scenes get lost here because of an awkward way of telling the story; combining second person point of view with long segments of flashback. There is also an unfortunate tendency to make each point several times. Could have been better condensed to half its length. Overall content: Good. Repro: Fine mimeo work, which apparently left money for a striking multicolored cover.

Art: Good to outstanding. Value: Good, especially if you want and introduction to several new universe. You could do much worse. [20]

The avowed purpose of Time Warp #4 is to "prove that an attractive, nicely-balanced, good-reading fanzine could be produced at reasonable cost." Pricing this classy 150-page effort at a mere $5.00 plus postage means it succeeds nicely. Since Time Warp is primarily a Star Wars zine and I am a Star Trek fan, it loses the "home court" advantage. Even so, it wins my whole-hearted recommendation.

Dare I admit that my runaway favorite was "Cat Dancing" by Susan Matthews? It is a tenderly sensual lay-Han story illustrated beautifully by Martynn. It is slightly erotic without being grossly explicit...the ideal prototype of this sub-genre.

If somebody had stopped Dyane Kirkland at the appropriate point, "Fate is the Name..." would have been my number two choice. She began with the heartless capture of wookies by human slavers; then she made me feel the misery of the captives on the transport; and finally revealed Chewbacca's decision that, since he could never go home again, he would make the best of what life with man had to offer. Ta Dah! Right? But no, Dyane Kirkland continues to chronicle the next 165 years until the moment when Chewbacca meets Han for the first time. I have little patience with manufactured history except as a setting for a story.

"Arika" , a routine ST alternate universe story by Eileen Roy, is a nice example of why ST fiction is so satisfying. We find Kirk as a lieutenant commander on the Enterprise. More than anything else, he wants to command. When his captain is disabled on a planet survey, he can have his heart's desire by not lifting a finger. Question: Does Kirk let his captain die? What is lacking in suspense is more than compensated by the affirmative view of mankind.

In direct contrast, there's Karen Osman's very skillfully written "Taken at the Flood" which is a tightly-plotted tale about a stormtrooper's ascent through the ranks by the simple expedient of killing Vader's enemies and inconvenient bystanders while avoiding the grim fate of most of his fellow soldiers. Short glimpses into Vader's point of view highlight the futility of it all. Superb writing, but not what I'd call up-beat. I've only scratched the surface.

There are more stories, poems, LoCs, and a cartoon folio based on the movie Alien. Send a SASE to Anne E. Zeek. Do it soon. Time Warp 5 is coming out next month, and they'd like to dispose of the last hundred copies. [21]

Issue 5

front cover issue #5, "Reflected in a Mirror" by Vida Hull -- "Apologies... to Vida Hull, who drew the excellent Spock portrait gracing the front cover of TIME WARP 5. Because I was looking for a 'mirror effect' to complement the "Mirror Worlds" theme of the last issue, I chose to print Vida's art through a heavy screen, thinking that this would give the impression of a mirrored reflection. Unfortunately, I think that the final result was too washed-out, and did not do full justice to Vida's original portrait. For this, I apologize." -- from the editorial in "Time Warp" #6/7
back cover of issue #5 by Edith Crowe, "In the Greenwood" with "apologies to N.C.. Wyeth"

Time Warp 5 was published in 1981 and is 186 pages long, reduced, mimeo. It is half Star Trek: TOS and half Star Wars. Art by Vida Hull (front cover), Edith Crowe (back cover, "In the Greenwood"), Martynn (inside back cover, "Scoundrel"), Caro Hedge, Bonnie Reitz, Carrie Rowles.

From the Anne Elizabeth Zeek's editorial:

Once again this is being written at the last possible moment before a con that TIME WARP may not even debut at. One half of the zine still

to go and. . . *sigh* There has to be a better way to prove my insanity to the world! Be that as it may, the zine you now clutch in your eager hands is, in many respects, the work of years. Back in 1978 I got the idea for a "Mirror Worlds" zine — a special one-shot filled to the brim with stories set in the "Mirror, Mirror" universe. Well, that was great. Seems that "Mirror, Mirror" was the favorite episode of quite a few people.

Only trouble was, everybody wanted to read "Mirror" stories, hardly anyone wanted to write them. Our thanks to Crystal Ann Taylor and Sarah Leibold. Their submissions were among the first we received; our thanks to them, also, for their patience in waiting to see their words in print. We would have understood completely had they decided to pull their pieces and submit them elsewhere in the intervening years. They did not, and so we are able to present them to you here.

