The Seven Live On
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Seven Live On |
| Publisher: | Bearly Spaced Enterprises |
| Editor(s): | K. Rae Travers and Sophia Mulvey |
| Date(s): | 1988-1998 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print, zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Blake’s 7 |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | review here |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Seven Live On is a gen Blake's 7 anthology.
General Reactions and Reviews
Quality varies with this, but you'll probably find something you like in each issue. And the editor is a nice lady. 8-) [1]
The only issue I've read of The Seven Live On was absolutely dire, although I'm told later issues are a significant improvement[2]
Issue 1
The Seven Live On 1 contains 179 pages and was published in April 1988.
The art is by Theresa Buffaloe (front cover), K. Rae Travers Cynthia Case, S. R. Mulvey, Lynne A. Witten, Laurie Ahola, Debra L. Fenning, Leigh Arnold, and Mi Kyung Kim.
- Drink Up Thy Soma, fiction by Sue Bursztynski (reprinted from Lodestar #5)
- Means of Persuasion, fiction by CarolMel Ambassador
- Ah-Kee-Ta, fiction by K. Rae Travers ("A mythical creature roams the hills of Ta-Ka-Ra helping those in need, and no one has ever been in more need than Vila Restal.")
- Arsenic and Old Space, fiction by Leigh Arnold
- I Don't Care Anymore, fiction by K. Rae Travers ("Avon has pushed Vila around once too often, but now that he has the chance, will Vila abandon him?")
- Torro, fiction by Leigh Arnold
- Hero?, fiction by K. Rae Travers ("After being injured during the disastrous attack on the Federation base on Zenos, Vila is having hallucinations, or is he?")
- Shadow of the Wolf, fiction by Sue Bursztynski and Susan Clarke (reprinted from Multiverse #16; New Wales Universe, Star Trek: TOS crossover)
- Pastoral Scene: Landscape with Unicorn, fiction by Sue Bursztynski ("Cally died on Terminal, or did she?") (New Wales Universe) (reprinted from The Other Side)
- Hat Trick, fiction by Lynne Alisse Witten
- Death, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("The last few minutes of 'Blake,' what was Avon thinking?") (Deltah Base series)
- Rebirth, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("Two months after Guada Prime the Scorpio crew make a daring escape, with the help from an unexpected source.") (Deltah Base series)
- Exhibit, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("Avon awakens from the state of medical stasis to find himself alone on the surface of a planet. Well, not exactly alone.") (Deltah Base series)
- Thunder and Lightning, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("Avon is dark and rumbles like thunder. Soolin is bright and quick as lightning. Together they brew up quite a storm." Rated R.") (Deltah Base series)
- Deltah Base, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("After months of searching for a base planet, the Scorpio crews land on an uncharted planet. What they don't know is that the natives have been expecting them.") (Deltah Base series)
- Reunions, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base series)
- Dear Reader, editorials by K. Rae and Sophia
- Blake's 7 Search-a-word #1: People, puzzle
- Blake's 7 Search-a-word #1: Places, puzzle
- Blake's 7 Search-a-word #3: Terms & Things, puzzle
- Illegal Alien, filk by V. Restal (filk)
- zine ads
from issue #1
from issue #1
from issue #1
from issue #1
Issue 2
The Seven Live On 2 contains 170 pages and was published in January 1989.
The art is by Theresa Buffaloe, K. Rae Travers, Maggie Holmes, Sue Williams, Suzie Molnar, Fiona Ellem, Lynne A. Witten, Kathryn Andersen, Thomas J. Mulvey, and Sonia.
