Uncharted Waters (multimedia zine)

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Zine
Title: Uncharted Waters
Publisher: Crevichon Press
Editor(s):
Date(s): 1988-1997
Series?:
Medium: print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: multimedia
Language: English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Uncharted Waters is a slash multimedia fanzine. It was published from various addresses in the UK between 1988 and 1997 by Sue aka The Android under the imprint Crevichon Press.

Issue 1

Uncharted Waters was published in 1988 and contains 50 pages.

It was later reprinted in the USA and again in the UK in 1996.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

[Coign of Vantage]: It also brings to mind a question: is there fan fiction based on this [Morgan's Boy] story? Other than the story in Uncharted Waters that made me feel uncomfortable. [1]

Issue 2

Uncharted Waters 2 was published in 1990 (reprinted in March 1992) and contains 100 pages.

It contains a single illo by Val.

From the editorial:

In the fifteen months since UNCHARTED WATERS was produced I've managed to get back into the heart of slashfiction fandom and as a result have been sent numerous new slash stories in a delightful variety of universes by people from all over the world. The outstanding impression received from all of this is that the genre is alive and well - and splitting off and diversifying madly in all directions like some benevolent virus. There seem to be very few subjects that are considered "taboo" in slashfic these days ~ although there are still some ideas that are not publishable - and it's good to knew that the fertile imaginations are still churning away as industriously as ever to make zines like this possible.

There are no "death stories" this time - although "Holding On" and "Tears in the Rain" are, technically speaking, "life-after-death stories" (and you'll have to read them to find cut what I mean!) - but there is plenty of anguish for our heroes ranging from a car crash in "Storm Damage", through a prison beating in "Inside Information" to a plane crash in "Attractions and Desires". In "Fortune's Arrow" and "All the Reasons Why" the suffering is mostly of a mental nature, but these are all hurt-comfort stories -with the emphasis on the comfort - and we hope you'll enjoy than.

  • Fortune's Arrow by Tanned Hauser ("After Sharron's wedding Richard Barrett starts behaving oddly. There's a mission waiting for him in London but he's in no fit state to undertake it. Craig Stirling determines to find out what's worrying his partner -- and tries to put it right.") (The Champions) (5)
  • Storm Damage by Caroline and Kathleen ("Forced to shelter from severe weather at the almost-deserted Cliffside Inn, David Banner and Jack McGee have a chance to examine the deeper implications of their close relationship.") (The Incredible Hulk) (13)
  • Holding On by cimorene ("After the encounter with Iblis, Starbuck has come to terms with his deepest feelings about Apollo relationship.") (Battlestar Galactica) (38)
  • Tears in the Rain by MerLyn ("The death of Roy Batty hit Rick Deckard harder than he realized. A year later he drifts back to LA, only to learn that more replicants have been built -- and Roy has somehow been resuscitated.") (also in Twinflight) (Blade Runner) (43)
  • Inside Information by Kathleen Jay ("An undercover assignment has meant a month in Wormwood Scrubs for Bodie. When he's released he doesn't seem to relish Doyle's company any more. Something that happened inside must have changed him... but what?") (The Professionals) (59)
  • All The Reasons Why by MerLyn ("Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry became lovers almost by accident and without stopping to ask why. Now they have the time to ask that question and to find a few answers.") (Alias Smith and Jones) (65)
  • Attractions and Desires by E.P.S. ("A plane crash leaves Ham Tyler with a sixteen year gap in his memory, taking back to a long-ago time when he and Mike Donovan were lovers. That couldn't happen again now, though --- or could it?") (V) (71)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews for Inside Information.

Issue 3

cover of the American reprint edition of issue #3 (note page size)

Uncharted Waters 3 was published in 1990 and contains 100 pages.