Submissions began to filter in from others, but there was still not enough to fill a good sized zine. Finally, we decided to open to submissions for any "alternate reality" and to make the "Mirror Worlds" issue a regularly scheduled part of TIME WARP. Any of you who ordered MIRROR WORLDS will receive TIME WARP 5. We hope you enjoy it.

From the editorial: regarding the contents:

"The Emperor's Nephew Strikes Back: A Satire" is based only on "The Emperor's Nephew" and STAR WARS. It was written in 1979 (in a blazing heat of fury inspiration) and does not have any relationship to the events in TESB.

"Covenant in the Mirror" is the mirror image of Lois Welling's "Covenant" universe. "Covenant" appeared in GUARDIAN 2; the sequel to "Covenant", "Domestic Arrangements", will appear in MASIFORM-D. See our blurbles page for addresses for these zines.

"Through the Eye of the Tiger" introduces War Commander Kirk. We already have another story in this universe from Bonnie for TW 6.

"New York City Stray" should be self-explanatory. The official sequel to "Cat Dancing" will be in TW 6.

Karen Osman's set of poems, "Reflection", is an attempt to show the thoughts of an ordinary storm-trooper-and of Lord Vader. These poems, also, were written, submitted, and accepted prior to the release of TESB.

"Request Denied" is based on the ST novelization. Yes, you know what inspired it. Right. That scene. Hmmmhun.

Er, uh, yes. The story contest. Well, now, I could say that this little teaser sprang full-bloomed from the fertile mind of Barbara Wenk — except that that's not really exactly true, and Barbara'd probably hit me if I said that. You really want the truth? Well, you see, I'm writing this Leia-series entitled VENDETTA and — you sure you want to hear? -- ! wanted to get an idea of how Leia would look dressed as a Corellian. I took the Kenner action figure doll and dressed her in the Han figure's outfit (and, for future information, what you wind up with is NOT Leia. It's Cori Beckett!) so I could see. Now being a modest person, I did not want a naked Han Solo figure drifting around my apartment. Since I'm not a doll-collector, I didn't have any thing to put on the doll -- except the clothes I'd just taken off Leia. Presto, changeo—instantly, one rakish Corellian smuggler was transformed into a noble monk. Sort of. Of course, one thing led to another and soon. . . Well, anyone, YOU can finish the story now. Oh yes, and the winner gets a free copy of #6 and of #7.

"Special Modifications" is part of Jani Hicks's "Contraverse" universe. There will be another Kallani story in TW #6, and there is also a story from this universe in TWIN SUNS 2.

"Sandcastles" is a chilling mirror version of Eileen Roy's "Jai" universe. Other "Jai" stories have appeared in INTERPHASE 3 and 4, TIME WARP 2, IDIC 6.

"Second Chance" started out as a LOC in response to "One Way Mirror" (see our blurbles page). Talk about creativity engendering still more creativity!!

The ThousandWorlds series needs no introduction to SWARS fans, and stories from this series have appeared in a number of zines, including GUARDIAN, SKYWALKER, and past issues of TIME WARP. "A Tale of Two Lukes" appeared in TIME WARP 3, the first part of "That Share of Glory" appeared in TIME WARP 4.

The concluding section of "That Share of Glory" is scheduled for TIME WARP 6.

Also with regard to the contents in this ish, two of the stories advertised in our flyer do not appear here. We apologize to our readers, but in both instances the circumstances were beyond our control.

We also extend our apologies to several of our artists. Unfortunately, the triple gods of time, space, and lay-out necessitated our having to leave out some of the art-work done for "The Emperor's Nephew Strikes Back", "New York City Stray", and "Special Modifications."