- Dear Reader, editorial by Sophia & K. Rae
- Per Chance to Dream, fiction by Helen Parkinson
- Future Tense Imperfect, fiction by Jill Grundfest (RPF crossover)
- Fuzzy, fiction by Jenny Hayward (crossover with H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens)
- Epiphany, fiction by Irene Stubbs (RPF crossover)
- Fusion Reaction, fiction by Cindy Rancourt (sequel to "Whom the Gods Destroy" in Raising Hell #2)
- Terminal Encounter, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base series)
- Priceless Gem, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base series)
- Wealth... the Only Reality, fiction by Helen Parkinson
- Kai, fiction by K. Rae Travers
- Condition Serious, But Not Yet Terminal, fiction by Rebecca Reeves
- Disillusionment, fiction by Peggy Hartsook
- You Won't Let Me Near, poem by Helen Parkinson
- Moths to the Flame, poem by Sophia R. Mulvey
- Avon, I Knew, poem by Helen Parkinson
- Differences, poem by Sue Williams
- Shattered Trust, poem by Helen Parkinson
- Malodaar Aftermath, poem by Alynes Lawchilde
- Both Sides, poem by Alynes Lawchilde
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
Issue 3
The Seven Live On 3 contains 179 pages and was published in January 1990.
The art is by Maggie Holmes, K. Rae Travers, Leigh Moto'oka, Sue Williams, Sophia Mulvey, Fiona Ellem, Kathryn Andersen, and Theresa Buffaloe.
- Sanctuary, fiction by Helen Parkinson ("Blake and an injured Avon are stranded on a gothic planet. They soon learn that it is not always wise to depend on the kindness of strangers.")
- Useful Tool, fiction by Sue Williams ("Vila has his uses, but is he only just a tool?")
- Under the Shadow of a Dream, fiction by Patricia Russo ("Vila discovers that the truest words ever spoken were: '...and so would you.'")
- Alone in the Silver Twilight, fiction by Venessa Kelly ("The young Avon's abandonment was only the first betrayal.")
- Links, fiction by Jenny Hayward (prequel to "Fuzzy", RPF) (From TSLO #2. "For those of you who were wondering just who "Paul" was.")
- The Shot, fiction by Robert L. Collins ("Time is running out... Can Vila save Blake's Seven?") (AU humor; V)
- Take Me Home, fiction by K. Rae Travers ("It was his and Vila wanted it back. After all, it was his only link to his heritage.") (Phil Collins RPF crossover)
- Curse, fiction by Roxie Ray ("The events leading to Gauda Prime were fated...or were they influenced to happen?")
- Sheep in Wolf's Clothing, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey ("Blake's new recruit has reasons of his own for joining_the rebellion. (Deltah Base story)")
- The Kiss, fiction by Bobbie Stankiewicz ("Cally discovers that she and Avon are more alike than she ever feared.")
- Red Rain, fiction by K. Ann Yost ("Terminal changed Avon more than the rest of the crew ever knew. After Gauda Prime could they get him back?")
- Promises, fiction by Theresa Buffaloe ("Liberator answers a distress call in fulfillment of a prophecy. Will Lord Avon strike again?")
- Dear Reader, editorial by K. Rae & Sophia
- Listings: upcoming conventions, video tapes, zines and publications, clubs and organizations, miscellaneous
- "FYI"
- Sue Williams, "A Charade Too True, poem by Sue Williams
- Helen Parkinson, "Sarcophagus, poem by Helen Parkinson
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
from issue #3
Issue 4
The Seven Live On 4 contains 153 pages and was published in July 1990.