  • Wild Horses by Florence Sinclair ("Major Sinclair Yeates takes up the appointment of Resident Magistrate of Skebawn and soon falls under the spell of his landlord, Flurry Knox.") (The Irish R.M.)
  • Helping the Gods by MerLyn ("Comforting a gay friend gives Martin Castillo a chance to examine his own feelings - with particular reference to Sonny Crockett.") (Miami Vice)
  • Thumbnail Sketch by Lindar ("When everyday is a battle of survival, how do you find time for love? That's the question Steve Burton and Dan Erickson have to answer.") (Land of the Giants)
  • The Great Malibu Bike Race by Robbie ("Mark McCormick needs to spend a little time with friends his own age. Judge Hardcastle can't possibly be jealous -- or can he?") (Hardcastle and McCormick)
  • House of the Red Poppy by cimorene ("Rescuing Apollo from service in a house of ill repute is the easy part. Less easy for Starbuck is dealing with his own feelings about it.") (Battlestar Galactica (1978))
  • Easy Money by Robbie ("It started out as a straight-forward assignment for Rick and A.J. Simon -- but then things are seldom exactly what they seem.") (Simon and Simon)
  • Planet of No Return by Lindar ("In the apes' world, Alan Virdon and Pete Burke have only one another to turn to. It should be as simple as that -- but it isn't.") (Planet of the Apes)
  • Snowbound Paradise by T. Roubles ("A cabin in a winter resort is the ideal spot for a "honeymoon" and Hannibal and Face are determined to make good use of it!") (reprinted in Slash Collection) (The A-Team)
  • Fools Like You And Me by Henry (The High Chaparral) ("Rescuing two little girls from the Apache starts off a bewildering sequence of events for Buck Cannon and Manolito Montoya.")

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

[Fools Like You and Me]: Buck Cannon and Manolito Montoya from ‘The High Chaparral’. Although I've resisted a hierarchy for these stories, this has to be my ultimate favourite favourite because it was written by a good friend of mine. It’s a very tender romance with accurate setting and characters - short on sex but long on emotional content and a very satisfying read. How the episode 'Ride the Savage Land' really should have ended. [2]

Issue 4

Uncharted Waters 4 was published in 1991 and contains 100 pages.

  • Primary Colours by Lindar ("On a Spectrum training course, Captain Blue and Scarlet meet for the first time -- and a lasting friendship is born.") (Captain Scarlet)
  • Two Times Table by Daisy Wheel ("Everybody's favorite antiques dealer harbours a dark secret; a passion for blond, blue-eyed aristocratic types -- just like Alexander Felsham, in fact!") (Lovejoy)
  • Fifty Fifty by Katy Katana ("A malfunction in Stave Austin's bionic implants leads to a crisis which forces Oscar Goldman to consider exactly how much his friend means to him.") (The Six Million Dollar Man)
  • Moments by Sitzi Michael (Knight Rider)
  • Your Money Or Your Life by Henrietta (Sal) ("After a successful con Guy Buchanan questions his decision to retire -- and the nature of his hitherto easy-going relationship with Harry Cassidy.") (Perfect Scoundrels)
  • The Colour of Love by Lindar ("The closeness between Blue and Scarlet deepens when Scarlet must confront the effects of the Mysterons' retrometabolism on his sexuality.") (Captain Scarlet)
  • Small Prey by Lindar ("Life in the Giant's world has more than its fair share of hazards, this one threatens Steve and Dan's relationship -- and their lives.") (Land of the Giants)
  • My Man Jeeves by Bertie Wooster ("The bunglings of an agency valet drive Bertie to fly to Jeeves' side -- to continue a love affair that began over a typical domestic disaster.") (Jeeves and Wooster)
  • A New Day by Ophelia (After the events of 'The Empty House,' Holmes and Watson are at last able to examine the nature of their feelings for one another.") (Sherlock Holmes)
  • Colours of Blood and Twilight by Lindar ("Scarlet and Blue's relationship is threatened by the unexpected reappearance of a figure from Scarlet's past -- Conrad Turner.") (Captain Scarlet)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

See reactions and reviews for My Man Jeeves.

Issue 5

cover of issue #5

Uncharted Waters 5 was published in March 1992 and contains 100 pages. It is subtitled "Boys in Blue" cop show special edition".

There is no interior art due to a breakdown in communication with the artist. The editor wrote about this both in this zine's editorial, as well as in the apa Late for Breakfast.