Contents:

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

[Special Modification]: Marrah Kenobi of Jani Hicks '"Special Modifications" in TW#5. Marrah, Ben's daughter, has recently joined the Rebellion after twenty years in hiding. She's a healer by specialty, and heads the medical team that meets Luke when the FALCON's diminished crew brings him to the cruiser near the end of TESB. Unfortunately, she's a minor character here, but as a Jedi who's also a Kenobi, she has real potential. [22]

[zine]: General: glossy covers, nice Strekart. Repro is mimeo, microelite (I think) and elite, some calligraphy. Pre-punched for a three-ring binder; brads. Art generally fair to excellent with emphasis on line drawings. Contents: [It] offers a whole candy-box full of delicious things. There are several Mirror, Mirror ST tales ranging from one about another, alternate MM Universe -- with a splendid War Commander Kirk, the Tiger-Fox -- to a Perfectly Dreadful Tale by Sheryl Adsit, and the Less Said about That the Better. The Less Said about Barbara Wenk's 'The Emperor's Nephew Strikes Back' the Better, too -- just READ it! Description could not do either piece justice. This issue also boasts Vader-tales by Karen Osman -- poetry and a nice tale -- and a vignette by Joyce Yasner. Gerry Stout contributes a tale of pure faery, and Marica Brin's account of the last hours of Princess Leia Organa -- was especially affecting, to my mind. Jani Hicks has contributed a tale of her Sharna Kellarni character. And for those of you who have met Angela-Marie Versanos' Flycat -- you will find some of the elegant creature's history from within these pages. Last but not least, a ThousandWorlds tale -- a young Obi-Wan story... The poetry is more or less incidental to the zine. Beth Bowles' frontispiece 'Father and Son' is a nice piece clarifying Vader's motives, but misquotes the crucial phrase a bit: Vader promised ORDER not PEACE. Not the same thing. The zine is one of those lovely chunky issues that is well worth any fan's hard-earned dollar -- though it is a bit disconcerting that there isn't any ordering information in the zine itself, or I missed it. [23]

Issue 6/7 Volume 1

front cover of issue #6/7, v.1, Carol Walske
back cover of issue #6/7, v.1, Carol Walske

Time Warp 6/7 v.1 published in 1984 and is 188 pages long. It has art by Pat O'Neill, Sharon Palmer, Bonnie Reitz, Richard Olsen, Carrie Rowles, Mary Stacy-McDonald, Nancy Stasulis, Carol Walske, Fern Marder, Hans Dietrich, Deb Drake, June Edwards, Carol Hanson, Caro Hedge, Martynn, Patricia Munson-Siter.

Issue #6/7 was "ghost-published" and edited by Fern Marder and Carol Walske.

From the editorial:

My everlasting thanks go to Carol Walske and Fern Marder. Their listing on the contents page as "editorial staff" does not begin to indicate just how great a debt is owed them. No job has been too much for them, no cries for help have gone unanswered by them. Quite simply, there would not have been a TIME WARP 6/7—at least, not in this form and not for this Media*West Con--without their unstinting efforts. This zine is dedicated to them with every thanks and with the deepest, most humble appreciation. Mine may have been the dream origin ally, but they took on the burden of making that dream a reality--and I thank them.

From the editorial:

If you remember, last issue there was this story contest, of sorts. Luke and Leia were trying to convince Han to disguise himself as a monk, and he was--to say the least—resisting the idea. The story lead-in provided by the 'contest' was wide open--no information was given about the task Luke and Leia had in mind for Han, no information was given about Han's prior relationship (if any) with an unnamed order of monks, no information was given about why Han resisted wearing the habit of a monk. Well, that story lead-in served as the 'inspiration' for quite a number of stories in this issue. In fact, this is almost the "Han-as-a-monk" issue of TIME WARP.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6/7 Volume 1

See reactions and reviews for In Durance Vile: A Reprehensible Tale.

See reactions and reviews for Season of Retreat.

See reactions and reviews for Two’s Company, Three’s a Corellian.

See reactions and reviews for Haljax, or, The Women of Ibm.

See reactions and reviews for Winner Takes All.

See reactions and reviews for Prologue to a Quest.

See reactions and reviews for Sanctuary.

See reactions and reviews for The Return.

See reactions and reviews for Search Party.

See reactions and reviews for The Pawn.

See reactions and reviews for Deep the Gathering Gloom.

See reactions and reviews for Legacy.

See reactions and reviews for Hide and Seek.

See reactions and reviews for A Tort et a Travers.

See reactions and reviews for Initiation Rights.

See reactions and reviews for Entr’acte.

