A Tremor in the Force

Zine
Title:	A Tremor in the Force
Publisher:	Falcon Press
Editor(s):	Cheree Cargill
Date(s):	1984-1997
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Wars
Language:	English
External Links:	"Falcon Press". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. (archived link)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A Tremor in the Force was one of the longest running gen Star Wars zines.

a flyer introducing the series, it was printed in Pegasus #6 in 1983

From a Submission Request

For the first issue:

In each issue we hope to feature the best in SW fiction, art, poetry and humor! Each issue will run approximately 100 pages long and will be printed in offset (non-reduced, if we can help it, since we can't read all that teeny-tiny type—either)! As far as possible, all issues will be done on word processing equipment and will feature right justified margins and a professional quality layout. We are currently seeking submissions for our premiere issue, scheduled for late autumn 1983. We need material of all sorts, long or short, dealing with anything related to SW. Artwork should ideally be no larger than 8 x 10 and in black ink on white consider screening and reducing outstanding artwork done otherwise.

We will follow Lucasfilm guidelines, so all work should be rated G or PG (although the editors will gladly read any juicy Han stories you care to come up with)!

Seriously, we are aiming at a top quality SW zine and hope to feature the work of the most respected writers and artists in fandom. Please SASE us if you are interested in contributing.

Issue 1

front cover issue #1

back cover of issue #1

flyer printed in Pegasus #6

flyer printed in Outlands Chronicles

A Tremor in the Force 1 was published in May 1984 and is 161 pages.

The art is by Wanda Lybarger, Martynn, Jenni, Angela-M arie Caresano, Suzy Sansom, Mary Stacy-McDonald, Kim Gianna, Barbara Stults and Cheree Cargill, includes two fold-outs.

From a flyer printed in Far Realms #6 "PLEASE NOTE that some stories in this zine contain adult scenes. We think they are done in good taste and will not offend anyone, but use your own discretion in ordering. There are no same-sex relationships depicted."

[The editorial]:

A Word from the Command Ship

First off, would you believe this isn't a Hanzine? No? Well, would you believe that it didn't start out to be a Hanzine? Well, it's still not necessarily a Hanzine, even though that's nearly the only kind of story I received. Not that I minded since I'm a Hanatic from the word "go" but I don't want the Luke fans out there to feel that I'm slighting you. That's one reason Luke and Leia are on the cover and Luke is on the bacover. I really do want future issues to be a little more well-balanced among the major characters. TIF will probably always lean a bit toward the Corellian side, but I'd still love to see stories about the others as well. So, send 'em in! I can't print 'em if I ain't got 'em!

Seriously, I hope you enjoy TIF #1 and will feel compelled to send me your impressions in a LoC. Starting with TIF //2, there will be a Lettercol, so let's hear your reactions! It's the only way I've got of knowing whether you like what you see or whether you're using TIF to line the parakeet's cage. Write!

Finally, this issue of TIF is dedicated to my closest friend, Laura Virgil, at a time in her life when she has suffered the tragic loss of her sister in an automobile accident. Sometimes we say the wrong thing in ignorance in an effort to comfort and thereby hurt more, but we really do care deeply about you and love you very much. Know that you can call on us when ever you need to and we'll do our best to supply whatever you need, whether it is a ride when you're too shaky to drive or place to go when you just need to go somewhere or just an ear to listen when you've got to tell someone. That's what friends are there for.

Well, I'm sure I've probably forgotten something important that will show up two days after this comes back from the printer, but at this late date, with the deadline for Media West coming up on me fast, my slightly addled brain can't think of it. So, off to bed with this issue and on to the next one! Clear skies!

• No One Will Know I'm Gone, poem by Martie Benedict (4)
• Just A Dream, story by Cheree Cargill (Leia dreams.) (5)
• Coming of Age, story by Sheila Truax (7)
• The Sins of the Fathers, story by T.S. Wedell ("Just what did change Han’s mind about staying on with the Rebels? Someone forces Solo to take a new look at freedom and commitment." Another summary: "Han had never been to this planet or in this bar before and was startled when someone called out, 'Hello, Solo— how're you doing?" But Han discovered that it was not to him that the man spoke but to his father...who had deserted his family the night Han was born.") (8)
• Kessel Run, poem by Martie Benedict (15)
• Only the Good Die Young, filk by Sally Smith (18)
• The Rescue, story by Barbara M. Stutls (19)
• A Lesson in Love, story by Jeanine Hennig ("A 'Catalyst" series story. There were other lessons in the Force for Luke to learn besides moving objects and using a lightsabre.") (also in Catalyst! Collected) (24)
• Incident on Ord Mantell, story by T.S. Wedell (Sequel to "Sins of the Fathers." "On Ord Mantell, Han finds reason to regret his decision to stay with the Alliance." Another summary: "That bounty hunter they ran into on Ord Mantell changed Han's mind about staying with the Alliance. He'd leave...just as soon as the Hoth base was secured.") (27)
• Word Search Puzzles by Lynda Vandiver (32)
• Interlude on Bespin, story by Cheree Cargill ("Han and Leia make love the night before their capture on Bespin." Another summary: "Han and Leia had one night together in Cloud City while the Falcon was being repaired. It should have been only a night of sharing love and hopes and dreams. Why couldn't Han rid himself of the nagging sense of doom hanging over it all?") (34)
• Those Golden Eyes, poem by Kathryn Agel (37)
• Miracles Can Happen, poem by Kathryn Agel (39)
• The Master's Voice, story by Jean L. Stevenson ("3P0 had searched for uncounted years for the young prince who had been abducted while under Threepio's care. Now, as far as his sensors and memory banks could tell, Threepio had found him.") (42)
• Foldout, "Luke and the Wounded Womprat" by Barbara M. Stults
• Fortune's A Woman, poem by Martie Benedict (44)
• It's a Miracle, filk by Sally Smith (46)
• Celebrate the Love, story by Jean L. Stevenson ("The sunlight streamed down through the tall trees and illuminated the couple standing in the glade, surrounded by 'family' and friends. What a perfect place for a wedding!") (47)
• Solutions to Word Search Puzzles
• The Ballad of Traeger Jonah, poem by Marti Benedict (51)
• The Lesson, story by J.A. Berger ("Han and Luke run into trouble picking up a cargo on Regal II." Another summary: "Regal II was a backwater hole that served as a thriving port for smugglers and pirates. It was perfect for the pickup of cargo bound for the Alliance base...except that Leia had arranged for more cargo than the Falcon could carry and Luke and Han knew they didn't dare leave any of it there or it would be gone by the time they got back. To complicate matters, two of Han's old acquaintances from Mos Eisley were determined to get in on the rich haul he was making...and nothing was going to stand in their way.") (55)
• A Little Poem by Martie Benedict (65)
• Foldout --- "Han, Chewie, Malla, and Lumpy" by Barbara M. Stults
• Breakdown in Communication, story by Martie Benedict ("Set before Star Wars: A New Hope. While trying to get some freight paperwork filled out, Han and a lady clerk come under attack by crazed counter-revolutionaries." Another summary: "Han just wanted to get his Request for Entry form signed, unload the shipment of computers and be off to Urango and his lady-love's arms. Unfortunately, it was turning into one of those days...") (66)
• Thoughts by Fireflight, poem by Sally Smith (85)
• Through the Long Night, story by Marcia Brin ("Leia comforts Han when he has nightmares about the carbon freeze. She wants to know exactly what he endured." Another summary: "Han at last was free of the carbonite and he and Leia were finally together. But the experience had affected him profoundly and, in his dreams, the carbonite prison still closed in around him.") (86)
• Lost Love, poem by Mary Teel (89)
• Legacy, story by Jeanine Hennig ("A full-length novella set in the last days of the Jedi. The Enclave on Alderaan was apparently thriving, but a few Jedi could see the decay that was gnawing at the underpinnings of the venerable brotherhood. Obi-Wan Kenobi was one and he set about training a remarkable young girl, Rebekah Nightrider. She was to prove to be a pivotal point in the galaxy's future, for she would give birth to the last of the Jedi—Luke Skywalker." In 1987, Violet Nordstrom wrote that it "has only Jeanine's name, but she incorporated some situations, characters, and elements established by the two of us. The same holds true for subsequent stories in later issues of FAR REALMS and others." )) (also in Catalyst! Collected) (90)

• 

  from issue #1, Martynn

• 

  from issue #1, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #1, Barbara M. Stults

• 

  from issue #1, Barbara M. Stults

• 

  from issue #1, Barbara M. Stults, "Luke and the Wounded Womprat"

• 

  from issue #1, Mary Stacy-MacDonald

• 

  from issue #1, Barbara M. Stults, "Han, Chewie, Malla, and Lumpy"

• 

  from issue #1, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #1, Suzy Sansom

• 

  from issue #1, Jenni

• 

  from issue #1, Jenni

• 

  from issue #1, inside back cover, "Coffee Break" by Barbara M. Stults

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

Thank you for the generous copy of TlPfl. It's been a while since I've come across so much excellent material compiled in a single zine. I gobbled up most of it the day I received it and felt thoroughly satisfied! Can't recall one piece of wri ting I didn't like or that I would even label "mediocre'; all was top-notch.

"Breakdown in Communications" was the zine's highlight. Benedict has a fantastic imagination. Love how suspense and humor play a part in every Solo situation she creates. Oh, the hell she puts that man through!

Weddell's "The Sins of the Fathers" and "Incident on Ord Nantell" are two other favorites of mine. Good characterization and interplay between Han and Leia in "In cident..." I enjoyed both stories equally.

Though I tend to shy away from long stories, I read and very much enjoyed "Legacy." For the most part, I liked the char acters in Hennig's universe. The fun part was figuring out who would marry who and who would father who, and so on. I thought it was told very much as a soap opera might be and that's exactly what it felt like; very dramatic tone to the story and rather predictable. I liked it.

"Just a Dream" and "Interlude on Bespin" were two very nice sentimental pieces. To be honest, it's difficult for me to buy these fan-concocted Han-and-Leia-make-out-between-scenes scenarios. I haven't come across a convincing one yet, though they do make fun what-ifs to indulge in, and I'm such a sucker for romance!

With "Through the Long Night", Brin delivered one of the most accurate portrayals of Leia I've seen in fan fiction. Actually, I have yet to read a Brin story in which fewer than five "damns" are muttered by Leia, but that's only a pet peeve of mine concerning her work. Anyway, ignore that, Marcia—the story is beautiful and something which needed to be written and read! And who better than Marcia to bring Han's hidden fears to our attention?

"The Lesson" was a cleverly conceived story. Good characterizations all around and I loved that ending!

Probably the most memorable piece in the zine—to me (and only me, no doubt)—is Benedict's little poem on pg. 65. In fact, I wrote it down and placed it on the refrigerator—appropriate! Of course, Benedict's other poetry in this issue was excellent as well.

I did not find the display of artwork as impressive as the writing but I have my favorites just the same. First, I thought Lybarger's pieces for TIFil were among the best I've seen of hers anywhere. I'll tell you, when I opened to her illos for "Kessel Run", my reaction was: "WOWl" It blew me away with its wild, furious composition. And my personal thanks for that delicious torso on pg. 83 and those ear-to-ear grins on pg. 75. AND Lybarger's Ivor Solo made me laugh out loud: this is the spittn' image of my "Adv. Figure" instructor from last semester. He's a big ogre who never washes his hair (what little of it there is), smokes incessantly and, as a result, has the worst breath this side of Jabba's pleasure palace. Needless to say, not my favorite illo in the zine (no offense to Wanda, of course).

Cheree, nice from cover art. Too much linework via Luke's mouth which sort of spoiled what could have been a close-to- perfect portrait of the both of them. Leia is excellent though; her hair is nicely done, great approach.

Martynn's illo for "Just a Dream" enhances the story nicely. I do question the placement of the left leg and foot (Han's); looks awkward to me. I definitely don't care for the method used for some of the shading; looks like felt tip seeping through from the back side of the paper. Flawless likenesses, but, then what else is new?

I've never seen Stults' work before now but I do prefer her line cartoons (like "Coffee Break") to her pointilism. Her comic art looks labored, but she seems pretty comfortable with her cartoons—at least that's what the art suggests. She's very good at drawing and conceiving crea tures, unlike moi.

Anyway, I'm gonna close this now 'cause it's getting too long. Apologies to whom ever I missed—I liked everything (refer to Paragraph #1). Thanks, Cheree, for an outstanding first issue! And remember: if you should need art for the next issue, I'm available. And if I don't hear from you again, I will remain creatively scarred for the rest of my career, I promise you.

Martie Benedict's writing is always a joy to read. "Fortune's a Woman" is one of the best. Poor Han—I love it! What wonderful images come to mind. The same can be said about her "No One Will Know I'm Gone", an older Han but still a person apart.

I hope next issue you will have more of T. S. Weddell's writing. "The Sins of the Fathers" was very good and the confrontation between father and son was well handled. "Incident on Ord Mantell" had some interesting ideas as to what happened on that interesting but untold trip.

Another favorite of mine are the sto ies by Jean L. Stevenson. "The Master's Voice" held my interest and I hope there will be another story to go with it because it did raise some questions that need to be answered. 'Through the Long Night' was very nice. With what Han has been put through, I can just imagine the dreams that would develop and I liked the idea that Leia would be the one to help him over them. Somehow I don't hold with the idea that Han would have more than Leia or Chewie as a confidant.

Almost forgot 'Breakdown in Communications', another of Martie's fast-paced and entertaining stories. As well as your two stories. I will be looking forward to reading more of your writing.

A TREMOR IN THE FORCE will line no parakeet's cage that I know. Tnis zine has provided me with many hours of enjoy ment. It's great!

I am fairly new to STAR WARS fandom so I am not familiar with various series that exist, but I was captivated by 'Legacy; by Jeanine Hennig. I can't wait to read more. The characters came alive for me and I truly cared about what was going to happen to the characters she created so well as those we are familiar with from the movies.

'The Sins of the Fathers' provided good insight into the character of Han Solo. It gives the reader a look beyond his cynical facade.

Enjoyed 'The Lesson.' I wish there were more stories about Han and Luke together. They are good friends but so different. Thanks to J. A. Berger, maybe there will be more stories like this in the future.

I just wanted to let you know that I did appreciate all your efforts in putting together a class zine. Will be looking forward to issue #2.

I enjoyed it a great deal. My biggest complaint was that some stories were too short. Interesting ideas were truncated into vignettes. I kept looking for 'con tinued on page...'

I liked Jean L. Stevenson's idea for a story from Threepio's viewpoint, but I couldn't quite figure out exactly what tipped Threepio off.

Martie Benedict's 'Breakdown in Communications' had her usual combination of action and sly wit. And, as usual, Wanda Lybarger's illos were a delight. Han's expression in the 'attack of the scum bunny' illo is just wonderful. Jeanine Hennig's 'Legacy' was a trifle long, even for a two-part story, but there was a good effort made to explain why characters behaved as they did. I particularly liked Rebekah's initial resentment, even hatred for her baby; it was very well expressed.

I also liked Jeanine's 'A Lesson in Love.' It dealt very well and very succinctly with the notion that a Jedi's con trol of emotions doesn't mean absence of them.

Anyway, I enjoyed the zine immensely and congratulate you on another fine effort.

A TREMOR IN THE FORCE came the day before I left for MediaWestCon! It was the first zine I read once I got back—but you can see it is still taking me a heck of a long time to catch up! I figured if I was ever going to get a LoC to you, I'd better do it soon, before I became so swamped in reading that I forgot all about writing.

How's 'I LOVE IT!!!' for an initial reaction?? The minute I saw my favorite brother and sister duo on the cover, I knew I was going to like this zine! The print quality is very readable, and I really appreciate the double column format, especially on the longer stories. As for some of my favorite things; Martie Benedict's 'Breakdown in Communications' was exceptional for several things—besides Wanda's usual excellent illos—besides being a very interesting and well-plotted story, it has the added attraction of having a fascinating female character WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE HOTS FOR HAN SOLO!! (Well, there was a character in there who did have the hots for Han—but I'm willing to allow her, too!) Martynn's illo and stories of yours like 'Interlude on Bespin' had me staggering to the bathroom for another cold shower...all in all, a very satisfactory experience!

And I thoroughly enjoyed Jeanine Hennig's 'Legacy', although Pre-ANH stories are usually not favorites of mine. Jeanine just presents such real istic, believable, sympathetic characters that you can't help but become involved in their story. Besides, anyone who can illo her own stories—and do it so well—deserves to be lynched—I mean, deserves all this praise!!

I enjoyed the whole zine; these are just the highlights for me. I can hardly wait to see TIF#2!

Sorry it's taken me over a month to tell you how much I loved A TREMOR IN THE FORCE, but I've been busy—travelling every chance I could to a little town in Pennsylvania called Lancaster. It seems a certain H.F. has been filming there since the beginning of May, and since it's only a 2-1/2 hour drive from my home in New Jersey, I made four trips out there to watch the filming of his new movie "Witness' and got to actually meet the man. God, what an Experience! I wrote up the trips for ROGUE'S GALLERY—should be out in September—but wanted to tell you that TREMOR had arrived on a Monday afternoon and I left for my third trip to Pennsylvania that night.

I took TREMOR with me when I went to find the film site (Paramount kept switching the location all over the countryside). Anyway, I waited 7-1/2 hours on June 5 to catch a glimpse of him about 1/2 mile from the site (which was as close as I could get that day) and read TREMOR from cover to cover. Do you have any idea what it was like to read 'Interlude on Bespin', knowing that Harrison was right up the road?! You write beautifully, with exquisite scenes and breath-stealing emotions and images; it did incredible things to my pulse rate.

'Just a Dream' was also memorable. Both stories were almost like reading my own fantasies on paper. Thank you for writing them.

As for TREMOR being a SW zine, I'm afraid I admit to preferring all Han stories. I just can't get enough of that man, so you'll get no argument from me on the unevenness or the partiality. The zine itself is very well put together, very professional looking, typos almost nonexistent. A pleasure to read.

Aside from your two lovely pieces, I particularly like Kathryn Agel's two companion pieces 'Those Golden Eyes' and 'Miracles Can Happen.' Really complimented each other nicely. Also enjoyed 'Through the Long Night'. I found myself really feeling along with Leia and Han, running the gamut of emotions played out on the pages. A definite mark of a Good Writer.

I couldn't get into 'Legacy' very much, though, but not because it wasn't well done. I like my STAR WARS straight, as versus alternate endings or other parallel stories.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that TREMOR made a long afternoon go faster and will always be one of my memories, because I was reading it the day and night before I actually met Harrison Ford. Your timing was excellent. P. S.— Exquisite cover!

I guess I'll have to finally give in and write you a LoC for A TREMOR IN THE FORCE. What can I say? I loved all of the Lybarger art, especially the one for Martie Benedict's 'Fortune's a Woman' and I thought the Martynn illo of Han in the almost altogether was incredible. Hey, the story you wrote to go with it wasn't half bad either, in fact, I liked 'Just a Dream" and 'Interlude on Bespin' a lot. You do pretty good. When it comes to tasteful but smutty stories! (Gee, thanks, Annie—especially considering that you collaborated on Far Realms Sex, you should know! — C. C.), 'Sins of the Fathers' was very nicely done; I liked the way that Solo, Sr. was compared and contrasted to Solo, Jr. and the way that Han realized where he might be heading if he didn't change course.

On the other hand, I thought Jean Stevenson's 'The Master's Voice' was a little bizarre and confusing. I think it was because it was written in the first person. 'Celebrate the Love' was beautifully done, though, and very nicely ilioed. 'The Lesson' was amusing; I especially liked Han's amusement at the thought of his abductors facing Luke. "Breakdown in Communications' was done with the usual Benedict fiare and didn't fail to please. I thought I'd have hysterics when Han turned out to be carrying the implant and later on when it blew up after they took it out! And the thought of Han saying, 'Wake up, scum bunny' tickles me. What a funny story. Marcia Brin's

vignette was sentimental and gave me a warm glow. Jenni did an outstanding job on the first illo for her new catalyst' story. 'Legacy' held me enthralled, much to my surprise. I really didn't expect the story to be so absorbing since it did n't have the Big Three featured prominently in it. I enjoyed it very much. And now, since I didn't say it about your work in KESSEL RUN #3, I'll tell you that all of your artwork is very nice:; you even do nice hair!

The main reason I've been putting off writing the monster of a letter is because I wanted to write some kind of a decent LoC on TREMOR, Which I sincerely believe is the best ever STAR WARS zine (! really mean that—it has a special flavor of love and warmth like that found in the films which carries the reader joyfully back to that world—none of the stories were alternate universe, and all seemed to follow a chronological order which helped to involve the reader entirely and make the character development enriching and believable (of course, the Rebekah story needed to be last because of length and different content matter, placing it here gave it the honor it deserved as what I believe was the best story of the issue— believe me that's quite a compliment coming from someone who normally won't consider reading any story minus Han! This story needed to be savored as separate from the rest of the zine which followed in time with events of the three films.). Really loved your story of Han and Leia's first night together, there was a genuine feel of tenderness and caring which made it apparent that this was more than physical gratification, but was instead the beginnings of a deep bonding, spiritual as well as physical love.

Congrats on being courageous enough to print it; it's about time someone wrote a story in which Han shows the deeper nature and the sincere love he has for Leia, rather than his tiresomely repetitive portrayal as Mr. Superstud who loves 'em and leaves 'em. Han never really seemed that type to me. T. S. Weddell's story of Han's meeting with his father was genuinely moving, and a particularly viable, clever and very human reason for Han's change in attitude as regards his continued involvement with Leia, Luke and the Rebellion. Chewbacca's watching over Han's emotional development was beautifully and skillfully depicted.

The other two stories, your "Just a Dream" (thank you, Martynn, for that beautiful Han hugging and comforting Leia) and Weddell's "Incident on Ord Mantell", wonderfully bring Han's character full circle to the point where he is ready to make a life commitment to Leia. This is the reason why I found TREMOR the most enjoyable SW read ever— all the stories flowed so well into one another, obviously a reflection of very skillful and thoughtfully sensitive edit ing. Can't wait for the conclusion to that fantastic comic strip "The Rescue". (Barbara Stults has done a great job not only with the incredibly good drawings but also with a suspenseful story—just what did happen that night out in the blizzard and where did the wampa's friends all get to? What technique does she use (I probably wouldn't understand, anyway) but I'd love to know how she gets some of those sketches to look as though they came straight from the actual film TESB. [The technique is called pointillism and consists of doing little dots until the artist starts foaming at the mouth:~C.C.)

"A Lesson in Love" by Jeanine Hennig was a nice little insight into Luke's maturation. I mean if he could feel Han being tortured, it stands to reason that since he also has a bond with Leia as his twin (though he doesn't know it at this stage) he would also feel their making love. I guess everyone's already wondered over that scene in ESB in which Luke cries, "Hani Leia!" I mean it really is a sitting target for a joke, isn't it?

"Those Golden Eyes" by Kathryn Agel is one of my all time favorites, the last lines say it all: "For commitment was in the heart that shone from those golden eyes. And had been there all along." Absolutely right! Why else was Leia attracted to him from the very first time she met those beautiful eyes? "Miracles Can Happen" is the perfect accompaniment. So good to read all these poems that reflect on Han and Leia's happy future to gether, instead of all those tear-jerkers involving Leia's thoughts immediately following Bespin—I loved those too, but it's nice to be cheery for a change.

The foldout art pieces by Barbara Stults are—well, words fail me; suffice it to say that I'd love to have the one of Han showing his medal to Chewie's family framed and hanging on the wall. It captures the depth of feeling—friendship, love and pride—as well as joy, perfectly. Thank you a thousand fold, Barbara.

I always enjoy anything by Martie Benedict because of the sheer energy and light-hearted spirit of adventure which pervades her work. Lybarger's drawings always set them off perfectly. Poor Han! What a price to have to pay for freedom! Chewie looked a better match in "Fortune's a Woman"! Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his, umm, er, for his friends! The Han of these stories doesn't quite seem the one of the films but that does not make his characterization any the less enjoyable; these stories are meant for plain fun and they fulfill that role admirably.

"Celebrate the Love" by Jean Stevenson I liked but somehow can't picture Han and Leia getting married without waiting for Luke to show up. Loved the freely given marriage vows, though.

"The Ballad of Traeger Jona" was beautiful; how does Martie continue to write such magnificently flowing, moving verse? A tragic piece and rather out of Martie's usual jovial mood; seeing as it was so touching, I wonder she doesn't try for this atmosphere more often. [This and the other two longer poems in TIP#1 are actually lyrics to three of Martie's very lovely songs. If anyone is unfamiliar with Martie's "VHF" series of tapes, I urge you to drop her a SASE immediately (address in the ad section at the back of the zine). "Traeger" is breath-taking set to music! — C.C.]

Always look for anything by Berger because she, better than anyone, writes of the true essence of the bond between Han and Luke; while also giving Luke much more strength and depth, her stories foreshadowed the Luke of JEDI better than any. Han's relishing of the moment when his two captors will come up against the young Jedi is very much in character and thoroughly enjoyable. "A mellow Corellian? Is it humanly possible?" An amusing and perceptive comment from Luke to end the story. Of course, Han denies the possibility, but we all know better after ROTJ, don't we?

"Through the Long Night" by Brin is the piece I often pick up and re-read. Brin specializes in giving the reader a deep feeling of empathy with the characters and she hasn't failed here. This short piece cleverly brings out all the feelings which were glossed over in the film (ROTJ) —yes, Han was pushed to one side and certainly a little roughly treated and misunderstood by Leia and Luke to some extent after his terrifying ordeal. They of all people should have recognized the false front of bravado and tried to make him feel more at home rather than, as Leia here fears they have done making him feel more the outsider, that he has missed the boat during the past six months, in which time as he wrongly thinks, Luke and Leia are now a pair and Chewie is close to Lando. Of course, by the end of ROTJ, he would have known otherwise, but it can't have been easy for him while he was still struggling to get over the shock of his freezing and Brin has taken this theme and made a very moving look into Han and Leia's post-marriage relationship. The description of exactly what Han had gone through whilst in the carbonite was really grue some. I find it hard to believe that any one could have survived that for six months and still been capable of plunging straight into another battle. Suzy Sansom's art for this story is my favorite; I keep com ing back for another look. The look of deep concern in Leia's eyes is incredibly realistic and Han and Leia's faces are also those of Fisher and Ford. Truly re markable. Hope to see more soon.

I think I have already told you how much I liked the cover of TREMOR. Definitely the finest piece of art in the whole zine. Leia's hair seems to shine!

Martie had a few things in this zine that I would like to comment upon. "Mo One Will Know I'm Gone"—the poem was so lovely, just wonderful. She is an excellent poet and can bring a humor to her work that is matched only by Jackie Taero. (Though Martie mixes it with a healthy dose of lust such as her poem on page 65 and the one on page 44.) And Wanda's art makes you think that she and Martie are two halves of a whole so aptly does she portray the scenes in the stories. Her work is just excellent.

And there is that B. M. Stults! I couldn't believe a whole animated strip of those stinkin' dots! How does she do it? Some parts of this piece ("The Rescue") were very cute, but some of the frames were a little vague. She does do an awesome job on machinery and technical stuff, though. The bottom frame on page 19 at tests to her attention to detail. As some one who falls short when she has to do a spaceship, I can really appreciate her attention to those bits. There are also frames where you can tell that she used a picture for reference and she is very good at that too!

I really enjoyed Jeanine's "A Lesson in Love" and her "Legacy." I wish I had read "Legacy" before "Lady in the Wood", and then I probably could've understood it better. I wish that she had given more time to the friendship between Tamlin and Darth. I never got the impression that Darth was any more than just an acquaintance, and it would've added more to their duel if Tam had really loved Darth once.

"Incident on Ord Mantell" was very good but too short. I love Ord Mantell stories and have very definite ideas about what happened there. But I think that T. S. Weddell and I think very much alike on how Han should be portrayed.

"Interlude on Bespin"...well, I love seduction scenes, although it wasn't an actual seduction, was it? Very nice; I love "interlude" stories almost as much as Ord Mantell stories. I know that there were a lot of things to be said, but Han and Leia wouldn't have talked quite so much. I did like the way he forestalled any commitment on their parts. It almost makes Leia seem pushy when she said the next day, "Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?"

Both of Kathryn Agel's poems are nice. She has a lovely point of view. I liked the end of Leia's poem best. That was so nicely said!

I feel a little left out when it comes to the Jack in the Box cartoons. Is that a fast food chain or something? I cracked up though when Yoda said, "Sounds yummy, it does!" [Gee, I tnought Jack in the Boxes were everywhere...like McDonalds! Yes, it a fast food chain and for a while they were running commercials in which this obnoxious guy popped up every where pushing their nachos and burgers and fries. — C.C.]

It may sound as if I haven't a word or criticism at all, but, alas, I do. Even this is just a matter of a person's opinion. I really didn't care for "Celebrate the Love." And this is only because I have this thing against Han and Leia get ting "married." I like the idea of Jedi bonding, but I think that Han and Leia should just have a passionate, life-long affair.

And do you know what I liked best about "The Lesson"? I loved the way Han looks at Luke. Finally, a story where the Corellian isn't hauling Luke's butt out of the line of fire! And he actually thinks that Luke can take care of himself. Some of the lines contradict themselves, though. Such as in the second paragraph on page 58, Han is telling Luke how dangerous it is on this backwater world, pointing out that he ought to be the one to stay since he is so much more street-wise and capable. Then on page 62, he thinks, "They thought the Wookiee was a problem; wait until they faced the righteous indignity of a half- grown Jedi Knight" as if Luke is just as capable if not more so than Chewbacca. (And Chewie is damn capable!) This is probably small potatoes and I just decided that, presented with the two different opinions, I would just choose the one I liked best. And that was to have Han consider Luke more than adequate to taking care of himself. I like that.

"Through the Long Night" was just lovely. I like the way Marcia Brin sees her characters.

Re Martynn's illo in TREMOR #1—it's absolutely gorgeous. Of course, she had great material to draw from. Harrison Ford ain't exactly chopped liver, folks. If you've seen TEMPLE OF DOOM, you'll know what I mean.

I don't mean to slight Luke or have legions of Luke fans jumping feet first down my throat, but I was blessed with a blonde, blue-eyes younger brother. Perhaps this is why I was drawn to Solo—he's so perfect to fantasize about. I loved TREMOR and didn't mind at all that it turned out to be mostly a Han zine.

Everything I open a fanzine, it seems that the material just keeps getting better and better. TREMOR #1 is no exception. There are so many excellent pieces in this zine that it's hard to know where to begin.

I liked "Sins of the Fathers' by T. S. Weddell. It gives another insight into my favorite Corellian's background. Since George Lucas gave us virtually no information about Solo, it's been up to the fans to provide it, and an inventive lot they've been, too!

"Through the Long Night' was one I liked also. I always enjoy Marcia's writing. She seems to have captured perfectly Solo's vulnerability and Leia's love for him.

Although basically not a big Luke fan, although I do like him, I found 'Legacy' really interesting. Jeanine Hennig has done a good job of explaining how Darth Vader could be Luke's father. It's very well thought out and completely logical.

As I said before, I enjoyed the entire zine immensely and am already looking for ward to #2. And, Cheree, thanks to you and Martynn for that absolutely delectable Han Solo on page 6. Always wondered what he'd look like in his shorts.

First let me say that the first issue of A TREMOR IN THE FORCE is very nicely put together and the writing, with few exceptions, was of uniformly good quality. I love Wanda's artwork, as always, and Barbara Stults' work is interesting, though I'm not sure she has her character like nesses down very well. There are a couple of good ones of Han in 'The Rescue', and that is a very ambitious project to under take. She also has an interesting concept of a womprat.

'Kessel Run'—I know this is meant to be a humorous piece, but if we are going to treat Kessel spice as a recreational drug, some thought should be given to its possible adverse effects, don't you think?

On the other hand, I enjoyed 'No One Will Know I'm Gone', 'The Ballad of Traeger Jona' and 'Breakdown in Communications,' which was a scream. 'Through the Long Night'--I've always loved Marcia's Han and Leia stories, but I had some trouble with this. Not to minimize Han's ordeal in any way, but he strikes me as a pretty resilient person who bounces back quickly. If he can survive carbon freeze for four months, and then thawing, I think he would open up about it pretty readily; he's changed a lot by JEDI. I saw no evidence that Han felt like an outsider or that anyone was trying to make him feel that way. Also, the fact is that Anakin Skywalker was Leia's father, and I'm sure she knows she'll be better off coming to terms with this than trying to deny it.

You're probably thinking I'm using TIF to take out the trash or something. Wrong. There were many things I liked—'Just a Dream', both T. S. Weddell stories, 'Inter lude on Bespin' (somewhat explicit but not too much so), both of Kathy Agel's poems, 'Celebrate the Love', 'The Lesson', and last, but not least, Jeanine Hennig's Catalyst' stories, which are better than any soap opera.

Two stories which nicely demonstrate love and compassion are "Just a Dream" and "Through the Long Night". In the former, Han demonstrates great sensitivity instead of his usual brashness. In the latter, the cards are turned with Leia trying to help Han acknowledge his own secret fears.

In "Sins of the Fathers", Han learns that flying free and having no commitment isn't always what it is chalked up to be. "Incident on Ord MantelI" is a good follow-up story. Unfortunately now that he's made an informal commitment and is growing more attached to his friends, his past must cause him to leave for the safety of his friends. This shows how truly committed to friendship Han is, though he hesitates to about it.

"Requiem" is an emotionally powerful story. Luke's emptiness and sense of lonliness after another loss is a heavy load to bear; although with more reflection Luke could realize much more was gained than lost. Adding to that aloneness was the fact that, at least as of that point in time, he was the only one who could feel compassion for Vader/Anakin. Even his sister could not share that sorrow with him. I also feel that Leia's reaction was a reasonable approach to take. She had never had any opportunity to "feel" any good in Vader, p and I don't think Vader's saving Luke could have made any dent in that barrier of bitterness she felt for Vader in so short a time. I do think, however, that in time, especially if she pursues becoming a Jedi, she will have to confront her feelings of hostility and realize how vulnerable to falling to darkside we all can be.

"Interlude on Bespin" was great! I love romantic scenes between Han and Leia. While the Ewoks in JEDI were necessary to the plot and were undeniably cute, as far as I am concerned, there could have been a lot less of the Ewoks and more time devoted to showing some intimacy between Leia and Han. So PLEASE give us as many interludes as you can!I

"The Lesson" was a nice adventure. I enjoy stories where any and all of our 3 main characters go on missions together.

