The Voices from the Past Affair

See also Voice (disambiguation) for more zines of this title.

Zine
Title:	The Voices from the Past Affair
Publisher:	Devious Developments Press
Editor:
Author(s):	Ravenschild
Cover Artist(s):	Cat's Meow Creative Arts
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1999 (online), 2004 (as a print zine)
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Man from UNCLE
Language:	English
External Links:
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cover by Cat's Meow Creative Arts

The Voices from the Past Affair is a slash 168-page novel by Ravenschild. The cover is by Cat's Meow Creative Arts.

From the publisher: "Everyone has a friend, someone from the past they can rely on, that knows them as well, if not better, than they know themselves. Napoleon harbour's a secret that could threaten not just the friendship he has with Illya, but which could destroy world peace. Has Napoleon finally gone over the edge and joined THRUSH?"

Reactions and Reviews

[1999 review of this story as an online fanfic]: A great story, many installments of which are in desperate need of proofreading. (Why aren't writers more demanding of themselves in this regard?) Napoleon and Illya find themselves under cover in more ways than one. The author has provided some intriguing plot devices to justify placing our boys in uncharacteristic situations, permitting us to experience their behavior without having to silence internal objections to do so. The plot is complex and character-driven, touching on a person from Napoleon's past who achieves increasing importance in both the professional and personal lives of our boys. There are rape scenes in the first half of the story: one for Illya that comes more under the heading of violation in the line of duty, then later, one for Napoleon that is brutal and sets off an important subplot for the rest of the Affair. Both scenes are told with chilling realism although emphasizing the grim setting and psychological impact on the victims over the mechanics involved. The trauma of Napoleon's experience is resolved with faithful attention to our heroes' canonical natures --no mean feat in slash. When Napoleon and Illya get around to their own (consensual) sex, it is pleasantly warm, though one might wish for some restraint in the author's repetitious use of pet phrases within a single scene. A work offered in installments over an extended period, the story suffers at times from drifting focus and a shift in writing style from gritty to florid. Perhaps the author would consider working with an editor to compress the raw File 40 material into a more cohesive format for publication. It is a worthy draft toward that end.