- K. Rae & Sophia, "Dear Reader"
- Patricia Russo, "Necessary Survival" -- fiction (1)
- Jackie Black, "Stealin's Quicker" -- poem (6)
- Anne Collins Smith, "Justin" --poem (6)
- K. Ann Yost, "Zenova" -- fiction (7)
- Melissa Mastoris, "Dance of Madness" -- poem (12)
- Roxie Ray, "Consummate Professionals" -- fiction (13)
- Anne Collins Smith, "Rebellion Leader" (filk, Daydream Believer, by the Monkees) (15)
- Peggy Hartsook, "Bad Blood" -- fiction (16) (reprinted as a stand-alone zine)
- Melissa Mastoris, "Soolin" -- poem (29)
- Roxie Ray, "Another Kind of Destiny" -- fiction (30)
- Anne Collins Smith, "When We Had Gan" (filk, When We Were Fab, by George Harrison) (35)
- Irene Stubbs, "A Likely Story" -- fiction (37)
- Sue Williams, "Race Against Time" -- fiction (44)
- Melissa Mastoris, "Never Practical" -- poem (64)
- Leokadija, "The Rest of the Story" -- fiction (65)
- Anne Collins Smith, "Man & Machine" -- poem (79)
- Jennifer Smallwood, "A Different Reality" -- fiction (80)
- K. Avon, "Between the Lines" (filk, Between the Lines, by Phil Collins) (102)
- Bobbie Stankiewicz, "Venom" -- fiction (103)
- Helen Parkinson, "Questions" -- poem (151)
- Helen Parkinson, "Just Beneath the Surface" -- poem (152)
- Listings: clubs and organizations, miscellaneous, video tapes, zines
Art:
- Maggie Holmes (front cover)
- K. Rae Travers
- Fiona Ellem
- Leigh Moto'oka
- Sue L. Williams
- Theresa Condon
inside issue #4
inside issue #4
inside issue #4
inside issue #4
Issue 5
The Seven Live On 5 was published in May 1991 and has 189 pages.
This issue of the zine itself has a copyright of April 1988, but this is probably referring to the entire series/first issue.
Fiction:
- Irene Stubbs, "Initiative"
- April Giordano-Gresalfi, "Dead Men Tell No Tales"
- Lorna B., "Afterimage"
- Patricia Russo, "Dead Rebel Sketch"
- Irene Stubbs, "Deception of the Vampire"
- K. Rae Travers, "Out There Somewhere"
- Peggy Hartsook & Debra Reynolds, "From the Depths of Delusion"
- Irene Stubbs, "Retribution"
- Helen Parkinson, "Project: April One"
- Sophia R. Mulvey, "Shattered Bonds" (prequel to Deltah Base series)
- Leokadija, "Rest of the Story, Part II"
- Sophia R. Mulvey, "Guardians" (Deltah Base series)
- Sara Talbot, "Under the Table" (Star Trek: TOS and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy crossover)
- Jenny Gallagher, "Devil's Gift"
Nonfiction:
- K. Rae & Sophia, "Dear Reader" Letter from Avin #48
- Peggy Howard, "Blake's Kennels"
Poetry:
- Anne Collins Smith, "Justin"
- Helen Parkinson, "Blake"
- Helen Parkinson, "Ending"
- Sue Williams, "Last Stand"
- Fiona Ellem, "Liberator Limericks"
Art:
- Sue Williams (front cover)
- K. Rae Travers
- Maggie Holmes
- Theresa Condon
- Sophia Mulvey
- Fiona Ellem
inside issue #5
inside issue #5
inside issue #5
inside issue #5
Issue 6
The Seven Live On 6 was published in April 1992 and contains 179 pages.
The art is by Theresa Condon, Fiona Ellen, Maggie Holmes, Leigh Moto'oka, Pam Whitelark, and Sue Williams.
It premiered at the 1992 MediaWest*Con.
- Dear Mother by K. Ann Yost (1)
- One Can Only Wonder by K. Ann Yost (5)
- Family Ties by Sophia R. Mulvey (a Kill the Dead story) (6)
- Return of the Magnificent Blake's 7 Plus Six Squad by Peggy Howard (25)
- A Small Matter of Trust by Roxie Ray (30)
- Marooned on the Dark Side of Moon and Flight by Roxie Ray (30
- Helpless Dancer by Catherine Kendell (43)
- A Little R & R by Helen Parkinson (65)
- One True Friend by Melissa Mastoris (74)
- World Enough and Time by Sue Bursztynski (75)
- Survivor by Melissa Mastoris (93)
- Final Betrayal by Sue Williams (94)
- Death of a Stranger by Carol McCoy (96)
- Stranded by Sue Williams (102)
- Breaking Point by K. Rae Travers (107)
- Recover by Jennifer Smallwood (115)
- Powder Keg by Sophia R. Mulvey (140)
- Fortune's Misfortune by Melissa Lastoris (179)
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
inside page of issue #6
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6
The Seven Live On #6, like its five predecessors, could be much better than it is. The quality of its art, stories, and poems is uneven at best. The general presentation of the material is also substandard. There are many differing type styles, including some faint matrix-dot print that reproduces poorly and is eye strain city to read. The general look of the zine is sloppy and careless. Usually a zine in a series this long is better than this, reflecting the editors' increasing experience and reputation. In this case, reputation has proved a hindrance rather than a help. K. Rae Travers and Sophia Mulvey don't seem to edit their tribbers' material at all. (Probably because they are both so genuinely nice. A good editor should be part Klingon: a certain amount of ruthlessness is required.) TSLO has thus acquired a reputation for being a second-rank zine, and the more skilled artists and writers either don't submit to it or send only their less successful efforts.