Issue 2

front cover issue #2

back cover issue #2

A Tremor in the Force 2 was published in 1985 and is 187 pages. Art by Wanda Lybarger, Jenni, Nancy Stasulis, Danaline Bryant, Cheree Cargill, Dani, Pat Easley, B.A. Hale, Susan Hall, Wendy Ikeguchi, Suzy Sansom, Barbara Stults, and Laura Virgil.

[The editorial]: Welcome to the second issue of Tremor! For me, this is the hardest part of the zine, because it inevitably comes at a time when I'm least expecting it. I sit and turn the pages

of this zine through and come to the realization that...gasp...IT'S DONE! I can hardly believe it. Doing a zine is almost like giving birth—it's in the works for nine months, then, suddenly, it's here. Well, I can only hope that you enjoy my baby as much as I do.

Of course, giving birth to a zine is not without its pain. And this issue, apologies go to T.S. Weddell and Nancy Stasulis. Nancy was scheduled to do the art for "Whose Worth's Unknown", which she did and which she mailed. Unfortunately, the Post Awful struck and Nancy's art has disappeared somewhere into the PO's bottomless maw. Not only that, but the Great Mail Muncher also devoured letters between the two of us, which led to hurt feelings and misunderstandings on both sides and, for those pains, I whole-heartedly apologize to Nancy. However, as you will see, Nancy managed to send a copy of her major drawing for the story. To T. S. Weddell, my apologies for running your story without all of Nancy's excel lent artwork. I thought it best not to hold up the zine any longer or to bump your first-rate story to a later issue. For pain caused you, I apologize as well.

But, not all is doom and gloom. This issue brings choice selections from new friends and old. Martie Benedict returns with another of her rip-snorting Han stories, as always, gloriously illustrated by Wanda Lybarger. Patricia D'Orazio debuts in this issue with a story from her "Starsword" series that's sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Then she shows her other side with a deliciously funny tale. Ann Wortham brings her "In-Laws" series to this zine with a tongue-in-cheek look not only at SW but at fanfiction as well! Susan Matthews presents a unique solution the question of the Last Jedi and Marcia Brin, as usual, takes us into yet another alternate universe with her skillful pen. This issue also brings to print a couple of new friends from right here in Garland, Texas — Pat Easley and Gail Small, a couple of neat ladies whom Jeanine Hennig and 1 met at a local con and immediately in corporated into the group. Pat, it turned out, only lived a couple of blocks from me and has been a real help in proofreading this issue. Thanks, Pat!

But winner hands down for both Best New Writer and Most Distant Contributor is Carolyn Golledge, who resides Down Under in the picturesque town of Ettalong, New South Wales, Australia. Carolyn sent me "Mindlink", asking if I'd read it and give her my thoughts on it, apologizing ahead of time because it was "only" her second attempt at a story and that she knew it wasn't very good. Well, modesty has its place in the world...but I'm here to tell you that this story blew me away! After reading nothing for months but Darksider stories and other such depressing stuff, this story was like a breath of fresh air. She even had Threepio perfectly in character! I am very, very proud to offer "Mindlink" here for your pleasure. And, just prove that she's not a one-shot, I've already accepted the sequel, "Full Circle" for Tremor #3! Welcome, Carolyn!

Well, there is always something that you forget until it's too late to mention it, but I think I've gotten it all down. I sincerely hope you find a few hours of pleasure in these pages and have as much fun reading it as 1 did producing it. And, remember, I need contri butions for #3! To quote Joan Shumsky: "Nothing scares me — I'm a zine editor!"

This issue contains "The Backlash Tango," a filk by Zeudi Nimn and Ann Onimous (to the tune of "Never Say No" from "The Fantastics" by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt). It was commentary on slash fanworks, fan push back to George Lucas' restrictions on fanworks:

Why do the fans put Han into bed

Then send him Luke, not Leia instead

Giving him loads of blonde Jedi head?

They did it 'cause George said "no."

Why should the droids wear lacy silk pants?

Why should Piett ask Vader to dance?

Why do the fans write same-sex romance?

They do it 'cause George said "no."

The fans were once disposed to write of sexual excess

Until George said to keep it pure—

Now Chewie's in a dress!

(Now Chewie's in a dress!)

Sure as the Sarlacc digests its prey,

Sure as the Force makes weak minds obey,

Children, I guess, must get their own way.

They did it 'cause George said "no."

• Lettercol (3)
• Goodbye, vignette by Danaline Bryant ("There was one last act for Darth Vader to perform before the Dark Side took him completely.") (10)
• Faux Pas, story by Patricia D'Orazio ("It was Threepio's first assignment as a newly-built protocol droid—keepinf: the Corellian contingent from insulting all the rest of the guests at the fiftieth-^anniversary celebration of Alderaan's trade treaty with the Harachs of Corell. Later, Threepio could only assert, "It wasn't my fault!"") (12)
• Rite of Passage, story by T.S. Weddell ("It was Han's fifteenth birthday and the gang had cooked up a little surprise in celebration—the gang leader's girlfriend, Randa.") (14)
• Puzzles by Marci Erwin (21)
• Encounter Off Kashyyyk, story by Cheree Cargill ("Chief Gunner Han Solo had never seen a Wookiee before and he had no idea that the rescue of a Wookiee ship from slavers would set his life upon a different path.") (24)
• Word Search Puzzles by Lynda Vandiver (35)
• "True Opponents". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Patricia D'Orazio ("Captured and wounded by a wealthy hunter and a warrior priestess, Han is used as bait to lure Chewbacca into a trap. " It was just a routine cargo haul, a load of droid parts and one passenger. So what if the passenger was one of the White Warriors of Kadell and a high priestess of her people at that? Han saw no trouble in making the run. But Chewie could smell trouble whenever the Kadell was near and his hunter's instincts proved him painfully right.") (36)
• The Rescue - Part 2, story by Barbara M. Stultz (56)
• Memories, story by L.A. Carr ("The Rebel Base on Fautell had been destroyed by Imperial forces and now a Rebel commando team was on its way to find a lost tape of stolen Imper ial secrets. The atrocities they encountered made the strongest among them blanche. It was only Luke, in a horrifying link with death, who could find the tape before the stormtroopers returned.") (71)
• Whose Worth Unknown, story by T.S. Weddell ("The mission was simple. All Han had to do was fly into the heart of the Empire, pick up the head of the Khirgitti government, bring her to Alliance headquarters and return her two weeks later. "Maybe you'd like me to pick up a pair of the Emperor's undershorts while I'm there?" asked Han.") (79)
• Communication, story by Gail Small (101)
• Requiem, story by Jeanine Hennig ("How could Luke make Leia see what Anakin had been at the end? Luke had known him as Jedi-to-Jedi, but Leia could only remember the horror suffered at Vader's hands.") (103)
• The Backlash Tango by Zeudi Nimn and Ann Onimous (105)
• Art Portfolio (106)
• The Wishing Well, story by Lynda Vandiver (111)
• Beneath the Mythos, story by Linda Knights ("Karla had grown to love and care for Commander Skywalker during the final days of the Rebellion. Was she the only one who could see the cloud of darkness that hovered around him now?") (113)
• "Voices on the Air". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Martie Benedict ("Set before Star Wars: A New Hope. Han and Chewie search for a treasure on a mysterious planet and find more than they bargained for. "The dying spacer whispered to Han of treasures beyond his wildest imaginings and visions of gems as big as his fist was jufet too much for the Corellian to pass up. Little did he know that his quest for the riches of Wingspan would lead to imprisonment and death.") (118)
• Against the Wind, poem by Cheree Cargill (138)
• A Family Affair, story by Ann Wortham ("Just how many relatives did Han have, anyway?") (139)
• Mechanical by Gail Small (142)
• The Burdens of His Life, vignettes by Susan Matthews ("Luke was the last of the Jedi...but he was working on changing that.") (144)
• With You Always, story by Marcia Brin (146)
• "Mindlink". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (Post Return of the Jedi.) ("Leia and Han are kidnapped by slavers as an evil Senator tries to prevent Leia becoming President of the New Alliance. In the first free elections in a generation, Leia seems certain to win the office of President of the New Senate. But a powerful political leader makes powerful enemies, as Leia discovers when her ship is sabotaged and nearly destroyed during a flight between campaign rallies. Han barely manages to save them from a fatal crash, but, off-course, their ship gone and with no idea where they are, Han, Leia and Threepio must figure out how to survive on an inhospitable planet. Luke, however, is aware of his sister s plight through their link in the Force and is on his way with Chewie to find them, the mindlink his only guide as to their whereabouts. The three have already been found, however, by slavers in the employ of Leia's chief rival...a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to remove Leia from the Senate.") (This is Golledge's first story published.) (150)
• Farewell to a Friend by Sally Smith (187)

• 

  from issue #2, Danaline Bryant

• 

  from issue #2, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #2, Laura Virgil

• 

  from issue #2, Laura Virgil

• 

  from issue #2, Barbara Stults

• 

  from issue #2, Barbara Stults

• 

  from issue #2, Nancy Stasulis

• 

  from issue #2, Danaline Bryant

• 

  from issue #2, Suzy Sansom

• 

  from issue #2, Dani

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

One look at Cheree Cargill's cover and I was hooked! After scoring such a hit on TIF#1, it's even more remarkable you did it again with issue #2. That beautiful illustration of Leia and General Solo in the kiss on Endor was done exquisitely. It took my breath away! When I saw the back cover I got another pleasant surprise with B. M. Stults' portrait of Han! So much pain staking work! Ladies, your work is much appreciated! I finished TIF#'! ravenously, so eager to see what adventures awaited me between these covers! I am happy to say the inside matched the outside in quality.

"Rite of Passage" by T. S. Weddell about young Han's first time was written very well, indeed. It captured the gen tle feelings of a youth of Han's age. And there's no reason we can't believe Han was a gentle youth! I found it very believable. Wendy Ikeguchi's art of this young Han was very nicely done as well.

Enjoyed "Encouter Off Kashyyyk" by Cheree Cargill. The scene of Han's re action upon seeing a Wookiee (Chewie) for the first time was really cute. And Wanda's art again rings true. The piece on page 33 of Chewie holding Han is sensitively done.

"True Opponents" by Patricia D'Orazio—good story, full of lots of action with one real gutsy Corellian! "Whose Worth's Unknown" by T. S. Weddell—also very well written. "The Wishing Well" by Lynda Vandiver was sweet, and "Voices on the Air" by Martie Benedict was another exciting action thriller from this talented writer. I greatly enjoyed the feeling in Wanda's drawing of Han and Chewie climbing up the cliff face, since you can actually sense the wind blowing! And Martie's ending knocked me over! (sorry) Well, it did Han, anyway. But what must it be like getting hit by a Wookiee? Needless to say, he pulled his punch!

Also enjoyed Solo's somewhat large family in "A Family Affair" by Ann Wortham and "Mindlink" by Carolyn Golledge was another well-written excellent action adventure story! I loved how Han never gave up. Was thrilled by Carolyn's ending! The sight of the Millennium Falcon performing a victory roll over the palace made me think back to his piloting finesse through that asteroid field. Enjoyed Dani's artwork of this. And Barbara Stults' very hard work with her fine art throughout the issue, as well as Danaline Bryant's fine art.

Though I didn't mention everything or everybody, I enjoyed everything in issue #2 and I sincerely wish you a plethora of Corellian luck on issue #3 (even if you don't need it!)

First up—the cover. Suffice it to say I have been running around showing it to everyone, non-SW fans included and even they drool over it! Great stuff, Cheree. How did you ever guess this was our favorite scene? And the back cover was the perfect foil.

"Goodbye" by Danaline Bryant. My Darth Vader fan friend had a good cry over this one! "Poor Darthie Diddums" she calls him. One question, if Vader could find Luke so easily this time, why not later? Guess Ben did a good job. Love the last line.

Very much enjoyed Patricia D'Orazio's "Faux Pas." Like a little light-hearted " stuff especially at Threepio's expense.

Lady Aragar's reaction to the Corellian representative was good fun—how about a sequel? What happened after they eloped? Could make ah, interesting reading.

Frankly, I couldn't really get into "Rite of Passage" by T. S. Weddell. It just didn't feel like the SW universe. Too contemporary somehow. Liked the bit about the scar, however. And Han's loyalty and gentle concern for his partner came across very nicely. It was just the setting that somehow didn't feel right.

The puzzle section was the best yet. Had a good time laughing over the answers with my niece.

Cheree, your "Encounter Off Kashyyyk", I liked precisely because of the setting. Very meticulously done and the dialogue rang true as well. Really I laughed over Han's politeness to Chewbacca on his first sight of him—but was Han Solo ever this polite? Their relationship certainly took a sharp turn as far as manners were concerned. Like the explanation for the communication between the two being attributable to the Wookiee rather than the Corellian and that Chewie could choose whom he wanted to understand him—sort of like Ann McCaffrey's Impression by the dragons on their chosen one. Lybarger's art is always a favorite of mine for its crispness and the facial bones which she draws so well for Solo. Somehow she gets that boyish vulnerable look just right overlaid with that proud devil-may-care attitude. I've always been a sook for Wookiee cuddles, so the illo on page 34 got me in a soft spot. Kind of like innocently sleeping Corellians, too. Your idea for the basis of the Honor debt between Chewie and Han was clever, not a direct debt but one owed by Chewie for the loss of Han's shipmates. I like it.

I've already mentioned the effect "True Opponents" had upon me in my last letter, i.e. great, someone else gives Han a rough time, too! Eased my conscience! Fancy falling off a cliff and breaking his leg badly twice in the same zine! God, what we fan writers do to the poor man! This was really gruesome stuff, very gripping, I mean my pulse was actually racing and I think I must have gnashed my teeth with the need to get my hands on that villain to beat all villains. A really suspenseful tale, reflecting the great style D'Orazio brings to all her work.

"The Rescue, Part 2" I have to admit to being a little disappointed with. Not for the artwork that was great as ever — those animals are incredibly well drawn, but the story itself. I was sort of hoping for more info on what took place that night, a side adventure if you will, but Barbara stuck exactly to the film except for having Han discover the body of Luke's tauntaun. Would have liked some additional dialogue between Han and Luke in the survival shelter, but then I guess Luke wasn't really in any condition for talk, and anyway this was supposed to be a cartoon strip, not a novel! I still enjoy looking at the drawings very much as I loved this part of the film and could never find many stills from it.

"Memories" by L.A. Carr was a really original idea, but oh yuk! Poor Luke! Liked Han's protectiveness toward him. Well — Lucy (in-joke here, people), what did happen on Ord Mantell?

"Whose Worth's Unknown" I liked very much. This is Weddell's normal high class stuff. Er, what does T. S. stand for? ((I don't know. "Terribly sexy", maybe? Ed.)) I mean I'm assuming she's a she. Like the development of real people and real emotions, a truly human feel for her stories. So, there's hope for us oldies yet, huh? Liked the bit about the Corellian-Kashyyyk cooking. A good example of the everyday touch and realism of Weddell 's work.

"Communication" by Gail Small. Very good. Please write more, Gail. This felt just right, straight from Luke's mind.

Liked the "chinks in the armor", the beginning of the reaching out between father and son. And the ending—"he'd think about it later." I'll bet!

"Requiem" was nice. Love bits that are missing scenes. I don't know whether Luke would have gone to Leia at this point. I think he could easily have anticipated her reaction. On the other hand, I'd like to think that Leia having a force bond with Luke would sense his deep grief and know he had discovered someone beneath the Vader persona and at least try to ease his grief by sharing this moment with him. Surely she would at least be grateful to Vader for saving her brother's and as a result the Alliance's lives. She is also a trained diplomat, used to hiding her personal reactions for the sake of others' feel ings and tactful handling of emotive situations. I am just not that sure she would have refused Luke. An interesting piece, food for thought. Thanks, Jeanine.

The art portfolio was great. Loved that soft look. I think the Lando portrait was the best, really great, but I'm no expert. Leia's right cheek seemed a little too wide and flat to me, but the expression in those eyes was really captivating.

"The Wishing Well" had a nice warm, fairy tale feel to it. I enjoyed it even more though it felt a little too magical for SW to me. But that line from Leia to Han — "You remind me of my mother" won me over completely. I liked the gentleness given Han here. Thank you, Lynda.

"Beneath the Mythos". A good idea, but I found it a little awkward to read because of the first person POV. Somehow, I'd like a more romantic beginning for Luke with his one true love. He didn't seem very much in love, more coerced, and Karla seemed more interested in mothering Luke. Some of Luke's lines didn't feel like they'd come from his lips — too mature, something. Anyway, Linda, please don't think I'm putting you down or anything. It was just that the story didn't fit my personal taste, and believe me that's a good sign. I'm not a very good judge. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I liked that part. Thanks for picturing Luke as living happily ever after for all of us.

Martie Benedict! Wow! If we could only all write like this, huh? How come she's not out making a fortune as a professional writer? She writes far better than most of those already published. "Voices on the Air" was another great adventure story, and personally I think this one might just be her best yet. Where on earth (well you know what I mean) does Martie keep coming up with so many varied, you've been there, this-is-real worlds?! Poor old Han, burning a hole through his wrist! God, I don't think there's story in this issue where he has a good time...well, er, maybe one or two! That volcano stuff was so vivid I could feel the burning and suffocating myself, not at all pleasant. Just as well, I knew they'd all live to fight another day. The Death Star must have seemed a picnic to Solo after all this!

I don't know the tune you wrote your piece to, Cheree, so it's hard for me to catch its mood, but "against the wind" sounds just right for Han. "I began to find myself searching, searching for shelter again and again." I liked that. ((The song "Against the Wind" was written and performed by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band on an album by the same neime and can also be found on their live album "Nine Tonight." I admit that most of the words in the filk are Seger's, though I changed some to make them more appropriate. The song has always struck me as particularly fitting for Han.—Ed.))

Ann Wortham should have us all blushing with "A Family Affair." What a good satire on all the fannish soap opera! The best line was Han's, "Aw, Leia, your dad likes me" and her "THAT should have warned me right away", and later her "You've corrupted me." I wouldn't mind a little of that corrupting, myself!

Gail, your little poem on Artoo and Luke was absolutely beautiful. So concise, saying it all, and touching you deeply with that special feel of friend ship. Very good. I would love to read more.

"The Burdens of His Life" by Susan Matthews, I liked just for the last line: "But somebody had to do it." I always thought of Luke as having a really wicked sense of humor which would come out as soon as he had the time to...umm...relax.

"With You Always" by Marcia Brin. Oh, please, I couldn't bear the thought of Luke and Lando being dead. I don't even want to think about it. Especially since it could so easily have happened this

Well, as for "Mindlink", I can only say, Cheree downplayed her part in its completion. It was a much better story for her guidance and encouragement, and I want to thank her very, very much for keeping me floating on cloud nine for over a year by announcing she had accept ed it for TIF. It was a dream come true for me. I loved Star Wars and all its characters and I never thought it pos sible that I would be given the chance to share that love with anyone. Thank you again, Cheree.

Thanks must also go to Dani Lane. Can you believe the work she put into all those illos? I was so thrilled by them, and could not have wished for a better result. Dani has somehow captured exactly the feel to match the story; I keep coming back to that Han and Leia on page 158. This was my favorite part of the story and it's my favorite illo too. The look in Han's eyes, the way they are wrapped in each other's arms is precisely how I envisioned it, and this without any extra communication between Dani and I. You can't ask more of an artist than that they see, and depict, something exactly as it is in your mind's eye. I am greatly in your debt for the care you took with this work, Dani. Thank you. I am really looking forward to the illos for "Full Circle", if you're not going to kill me m for writing another long story!

I gave this zine to a non-SW fan to read. She is a teacher, widely read, who loves poetry very much. She said there are few poems that have touched her as deeply as your "Farewell to a Friend", Sally, and that goes double for me. Hard to believe of a big mouth like me, I know, but truly I cannot find the right words to say how much I love this poem. Shows Chewie and Han's love for one an other so beautifully but is not in the least saccharine. I said last issue that I'd like to have Barbara Stults' Han and Chewie fold out hanging framed on the wall. This poem should go beneath it. I loved it. Thank you.

While we're on the subject of thanks, how about three cheers for the editor responsible for bringing us all these goodies and the army (well, okay, I'm kidding) of people who did the nitty-gritty jobs. THANK YOU, everyone, for a zine we can all treasure. End of speech. End of LOC. (Sighs of relief) If you publish this monster, Cheree, you won't need any

stories! Sorry, can't stop myself babbling when I'm happy. ((That's okay! Egoboos are always welcome. — Ed))

All I can say is — Wow! You want action and excitement? You got it in TIF! It's just great! By the time I was finished I was limp with relief. So much happened it's hard to know where to start. "Faux Pas" was delightful. So, that's why Solos and Wookiees don't get along! I must say, though, that Threepio's words to Artoo could have been taken as an in sult by anybody, but Lady Aragar's elope ment didn't help.

Then Patricia did a quick switch with "True Opponents". Although I'm not sure when this fits in her Starsword series, it was a real cliffhanger. Poor Han! Looks like he doesn't have too much con trol over what happens to him. A good, tight, well-written story, "True Opponents" kept me glued to the zine. It showed how much Solo and Chewbacca really care for each other. They are true and loyal friends, each one willing to sacrifice his life for the other. At the end, I thought that Timero got his just deserts.

"Mindlink" was also excellent. It's hard to believe that this is only Carolyn's second story. She writes so well! Here, too, I couldn't put the zine down until I found out what happened. A very enjoyable, believable story and I'm also glad to see that Carolyn didn't try to make Han a potential Jedi. Perhaps be cause I have this strong belief that he was never meant to be one.

Absolutely loved "A Family Affair." I always said that Solo had as many relatives as he had fans and Ann proved it, providing us with a little hilarity in the process.

Well, here's looking for Tremor #3 and more good stuff to keep us from the throes of SW withdrawal.

Loved the cover you did of the Princess and the Pirate (just got a weird mental image from that one; it's a movie in which Bob Hope played the pirate).

In "Goodbye", I especially liked the way Danaline managed to explain the "your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough" discrepancy. All toge ther a nicely done vignette.

I'm glad I wasn't eating anything when I read Patricia D'Orazio's "Faux Pas"—I might have choked. That gal has a deliciously warped sense of humor. A taste for scoundrels runs in the Organa family, I guess.

Usually Han's first time stories are ideas snickered over by a bunch of hyper active Fordfen at ungodly hours of the morning during cons. T. S. Weddell, how ever, got a good serious story out of it. It was very sensitively done in the way it shows him maturing as a man and a person, showing the vulnerable person he'd learned to hide so well by the time of ANH. As always with her stories, it's very well thought-out, with a consistent. believable background. Wendy Ikeguchi's excellent illos complement the story very well. As for her "Whose Worth's Unknown", what a bitch that the illos got eaten by the U. S. Maul. The story was so solid, though, that it stood well on its own, even without the illos. I'm so glad that she used an "elderly" woman as the protagonist in this. It's a nice object lesson in not judging people by your own preconceptions. So many people tend to write off the elderly as sickly, helpless, useless, etc. or think of them only in terms of stereotypes (old ladies knitting) and that really pisses me off! It's just another form of prejudice, really; it's what a person is like and how they perceive themselves that counts.

"Encounter Off Kashyyyk" was a good, tightly plotted and fast-paced action adventure. You did a good job reconciling all the "givens" on Wookiees and how Han and Chewie met, and blending them into your story. Also liked your explanation of the "Wookiee Honor Family." I have to say right out that I think Patricia D'Orazio's characterization of Han as Force-user is one of the most plausible I've seen. In the stories I've read in her Starsword series, the Starswords perform essentially the same function for Jedi as Han does now for Luke: protector, friend and helper. This is far more believable to me than the "send in your boxtops and become a Jedi Knight" type stories, where most of the known galaxy go into Jedi training. This par ticular story, "True Opponents", uses your basic "great hunter on the ultimate hunt" plot, but it's used very well, and in character. The twist ending, where Han is intended to be the instrument of Timero's death, instead of the quarry, is one of the many things which keeps the story from being just another rehash of the standard plot.

"Memories" was a very well put together, strongly plotted action adventure. The basis of the story, the very interesting idea that the recently dead can be contacted through the Force, and information obtained from them, is an original twist. The Nairobi Trio (Ben. Yoda and Anakin). appeared to Luke; he didn't initiate the contact with them. Gail Small's "Communication" was a very good vignette on Luke's thoughts on the gantry.

Jenni's "Requiem" was a beautifully worked out story on Leia's reaction to Luke and to Vader's death, totally in character. Leia's birth father vs. the one who raised her and was a father to her. B. A. Hale's excellent illo shows so clearly the pain Luke feels at this situation.

The art portfolio had very good samples of both Danaline's and Barb's work. Vandiver's "Wishing Well" was an enjoyable vignette. It was a believable circumstance for Han and Leia, what with the problems caused by the revelation of Vader's being her father.

Martie Benedict did it again with "Voices on the Air". Good thing that disclaimer was there or I would have choked. Seriously, though, it bears no more resemblance to TOD than that movie does to Gunga Din and King Solomon's Mines. They're all in the same genre of action-adventure triggered by a quest for treasure. Martie took the basic plot and added her own inimitable style and touch to it, making an interesting new story. As for Annie Wortham's "A Family Affair", everybody comes to Rick's, I guess —especially if they're Solos. I like Annie's off center sense of humor in the "In-Laws" series.

As for Susan Matthews' "The Burdens of His Life" (snicker)... Poor Luke has such a hard (uh, maybe I'd better rephrase that)...er...rough life. Only question is, did Sally Smith or Jenni get first dibs on him? That was a cute touch about "Superstud" Han being infertile. ((Don't know about Sally, but Jenni's daughter Bekah is definitely blonde and blue-eyed!—Ed.))

Marcia Brin's "With You Always" is a very good "what if?" vignette which explains the near impossible escapes "from a certain point of view."

Last but far from least is "Mind- link." It certainly is difficult to believe that Carolyn's story is only her second try. Thinking about how good she'll get with practice is absolutely intimindating! She does a very good job of balancing plots and subplots while sketching out fully rounded characteri zations. I'm really looking forward to

reading the sequel.

Thank you for another excellent issue of A TREMOR IN THE FORCE.

"Encounter Off Kashyyyk" was one of the best Han and Chewie stories I've read and Wanda's illos were great, particular ly the last.

"True Opponents" — I like the Star- sword stories very much, but Han (and later everybody else—just read the one in Kessel Run #4) gets put through an awful lot.

"Memories" was just a bit gruesome. "Whose Worth's Unknown" was another fine T. S. Weddell story. "The Wishing Well" was a gentle, upbeat story and one of my favorites. "Beneath the Mythos" at last gave Luke his own happy ending, complete with wife and child, instead of having him go through life with the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. "Requiem", while a good story, did set him somewhat more apart than he needed to be. I'm not sure Luke would press Leia quite so much at that point. In any case, her feelings will probably change with time. Luke's description of Anakin as an "old, tired man...wasted by hate" is just the way I see it. There was so much wasted potential in him.

"Mindlink" was my favorite story because the characters are so much like I picture them. It's amazing how much trouble Han can get himself into; I like the way his determination and protective- ness were highlighted. Threepio was great! In fact, everyone was perfectly in character. I much prefer this type of

story, and am glad to know there will be more. And a happy ending, too. Will wonders never cease?

Just wanted to drop you a few comments about Tremor #2. As was #1, this is another solid, high-quality SW zine.

I was lucky to receive my copy on a Saturday and spent most of the weekend relishing it, from the gracefully executed front cover (a difficult perspective to get right—and you did!) to the haunting portrait on the back cover. Be sides the fact that everything was well-written, there was a nice variety of subjects, and good coverage of all Our Heroes.

"Goodbye" made me feel very wistful and sentimental about what might have been Luke's childhood. I ached for his loss of loving parents. "Rite of Passage" was a pleasant coming-of-age story, very Han-ish. I thought the sex scene was handled deftly and tactfully.

"Encounter Off Kashyyyk" was an exciting and interesting story of Han and Chewie's meeting. The details, such as the sweet rolls, made me feel as if I were there with the crew. I loved Lybarger's illos, especially pages 25 and 30. "True Opponents" had some fascinating aliens. I appreciated the tension and originality of the tale but I hated all the beatings! I'm ready to see Han collect on his debt from the Harpy!

"Memories"—the Jedi ability to read minds of dead people is one I'd never have thought up. I guess it makes sense, if dead people join the Force, and Luke taps into the Force...I'd like to think, though, that the Masters character is an unusually sadistic sort to find anywhere. "Whose Worth's Unknown" — it was satisfying to see Han show some depth and maturity and diplomatic skill but I don't know that these qualities are brought out in the movies. Loved the mental picture of "Chef Chewbacca"! Wouldn't it be great to attract a guy like Han when you're Xalima's age? (Or any age, for that matter?)

I'm so grateful for all the Luke pieces, especially as he is my Beloved, but I wish they were longer. I hope Jeanine will feel up to regaling us with another meaty story soon, although I enjoyed the brief "Requiem". "Beneath the Mythos" felt to me like an outline of lots of interesting stories. I'd like to know all about Karla and Luke's search for new trainees, their gradually developing devotion to each other, Karla's training, the establishment of the school, more about their baby, etc.

Loved Jenni's sensitive illo on page 117. "Voices on the Air" is another of Martie's well-written, rip-roaring Han- H ventures. Her Han is exasperating and believable. I wanted to shake him til his teeth rattled when he persisted in getting into this one!

"A Family Affair"—what a picture— all those Solos in one room! Loved Sansom's illo, with Corellian Ewoks and dogs!

"The Burdens of His Life" -- ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...*sigh* m "With You Always"—how creative, and how chilling!

"Mindlink"—what a nice way to round out the zine. I can easily visualize this post-ROTJ world. The story was interest ing, believable and well-rounded, with nice parts for all the principals. I'd like to hear more about the trials, tribulations, and pleasures of life in this New Republic.

Gorgeous illos by Dani on 158, interesting alien on 159, and nice Luke on 171.

I'm so glad to hear you mention plans for another issue. I get a tremor over Tremor (ugh—the hook, the hook!). Thank the Force I don't work for Hallmark!

"Goodbye"—Liked this story. Maybe this is the reason so many of us fans were impressed by Vader when we first encountered him in ANH. We saw the classic villain, but looked deeper and found the man, just as the author of this story did. Lots of feeling here.

"Faux Pas"—I...don't know. Still haven't made up my mind. Normally, I'm a big fan of satire, which I write quite a bit myself. Interesting speculations, of course. As for the illo, all I can say is, it went with the story quite well.

"Rite of Passage"—"first time" stories, either Han, Luke, Leia or whomever, are always enjoyable for me. Maybe because it's been so long that I've forgotten what that first "rush" was like. Somehow the idea of loss of innocence is one of my favorite topics, even in my own stories. This was no exception. I've not read enough "first time" stories on Han. They seem to concentrate so much on the Jedi, why I don't know. From the information I've garnered here and there, Mark Hamill ain't the sweet, innocent kid portrayed in the series and Ford is so conventional it's sickening. Just goes to show what good actors both of them are. As far as the actual story goes, loved it. It gave a little insight into how Han could have developed into the considerate lover he seems to have become by the end of ROTJ. The illos weren't too bad either. As the mother of a 16-year- old son, it did give me cause for thinking.

"Encounter Off Kashyyyk"—Somebody else is a Brian Daley fan, I see. ((Actually, I was more in a Heinlein frame of mind when I wrote that story!—Ed)) Good Story, Cheree. Let the other fans grumble, I love hurt/comfort stories as long as they aren't overdone on the torture end of the scale. Anytime, Wanda Lybarger illos a story, it doubles my enjoy ment. The illo on page 33 sort of says it all, doesn't it?

"True Opponents"—Again, hurt/comfort done well, I think, though I was beginning to wonder who was going to bite the big one. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.

"The Rescue, Part 2"—Good attempt at filling in the gaps. Artwork was quite good, especially in those places where the creator had photos from the movie to work with. (I wish I could draw...sigh) "Memories"— Macabre! It was good to see Han sticking up for Luke for a change and showing confidence in the younger man's abilities. This kind of thing doesn't happen often enough. One thing, I'm glad I wasn't eating when I read this story.

"Whose Worth's Unknown"—Interesting. Having read some other of this author's fiction, I was not disappointed. Thanks for giving people the chance to under stand that sex is not just a young person's activity. It was a lesson that Solo (and a few others, as well) needed. I liked the character of Xalima. These days, it's darned near impossible to create a female character without someone screaming "Marysue!" I personally don't care. If the character is done well, that's the main thing. And what's so blasted wrong about putting yourself into the role? It's probably the only way any of us will get half a chance at either of the male leads.

"Communication"—Excellent! One page vignettes that move me are some of my favorite types of fan fiction. This one was no exception. Reading the dialogue from ESB, brings it all back to me. I was "lucky" enough to not know that Vader was Luke's father before I saw the movie. I cannot tell you how I was affected when Vader made the statement, "I am your father." I actually felt faint. I thought I was going to lose my grip. I wanted to shout "No!" right along with Luke, but knew deep down that it was the truth. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the despair in "Communication" is the same as what I felt then and knowing Vader turned at the end, doesn't make it hurt any less.

"Requiem"—Following on the heels of "Communication" in the zine was perfect. I reiterate what I said before, knowing that Vader turned before he died, doesn't make it hurt any less, or make it any easier to accept. The closing paragraphs were so eloquent I find it hard to write my feelings. The imagery of Luke crying beside his father's body is one I won't be able to get rid of for a long time.I firmly believe that the title of the 3rd movie did not refer to Luke Skywalker but to his father.