[Pass On What You Have Learned]: Some authors have preferred to show other aspects of Luke's relationship with the Dark Lord. Fern Marder in "Pass On What You Have Learned" (Time Warp 6/7) describes a future in which Luke inherits Vader's estates as well as his Force students. Besides a hint of romance, Marder concentrates on Luke's growth as he learns about his father and about the Force. [24]

[The Homecoming]: Marder and Walske deal with the joint themes of commitment and growth in [their] story, "Homecoming" (Time Warp 6/7). Han has spent years avoiding commitment when his father's death calls him home to assume his true role. But accepting this responsibility means he must give up Leia. Luke returns to Dagobah accompanied by Leia, and there they learn of their true relation ship. These roles intersect when Luke and Leia face the emperor and receive unexpected help from another Force-user, Han Solo. [25]

[by Bill Vandewater]: There are two reasons why I can't review this zine: 1) I can't do it; 2) it can't be reviewed!

I'll begin with my own disqualifications. I am a mundane—or at least as mundane as I can stay working in the same division and/or building with Deneroff, Yasner, Wenk, Campbell and Stevenson. Although I have made occasional random wanderings through SF and media fandom, mystery is the genre where my mind lives. I bought my first fanzine (Guardian I) under duress and the following issues out of habit. I do not usually read zines. I do not write stories, poems or songs. I do not draw or paint or otherwise produce pictures. Obviously, a born critic. Still, I can't do it. There are too many holes in my background. Even if I can appreciate the humor and writing in Maggie Nowakowska's story. I'm still missing "999 worlds" of background. There is probably also too little grey matter in my brain, but that again ought to be an asset to a critic.

I can, however, console myself in my failure with the knowledge that Time Warp 6/7 isn't reviewable anyway. First of all, it's big-probably too big. It really is Six and Seven. Putting it in two volumes makes it a little easier to handle, but no less difficult to assimilate. There are over 75 entries on the two pages of contents. The introductory comments take up several pages, in each volume. Secondly, it's too diverse. There are not only too many things to look at, there are too many kinds of things. Trek, Wars, Blade Runner, Alien, Buck Rogers, The Professionals and probably two or three more I didn't even recognize. Just listing everything would fill up more pages than any editor can afford to devote to a single review. But, even after having attacked the thing like Ahab and having come out feeling lucky to be Jonah, I still think it needs some kind of review. No one thinks Anne Elizabeth Zeek is getting rich, but it is an expensive zine and potential readers have a right to know if they'll be getting their money's worth (although, judging from the Table of Contents and the usual practice of copies to contributors, Deneroff, Tim Blaes and I constitute the entire potential market for this zine).

What follows, therefore, is a series of hints or suggestions for whatever brave soul finally decides to do a proper review. To begin with, the one comment I can make with some degree of expertise is in regard to Kate Santovani's "With A Little Help From My Friends". I have never seen The Professionals, but the author managed to fill in the backgrounds of the characters and setting without breaking the flow of the story. And not once did either the professionals or the amateur (or for that matter, the villain) make any stupid mistakes just to advance the plot or lengthen the story. This is my home genre, and this is a damn well done story. It also has the secondary benefit of making it much easier for the reader to enjoy Sheryl Adsit's "A Tort et a Travers". Having met Bodie in the earlier story makes it much more amusing to watch him "spending the wee hours of the morning with Princess Leia looking for a cow". While you are praising Susan Matthews for her portrayal of her characters, don't overlook the audacity of the pun in the subtitle. You might also mention how refreshing it was to see a Han Solo who can value the mental and emotional aspects of a relationship as much as the sexual ones. Don't, however, tell them the title; if they want the pun they can read the zine. I don't know if you'll have the same problem with Vivian Gates' "Medicinae" as I did. It's a story about Spock's pursuit of a Christine who has been 'turned off about him—literally! I wanted to know more about what went on in her mind that led her to her final decision to override. But this is minor in comparison to the final resolution, with its mixture of laughter and love that brought to mind Dorothy L. Sayers' comment that the only sin passion can commit is to be joyless.

Walske and Marder are a team not unknown, even to me (although it took me a few years to realize there was no such person as Fern N. Caroll). But, rather than comment on their combined work, I think you should call attention to their individual stories. Walske's is the best of three good contributions in the "incest is best" story folio that begins one volume. She gives, I think, the most accurate portrayal of Leia's character in the situation, and reserves all the implications and echoes for the very last word. Marder's first solo story (about Luke—nice balance, that) portrays the further development of a Luke still learning about the Force, and how to live as one who was "born to the Dark" but has chosen the Light.