The only Tarrant story in the zine is Carol McCoy's "Death of a Stranger," an insightful vignette set post-"Warlord" It's good, but quite short; therefore, I cannot recommend this zine to Tarrant fans.
The artists represented in this zine are, for the most part, unknowns. Many of them show promise, though; they could be the Suzan Lovetts and Leah Rosenthals of the future. There are some lovely portraits by the veteran Teresa Condon — particularly her Soolin on page 127. (Not many artists can do Soolin well.)
In sum, TSLO #6 is pretty much in line with earlier issues. If you enjoyed those, you'll probably like this one, too. [3]
Issue 7
The Seven Live On 7 contains 240 pages and was published in May 1993.
The art is by Sue Williams (front cover), Whitby27, Fiona Ellem, Pam Whitelark, Kathryn Andersen, Cheufeld Doshire, Amy Riendeau, and K. Rae Travers.
- Dear Reader" by K. Rae & Sophia (?)
- So You Want to Be a Rebel?" by Alan Moravian (1)
- Vixen, poem by Melissa Mastoris (2)
- Turning & Turning In the Widening Gyre, fiction by Patricia Blasi (3)
- Giving Off Sparks, fiction by Sophia Mulvey (Deltah Base Series) (5)
- First Do No Harm, fiction by K. Ann Yost (38)
- Vila Quits, fiction by Cheufeld Doshire (48)
- What Friends Are For, fiction by K. Rae Travers (54)
- Resurrection, fiction by Jennifer Smallwood (55)
- Whose Rescue Is This, Anyway?, fiction by K. Rae Travers (92)
- Final Victory, fiction by Sue Williams (105)
- Reflections on a Prisoner on Gauda Prime, poem by Anne Stullken (106)
- Cally, poem by Anne Stullken (106)
- Weight of Command, poem by Sue Williams (119)
- Spread Your Wings, fiction by Catherine Kendall (120)
- Death of a Friend, poem by Anne Stullken (159)
- Ring Upon My Finger, filk by Roxie Ray (159)
- Dating Game by Alan Moravian (161)
- Special Treatment, fiction by Sue Skibba (163)
- Alien, poem by Melissa Mastoris (198)
- Darkness Descending, poem by Melissa Mastoris (198)
- Fedbusters!, filk by Roxie Ray (199)
- Payment in Kind, fiction by Sara Talbot (sequel to stories in "Inverted Blake #1-2) (200)
- Heir Apparent, fiction by Patricia Blasi (233)
- Vila, poem by Anne Stullken (234)
- Good Idea at the Time, fiction by Helen Parkinson (235)
- Avon, poem by Anne Stullken (235)
- Vila Don't Lose Your Bracelet, filk by Roxie Ray (241)
from issue #7
from issue #7
from issue #7
from issue #7
from issue #7
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7
This 240+ page zine starts off with a giggle from Alan Moravian, "So You Want to Be a Rebel" - you might call it an entry-level exam! "Turning & Turning in the Widening Gyre" by Patricia Blasi is a masterful short piece of misdirection that leads the reader in one direaction but artfully twists to an unexpected conclusion. In "Giving Off Sparks" by co-editor Sophia Mulvey, Avon gets psychological help from Carnell, Soolin gets gravid(!), and Vila gets friendly with gnomes, elves and unicorns (yep - all in one story, and that's only the beginning!) Liberator undertakes an errand of mercy in K. Ann Yost's "First Do No Harm; Vila communes with pink elephants in C. Doshier's "Vila Quits"; "What Friends Are For" by K. Rae Travers is a 1 pager on Avon's slipping mental faculties and