"The Wishing Well"—Good sensitive portrayal of Han Solo, without making him seem weak because he has emotions. If anything, it makes him stronger. "

Beneath the Mythos"—Absolutely, without a doubt, my favorite story in the zine. First person stories are not my favorites. This one is definitely an exception to that rule. The first two paragraphs gave me the shivers. I know, of course, that simply everyone is going to again scream "Marysue" about Karla, but I personally don't care. They're just jealous because she got Luke and they didn't. The mature picture of Luke Skywalker is excellent. His thoughts and words in the viewbay were some of the best I've read of the Luke from ROTJ. So many fans haven't given the Jedi a fair chance, preferring to concentrate on Han's feelings of loneliness and "now what do I do?" Everyone seems to have such a field day with Solo—saying how he builds this wall around himself to keep from being hurt. To my knowledge, very few have said that about Skywalker, but if we keep to George's canon, Luke is the one with more reason to do just that. The illustration at the end is just beautiful. I found it strange that almost every artist who's drawn a sleeping Solo or Skywalker seems to do the same thing. Solo, when asleep, definitely loses that facade of brash pirate, while Luke on the other hand seems so innocent when awake, yet asleep, there's a slight hint of darkness around him, portrayed so well in this illo. The mussed hair is nice. How can one say so much about a short story? Simple. I loved it!

"Voices on the Air"—Another Benedict masterpiece. Personally, I didn't find that much similarity to Temple of Doom; well, maybe a little. It was well writ ten as are all of Martie's stories, but I seem to be getting over my fascination with Harrison (just a little) and it was just another good Martie Benedict story. I hope she doesn't ever get over her fas cination with the man. Her descriptions are so well done, no one I know of uses adverbs as well as she does. Her stories almost need no illos, though the team of Benedict and Lybarger work so well together that I hope they don't take my words to heart. Good job, Martie.

"A Family Affair"—Poor Leia. (Hah!) I wouldn't mind at all being in a room full of Corellians. I don't know why Leia felt so uncomfortable. Maybe that many at once would be a little hard to take, but I'd be willing to trade places if she's interested.

"The Burdens of His Life" — Next to "Beneath the Mythos", this is my favorite. Of course, being a personal friend of Susan Matthews, she'd already told me about this one. Susan is one of the few writers I know of that can write a piece with a faint satiric bent, but so faint that you wonder if she isn't being serious, then you say, "no, it couldn't be that way," then you think maybe she was serious, and become totally confused. I re-read the piece several times and still couldn't decide. When I asked Susan if Luke handled himself well at his task of creating more Jedi, she said yes, but that she felt he might eventually get bored with the whole thing. I doubt it. Nice illustration on page 143. I've always had it in the back of my mind to do a poem called "Is it true what they say about Jedi?" Haven't written it yet but I believe Susan's answered the question. It is most definitely TRUE! The picture of Luke sitting, barely clothed on the edge of the bed, drinking out of the wine bottle, is priceless. Like I said, a fun story with just enough seriousness in it to make you sort of wonder. (By the way, if he's still working on it, would some body please tell me where the end of the line is? I'd like to volunteer!)

"With You Always"—The "darker side" of a similar subject from Kessel Run #4. Typical of Marcia Brin. Her very name usually sends me running for the tissues as I'm sure she'll try her best to twist my heart out. I must be perverted 'cause I love it. If you look at the end of ROTJ, it's certainly possible, though I hope not true. But thank you, Marcia, for a different look at the ending.

"Mindlink"—Excellent story combining the Big 3. I enjoy stories giving Han the chance to use the Force we all know he has. I am of the opinion and I've written it into my own alternte universe, that Han Solo very definitely should be- come a Jedi Knight. My reasoning being that if he has the Force (which even George has hinted at), might it be easy for him to be turned unless Luke teaches him the correct uses of power? I see no other alternative unless it's that Solo has no Force powers at all and that isn't so. This is one of those stories that would make a good movie in itself. It grabs you at the beginning and holds you till the final crashing ending. Especially liked the way the writer let us think it was all over then made us realize there was more.

As for comments on the overall zine, A Tremor in the Force #2 is a fine effort. It was clean, with no printing problems that I could discern, other than a few fadeouts here and there, but perhaps that was only in the copy I read. The cover was Marvelous! I do have one question about the cover, however. Why is it that in the photo used for the cover itself, that Han is just sitting, hands on knees and letting Leia do all the work? I know that the movie sort of left us hanging, wanting more of a clinch and George doesn't do that kind of thing, but couldn't Solo have used a little more feeling? The rendering of the scene was fantastic, though, promising, getting us set up. Perhaps, Cheree, you could draw the next scene for #3 (the one George left out)? ((I couldn't put that on the cover!! When I saw this photo, I got misty-eyed and said, "Awwwwww..." because

it was just so sweet. I couldn't resist it.—Ed))

I just couldn't resist writing this time around. Even though what I have sitting in my lap right now is only the second issue of A Tremor in the Force, this zine has already got to be consid ered one of the best! From that luscious front cover of my favorite princess and pirate to the back cover of just the pirate himself, it's just spectacular. Words almost fail me—almost. I must give credit where credit is due. "Rite of Passage" is yet another in what seems like a long series of Solo-comes-of-age stories, but this one is a lot more interesting than many others and I think that's basically because it's from the pen of T. S. Weddell. She's rapidly become one of my favorite writers and she has yet to disappoint me. Wendy Ikeguchi's illos accompanied the story wonderfully.

Like "Rite of Passage", "Encounter Off Kashyyyk" is not based on a new idea, but it proves to be a marvelously enter taining tale. It conveys a believable reason why such an odd couple would form such a strong brotherly bond. Nice job, Cheree! And Wanda Lybarger's illos are first-rate, as usual, especially the one on page 33. That just may be the best one I've seen from Wanda, if it's really pos sible to place just one of her illos above the rest. Does that woman ever make a mistake?

I am a fan of Patricia D'Orazio's Starsword series, so I was eagerly awaiting reading "True Opponents". While it was not quite the same as some of the other installments I've read, it was nonetheless a fascinating and exciting story. Even though I could see the twist coming at the end, that Han was actually Timero's true opponent, it didn't make the story predictable. Just terrific! "Whose Worth's Unknown"— well, what can I say? Could it be possible to apply the word "perfect" to this story? I think so. It just goes to show how much I love this story when I say that the only thing that I can nitpick about is the use of the phrase "Cordon Bleu" on page 95. And the only thing I regret is that we were unable to see more of Nancy Stasulis' art—but, of course, the Post Awful seems to love to fold, spindle, and mutilate anything that has to do with zines.

"Voices on the Air" is another typical Martie Benecict story—just a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not sure if the disclaimer about Temple of Doom was completely necessary, for me at least. The quest for treasure and mass enslavement are both plot devices that are as old as the hills, but they can still be made fresh and new by a skilled writer. Martie is definitely a skilled writer. But I guess that as an editor, you have to cover all your bases or else someone will slip in between the cracks and nail you to the wall—and editors bleed enough as it is.

Last but certainly not least is Carolyn Golledge's "Mindlink". Oh, hang onto this lady, Cheree—she's one of the best new writers to come along in a long, long time. Even though the story could have used a bit of tightening up in some spots and fleshing out in others, it proves to be a wonderfully entertaining story, nicely interweaving the serious and the funny. A fabulous and impressive debut, ably highlighted by Dani's artwork. Bravo!

All in all, TIF#2 is a first class zine and I'm already looking forward to #3.

A Tremor in the Force #2 was a very enjoyable read. I loved just about ev erything in it. The cover was fantastic! The only story I didn't like was "The Burdens of His Life". I just can't see Luke impregnating every female. Just doesn't fit in with my image of him. So, I guess I didn't agree with this one.

By far, the best story was "Mindlink". Bravo to Carolyn Golledge. I'm looking forward to reading more of her stuff.

I found "Goodbye" to be a very touching vignette. It goes along with what I've always felt; underneath all that armor, Darth really did love his son.

Suzy Sansom's illo for "Faux Pas" was hysterical. Had me in stitches!

"Rite of Passage" was interesting. I found it sad the way Han's buddies treat ed him, but kids are like that! I felt Wendy Ikeguchi's Han looked a bit older than 15.

Enjoyed "Encounter Off Kashyyyk" and "True Opponents." They both were well written and moved well.

"Whose Worth's Unknown" was great.

Liked the twist of Han and the Nahben "getting together". And Dodonna's re actions to Han and his handling of the whole situation were great!

Loved Jenni's illo for "Beneath the Mythos". Luke looks so sweet sleeping. Sigh...

"Voices on the Air" was very action packed! Enjoyed it! (And it did bear quite a resemblance to TOD!)

Thanks, Cheree, for a great zine! Looking forward to #3!

Wanted to tell you that I enjoyed TIF#2 tremendously. Another super issue.

Took me forever just to get past the front cover. In the movie, this scene conveys no passion, no real enjoyment between Han and Leia, but everything missing from ROTJ is there in your rendition. Thank you. Loved, absolutely loved T. S. Wed- dell's "Rite of Passage." It made me smile, sigh, breathe fast and, like Han, left me feeling very satisfied. Her "Whose Worth's Unknown" was also excel lent. A real lesson in character studies and the building of relationships. Not to mention the fact that once again, no female of any age can resist that Corellian!

"Memories" by L.A. Carr was just a tad too macabre for me. And Force or no, too unbelievable. "True Opponents" had me hooked from the first word and I devoured the story. Some writers I notice seem to go over board in the amounts and descriptions of the injuries they inflict on poor Han, but Patricia gives us neither too much or too little of his "sufferings", only enough to make us feel for Han and give us an understanding of his motives and actions. The villainess-turned-savior was imaginatively "different" and a nice change from the many "human" females Han encounters in the galaxy.

And, of course, I liked "Encounter Off Kashyyyk". I love "Han meets Chewie"

stories. They are all so full of heart-tugging emotions and this was no exception.

Am quite inpressed by the editing on A Tremor in the Force #2; the stories all seem to fall into the upper range of well written: strong characterization, especially (all too rare) in the non-Canon characters; solid action plots of one kind or another; and smooth, readable prose. I see that you've arranged them to fall chronologically in the SW time line, mostly, which is a thoughtful touch and good organization as long as it doesn't (as you don't let it, here) take over a zine entirely.

The longer stories are mostly excellent, though I must admit I didn't care as much as I should have for "Mindlink", which went on seemingly forever and after a while simply lost my interest, what with Han's broken leg and Leia coping with some oddly ruthless political opponents. Madmen, misogynous or otherwise, make the dullest villains, and Illkrig makes no sense whatever otherwise—at least the author took the one all-purpose and irrefutable excuse for his behavior instead of just saying, well, he was bad. This guy was ostensibly in the same New Republic as Leia, to start with. Such an about-face—in the middle of a public campaign, too—would cause comment in more places than Leia's personal entourage. I must comment on the several strengths, such as the unforced use of unabashedly other-galaxy terms, making the milieu foreign without sacrificing any understanding of what the story was about. Silagnite mines, kalin as a hot drink, and the many unfamiliar place names remind me that this isn't here-and- now, but are never used to obfuscate.

And, as you say, C3P0 has an honorable and well-characterized place among the cast, for once. And the art is enchant ing, fragile-lined, unmessy and generally accurate. The art throughout the zine is frequently good. Having long ago assimilated the idea that Han and Leia are fond of one another, I wasn't sure about the cover at first, but it does have a certain appropriate charm, as well as raising an interesting question or two about just what does make the Force tremble! No, not boring.

The stories, though well-written, seem to fall often into the "generic Han-story" mold. One enjoys the adventure, the new (and admirably extreme) view of how Han may have met Chewbacca, for in stance. T. S. Weddell's two stories both stand out, "Rite of Passage" as undeniably sweet and hopeful (like its main character), though to be honest, I don't see that this matches up with the Han Solo we see in SW particularly. But it could; yes, it could, and meanwhile the play on all the first-sex-for-Luke stories is part of its charm.

"Whose Worth's Unknown" is even better, a very strong "people" story which shows unexpected yet quite plausible sides of Han. The idea that a smuggler is a backstairs diplomat by the nature of his trade has seldom been exploited so well, without ignoring other characters, both canon and created, or the politics of Rebellion.

Patricia D'Orazio's two pieces are both memorable, too, "Faux Pas" for the sheer slapstick buildup, perfectly complemented by the Sansom illo. Indeed, C3P0 is rather a sleeper character throughout the zine, subtly highlighted here and elsewhere.

"True Opponents" does not disappoint from the Starsword series, which says a great deal in itself. Kelandros Mea sets the mood of the whole story (as the author obviously intends); Han and the SW events are part of her universe instead of she being pasted into theirs, and the character is strong enough to take that kind of role.

One other story to mention is "Memories", which provides a practical sugges tion of what the Force-trained adept may be able to do if necessary, and another couple of understated but perfectly in-place new characters. The horrors of war are not glossed over, but the rather opaque style kept them from being shock ing, rather than illustrative. A story that highlights Luke and Han working together with their complementary strengths, so well, is not to be lightly dismissed. Many of the shorter pieces were less enjoyable, being based mostly on familiar ideas with nothing very new to say. Exceptions here are "A Family Affair", which has a cheerfully untrammeled air; "The Burdens of His Life", which can't exactly be said to explore a hackneyed idea; and "With You Always", in which the writing quality redeems a concept reeking of over-sentiment.

I have for some reason seen little of T.S. Weddell or L.A. Carr before and am delighted to see two more writers with undeniable talent and more than a little skill already developed. Will have to see what else of theirs I may have missed earlier. The simple, stark Stults bacover is also quite arresting.

Thanks so much for my copy of A Tremor in the Force #2...and for accepting my submissions. It was a big thrill to see my first little bit of writing. I think you've created a monster, Cheree. I've had four other stories accepted, am working on four others, and have about 8,000 ideas buzzing around in the old brain. I was very pleased with the way my artwork appeared in the zine. Eventhe pencil drawings turned out great. Thanks again.

Now, as for the rest of the zine...I love the cover. I always like your work but I think this is one of the best things you've ever done. It's a beautiful drawing and makes a great cover. B. M. Stults' back cover of Han is equally im pressive.

The layout and reproduction are up to your usual high standards. I don't recall any major typos and everything is printed clearly...something I really appreciate in a zine. I like the way you published the stories in a roughly chronological order. It's a neat touch and added to my enjoyment of TIF.

"Faux Pas" by Patricia D'Orazio was a funny story. I loved finally learning how the infamous Solo-Wookiee feud got started. Suzy Sansom's illo is priceless. My favorite part of the illo is the Clan Solo-fella doing an Errol Flynn number in the background, as he fires at an equally Flynn-ish Wookiee!

I enjoyed "Rite of Passage" by T. S. Weddell. The author did a good job showing us a 15-year-old Future Corellian Spacer and his First Experience. I like the way Wendy Ikeguchi drew this adolescent Han—it seems just how he would have looked at this age.

"Encounter Off Kashyyyk... really like the name of this story. This was a really interesting story of how Han and Chewie first met, one of the best I've read on the subject. I think it really might have happened this way—seems logical. I love the name of the ship, Starwind, *sniff*. Too bad it was destroyed. I like how you described the space battle, Cheree. It was very easy to "see" the action unfold.

"True Opponents" was another interesting story. I like Chewie and always enjoy reading stories that treat him as more than Han's dumb, silent co-pilot. I love all of Laura Virgil's illos for this story. My favorite is the one of Han on page 40. This is a great illo and it is drawn in such an interesting way. I especially like the way she did the background. It makes the drawing more interesting and makes the figure of Han stand out so well. The expression on his face is drawn very well. I also want to com ment on Laura's illo of Chewie on page 49. I really like this drawing and the expression on his face. I think it's really hard to show emotion on Chewie's face...all that hair makes it difficult!

But this illo really makes the Wookiee come alive. My compliments to the art ist. I think Laura Virgil is one of the best artists in fandom and I always enjoy her work.

"Memories" by L.A. Carr was another interesting story. *shudder* Can't imagine many things more horrible than "reading" a dead man's last thoughts.

I like the character of "The Nahben Xalima" in Weddell's story, "Whose Worth's Unknown." I must admit that I was caught completely by surprise when Han and this elderly woman...err, uhhh... Got Together. I enjoyed the story, though I found this one element a little unbelievable.

"Requiem" by Jeanine Hennig was a well-written story and interesting. I like these sort-of "fill-in" stories, fanfic that brings us scenes we missed in the films. Hooray for "The Backlash Tango"! What a riot! My compliments to Zeudi Nimm and Ann Onimous, wherever they may be. Glad to see folks writing some posi tive post-ROTJ Luke stories. Linda Knights is a good writer and I enjoyed "Beneath the Mythos". Jenni's accompany ing illo is nicely done.

"Against the Wind"...Cheree, I love this! I've never heard the song by Bob Seger but, after reading these words, I'm gonna try to find it. "Spacin' was love ly; it made me feel so free— There in the darkness with the starsong singin' low" ...there are so many passages in this filk that gave me goosebumps!

I haven't had the chance to read much of the "In-Laws" series yet...but if "A Family Affair" is an example of the go ings-on in this universe, it should be a very interesting series!

"The Burdens of His Life" by Susan Matthews is priceless! I recall this topic being discussed in Southern Enclave. . .Matthews gave us a funny story... and an interesting future for Luke. "With You Always" by Marcia Brin... well, can't say I enjoyed this story!

Knowing this author's views on the SW characters, I'd call this a "wishful fillment story." Seriously, though...this story is well-written but I never like to see any of the main characters killed off. Two of 'em die in this story... gads, how depressing.

"Mindlink" by Carolyn Golledge was interesting and well-written. Very im pressive for a new writer. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Han suffer less bodily harm in this story...but that's just a personal preference. Well, I guess I should shut this down. I enjoyed everything in the zine. My compliments to the contributors of the several pieces I didn't mention. I enjoyed those things as well, but I've run out of time. Oops...almost forgot to mention how much I love Stults' "Oomak" in the portfolio. It's the cutest crit ter I've seen in ages!

Thanks again for another great zine, Cheree!

"True Opponents" was an excellent story. I have discovered very quickly that Patricia D'Orazio is one fine writer, and I look forward to any of her work, especially her "Starsword" series.

"Memories" was a bit too gross for my taste. I mean wanting someone's head as a souvenir--it's barbaric!

"The Wishing Well" provided us with a touching glimpse into Leia's past, a time when she was perhaps still allowed to be innocent. It also gave us a brief look at the illusive Mrs. Skywalker!

"Rite of Passage" is another good story that once again shows that under that tough ex terior of Han's is one gentle, sensitive person. I found the setting to be pretty realistic insofar as I have a feeling that teenagers are pretty similar no matter what time or galaxy they come from.

Finally, there was "Mindlink." It is an excellent story using all our main characters and showing again the powers of love. I like the idea of Han showing signs of having Force abilities, and in this story it was the greatness of his love for Leia which allowed him to achieve the seemingly

impossible.

Issue 3

front cover issue #3, Jim Markle

back cover of issue #3, Dianne Smith

A Tremor in the Force 3 was published in May 1986 and is 238 pages.

This issue was dedicated to the memory of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The art is by Judith Tyler, Mark Murphy, Steven Fox, Dianne Smith, Jim Markle, Dani, Ronda Henderson, Jenni, Yvonne Zan, Pat Easley, Melea Fisher, Sandi Jones, Wanda Lybarger, Mark Fisher, Nancy Stasulis, Barbara Frances-Simon, Martynn, Peggy Dixon, Martynn, and Beth Lentz.

[The editorial]:

Welcome to the third issue of A TREMOR IN THE FORCE. There was a general bemoaning throughout SW fandom during the past year that SW zines are dying out, that no one is writing SW fiction anymore, that there's not enough interest to keep the fandom going. Well...you couldn't prove it by me! This issue of TIF is bigger and better than ever! I've already got contributions coming in for #4! Maybe some of the old-time fans are gafiating or moving on to other pursuits, but there are still plenty of people out there for whom SW still holds an immense fascination.

This issue sees some of our regulars returning in full form ~ Carolyn Golledge, Marcia Brin, Jeanine Hennig, T. S. Weddell, Wanda Lybarger and Dani ~ plus many artists and writers who have not been published here before. Some are well known names — Michelle Malkin, Carol Mularski and Jacqueline Taero. Others are brand-new — Ronda Henderson, Sandi Jones and Judith Tyler, Matthew Whitney, Karen Finch and Katherine Gillen. To all we extend welcome.

In the art department, we are very, very proud to welcome into our ranks Dianne Smith, a generous and talented lady from West Yorkshire, England, who is bestowing on fandom some of the most lovely art it has seen in quite sometime. I know you will enjoy her stunning portraits in the portfolio published here as well as the bacover. I plan to feature lots of Dianne's art in the future — including, for all you rabid Fordfans out there, one of the most luscious color portraits I've seen in quite some time as the cover of my new Fordzine, CHOICE PARTS, due out later this year. I suggest you wear a bib; you're gonna need it!

I'm also happy to welcome Steven Fox, whose sf portfolio I'm sure you will also enjoy. Besides sheer technical artistry, his drawings are whimsical and imaginative. We hope to feature more of Steven's art in the future.

And finally welcome to Jim Markle, Mark and Melea Fisher, and Mark Murphy, all local Dallas artists. This issue of TIF features a lot of local talent. Besides these four, Jenni, Gail Small and Pat Easley are all members of the Southern Enclave! Thanks, gang! We couldn't have done it without you!

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Puzzles by Lynda Vandiver and Marci Erwin (17)
• Darth Vader's Revenge by Judith Tyler, art by Tyler ("A five-part story presented here in its entirety. Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side and Palpatine is determined that he will remain there.") (20)
• The Emperor's Elite by Karen Finch, art by Mark Murphy (38)
• Presenting the Art of Steven Fox: Portfolio (42)
• The Girl Back Home by Carol Mularski, art by Dani ("Sixteen-year-old Luke Skywalker could only feel the call of the stars. How could he gently dissuade the lovely young girl who had set her cap for him?") (This story was originally to have been in Mos Eisley Tribune #4 in 1980.) (49)
• Soliloquy in Silence by Jacqueline Taero (60)
• A Candle for Alderaan by Ronda Henderson, art by Henderson (62)
• Tales from the Dark Side, art by Jenni (64)
• Father and Son, poem by Michelle Malkin (65)
• Of Good Intentions, poem by Jeanine Hennig (66)
• And Then Again by Michelle Malkin (67)
• To the Victor... Belongs the Spoils by Robin White, art by Yvonne Zan (70)
• The Sins of the Mother by Gail Small, art by Pat Easley (74)
• Another Reality by Michelle Malkin, art by Melea Fisher and Yvonne Zan (78)
• Darkside Trio, poems by Pat Easley (82)
• Two Points of View by Sandi Jones, art by Jones ("Written in counterpoint to Susan Matthews' "The Burdens of His Life" (TIF#2), this story explores both Luke's thoughts and those of a woman bearing his child.") (84)
• Unseen Hand by Jacqueline Taero ("Who knows what Force lurks behind the events we have seen?") (88)
• "White Feather". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by T.S. Weddell, art by Wanda Lybarger (A story of Han's early ill-fated military career. "Young Han Solo had it all—a budding career in the Starfleet and a beautiful fiancee from a wealthy and powerful family. Then suddenly everything goes wrong because he will not compromise his honor. Publicly court-martialed as a coward and traitor, he becomes a symbol of contempt to all Corell. It is only a lone Wookiee that seems to understand what honor is all about.") (93)
• Blame It On Bespin by Cheree Cargill (116)
• Of Matters Baronial by Jacqueline Taero (117)
• Dawn on the Forest Moon by Matthew Whitney, art by Mark and Melea Fisher ("It was the morning after the night of celebration on Endor. Luke had been unable to sleep and now found solace in forest of the Ewoks.") (118)
• On the Road by Marty Benedict, art by Jim Markle (128)
• Musings of a Princess by Jean Thompson (125)
• The Next Step by Katherine Gillen, art by Jim Markle (128)
• The Man with Laughter in His Eyes by Kate Birkel, art by Nancy Stasulis ("An alternate for ROTJ. Jabba has had Han released from carbon freeze for the sole purpose of enjoying his pain through torture. What Luke, Lando and Chewie finally rescue can scarcely be called human. The physical body, however, can be repaired. But what happens if the mind and soul of that body has escaped to unknown reaches and cannot be found? ") (133)
• The Dark Lord and Land, poem by Ronda Henderson (143)
• The Art of Dianne Smith: Portfolio (144)
• Winner Takes All by Robin White, art by Barbara Frances-Simon ("Alliance agents on Tatooine are being killed. Luke and Han are sent to infiltrate and find the killer.") (149)
• Pillow Talk by Carol Mularski, art by Martin (161)
• Legacy by Judith Tyler, art by Yvonne Zan (166)
• "Murder On the Interstellar Empress". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Marcia Brin, art by Dani (Set post Return of the Jedi. "Taking their first vacation in years, Han and Leia set sail on the luxury star liner. Interstellar Empress. It is a dream come true, until they run across an apparently drug-related murder. No one seems inclined to investigate, so they undertake to find the killer themselves—and discover that they have now become targets.") (169)
• A True Partner by Marci Erwin (182)
• "Full Circle". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golledge, art by Dani ( (Post Return of the Jedi. Boba Fett has survived the sarlacc and is determined to take revenge on Solo. "A full-length post-JEDI novel. Boba Fett has survived the Sarlacc pit, crawling up from its gut as the powerful stomach acids ate away his armor and skin. Found wandering in the Dune Sea by Trella, an empath, he is nursed back to health. The two fall in love and, listening to Fett's fevered rantings of the events leading up to his fall, Trella grows to hate Han Solo with the same passion as did Fett. Once he has recovered and is strong again, the two set out after Solo, bent on revenge.") 184)
• The Ultimate "Trash the Corellian" Story by Roz, art by Dianne Smith (236)

• 

  from issue #3, Yvonne Zan

• 

  from issue #3, Mark Murphy

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #3, Dani

• 

  from issue #3, Ronda Henderson

• 

  from issue #3, Jenni

• 

  from issue #3, Melea Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Pat Easley

• 

  from issue #3, Mark Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Melea Fisher

• 

  from issue #3, Jim Markle

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, Dianne Smith

• 

  from issue #3, inside back cover, Yvonne Zan

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

Cheree Cargill's third issue of A Tremor in the Force, like its predeces sors, is S clean, well-designed zine. Especially strong is the selection of fiction, with its combination of new and well-known authors. The art is also distinctive, with representations from the works of Mark and Melea Fisher, Dani Lane, Jim Markle and Dianne Smith, as well as others.

A special section is new and different with its "Tales From the Dark Side," a series of short stories and art by Michelle Malkin, Jeanine Hennig, Robin White, Gail Small, Jacqueline Taero, Sandi Jones and Yvonne Zan. All the stories have a Dark slant, with Luke or Leia's eventual fall to, or destruction by, the evil side of the Force. The variations writers found on this theme are intriguing and suggest even more stories.

Carolyn Golledge's "Full Circle" is the longest story in the zine, as she brings back Boba Fett from the Sarlacc's pit, determined to avenge himself on the man responsible for his defeat, Han Solo. But as Boba Fett should well know from dealing with Solo in the past, things rarely go according to plan. Marcia Brin's "Murder on the Interstellar Empress" is an old-fashioned mystery, as Han and Leia's incognito vacation turns into a murder investigation when Leia finds a dead body in her locker.

Robin White's "Winner Loses All" returns Luke and Han to Tatooine, where old friends just might be involved in the disappearance of Rebel agents.

And Han's inability to obey an order destroying innocent travelers has incredible repercussions in "The White Feather," by T. S. Weddell.

I agree about the art in TREMOR #3. I wrote in my LoC that all the art was so good that I couldn't pick favorites, and it was no exaggeration! Before I wrote my letter, I made a list of all the notable pieces, and by the time I was finished, realized I'd best say "everything." Yeah, Dianne Smith is especially good; saw some of her oils at WorldCon and I think she did well, so everybody must agree with us!

In TREMOR IN THE FORCE, I particularly liked the art portfolio of Dianne Smith. I'm no expert, of course, but she seems to be an especially talented artist! Jenni's Darkside Luke is a real charmer (those EYES!) and Jim Markle's cover drawing is well done also.

Well, what can I say?! Even I, possibly the world's biggest glutton for SW fic have only now completed digesting this feast! The most satisfying heavy meal since I gorged myself on KESSEL RUN 4. You did a great job, Cheree! But what a mammoth effort! You must have been exhaust ed! Everyone involved is certainly to be congratu lated! For me, the most immediately striking aspect of this issue was the abundance of excellent artwork. How could you ever choose a favorite?! What with Jim Markle's eerily threatening front cover (what are they confronted with, Jim?), to Dianne Smith's breathtaking portraits (I like her bacover best, I think...though Luke is superb! ...and Han with baby Ewok! Just right! Two cuties together! But there is some sort of light, a sheer joy of living, a pride in one another, something that makes the bacover of Han and Chewie really grab you and keep you looking!

Whoops, prattling again! Steven Fox's work gave me so many ideas for stories! I'd love to see these in color! Then, of course, there was what we now take for granted, excellent bring-the-story-to- life illos by Wanda Lybarger and Dani Lane. The icing on the cake was the variety, newcomers, so many wonderful styles! From the soft pencil-look of Barbara Frances-Simon to the stark black and whites of Ronda Henderson, Pat Easley's free-flow ing Iines...Stasulis, Martynn, Zan! Where did you find so many, Cheree?!

That's only a skimpy comment on the art work! I'd have to write an epic to truly tell you how much and why I enjoyed everything in a zine which will always be kept near the top of my pile, in easy reach for a re-read.

The two stories that most stick in my mind are Judith Tyler's excellent "Darth Vader's Revenge" (had me choking back tears when baby Luke responded to his father's desperate plea!) and T. S. Weddell's "The White Feather" (which I have raved on about elsewhere). All I will say here is that for me there are now no gaps in my mental image of Han's life and the reasons for his bitter ness and dislike of authority...and fear of falling for the Princess. It's all here and, as usual, a beautifully crafted, can't-put-it-down read.

The Dark Side stories! I was awaiting these with great interest and I wasn't disappoint ed! But, c'mon, guys--show some mercy. It may be summer over there when you get your zines, but it's winter here! I didn't need anymore chilling! Personally, I enjoyed Michelle Malkin's alternates the most. (Hang on a tic, I don't think "enjoyed" was quite the right word!) Anyway, "Another Real ity" was a fascinatingly convoluted twist.

(Heck! I forgot to rave about Melea Fisher's artwork! What talent! I can't get enough of her illos! The likenesses to the actors are so accurate, but besides that, she captures mood in a way that reaches out and takes you by the throat... [shut up, Darth].) I particularly like stories that are written in answer to or because they are sparked by a previous story on the same topic, and the second writer approaches the issue from another angle entirely. Therefore, I found Sandi Jones' "Two Points of View" intriguing reading. I don't think I've read a story that tells the same incident (ahem) from two POV's (Ben woulda like this one!) and I found it a refreshing tactic.

I love Matthew Whitney's stories for the humanity he brings to the characters. They are very real and their reactions and thoughts are amazingly true to the people of the films. Also like his talent for background description. (Aftermath of a party, huh, Matthew? Sorry, couldn't resist!) Line I liked best? "He [Vader] had been human, and the reality had been better than the fantasy." The Fishers' artwork for this was an absolute treat. First person writing is always difficult, but Jean Thompson's "Musings of a Princess" sounded straight from Leia's heart. Liked it very much. Kate Birkel's "The Man With Laughter in His Eyes" made me almost glad Lucas portrayed Jabba as far less evil than I had expected. Kate's is probably a more real interpretation of what would have happened had this not been a fairy-tale universe. It left me feeling shakey! The description of the "place" Han had been sorta wrapped around the reader, too, and hung on. Very well written.

"Winner Loses All" by Robin White...clever idea. Loved Han's reaction to Luke's...um...cunning.

Straight dialogue vignettes are another favorite of mine, so I enjoyed Carol Mularski's "Pillow Talk" also. Laughed over Han's, "Yeah, nd Darth Vader was your father, too" and Leia's response. Favorite cartoon: Peggy Dixon's Han Solo-- Family Man! HA! Should have made mention of a third story that stuck with me, Marcia Brin's "Murder on the Interstellar Empress". Loved a more light-hearted adventure after the heavier stuff. But it sticks because of the wonderful banter between Han and Leia, reminds me of Liz S.'s wonderful portray al of them in "Command Performance." Laughter prolonged and to the point of sore sides and tears in the eyes? ROZ (? Okay, who are ya?)--"The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story"! After the ad nauseum things I did to the poor guy in "Full Circle", I couldn't help but feel this one was dedicated to me! (Although those references seemed to be to others more...Lmm..skilled than I!) At any rate, this was the one I read over out loud to any unfortunate I could tie down long enough!

Poetry: I am now as hooked on Ronda Henderson's beautiful emotive pieces as I am on Jacqueline Taero's clever rhymes. I have had the

privilege to read more of Ronda's work which is yet to be printed. Watch for it. She has a talent for warming your heart and leaving you with the same good feeling that the final scene of ROTJ created. Well, I can't go into any more depth on the feelings left by TIF#3 or Cheree'd never have the room to print the stories for which I am already avidly craving! Keep up the good work, Cheree, and maybe I'll let you have Han back to...umm...keep up your morale!

What can I say about TIF#3? It had one great story after another. "Darth Vader's Revenge" was probably the best pre-New Hope story I've read. It was totally absorbing, emotionally powerful and presented a quite plausible scenario. I found the "Tales from the Dark Side" section to be an interesting change of pace. While I would never like to see our heroes really fall to the darkside, these stories add a little diversity and spice to their lives. I particularly liked "Another Reality", "The Sins of the Mother", and my favorite among the Dark Side stories, "To the Victor...Belong the Spoils". The perversion and decadence of Luke's soul is so thick you could cut it with a knife! Leia, on the other hand, is willing to sacrifice her own soul to the dark so that Light could live and conquer the darkness--a sacrifice probably more unselfish and noble than giving her life itself. Somehow I doubt that she would truly ever be lost to that darkness. I found "Dawn on the Forest Moon" to be a realistic and sensitive portrayal of what Luke might be feeling the morning after the big blowout. His father was no longer some far away person to be idolized but a person like him who could fail and still have the strength and courage to pick himself up and succeed. It made Luke realize it was OK not to be perfect and that there is always hope for all of us. "The Next Step" was sweet with Luke's mom coming to comfort him as well as Leia. I would like to see more interaction between the twins and their mother. "Legacy" was touching and "Pillow Talk" lighthearted and a lot of fun. "Murder on the Interstellar Empress" provided a nice little adven ture for Han and Leia. An honorable Boba Fett? It is an interest ing concept, and like "Mindlink", another good story by Carolyn Golledge. It could perhaps have been trimmed down a bit in places, but all in all, it was captivating and well written. Finally, my favorite story was "The Man With Laughter in His Eyes". It was again a story of love and caring in the purest sense. The star that Han needed and probably sought all his adult life was the ability to love, and once he opened up his own heart to the truth, he found he had that ability all along. Cheree, you get the grammy for "Blame It On Bespin"!