Surprise endings come in two varieties; the bolt out of the blue and the set up. The latter is by far the harder to do, but makes for a much better, more effective story. So you might want to point out the several excellent examples of this type in 6/7. Michelle Malkin has written a dark, alternate confrontation between Luke and Vader with an inspired tag line, completely unexpected, but exactly right for what has gone before. Sara Campbell's "Two Faces" is a mixed universe story that makes you wonder if they really are different universes; then reaches out to twist the tale one more time. The feeling of "I shoulda seen it coming" is the proof of how well it's been done.

I don't know if you'll want to include Roberta Rogow's "Search Party" here. It's a longer example of the same thing, but the surprise is only incidental to the growth of the characters. The author keeps you sufficiently concerned with Wilma's problems with being outside the city to keep you from seeing the very fairly planted clues about the identity of the signaler they are looking for. Misdirection at its best.

But above all, I think you should pay attention to the little things, the details that can be so easily overlooked, but which make the difference between a good and a great story. Take, for example, the closing scene in Joyce Yasner's "Heart of Darkness". Notice how the drunken exchange of wisdom between Anakin and Luke not only provides a humorous winding down of the story, but also uses various references to reunite her myth with the rest of the saga.

Or, take the fight scene near the end of the first part of Jean L. Stevenson's trilogy. When a bounty hunter takes a shot at Leia, who is behind him? Han Solo concentrates on taking out the enemy before looking to see if she is hit; not romantic, but it's the mark of the professional fighter he's supposed to be.

Deborah (note that this adds up to more than just Laymon plus Goldstein) offers another example. In a story about a group of monks dedicated to preserving knowledge and life, there is a meditation scene where Han experiences the unity and coherence of all beings. It's a carefully done, understated scene, perfectly integrated into, and essential to, the story.

Then there's that nice little line in Marcia Brin's "For Auld Lang Syne" where Vader is shown as able to recognize and appreciate qualities in others, even when he has no use for them. (Who would have expected, by the way, that Brin would produce a story with Vader in a hero role, while Malkin wrote one with a Dark Luke—with better writers the story always comes first, personal opinions second.)

Martie Benedict — no need to comment there — just the name will tell readers all they need to know. Same with Devra Langsam — even I've known that name for years.

Laymon's "Come the Revolution" — worth an essay in itself — and with a hanging ending that makes the Bespin antenna look comfortable in comparison.

"SMOTU"—Good satire. Takes a position and pushes it way beyond the limits of its proponents. I liked it, but you'll have to be careful. The writer has done such a good job, you may find yourself convinced by the arguments in spite of yourself. I do, however, have one gripe. I prefer my satire signed. It's a courtesy owed to your supporters as well as your opponents. By a rough count, there are still some 59 stories, poems, etc., I haven't mentioned. But I see no reason why I should do all your work for you. Of course, if you are going to review it, you'll have to buy it. But I think you'll find it a worthwhile investment. I have to admit, however, that I reviewed a borrowed copy. You see, I have to save the money so I can afford the next issue of Guardian. My critical judgement may not be all that good, but my survival instinct is in excellent shape. [26]

[a review of Bill Vandewater's review}: The nonreview of Time Warp 6/7 was aptly titled (although the word "wit" might have been better than "mundane" over the two in the sub-byline—in his random wanderings the poor soul seems to have gotten lost a few times). My main objection to the review was the fact that the reviewer took the easy way out and commented on the little things (admittedly good) to the exclusion of how well done the whole stories were. Sure, it's a nice bit of character portrayal to show how professional a fighter Solo is, but why not comment that the three parts of Jean L. Stevenson's trilogy form what almost might be called a narrative fugue. And why no mention of her poetry—it was good enough for a Fan Q nomination. (And when are we going to get to hear some of these songs?) And why is there no mention of the incredibly detailed (and consistent) ritual and mythology that Joyce Yasner worked out for the Ewok culture. (Why aren't there more Yasner stories—or have I just been reading the wrong zines?) Or, how about Patrick O'Neill's illustrated adventure-detective story? And while I'm on the topic, may I suggest that he take one of his copies of Guardian and turn it to the first page. Scanning quickly, he should come to the word Deneroff. Just before this word, if he looks very carefully, he will find the word Linda. Apparently, he is unaware that this is her first name. [27]