  • Miami Ice by MerLyn Miller ("In an alternate universe setting Vice detective Sonny Crockett and Homicide cop Martin Castillo meet over the body of a murder victim -- Ricardo Tubbs.") (Miami Vice)
  • Oak and Mistletoe by Sue J. ("A hostage situation and the murder of a gay bookseller bring revelations which cause Morse and Lewis to examine their working relationship -- and their personal one.") (Inspector Morse)
  • Melting Ice by MerLyn Miller ("When David Barber and Tom Duffy first got together, they were both drunk. Now they've sobered up, and there are important questions to be answered.") (Saracen)
  • Perfect Match by Tara ("Recovering from an attempt on his life Agent Dale Cooper returns to the Great Northern Hotel and the loving care of his self-appointed guardian angel, Sheriff Harry S. Truman.") (Twin Peaks)
  • April Showers by MerLyn Miller ("Jersey in April, daffodils and rain; for Jim Bergerac and Alan Hallowes it's an idyllic time after a great deal of pain -- until the unexpected arrival of Susan Young spoils everything.") (Bergerac)
  • Cause For Concern by Kathleen Jay ("Doyle and Bodie are sharing everything, even their women; they're too close. Cowley decides to intervene -- and his plan involves the return of Ann Holly, Doyle's former fiancee.") (reprinted in Dyad #20) (The Professionals)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Cause For Concern.

See reactions and reviews for Oak and Mistletoe.

Issue 6

cover of issue #6

Uncharted Waters 6 was published in Fall 1992 and contains 100 pages.

flyer for issue #6
  • A Time To Every Purpose by Lindar ("He hadn't realised until that moment how deeply he had cared for Doug, relying on his strength and humour to carry him through each day. They had been close for along time.") (Time Tunnel)
  • It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) by Daisy Wheel ("T he whole thing had an air of unreality about it; I climbed the stairs behind Lord Felsham in atotal daze, an inane grin plastered across my face, his hand in mine.") (Lovejoy)
  • Samurai Fire by MerLyn Miller ("Jack Gretsky." Castillo almost purred the name, his gaze still on the sword, one hand stroking the length of it. Crockett felt a chill of foreboding. "And?" he prompted. "It's a message. He needs my help.") (Miami Vice)
  • Holiday in Cornwall by Jane M. ("Sherlock Holmes had no case -yet there he was, an arm’s length away from me sipping tea, humming a ditty and as blithe as a young man in love. Indeed, if it were any other man, I would instantly have deduced an affair of the heart.") (Sherlock Holmes)
  • The Secrets That We Keep by Artemis Pumpkin ("He had thought of homosexuality, when he thought of it at all, as being sinful or sickening, So why did his own easy acceptance of Oscar’s sexuality bother him? ... He wasn't willing to face the answer to that question just yet ") (The Six Million Dollar Man)
  • Portraits From the Past by cimorene ("He no longer tried to pretend to himself; all he did now was hide the truth from Trevor. He valued too much the hours they spent together discussing music, football or any subject that surfaced to risk letting the Englishman see that what he felt for him was more than friendship.") (Moon and Son)

Issue 7

cover of issue #7

Uncharted Waters 7 was published in March 1993 and contains 100 pages.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7

See reactions and reviews for Head and Heart.

Issue 8

cover of issue #8
another cover of issue #8

Uncharted Waters 8 was published in September 1993 and contains 100 pages.

Issue 9

cover of issue #9

Uncharted Waters 9 was published in 1993 and contains 100 pages.

Issue 10

cover of issue #10

Uncharted Waters 10 was published in 1994 and contains 100 pages. The story summaries for this issue are from On the Double.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 10

See reactions and reviews for No Strings.