That about sums it up on ATITF for now. All three books had an excellent and diverse range of topics, love, romance, action, tension. It was well put together and the art was beautiful. I EAGERLY await #4!

As usual, TIF was a pleasure to read. "Darth Vader's Revenge"--Excel lent, a tragic story that nevertheless has a spark of hope at the end. I got entirely involved with the characters; their feelings were well-conveyed. "Tales from the Darkside"--Sigh. I have an aversion to Darkside stories, which has nothing whatsoever to do with a particular author or the high quality of the writing. And it seems a bit unfair that most such stories deal with Luke. Nice illo on page 80. "The White Feather"--It's amazing how people can twist the facts to suit themselves, truly amazing. But I'm glad Han did what he did. We can't just go along like automotons, when we know something is wrong. And, I knew, like Chewie, that Han had not lost his basic decency and never would, no matter what he pretended. "The Man With Laughter in His Eyes"-- Honestly, I'm of two minds about this story. The beginning is like something out of Stephen King, truly awful. The escape symbolism, the starfield, is quite good. If only the first part weren't so horrible. I doubt if anyone would want to see this on the screen. You don't have to tell me about Dianne Smith. I have one of her works hanging proudly on my wall. "Winner Loses All"--If I didn't know better, I would think that Camie and Fixer were the victims in this story, and Luke the criminal. Certainly, Camie knew what buttons to push to make Luke feel that way. "Murder on the Interstellar Empress"-- Marcia always does Han and Leia well. "Full Circle"--Gee, Boba Fett looks just like Clint Eastwood! I can hear him now..."Go ahead...make my day!" Han is certainly picking up some interesting friends. There were a couple of lines that gave me a chuckle--"the General's meth ods of self-destruction were really becoming interesting" and "It's okay- The kid's not violent when he's just finished breakfast."

"The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story"-- How true!

I think I mentioned in a previous letter how hard it is to find decent SW fanzines at the local cons. (How hard it is to find ANY decent fanzines!) I was so used to seeing the usual, cliche'd stories that TIF completely blew me away!! I don't think I disliked a single story in the entire zine! I'll try not to comment on every single one, but bear with me if I do. "Darth Vader's Revenge"--It's so nice to see a story where Vader is more than a huffing and puffing sadist. Of course, in the story Vader is still mostly Anakin, but still... It's such a sad story, really, a classic "fall of the hero" cycle-- that last bit of humanity stamped out of Anakin's soul. And yet, one can see how he can still have good in him. "The Emperor's Elite"--What a total sur prise! A SW story with none of the characters from any of the movies. Great story, too--does a lot to flesh out that particular universe. "The Girl Back Home"--Such a nice, sweet story! We grounding of Luke's dreams, etc. "Tales From the Dark Side"--This whole section completely blew me away! I sort of sat there with my mouth open, making inane noises--and then I started biting my nails. I mean, all these situations could have occurred! So, briefly... "Father and Son"--This one might have happened, but I guess we'll never know. "Of Good Intent ions"--Oh, the irony of it!! "I will deal with them as I have dealt with you" sent shivers up and down my spine! I love this one! "And Then Again..."--I'm glad it didn't happen this way! (What an understatement!) I mean, where would we be if it had? "To the Victor..."--The end was so poignantly effective; the line from JEDI nearly did me in. Poor Leia. Onto the other stories in the zine-- "Unseen the Hand"--It's a very funny story, but somehow, I didn't quite get it. I'll have to re-read, I guess. "The White Feather"--so that's how it happened! I liked the way the author tied in Han's trial/"treachery" with his meeting of Chewbacca. I have to admit that I've often wondered how exact ly Han was thrown out of the Corellian fleet, and the story was even better than excellent! I wish I could write stuff like that. Sigh. "The Man with Laughter in His Eyes"--In spite of some minor details in Han and Leia's relationship I didn't agree with, this was one of my favorite stories. To paraphrase Marion Raven- wood, "Han never seems to get a break, does he?" Figuratively, ngt literally! He certain got enough "breaks" in this one! I think I am running out of adjectives here, but it was just such a good story! I'm glad it had a happy ending (so to speak). "Pillow Talk"--Hysterical! Deliciously funny! (Maybe I'm not running out of adjectives) "Gasp--how did you know?" Hee-hee-hee! "Murder on the Interstellar Empress"-- Marcia Brin is such a good writer. I like this vision of our heroes' future the best. It seems just like the way Han and the Princess wound end up. Great plot, great characterization, great dialogue, great everythingi "Full Circle"-Wow! Boba Fett looks like Clint Eastwood?? It was a very good story, excel lently using and expanding a fairly unpleasant minor character into a living person. I personally don't think that Fett would turn out to have been such a nice guy, but good story anyway! And finally, last, but never least, "The Ultimate Trash the Corellian Story". Oh, God! I thought I would die laughing! I wish I could give a copy to all the writers who have ever trashed poor Han! It was more than funny--it was utterly, absolutely, undeniably, incredibly hysterical! I was in stitches--and still am every time I re-read. It's just that the Caressable Corellian is so much fun to trash! (I should know--having attempted to do so in a couple of stories.) Ten stars to Roz-- she certainly deserves them!

Well, despite my best efforts, I still created a monster. I'm sorry I wasn't able to mention any of the other stuff I I iked--the poems, cartoons and artwork! However, I must mention Dianne Smith's portfolio--it made me want to burn my pencils and drawing pads! Oh, drool, drool, into eternity! What a talented lady!

Issue 4

front cover issue #4, Dianne Smith

back cover of issue #4, Jim Markle

inside back cover of issue #4, Carol Peters

A Tremor in the Force 4 was published in 1988 and is 207 pages.

• Letters of Comment (3)
• A Long Night's Journey Into Day, story by Judith Tyler (Obi-Wan has watched and waited. Now the New Hope of the Jedi is ready to start his journey.) (7)
• Nothing More Than Feelings, story by Judith Tyler (Leia must stand before Vader and watch helplessly as Han is lowered into the carbonite pit.) (10)
• Hyl Rann's Discovery, story by Judith Tyler (The imperial spy has uncovered vital information on Yavin that could spell the end of the Death Star and now must bear dark tidings to his master, Darth Vader.) (13)
• Boushh, poem by Susan Zahn (20)
• Love Resurrected, poem by Susan Zahn (21)
• Merry Days, My Lovely, story by Kate Birkel (It has been twenty years since Han Solo stormed out of his marriage to Leia Organa. Can a certain Jedi bring them back together at long last?) (22)
• A Mother's Love, story by Ruth Radecki (The time of celebration on Endor following the destruction of the Death Star was also a time of intimate sharing and soul-searching for both Han and Leia.) (38)
• A Scene from the Past: What Could Have Happened by Margaret Lynn Stewart (42)
• Reclaimed, story by Barbara Gardner ("Darth Vader has discovered that he has a son in hiding on Tatooine. It is simplicity itself to slip into the Lars holding and reclaim 4-year-old Luke.") (43)
• To Be A Jedi, story by Marti Schuller (Luke takes three students to Dagobah to finalize their training as Jedi. The pathway for each is different and, ultimately, each must face his own trial with the Dark Side.) (47)
• The Lando Calrissian Last-Minute Hero Blues, poem by Jacqueline Taero (64)
• "Diamond of the First Water". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Marcia Brin (Set post Return of the Jedi. Han and Leia go to Trantos for a diplomatic affair that develops complications. A jewel theft and diplomatic intrigue await Han and Leia as they attend a treaty conference outside the Alliance's jurisdiction.) (65)
• Bright Suns Shone by Maggie Nowakowska ("A lost Jedi soul searches for understanding in a dialogue with its mentor.") (83)
• Weight Wars: Jabba's New Hope by Peggy Dixon and Diane Pitman (88)
• Changeling, story by Matthew Whitney ("The child of Owen and Beru Lars had died at birth, but now Owen's brother, Ben Kenobi, approached them with a desperate request—that they foster the newborn son of Anakin Skywalker and pass the babe as their own.") (99)
• Into the Dark Side, story by James Booth (Han and Leia have moved with their son to the remote world of Ella where Leia discovers that the Emperor's reach from the Dark Side is not limited by death or distance.) (103)
• Time To Go, vignette by Melanie Guttierrez (120)
• Who Dares Do More by Irina Ozernoy ("Did you ever wonder how Wedge Antilles made it through the Rebellion without a scratch?") (122)
• The Conspiracy of Kommnor, story by Angela Fassio ("Originally published in the Italian zine ALLIANCE, this is the first time this outstanding novella has been translated into English! The end of the war and the consequent fall of the Empire marked the beginning of a ticklish period during which the stormy and dramatic events that had troubled the Galaxy were still vividly remembered and the ghosts of the past seemed to dim the New Era. During this difficult time of transition, several traps and threats hid themselves in the shadows...") (123)
• "Victory Scars". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (Burning debris rains on Endor after the destruction of the Death Star. Massive forest fires result—and the ewok tribes in the distant hills look for the person responsible. Luke Skywalker is targeted as an offering to the Fire Demons. Can Han find him in time? And how can Endor be saved?) (143)
• Sith Before Weddings, story by Kerry Nash (The Sith are ethereal beings who have always been tied to the Jedi. Now Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are their only contacts and such contact is interlaced with hidden perils.) (162)

• 

  inside issue #4, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  inside issue #4, Dani

• 

  inside issue #4, Melanie Guttierrez

• 

  inside issue #4, Pat Easley

• 

  inside issue #4, Rebecca Carey

• 

  inside issue #4, Dianne Smith

• 

  inside issue #4, Dianne Smith

• 

  inside issue #4, Fabrizio Bertellino

• 

  inside issue #4, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  inside issue #4, Catherine Churko

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

A Tremor in the Force has always been a quality zine, and after a brief hiatus, its return to publishing is most welcome. With a combination of new names and old favorites, readers will find excellent fiction, from a Han-Leia detective story to a ghostly reunion.

Judith Tyler starts off the zine with a trio of short stories. "A Long Night's Journey Into Day" sends Kenobi into Anchorhead, to see what Anakin's manchild has become; while Leia, in "Nothing More Than Feelings," finds herself plagued with questions as she recalls the events on Bespin. And "Hyl Rann's Discovery" earns him an unexpected reward when he reveals the identity of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star to Darth Vader.

Two other stories deal with the young Luke Skywalker. Kenobi must make a harsh bargain with his brother to protect Anakin's son, in "Changeling," by Matthew Whitney; and Barbara Gardner provides an imaginative twist in "Reclaimed," when Vader easily retrieves the four-year-old Luke and just as easily gains his affections. In Melanie Guttierrez's "Time to Go," an older Luke reflects back at the place he had in life. And Maggie Nowakowska's "Bright Suns Shone" is a one-sided dialogue between Kenobi and Yoda in the twilight that proves Kenobi still has a lot to learn.

Marcia Brin returns to fan fiction with another mystery for Han and Leia to solve in "Diamond of the First Water." When a fist-sized diamond vanishes at a diplomatic reception, only Han realizes that why a diamond of the first water is the clue to its recovery. Ruth Radecki's "A Mother's Love" finally brings Han and Leia together on Endor.

Kate Birkel makes the path of true love mightily complicated in "Merry Days, My Lovely," in which Luke masterminds Han's re-appearance in Leia's life after a twenty year absence. James Booth's "Into the Dark Side" is a tragic tale of revenge, when both Luke and the only son of Han and Leia are lost in a planetary catastrophe. It is only later that Luke can reveal to Leia that the destruction was arranged by the still-powerful Emperor, and that he and her son are prisoners of the Dark Side. Han's fury at his son's murder leaves Leia to face Palpatine and the Dark Side to free her family.

The four longest stories are all set in the post-"Return of the Jedi" universe. In Carolyn Golledge's "Victory Scars," neither Luke nor Endor have escaped their battles with the Emperor unscathed. Luke cannot reach the Force, and Death Star debris ignites forest fires. As the Ewoks and Alliance fight to save the forest, Luke and Han run afoul of angry Ewoks who want revenge. The future of the Jedi is in doubt when Luke takes his three apprentices to Dagobah for training, in "To Be A Jedi." The results of their test at the tree endangers the Master as well as the students in this story by Marti Schuller.

Kerry Nash reveals the secrets of the Sith in "Sith Before Weddings," when a series of ghostly incidents command the presence of Luke and Leia to investigate. The Sith, angry at the destruction of their allies, the Emperor and Vader, are threatening disaster for the galaxy, and only the twins can persuade them that they had been misled. And in part one of Angela Fassio's "The Conspiracy of Kommnor," a very complicated web of intrigue and danger sends Luke off after the first solid clue to the surviving Jedi; while at the same time, the enemies of the Republic move to destroy him and the missing Jedi.

Thank you for publishing yet another enjoyable publication. I knew that I had no faith that you would publish another issue. Thank you for proving me wrong. It's great! Please do many more. Artwork was wonderful and the stories were delightful to read. Having seen Carolyn in Australia, I was able to have a preview of her "Victory Scars". The lady has some wonderful story ideas. Too bad about the arrow being in the wrong shoulder. I would never have picked it up if I had not been told. Wanda's drawings once again are ny favorite. "Merry Days, My Lovely" Kate Birkel was another gem. "Sith Before Weddings" by Kerry Nash was yet another well-written story that added to an excellent publication.

"Merry Days, My Lovely" and "A Mother's Love", both great stories, and oh, that devious Luke. He is seldom portrayed as such a human type. I like him much better when he behaves in a more human and less mystical way. "Diamond of the First Water" — as usual, Marcia Brin's story was great, but I think she should make a sign to put on the Falcon — "Organa and Solo Private Investigations." "The Conspiracy of Konnnor" — I think I I'm going to like this, but since it fits into my pet zine hate (continued stories), I will wait to make my decision. "Victory Scars" — Carolyn does it again. Anotter great story. These were my favorites, storywise.

Artwise, Lybarger as usual is great, Dianne Smith has some nice work also, but I was somewhat disappointed in her cover. I do not believe it was up to her usual standard. Han's face does not seem right. Melanie Guttierrez' picture of the spirits in the Ewok village was outstanding as was the space scene by Catherine Churko. All in all, a really outstanding zine. Thanks for a job well done.

Lots of good and interesting reading this time around by contributors old and new, even if one of them is the dreaded "to be continued" tale. I enjoyed the zine from cover to cover and was sorry to come to the end. One small comment before I go on— isn't it amazing two readers in two different states both thought Bob)a Fett looks just like Clint Eastwood? He does, too. Being a very early fan of his, I thought it was great. ((Ed: I'm sure Dani intended her illos of Boba Fett to look like Clint Eastwood—a wonderful touch.)) Just a couple of things to remark upon this time. I think that Marcia Brin must be a fan of old movies. Her Han and Leia remind me of Nick and Nora Charles and her stories certainly read like the plots of films of the time. Nice to see contributions by the male fans. I know they're out there. They're just very quiet. Also glad to see your Italian story. I really got into it and was a little disappointed to find out I have to wait to find out that happens.

Another fine offering Carolyn Golledge, tho keeps getting better all the time. She trashes Han—again—although too, too badly this time and does the same for Luke, all in a good cause. After all, Palpatine's energy bolts had to have some after effect on Luke. Temporary loss of the Force seems logical and it stands to reason that a peqple as primitive as the Ewoks would blame Luke for their troubles, especially if they knew about the funeral pyre.

Thanks to Dianne Smith for the excellent front cover and to everyone for a marvelous zine. I'm already anticipating number five so much I can't stand it. I know that it will be up to the high standards set by the other four.

Many thanks for putting tte effort into producing the fourth installment of TISKXt IN IHE FEMX. It is so nice to have a new SW fan zine appesa in the mailbox after such a long spell between such offerings! The first thing to catch the eye iqxn unwrapping this delightful package was Dianne Stadth's lovely front oavec illustration. It is truly a work of art! Art tells a story in and of itself and it is fun to leaf through a just-received fanzine to scan the artwork. You can form a story in your mind from these renditions alone. That it's fun to read the accompanying text to see hew the first pictorial impressions correlate or differ from the actual story. The artists for all the fanzines to be thanked for providing those of us have trouble stringing together to form words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs for some very entertaining viewing pleasures. They have a talent I truly envy! Each and everyone's work is predated, even if tteir name does not get mentioned.

This is equally true of the fine authors whose works are represented within the pages of TREMOR, as well. It is difficult to single out all of those whose works are liked as there is only so much space available in a letter. Needless to say, all those who contributed deserve specialized praise for helping to keep SW fandom alive and publishing!

Viewing the table of contorts is rather like viewing a Christmas catalogue filled with fantasy wishes. It is a delight. Seeing all the names of the people whose works I have enjoyed in the past helps me to savor that which is to come in the as-yet-unread issue.

Marcia Brin has crafted a delightful story in "Diamond of the First Water." I rather like the lightness she is able to create in the mood of the tale. It is almost like casting Han and Leia as Nick and Nora Charles. Wanda Lybarger's art adds a nice touch to tte story. It was extremely well done. After not having seen a new SW fanzine in quite a time, having all these stories togetter at once was rather like being a kid in a candy store. It's hard to decide that you want to devour next!

Knowing Carolyn Golledge would have another delightful trash Han piece somewhere in the zine, I hurried to that and it was indeed very much fun. Again, the accompanying art by Wanda was something which doubled the pleasure.

Now I shall sit and await news of the next volume of this zine which will be carrying a to-be-continued story. But with SW, "to be

continued" is the name of the game.

Excellent zine! The covers - well, what can one say? Dianne has not done bad art yet. The varying typestyles was something many people complain about. I liked it! It gave in interest to the zine and probably saved your fingers as well, if you had help. Do it again. I didn't mind at all! ((Ed: I do all the typing on my zines. The varying typestyles are a result of doing the zines on different machines. In TF#4's case, part was done on a Wang laserprinter, part one Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet printer, part on my Brother HR-15 computer printer and on my Adler SE1011 electronic typewriter! This issue (TF#5) was done on the HP LaserJet, on the Brother, and on my new NEC 5300 Pinwriter.))

I won't comment on every story because I don't have the time. Suffice to say ttere wasn't anything I disliked. So I'll just hit the high points.

"Reclaimed" — There but for the Grace of the Force... I do enjoy these stories that show how easily things could have been so different. "To Be a Jedi" — Not quite the picture of Luke I see in my mind, but still a good story. I do suspect the illustrator might be a Jason Connery fan (or am I imagining things?). "Diamond of the First Water" — Why doesn't Marcia Brin turn pro and do some mainstream whodunits? I really enjoy a good mystery though I must admit I figured out where the diamond was hidden the second I read about the water pitcher. I think that trick's been used somewhere before—but it's still a good place to hide stolen "ice".

"Bright Suns Shone" — This one is going to take some tine to digest. Like most of Maggie's stuff, it's heavy on the philosophical side. She likes to make the readers think. I'm going to have to read this one a couple of times and think on it. Perhaps a discussion with her would be nice. I'll have to see if I can coner her sometime soon for that purpose.

"Weight Wars" — Funny—just one comment. I wish it could have used up less pages and left more for something more serious. But I do knew the value of having your punch line on the overleaf page.

"Into the Dark Side" — The writer of this seems to have a talent for turning a phrase. Nice to see some male names ending up now and then. After all, SW is only 2/3 male—right? It was a little depressing but since I do love to depress people with my own stuff, I won't complain about that. As for Dianne Smith's artwork, ditto above. She may be a Ford fan but she certainly draws a NICE Luke!

"Conspiracy of Komnnor" — I HATE continued stories! But I loved the story itself. I suppose it took awhile to translate and that's the reason for the serialization. Hope it lives up to its potential. (I had a story translated into German for publication over there and the translation was six pages shorter than my original version. I wonder how this one stacked ip to the original).

"Who Dares Do More" — It still amazes me that a character with probably no more than six or eight lines in three movies can inspire so many stories and storylines. I always said there was something odd about him.

"Victory Scars" — Excellent idea. Something I don't think anyone has brought up before. Burning debris = forest moon = forest fires. The anthropology of the Ewok culture captured my attention in this story. That there might be other tribes on Endor is some thing to consider and with a primitive culture there would be little communication between them. Perhaps an Ewok war would be something to write about. And if your particular bent is towards hurt/comfort—well, this is the story for you.

"Sith Before Weddings" — Very strange, al most frightening. A different way of looking at that the Sith hadn't have been. I wish George would clear some of this up. Perhaps he's looking at all the different ways the fans have seen them to get ideas. (I doubt it but it never hurts to dream.)

"Merry Days My Lovely" — My favorite story of the zine. It's nice to see mature characters written with maturity. This was an adult story without any "trash". I'm glad Luke was written as a man is assured of himself and comfortable with his own sexuality—not over done—just right. Somehow Luke as a virgin of 45 just doesn't cut it. Personally, I think he probably "lost it" on Tatooine. After all, there wasn't much else to do there.

All in all, I'm pleased with my purchase of TF#4. Thank you, Cheree, for feeding my addiction—just when I thought I was going to turn to Robin of Sherwood as a fandom.

TREMOR IN THE FORCE #4 was certainly worth waiting for! I hope it'll be around for years to come. (Is that a curse or a blessing, Cheree?) The cover by Dianne Smith was gorgeous, but I confess to being prejudiced in my drooling admiration for her portrayal of Luke on page 113. Of course, Dianne's art is usually exceptional. In fact, the artwork throughout the zine was terrific. Dani, Wanda Lybarger, Melanie Guttierrez, Carol Peters, etc. did outstanding jobs. I would like to especially thank Rebecca Carey for her fine illos to my story. This is the first time I've seen Fabrizio Bertellino's art, but I will remember his name after this. Excellent detail! One of the best, if not the best zines for overall art that I've ever seen. I like the designs with the titles, too. Nice artistic touches.

Now to the contents. Peggy Dixon's "Weight Wars: Jabba's New Hope" art and lines with Diane Pitman probably should've been included with my above comments but since the captions were as good as the

drawings, I felt I should mention it separately. Funny, funny material that, unfortunately, I can too readily identify with.

Judith Tyler's three opening pieces are delightful gems! Though previously I've been unfamiliar with Ms. Tyler's work, I certainly will look forward to more from this talented lady. Not only are the characters captured fully and dimensionally, but their thoughts and actions are beautifully appropriate and very nicely expressed. Another professional quality author is always a treasure to discover and welcome. We in SW fandom are so fortunate to have such talents as Ms. Tyler's. "Merry Days, My lovely" by Kate Mrkel was an interesting hypothesis. While I personally cannot see this scenario, Ms. Birkel presents her story with believable conviction on her part and an obvious talent for writing. Marcia Brin's "Diamond of the First Water" was a joy to read and one of my favorites. A well-plotted mystery, it sharply reminded me, with Han and Leia's easy bantering, of the remarkable THIN MAN movies—personal favorites of mine also, I admit. I'd love to see more of her humor. I laughed aloud more than once and, for me, that is rare. Excellent! "Tine to Go" by Melanie Gattierrez was a most insightful piece, filled vith vise observations—sad, yet comforting. Nice work. Although I get decidedly jealous of those who can both draw and write, I look forward to more of this lady's work, as well. "Who Dares Do More"---a unique scenario, chillingly presented by Irina Ozernoy and one I'm relieved not to have witnessed. Poor Wedge, and poor lake! Carolyn Golledge's "Victory Scars" was another rollicking adventure that Carolyn's readers have come to expect from this talented Australian. I've run out of superlatives to describe her work, but she knows how I feel. Green! "The Conspiracy of Kcnnnor" by Angela Fassio promises to be very exciting and I eagerly await its conclusion. The planet of Heraklyon is realistic and well thought out with Yxel seeming a very probable inhabitant. The descriptive phrasing is also quite good. Susan Zahn's poens are nice added pieces as well.

I repeat, Cheree, this issue is a superior piece of work. You deserve credit for producing such a fine product and I sincerely hope you will continue your good work.

The zine looked absolutely great, from one cover to the next. The cover was beautiful. The only problem I had with the actual layout was with duplicate pages in the latter half of the zine. Thinking I was intelligent, I took out all the pages and went to restore only one copy of each page. Now I need a favor: could you tell me the trick of how to get the pages back in? ((Ed: Either tediously by hand or easily with a GBC or comparable binding machine. And I do apologize for anyone who got copies with duplicate pages. Since my printer collated and bound this issue, I'm gonna be like Han Solo and say, "It's not my fault!"))

To be honest, the first thing I did was turn to "Sith Before Weddings". I had to see it and I owe a great deal of thanks for the great job you, Wanda Lybarger and Catherine Churko, did in making it look so good. I hope the readers think my part of the project as well done. The artwork I loved; they actually took the pictures from my head and put them down on paper. I've copied them and hung them up as they're the cnly pictures I've had done for my stories that are individual to the plots themselves. Thanks again to the three of you.

Along the same lines, Dianne Smith's pencil sketches were beautiful. The shadows added just the right softness for the intimacy between the characters.

"Into the Dark Side" by James Booth lived up to its title since we're dragged into the Dark Side vith Leia when not only her son dies but Luke as well. I mean, Luke? Dead? That's a hard loss to take (unless, for some reason, you really hate the guy) and it makes the struggle in the story more real. You feel bad for the characters with Skyoda's death but Luke's is more personal to the reader since we know him and he's such a large part of the SW universe. I have to admit that I hoped in the end there'd be some way of bringing them back, but dead is dead unless there's a Genesis torpedo around.

I like the way Marcia writes about Han and Leia's marriage; she brings out the comfortable relationship a long term couple has instead of the flowery or stiffness you see elsewhere (and that I'm afraid I've done myself). Her last murder mystery story had more serious elements in it, which I enjoyed, but this one was pure fun. And you can hear Leia and Han exchanging such lines as, "Is that you?" "I hope so or I'll have to ask you to kill whoever's grabbing that particular part of my anatomy." "Thought it felt familiar."

I liked "Bright Suns Shone" by Maggie Nowakowska because of the way it opens up the mind and feelings so simply. The way she used the mainstream relationship presented these those thoughts without having to use a levy of adjectives to get the meaning across. Ruth Radecki's "A Mother's Love" brought out a basic point -- never underestimate a mother's love and be prepared for the surprises that she'll do in the name of it.

On a final note, "The Lando Calrissian Last Minute Hero Blues" was a piece of fun thrown in. It was happy-go-lucky, like Lando himself.

I enjoyed it all and it was certainly worth waiting for. Thanks again for all you did.

Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Dianne Smith

back cover of issue #5, Steven Fox

A Tremor in the Force 5 was published in August 1990 and is 280 pages. It has a color cover by Dianne Smith and other art by Wanda Lybarger, Melanie Guttierrez, Nancy Stasulis, Laura Virgil, Z.P. Florian, R. Adamson, Fabrizio Bertillino, Cheree Cargill, Dani, Pat Easley, Andrea Tonsig, and a portfolio by Steven Fox.

It won a 1990 Star aWard for Best Zine.

The editor recalls:

A Tremor in the Force #5 ran about 250 pages (most of it reduced) and cost me nearly $4,000 when all was said and done, including the cost for the color cover and postage.

From the editorial:

In the past two years, I have been pleased to make the acquaintance of several new voices in fandom ~ Melanie Guttierrez and Lorrie Cherry, Z. P. Florian, Catriona Camopbell and Martha Wells. You will find their work gracing this issue, and hopefully for many more to come.

Two novelettes make up the last half of this issue ~ the second part of "The Conspiracy of Kommnor" bv Angela Fassio, and "Castling" by Mesarthim and Stardancer. I think you will be spell bound by both. And TREMOR will hooefully contain sequels to both. Martha Wells is a new name here, making a bright debut with "Trust", one of the most perceptive short studies of Han and Luke that I've read in a long time. Annie Wortham found two of her delightful In-Law stories and you're sure to giggle your way through Carolyn Golledge's hilarious "A Jedi and a Guy Like Me."

I can't begin to mention all the good people who contributed to this issue is this short editorial, so I'll shut up and let you sit back and enjoy!

And may the Force be with you!

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Dreamweaver, story by Sandi Jones (8)
• The Seed, story by Ming Wathne (17)
• Beaker in His Adventures, cartoon by Dani (20)
• Dark Soliloquy, vignette by Ann Wortham (21)
• Beginnings by Susan Zahn (21)
• "A Jedi and a Guy Like Me". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (Humor, set post Star Wars: A New Hope. Han and Luke are forced to share a house while waiting for a Rebel contact. Soon they begin to resemble an odd couple, indeed.) (22)
• Notions, story by Maggie Nowakowska (30)
• Invitation to the Banquet, poem by Jacqueline Taero (40)
• The Vision, poem by Barbara Drake (41)
• Corellian Myth, story by Ming Wathne (42)
• Conversations in a Garden, story by Z.P. Florian (46)
• The Card Game, story by Ann Wortham (50)
• Wookiee Meets Ewok by Jacqueline Taero (55)
• "Marks of Honor". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (57)
• "Acceptance". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07.; Acceptance, story by Marti Schuller (Luke comes to terms with his father.) (63)
• Somehow I Always Knew, poem by Sarah Cohen (78)
• Art of Steven Fox, portfolio (82)
• Penumbra, vignette by Catriona Campbell (94)
• The Cave, story by Barbara Drake (96)
• Wise Up, poem by Susan Zahn (100)
• Poor Relations by Ann Wortham (101)
• In Memoriam, story by Robin White (108)
• The Imperial Guards Tale, poem by Jacqueline Taero (112)
• "Trust". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by [ Ltlj ] (Han and Luke have a conversation about Darth Vader.) (115)
• Tears of a Giant, story by Matthew Whitney (119)
• The Conspiracy of Commnor, story by Angela Fassio (translated by Vera Paniante) (123)
• Castling, story by Mesarthim & Stardancer (199)

• 

  from issue #5, Dani

• 

  from issue #5, Cheree Cargill

• 

  from issue #5, Nancy Stasulis

• 

  from issue #5, Wanda Lybarger

• 

  from issue #5, Z.P. Florian

• 

  from issue #5, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #5, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #5, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #5, Steven Fox

• 

  from issue #5, Z.P. Florian

• 

  from issue #5, Fabrizio Bertillino

• 

  from issue #5, Fabrizio Bertillino

• 

  from issue #5, Melanie Guttierrez

• 

  from issue #5, Melanie Guttierrez

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Notions.

[zine]:

It was wonderful to receive my contributor's copy of TIF#5. I really needed the hours of pleasant diversion it provided, though it did take me a lot longer than usual to read due to outside pressing mi demands on my time.

Since, in the past, I've been negligent in acknowledging the fine efforts of all the artistically talented people in SW fandom, I'll comment first on the excellent art of this issue.

The cover by Dianne Smith is gorgeous. This is a very talented lady whose work just keeps getting better. 1 do miss Luke art, however. Come on, Luke fans, make your voices heard.

Where did the illo on page 16 come from? 1 could find no signature or credit anywhere. It's a terrific piece, too. Nancy Stasulis' art is very good. ((Ed: lire art on page 16 is uncredited because it was a piece of clip art from a book of stock illustrations.)) Z. P. Florian's illo on page 46 is lovely and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank both she and Melanie Guttierrez for the terrific illos they did for my story. I am extremely flattered.

Wanda Lybarger's work is, as always, very, very The "Art of Steven Fox" was breathtaking. Though his humanoids' proportions seem some-what squat for my taste, his scenery, creatures, space vehicles, etc. are outstanding. My particular favorite was on page 87, but 1 also liked the back cover. There was a wonderful illo by Fabrizio Bertillino on page 122 and Melanie's illo on page 198 was especially intriguing. Fine work by all involved. Congratulate yourselves, artists, on great work.

Now to the written artists. Forgive me if I comment only on my favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire zine.

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne - This is an in- (An interesting idea for the origins of the Jedi. Though I don't agree with all the points raised in the story, I found it an enjoyable read. I especially love the tie to the Yavin temple. Nice touch.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge - Cute, entertaining images. I like stories that show the human side to Luke, especially when he's depicted in so impish a manner as this story reveals. Good work, Carolyn, though 1 think I'd have preferred your original idea better.

"Invitation to the Banquet" by Jacqueline Taero - 1 really like this poem. It reflects Palpatine's evil so vividly and the images evoked by such phrasing as "rich as black wine..." are wonderfully accurate.

"Corellian Myth" by Ming WalJine - A well-written, plausible concept for Han and his beloved ship. Another nice read.

"Marks of Honor" by Carolyn Golledge - Leave it to Carolyn to find a way to not only injure Han, but to reveal even worse past hints. Still, she does write all the characters so perfectly. Keep at it, my Aussie friend.

"The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero - I like this poem! 'Nuff said.

"Trust" by Martha Wells - Nice insight into both Han's and Luke's characters. Another plausible scene.

"The Card Game" and "Poor Relations" by Ann Wortham - Though I normally don't care for alternate universe stories, I'm glad I didn't skip these two good works. I find I rather like thinking of Anakin as an overaged rascal now.

"Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney - This was a marvelous story, very moving and a lovely idea for Chewbacca's end. Terrific mental images I'll long remember.

Last, but far from least, "Penumbra" by Catriona Campbell - This was my favorite story in the zine. What a haunting, terrifyingly vivid account of what might have been. Excellent!

Overall, you've produced a superior zine, Cheree. You should feel quite proud of yourself. I look forward to #6 eagerly.

[zine]:

Excellent zine! I do appreciate the fact that you are still clinging to the "purer faith." There must still be enough of us out there who haven't forgotten. (Just kidding; I know everyone changes and grows, even SW fans.)

Now for my conunents which won't be as lengthy as in the past, hopefully.

Good cover art, but then I haven't seen anything Dianne Smith does that wasn't excellent. I would like to see her do some more of my favorite Jedi, though.

"Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones. We all dream, I suppose. But honestly, Sandi, how did you find the courage to bare your soul or whatever like that? I don't want anyone to see that deep into me. It does seem that we are kindred spirits, however, and I may have to talk to you further (in private!).

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne: This took some thought, several readings and most of my imagina tion but it was worth the effort.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge. What a giggle! I could definitely SEE this. Nice balance to put it after the previous story.

"Notions" by Maggie Nowakowska. Once again, Maggie has given me more to think about. Unlike many of her past writings, this one was not quite as complicated (thank the Maker!). But it was definitely well written and thought out. Unlike other Leia/Vader stories, this one rose above what it could have been and gave us an intelligent look at a very logical situation.