[another review Bill Vandewater's review]: I loved Bill Vandewater's review of Time Warp 6/7. While proclaiming his inability to review the zine, he produced a creditable, informative review, not to mention a fair bit of humor. The review actually inspired me to dig the zine out of its "temporary" home and read it. [28]

[another review of Bill Vandewater's review]: A good example of such different worlds within fandom was [Pat M's] reaction to the Time Warp review in which the author used the patrinomic to refer to Linda Deneroff. Didn't bother me at all; in fact, I was touched by what I consider to be a bit of professional neutrality in a fanzine review. In my 'world', use of the patrinomic for women has been a long-sought goal; too often use of the familiar, given name for women has a way of differentiating women from 'real adults', i.e., men. Also, the neutral use of a family name helps curb possible accusations of over-friendliness on the part of the reviewer. I don't know how Pat feels about the above subjects, but her sarcasm made it clear she disapproved strongly of the reference to Linda Deneroff as "Deneroff". [29]

More and more fan editors are producing zines that are difficult to review in coherent, complete form. This year's Fan Q winner poses enormous problems. Fortunately, I've found what is perhaps a despicable but convenient solution (for this instance at least). Zines like TW 6/7 deserve at leaf two part reviews, preferably by two different people. The immense variety jampacked in them offers too many voices and visions on which one lowly soul can sensibly opine. Therefore, this time, I sought help.

In Scoundrel #6, Bill Vandewater published a lovely review humbly entitled "Not a Review" where he posed TW's "unreviewability"... and then set upon a "guide" for any brave would attempt one. On the way, he offered some very fine critical comments on just a few pieces of this 400 page monster which I will let stand, even though I did not agree with all of them. Why repeat a good commentary? That allows me to mention some of the other pieces, and the art (which Bill did not touch on.) If that is cheating, so be it.

Bonnie Reitz' "Legacy" is an imaginative ST story with a nice science fiction idea (the physical relocation of an entire planet) and great bits of character interplay. Set in a parallel universe similar, but not identical to, the one in "Mirror, Mirror," this Kirk is more civilized and Spock and Uhura have an ongoing banter that is at once testy yet mutually admiring. Susan Crites' "Of Righteousness and Other Youthful Follies" has a cumbersome title but is perhaps one of the best explorations into Han Solo I've seen. Han is haunted by a tragic memory told in flashback from the days when he was a law upholding Imperial officer. Original, tender and engrossing. Crites' story of a timid, kept woman trying to free herself from her dominating crimelord husband also delves into the stupidity of being too conforming to the law. Karen Osman's "Loyalties" is about just that - the wavering loyalty of her recurring character, the clone Raan, one of Vader's most trusted troopers. Subjected to constant bigotry by non clones, yet curious about the world of the "Others" (the humans), especially the women, Raan is tempted to leave his lord's service when he falls In love with a non clone female human. Osman's imperial fiction is always fascinating and this is no exception, but I thought it would have been better had the woman Raan becomes involved with been less prosaic and silly.

"The Homecoming" (one of the longest stories) is a re-telling of ROTJ by Fern Marder and Carol Walske, positing a Dark order of Force users called the Cadar of which Han and his family are ancient members. It is up to Han, the Cadar. and Luke and Leia. the Jedi, to destroy the Emperor together with a little help from the unreformed Vader... Such an interpretation manages to posit a Han as Force wielder while still maintaining his innate independence and individuality, something I missed in ROTJ. But the story ultimately fails to touch the senses or move the reader. There are too many "floods of emotion" ("joy and wonder, shame and and the reader are so overloaded that all those emotions in one sentence (repeatedly) never become more than words on a page. Triteness, and stiff, flowery language also mar the piece. Simple, effective wording is foregone in favor of words like "surcease" and "ululation". I also object to Chewie being referred to as "the beast" in the narration.

