Warped Space/Issues 31-40

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Issue 31/32

front cover of issue #31/32, Monica Miller
back cover by V.M. Wyman

Warped Space 31/32 Published January 1978 and contains 86 pages.

The art is by Randy Ash, Mary Bloemker, Bill Bow, Gordon Carleton, Susan Ceci, Edith Crowe, Mary Ann Emerson, Connie Faddis, Phil Foglio, Elyse Grasso, Anji Valenza, Amy Harlib, Signe Landon, Monica Miller, Leah Rosenthal, Joni Wagner, Carol Walske, Robin Wood, V.M. Wyman, and Beverly Zuk.

From the editor:

I can hazard a guess that the contents of from 1/4 to 1/2 of this issue deals with Star Wars, and I don't think it's a bad situation at all. In the future, I'll be running The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Man from Atlantis, as well as more Star Wars material. I'm willing to consider submissions based on any science fiction or fantasy concept, but I intend to keep Warped Space primarily a Star Trek zine. Some Star Trek fans resent the inclusion of Star Wars material in Star Trek fanzines. Others fear the intrusion of Star Wars enthusiasts in Trek fandom, feeling that Star Wars fandom might someday replace Star Trek fandom. At one point, the general science fiction community felt the same way about that new fannish offshoot -- Star Trek --. Some science fiction fans still look down on us Trekkies. Should we do the same to other fandoms. I'm not going to compare Star Trek and Star Wars. Nor will I compare Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I like them all. I also like [names a whole bunch of television shows and movies]... This does not mean I weight them against one another for relative merit. I appreciate them for what they are, and for the entertainment they have given me. I suspect that many Trek fans have other interests besides Trek. One of Trek's major contributions is the concept of IDIC. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination -- we can all spout off the words. True Trek fans should be able to live up to that ideal, don't you think? Some Trek fans faced ostracism for their interest in Space:1999, and now some face censure for their acceptance of Star Wars. Star Wars fandom will not overshadow Star Trek fandom, just as Star Trek fandom has not overshadowed science fiction fandom. And on the day when any fandom dies out, its death will not have negated the amount of pleasure it gave its fans. If Trek fans would only suspend their jealous resentment -- if they will read some non-Trek fiction, they will find some damn good writing hidden there. And they may become interested in spite of themselves. I'm proud of the material that has appeared in Warped Space thus far. I try to include material that I think will interest the reader, and stimulate him or her to investigate further. A first encounter with a hard sf tale may interest a hard-core Trek fan and stimulate him to pick up an sf paperback. There will always be zines catering to exclusive tastes. Warped Space offers variety, and I hope the reader is broadminded enough to sample the wares, widen his or her horizons a bit along the way.

There is also an ad that announces that Pegasus is switching from an all-Star Trek format to an all-Star Wars format as of its third issue.

One of the many ads for zines in this issue is one for Thrust.

This issue contains a personal statement by Leslye Lilker addressing the topic of her publication of several zines, as well as the unauthorized use by another fan of a word Lilker had made up:

Lilker's personal statement

IDIC #6 is in preparation now and should be ready for T'Con (end of March 1978), however publication may be held for artwork. To the artists and writers who have contributed to this issue: thank you for your patience and understanding, and please accept my apologies for the delay in publishing your material. After IDIC #6, I plan to hibernate for an indefinite period of time. No, I am not leaving fandom. I am just giving myself some breathing and writing room. It is next to impossible to produce a quality 'zine and write at the same time. Although plans are not definite yet, I will probably come out of hiding with SAHAJ COLLECTED II, and hopefully one or two or three Trek novels that have been buzzing around my poor little over worked brain for the last two years. To you Sahaj fans, I promise to finish the series (Bloodoath). During this interim period, please do not send submissions to IDIC nor ask me to write for your 'zine.