"Invitation to the Banquet" by Jacqueline Taero. I don't usually let myself get taken by poetry. I write it occasionally myself and what usually passes for verse in a zine isn't poetry at all. This, however, was excellent! I felt the evil coming off the page as I'm sure any others who cared to look deep enough did as well. This one almost gets my vote for pick of the zine.

"Corellian Myth" by Ming Wathne. Very good. I'm not much of a Vader fan but this issue gave me a chance to think more about Vader the man, rather than Vader the machine. Most of the views presented were intelligent ones, not just emotional. I think this is true of the entire zine.)

"The Card Game" by Ann Wortham. More crazies firom Ann. Keep 'em coming!

"Acceptance" by Marti Schuller. Ditto my comments on Vader above. Except for a slight tendency to dissolve into sentimentality at the end, I enjoyed this very much. I find it difficult to believe

that someone as completely evil as we're led to believe the Dark Lord was could have sired someone as totally good as Luke was supposed to be. (Not sure about my grammar but I think you get the point.) In any case, this seems to present the idea

[zine]:

First the cover. This is Dianne Smith's tenth cover art I have. Oh, those eyes! What would fandom be without her incredible Han faces? (And bodies, too!)

Sandi Jones: "Dreamweaver." She, who dares to write down what we all dream of, deserves praise! Ming Wathne: "The Seed." Delightfully cosmic. "Corellian Myth". If there is a special award for creating legends, Ming should get it.

Beaker's appearance in SW was the funniest shock ever.

Ann Wortham: I loved the "Dark Soliloquy." The In-Laws series was great. Boy, you can write an Anakin that makes my mouth water. This proves that there is a lot of pleasure in playing with alternate realities.

Carolyn Golledge: I must be one of her biggest fans. "Marks of Honor" fits splendidly into what I see as a complete Han bio, coming together in different zines.

Maggie Nowakowska: "Notions." Excellent, both in writing technique and emotional impact, teeming with thoughts, wit and insight. This is a perfect picture of Anakin, with the cracks of vulnerability in his cold armor.

Marti Schuller: "Acceptance." I had the honor of illustrating this one, but I like Melanie's Luke better than my own. I loved the story, and the very vivid descriptions of the garden.

Sarah Cohen's poem captured a rarely explored field of Leia's personality. Thanks - Leia seldom gets her fair share.

Catriona Campbell: "Penumbra." Yesss, this is a situation worth having nightmares about. Is there any more of this?

Robin White: "In Memoriam." What a terrifying picture -- the hand, the permanently yoimg hand. You must love Luke deeply to touch on this! And you have about as much faith in galactic politics as I do.

Matthew Whitney: "Tears of a Giant." A beautiful story. It is good to see somebody paying attention to Chewbacca.

Martha Wells: "Trust." Splendidly written Solo - - a beautifully mature, clear-headed man. The right balance of humor, tragedy and understanding. And great Lybarger illos, full of motion and temper. Mesarthim and Stardancer: "Castling." Talk about surprises! And great female characters, too!

Alas, Tajerh was killed too soon. Good Jedis, each well written, scattered all over the landscape. Anakin and Vader ~ to make them into TWO people nearly knocked me out! Imagination has no limits. Kenobi playing God, as usual. And just what does it mean that Leia and Luke are NOT related? Is there a second part in the making, with Han as the best man at their wedding?

Well, this is it, and now I am settling back waiting for the next issue.

[zine]:

Since you, Cheree, were the one that got me hooked on STAR WARS zines, I think it is only fair that you get my first ever LoC. 1 was a STAR TREK fan way back when and, although I privately wrote to editors and some of the writers, I somehow never did a LoC. When you read this, you will see why I am NOT a writer!

First, I want to compliment you on the overall quality of the zine. The print is clean, crisp and eminently readable. As 1 get older, my eyes tend to complain about bad print. I find that even superb stories tend to seem bad if 1 can't read them. The graphics add a polished look to the zine. The artwork is great - not too much and not too little.

Some zines seem to have way too much artwork. Not that 1 am against artwork ~ in fact, I really enjoy it and sometimes it even gives an insight to the story that I didn't see. The cover was terrific - I am a Ford fan and an avid admirer of Dianne Smith. As for the stories, there were so many excellent ones that it is hard to pick just a few. Carolyn Golledge is fast becoming one of my favorite writers - - "A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" was a real knee-slapper. I loved every minute of it. Ann Wortham's In-Laws stories are priceless. Laughter truly is the best medicine. On the other side, one of the most poignant stories was "Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney.

All in all, I don't think that there was a story that I hated. There were several that I didn't agree with but that's what makes them so much fun to read.

Having read all the TREMORS in the last year, they are fresh in my mind and I can say that the quality is excellent and somehow seems to get better and better with each issue. I can hardly wait for TREMOR #6.

[zine]:

Thank you again, Cheree, for another great issue. "Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones, art by Pat Easley. A nice story. Particularly interesting for the dreamweaver concept and "ultimate alternate imiverse" idea. Thus, each person enjoys the company of their fave (in this case, Luke) in a very democratic/nonpossessive way. Good idea, Sandi. Good to see Pat's art again.

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne. Enjoyed this time-spanning tale of race-seeding by the Jed. I liked the way you handled the "echoing" elements of what was retained of the Jed in all the future races. It's details like this in that type of story that makes it particularly enjoyable.

"Dark Soliloquy" and the "In-Law" stories by Ann Wortham. Not too often do I read a serious piece from Ann but Anakin/Vader's last thoughts was nicely done. Of course, I have always enjoyed the good fun the "Bar Wars" universe represents. I'm only sorry the artist who seemingly did a lot of work I saw connected with it (Suzy Sansom) is no longer illoing SW.

But at least we have the illos/cartoons of Dani here, (sputter, giggle) Beaker in his adventures ~ wonderful, silly visual Jokes. Totally crossed-tmiverse fim (although not for poor Beaker).

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge, art by Cheree Cargill. Enjoyable laughs and a dash of sauce from our Aussie. And quite nice humorous illo from Cheree. Humorous illos are not easy to do and Cheree has the right light touch that makes them work well. (See, Flo, you can even sew up an apron for your Luke doll!)

"Notions" by Maggie Nowakowska, art by Nancy Stasulis. Fascinating psychological and Forceful exploration between Vader, his memories and Leia and her beliefs. Do the past references tie into "Strings"? (STARQUEST) Two lines in particular ~ "a Forceful choir go with..." (what an image!) and "...think imagination had also burned..." moved me as they described the situations involved therein.

Also glad one of my fave illoers, Nancy, is back.

"Conversations in a Garden", written and illoed by Z. P. Florian. Dramatic vignette. I feel sad over lona's (or any man or woman's) total submersion into her partner (Anakin) so that she is lost to any possible future of happiness, with or without another partner. And I feel sad for her contempt of Araa and Bail's relationship.

But (shiver) what happened to Ralim? And would Luke and Leia find out about it years later (through "regular" or Forceful knowledge)? Get that pen out, Z.P. *grin* Nice motion, neat costumes for your figures.

"Acceptance" by Marti Schuller, art by Z.P. Forian and Melanie Guttierrez. This was a wonderful story, Marti! Fluidly written, good ideas and interesting twists. I, who have trouble sometimes seeing good in someone who has exceeded a certain level of "badness", felt the lessons Luke needed to learn. Melanie's illo had interesting visual concepts and good facial expressions. Z.P.'s had real nice line and black/white contrast work. (Particularly Luke in his regfs and black cape and the line work of the ruined estate.)

Enjoyed Steven Fox's richly detailed and contrasted art portfolio. And shivered over R. Adamson's piece for Catriona Campbell's "Penumbra". (S/he's good ... more! more!) Ominous dreamscape, Catriona, into reality, (gasp)

"The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero, art by Cheree Cargill. Did I get a great laugh out of Jacqueline's detailed emotions/observations presented in this rather dry, straight-faced humorous poem of the "red guards". Then I was so busy enjoying the lightly drawn folds of the guard's uniform (I'm into drapery) that it took me a second to register the transformation of the Guard from silent terrorizing visage into "uh-oh-eyed" human behind the mask with those silly (wonderfully so) eyes Cheree so perfectly placed there. Thank you for a double- barreled laugh.

"Trust" by Martha Wells, art by Wanda Lybarger. I don't think I've ever read her work before and I very much enjoyed her style ~ low-keyed humor and descriptions of emotion and dialogue between Luke and Han. I really liked Wanda's piece - a sexy (in that "poor baby" way) Luke but truly the interestingly and very difficult placement (perspective-wise) of a languidly draped Han in chair, feet propped up. He also frames Luke along with the glow of the Endor trees outside the Falcon's window. Fine piece, Wanda!

"Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney, art by Z. P. Florian. Sad but lovely, and lovingly expressed piece for Chewie, the Ewofo, the others remaining and gone and, of course, the wondrous trees of Endor. Nice grove of trees and lovely flowers, Z. P. "The Conspiracy of Komnmor" by Angela Fassio, art by Bertillino and Tonsig. Lots of good stuff here.

First, one plot quibble which is really a personal quirk. Unless the character really gets in sync with me right off, I usually take a while to warm up to any potential love for Luke. Especially if it's one of near instant love blossoming for one or both parties. So I do have a dichotomy of still being irked by this plot line yet being moved by the dialogue between Luke and Yoda on love and Jedi, Yxel's keen awareness of Leia's anger; and I "say" to Luke, "Don't you know how to Force heal enough so that the med team could try and save Yxel." And having him close his heart to love in the future? I can only put that into a poetic quotation: The Universe- breadthless infinitely creative/and Woven with Love/do not Love and Joy/go beyond the horizon/you gaze at now?/round the road someday/can not Magic/be assembled in another's form/and unique gifts?/to receive joy from their exquisite elixir/does not dishonor diminish the other/for Love's Realm is expansive. Anyway, the description of the ecological ruin caused by the Imperial installation was aching. And I look forward to seeing what happens to Preel, Elora and Company, the twins finding their mother, whether there's more of those beings Luke found in the science lab, etc. I liked the clothes and stances of Tonsig's illo, although I don't think Yxel wore that kind of outfit (text says tunic and leather pants). Bertillino's illos have wonderful detail and remind me of SF book interior illustrations.

"Castling" by Mesarthim and Stardancer, art by Melanie Guttierrez. The authors and artist already know how much I enjoyed their piece and since I'm near the limit here, I'll be brief. The long-view aspect I always enjoy, so the Amidaa's history, along with their "metaphysics" (another pet fave) was a great lead in for me. Two scenes amongst many stand out - Rieeken and troops landing on Alderaan 0 was there!), and the sim rising on Tatooine as Ben begins his exile. Lots of drama, good Mothma, Palpie, and originals, and the plot twists. I also look foward muchly to seeing the next part. Some excellent illos by Melanie. Good compositions, strong/fluid expressions on faces and bodies, interesting details in clothing and architecture. Hope you'll be doing some for the next installment.

Thanks to all the participants again for contributing and, of course, Big Thanks to Cheree for making it all possible as editor and publisher.

[zine]:

A TREMOR IN THE FORCE #5 was like all TREMORS ~ beautifully put together, and I wish to thank you, Cheree, for all the obvious hard work and love that went into putting it together. I also want to thank you for the contributor's copy.

Now to the comments:

"Trust" by Martha Wells. One of the best pieces of SW fan fiction I have ever read. Sweet, sentimental, moving, inspirational, and sad. Perfect is only one of the words I could use to describe this story.

"Invitation to the Banquet" and "The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero. I have never read anything by Jacqueline that I didn't like, and I was not disappointed by either of these poems. Although "Invitation" was a little too spooky for my taste (I read it in a well-lit room). Wonderful, as usual, Jacqueline, is all I can possibly say.

"Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones. A delicious wallow with the YUMMY one and I thank you.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge. An attempt at Humor, that once again turned into denegration of the TRUE Hero of the STAR WARS movies, namely Luke Skywalker. I mean, really. Organizing a Kitchen?? Baking Pies??, AND Washing socks for the Corellian???????]] I'm sorry, but this SUCKS!!!! (Before you have a heart attack, Carolyn, think how you, an obvious HAN fan would feel if the story had been reversed). When is Fandom going to realize that it ISNT necessary to elevate one's favorite character to high altitudes by taking someone else's favorite, and I don't mean just Luke, and turning them into something that even George (The Worm) Lucas wouldn't recognize? Humor- what a novel concept.

The art of Steven Fox was beautiful in its detail, although I in my humble POV do not like the subject matter. It is all according to taste.

"Conversations in a Garden" by Z. P. Florian was wonderfully illustrated and beautifully written. Thank you, Z. P., for an enjoyable story.

That's all I have to say, except once again, I would like to thank you, Cheree, for a well done and beautiful zine and for all the wonderful comments you made about "Castling". Your feedback meant more to Mesarthim and Stardancer than you will ever truly know.

May the Force be with you and may you always Walk the Skies.

[zine]:

Absolutely the BEST, most true-to-life conversation between Han and Luke I have EVER read took place in [ Ltlj's ] "Trust"! The bitter humor and irreverence Han displays outwardly, while taking Luke VERY seriously, and Luke's courage and resignation to face whatever reaction his friend might have was heartrending. As obnoxious and cynical as Han might have been, his "...give me a little credit" was wonderful; as were his accurate assessments of Kenobi's plotting. To have managed to juxtapose extraordinary characters and powerful dialog with a simple, relaxed setting was sublime. Two men talking became profound. You gave Solo depth beneath his bravado, [ Ltlj ] ... THIS Solo, I like! Quiet dignity for all the characters and just the right amount of magnificent irony throughout. I LOVED this story!

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" has given me this wicked idea for a story in which Han reveals a degree in Cosmetology, re-decorates the Falcon (the entire Base) in gingham ruffles and has all of his fannish sexual excesses catch up with him in a particularly nasty, medical way. Luke feverish, in bed, was a delicious image, but really ... darning socks?!

"Marks of Honor" was believable and well-written. Although I'm sick, sick, sick of Han stories, this one had a nice "attitude."

"Conversation in a Garden" was a chilling look at L&L's mom. It sure explained why no one mentioned her to either of her children. Great illo, too, as always; beautiful line. I love the picture-book style.

The art portfolio by Steven Fox was intricate and technically precise, though the subject matter was not to my taste.

Dianne Smith's cover was beautifully three-dimensional, as always.

[zine]:

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" - Very funny! I loved it. Ann Wortham's "In-Laws" are wonderful. Delight fully funny. I just wish she included Luke and Leia more (Actually, I have never read an "In-Laws" story with Leia! I probably haven't been reading all the right zines!).

"Acceptance" ~ Very good. Marti knows how much I like what she writes, but I thought I should say it anyway. Great work, Marti!

"Somehow I Always Knew" ~ I usually don't like poems, but this one is an exception. Very perceptive. "The Conspiracy of Komnmor" ~ I wish I had read the first part. I might have liked the second one even better! But what kind of ending is that? Will we ever know what happens after "the end of part one"? ((Ed: There is actually a sequel but there were problems in getting it translated and reworked from Italian to English. If you'd like a copy, try contacting Gian Paolo Gasperi, Modena, Italy.))

The two versions of "the origins" in the zines are very different from one another and, in spite of my prejudice, I loved both "Conversation in a Garden" and "Casting."

My favorite story is "Notions." Beautifully written, as always, original, thought-provoking. Wonderful...

Issue 6

front cover issue #6, Melanie Guttierrez

back cover of issue #6, Wanda Lybarger

1992 flyer printed in Below the Surface #5, click to enlarge

A Tremor in the Force 6 was published in March 1992 and is 372 pages. It has a color front cover by Melanie Guttierrez. Art by Tina Bentrup, Cheree Cargill, Catherine Churko, Dani, Z. P. Florian, Melanie Guttierrez, Wanda Lybarger, Dianne Smith, Nancy Stasulis, and A.G. Steyn.

There were 200 copies printed, and the editor said there would be no reprints.

From the flyer:

Last of the bit time STAR WARS zines! This is a "Golden Age" zine with quality material equal to that published between 1980 and 1983, when SW Fandom was in its heydey.

From the zine, a message regarding zine piracy:

Beware of bootlegged or pirated zines! This zine is printed on good quality bond paper with a 4-color cover printed on heavy cover stock and a back cover printed on Astrobright Gold cover stock. It is bound by black Ibidco comb binding. If your zine doesn't look like this or if you didn't get it directly from me, you've been ripped off! Beware zine pirates!

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Last Testament, poem by Jacqueline Taero (9)
• Just Your Average Day in the Galaxy, vignette by A.G. Steyn (10)
• "Family Ties". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Cheree Cargill (On Endor, Leia and Luke discuss Anakin Skywalker. First printed in Melange #4) (12)
• Snowbound, poem by Susan Zahn (14)
• Nothing Serious by Susan Deborah Smith (Han Solo has a little problem, but he's trying not to let it get him... er... down. This story is part of the series in Chronicles of the House of Alderaan.) (15)
• Revelation (Or Bugs!) by Marti Schuller (The gnats and mosquitos on Endor are about to eat Luke and Leia alive. Why aren't they bothering Han Solo?) (18)
• Impasse, poem by Jeanine Hennig (21)
• The Blue Jawa's Tale by Tina Bentrup (A story about a little person and an old hermit, told from a completely new point of view) (22)
• Read Instructions Before Proceeding by Z.P. Florian (26)
• True Colors, poem by Jacqueline Taero ("From the Memoirs of Leia Organa as told to the Society for Historical Accuracy") (37)
• "Choice". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Cheree Cargill (After Bespin, Leia discovers she is pregnant. With Han lost, and a war to fight, she must make a choice concerning their unborn child. A three-part story, reprinted here in its entirety for the first time, also in Far Realms #6 and #7) (39)
• "The Black Sleep". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golledge (The Blood of Kali forced Indiana Jones' soul to flee its possessed body. When he woke up, he was in a galaxy far, far away.) (crossover with Indiana Jones) (52)
• The Art of Catherine Churko, portfolio (73)
• Story Contest ("I thought this wonderful portfolio from Catherine Churko deserved more than just a single run in this issue. Therefore, I am throwing open the door for a story contest based on these illustrations. The best story will be printed in the next issue of TREMOR, with the accompanying illos. Use your imaginations and get those typewriters or PC's humming!") (74)
• "Presumed Guilty". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golledge (Post Return of the Jedi. Han and Leia argue publicly, calling off their formal wedding and disavowing their earlier Corelli Bonding ceremony. Later, Leia is found close to death, badly beaten and Han is accused.) (82)
• Taun-Taun Rodeo by A.G. Steyn (There were those who thought a farmboy ought to be a natural when it come to breaking and riding these cantankerous critters.) (103)
• The Art of Z.P.Florian, portfolio ("A tantalizing Tatooine Trio") (106)
• For Better Or For Worse by Pat Nussman & Jacqueline Taero (110)
• Father And Son by Z.P.Florian (What if Darth Vader had managed to put Luke into carbonite and spirit him away to train as a Dark Jedi?) (122)
• "The Festival of the Sun's Return". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by [ Ltlj ] (Han, Luke, and Leia battle a religious cult during a rebel mission.) (131)
• Alyeska Wild Card by Maggie Nowakowska (Trapped in an avalanche shelter with a gang of belligerent miners and forced into a marathon sabacc game with Lando, Han suddenly finds his fortune changing.) (149)
• Ladies' Choice by Pat Nussman & Jacqueline Taero (The Alliance forces have relocated from Yavin to Hoth and things are not going well. And General Rieeken finds that the Empire is not the only thing complicating his life.) (187)

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Z.P. Florian

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Melanie Guttierrez

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Dani, the words on Leia's t-shirt: "Ride Hard, Die Young"

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Cheree Cargill

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Dani

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  inside page from issue #6, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #6, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #6, Catherine Churko

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #6, Dianne Smith

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  inside page from issue #6, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #6, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #6, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #6, Nancy Stasulis

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  inside page from issue #6, Cheree Cargill

• 

  inside page from issue #6, Nancy Stasulis

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

[Ladies' Choice]: "Ladies Choice" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero. Most satisfying reading. Well constructed; believably woven into the saga's events while serving as a realistic counterpoint to them. Some of the most interesting and entertaining of fanfic comes when a skilled writer or writers chooses what is originally a peripheral character and gives that character a back history and motivations; in short, a life of their own.

[zine]:

What a piece of work is A Tremor in the Force #6.

Cheree, you continuously amaze me with the professionalism of this fine zine. I hope you know how much your efforts are appreciated.

I'd like to comment first on the exceptional illos in this issue, particularly since in the past I have been woefully neglectful in doing so. There were so many wonderful pieces, but I'd like to list my favorites. All of the artwork was wonderful, but I particularly savored the following: Z. P. Florian's art on pages 8, 32, 35, 107 and 151; Dani's on pages 37 and 53; Cheree's on page 42; Melanie Guttierrez's on page 133; Nancy Stasulis' on pages 190 and 335 and Wanda Lybarger's back cover. I also enjoyed Catherine Churko's portfolio and look forward to the products of your challenge, Cheree, to produce a suitable story to utilize them.

Now, to the fiction:

"The Festival of the Sun's Return" by [ Ltlj ] was a nice adventure story. I was especially happy to read that Luke was not totally immune to the poison administered him, as some fans tend to make our fav Jedi a little too invincible. I really liked the humorous ending.

"Presumed Guilty" by Carolyn Golledge was an other fine "trashing" of this Aussie's favorite Corellian with interesting possibilities for at least one sequel.

"Ladies Choice" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero is another thing. This is a difficult story (novella?) for me to comment on. There's no denying the professional, fluid writing, the fuUy realized characters, the intricate realistic plot. Yet, I cannot say I truly enjoyed this work as much as, perhaps, I should have. Frankly, I think the problem lies in myself. When I read a SW zine, it's to immerse myself in the main characters and their activities. With their adventures appearing mainly as "cameo" roles here, I felt somehow cheated. Had this been original fiction, not set in the familiar surroundings of SW, I would be readily recommending it. Because it isn't, I cannot. Still, when all is said and done, I have to admire the quality of the writing. For that alone, I will say "well done"!

"Last Testament" by Jacqueline Taero was a won derful poem, with very haunting imagery.

"Nothing Serious" by Susan Deborah Smith was an other piece I Uked. Although I'm unfamiliar with this author's work, I see definite professional quality in this work. She handled a "delicate" subject well.

"Just Your Average Day in the Galaxy" by A. G. Steyn was yet another well done, cute and enjoyable read.

One of my favorite two stories, though, was "For Better or Worse" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero, which was well thought out and very plausibly handled. Han's reaction to Leia's Jedi training made for a very enjoyable reading. The other was "Family Ties" by our esteemed editor, Cheree Cargill. Though short, I found this work poignant and insightful and I really loved it.

Altogether, a magnificent edition of my fav zine. Everyone keep up the great work. I look forward eagerly to the next issue.

Keep the Force, always.

[zine]:

Tremor really looks great. The layout on your zines has always been high quality and very professional and I hope everyone compliments you on it. The art was excellent as usual. I liked the portfolios, especially the one for the story contest, and the cover was really nice. I'd like to thank Melanie Guttierrez for her artwork on my story. Especially good was the drawing of Leia on page 138. I write lousy letters of comment; I really ought to take notes while I'm reading but I never remember to. I enjoyed all the pieces, but I wanted to mention in particular:

"Nothing Serious" ~ I liked the interaction between Han and Leia and really wished it had been longer. I liked her writing style, too.

"Bugs!" gave me a chuckle.

"Blue Jawa's Tale" was funny and original.

"Choice" was a good character piece. I really enjoyed it.

"Presumed Guilty" - She has an interesting character with Hagren. I can't wait to see where she goes with it.

"For Better or Worse" and "Ladies' Choice" ~ I love their writing style, the characterization, the touches of humor. Taero and Nussman are two of my favorite fan writers.

[zine]:

Here is my LoC for Tremor #6. I hope I can keep it reasonably short, but the whole zine is so fantastic, it won't be easy.

You said you wanted new ideas; you got them!

This Tremor was an earthquake! Everytedy who reads it must spread the word that no fan can live without this zine. The incredible Guttierrez cover promised adventure, excitement, color, and the zine delivered all, with the usual elegant, well organized, clean layout.

Taero: "Last Testament", a very moving poem.

Steyn: "Average Day...", a good laugh, especially Han.

Cargill: "Family Ties". I always wanted to read this scene. I am on Leia's side!

Smith: "Nothing Serious". Wow, this is a totally new angle (no pun intended) of Han's manhood.

Zahn: "Snowbound", a fine poem. This is Han as he should be.

Hennig: "Impasse", scary, beautiful. Loved the line "or what depths".

Bentrup: "Blue Jawa". At last, someone does jus tice to the unfairly despired Jawa minority. More, more, please!!

Cargill: "Choice." What a unique story, a stunning solution for what could be Leia's biggest problem.

Golledge: "The Black Sleep." Another novel idea. Now I want Han Solo meeting John Book face to face, preferably in a situation where they try to kill each other first. (I think I am getting spoiled...)

Churko: Story contest drawings. Great, myster ious, powerful pictures.

Golledge: "Presumed Guilty." I can't get enough of her Han, trashed and splendid. She deserves the

Golden Whip Award, with the Platinum Handcuffs. I asked around and everybody agrees that she should never stop putting Solo through the grinder.

Wells: "Suns's Return". Witty, exciting adventure. Nowakowska: "Alyeska." Tense, tight, absolutely wonderful. The painful distance builds between Lando and Han graduaUy and mercilessly, to the point where both betrayal and rescue are equaUy credible avenues of their relationship.

Nussman/Taero: "Ladies Choice". I loved the way the main characters just barely brush the perimeter of this very, very bitter story. My only problem was that Kayka seemed to run too many circles before letting herself be caught. Delavan is a great character. "There is a rat in my office. He is not to be disturbed" is my favorite line.

Steyn: "Taun-Taun Rodeo". By the time you read this, I probably wiU have kiUedyou for the "skinny ass" bit.

Nussman/Taero: "For Better or Worse." Very deep insight into Han and Leia's marriage.

Bentrup's cartoon: Nice to see Kenobi losing his head for a change!

Illoes: The cover was wonderful and the Guttierrez illo on page 133 is a riot! Lybarger's back cover is great. Stasulis draws very clean and very tart, spicy pictures. Steyn has a dirty sense of visual humor. Dani's style is, let me find the word, succulent. Bentrup's Jawa and Kenobi are great. Cargill draws the best Threepio ever. Dianne Smith's Chewie is perfect.

I could go on and on about the stories in great detail, but I am afraid I'd be too long for a LoC ... although in the "old" zines, I've seen LoCs running for pages.

Anyway, Cheree, Tremor #6 is INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS and great reading. Tremor is THE zine now!

[zine]:

If I keep thinking about this any longer, I'll never get anything down on paper, so here goes. It's been a fascinating experience to read all six Tremors over about four months' time. The growth of both the zine and the contributors is very apparent (and not just in size); and the quality and consistency is truly incredible.

Since much has already been said about the five five issues, I'm going to concentrate on #6. First of all, this is a feast for the eyes. One of the things I've enjoyed about all the issues is the artwork and this one is no exception. Melanie Guttierrez' lovely cover of a quite mature Luke is fantastic and sets the tone for all the rest. And I'm sorry that Wanda Lybarger is represented only by the back cover (but what a back cover!!), because her work is wonderful. The two art portfolios are tremendous; I can't wait to see what story will go with Catherine Churko's work.

Trying to decide which story I liked best is impossible. "The Blue Jawa's Tale" by Tina Bentrup is absolutely dehghtful. It's hard to sustain successful illiteracy and still keep the right tone. That she accomplishes it and tells such a marvelous tale is a virtuoso feat. I love the illo of Ben and the jawa; the whimsical mood suits the story perfectly. Right up there with this story is Marti Schuller's "Revelation (or Bugs!)". The whole thing is a wonderful joke with a great punch line. I'm not sure if it should be cate gorized as a humorous story, but "For Better or Worse" by Pat Nussman and

Jacqueline Taero made me laugh. It's such a great explanation for why Han accepts Leia's Force abilities. While I'm on the subject of humor, both of A. G. Steyn's stories were great fun to read.

On the more serious side, "Choice" by Cheree Cargill lends itself to serious consideration of a very common problem that heroines like Leia never seem to have to face. Her anguish over the choice is well depicted. Nice that there is a high-tech solution to the problem. The trust that she shows in Lando by turning to him for help is considerable. It's a nice touch to have him help Leia save Han's child after being responsible for what happened to Han.

Both of Z. P. Florian's contributions have a unique twist. Her alternate ending to the Bespin episode paints a different picture of Luke and his father. I only wonder if Luke could possibly believe that the Vader he dealt with had any spark of humanity left. I enjoyed the suspense in "Read Instructions Before Proceeding"; it had me guessing until the end whether Luke had really opted for the high life. That's a different kind of Dark Side temptation than usual. "Ladies Choice" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero is definitely one of my favorite pieces because of their wonderful characterization of Rieeken. He's extremely believable with a depth of personality that is amazing. The details of political infighting and the frustration of command are very well done. From what military friends have said, the frustration of the rebel officers with the interference of the civilians on the council was entirely realistic. Maybe even too mild!

I know that there can be a big difference between some one's performance on the job and in private, but Kayka seemed just a bit too tentative in her relationship with Rieeken and with the Council, compared to the abilities she demonstrated elsewhere. Her earlier experi ence with Hareboun wasn't too satisfying as motivation for her hesitancy.

"Alyeska Wild Cards" by Maggie Nowakowska offers a good scenario about how Han won the Falcon from Lando. I like the blizzard descriptions. Actually, I didn't like them at all; they reminded me too much of reality. The ending didn't work for me. I could see how the tension between Han and Lando was supposed to work but couldn't quite beheve in it. Even after a couple of readings, it wasn't as convincing as it could be. And I know her characterization can be great;

"Bright Suns Shone" (Tremor #4) is one of the most moving pieces I've read recently. Carolyn Golledge in "Presumed Guilty" took a fairly standard plot device and gave it her own unique twist. Poor Han suffers so deUghtfully although she wasn't at all kind to Leia in this one. It was quite believable that Han would have episodes like his outburst at the conference every once in a while just to relieve the monotony of being pohte the rest of the time. I'm not sure he'd have hesitated so long in facing up to what had happened, but I do hke the way she slips in a new look at Han and Leia's relationship in all her stories. While I'm on the subject of Han and Leia, Susan Deborah Smith's "Nothing Serious" also introduces a problem that real-life couples may face at some time or other. Han's awkward attempt to cope and Leia's loving reaction gave this story a good feeling.

"The Festival of the Sun's Return" by [ Ltlj ] is a really rousing adventure story; almost seems like it could come right out of Indiana Jones. Speaking of which, "The Black Sleep" by Carolyn Golledge did a fantastic job of pulling those two different worlds together. I wasn't too convinced when I first saw the description of the story, but she definitely pulled it off. Indy's reaction to Chewie and the droids and Luke's fast talking as he tries to keep Indy from finding out he's in another world, are my favorite parts.

As for the poetry, I really got a kick out of "True Colors" by Jacqueline Taero; it's a really wild approach to Leia's background. I don't think I can cover every thing. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed this zine immensely and I am definitely looking forward to #7. Fantastic work, Cheree.

[zine]:

Apologies up front to you and all contributing fans to all zines. I am among those long remiss in sending Iocs. But, though they won't be the lengthy, in-depth tomes I used to write, I'll try to make sure I say something rather than give up and say nothing because I can no longer manage long ones ~ and still have any time to write and draw myself. So, those I don't mention, it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy your piece; I have to limit myself only to those things that struck me most.

Covers: Dynamic front with no timidity in its color statement; energetic with a controlled and strong com position - Luke's counter body line to the axis of the elliptical background orbits, eye-catching. Incidentally, congratulations, Melanie Guttierrez, on your 1992 Star Award win. Your work is new to me but I can see why you won. I look forward to seeing more. Cheree, I really like the way you chose a back cover stock that picked up on the dominant colors of the front; pulls the zinc together, the stock is still light enough not to obscure details in my art and makes an informal, relaxed moment more warmly intimate still. Lovely judgment. Whole zine is very airy and clean and legible, by the way.

"Last Testament". Jacqueline Taero writes true poetry, rhythmic, distilled to essence, often with a structured formal rhyming meter. Sometimes it's wryly funny, sometimes starkly powerful. This one is as stirring (and unusually "vast" in feeling from her usual tight minatures) as the deep voices of a male chorus (yes, I know there were probably female Jedi ~ I'm responding to the sound of the verse).

"Family Ties". Amen. A short, short story but one that needed writing. Not dismissing Vader's return to the Light as Anakin, his other acts remain. One must live—or die ~ with the consequences ~ and respon sibilities—of all that one does. And graduation to Day-Glo doesn't wipe out the ambivalence of the legacy the man has left.

Sue Zahn continues to profitably mine the interim moments within and between events in the 3 movies. "Snowbound" is both amazingly full of authentic- sounding "Soloisms" and the stop-short "catch" of serious foreboding foreshadow. The pot in the hand of Sabacc, indeed.

Marti Schuller: Woman, you should be roasted - and cheered - for that hilarious shaggy dog, "Revela tions."

"Impasse" - After long absence, Jeanine returns with a piece set not in her alternate but the "canon" universe, and turns out one of her best. Full of quivering silence, wonderfully and precisely cadenced, deftly clicking about-face from thought to thought of indecision and desperate faith.

"Blue Jawa's Tale". Ben using the Force to con veniently bind an unwilling servant? And his muscular kindness ignores the Jawa's cultural sensibilities and dignity in the "white man's burden", 19th century diplomacy. Not a nice man. The Jawa, I love. Diffi cult to carry off dialect without having it be an intrusive device. Here, it adds not only to the humor and alien cultural flavor, it conveys personality. There are hints of sequels...? Hmmm?

'True Colors". Jacqueline being sardonically hilarious.

Didn't comment on Z.P.'s illo for "Last Testament" in order to cite all her art together with the stories, "Read Instructions Before Proceeding" and "Father and Son". Her style is refreshingly different and animated. Of the stories, the former nicely gives Luke some real action, an adventure tailored to his skills and per sonality instead of just sending him off on a seeming retread Corellian tale or (1) having him agonize over the Force or (2) find yet another Force-Sensitive Woman. The latter story offers a neat twist on a what- if and covers new ground other than stories which spring from similar premises.