Overall impression: Very plain layout. No illustrations. Nice, readable text throughout. A few typos, but not too many to be distracting. No poetry. I've read one other issue of this zine, because it had a surprisingly good Captain Scarlett(!) saga in it. I like how it tries to go for the more obscure shows, multi-fandom slash slut that I am. I did not read the North and South or Moon & Son stories, not being familiar with these shows.
  • "No Strings": pretty good. I liked the author's style. A few metaphors that don't work. It starts off in the 1st person, which is a major turn-off for me, but it quickly changes to 3rd person. One problem is while in 3rd person, the author kind of flip-flops between what Bodie is thinking and Doyle is thinking without warning. The usual assortment of "Pros-isms" ("sunshine", dropped pronouns, etc.) are evident, but not overdone. The premise: Doyle is confused and angry over Ann Holly. Longtime unrequited-love-sufferer Bodie helps him work out his angst at the gym, leading to unexpected consequences. Some minor h/c (Bodie hurts his arm). The sex is way at the end, there's not much of it, and it's not very graphic. I liked this story, and I've been jaded by Pros stories lately, so the fact that I stuck with this one is a recommendation. I liked that the author tried to put Doyle's post-Ann mental state into some sort of context, instead of the usual "oh, I've just lost Ann, I think I'll screw Bodie" scenario.
  • "The Investment": there is so little UFO fiction, so it's good to find more of it. This isn't bad. The premise: At the end of his rigorous SHADO training, Paul Foster takes a chance with his uptight new boss, Ed Straker, and it pays off. The characterizations of Straker and Alec Freeman were the best, but since Foster was never more than just a piece of meat, anyway, it doesn't matter. The writing was good, dividing the perspective between Paul and Ed evenly. A few too many lines like "you're beautiful" and "you're incredible" for my liking. (I *never* imagine the characters saying that to each other.) One line had me ROTFL: the author describes Paul's flat as having "tasteful, understated furnishings." (If you've seen the show, you'll understand that this is *not* the case. Huge orange couch "understated"? I think not!) Hot sex scenes, by the way.
  • "The Call of Duty": Jeeves & Wooster stories never work for me. One reason may be because they are always 1st person, and I hate 1st person stories. They are also by nature silly. That being said, this one wasn't horrible. The writing here captured more of the flavor of the show, using Wodehousian dialogue. The premise: J & W are an established couple. While visiting Bertie's Aunt Dahlia, Jeeves impersonates an American woman to save Dahlia's magazine. Then the couple departs. (There really isn't a plot.) No explicit sex.
  • "Ring Of Truth": (originally appeared in Dyad 13) An interesting premise: the Doctor and the Master were married on Gallifrey, eons ago, before the Master turned to crime. During the Pertwee-era episode "The Sea Devils," the Doctor visits the Master in prison and they confront their past. It's not as sappy as it sounds, and I'll be curious to read the sequel. The author handled the characters' mutual distrust well. No explicit sex.
Final verdict: at $9 for ~100 pages, it's not a steal, but it's not prohibitively expensive. The problem with multimedia zines is you rarely find one where you like all the fandoms. If you're just interested in the Pros story, I'd say give it a miss. As the Moon & Son story is 30+ pages, this may be just the zine for fans of that show (whatever it is!). [3]

Issue 11

cover of issue #11

Uncharted Waters 11 was published in 1994 and contains 100 pages.


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 11

See reactions and reviews for Painting the Clouds.

[zine]:

The most recent issue in the Uncharted Waters series of zines opens with a story based on the BBC Secret Army series. Out of the Nightmare (26 pages)'by Sal, is the only Secret Army slash I've ever discovered. There doesn't seem to be a lot of slash potential in the series, and Sal's story is an alternative universe scenario, in which she pairs off two characters who never met on screen. The lovers are Hans Dietrich Reinhardt, a German Officer, and Nick Bradley, (also known as Luc DeVriendt) a British Agent working undercover in occupied Belgium. Now I have to admit that Reinhardt was my all time favourite Secret Army character. Instead of being a sadistic, and stereotyped, thug, Reinhardt was portrayed as a complex human being. He was a German war hero who had been wounded on the Russian front, and who may have been involved in the bomb plot against Hitler, and in the series he comes to a tragic end. What more could anyone want in a hero? And for those of you who were at the 1994 Devacon discussion on war and slash yes it's the jackboots! As to Nick Bradley I have to confess that I don't even remember who played the role or what he looked like. But Sal creates such a well rounded character that it really doesn't matter, and by the end of the story I was routing for him a s much a s for Reinhardt. Her story spans a three year period, from 1942 to 1945, and she weaves a realistic story of love a n d divided loyalties, against a background of war. It is wonderfully romantic without ever being sentimental, and I loved every word of it.