I would also like to answer a question that has been cropping up frequently in my mail since the publication of THE SENSUOUS VULCAN. In this 'zine appears a story entitled "The Way of a Warrior" by Karen Lewis. The author has used "Valjn'd'jt", the name of Sarek's home in the Sahaj universe, despite a request not to. I am not Karen Lewis (a pseudonym). I did read the story before publication, and, for my answer to "The Way of a Warrior", please read "Nivar to a Desert Rose", to appear in THE OTHER SIDE [#3]. Send s.a.s.e. to Amy Falkowitz [address redacted] for information.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 31/32

[zine]: Another double issue, with three fold-outs and over 86 pages chock-full of stuff. Like that candy bar, WS always seems to be 'thickerer.' Lori's editorial starts off by explaining WS' policy, ie: while keeping the emphasis on ST, she will also be printing material from SW to U.N.C.L.E. to straight SF. This seems to be a good idea. Genre zines abound in fandom to such an extent that a really good general zine like WS is valuable. The contents: Three SW vignettes by Kelly Hill, Jackie Paciello, and Paula Block; SW poetry and filksongs by Hill, Patrice Cullen, Pat and Judy Molnar, and Kat Clark; SW-ST-science fiction related parodies by M. Octyme, Paula Smith, Karen Klinck, and Gordon Carleton. All of the above are funny, sad, endearing, exciting, and well worth the attention which I have too little space to give them here. The ST contents include three vignettes based on various episodes... a short-short by Anne Snell (a Mary Sue that isn't -- I found it unexpectedly touching.), a ST-fantasy story by Firmstone that could bear expansion into a longer story, and another Nellie Gray story, wherein the irrepressible daughter of Finnegan mends her ways. The issue closes with a longer straight science fiction story, 'Sedhazheh.' It was a little hard to get into, with all the background information to digest, but engrossing and well-written once that had been done. The artwork deserves a separate review all by itself and I wish I had the talent to give it. From Monica Miller's gorgeous cover and foldout (that Han goes up on my wall), to Robin Wood's delicate fantasies, to... all the others whose portraits, cartoons, and illos helped make this zine; it is a beautiful thing to behold.[2]

[zine]: ...one delightful piece is 'The Meaning of Scrod' and scrod finger jokes that started in the vicinity of Pittsburgh fandom.[3]

[zine]:

#31/32 courses more deeply into things Star Wars Kelly Hill's "Free Enterprise" tells how Han Solo acquired and staffed the Millenium Falcon; decently if speedily written. Rather better are Paciello's "No Reward Is Worth This" and Block's "Gratitude" post-and background-SW stories. Also in this ish is it explained good and forever the existential reality of Scrod (or the Dia Nogu, as Lucas so mundanely labeled the periscopic thing in the garbage bin) by M. Octyme, K. Klinck, P. Block, and Yrs. Truly.

The most significant trek piece is Rogow's "The Reformation of Nellie Grey," the poor man's Sadie Faulwell.

Contents - 4 Graphics - 5 $ Worth - 4[4]

[zine]:

Warped Space 31/32 took a little while to get here, but it was worth waiting for.

While Warped Space is still predominantly a Star Trek zine, this issue is roughly 1/4 or 1/2 devoted to Star Wars material.

For those of you who can't get enough of her, Monica Miller has two pieces of artwork included. The front cover is a beautiful illo of Luke Skywalker. And further on in the zine is a fold-out (no, not a centerfold) of Han Solo. Both pictures are definitely up to her standards.

There is a wide range of artwork representing 19 of some of fandom's best illustrators. Phil Foglio & Gordon Garleton are, of course, the resident cartoonists, while the more serious art is left to the others. Signe Landon, Connie Faddis, Randy Ash, & Beverly Zuk all have at least one illo. And Leah Rosenthal has put together four pages of "Some Wildlife Variations From the Northern Vulcan Continent (Vynsahn)," taken from the collection of the late 'first-contact' naturalist, Ling Tsao-Pi. The rest of the collection, for anyone who is interested in wildlife, is on display at Memory Alpha.

Now, on to the fiction. The first three stories are Star Wars based, and all three have Han Solo as the chief character. "Free Enterprise" (Kelly Hill) fills in some of the questions of Han's past —how he knows Jabba, how he obtained the Millennium Falcon, and where Chewbacca fits into his life.