I'm jumping and cheering over Catherine Churko's portfoho. Absolutely wonderful narrative drive and riveting composition, economical presentation to make strong impact.

To jump around out of sequence to other artists a moment, I want to use this LoC to tell Nancy Stasulis I'm thrilled to see her great narrative illoing again. My letter doing handsprings over the Leia and Darth illos in the last TIF returned with forwarding expired so I'll include the praise and delight here. Dianne Smith's pastel and charcoal art always exhibits an impeccably polished technique but some times the anatomical structure drifts a bit as here with the one lone Han portrait. Not only Ford's but no one's face is that wide. When she's "on," Dianne does some of the loveliest portraits of all; when she's "off," I find myself wishing she'd strengthen that great technique with some anatomy/mannekin preliminaries to make her less dependent on photos.

Likewise, Carolyn Golledge's two stories, "Pre sumed Guilty" and "The Black Sleep," both display her inventive plot ideas and good prose. Unhappily, both are sabotaged by the overkill trashing. I say "un happily" because she's a damn good writer who's limiting herself by falling into a trap. Forget hurt/comfort. Hurt/hurt has ceased to be a joke or trademark. The plot not only doesn't support the endless carnage, it's a one-note revelation. Han is brave and stubborn, everyone loves and worries about each other. That's been covered so thoroughly, it's knee-jerk. This stuff just plain gets in the way of some of the best-conceived plothooks since Anne Zeek stopped writing SW "O'Henry's". I want to see what Carolyn can do when she stretches to deal with the ideas, not stop in the sandbox to bury Han, et al, again. It's bound to be good. "A New Meaning" [ Choice Parts #2 proved that.

"Taun-Taun Rodeo" with lines like "... take to the saddle like a sithlord to evil," is a snappy entry with difficult to pull off and unusual first person viewpoint. I wrote in past on "Choice" and will only say here I'm glad its reprinting all in one piece makes a good story available to new readers. "Alyeska Wild Cards". Another absent writer returns, working "canon" rather than her own universe, but this has the gritty flavor of her Thousandworlds and a nice sensitivity to the delicate dance of relationships.

"Ladies' Choice" I've known a long time and I'm pleased it's finally in print for a larger audience to enjoy. As alternate and original character-driven, or even moreso, than Thousandworlds it shows there's fine writing to be mined.

I also know "For Better or Worse"; contains my alltime favorite exchange: "He's green... He's a Jedi master... He's dead." "Is he green because he's dead or was he green anyway?"

I saved my favorite for last. I've long eagerly followed [ Ltlj's ] series and "Festival of the Sun's Return" not only has the usual professional authority in writing I've come to expect along with a stamp of "personality" color not unlike - in places ~ C. J. Cherryh, her people sound and act like the movie interpretations. And, oh bliss! Leia's neither bitch nor besotted. They all speak with their individual "voices." Lines like, "Me, buy it on this backwater? I'd never forgive me" and "He's my ex-mate and he's supporting our six children."

I said this would be short, didn't I? I lied. Well, any other LoCs will have to be, but this was a big zine, chock full of diverse goodies ~ very fittingly dedicated to Gene Roddenberry.

One last point before this is too long to print. Best news of all is the submission call for a TF#7 and a Field Studies #3!

[zine]:

Good show! Big, yes, but not overwhelming, not really. I was able to browse through as time allowed without feeling like I'd never get it all, and could still turn the pages about the comb binding when the situa tion demanded I do so. With the layout so comfort ably tidy, the ever-aging eyes didn't get weary or crossed. I think my favorite stories were "The Blue Jawa's Tale" and "Father and Son." Tina Bentrup stayed in character throughout her story and didn't sound a false note in the dialect, at least not to my ear. I hope we'll all hear more from Beejay.

Z. P. Florian's alternate development of TESB was quite refreshing. Her Vader is not "just a nice guy gone wrong" but rather the sort of man I can well imagine doing what he's done. And her Luke is not a rube, but rather a man who thinks his own ideas in his own way ~ someone without the sophisticated back ground of Vader (or Han or Leia), but not someone who is an idiot just because he's ignorant of some attitudes and pastimes. I love the simple, and obvious to everyone but a megalomaniac like Vader, ending. True simplicity of the finest order.

Z. P.'s "Read Instructions Before Proceeding" was good, too. Just enough ambiguity in the beginning to leave the reader wondering which way she was going to go with the story then a swift, clean ending. And I liked leaving the story with the tension of Han's possibly fatal curiosity. Good stuff.

Hokay, Cheree, time to match your resurrected "Family Ties" with a companion piece covering a discussion about Mom! People have been exploring what actually happened but where are the probably very interesting discussions between Luke and Leia about Ms. Mysterious? After all, Leia is right, IMG, to protest labeling Anakin "father", but what is Luke going to think about Mom's handing him over to someone else? Unless he want to think of her as someone who simply let one of her kids be taken away, he's going to have questions about the depth of her involvement. Anywho, it's good to see some of the old stuff reappearing!

I liked your solution to the difficulty of Leia getting pregnant at an inopportune time in "Choice." It makes sense that such variations on a theme are possible in the SW universe and I enjoyed the image of Lando and Leia as a rich couple out for convenience.

I love Jacquehne Taero's poem "True Colors". Love it. And Dani's illo is perfect. This Leia I can deal with ... and can readily see as taking after her infamous sire... (Now, I'd like to see one from Bail's point of view, having known that sire all too well.)

Carolyn Golledge's "The Black Sleep" was nicely inventive. She did a good job with the different dialects of Han and Indy, as well as pointing out the physical differences between the two men (I've never figured out how Ford could look so slim as Han while filming Indy movies in which he looks so much more muscular...). About the only comment I'd make on the development is that I think Han's image of the demon would be different from Indy's, as would Luke's, since the demon would call on the individual fears of each man. Using the snake for all three battles seems to imply that the snake itself is the demon, which is a tad bit Western in prejudice (the snake was the god symbol of Ufe and creation in many pre-Judean religions). Mola Ram's obsession with death was a distortion of Kah worship, which is a recognition of life and death as part of the great circle; Indy himself said Ram had "betrayed Shiva". But, other than that metaphysical nitpick, I enjoyed the story thoroughly.

"For Better or Worse" does an excellent job of tackling the problems of foresight. Leia and Han are presented as adults, not romanticized bickering adolescents, which is refreshing, and I could recognize the kind of communications difficulties that arise in any relationship that advances through to commitment. Luke was well presented, which doesn't often happen in a story centered on what's going on between Leia and Han; all three characterizations were easy on the reader's believability. And Leia's reasons for wanting to get Luke married struck me as very realistic comments on part of a sister with a healthy respect for a brother's vitality!

"Festival of the Sun's Return" was a fine represen tation of Tremor #6's theme of Back to the Good Ole Days of Adventure Tales. Once established, it moved quickly and didn't linger on any of the fannish speed bumps like Get scenes and Leia in Peril. Han's dialogue when faced with real and potential physical danger was pragmatic, and I really liked the touch of the older woman's help. I'm glad you were able to get Pat Nussman's and Jacqueline Taero's story, "Ladies' Choice," out of durance vile. Their SW universe is not a cheery one, but the stories they write are always interesting. And I've long enjoyed Pat's interpretation of General Rieeken. I had some problems with the story I mention because they kept throwing me out of the story until I was determined to finish it rather than pleased to finish it. I'll mention them simply because the story was a long, involved one that deserves an involved assess ment ... and because I'm always screaming about people not offering critical assessments to help writers see their work through different eyes, so I had better satisfy my own demands or shut up. What gave me trouble quickly was that it seemed that anyone not on Delavan's side was a jerk—or shall I say everyone who wasn't seen as useful to Delavan, since even Rieeken gets called names when he ~ gasp, how shocking ~ does something Delavan doesn't like. After a while, despite Delavan's fascinating presen tation, I found myself not caring about the problems she faced because I simply didn't believe in them. I've worked with people like Delavan. They seem incapable of accepting the idea that someone else may have a totally different but equally valid style of work or opinion; everything must be done their way, no matter that another way may accomplish the goal as well. They disrupt the social conventions needed in teamwork because they beheve their skills put them above being polite; although competent in their specific area and dedicated to the task, their hostility, their constant complaining and adoloscent labeling of any one who doesn't serve their point of view as a jerk or an incompetent, ultimately isolates them from their coworkers and proves them to be a major obstacle to getting the job done satisfactorily. This presentation of the character wouldn't have bothered me so much if Delavan's attitude was recognized as simply hers, as in the couple of times Rieeken complains about her juvenile behavior, but the editorial voice seemed to agree with her and, as a result, my disbelief spread to the entire plot. I found myself more susceptible to other questions I had, such as the limited culture of the Alliance members. For a bunch of humans from a bunch of dif ferent planets, they sure seemed to share a similar morality and value system, something that isn't even true on our planet. There appeared to be only one measure of female attractiveness, one measure of sexual conduct, one measure of acceptible male ap pearance. Again, from a character's POV, it's no problem, but the prejudices kept popping up in editorial descriptions (the easiest example is how Senator Mahr's weight always comes up in a denigrating manner; equally annoying was the constant pairing of one male character's masculinity in a derogatory way with his use of make-up ~ heavens, men right here on earth have used and still do use make-up in many cultures to no detriment to their masculinity). Perhaps part of the problem is just that the whole novel itself is, in the end, from Delavan's POV (Amnnssu's longing to be like Delavan - which is perfectly understandable from the presenting of both women's strengths ~ is also the perfect viewpoint of people like Delavan, who assume everyone would be like them if they could), which simply gave me more of Delavan than I was interested in having. I've enjoyed the shorter pieces in this universe and do hope to see more of it, albeit, considering my recent encounters with people like Delavan, in smaller batches!

That's it, Cheree. Looking forward to #7 if you have the energy ... for myself, you've had such a great run that if you have to choose between TF and Southern Enclave, I'll say three cheers for the grand old zine and long live the newsletter.

[zine]:

Thank you for sending me a copy of A Tremor in the Force #6. Great covers. Being a Ford fan, I especially liked Wanda Lybarger's back cover. She really captured the mood of Han and Chewie's labors. A good touch is that the tip of Han's tongue is peeping out at one corner of his mouth in concentration. Some great stories in this issue.

"Presumed Guilty" by Carolyn Golledge. (Dianne Smith's illos for this are delicious!) Carolyn again succeeded in making Han suffer and even gave him a companion in his pain this time. Poor Leia. Won derful story, though, but then Carolyn wrote it. So we can't expect anything less than perfect.

Your "Choice", Cheree, was an excellent story and was one of my main reasons for buying TF#6. And I certainly was not disappointed. I liked the interesting way you dealt with Leia's problem.

"The Black Sleep", again by Carolyn Golledge, was another favorite. She does cross universe (in this case quite literally) very well.

"For Better or Worse" by Pat Nussman and Jacque line Taero was a very enjoyable story. Leia certainly had the right idea about making Han feel more com fortable with the Force.

"The Festival of the Sun's Return" by [ Ltlj ] was a nice action story and was the sort of situation I could also picture Indy in.

"Alyeska Wild Cards" by Maggie Nowakowska was a great story. The plot and characterization were very professional. This was one of the most credible stories of how Han won the Falcon I've ever read.

"Ladies Choice" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero. Hmmm ... I've got mixed feelings about this one. It was a very well written story, nicely plotted out, etc., but, well, I prefer stories which center on Han, Leia, Luke and ^ewie. This is just a personal thing and not at all a criticism, just a personal preference.

"Revelation (or Bugs!)" by Marti Schuller was a scream. Han, a blue-blood! Ha ha! He'd never live it down.

"Nothing Serious" by Susan Deborah Smith. Jeez, and I thought that Carolyn Golledge made Han suffer! I do think that Susan might have resolved Han's "problem" at the end of the story, though. I'd volunteer to help him!!

Lastly, I LOVE the inside back cover, "Unexpected Visitor." This guy can visit me anytime!

Thank you for producing Tremor for us SW junkies! You bring much enjoyment into many lives. Thank you!

[zine]:

If I remember correctly, my first fevered words of the morning were: "Gimme! Gimme!" when I saw that the package my mother was bringing into the house could only be a fanzine, and WHAT a fanzine! After a break of over a year, I was back into fanfic and Tremor #6 certainly made my return a sweet one! I have already told Melanie Guttierrez what I thought of her colorful cover but it bears repeating! Striking!! What a joy it is to see Luke on the front of a zine instead of Han (don't misunderstand me ~ I like scoundrels, too! But primarily I'm a Luke fan) and he looks so dashing and determined! Wonderful! In fact, I was particularly taken by all the art in this issue! Especially Z. P. Florian's ~ I am definitely a fan of her artistic abilities! I adored all her portraits of Luke, though I can't help feeling our Jedi sometimes needs a haircut! (Joking!)

"The Art of Catherine Churko" -- Striking! And throwing open the door for a contest using the illos was a terrific idea! I can't wait to read the winner; if it is based on the ideas from Catherine's amazing pieces I'm sure it will be a cracker! Now to the stories and poems:

"Last Testament" by Jacqueline Taero. Deep, dark and telling. I loved it!

"Family Ties" by Cheree Cargill. I really liked this, primarily for Leia's realistic reaction to Vader being her father.

"Revelations (or Bugs!)" by Marti Schuller. Superb! It really tickles me to think of Han being a true blue blood. The comedy was expertly and cleverly written.

"Impasse" by Jeanine Hennig. I have a Uking for this type of short soliloquy and this one was a carefully crafted gem.

"The Blue Jawa's Tale" by Tina Bentrup. What a terrific little tale! I giggled like a silly school girl over BJ's antics. I simply adored the way this was written. At times it reminded me of the auld Scots dialect still spoken by some in these parts. Wonderful!

"Read Instructions Before Proceeding" and "Father and Son" by Z. P. Florian. I liked both of Z.P.'s stories. They were extremely well written and thought out. Luke was in character for the times of the stories, but I felt, at times, that he was rather cold and conniving. I also have to admit that I didn't like Vader giving Luke a "love droid", but Luke's use of it certainly showed a devious cleverness on his part. Having Vader carbon freeze Luke after plucking him from the weather vane is certainly a chilling thought, but surely the shock of the process would have Idlled Luke by then. His poor beaten and injured body couldn't have survived carbon freezing. However, I did enjoy the stories and look forward to more from Z.P., and as I said above, I'm a great fan of her art!

"Choice" by Cheree Cargill. What a terrible dilemma and secret Leia had to carry. A cleverly thought out story, well written and emotionally stirring throughout.

"The Black Sleep" by Carolyn Golledge. Fantastic! I loved this story and the cross-over with Indiana Jones was a great idea. Very clever!

"Presumed Guilty" by Carolyn Golledge. Wow! A double treat: two Golledge stories almost back to back! Another entertaining adventure. Will we be hearing more from Hagren?

"For Better or Worse" by Nussman and Taero. An other well written and realistic piece. I like Han's questions on Yoda - a welcome humorous lift to the story.

"The Festival of the Sun's Return" by [ Ltlj ] Wells. I really enjoyed this story, particularly [ Ltlj's ] portrayal of the young Luke. I loved the description of him sitting on the cargo containers ~ very funny! A fun adventure.

"Alyeska Wild Cards" by Maggie Nowakowska. I was really taken by the exceptional writing of this story, and it drew me into a tale which, at first glance, held no appeal for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Bravo!

"Ladies Choice" by Nussman and Taero. This "monster" was another story which, at first glance, did not appeal to me. Not because of the supporting roles the big three played, but because Rieekan was never really a character which stood out for me in any way. I'm happy to say that, thanks to this novel, I now view him in a different light when I watch TESB. This was full of three dimensional characters who carried the reader through their trials and tribulations with real emotion. I particularly Uked Panore and hope to read more about her. Superbly written!

Well, that about covers it. My apologies to those I have not mentioned. I enjoyed everything but I only have time to comment on the pieces which held that special "something" for me. Everything was wonderful. Thank you, Cheree, for a most welcome tome and I eagerly await #7!

[zine]:

For the past several months I've been waiting to attend grad school this fall, and basically slaving away at a job I despise in the meantime. So ~ receiving Tremor #6 was a warmly welcomed event for me. Thanks, Cheree, for saving my sanity, or preserving my insanity, as the case may be. Actually, I think the two are identical.

For the sake of time and space, I shall comment only on those pieces which stimulated me most - got me really thinking. Let me begin by praising "Last Testament". I think the notion that Jedi hubris helped pave the way for Palpatine's rise and the subsequent fall of the Knighthood is fascinating—and highly plausible. I also loved the accompanying illo, too. By the way, was the poem meant to be the words of a Jedi in particular, or of the Knighthood in general? ((Ed: A Jedi in particular, I think. And, although Jacqueline probably meant the poem to reflect the fall of the Jedi in the past, I thought the illl of Luke that I had from Z. P. Florian was so dark and fit the poem so well, that I could project the poem as a view at an alternate universe, far into the future, with Luke and the New Jedi eventually following in the pathways of the old.))

I found "The Blue Jawa's Tale" entertaining and refreshing in its style and novel POV. What an imagi native person Tina Bentrup must be. More, please! "Revelation": I really hked this piece, Marti. Your comedic style helps remind us that our favorite trio is not always deadly serious or always facing epically important confrontations with evil. It is good to see them as capable of play as everyone else! In fact, I bet they need it more.

"Father and Son": This was very well-written, but I had trouble recognizing Vader in this piece. He is far too much a sensualist for my comfort. I think that since Vader is a Force master, and accordingly familiar with discipUne and intimately involved with spiritual concerns, his fixation on pleasures of the flesh and on Luke's virginity are a bit implausible. Surely, he would be more likely to tempt Luke with those things which managed most to tempt and corrupt Vader himself - matters of great Force and political power. Also - Vader himself notes Luke's emotional neediness for him, and Luke also dweUs on it a great deal. Certainly promises of some sort of emotional closeness with the boy would have drawn Luke more readily to his father and hence to the Dark Side. However, the Sith Lord remains as cold as ever. How foolish he is to possess the key to Luke's undoing and never seek to use it!

I enjoyed "Choice" and thought Leia's inner turmoil was nicely in character. I do wonder what contracep tive choices are available in this galaxy and whether it was the "heat of the moment" or a faulty contraceptive method or device that was to blame for Leia's predi cament. I tend to think that, as canny and worldly and emperiled as Han and Leia were, they would have done all they could to avoid a pregnancy, so more discussion of this would have been welcome to this reader. I also liked the notion of the nurturing artificial womb.

I thought both "The Black Sleep" and "Presumed Innocent" were entertaining adventures and I'm always pleased at how Carolyn paces her stories ~ it is rare that a predominantly action-based tale still reveals character insights and yet hers almost always do. I am not really a Han fan (usually preferring the mystical psyche to the more straight-forward ~ and probably sane ~ one), but I genuinely enjoy Carolyn's work. Who is this Sith Lord Hagren anyway? Have we met him before? I think Vader would mop the floor with him, but that's my own bias showing! (Sorry.) He really is a pain.

[zine]:

"Alyeska Wild Cards" was interesting. I liked seeing young Han's brashness tempered by his genuine respect for Lando, and I liked the depth with which Calrissian is portrayed. Especially thought-provoking was his realization that responsibility for the Falcon provided him with chains as well as wings. Little does she know what chains lie ahead!

I have not been able to complete "Ladies Choice" yet what with work and everything else limiting my time, but am reading it diligently. The characters and plot were obviously very well thought-out.

Well, I gotta go. Congrats, Cheree, and to all artists and writers alike! Can't wait for #7.

[zine]:

TIF#6 was an incredible monster of a zine. It was fat, juicy and full of good things. Just the way I like my steaks and zines. I'll highlight some of the pieces but everything was a pure delight to read so everyone please give yourselves a hand and pat on the back. "Bugs!" by Marti Schuller was good for a laugh. Imagine ~ Han a real blue blood!

"True Colors" by Jacqueline Taero was a riot. I couldn't stop laughing especially after reading the last couple of lines.

Carolyn Golledge's "The Black Sleep" was a well- done crossover. Now, when I watch Temple of Doom, I'll think of this story with a big smile. And "Presumed Guilty"'s art by Dianne Smith was exquisite. That Han portrait is so hfe-like. I was glad to see Hagren's return and his subsequent escape again. I can't wait to read more about this evil, vindictive villain. I really enjoy the way she "does" a story. Thanks, Carolyn. Catherine Churko's and Z. P. Florian's art portfolios were spectacular. I can't wait to read the story to go along with Catherine's illos.

"Alyeska Wild Cards" by Maggie Nowakowska was a wonderful story on how Han got the Falcon. Just reading about Hoth-ish cold winter made me want winter even more. The monster story "Ladies Choice" by Pat Nussman and Jacqueline Taero was really good. I really like the character of Panore Delavan as well as Kayka, Lisben and Creh. They have an incredible ability to bring these people to Ufe. I appreciated the way the "known" events from TESB were incorporated in the story to give the readers a rough timeline. I do look forward to more.

The cover by Melanie Guttierrez was beautiful. I loved the colors in the sky and her Luke with those haunting blue eyes. Well done. Wanda Lybarger's work is a joy to me and this bacover was no different.

A masterpiece of a zine, Cheree. I can hardly wait for #7.

[zine]:

I'm very new to the fandom scene, but I feel as if we're all on the same psychic wavelength. Most of the stuff I've read in this beautiful zine has been, well, entertained in my imagination before. Contrats to all of you who put this publication out. You want com ments ... okay, here's a whole heap of them!

The Art ~ Melanie, your cover was marvelous! Luke looks great! Z. P., I loved the illo on page 8 as well as many of the others throughout the zine. The 'TantalizingTatooine Trio" was sure to make the Luke Lusters of the world drool. (Luke the Studboy?) I especially thought the "If Jabba were female" drawing was a trip! A. G.'s cartoons were hilarious, especially the one on page 20. Dianne's drawings were positively gorgeous and so was Wanda's illo on the back cover (hubba, hubba, hubba!). Tina's cartoon of Luke and Ben had me laughing. I'm surprised that didn't happen for real! But my fave was Dani's illo for "True Colors." Classic, especially the tattoo!

The Poetry ~ Jacqueline's two poems were my favorites. "Last Testament" was rich with imagery and emotion. You said the Jedi were like the Knights Templar, and I agree. This poem could've been about them, too. Very touching stuff. "True Colors" was a riot! I especially loved the second-to-last verse. It's all true, I'm sure. I also liked Susan's and Jeanine's poems ~ stream-of-consciousness stuff can be pretty tough to write.

The Stories ~ (Boy, do I ever have a lot to say...) My favorite was Carolyn's "Presumed Guilty". I could totally see most of the events of this story happening. You definitely have Hanny Boy down to a T. From the way he talks to his pride in his cultural background (I love the reference to the Blood Oath thing!). You also did a marvelous job with Leia, Luke and the other characters. There was more than enough action, sexual tension, intrigue, and drama to keep me happy. Oh, that torture scene had me screaming! I felt so sad as poor Han moped about after his big fight with Leia, and, of course, I laughed when they made up. My favoriate line was "Ahh, yes, she always took advantage of him when they were in bed together. There were some advantages to being married!" Good show, babe. Are you doing a sequel?

"Choice" was my second favorite story. Wow! It was very believable. I loved how you handled Leia's dilemma and her emotions without getting bogged down in political rhetoric. It's great how you managed to weave this into the events of ROTJ, too. You also handled the technology stuff very well. But part three of the story ("Janaree") was the real heart of it all - it was erotic without being slea^ and sweet without being sickening. The ending is sure to bring tears to many eyes. The only thing missing is Luke. What does he think of all of this? Surely, Leia would have told him. After all, Janaree's his niece and a future Jedi. I really would've like to have seen Luke's re action. But, all-in-all, Cheree, you should pat yourself on the back for this wonderful piece. ((Ed: Thanks, Mary Jo. Luke didn't figure very much in this story because it was about Han and Leia's private relationship and Luke just didn't have a place in it. And who said anything about Janaree being a future Jedi? She's half- Corellian, remember, and even if she does show some latent Force ability later on, I imagine her father will have something to say about it all!))

"Nothing Serious" gives insight into the most, ahem, intimate aspects of the characters' lives, and I like that. I liked how Susan shows that despite everything the princess has gone through, there are still some things she's inexperiencedwith and, of course, that makes her rather uncomfortable. But I don't think you should've ended it so suddenly! I can't bear to see my Corellian lovegod like this! Don't leave me hanging! How about a sequel in which Leia uses her Force-healing powers to help him out? Speaking of which...

I enjoyed "For Better or Worse" tremendously. Poor little Leia gets to suffer some more, but we do get a happy ending (yay!). I figured the Force would have some kind of use in the bedroom (Jedi tantric yoga?), which is something Han would more than appreciate.

"Black Sleep" was a very interesting concept. Although I liked the story, I think it would've been truly awesome if Carolyn played the whole thing for laughs. Just think of all the fun you could've had spoofing the Indy and SW movies in the same piece! One little quibble: I have a hard time believing that English was ever used in another galaxy. Did Arthur Dent bring English to this realm during his incredible travels? I appreciate the language problems, but I would've liked to have seen a better explanation.

I liked how "Ladies Choice" works around the events of TESB. I never thought of Rieeken as some kind of love muffin, but I hope he and Kayka get hitched. That Panore ... geez, what crawled up her bum and died? What a slut, too! Other folks might like her, but I hate people like that. I guess if I dislike her so much, that means the authors did a good job in creating her.

Other comments: "Family Ties" shows exactly the way I figured Leia would react to the whole Vader/Anakin thing. It's going to be years before she could ever forgive him, if at all.

"Revelation" reminds me of my childhood in South Florida (mosquito capital of the universe).

"Blue Jawa's Tale" was cute, especially the bizarre spellings.

"Read Instructions" was truly twisted, something I admire. I cracked up about Luke scumming the Imps and getting free sex in the bargain.

But I didn't like "Father and Son" as much. I think Vader was too out-of-character with some of his putdowns. Besides, I always thought Vader had a wonderful sense of humor, so I wasn't surprised to hear him laugh.

"Taun-taun Rodeo" was deft and cleverly written.

"Alyeska Wild Cards" was a good long story. Maggie did a great job with the characters.

And last but not least, "Festival of the Sun's Return" was a fun action story - so far I don't see very many action stories in the zines I've read. Etc., etc. ~ Catherine Churko's illos were intriguing but, alas, no story has [)opped in my head to accompany them. They do look like they belong to a story with a heavy, metaphysical emphasis ... hmmm ... Could it be "Luke and Co. Meet the Monolith from 2001?"

Cheree, the layout of the zine is practically pro fessional quality! I love the art nouveau flourishes and illos! Overall, this is one gorgeous zine. #7!

Once again, I congratulate you all! I can't wait for #7.

[zine]:

Well, I read the entire zine in 24 hours so this threatens to be a LoC of epic proportions! Where to start?

Well, it's HUGE! How you manage alone is mind-boggling, Cheree! LOTS to like here...

Jacqueline Taero's "Last Testament" blew me away! WOW! Cryptic and powerful! This poem will haunt me forever. Then, "True Colors" from the same writer - what a contrast! So THATs how the demure little princess became a soldier so easily! Another lyrical surprise to commit to memory.

"Just Your Average Day..." Hey, A. G., you're my kind of writer ~ twisted and inventive. Han's "note", written in jail (of course) made me laugh out loud, NOT something I usually do while zine-reading! Your "Taun-Taun Rodeo" was a hoot, as well! The crack about Luke choosing a female taun-taun was cute, but not as cute as "...his skinny ass..." heh heh!

"Nothing Serious" ~ Aww, you beat me to it, Susan! Han not being able to ... uh, problems arising... um ... NOT arising? He must have been "overworked", even Corellian sex-gods blow a fuse eventually, eh? Imagi native! Then to find "Bugs!" next - neat placement, Cheree! Funny story, Marti! God, just looking at those Ewoks in Jedi makes me itch! I imagine the fleas would have a feast on un-armored Rebels! I envy your ability to write SW humor.

Oh, "The Blue Jawa's Tale" was precious and priceless!

I LOVE Beejay! As charming as the little tale was, it was the consistent, believable idiom that made it so unique, and your little illos were adorable, Tina! Please write, and draw, more! Z.P. the Prolific deserves big Wookiee hugs for all the wonderful Luke in TF#6. Illos everywhere and 2 stories! Oooh! The art portfolio ~ YUM -- nice defined muscles! I probably would have put off reading the two stories until last, 'cause "Darkside" stories usually upset me, but THESE stories are delicious! "Read Instructions" and "Father and Son" show a Luke to be reckoned with. Quietly defiant, calculating and shrewd, daring! In total control of his situation while playing the victim. Such subtle characterizations! And the ironic lines "I have waited long enough for the end of this war. Don't disappoint me!" INDEED! His feinting collapse and second-guessing Carr, in the midst of a furious space battle was grand! Even mentally and physically drained, facing death at the hands of his own people, this Luke ~ this JEDI - submits to the Force, becomes ALL, and a "mere" Star Destroyer is landed effortlessly by ONE MIND, one MAN! YES! YES! HOORAY! Power without pomposity, compromise without capitulation! And, speaking of capitulation... "Father and Son"... Ohhh, FINALLY, a confrontation in which Luke is NOT cowed by abject terror! Instead, he plays upon Vader's expectations and over-confident ego. The Huttese love-droid (a great smarmy touch) being used to outwit Vader was brilliant, and showed Luke as a man adept at controlling himself and, there fore, his situation. For giving us a Jedi who triumphs through brains, not braun, I profusely thank you, Z. P. Dittos for the 'Tatooine Trio."

"For Better or Worse" - Ah, a true gem of a story. Expert writing, EXPERT! The Taero-Nussman team put an interesting twist on a serious scenario. Dare I say this piece was delightfully "quirky"? Leia drunk! And applying the Force as Luke had (does? can?) not, was handled with just the right amount of irreverance. You two gals can WRITE!

"The Black Sleep" was a story I didn't think I'd like, since cross-universe stuff isn't my cup of cocoa as a rule; however, I was curious as to how someone with Carolyn's formidable talent would mesh SW and U. Remarkably, that's how! What a wonderful surprise! Han and Indy distinct from each other, no bravado on Indy's part when he was WAY out of his element, a

clever, brave Luke rescuing Solo in grand, swash-buckhng style AND the PERFECT, PERFECT bit about Indy's "ancient" language being part of SW humanity's past. That's the sort of intriguing detail that I LOVE. Thanks, Carolyn! Dani's art was, as usual, good in resemblances and composition. Nice style.

[zine]:

"Choice" I had read before, in Far Realms, Cheree. I liked it very much, especially the cultural attitude of the galaxy that allowed a noblewoman (any one, not just Leia) to have a "long-distance" pregnancy. In Leia'scase, it was UN-selfishness. Very consistent and believable throughout.

"Family Ties" approached the "moment of truth" between L&L in a much more believable way than is common to fandom ~ or the film, for that matter! Both were right to feel as they did about "Big Daddy."

"Real talk" dialog was especially good. The only thing that didn't ring quite true ~ IMHO ~ was a basic personality difference like Luke's spiritual vs. Leia's practical POV would be resolved so soon, or easily. I liked "Presumed Guilty", too! It was good to see a rocky relationship between Han and Leia, not to mention Solo needing rescuing. Very gritty, horrible torture in the cavern - castration! WHOA! There's areal attention-getter! "Alyeska Wild Cards" is the first long story of Maggie's that I've read and it stands alone as one of the most unusual styles I've ever encountered. Very fast, impressionistic! "Right there" staccato dialog between the men woven into a harrow ing situation. I've always loved Lando and he really shone! There's not enough of him in fanfic. This certainly illustrates the unresolved problems and untrusting attitude of the two men in TESB. A real thinker, Maggie. Thanks!

The novel, "Ladies Choice" was not my favorite type of fic, alas. Panore was just too strident and intense for my taste; but the detail and sequencing with TESB was very good and I'll never look at Rieeken the same way again. All in all, TF#6 was a real treat, Cheree. Speaking as an editor, I don't know how you do it! Exceptionally well-balanced and visually stunning! Bravo! One more thing ~ THANKS to all who voted for "Castling". Winning the STAR aWARdS was a thrill!

[zine]:

I am writing to thank you for TF#5 and #6.

They're both excellent. The only (small) problem is that I like stories to deal with the principal characters, so I had a little trouble with some stories which are centered on other characters. The same goes for the art of Steven Fox in #5. I do not deny his talent, but I couldn't quite see what it had to do with STAR WARS.

In #6, I liked "Read Instructions Before Proceed ing" and "Father and Son" very much. In spite of their differences, these two stories also have much in com mon. "Give them what they want to see and, in the moment of their blind satisfaction, act." Precisely what Luke did in the end of both stories.

"Presumed Guilty" is also very good, but I liked "Festival of the Sun's Return" even more. It seems everyone gets equal treatment now... Maybe they'd rather they didn't!

"For Better or Worse" is my favorite story in the zine. I loved the way Han and Leia solved their problem!

To conclude, I'll just say that your zines are so good that I can't wait for #7!

[zine]: WOW! What a monster! Cheree, I hope that you got some of this on disk and didn't have to type all of that ~ your fingers would be worn to the nubs! It is really a great issue. Good stories, excellent

[zine]:

The artwork and the cover was simply terrific.

I particularly loved "Revelation (or Bugs!)" and "Taun-Taun Rodeo." Now, what gives you the idea that I seem to lean heavily toward comedies! There were so many stories in this issue of Tremor that it is hard to mention them all. In fact, I don't remember reading a story I didn't like.

The color cover was magnificent. The zine itself is of the quality that I have come to expect from Tremor.

Very well done, Cheree. I know that this next subject is probably not something that should be in a LoC ~ more likely controversy for SE. However, I felt that a comment should be made. Why does everyone assume that the SW characters never do mundane things like wash socks, bake pies, etc.? Do they always run around saving the galaxy? Who does the mundane stuff? I'm a Han fan, too, and believe me, I would have laughed just as uproariously if the story had been reversed.

Being a Han fan doesn't mean that I don't enjoy stories about Luke, Leia, Darth or anyone else just as much. Please, let's use a Star Trek thing here ~ IDIC and let's not revive the Church of Ford/Cathedral of Luke.

Again, thanks to all the contributors and to Cheree for a truly wonderful SW zine.