Vila's concern about same; Jennifer Smallwood's "Resurrection" continues an alternate universe Post-GP series wherein Soolin is a doctor aboard Liberator trying to deprogram Avon and Blake, who have been false-memory-implanted by Servalan. Another K. Rae Travers story is "Whose Rescue Is This Anvway?," in which Blake and Jenna set out to save Avon and Vila - or perhaps it's the other way round! Sue Williams' "Final Victory" is a 1-page joke; Anne Stullken's "Reflections..." is a one paragraph Vila introspective; "Friendship on Loan" by Helen Parkinson concerns kiddies Kerr & Vila and their respective teddies all meeting on a doomed shuttle flight; Catherine Kendall's "Spread Your Wings" is a lengthy speculation on Tarrant's background. Wry humor characterizes Alan Moravian's "Dating Game"; "Special Treatment" bv Susan M. Skibba posits the post-GP crew shipping Avon off to a mental asylum - or is it? Sara Talbot's "Payment in Kind" is an espionage tale in which Vila gets married. (Unfortunately, large portions of this story are illegible due to poor reproduction of dot matrix type!) "Heir Apparent" by Patricia Blasi is apparently a joke based on a drinking song with which we're not familiar. And finally, there's "A Good Idea at the Time" by Helen Parkinson, in which Blake, attacked by other prisoners aboard the London, finds he has an unexpected protector. TSLO delivers a lot of zine for the money. There are few illustrations, but good stories go a long way toward making up for that. [5]
Issue 8
The Seven Live On 8 contains 212 pages and was published in May 1994.
The art is by Whitby27, Sue Lawrence-Williams (front cover), Maggie Holmes, Amy Riendeau, Theresa Condon, Kathryn Andersen, and Marian Mendez.
- Bright & Dark, fiction by Patti E. McClellan
- Where Loyalties Lay, fiction by K. Ann Yost
- Punch Drunk, fiction by Celeste Hotaling-Lyons ("DSV Universe")
- The Fifth Stone, fiction by Marian Mendez
- Sojourn, fiction by Jean Graham
- Restal?, fiction by K. Rae Travers
- Question of Method, fiction by Jenny Gallagher
- 30 Pieces of Silver, fiction by Helen Parkinson
- Sensory Deprivation, fiction by Helen Parkinson
- If Wishes Were Horses, fiction by Helen Parkinson
- Home Again, for the Very First Time, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base series)
- Best Chance, fiction by Sue Williams
- Kind Hearts & Paper Flowers, fiction by Alan Moravian
- Mummy Dearest, fiction by Venessa Kelly
- Words of Tongue or Pen, fiction by Anne Collins Smith
- Perspective, fiction by Patti E. McClellan
- Help Wanted, non-fiction by Alan Moravian
- The Oprah Winfrey Show, non-fiction by Alan Moravian
- Dear Mr. Tarrant, non-fiction by Alan Moravian
- Xenon Salvage & Surplus, non-fiction by Alan Moravian
- Aftermath: Anna, poem or filk by Melissa Mastoris
- "Jenna's Lament, poem or filk by Melissa Mastoris
- Misunderstandings, poem or filk by Helen Parkinson
- Blake, poem or filk by Anne Stullken
- Travis, poem or filk by Anne Stullken
- Trust Betrayed, poem or filk by Melissa Mastoris
- Anne Stullken, "Dayna, poem or filk by Anne Stullken
- The Game, poem or filk by Anne Stullken
Issue 9
The Seven Live On 9 was published in April 1995 and contains 182 pages.