Ticket to the Moon (14 pages) by Sharon Mills, is based on the Top Gun film. It is in fact a companion piece to Miramar the Quantum Leap/Top Gun crossover story by the same author, which appeared in the Crevichon Press, Leap in the Dark zine. This time the story is told from the point of view of Mitchell and Hetherly, as they face the realisation that their love may cost them their careers. If you haven't read Miramar this story stands on it's own, and if you have then Iguarantee that it's not boring. Unlike a lot of slash this story does have a plot, but it was the characterisation and emotional content of the piece that really appealed to me.

Moment of Truth (15 pages) by Katy Katana is a Dr Who slash story, and a sequel to her Ring of Truth, which was published in Uncharted Waters 10. However you don't need to have read the first story to understand this one. The story is set just after the end of The Five Doctors, and tells of the reconciliation between the Doctor and his old enemy the Master. The Doctor and his companions find themselves on an island in the Archipelago, about 3000 BC, and the Master is waiting for them there. He tells a tale that the Doctor has forgotten, of two young Timelords who loved each other, and of how Borusa (the baddie of The Five Doctors) tricked him into betraying his lover. Once the Doctor's memory has been restored they at last have a chance to re-establish their relationship, and reclaim their inheritance.

I found it difficult to get into this story as I never could stand Peter Davison's Dr Who, and I also felt that it was handicapped a bit by being the only science fiction based piece in the zine, since the other stories all had a far more realistic background. But those quibbles are external to the actual story which is written to the same high standard as the rest of the zine, and which contains some lovely moments. I particularly liked Katy's descriptions of the Master's gradually changing appearance, and Tegan's reactions to him.

Painting the Clouds (37 pages) by Calliope, is a Professionals circuit story, and one which came as a very pleasant surprise to me. For a start I don't like B/D stories, and secondly I groaned when I read the description of the story on the contents page of the zine. Stories where partners have to pose as lovers having been done to death in about every cop show fandom there is, and a few science fiction ones as well. But Calliope really makes the scenario work. There is a plausible reason for Bodie and Doyle having to go undercover as a couple of gay musicians, and because this is a long story their own real relationship has time to evolve slowly. There are some nice little humorous moments in the story, but the depiction of the criminal underworld is quite hard hitting and realistic, though there's no graphic violence in the story. I'm still not a B/D fan, but this story drew me in. While I was reading I found that I really wanted them to fall in love and live happily ever after, Calliope made me care what happened to them, even though I don't like the characters.

That's it then, only four stories, but as they say it's quality that counts not quantity. All four stories are written to a very high standard indeed, and all four have happy endings. Yet they are not sentimental or trite endings. The first three stories leave the lovers not just together but about to embark on new lives together, Reinhardt and Bradley in post war Europe, Hetherly and Mitchell outside the US Navy, and the Doctor and the Master back on Gallifrey. My advice is read the zine and then start pestering for the sequels. [5]

Issue 12

cover of issue #12
flyer for issue #12

Uncharted Waters 12 was published in March 1995 and contains 100 pages.

  • The Best of Reasons by MerLyn ("Eighteen years after his death in a car crash, ex-racing driver Alex Furlong is running the McCandless Corporation with the help of girlfriend Julie Redland and mercenary Viktor Vacendak. Amidst the catastrophic destruction of Earth's major cities and a too-close encounter with a sinister creature of the night, Alexis forced to reconsider his feelings towards both of them...") (also in Dyad: The Vampire Stories) (Freejack)
  • Substitute by Tara ("A petty criminal on the run from federation "justice", Tan has been recruited by the opportunistic Rani to serve in his pleasure-house. The client, it seems, has very specific instruction as to the clothing and hairstyle he must wear. Tan is understandably nervous until he meets the client; then, with dawning horror, he begins to understand the man's motives.") (Blake's 7)
  • Fences by Mirna C. ("Why does an attractive and successful woman apparently leap to her death from the third floor? Investigating, Morse and Lewis not only discover the secret grief behind the victim's actions, but learn something about themselves in the process - and something, still more important, about each other.") (Inspector Morse)
  • True Colours by Tarlan ("In revenge for an injury that scars her and shatters her human disguise, Diana vows to seek out whatever is most precious in Mike Donovan's life and destroy it. Kidnapping Tyler in order to interrogate him, she is hardly able to believe the answers he gives... or her own good fortune in discovering the very weapon she is seeking against Donovan.") (V)
  • A Long Way From Home by MerLyn ("A series of mysterious deaths among construction workers on a city building site brings FBI agent Ray Levoi in tocontact with elemental forces he can only just begin to understand. When he also becomes aware of the prompting of his Native American heritage he turns for help to tribal cop Walter Crow Horse, and is launched on a bewildering journey which takes him through boundaries of space, time... and species...") (reprinted in Cross-Currents) (Thunderheart/Wolfen/Dances With Wolves)
  • Brass Tacks by Gloria Lancaster ("Keep it cynical and keep it simple, that's the way Bodie's been playing his life up to now. The fact that he has developed a bad case of lust for his partner doesn't worry either of them too much -- except that Doyle's unwilling to fulfill Bodie's fantasies, so Bodie's turned to casual pick-ups for sex. It takes a close brush with death to make Bodie less cynical, and Doyle less disinterested.") (The Professionals)
  • Ere The Ruin Fall by E.P.S. ("A threat from within SHADO puts Ed Strakcr's life, career and reputation on the line. Surviving an assassination attempt, he must go on the run to buy time for his allies to stave off a far greater threat. He had expected to have to fight this battle alone, but as so often in the past Paul roster is by his side; stealing moments for themselves in the midst of chaos, they are able to rediscover one another on a very intense and personal level...") (UFO)