[zine]:

Kudos to Cheree for her unflagging contribution to SWzine fandom as editor/publisher. Kudos to all the contributors of this latest TIF. These are my favs:

"Just Your Average Day in the Galaxy" by A. G. Steyn. I loved this sort of "calm before the storm" adventure we see in this story. Humorous detailing in events and emotions.

"Impasse" by Jeanine Hennig. Ah, the infamous Jenni, the first ed who ever published my work and an inspiration to all Luke-lusters. Is this an old or new piece? Liked the line about hearing worry in his father's breath. If this should be newish ... welcome, JH. ((Ed: This was an old, previously unpublished poem that Jenni says she found while cleaning out her files.))

"Blue Jawa" by Tina Bentrup. Oh, I loved this! It was so funny to have it written in Jawa dialect. I actually read it out loud to myself for fun. So, is Beejay going to find out the trouble about Ben or what, Tina? (jawaaaaa!)

Read Instructions..." by Z. P. Florian. Grood strategy adeventure with 2 of the most beautifuHpoetic (pg. 36) paragraphs on being one with the Force and using it (even delicately humorous, too) I've ever read! Thanks, Z.P.!

"Choice" by Cheree Cargjll. I remember you telling me about this ... good solution.

"Presumed Guilty" by Carolyn Golledge. I have had some difficulty with some of your latest pieces, Carolyn, where even I thought the violence you un leashed on Han and his managing to carry on had become too unbelievable and gratuitous. (This excludes your own self-parodies, which are hilarious) but this story is a tight, suspenseful adventure where all the violence fits in seamlessly. Scary, formidable adver sary! Sequel at some future point?

"For Better or Worse" by Nussman and Taero. Really well cone exploration of Han, Leia and Luke's emotions/thoughts about Leia training in the Force. (Funny, too.) I always like serious stories that include humor in them, since life can be like that.

"Father and Son" by Z. P. Florian. Another good strategy story of wits between Vadera nd Luke.

"Atyeska Wild Cards" by Maggie Nowakowska. Well done tale, Maggie, a sort-of prequel sequence. Wonderful nuances.

"Ladies Choice" by Nussman and Taero. I'm glad Cheree was willing to host this big story filled with all kinds of interesting emotional shadings and observa tions, characters and political fluxes. Really enjoyable!

Now, back to my fellow artists. (You know I wouldn't forget y'all!) Flo: Wonderful accompanying illos to Maggie's story, especially in that narrow framing accenting the physical and mental crampness of the situation. Your Lukes were great (yum) in the "Trio" and the other stories. The action of him rock climbing was especially well drawn. Melanie: Dynamic motion in your cover. Especial ly liked the illo of Luke and han disguised with the Portmaster for [ Ltlj's ] story. Dani: Hi (haven't been able to make it back to MWC since I saw you in '89). Good to see you still illoing. Enjoyed the composite pieces of "Black Sleep" and your "wild" Leia was a laugh ... loved the glove dancing.

Enjoyed your starscapes in "Ladies Choice", Cheree. as well as seeing Nancv contributing a whole bunch of stuff. Always enjoy her line work and expressive faces/body language. Wanda: Talk about stretching of body ... Chewie in the backcover has that great reach with the graphic touch of the cables dangling in front of him that Han is working on.

As for me ... I was so honored that Cheree decided to turn my pieces into a "write the story to the illos" contest. I was still undergoing healing from my shoulder/arm injury, both physically and mentally, and it subtly still effected my work in actual compositions and physical handling of my materials. But over all I did fine (with some occasional very frustrating attempts) and I'm just thrilled she has thought this up. (It's something I wanted to do in my [someday?] one- shot SW artzine ~ "story the illo".) Thank you, Cheree, and all those who took the bait plunged into "my" worlds.

Again, supreme thanks to everyone for this continuing creative community.

Issue 7

front cover of issue #7

back cover of issue #7

A Tremor in the Force 7 was published in 1993 and contains 294 pages long

It has a color cover front and back. The art is by Tina Bentrup, Catherine Churko, Gerald Crotty, Sara Ferluga, Z. P. Florian, Melanie Guttierrez, Wanda Lybarger, Margaret McNickle, Dianne Smith, Nancy Stasulis, Stefano Vimercati, Laura Virgil, and Mario Zorzi.

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Transfiguration, poem by Jacqueline Taero (16)
• Be Careful What You Wish For, vignette by Cheree Cargill (18)
• I'll Be Back, poem by Kathryn Agel (won a 1994 FanQ) (21)
• Separate Paths, story by Marti Schuller (22)
• Beauty is in the Organ of Vision of the Beholder, story by Z.P.Florian (35)
• The Saga According to Leia Organa, poem by Jacqueline Taero (38)
• Separate Paths, Ending 1, vignette by Marti Schuller (40)
• "Spazzin at the Spa". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Homer Sapiento (Leia is missing and Han and Luke are sent to find her --- in an all female resort. Hence, they must go in "disguise.") (42)
• Hardship Love, poem by Yvette Ghilan (50)
• Leia, poem by Yvette Ghilan (51)
• Gathering Shadows, story by Catriona Campbell (52)
• A Nice Man, poem by Kathryn Agel (55)
• To Catch a Skywalker, story by Yvette Ghilan (56)
• Father, Help Me, poem by Eleonora Sessa (70)
• Glass Garden, story by Wanda Lybarger (won a 1994 FanQ) (71)
• Separate Paths, Ending 2, story Marti Schuller (104)
• It's Not My Fault, story by Mary Jo Fox (106)
• I Need, poem by Kathryn Agel (113)
• The Call, poem by Yvette Ghilan (114)
• Awakening, poem by Yvette Ghilan (115)
• "Where Is Thy Sting". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. story by Marti Schuller/Veronica Wilson (Vader faces many problems after he is injured in the battle over the first Death Star. But they pale into nothingness when he later faces his Emperor and learns he has a son --- Luke Skywalker. This classic telling of Vader's emotions and motives from the destruction of the first death star to the last moments of his life, and the triumph of his return to the light, won the 1993 STAR AWARD for BEST MEDIUM STORY.) (archived link) (117)
• Nativity, poem by Yvette Ghilan (142)
• Uniformity, poem by Jennifer Moore (143)
• Turning Point, story by Catriona Campbell (144)
• A Night Out, story by Z.P.Florian (148)
• Separate Paths,Ending 3 by Marti Schuller (154)
• Complications on Itrurua story by J.P. Treleaven (Luke and Leia in a bodyswap story) (In 2003, this story was reprinted in I Don't Care What You Smell #9 with an explanation about it's similarities to another story called "Twins" that appeared in I Don't Care What You Smell #2 in 1996.) See [[ ]].)(156)
• Shattered Circles—story by Veronica Wilson (179)
• Separate Paths,Ending 4 by Marti Schuller (184)
• Beginner, story by Z.P. Florian (187)
• The Seeds of Revenge, vignette by Cheree Cargill (200)
• Link of Fate, poem by Yvette Ghilan (203)
• "High Seas". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07., story by Carolyn Golledge (After the victory of Endor, there were still many Imperial strongholds to be cleared. Han and Leia accept a supposedly peacful mission to escort a victorious Rebel-allied prince who is returning to his native land, via sea, aboard a hospital ship carrying his wounded soldiers. (Note: This story precedes "Wedding Day Bruise") (204)
• The Falconers Series, story by Carolyn Golledge (239)
• Separate Paths, Ending 5 by Marti Schuller (243)
• Designated Hitter by Carol Hines-Strode (247)

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  inside page from issue #7, Tina Bentrup

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  inside page from issue #7, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #7, Gerold Crotty

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  inside page from issue #7, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #7, Sara Ferluga

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  inside page from issue #7, Sara Ferluga

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  inside page from issue #7, Sara Ferluga

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  inside page from issue #7, Wanda Lybarger

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  inside page from issue #7, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #7, Nancy Stasulis

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  inside page from issue #7, Gerald Crotty

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  inside page from issue #7, Gerald Crotty

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  inside page from issue #7, Melanie Guttierrez

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  inside page from issue #7, Melanie Guttierrez, from the bodyswap story, "Leia" fixes "Luke's" hair

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  inside page from issue #7, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #7, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #7, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #7, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #7, Dianne Smith

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  inside page from issue #7, Dianne Smith

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  inside page from issue #7, Tina Bentrup

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7

This is the Lollapalooza of SW fanzines, and one of the longest-running around. The table of contents is a Who's Who of SW fandom. The zine's reputation is so high, previous issues have won the coveted Fan-Q Awards for best SW zine.

Each issue has a theme. This time around, TIF #7 is billed as "The Vader Issue." In fact, our favorite Dark Lord of the Sith graces the full-color cover. But, not everything inside is about Uncle Darthie. Just about every major character appears somewhere, and a couple of minor characters too.

TIF #7 is a treat for fan-art lovers. There are excellent illustrations by Gerald Crotty, Melanie Gutierrez, Wanda Lybarger, Dianne Smith, and several others. (Han-lusters will love the Smith portrait on the back cover!).

As for the stories, they range from the silly to the sublime, but its always interesting to see how different people view the saga through the kinds of stories they write. The poetry is pretty good for the most part. They range from short, simple verses to epic length. The zine is nicely collated, printed on tine-quality paper, and has a rather professional look to it. The editor has obviously put a lot of time and effort into this zine, for which she deserves a lot of credit.

All in all, TIF #7 is well worth the $28 for those who collect fanzines and enjoy fanfiction by a variety of people. Submissions are now being accepted for #8.

Without doubt. Tremor is the most spectacular SW zine around. Number 7 is another beautiful example of the great work of Ed Cargill. This is "The Big Vader Issue." Don't even know where to start raving.

Loved the "Penumbra" series by Campbell, so dark, so sad. Cargill: 'Seeds of Revenge" was very cruel. "Be Careful What You Wish For..."—hey, who cares about the fence? Ghilan: "To Catch a Sky walker" ~ a very excellent Lando story, with Luke like a shining icon in the background. And let's not forget the many beautiful poems.

Schuller/Wilson: "Where Is Thy Sting?" -- A very interesting approach to Vader, a novel explanation for his death. Wilson: "Shattered Circles" -- Loved Vader asking the question, "Ben, why didn't you tell me?" Schuller: "Separate Paths" - Wonderfully exciting format, with the multiple endings. Fox: "It's Not My Fault"—I think she is part of a plot to eliminate all fans by making them die laughing.

Treleaven: "Complications"—Now that's a new twist, and quite an accomplishment to pull it off. Lybarger: "Glass Garden" -- Absolutely splendid. Incredible array of alien creatures and customs. You write IDIC, lady, and your Han is great. Hines-Stroede: "Designated Hitter" - This is definitely the kind of Vader I like, and I love the details, the solid reality of the universe, love Patronis and Berani. They make a fine couple.

Golledge; "High Seas"—Hmm, who would've thought we can double the pleasure? Two Corellians are better than one. Thanks for the new guy. Sessa: "Father, Help Me!"—A beautiful, poetic vignette.

The art in this issue was stunning. A great idea to introduce the Italian artists, very high quality, fine work. Loved Slasulis' stark, defined pictures and the strong cover. Loved Smith's excellent Leia with the Corellians, and Han's uncovered back on the back cover (uncovered front on the front cover might be too much to ask for?). Lybarger constantly amazes me with her powerful line work and living bodies. Bentrup's cartoons are wonderful. Crotty's Leia is a masterpiece. Guttierrez already knows how I love her Luke-faces. Churko, as always, dynamic and full of mystic energies.

Thanks for another great zine! As a Vader fan, I was very pleased with Tremor #7. I think the number of talented SW fen keeps growing, judging by the quality and diversity of this issue. I hope everyone keeps up the great work; this zine is not only engrossing, but absolutely gorgeous.

For the sake of time and space, I'll only comment on the works that most impressed me. However, I hasten to add without exaggeration that there literally was not a single bad piece of art or fiction in the entire publication. Impressive!

"Separate Paths" is a great adventure tale thai keeps the reader's interest through all five endings. Marti did a fantastic job at making "the big four" seem much as they were in ANH—as yet unchanged by revelation or serious romance. Marti captures Leia's intelligence, Han's sarcasm, Luke's idealism, and Vader's ambitious nobility wonderfully. For all four characters, it almost seems as if this is one of their last adventures of innocence (for lack of a better word) available to them, before the war escalates and before they begin to fathom how very interconnected they truly are.

"To Catch a Skywalker" is also terrific. Not only does Yvette bring Lando wonderfully to life, but she does it in such a way as to make goosebumps on my arms. Lando's awareness that he was watching legends unfolding before his eyes, and that he had no choice but to be a part of the process—WOW! Keep it up, Yvette; you remind us of the magic of SW.

Wanda's "Glass Garden" moved me. The rela-tionship between Jek and Malliggi is poignant, intense, and totally believable. A great exploration of the war between the desire for security and the need for freedom. I also enjoyed what we see of the young Leia.

"It's Not My Fault!" is funny ~ Mary Jo, you have quite a talent for satire, you naughty woman! What's next. The Love Boafi Parts 2 and 3 of the "Penumbra" alternates aie quite chilling. Treena, you must do more of these. The most intriguing sentence (in fact, the key sentence) of part three is: "A turning point, but in which direction?" Obviously, this could be a turning point for Vader as well as for Luke. I'm eager to know what happens next.

"A Night Out" is intriguing. I've occasionally wondered about the way fen often assume Luke's naivete in regard to sex. I grew up in the Midwest, and many farm kids I knew were relatively sheltered and "wholesome", but many others were quite worldly at an early age. It comes with being "close to nature", and with having few other distractions available, I suppose.

"Beginner" has made me think a lot, Z.P., each of the three times I've read it. I alternately accept Luke's discovery as "truth", and reject it as "too dangerous." A great point to ponder.

"The Seeds of Revenge" is a disturbing, very well-written story. I have difficulty accepting Vader as a rapist, even immediately after his turning, but perhaps I'm too biased lo state an opinion here. The idea that love (of Luke) grew out of an act of hatred is compellingly ironic. Yet, there is nothing of Anakin in this Vader, and we are told that Anakin was Luke's father before he turned. Kenobi may have lied about that as well Still, Ben spared few scathing comments that would have set Luke against his father permanently. If Luke had been created by Vader's act of violence, wouldn't Obi-Wan have used that information to damn Vader forever in the boy's eyes? I wonder ... or, would that have hurl Luke too badly for even Ben to accept? Hmmmm. Interesting, Cheree, and thought-provoking. (Ed: This vignette "Designated Hitter" by Carol Hines-Slroede is fantastic. Her Vader is soooo darkly attractive --especially his dry humor. As always, Patronis is still fascinating; I never knew I could like an assassin so much. I also think the good doctor is terrific, no Mary Sue here! I'm glad you're writing again, Carol.

Now, a brief comment about the art. All of il is absolutely wonderful, and ihc cartoons are great! I would like to extend a special thank you, if I may, to Nancy Slasulis and Z. P. Florian for the fabulous illos in "Where Is Thy Sling?" and "Shattered Circles." I'm impressed, and very pleased, ladies!

Well, I'll wrap this up now Thanks again, Cheree, for your labor of love.

What another great issue of Tremor) First off, the covers were fantastic, especially that Han Solo. I'd love to know what he's "looking at" off page because it seems so real.

"Designated Hitter" by Carol Hines-Stroedc was a wonderful read and Nancy Slasulis' art went quite nicely, too. I'd really like to see Alan & Jen gel together.

Carolyn Golledge's "High Seas" was pure enjoyment. I couldn't put the zine down while reading this story. 1 really liked Jake and both he and Han play off each other wonderfully. I can't wait to read more.

I liked the way Z. P. Florian wrote "The Beginner" to incorporate Catherine Churko's illos. Well done. And Z. P.'s "A Night Out" was a riot. What a way to get one up on Han.

And speaking of riot, I roared with laughter at J P. Treleaven's "Complications on Itrurua". What complications! The scenes were written beautifully and Melanie Guttierrez did a great job with the art. 1 loved Luke doing Leia's hair.

"Where Is Thy Sling?" by Marti Schuller and Veronica Wilson was a great filler piece for events post-ANH and beyond.

Also another good filler piece was Yvelte Ghilan's "To Catch a Skywalker." Her interpretations of Lando seemed to be perfectly in character. It was nice to see some of the Italian Cloud City artists. I hope to see more of them because they are quite good.

I was glad there were a lot of LoCs. It means more people are writing in and that's important. Keep it up everyone.

I want everyone to know that, though I didn't make a comment on everything, I did enjoy everything and everyone's work. Thank you one and all for hours of pure reading satisfaction! Anxiously awaiting Tremor #8.

Well, I always enjoy A Tremor in the Force and #7 was no exception. The front and back covers were eye-calching and very well done. I want to mention again how clean and professional the layout and overall appearance of the zine is Even with desktop publishing programs, thai still takes work and a good eye for design.

A few comments on the stories:

I thoroughly enjoyed "Glass Garden" by Wanda Lybarger. Great characterization of Han, interesting setting (especially the bar, Rafflour's, I really liked it), and good anthropological detail on the Hults. I love it when people add to the SW galaxy in ways that really mesh with the movies and books. I hope Wanda is planning more stories.

Liked "High Seas" by Carolyn Golledge very much. Nice change of pace, having it on an oceangoing ship instead of star-hopping one. Tense action scenes and some good suspense while they were looking for the saboteurs.

"Be Careful What You Wish For." Yeah, we all wish...

Cheree, your "Seeds of Revenge" was a good, dark Vader story. And speaking of the dark side, that was a nice illo on page 145 by Gerald Crotty. "To Catch a Skywalker". Quite a good Lando story, with a realistic view of the character that was very true to the movies.

I also thought Maggie Nowakowska did quite a good analysis of "Ladies Choice" from Tremor #6 in her LoC. Made me haul out thai zine again lo take another look at the story.

I guess that's all for now. Hope everything's going well for you and I'll be looking forward to the next zine.

My little black heart nearly burst with joy when the mail carrier dumped my copy of TFU7 on my doorstep. (Yes, I actually heard a "thud") Anyway, here are my comments...

"Be Careful What You Wish For" - A trip! How many of you saw yourselves in this story? How many of you would care about the fence?!

"Separate Paths" —Good ad venture/treasure story in the vein of the old "choose your own adventure" books. 1 love to see this kind of stuff.

"Spazzin' at the Spa"—Campy, silly, ridiculous and downright absurd ... yet it was one of the most entertaining stories in the zine. It's sort of like what would happen if John Waters directed a SW film. As for Luke's "falsies", 1 doubt Leia needs them ... they taped em down in ANH for a reason!

"Gathering Shadows/Turning Point"—good brooding stuff. Enjoyed it although I never read "Penumbra" 1.

"To Catch a Skywalker" One of my favorites! Yvette has a real gift for putting herself into the shoes of different characters, allowing us to see familiar events from a different point of view. I loved how Lando could sense the strong empathic bonds between the other characters and how he dealt with the guilt over what he did to Han. This is the kind of story I'd like to see more often.

"Glass Garden"—Nicely detailed, and I loved the tragic, ironic ending. I kind of have a hard time believing, however, that Han had seen a teenage Leia on more than one occasion, and then doesn't recognize her a few years later.

"Where Is Thy Sting?" -- Another kick-butt story! Thanks for letting us know what's been going.

"Where Is Thy Sting?" offers a unique view of Vader's psychology. The disintegrating crystals available only on the destroyed Alderaan are a diabolic touch worthy of Palpaline (especially the Emperor who appears in the illo on page 129) and he plays Vader's feelings for Luke beautifully at the beginning. My question is whether he underestimates where those feelings would finally take Vadcr or if he believed that he could control the situation no matter what decision the Dark Lord made.

I found 'Shattered Circles" complemented this story in a way that made both better.

This is one zine that needed a whole bunch of lighter stories to balance the heavy hitters and they indeed were there I'm going to include Carolyn Golledge's "High Seas" in this category because I found it a relief to read after the dark doings in the other stories and not because I consider her a lightweight in any way. Her story is full of action and very well plotted. I didn't think there was anyone who could out-Corellian Han Solo, but Kella-han does it in spades. And together they are almost too much. (Can you imagine a whole roomful of these people?) Although I enjoyed the introduction of another heroic Corellian who can have all sorts of harm inflicted on him, I'd rather go with the original. Carolyn, you have my vote to go back to trashing Han, if you want.

I haven't stopped laughing at "A Nighl Out". Han Solo as the worried nursemaid-type, trying to protect Luke from himself, was hilarious. The variety of types of partners for Luke is incredible—great job, Z. P. Between this story and Homer Sapiento's "Spazzin' at the Spa", there's enough laughter to offset the gloomier pieces with lots left over. 1 really like the idea of Leia retreating to a luxurious spa to escape from her well-meaning male companions. She needs the break!

Mary Jo Fox's story, "It's Not My Fault!, went right along with it. The Velvoid Lounge sounded like a version of the Poconos in Space. And 1 enjoyed the penny ante bounty hunter no end.

I'm running out of time and space, so here comes the typical rushed conclusion. I thought the portfolio of art from the Italian fans was a real treat. They are extremely talented. Melanie, thanks for doing an excellent job with the illos for my story. Il still surprises me to see my ideas show up as art and you do it so well Jacqueline Taero once again puts her unique spin on the events of SW; I look for her poems, knowing that they will be wonderful. The cartoon on page 147 was great as was Tina Bentrup's version of Luke and his father as it might have been (especially the one about the buttons)!

You should be very proud of yourself, Cheree. This zine is a blockbuster.

As always, Tremor keeps up the great work! Here's my LoC to let you and all the contributors know what a great job they've done!

A couple of stories really stood out for me: "Glass Garden" by Wanda Lybargcr and "To Catch a Skywalker" by Yvette Ghilan. What got me was the strong characterizations! Jek, the little mahdi, was so believable without being comy. The way Wanda portrayed his plight was thought-provoking. Yvette really made Lando a sympathetic figure, too At last, somebody was able to explain Lando's tough situation -- Yvette did it so well! She and Wanda have the SW charactors down to a T. They did nothing unexpected or too off the wall.

One other, shorter story caught my eye, "Gathering Shadows" by Catriona Campbell. Excellent alternative universe! I'm a sucker for those types of stories, and after reading hers, 1 can see why. How did she capture Lcia so well? She musfvc watched the movies a half-million times The rest of the zine is great! The artwork is always breathtaking! Especially to someone who can't draw a straight line with a ruler.

The Vader football cartoon was priceless! He looks meaner than most linebackers.

Everything else in Tremor is excellent. I'm definitely going to order W8 Thank you all again! (Also please tell Marti to write some more alternate ending stories The last one was a blast!)

Don't tell me "it's not my fault" when, upon opening my mail in the car and finding Tremor, I wookied—uh, whooped "yes! yes! yes!" and let traffic back up two miles because the light had changed.

Hoth-bound all winter up in Lake Peekskill has ; gift of this author This is a thoroughly entertaining and insightful work. Weil done, Wanda! Bravo I!

As 1 said, a wonderful, magnificant zine. Cheree, you keep this up and you're going to find it harder and harder to keep topping each issue. But 1 certainly hope with all my SW loving heart thai you never stop. Thanks to everyone involved for such much enjoyment.

Well, this is actually the first LoC 1 have ever written. I usually end up ordering back zines and by the time I read them, the second or third issue is already out, but I'm glad I received Tremor HI in time to write a LoC.

While I have the chance, I'd like to quickly comment on Tremor #5 and #6. I have to say they are the best zines I have ever ordered They are so nicely put together and wetl-writtcn. It is a pleasure to read a zine that doesn't have a thousand typos. The stories, poems, and artwork are just fabulous.

Now I'd like to specifically comment on some pieces in Tremor H7. "To Catch a Skywalker" by Yvette Ghilan was an extremely interesting story. I love reading original SW material from a different point of view. The best part of the story, to me, was how Yvette described the characters in such detail Her interpretation of how Lando first viewed Leia was fabulous. After reading this story, I saw Leia from a whole new perspective. She was always described as a remarkable woman, but to hear her described as "well you'd know what I mean if you knew her* was great Thanks, Yvette, for such an entertaining story.

Another story along the same lines as "Skywalker" is "Where Is Thy Sting?" by Marti Schuller and Veronica Wilson. Again ihey took the original SW story and added to it. The Vader point of view was excellent. I always wanted to know what happened in the dining room on Bespin "Alderaani Crystal," fabulous irony.

Another story I feel compelled to comment on is "High Seas* by Carolyn Golledge. It was very refreshing to read a slory that took place on a ship that was actually in the water and not in space. The different setting really made the story stand out I also liked the character of the new Corellian. I was grateful that he didn't turn oui to be Han's long-lost brother. We have heard enough of those stories. Great action packed story. I had a great time reading it Also, Dianne Smith's artwork was fabulous, as usual. I can't wait for Tremor US. This is by far the best zine series ever.

Thank you so much for my contributor's copy of Tremor #7. What a great issue—so many stories! I didn't think you could do better than the cover for #6, but Nancy Slasutis' Vader is its equal. The composition is dramatic and dynamic, it's a real winner. Her other illos are also excellent, especially those accompanying "Designated Hitter."

There are so many stories I don't quite know where to start One of my favorites is Carol Hines-Stroede's "Designated Hitter." I find Patronis very believable and interesting to read about. The story offers mystery and intrigue as well as filling in more of Patronis' background. And I loved the ending! I hope there will be more to come. ((Ed- Hold onto your potatoes, J.P. The sequel, "The Third Day", is within these very pages!))

Z. P. Florian's story fits Catherine Churko's illos beautifully. And her portrayal of Luke's emergence as a complete Jedi is a breath of fresh air after years of stories about his incisiveness and downright neurotic behavior and unending debates about Dark Side versus Light Side I got a kick out of Marti Schullcr's alternate endings although this is not my favorite kind of story. She did it very cleverly, allowing the personalities of each of the characters room for expression. Both of Cairiona Campbell's stories were killers in the depression line. I'm glad she left room at the end for something positive to happen in the future; the events are so dark. I assume that they're sequels to "Penumbra" but I refuse to read them as such. It was such a perfectly frightening story in its own right that I prefer to keep it by itself in my own mind—without peer and without sequel, so to speak.

"Glass Garden" by Wanda Lybarger was wonderful. I found her Dru fascinating and could only marvel at the details of the unique culture of the Hutt. The intricacies of Jek and Malliggi's relationship are lightyears away from the drooling of Jabba. And, as always, her illos are great, especially the one of page 93, which would not be out of place in a Lewis Carroll story.

A Tremor in the Force 7 — another fine effort chock full of great writers, stories, artwork. There are so many good stories, it's hard to mention them all. Some of my favorites include "Gathering Shadows" by Catriona Campbell, an interesting alternate with nice possibilities for a sequel.

"It's Not My Fault" by Mary Jo Fox was a riot.

"Complications on Itrurua" by J. P. Treleaven was my favorite. It was clever, suspensefiil, and the characters were portrayed very well.

"Beginner" by Z. P. Florian was a good story of self discovery for Luke.

"Shattered Circles" by Veronica Wilson and "Father, Help Me" by Eleonora Sessa offered interesting insight into Vader's heart.

"High Seas" by Carolyn Golledge is another in a fine line of adventures for Han and the gang.

"The Saga According to Leia Organa" by Jacqueline Taero, "A Night Out" by Z. P. Florian, Homer Sapiento's "Spazzin' at the Spa", and "Be Careful What You Wish For..." by you, Cheree, our faithful editor, were all very entertaining and fun.

"Separate Paths" by Marti Schuller was a good story, and it was fun to have all those different endings to choose from. It's not something I'd want to see too often though because it takes the decision making away from the author.

On a story level, it's sort of like reading Southern Enclave. It's wonderful and fascinating and interesting, and one can sit there all night reading all the great theories that are presented, but in the end there is still no definite answer to the questions!

The poetry by Kathryn Agel, Yvette Ghilan, and Jacqueline Taero was all very beautiful.

Finally, "The Seeds of Revenge" by you, Cheree, was a very dark portrayal of Darth whereby he used his power not just to kill for the sake of expediency but to punish and humiliate. I wonder how loving and forgiving Luke would have been if he knew the violent and hateful conditions in which he and Leia were conceived?

This is another great book, Cheree! My compliments to all he writers and artists and especially to you. Thanks!

Issue 8

front cover of issue #8, Nancy Stasulis

back cover of issue #8

flyer for issue #8

A Tremor in the Force 8 was published in 1994 and is 351 pages long. It contains a massive amount of art. The color front cover is by Nancy Stasulis, the back cover is by Nicola Pearce.

Interior art by Robert Beard, Tina Bentrup, Cheree Cargill, Catherine Churko, Gerald Crotty, Cheryl DeLuca, Z.P. Florian, Carolyn Golledge, Melanie Guttierrez, Wanda Lybarger, Margaret McNickle, Nicola Pearce, Laura Sherman, and Nancy Stasulis

Two contributors won FanQ Awards for their work in this zine:

• 1995 'Best Star Wars (Gen) Poem/Filk': "Musings of a Princess/Musings of a Smuggler" by Kathy Agel (A Tremor in the Force #8)
• 1995 Best Star Wars (Gen) Story: "Mercy Mission" by Cheree Cargill (A Tremor in the Force #8)
• Letters of Comment (3)
• It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Super Mon?, poem by Jacqueline Taero (9)
• Man To Man by Carol Hines-Stroede. (There were a few things Luke had never learned about the Force. And sometimes a boy's just gotta talk to his father.) (11)
• Musings of a Princess, poem by Kathryn Agel (14)
• Musings of a Smuggler, poem by Kathryn Agel (15)
• Lamentations by Louise Turner (16)
• Alliance Avant-Garde by Susan Zahn (25)
• The Day After by Yvette Ghilan (35)
• Midnight At Home by Susan Deborah Smith (41)
• Time Will Tell by C. Anson (44)
• Luke, Store Front—Aging Man's Mission, poem by Jennifer Moore (62)
• Mediation Aboard the Crispian by Lisa Papp (63)
• The Trial (by Patricia Kelley, art by Catherine Churko. (Luke Skywalker had saved his father's life when he pulled him from the impending explosion of the second Death Star. He didn't think about what might be ahead for Anakin once he recovered from his wounds.) (65)
• Night Thoughts, poem by Kathryn Agel (88)
• Her Ladyship by Marti Schuller, art by Z.P. Florian. (The venerable Lady of Alderaan had outlived all her companions and only she remembered the truth about the Rebellion Against the Empire. Now she must pass her knowledge along to a new generation.) (91)
• The Daemon by Mary Jo Fox (101)
• After the War: Another View, poem by Jacqueline Taero (109)
• Portfolio: The Art of Robert Beard
• Seek, and Ye Shall Find by Catriona Campbell, art by Gerald Crotty. (Two new stories in the Penumbra series. While on Tatooine to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt, Leia takes time to visit the Lars farmstead, searching for some remembrance of Luke. Meanwhile, the Son of Vader prepares for battle.) (115)
• Mercy Mission by Cheree Cargill, art by Wanda Lybarger. 1995 Fan Q Winner for Best Star Wars Short Story! (All Leia needed Han to do was fly to an Imperial controlled planet, pick up some supplies and fly back. She absolutely, positively guaranteed nothing could go wrong. Nothing!) (121)
• I Want a Whiskey Voice Like Princess Leia's, filk by Susan Deborah Smith (143)
• Contemplating Frost, poem by Veronica Wilson (144)
• Shadow Talk (by Z. P. Florian. (The Emperor has Luke Skywalker in his possession. Now the battle of wills begins.) (146)
• The Right Thing by Nora Mayers. (Han and Leia's children were strong in the Force. It was now time that they be trained by Luke, but not surprisingly Han had equally strong objections.) (149)
• Need by Sandi Jones (159)
• All the Marbles by Martie Benedict, art by Wanda Lybarger. (Once again, Han Solo was dead broke and without a cargo. But lady luck almost literally fell into his lap in the form of a little alien named Tymee. She had a scheme for getting rich. She just needed a couple of partners who could make it happen.) (163)
• The Secret, poem by Yvette Ghilan (185)
• The Burden, poem by Yvette Ghilan (186)
• My Friend, poem by Yvette Ghilan (187)
• Patterns Of Battle by Catriona Campbell (188)
• "Every Droid's Dream". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Carolyn Golldege, art by Z. P. Florian. (Han and fellow Corellian Kellahen have crashed their experimental craft in the desert and must walk to safety. It's unlikely that they will make it unless an unlikely rescuer can come through for them ... Threepio!) (194)
• Force Visions by Lisa Papp (231)
• Storms of Passion, poem by Lynda Siegel (233)
• "Heart's Blood" by Marti Schuller, art by Melanie Guttierrez. (The Alliance has had a valuable source inside the Empire supplying them with information. Now that source has gone silent. Han, Luke and Leia are sent in to investigate ... and rescue the source, if possible.) (234)
• "On the Third Day" by Carol Hines-Stroede, art by Nancy Stasulis. (An Alan Patronis story. Vader is dead, the Alliance is in power, and the Dark Lord's top assassin is in custody. But when he attempts suicide, it is up to his long time friend, Dr. Jen Berani, to save his life. Little does she dream that her past associations will now come home to haunt her.) (271)
• "Balance of Power". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Veronica Wilson, art by Z. P. Florian. (Tarkin and Vader are both vying for the special attention of the Emperor. And Palpatine is thoroughly enjoying the show. (Enduring rivalry between Vader and Tarkin nearly turns deadly as Palpatine determines who should command the Empire's newest battle station.) (307)

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  inside issue #8, Robert Beard

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  inside issue #8, Robert Beardard

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  inside issue #8, Gerald Crotty

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  inside issue #8, unknown artist

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  inside issue #8, Z.P. Florian

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  inside issue #8, Catherine Churko

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  inside issue #8, Robert Beard

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  inside issue #8, Catherine Churko

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  inside issue #8, Catherine Churko

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  inside issue #8, filk

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  inside issue #8, Z.P. Florian

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  inside issue #8, HLN

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  inside issue #8, unknown artist

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  inside issue #8, Wanda Lybarger

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  inside issue #8, Laura Sherman

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  inside issue #8, Nancy Stasulis

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8

The cover and back cover artwork were stunning! If s great to see Leia on the cover of a zine for a change. Speaking of Her Worship, Gerald Crotty's illo on page 114 is spectacular! It tops the one he did in #7. You have to do some work for Snowfire...) As always, Wanda Lybarger and Catherine Churko did excellent work, Melanie Guttierrez's Luke portraits were terrific, and Carolyn Golledge's artwork shows a lot of promise. And, oh, the stories... Too many for me to comment on, so I'll just highlight the ones that really caught my attention. My absolute favorite was Marti Schuller's "Her Ladyship" and not just because of my affiliation with the Royal House of Alderaan. It's a poignant story that drags at the heartstrings. The end was a tearjerker if there ever was one, particularly Leia's story about the painting (which was funny at the same time). This is one story I'll remember for a long, longtime. Thanks, Marti.