The art is by Whitby27, Sue Lawrence-Williams, Theresa Condon, Marian Mendez. Wendi, and Pam Whitelark.
From the zine: "THE SEVEN LIVE ON is dedicated to the other seven: Gregory Jarvic, Christa McAuliffe, Ronald McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Remnic, Francis R. Scobee, and Michael J. Smith, the crew of the space shuttle CHALLENGER. May their memory inspire us to keep reaching for the stars rather than serve as an excuse to abandon them."
- Sick Humor in Space, cartoons by Celest Hotaling-Lyons (1, 19, 26, 42, 131)
- Parallel Lines by Michele R. Moyer (3)
- Picture This by Alan Moravian (16)
- Masks (a Dear Mother story) by K. Ann Yost (21)
- Servalan, poem by Anne Stullken (25)
- Truth, poem by Anne Stulken (25)
- Please Don't Ask by K. Rae Travers (27)
- Project Avalon: Travis, poem by Melissa Mastoris (41)
- Forgotten Art of Memory by Avril A. Brown (41)
- All the News That's Fit to Print by Alan Moravian (43)
- Aftermath Explosion, poem by Melissa Mastoris (49)
- The Only Escape, poem by Melissa Mastoris (49)
- Pilots by Anne Stulken (48)
- Cheer by Helen Parkinson (50)
- Times Flies by Shirley De Meyer (85)
- Dances with Wolves by Shirley De Meyer (95)
- Endings, poem by Avril A. Brown (112)
- Eulogy, poem by Avril A. Brown (112)
- The Freedom Party Was Never Like This by Alan Moravian (113)
- Rebel's Best Friend by Marian Mendez (117)
- Night Watch, poem by Avril A. Brown (132)
- Opening Doors by Sophia R. Mulvey (133)
- Parting's Pain, poem by Avril A. Brown (181)
Issue 10
The Seven Live On 10 was published in April 1996 and contains 211 pages.
The art is by Whitby27, Sue Lawrence-Williams (front cover), Wendy, and Fiona Ellem.
- The Only Power, fiction by Nicole Petty (1)
- Contagion, fiction by Helen Parkinson (7)
- Vila's School for Thieves by Alan Moravian (24)
- Interminable Nightmare, fiction by Marian Mendez (25)
- Queen of Rain, fiction by Shirley de Meyer (69)
- Sacrifice, fiction by Susan Barrett (82)
- Sojourn in the Dark, fiction by Amy L. Burns (87)
- Powerplay, fiction by Amy L. Burns (102)
- Teleporting Down, fiction by Irene Stubbs (124)
- Small Wonders, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base Series) (130)
- Tucker, fiction by K. Rae Travers (148)
- Bid for Freedom, fiction by K. Ann Yost (169)
- From Bayban with Love, fiction by Alan Moravian (175)
- Shadows, fiction by Susan Barrett (195)
- Our Little Life is Bound with Sleep, fiction by Helen Parkinson (205)
from issue #10
from issue #10, Whitby27
from issue #10, Whitby27
Issue 11
The Seven Live On 11 was published in May 1998 and contains 112 pages.
The art is by Whitby27 (front cover, interior), Fiona Ellem, Marian Mendez, and Bret Raynes.
- Hope for Tomorrow by K. Ann Yost (1)
- The Fall by Nancy Dziergowski (6)
- Show Trial by Susan Barrett (9)
- Thirst by Vanessa [sic] Kelly (16)
- On the Way to Heaven by K. Rae Travers (28)
- Searching for Summer Shade by Susan Barrett (39)
- Deadly Waters by Helen Parkinson (47)
- Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Tatoo Moon (61)
- The Alphabet Gang by Marian Mendez (75)
- Children of the Corn by Shirley DeMeyer 90)
- Strong in the Broken Places by Sophia R. Mulvey (Deltah Base series) (102)
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 11
Like Chronicles, this zine tends to be spotty in quality; some of the stories are so-so, but some are really good. IMO this is one of the better issues. I consider Susan Barrett Riaz to be one of the best new B7 writers, and established writers like Marian Mendez, Sophia Mulvey, and Helen Parkinson can always be counted on for a good read."Hope for Tomorrow" by K. Ann Yost is from her series of Jenna's letters to her mother. Here, Jenna visits the Auron colony on Karn and hears their story. Interesting and amusing.
