The Compleat Kershu Fighter
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Complete Kershu Fighter |
| Publisher: | Poison Pen Press (publication #74) |
| Editor(s): | Devra Langsam |
| Date(s): | May 1988 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Complete Kershu Fighter is a gen 130-page anthology of fiction about a Terran girl studying Klingon martial art as an exchange student. The zine contains reprints of stories in Masiform D and one new fic.
It had a print run of 350.
In 1980: Author's Speculation/Projection
In the editorial in Masiform D #10, the author writes that this series had stalled out.
Kershu! Ghu Bless You! I'm sorry to say that the plot problems with my second and third kershu stories could not be worked out. There remain, therefore, only the one-page gem done by Barbara's father, and—possibly— a very short piece that is really part of the defunct third story. Unless Susan Crites is inspired to do one...For those of you who are just dying to know, Jan and Korbas get married when they grow up, and run a successful kershu school of their own, complete with one child (Kevin) and a large shaggy dog, and possibly a Siamese cat. Master Kinet and Manardesa also marry, producing 3 or 4 children. Kintam becomes the Bruce Lee of kershu fighting, fantastically successful and wealthy, and Ruth becomes his executive secretary and business manager and—(Barbara says Ruth has too much sense and good taste to marry and/or sleep with Kintam—but here we must agree to differ.) (What do you mean, why does she become his secretary—have you ever tried to find a job with nothing but a degree in Pre-Imperial Kersherani verse forms?) Kintam's most remarkable tri-dee to date has been one made with a Terran company. The film is entitled Kershu Kittens —er, Kershu Kapers, and Kintam plays the role of teacher in a girls' co-species college, where—but I digress.
If I'd been able to write these stories (like the incident of the plastic flowers, and Kinet's parting gift to his master, Kemiskhan) I. would have done so. *Sigh*
About
From the editorial in Masiform D #16:
...The Compleat Kershu Fighter... contains a new kershu story in addition to all the old ones. I have been struggling with that story for years, but with Susan Crites' help, I was able to integrate three unsatisfactory drafts and produce a story for the collection. Hooray! The collection was produced in celebration of my twentieth anniversary as a TREK publisher. (Of course, it was supposed to come out last year...)
From the editorial of The Compleat Kershu Fighter:
I wrote the first story before I ever studied a martial art. Pre-Requisite was published two months before Joyce, Barbara Wenk, and I took the Apple Skills Exchange course in Self Defense for the Serious City Dweller.There's very little about martial arts philosophy in that first story, and very few actual descriptions of fight techniques. Well, I didn't know anything about it myself—and you just try and learn about martial arts history and philosophy from books. Just try it! Partially, I was trying not to bore or confuse people who didn't know fighting (like me) and partially I was trying to cover up my own lack of knowledge. Then too, if I wasn't too specific, no one could say, "But that's just a copy of kung fu!" or "That'd never work!" Obscurity is often best. I had Intended to include a time line with the stories, and perhaps summaries of a few incidents that never made their way into the stories, but the zine is far longer than I thought it would be, so I'll forgo that. There is also no glossary; I'm an appallingly bad linguist, and studiously avoided making up foreign words. Kershu is, after all, no more than The Way of Kershi, which is the planet of origin, just as Kersherani is the language of Xershi...
Late-breaking story: Jean Lorrah has given Kershu official status, by mentioning it as a martial art in her latest professional novel, The IDIC Epidemic. Just a one-line throw-away, but still a lovely gift. Thanks, Jean.
Contents
- the art is by Hans (Hans Dietrich?) (interior, back cover), Caro Hedge, Martynn, Bonnie Reitz, eluki bes Shahar, Gennie Summers, and Carol Walske.
- Pre-Requisite by Devra Lansam (From Boldly Writing: "The beginning of Devra's Kershu series. Devra set the story in the future of the original series when a working peace existed between the Klingons and the Federation. The treaty allowed Terran students to go to Klingon planets to study the Klingon martial art, Kershu. The series ran for several issues and enjoyed a wide audience.") (reprinted from Masiform D #7) (3)
- A Question of Superiority by Bawn O'Beirne-Ranelagh (reprinted in Masiform D #8) (5)
- The Four Mousekersheers by Barbara Wenk (a Kershu story, the fighters go to Disney World) (reprinted in Masiform D #8) (33)
- Traditions by Susan Crites (reprinted from Masiform D #15) (42)
- The Bet by Barbara Wenk(reprinted from Masiform D #9) (67)
- A.W.O.L. by Devra Langsam and Susan Crites (new story) (84)
- Dojo Kun by C.W. Nichol (a poem attributed to "Moving Zen," 1982) (125)
- The-Girl-Who-Wanted-To-Be-A-Fighter, a Kershu Bedtime Story by Devra Michelle Langsam (Jan & Korbas are now married with children) (reprinted from Masiform D #13) (126)
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