Catriona Campbell's "Seek, And Ye Shall Find" and "Patterns of Battle" were very good alternate universe stories. Is the conclusion on the horizon?

"Alliance Avant Garde" explains how Leia learned to use a welder in TESB (and I always thought they taught shop in the ol' palace!) and does a fine job of developing the characters' relationships. The ending was a hoot, too. "Every Droid's Dream" is classic Golledge with lots of action, great dialogue, and humor. Of course, let's not forget the pain and suffering, though it's poor Jake that bears the brunt of the bruising. Veronica Wilson's "Balance of Power" does a terrific job portraying Imperial intrigue and exploring Vader's character. My quibble with the story, however, is that it seems to me a lot of the same points were repeated over and over. Vader and Tarkin don't like each other, Tarkin's a petty jealous schmuck, the emperor wants to play them against each other, etc. I still enjoyed the story.

Not only were there many stories, there were also many poems! Yvette's and Jacqueline's poems are as good as always, and I appreciate seeing stuff by people I'm not familiar with like Lynda Siegel.

Again, if I didnt comment on a story or something, it was because there were just too many to go into detail. Overall, this zine was a success, like the other issues I've read.

I was, to put it mildly, thrilled to see how well my "Han on Hoth" portrait reproduced. You did an excellent job and I'm very honored to be used by TF. Thank you! Nancy Stasulis' color cover portrait is awesome. You could really get lost in the depths of this picture. Love the faraway look that, even in profile, is evident on Leia's face. In my imagination, Han is in the hut behind her, perhaps sleeping — and much snoring! Nice image! What a whopper! You always manage to out do yourself, Cheree. You should feel very proud of yourself.

I have lots of favorite stories (and there certainly wasnt a "bad apple" in this entire "barrel")! Too many to mention all in an LoC, but here are a few of my favorites.

"Alliance Avant-Garde". I have always enjoyed Susan Zahn's SW fiction. She writes Han and Leia with a perfect amount of tenderness, stubbornness and caustic wit, and this story is no exception. Loved the idea of Han teaching Leia how to use a microfuser (gorgeous illo from Wanda Lybarger, incidentally — she is my favorite artistic "hero"). I burst out laughing at the passage where Luke discovers that Han has his oily handprint on Leia's rear. My only lament is that Wanda didnt draw an accompanying illo for tills scene — though I can imagine quite a bit! *ha ha* "Time Will Tell". I've never read a Cat Anson story I didn't like. She and I must be very alike, in our view of that caressable Corellian because she writes him exactly as I see him. She also captures Leia's character perfectly and I love how she slowly but inexorably builds up Han and Leia's growing relationship, introducing new reasons for them to start to trust each otiier. I can certainly see Han being good whh children. Despite all his reckless behavior and restless nature, Itn sure he has a protective, affectionate streak a mile wide beneatii his tou^ veneer. The scene between Han and Leia at the end was tenderly erotic and beautifully written. I tiiink ifs just as well that their relationship wasnt consummated just then as they needed to have more trust and knowledge of each other for their relationship to last Carolyn's illos were great, weren't they? Her ceaseless talents are sickening! (Only joking, Carolyn! I look forward to seeing more of your lovely artwork!)

"Her Ladyship" was bittersweet I felt so sorry for Leia, left all alone, and so happy for her when she and Han were reunited again.

"Mercy Mission". Wonderful! Loved the picture and the illo of Leia tending to a sick Han, while also looking to her own gains. Well, she's not a diplomat for nothing! Great adventure in this story, lots of good old fashion Solo-style action. Liked the role reversal at the end.

"All the Marbles." Utterly wonderful to see Martie actively back in fan fiction. She certainly ain't lost the knack. In true Martie fashion, she gets Han in and out of a lucrative, if rather bizarre, situation with much action and a great deal of humor. For me, one of the funniest things was the transvox's interpretations of colloquialisms. Very, very clever, Martie, and extremely inventive. Shape-changing, huh? Well, Captain Solo can get "rutty" with me anytime!

"Every Droid's Dream". Another masterpiece from Carolyn. How does she keep coming up with these new and ingenious ideas for stories? She's awe-inspiring. She managed to "trash" poor ol' Jake good and proper again! He's getting to be nearly as bad as Han. Talking of which, dont forget to give Han a good "trashing" soon. I miss seeing the poor guy all beat up. On a serious note, I was very impressed with Carolyn's idea of the droids segregating themselves according to their color. This is a depressing thought, but all too believable, considering that many of the Imperials, who programmed their "ancestor", were inclined to be this way and may have 'rubbed off' in their programming. Very thought provoking stuff.

Poetry-wise, I liked Kathy Agel's "Musings of a Princess" and "Musings of a Smuggler", "The Secret", and "My Friend" by Yvette Ghilan, and "Stonns of Passion" by Lynda Siegel.

Gerald Crotty's cartoon on page 23 was a real hoot! Also love his illo on page 114. Robert Beard's art portfolio was really beautiful. I especially liked the portrait of Yoda.

Altogether a terrific zine. Beautifully put together, presented and edited, and packed with exciting stories and artwork. Thank you for all your hard work.

Had to write and diank you for all your hard work on TVemor #8. As far as I'm concerned, it was certainly worth it. From the wonderful covers front and back, I was especially pleased to see Nicola Pearce's work getting an airing. The presentation was as always superb. I can only say a heartfelt thank you.

As for the stories, I'll say straight away that I enjoyed "Mercy Mission" best of all. I loved the start, middle and end. Han stories have always been my favorites and a story that contains humor, action and suspense is bound to be a winner for me, beautifully complemented by die Lybarger illustrations.

Also very much enjoyed "Every Droid's Dream" by Carolyn Golledge. What a terrible way to get revenge on poor Han! Placing him on a droid-ruled planet! I loved it!

Martie Benedict's "All the Marbles" more than lived up to its advance press. She has a wonderful way of putting over a story. Another favorite was Marti SchuUer's "Heart's Blood". A very tightly paced story widi lots of action. "Alliance Avant Garde" was wonderful, too. I'm a big fan of Susan Zahn's work and again beautifully illustrated by Wanda Lybarger.

Biggest surprise to me was the fact that I so much enjoyed reading Veronica Wilson's "Balance of Power". Not being a lover of Vader, I hadn't expected to get much from it, but I really thought it was wonderfully put together, giving a new dimension to Vader, making him more "human". Thank you.

There was so much else to enjoy that I can't go through them all. Suffice it to say that this has to be my zine of the year. I'm already looking forward to Tremor #9.

Number Eight! What a zine! It was enormous and full of good quality stories and art.

Hines-Stroede's "Man-to-Man" was a perfect humor piece. It make sense to me that Anakin would appear as a handsome young man. Vader always was one for the appearance. "Go ahead, Luke, use the Force." TTiat line killed me. Sorry that I didn't like the Alan Patronis story. Though it was well-written, it was a trifle too dark for my tastes. Turner's "Lamentations" was a good look at Wedge. It is good to see stories about the "minor" characters more often. Kelley's "The Trial" was a wonderful "what if. I agree that it might be difficult for Vader to give up his arrogance even given his deathbed conversion. Catherine Churko's art was outstanding, especially that haunting drawing of Anakin at die prison bars on page 81. "Her Ladyship" by Schuller was a wonderful tribute to Leia as a person. Her "Heart's Blood" was an intriguing look at Rebel sympathizers. Loved Melanie's art that went with this one. Was Fox's "The Daemon" intended as an Aliens crossover? Certainly seemed that way to me. "Mercy Mission" had excellent characterization, specially Han sneezing at the wrong moment.

Z. P.'s "Shadowtalk" was a wonderful look at the Dark Side. Her Luke is always so self-assured, not some space weinie. Mayers "The Right Thing" skillfully answered the question of what Han would do should Leia die. She did a good job incorporating the pro novels continuity. It is nice to see some of the characters pop up here and there. Benedict's "All the Marbles" was a good action yam. I loved the translations of the Wookiee curses. Just wish Tymee had found another way distract Bekhow. I sometimes loan my zines to my students, but can't if they contain too many sexual suggestions.

"Every Droid's Dream" by Golledge was a great way to showcase Threepio. I ^ways enjoy tie banter between Jake and Han. Say, Carolyn, how about a Han/Lando story showcasing tiieir relationship? Last, but definitely not least, was Wilson's "Balance of Power". She has Vader, Palpatine and Tarkin down pat. Vader releases tiie hounds at tiie end. All I can say is more!!! Flo's art here and there through the rest of the zine was terrific as always.

Keep up the good work.

As always, receiving my copy of Tremor was like getting a terrific gift unexpectedly, one especially appreciated this year. But, Cheree, Cheree, Tremor seems to be growing fatter than the national debt! Not that I'm complaining, mind you! :)

As usual, the artwork was exceptional. Nancy Stasulis' cover was lovely, as were her illos for "On the Third Day". I love her detail. Wanda Lybarger is always outstanding, of course. Nicola Pearce's back cover was very good, very lifelike. And then there's Z.P. What can I say about dear, prolific Z.P. that hasn't already been said? I especially liked her illos on pages 90 (thanks), 324 and 341. My favorite piece of art in the zine, however, was on page 189 by Gerald Crotty. Wow!! Such a gorgeous work that it literally gave me goosebumps. Outstanding!

The contents were wonderful, too, but if I commented on everything in this issue, this LoC would run into a novella, so I'll only remark on those stories that most touched me personally.

"Lamentations" by Louise Turner—a well-written tale of Wedge's grief. Though the subject was depressing, I thought the story itself was quite good. "My Friend" by Yvette Ghilan — a nicely expressed piece of Solo's feelings for his young friend. "Contemplating Frost" by Veronica Wilson — a beautiful, moving look at Vader's sad, empty soul. "The Trial" by Patricia Kelley — though I personally dislike the ysalamiri and most other non-film references, I'm glad I persevered with this story. Although an alternate universe tale — another of my personal dislikes — this was a well-conceived, well-written tale. I'll look for Ms. Kelley's work in future with interest.

"Allance Avant-Garde" by Susan Zahn — a cute, believable story. Susan's understanding of Leia, her grasp of the complex yet growing relationship between the princess and Solo were well-expressed and rang true to the film's characters. Very nice work.

"Seek, and Ye Shall Find" by Catriona Campbell — this installment in Treena's ongoing "Penumbra" series is, so far, my favorite. Leia's discovery of her buried past rings true, sorrowful, but without melodrama. As always, the writing was crisp, the plot tight, the emotion and characters genuine.

"Mercy Mission" by Cheree Cargill — I liked this story a lot. The characters were those I know, the tale exciting, well-plotted and the writing excellent. I also appreciated the welcome bits of humor that rounded the story out so superbly.

"All the Marbles" by Martie Benedict — when I first became active in SW fanlit, I repeatedly heard the name Martie Benedict referred to with respect and admiration. After reading this wonderful work, I now know why. Let's hope this immensely talented writer has returned to us for good! My favorite story in this huge issue, however, was "Balance of Power" by Veronica Wilson. I say this, not because Veronica is a friend, but because I honestly found the story truly astonishing. Veronica weaves a tapestry of political intrigues and emotional rainbows with all the skill of a master storyteller. Her interpretation of the minds of Tarkin, Vader and Palpatine are so in keeping with the film's scant glimpse of each, yet so much more in depth, that it's often difficult for me to remember that these are strictly her views and not necessarily Lucas'. The final line of this marvelously executed tale is magnificently apt and, no pun intended, chilling. Fantastic!

Overall, Tremor is still the finest SW zine on the market today. Please keep up your excellent work, Cheree. SW fandom would be lost without you.

TiF 8 was another huge success, a good issue. "Man-to-Man" by Carol Hines-Stroede was a riot Muffy Mothma! I about choked when I read it. Good thing I wasn't eating at the time.

Great Sue Zahn story, "Alliance Avant-Garde". Nicely done.

"Her Ladyship" by Marti Schuller was wonderful. I had tears in my eyes at the end. You sure know how to tug at those heartstrings! I also truly enjoyed "Heart's Blood". Cheree's "Mercy Mission" had me in stitches. And Wanda's illos went with the story beautifully.

It was good to see Martie Benedict's return with "All The Marbles". I've enjoyed her other work and this was no exception. Catriona Campbell's "Patterns of Battle" was wonderful. And Gerald Crotly's illo of that Luke stopped me in my tracks. I can see the Darkness in his face.

"Every Droid's Dream" by Carolyn Golledge was a chuckle-fest. Loved Z.P.'s illos for the story, too. Nicola Pearce's bacover was extremely life-like. And Nancy Stasulis' front cover was breathtakingly beautiful. Just wish I could find a couple of thousand more

different words to describe the stories and words in this issue without sounding repetitive. Good job done by all and I am looking forward to #9.

The general look of the zine, the artwork and the layout, were excellent as usual. I liked the cover very much, too. I enjoyed "Alliance Avant-Garde" by Susan Zahn and "Midnight at Home" by Susan Deborah Smith. I also liked "Mercy Mission" quite a bit. I'd love to see the scene in the bordello acted out. (That line sounds errible out of context, doesn't it?) I really liked Wanda Lybarger's illos on this one, too.

"Time Will Tell" by C. Anson was quite good. I like her characterizations of Han and Leia's relationship a lot, and the scenes with the kids were good — not too cute or sentimental, but just right Some nice illos by Carolyn Golledge on this one.

My favorite story was "All the Marbles" by Martie Benedict During the scene where Chewie puts on the translator, I laughed so hard I fell out of my chair. I hope this means Martie Benedict will be doing more stories. I love her characterizations of Han and Chewie, and she's always been one of my favorite fen writers.

Issue 9

front cover of issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

back cover of issue #9, Gerald Crotty

flyer for issue #9

A Tremor in the Force 9 was published in 1996 and is 252 pages long. The story "Falling -- Author: M.J. Mink won the 1997 FanQ Award For Best Star Wars Gen Story. The zine also won the 1996 STAR Award for Best Star Wars zine.

The art is by Gerald Crotty, Nancy Stasulis, Nancy Stasulis, Wanda Lybarger, Z. P. Florian, Laura Virgil, Melea Fisher, Donna Frayser, John Fredericks, Mark Fisher, Dani, Sarah E. Glasgow,

• LoCs (3)
• Keeper of the Stars by Debbie Kittle (8)
• Chewbacca Goes Shopping by Z. P. Florian. Star Award Honorable Mention. The fair on Kashyyyk always brought merchants and gypsies selling their various wares. This time, for some reason, the small naked human boy being abused by his gypsy "father" aroused Chewbacca's interest and he stepped in to alter the situation. (9)
• Ambulance, Day Shift by Jason Grant (13)
• The Planting; also here by MJ Mink. It is Planting Time on Tatooine and Luke must undergo an important ritual to insure harvest. Can he supply the all-important Fertilizer that will make the seed grow? (15)
• The Wrong Message by Sarah E. Glasgow (16)
• Legend of the Queen of Light by Wanda Lybarger (17)
• Blue Harvest by Yvette Chilean (21)
• Time; also here by M.J. Mink (The Force was growing stronger in Luke but there was one aspect he hadn't expected—the ability to feel the pain and deaths of every pilot, either Imperial or Rebel, that was killed around him in battle. Could he learn to control this or would he be doomed to suffer this unexpectedly personal side of war forever?) (29)
• Thoughts of a Jedi by Sarah E. Glasgow (33)
• I'd Rather Call You Sweetheart, filk by Susan Zahn (to the tune of I'd Rather Call You Baby" by Seymour-Lawnhurst, as sung by Fats Waller)(34)
• Career Choice by Pat Nissan (Han and Leia have come to the realization that any children they have will be pawns of the New Republic and Luke's New Jedi Order. Together they reach a painful decision.) (35)
• A.W.O.L. by Louise Turner, art by Gerald Crotty. (Luke has disappeared following the evacuation from Hoth. Was his ship destroyed in the mad scramble off the planet or—even more unthinkable—has he deserted? Wedge Antilles can't believe either one and he's sure that Luke will return. But meantime he has been thrust into the role of Red Leader.) (37)
• Silent Night; also here by M.J. Mink (A time to remember those lost on Alderaan.) (55)
• Where Do I Go To Now? by Tammy Olsen, filk to the tune of Where Does My Heart Beat Now" by Celine Dion (56)
• Ashes by Veronica Wilson, art by Z. P. Florian. Star Award Honorable Mention. (You will never forget this Cinderella story about a Darkside witch and the Prince Charming she seduces!) (58)
• Disturbance by Marti Schuller (66)
• In the X-Wing by Sarah E. Glasgow (68)
• Start Over Again by Tammy Olsen, filk to the tune of If We Could Start Over" by Celine Dion (69)
• Luke-a-Palooza by Mary Jo Fox. Star Award Winner. (The Jedi Academy has this cash flow problem, see, and Luke thinks he's found a way to raise capital. First you get all these great bands together, then you find an empty field...) (70)
• Shifting Sands by Veronica Wilson (Vader has seen so much death and destruction that even he was beginning to crumble under its weight. Palpatine couldn't afford to lose his most valuable servant. Could he pull the Dark Lord back from the precipice of madness before it was too late?) (81)
• Dangerous by Maggie Nowakowska (four filks) (90)
  • Dangerous Scheming, to the tune of The Skye Boat Song" [Scottish lament for Prince Charles Edward Smart])
  • Dangerous Debts, verse melody: "Meadowlands" - chorus melody: the bridge melody from "The Volga Boat Song" (both Russian folk songs)
  • Dangerous Dreaming, to the tune of "Aldonza", minus the 2-line bridge; from Man of La Mancha
  • Dangerous to Let, also to the tune of "Aldonza", minus the 2-line bridge; from Man of La Mancha
• Market Strategy by Donna Frayser (99)
• A Father's Choice by Sarah Glasgow (100)
• Half of My Blood by Debbie Kittle, filk to the tune of Cain's Blood by 4-Runner (101)
• Varastus, the River Beast by John Fredericks (103)
• A Different Light by Debbie Kittle (119)
• "Falling". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by MJ Mink, art by Nancy Stasulis. Fan Q and Star Award Winner. Luke has been captured by Vader who undertakes his son's education regarding the Jedi and the Dark Side of the Force. The longer he listens, the more sense Vader begins to make and Luke realizes that his much-feared father has a lot more knowledge to impart than Obi-Wan or Yoda ever would have told him. Can he reach a balance without succumbing to evil? (121)
• Ishtiil's Legacy by Rich Gawel (140)
• The Art of Wanda Lybarger, art portfolio (142)
• The Last of the Jedi by Z.P. Florian (What would have happened if Kenobi hadn't been killed on the Death Star and had been able to continue Luke's training as a Jedi? What sort of Jedi Knight would Luke have become?) (146)
• The Saga According to Darth Vader by Jacqueline Taero (162)
• Fandom, the Next Generation by Katy Cargill (166)
• The House in the Woods by Marti Schuller. Star Award Honorable Mention. (Luke is on a much needed vacation on a pastoral planet and finds great peace in a small village. But there is a house in the woods shunned by the villagers and from it he senses pain and sadness. Unable to keep away, he finds a lonely young woman in need of love and the healing spirit of a gentle Jedi.) (169)
• "On the Side of Light". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Martie (Benedict) O'Brien, art by Dani. Star Award Winner. (Optyl was not a nice place, a planet whose rotation caused one side to always face its sun, the other side to always face away. Life was only possible in a narrow strip between the two extremes. And now a religious war seemed ready to break out there as well. So, why had Han Solo accepted a consignment to haul a load of religious artifacts in to one of the warring sides while the other was fanatically determined to stop him? Well, being destitute had a way of making a man do some pretty desperate things to stay alive...) (194)

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  inside page from issue #9, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #9, Gerald Crotty

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  inside page from issue #9, Gerald Crotty

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  inside page from issue #9, Laura Virgil

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  inside page from issue #9, Margaret McNickle, "Surfin' the Net"

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  inside page from issue #9, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #9, Donna Frayser

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  inside page from issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

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  inside page from issue #9, Nancy Stasulis

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  inside page from issue #9, Wanda Lybarger

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  inside page from issue #9, Laura Virgil

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  inside page from issue #9, Sarah E. Glasgow

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  inside page from issue #9, Dani

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9

Congratulations, Cheree, on another beautiful issue of Tremor! The front and back covers by Nancy Stasulis (as well as her illos throughout) and Gerald Crotty are lovely, and Crotty's portrayal of Yoda is very striking and detailed. The entire layout of the zine is extremely well done, and I particularly enjoyed the different graphics you used for the titles and as page borders. The contents are uniformly terrific, so I'll try to confine my comments to a manageable length.

Z. P. Florian's "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" is an interesting variation on the story of how Han and Chewie met her "Last of the Jedi" is fascinating in its portrayal of Obi-Wan, with her Luke as strong and enigmatic as always. Her illustrations throughout Tremor are wonderful. Wanda Lybarger's "The Legend of the Queen of Lightis very rich and colorful in its descriptions. Sarah Glasgow's art and poetry is absolutely charming, and I hope to see more from her. Pat Nussman's "Career Choice" is a thoughtful piece and very plausible. Louise Turner's "A.W.O.L." is a good look at a turning point in Wedge's life, very well done, and Gerald Crotty's illos for it are marvelous. "Luke-A-Palooza" by Mary Jo Fox is totally bizarre and funny! Veronica Wilson's "Shifting Sands" is an absorbing view of the interaction between Palpatine and Vader regarding Luke's existence. Maggie Nowakowska's "Dangerous" is beautifully lyrical.

"Varastus, the River Beast" by John Fredericks is refreshingly unusual and a well-told tale. Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy" is a great background piece for a neglected character, Ackbar. Jacqueline Taero's "The Saga According to Darth Vader" - an engagrng and clever recitation by poor, misunderstood Darth - is a delight!

Tremor #9 was a beautiful zine, especially the detailed front and back covers. Gerald Crotty's Yoda was frameable. All of the artwork was great, too. "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" by Z.P. Florian was a different look at how Han and Chewie hooked up. "Time" by MJ. Mink blew me away. This story seemed to fit perfectly between TESB and ROTJ. Great insights into Luke's character. Her "Silent Night" was strange and interesting, too. Ditto for "Falling" and the character of Tal. I enjoyed "A.W.O.L." by Louise Turner a great deal, especially how Wedge wasn't really sure what

happened to Luke but didn't want to believe he was a deserter. Mary Jo Fox's "Luke-a-Palooza,, was a scream, especially Han's line about "For a few bucks more, why not get the real thing?" "Shifting Sands,, by Veronica Wilson was another dark look at Vader and Palpatine's relationship. Liked the bit about Beru's plants.

Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy" was good in filling out the character of Ackbar. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. It seemed like the first part of something bigger. Finish it out, Rich. I'd like to know what happens next "The House in the Woods" by Marti Schuller was a believable story. Her Luke and Hazba became real people to me. My only concern is Luke's taking her on as a lover and then leaving her. Physical intimacy tends to bind people very deeply, and I have to wonder whether Luke did the right thing for her knowing that he had to leave her eventually. I really wanted to like "On the Side of Light" by Martie Benedict O'Brien. It had a fast moving plot, a novel way to produce rain, and believable characters in the Androgene, Raelis, and Gresham DeChanter. However, there were a number of things which kept throwing me out of the SW universe everytime I came across them. One was the teleportation device and "phasers". These "Trekkisms" just don't fit in with the movies. Also, there was an abundance of swearing (including frequent use of the f-word). There is nothing in the movies to suggest that Han was a foul-mouthed pig. Perhaps most of these words could have been substituted with a SW slang term. Overall the zine was excellent and thanks to all the author, artists and Cheree for the hours of good reading it provided. I appreciated the Leia, Wedge, Chewie and Ackbar stories for the diversity they provided. Hope to see more of these in the future and maybe some stories featuring Lando aud the droids more prominently. How about it, writers?

The zine looked great, as usual. The art throughout was wonderful. I really loved Martie Benedict's "On the Side of Light." Favorite elements were the description and detail of the planet, the characterization of Han and Chewie (loved the bit where Chewie is reading the adventure novel) and the space battle towards the end. I also loved "Chewbacca Goes Shopping" by Z.P. Florian and Wanda Lybarger's "Legend of the Queen of Light."

Though like many of your loyal readers I hate seeing Tremor go to an every other year publishing schedule, I certainly understand and can but hope that there will be more issues to look forward to, regardless of the time between them. Tremor has set the standard for some of the best zines and will always remain among my prized possessions.

Now to issue #9... Laura Vrgil's illos on pages 66 and 147 were incredible. It is so great to see this talented fan back!

As always, Gerald Crotty's art is phenomenal. His back cover of Yoda was incredible, as were his illos for "A.W.O.L." by Louise Turner. His talent just grows increasingly more astonishing and awe-inspiring. How lucky SW fanfic is to share his wonderful gift!

"Ambulance - Dayshift" by Jason Grant was an interesting, too brief glimpse of another side of the SW galaxy. Though I wish his stories were a bit longer, I find his characters three-dimensional and intriguing. This writer shows much promise of expanding the playground we all love and I look forward to reading more of his efforts.

"Ashes"by Veronica Wilson was a fine twist on an ancient tale, made uniquely dark and sinister by this very talented writer.

"The Planting" by M.J. Mink was a fascinating look at a time-honored and plausible ritual in young Luke's life, very poignant and sad.

"Silent Night" by the same author was extraordinarily moving, all the moreso for its unexpected last sentence.

"Market Strategy" by Donna Frayser was a gem of a little story with a fun ending. I will eagerly look for future material from this obviously gifted writer.

My favorite piece in this issue, however, was "Luke-a-Palooz-a" by Mary Jo Fox. What a bit of rollicking, silly fun! This had me alternately groaning rolling my eyes, and laughing aloud. A wickedly delightful sense of humor in this author! More!! Until next time, keep up the fine work, everyone!

Well, I finally finished the long-awaited Tremor #9 and overall found it up to the high standards it has set for all other fanzines. The layout is clean and professional- looking, with scarcely a typo in sight! All of us dream of having a zine that looks this good. Again Tremor is graced with great front and back cover art. I especially liked the front cover ... you go. Leia! There was some impressive interior art as well, particularly Gerald Crotty's work on "A.W.O.L. Wanda Lybarger's illos, and Nancy Stasulis' illos for "The Saga According to Darth Vader" and "Falling."

Perhaps my favorite story was Louise Turner's "A.W.O.L." Not only does she do a fine job building on Wedge's character, she excels at presenting the little details from the movies many fan writers often ignore, but are necessary to give a story an authentic SW feel to it. I appreciated the fact that John Fredericks in his story "Varastas, The River Beast" included a long-neglected facet of the SW universe, non-humanoid sentients. Same goes for Rich Gawel's "Ishtiil's Legacy", which gives a rare glimpse into Admiral Ackbar's youth. "Ashes" was an interesting twist on the old Cinderella fairy tale, but no one lives happily ever after here. I'm guessing Laelara's child is Palpatine, right? "Falling" was another dark and eerie tale (in fact there seemed to be a lot of dark-n-eeriness this issue) where things end on a depressing note. Even though I'm not a big fan of angst-filled SW fan fiction, it was nicely written. "The House in the Woods" need a basic gothic storyline; I would've preferred it to have "felt" more like it was set in the SW universe other than just having Luke present. As for poems, I enjoyed the usual cynical verses from Jacqueline Taero as well as Sarah Glasgow's more romantic view of things. Maggie Nowakowska's "Dangerous" series of filks were exceptional; each one managed to capture the essence of each character. I can't believe I have to wait another two years for #10 ... but I'm sure it'll be worth it!

To start with the problem -- every story was good. Loved "Blue Harvest" by Ghilan. Mink's "Silent Night" was a stunner, "Planting" definitely rates a gasp, "Time" was great, "Falling" was an absolute chiller. Lybarger's "Legend" was breathtakingly sweet "Ashes" by Wilson was very, very clever, and "Shifting Sands" got me with the knife scene. Schuller's "House in the Woods" was very good. Martie Benedict O'Brien's "On the Side of the Light" had one of the best Hans I've ever read, and a great plot Frederick's "Varastus" was definitely entertaining, and the two small pieces, "Ambulance" by Grant and "Ishtiil" by Gawel were fine examples of good background writing. Mary Jo Fox's "Luke-a-Palooza" was a hoot. Nussman's "Career Choice" was a well-aimed arrow through the heart Turner's "A.W.O.L."—good Nowakowska's "Dangerous" got me humming. Art: Laura Virgil's gorgeous Kenobi on page 146, the Lybarger Hans in abundance, the great Yoda by Crotty on the back cover and of course, the front cover with the incomparable laughing Chewie and gloating Leia by Stasulis.

Issue 10

front cover of issue #10, Nancy Stasulis

back cover of issue #10

flyer for issue #10

A Tremor in the Force 10 was published in May 1997 and is 297 pages long.

The art is by Kristin Brown, Cheree Cargill, Catherine Churko, Gerald Crotty, Z. P. Florian, Dani Lane, Wanda Lybarger, Shayne McCormack, Margaret McNickle, Nicola Pearce, and Nancy Stasulis.

Summaries below from the publisher:

• Letters of Comment (3)
• Greedo's Words to Live By by Martin O'Brien (5)
• Babysitter by Tara Ludmer ("Even Han and Leia need a night out away from the kids. Thank the Force for teenage girls who live next door!") (6)
• Sands of Time by Marti Schuller, art by Cheree Cargill ("Obi-Wan Kenobi has spent the last 20 years in his hut in the Jundland Wastes, watching over the young boy who is growing to manhood not far away. The time has almost come when his training must begin. But Obi-Wan has grown old and his heart is beginning to fail. Will he have enough time to train the Galaxy's only hope?") (8)
• Nobody Knows, filk by Debbie Kittle (14)
• Milestones by Marie C. Flanigan (15)
• The Other Way Around by Barbara Gardner ("As Luke lay writhing in agony under the Emperor's Force attacks, it was his father who had finally saved him. What if it had happened the other way around?") (24)
• By the Turn of a Card by Catriona Campbell, art by Gerald Crotty ("The latest chapter in the Penumbra series. Leia, Lando, Chewie and the droids infiltrate Jabba's palace to rescue Han. But in this universe, Luke isn't there to lend his Jedi powers and Han must learn the horrible news of Luke's fall to the Dark.") (28)
• The Boy Feels Strange, filk by Belea T. Keeny (40)
• "Best Friends". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by MJ Mink, art by Dani. Luke Skywalker had grown up with Biggs and Tarrant Darklighter, sharing the usual love-hate relationship of many teenage boys. Then Biggs had gone off to the academy and something changed between Luke and Tarrant that neither could pinpoint. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the Darklighters had always been Protectors of the Jedi ... and Luke was the last Jedi.") (41)
• Bridges by Marie C. Flanigan (68)
• The Simple Joys of Maidenhood, poem by Sue Zahn (82)
• The Dread Barge of Garbage by Cypher (83)
• Past the Point of Rescue by Debbie Kittle (102)
• Passion by Maggie Nowakowska (103)
• Pas De Deux by Mary Jo Fox (109)
• Seduced by Sue Zahn (114)
• How Do I Live?, filk by Debbie Kittle (115)
• Retroy's Revenge by Katy Cargill and Carolyn Golledge (116)
• Damn, I Wish I Was Your Master, filk by Belea T. Keeney (120)
• "Thwarting Mordred". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Martie Benedict O'Brien ("A new twist on Han's struggle above the Death Star.") (121)
• Art Portfolio (125)
  • Catherine Churko (126)
  • Z.P. Florian (128)
  • Wanda Lybarger (130)
  • Nicola Pearce (132)
  • Nancy Stasulis (132)
• Ca Ta by Marti Schuller, art by Z. P. Florian. When Luke sees a strange little alien about to be run down by speeding cyclists, his instinctive reaction is to save her. But afterwards he is startled and chagrined to discover that his act of selflessness has won him a personal bodyguard, the grateful Mij who must now fulfill "ca-ta" by protecting her savior for the rest of his life—or commit suicide in disgrace. (137)
• Hollow by Marie C. Flanigan (150)
• To Serve With Love by Martie Benedict O'Brien, art by Nicola Pearce ("Leia was weary beyond words, weary of war and duty, of being a symbol and soldier. And yet there was no way she could abandon the cause she had fought so long and hard for. Was there any place—any way—that she and Han would ever be able to find a peaceful, happy existence? Luke had an idea, a desperate, half-crazy idea to help them ... and it just might work.") (153)
• Dark Labyrinth by Shayne McCormack and Carolyn Golledge (160)
• "The Candle". Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. by Z. P. Florian ("Luke has established the Jedi Academy and Leia assigns him an assistant from her staff, a skittish young woman named Joli Wheatgrower. At first nervous around the handsome young Jedi, she grows to love him and their relationship becomes one of devotion and commitment. But there are others who love Luke just as much and are as committed to helping him in his task.") (192)
• Revelations by Marie Flanigan (222)
• Act of Faith by Veronica Wilson, art by Gerald Crotty ("The sequel to "Balance of Power" in TF#8. The unthinkable has happened—an Imperial royal guard has made an assassination attempt on the Emperor and Darth Vader in the depths of the Imperial palace. Conditioned for absolute loyalty, the only explanation is that the guard has been tampered with to commit the heinous crime. Vader begins the investigation with a vengeance and what he discovers will shake the foundation of the Imperial government.") (233)

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  inside page from issue #10, from the art portfolio, Catherine Churko

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  inside page from issue #10, from the art portfolio, Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #10, from the art portfolio, Wanda Lybarger

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  inside page from issue #10, from the art portfolio, Nicola Peace

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  inside page from issue #10, from the art portfolio, Gerald Crotty

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  inside page from issue #10, artist is Kristin Brown

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  inside page from issue #10, sample text

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  inside page from issue #10, sample filk

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  inside page from issue #10, artist is Z.P. Florian

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  inside page from issue #10, artist is Gerald Crotty