Reactions and Reviews

See reactions and reviews for Brass Tacks.

Issue 13

Uncharted Waters 13 was published in 1995 and contains 100 pages.

flyer for issue #13
  • The Colour of Freedom by Sandi Chapman (seaQuest DSV) ("No matter how I fought to keep my mind on other things by day, I couldn't control my dreams and, if I'm honest, I welcomed the fantasies that softened the edges of my loneliness for a few hours. I even managed to convince myself that my dreams were harmless, that I wasn't hurting anyone. Anyone except myself.")
  • Reunion by Kitty Fisher ("There might be a world of difference in their ranks but here that difference was dissolved and they were just two men, two friends. Two friends who had found that there was something beyond friendship in the way they fell for each other.") (Sharpe)
  • Four Days and Five Nights by Gloria Lancaster ("' ... Honestly, the moment I come in, it's not 'hello lover' or 'fancy a cup of lea or a barrel of beer lover?' but'get your bloody knickers off'! You know something, Bodie? You're a yob.'") (The Professionals)
  • Blood Price by MerLyn (Thunderheart)
  • Destination ("Stay with him, Vila, be there for him. He'll need you,'Blake had insisted in the old, masterful way. And so Vila had stayed, much as he had wanted to leave, because Avon frightened him.") (Blake's 7)
  • Hurt Together, Hurt Alone by Sandi Chapman ("A Chief Inspector for less than a year, it had been made very clear that further progress up the promotions ladder depended upon him working hard and keeping his nose clean, and suddenly his nineteen year old male lover could be looked upon as a liability.") (Inspector Morse)
  • Blue Movie] by Daisy Wheel ("Taking a hell of a risk, Meadows dropped one hand onto Monroe's wrist and stroked gently. "Get used to me touching you," he said, breathlessly. "I'm going to be doing a lot of that over the next few days.") (The Bill)


Issue 14

cover of issue #14

Uncharted Waters 14 was published in November 1995 and contains 100 pages.


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 14

See reactions and reviews for Liar's Dance.

Issue 15

cover of issue #15

Uncharted Waters 15 was published in 1996 and contains 100 pages.

It is subtitled Best of British.


Issue 16

Uncharted Waters 16 was published in 1997 and contains 100 pages.

References

  1. ^ from Rallying Call #13
  2. ^ from Sue the Android at MY TOP TWELVE
  3. ^ In 1994, a member of the Virgule-L mailing list posted this review of the zine. It is offered here on Fanlore, anonymously, with permission.
  4. ^ This story is attributed to Fanny Adams but she says she did not write it: "Two of the stories attributed to me at the Circuit Archive - "The Decision" and "Emotionally Involved" are not my work. I don't know how my name got on them, but I didn't write them, and I don't want to take credit (or blame) for either." -- from Dargelos' site: The FanFic Outpost via Wayback.
  5. ^ from Late for Breakfast #25

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