A collection of shorter pieces are probably the best reading experience in the zine. "The Commander's Bed is Never Cold" by Phyllis Johnpoll and Geraldine Stout and "Initiation Rights" by Pat Nussman are in the same delicious vein wherein Han's reputation as a galactic stud and Luke's as an innocent virgin are challenged. "The Pawn" by Michele Malkin offers raw power in its impact of a Darkside Luke and Marcia Brin's "For Auld Lang Syne" adds a refreshingly new and tender dimension to her favorite theme. In order to posit a special, significant interest in Han by Vader, Brin humanizes the Dark Lord by giving both men a tantalizing past. Deborah Laymon's "Come the Revolution" is an excellent foray into the "revolution betrayed" tradition, set after the Alliance victory, with the victors best by internal dogmatists executing the very heroes who made the defeat of the Empire possible. The best short pieces are easily the collection of three tragic vignettes on the Luke and Leia incest theme, by Carol Walske, Jacqueline Taero and Pat Nussman. My own favorite is Nussman's "For Dogs to Tear" which is so quiet and subtle.

Uneven, and a bit forced, is Carol Walske's "Winner Takes All," an explanation of why Han decided to stay in the Alliance. Strong on characterization, it gets bogged down in the unsubtle emotional reactions. Fern Marder's "Pass on What You Have Learned" is intriguing in its concept (Luke returns to claim his inherited estate as a Sith heir, and finds some of his father's young Jedi apprentices, all Darkside. challenging his power). Marder's interpretations of the force are quite creative, and as her first solo piece, the story offers some satisfying moments of interplay between Luke, the self-assured Jedi, and the young woman Vader left in charge.

"Deep in the Gathering Gloom" by Patricia Munson Siter lacks most of the story elements needed to keep the reader interested. Perhaps it is be cause this is my first exposure to her Black Jedi series, but since a major character is introduced in this piece, one would expect that more would be done to focus on him. The characters are flat and the action is presented hastily and superficially. You need not have fleshed out characters to have a good story. In absence of that, what you do need is a well-developed idea, a strong concept. There is a fine but unused idea here a guerrilla war waged by the Sandpeople against the human homesteaders who are defended by Imperial mercenaries. That could be a whole novel.

[Liz S's] poetry is among the best, with two. "Vale of Tears" and the subtle poignancy of "Father and Son" (Luke and Vader) easily grabbing the reader's senses. Sarah Liebold's "The Gods Grieve" is a lovely eulogy (sort of) for Alderaan. And Jacqueline Taero's "Footnote for Forgotten Heroes" is a clever, all too likely scenario wherein the rebels "gave a war and nobody came."

Two pieces mentioned by Vandewater deserve repetition: Kate Santovani's "With a Little Help From My Friends" (a wonderful, tightly plotted, tender PROFESSIONALS story) and Sara Campbell's incredible "Two Faces." Even if you are not a BLADERUNNER fan, you must read it. This piece has stayed with me for days. Fandom has lost an incredible talent.

Carol Walske's bold, dramatic faces grace the zine throughout, some a bit flat, but others quite affecting. My own favorite of hers are the Han front cover and the Ewok chief of Joyce Yasner's "Heart of Darkness" (which, by the way, is the first attempt I know of at delving into the Ewok culture, and an original, memorable one). Susan Armstrong's fantasy "Bestiary" has a dramatic effect on the eyes. Her dotted style makes it appear as if the creatures are almost alive, except for her unicorn whose legs look a bit awkward. Kate Nurenberg's illos of Bodie well as emotion. One artist that I've missed appears twice in TW Hans Dietrich, whose hilarious, detailed illos for Barbara Wenk's play add a nice difference to all the serious (in content) art. Dietrich's style is refreshingly distinct and always tells a story. Bonnie Reitz" illos to her "Legacy" are very strong and full. The one of Kirk with his Imperial uniform, muscles and determined, is particularly memorable.

The zine has a lot, lot more, but much of the material is uneven fluff and disappointing. For a zine this thick and expensive, I found myself leafing through its pages and doing a lot of shrugging in indifference. Whether or not it deserved the Fan Q is of course up to each individual fan to decide, but I felt that too much of the material was mediocre, and that the finer work was in the decided minority. I leave this one up to the buyer. [30]

Issue 6/7 Volume 2

front cover of issue #6/7, v.2, Carol Walske
back cover of issue #6/7, v.2, Carol Walske

Time Warp 6/7 v.2 published in 1984 and is 188 pages long. The art is by Susan Armstrong, Deb Drake, Jackie Dunster, Caro Hedge, Susan Klasky, Wanda Lybarger, Kate Nuernberg, Susan Palmer, Angela-Marie Varesano, Carol Walske, Colleen Winters, Christie Wood.