"The Fall" is a short vignette recounting some of the events of Star One from the POV first of Blake and then of Travis. Travis survives his fall and plots revenge, leaving the reader to wonder whether this is perhaps the beginning of a series.
"Show Trial" has lovely Avon angst as he endures prolonged torture and is finally dragged off to a trial. But a surprise awaits him there. My favorite story in the zine.
Two stories have Avon and Vila marooned in a planetary wilderness. In "Thirst," they are saved by a friendly alien who is also an exile. The title is the name of the alien character. I wish the author had picked something that is not an English word, as I kept expecting something involving the torments of thirst; but apparently the choice of name was purely coincidental. I preferred "Searching for Summer Shade," which shows us how Vila got the idea that he would be safe with Avon.
"On the Way to Heaven" deals with a budding romantic relationship between Vila and Soolin, sparked by an incident in which he is injured in an attempted kidnapping. I very much liked the role reversal of the woman rescuing the man, and I thought the development of the relationship was very believable. However, I found the flashbacks a little awkward and hard to follow.
"Deadly Waters" is a nicely written adventure story in which Avon is saved from a horrible fate by Gan. The planetary setting is vivdly described, and the action moves right along.
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow" was a disappointment. It has an intriguing premise-- an older Blake rebelling against a New Federation led by Avon-- and a nice angsty tone leading to a tragic ending. However, there is far too much explanation of the various characters' mental states for my taste. I would have preferred to be shown instead of told just what is wrong with Blake. Also, some interesting plot threads are never explained-- such as the origin of the mysterious young woman who may be Blake's daughter. And I didn't like the fact that the explanations of how to pronounce the names were inserted into the text. I found it intrusive and would have liked to see them in a little note at the beginning or end of the story instead.
"The Alphabet Gang" is another favorite. It's the story of four little girls in an orphanage who wonder who their parents were and, since no one will tell them, decide to find out for themselves. We have some suspicions, based on the prologue set on GP, the personalities of the children, and the charming illustrations provided by the author; but only at the end is all revealed. The POVs and behavior of the children are very true-to-life. Fun.
"Children of the Corn" was very difficult to follow, partly because it is a sequel to a story in the previous issue that I haven't read, and partly because there are many different characters; the story jumps back and forth from one subplot to another rather too quickly for my taste. And I didn't find any of the original characters very compelling. Example: the villainess Demoniah, who wants Avon to father a child for her. Why bother to invent the likes of Demoniah when you already have Servalan?
"Strong in the Broken Places" is a well-written story from the Deltah Base series; I found it enjoyable even though I haven't read enough of the series to keep track of exactly what is going on in it. There is a nice reconciliation scene between Blake and Avon, facilitated by Carnell, who is now working with them. We find out at last what really happened on GP.
For me, the stories in the zine fell into four categories:
My favorites: Show Trial, Deadly Waters, The Alphabet Gang Also good: Hope for Tomorrow, Searching for Summer Shade, Strong in the Broken Places
OK: The Fall, Thirst, On the Way to Heaven
Not to my taste, but YMMV: Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Children of the Corn
(Is it a coincidence that #11 has 11 stories?!)
There's some nice art, mostly by Val. The layout and printing are very well done. Overall, I'd recommend the zine. [6]
References
- ^ from Kathryn A at Katspace, accessed June 4, 2013
- ^ from AltaZine #2 (1996)
- ^ from IMHO* #2 (1995)
- ^ Subject: FANZINES by Karen Y. on Lysator dated Sept 1, 1993.
- ^ from Jean Graham at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site
- ^ from Sarah Thompson at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site