Vulcan's Son

Zine
Title:	Vulcan's Son
Publisher:
Editor(s):	Caer Ibormeith and Ettian
Date(s):	1987
Series?:
Medium:	print
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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1987 flyer, click to read

Vulcan's Son is a 192-page slash Star Trek: TOS anthology by Caer Ibormeith and Ettian. The art is by Ettian.

From the Editorial

We wanted to produce a zine that emphasized story plotting and characterization over scenes of sensuality and the violence that sometimes appears in adult fanzines. In the production of the first issue of Vulcan's Son, we believe we have succeeded. While this zine is K/S in nature, it is unique in that there are stories of friendship and love--rather than violence, rape, or torture--and scenes of two individuals learning to live happily with one another.

Contents

• A Model of Decorm & Tranquility by Caer Ibormeith

("Jim, I must ask you something.-." Brown eyes searched concerned hazel. "Does your happiness depend upon my being alive?" Kirk started at the question, found himself blushing to the roots. He looked down, then back up. His palms were sweating. He chewed the question over for a moment, felt the soft gaze of the Vulcan on him as Spock waited patiently for an answer. //Do I give him truth, or do I fend him off? I've already asked him not to leave me behind if death comes for him again. Must I spell it out more?// He looked at Spock where the Vulcan sat, so patient, so open. //He expects an answer. Can I give him less than the truth?// "Yes--" He sent it out into the gathering darkness.)

• Question Me an Answer by Ettian

("Spock, you pointy-eared elf, I don't care if a thousand authorities have debated it for a thousand years--I'm telling you there is a God. There's too many miracles in this universe and too many unexplained faces to just deny the possibility. And you're trying to change the subject I" Kirk shifted in his seat to look at the two as they took opposite sides of the command chair. Bones looked like he was girding for war. Spock resembled a man who is being asked to swallow the blarney stone. "I am not changing the subject, Doctor. You asked my opinion on some colorful conjecture and punctuated the request with an allusion to the deity you call 'god.' I merely remarked that you were assuming my agreement with one conjecture while asking for it in another." "Whaaa? Look, Spock. Do you or do you not believe in God?" "In what context?")

• Vulcan's Son by Ettian and Caer Ibormeith

(They were on routine patrol, so the days passed uneventfully as they grew used to the link between them. Spock was grateful for the routine hours, for as time went on he found more and more what he had to adjust to--emotions that were not his own came in waves, billowing inward until he spent much of his time building barriers against them. There was nothing repulsive in Jim's emotions; it was simply that there were so many of them. . . . For the first time in his life. Spock felt Jim's attraction to every pretty yeoman that walked by. The Captain's mealtime cravings became Spock's. and the afternoon he found himself contemplating a steak for supper was the last straw. He found himself subtly shifting his duty schedule, arranging his work time so that he arrived much earlier than Kirk and left accordingly. He knew his communication with the rest of the crew was growing clipped, shorter, almost rude. But he couldn't help himself. The flow from the Captain was constant: it was all Spock could do to get through the routine hours. Off-duty, he found meditation becoming his strongest survival tactic. Things had to change, but Spock was at a loss as to how to affect the changes. Kirk experienced no further trouble from the link. Indeed, he felt more relaxed- more alert than ever before. His endurance in the gymnasium increased: his vegetable/fruit diet seemed easy to adhere to. The latter development thrilled McCoy no end. The frustrations and uncertainty of command seemed to fade; his reason grew clearer, he ventured to think Spock's logic was rubbing off on him. All in all, the link was pleasurable. He basked in the warmth of Spock's calmness, his intelligence, and took his security from the knowledge that the Vulcan was ever present.)

Reactions and Reviews

VULCAN'S SON was handed to me by a friend who, with a sly smile, simply said, "It's innocent." Then left me to read the zine.

My first comment to the editors/authors, is a practical one. It's always a nice idea to put your address in the zine somewhere. I've just spent 15 minutes on the phone with my friend who loaned me the zine as she tried to find the flyer she'd originally ordered from.

And my friend was right, this is an innocent zine. By that, I mean that the editors/authors, Caer Ibormeith and Ettian, have that 'I've just discovered K/S and haven't read everything ever written in the genre yet' air about them, at least about their writing. It's very refreshing in a way, because many zines that have been out lately have tended toward more jaded, less innocent characterizations and plots.

Yet, in another way, VULCAN'S SON is everything stereotypical of the K/S story.

There are three pieces in VULCAN'S SON. The first story is A Model of Decorum and Tranquility and was written by Caer Ibormeith. This is a post- ST 4 story. We are presented with a Spock who has regained his memory and knowledge and is headed, with Kirk, to their new assignment. Through conversation, we learn that Kirk feels he can't live without Spock; simply cannot continue to exist without his friend. Spock cannot understand this. He asks his mother who explains to him. The 'getting together' scene is nice and sweet, though not too sweet, and even acceptably cute. Yet, it is far too easy, Spock's turn around and quick acceptance is predictable if not trite. His immediate request that Kirk bond with him is something I rolled my eyes at, mainly because he's so casual about it. There is no sex in this story, which is fine, but, to my mind, the story really begins where Caer has ended it.

The last story in the zine is also a short one. Question Me An Answer is by Caer's co-editor, Ettian. This is a silly story of McCoy creating a questionnaire that he passes out among the crew who, anonymously, answer it then return it. He correlates the data and prints the results. The answers are sometimes cute, often insulting, and the idea has been overdone, not only here but everywhere else the idea has been used. This is not even a 'relationship' story, let alone a K/S story.

The center piece of the zine is the title story, Vulcan's Son written by both editors. This is an overly long, well written, conglomeration of every stereotypical K/S story ever written. You have your 'Shore-leave-in- the-woods' theme; your 'Kirk-and-Spock-on-a-planet-with-a-ruler-who-decides- he-wants-- one-so-tries-to-get-rid-of-the-other' theme; the 'interrupted-meldand-resultant-physical-agony' theme; the 'we're-bonded-but-both-of-us-are-too-dense-to-realize-it' theme; the 'I'm-Vulcan-and-can't-handle-your-human -emotions-through-the-link' theme... I could go on, but....

Not only is there one shore-leave-in-the-woods scene, there are two. Not only do they approach each other then back off repeatedly, they don't even know they're doing it.

There is also the irritating habit of the authors to use both Mink' and 'bond* as synonymous. it was very confusing in the context of the story which centers around the fact that they apparently are not 'bonded' but are linked in some strange way. This point would have, perhaps, been caught by an editor had not both editors of the zine also been the authors of the story.

Put simply, this story is contrived, slow moving and boring in parts. However... there is the part where Kirk and Spock engage in a hunting game that works wonderfully. Had the story been solely based on this part of this tome, it would have worked much better. Actually, had any one of the numerous adventures or themes in this story been used on its own, each would have worked, well. But Vulcan's Son is simply too much; too many story lines, too many dead-end scenes, too little emotional satisfaction for the characters or the readers.

The art is by Ettian and is nice but unremarkable. The cover is strange but interesting. The writing is good, not excellent, but good. That is the main reason I am recommending this zine. VULCAN'S SON is nothing special, but the innocence about it is somewhat nostalgic of the time when I first began reading K/S (some 8 years ago) and gave me some nice moments of reading. If you're on a zine budget, skip this one, but if you're searching high and low for something to read, you could do worse than VULCAN'S SON.