From the editorial:

This volume opens with a magnificent folio of short-shorts, all revolving around a single theme. Each story is different in tone and texture, yet each ends with a short, powerful, stabbing slash right to the gut--or the heart. Three of the best writers in fandom have attacked a major theme—and have brought it to new, powerfully mythic life. To say any more would be to risk revealing the core of these stories. I shall, therefore, say only beware, and read the story folio ("For Dogs to Tear," Pat Nussman; "Hour of the Kiln," Jacqueline Taero; "Heir Presumptive," Carol Walske) at your own risk.

Over the years, the nature of TIME WARP has changed and developed as my own tastes have changed and developed. TIME WARP started out as a STAR TREK zine. After 1977, the scope of the zine broadened to include STAR WARS stories also. I lost some readers, gained some readers, and kept a great many more faithful readers who trusted me to give them good reading, no matter whether the tales were set in the STAR TREK universe or the STAR WARS universe.

Gradually, even this has changed, and I now see TIME WARP as a broad-based, general interest fiction zine with an emphasis on SWARS and TREK. Please note. This does not mean that TIME WARP will feature only STAR WARS and/or STAR TREK fan fiction. Indeed, it does not even mean that TIME WARP will print only media-oriented stories, or that TIME WARP will print only SF-oriented fan fiction. Original fiction (such as Patrick O'Neill's "Hazardman" series) is welcome within these pages, as are non-SF media-oriented stories.

Also from the editorial:

And while I have the space, a slightly more somber note. This issue of TIME WARP has been a delight and a torment to bring to you. A delight because I am so pleased with the finished product— the quality of the stories and the illos, the over all appearance of the zine, etc.--and a torment because it has been so time-consuming and draining of energy.

I have been so tied up with this zine, I have not written a single story since before the Baltimore World SF Convention. Quite frankly, my dears, I would rather write than edit. And if editing a fanzine is going to take all my spare time (not that there's that much spare time to begin with when I have a job that requires from ten to twenty hours of overtime a week!), then I'm afraid the fanzine must go—at least for the time being. This is official notification that, until further notice, TIME WARP is on 'hiatus.'

I will not say I'll never do a fanzine again.

As Sean Connery learned, never say never. But I do say that it will be at least two or three years be fore I even consider doing another issue of TIME WARP.

Until then—farewell. And thank you for the pleasant memories I'll carry with me always of our association together. I love you all. You are what made TIME WARP real.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6/7 Volume 2

See reactions and reviews for With a Little Help from My Friends.

See reactions and reviews for Pass On What You Have Learned.

See reactions and reviews for Hippocrates' Trust.

See reactions and reviews for Bound for Glory.

See reactions and reviews for Loyalties.

See reactions and reviews for Medicinae.

See reactions and reviews for The Heart of Darkness.

See reactions and reviews for Two Faces.

See reactions and reviews for The Homecoming.

References

  1. ^ from Paula Smith in Menagerie #12
  2. ^ from Spectrum #33
  3. ^ from The Sehlat's Roar #5
  4. ^ from Scuttlebutt #2
  5. ^ by Frances Zawacky, in a review that compared the two versions of issue #1, in Right of Statement #2
  6. ^ by Frances Zawacky in Right of Statement #2
  7. ^ This story was never published and remained a proposed zine only.
  8. ^ a fan's reaction to "Cats in the Dark" from Jundland Wastes #2: (1981)
  9. ^ from Scuttlebutt
  10. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  11. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  12. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  13. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  14. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  15. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  16. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  17. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  18. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  19. ^ from an LoC in Time Warp #5
  20. ^ from Tigriffin in Datazine #8
  21. ^ from Spin Dizzie #5
  22. ^ from the 1982 essay Visible Women
  23. ^ from Jundland Wastes #3
  24. ^ from From Star Wars to Jedi: The Fanzine Way (1985)
  25. ^ from From Star Wars to Jedi: The Fanzine Way (1985)
  26. ^ by Bill Vandewater from Scoundrel #6
  27. ^ from Scoundrel #7
  28. ^ from Scoundrel #7
  29. ^ from Scoundrel #8
  30. ^ from Southern Enclave #10
Retrieved from "https://fanlore.org/w/index.php?title=Time_Warp_(multifandom_zine)&oldid=2683983"