"No Reward is Worth This" (Jackie Paciello) is a short story that spans the time between Han & Chewie loading up the Millennium Falcon at the rebel base & their return to the base with the triumphant Luke & his X-wing (as seen in the movie). Neither Han nor Chewbacca are as gruff as they seem.

"Gratitude" (Paula Block) takes place right after the victory banquet. Han leaves early, after finding that the celebration is not quite to his tastes. Chewbacca eventually finds him in a bar & relays the message that the Princess wants to see him. With one thought foremost in his mind, Han sets out to see if he can accommodate her wishes.

Next comes a section devoted to (of all things) scrod - fingered scrod, yet. Scrod, for those of you who don't know what they are (my self included), are otherwise known as codfish. This section consists of a short essay on scrod entitled "The Meaning of Scrod in Modern Life" (M. Octyme), 2 poems "Homage to Scrod" (Paula Block), sung to the tune of "Ein Fester Burg," and "The Morass of My Mind" (Karen Klinck), sung to the tune of "The Windmills of Your Mind." There is also a short parody called "And the Scrod Shall Inherit" (Paula Block). I couldn't stop laughing after I read it. The parody intertwines both the Star Wars & Star Trek universes (plus scrods, of course) and it does so with hysterical results.

Two poems and some Star Wars filksongs round out this half of the zine. Then it's on to the Star Trek section.

After being in such a good mood from reading the parody & the filk songs, it was definitely depressing to read the next selection. It really has no title, although it is listed in the table of contents as "The Letter" (Anne Snell). It takes the form of a subspace message printout (a letter) & it is written by one of Mr. Spock's subordinates to her mother. In essence, she, just like Spock, didn't say "I love you" to her mother. The big difference is she still has time. Spock does not - Amanda had died the week before.

"The Greenwood" (Jane Firmstone) reads like a fairy tale. Ilspeth & Robin find an injured person - a faun, Ilspeth calls it. He has fallen & hurt his head, thereby losing his memory. Ilspeth nurses him & they fall in love. They are happy, but only for a little while, for Ilspeth must send him away. This is an easy-to-read story, & the ending took me totally by surprise.

For those of you who have read Nellie Gray & LP6 stories previously in Warped Space here's another one for you - '"The Reformation of Nellie Gray" (Roberta Rogow). The captain's yeoman, known as Dirty Nellie Gray, is assigned to the 'floating position' in Landing Party Six, & almost immediately upon beam-down gets herself & Fred Shippe captured by the Klingons ., During the course of their internment, Nellie undergoes a transformation. The question is: Is everyone ready for the new Nellie Gray? Is anyone?

The two short stories that fol low are based on aired episodes, "What's in a Gilded Cage" (Pat McCormack) is based on I, Mudd & "The Truce" (Darlene Fouquet) on The Galileo Seven. In "Gilded Cage" Uhura has the chance to actually transfer herself to an android body. It's not just wishful thinking, the body is there, waiting for the final transfer. "Truce" involves two characters, James Kirk & Federation High Commissioner Ferris. It's about a meeting between the two of them soon after the rescue of the Galileo, and how they act towards each other now that the emergency situation is over.

The final long story is "Sedhozheh" (Elyse Grasso). And to tell the truth, I had a hard time understanding it. Previous stories in this universe have been printed before , but not in Warped Space. Near the end of the story I finally 'got into it', but not knowing any of the background information, I didn't like it. It is neither Star Wars, nor Star Trek. It is a universe of its own & is very difficult to explain. The underlying plot is an overthrow of the current government of the city of Duthemi on the planet of Machura. I just didn't feel that this type of story fit into the Warped Space format. "Sedhozheh" was too heavy reading for the normal lightness of Warped Space.

But, other than that, I really enjoyed this issue. There is some thing for everyone, whether it be Star Wars or Star Trek or something totally different. I look forward to receiving the next issue.[5]

[zine]:

WS 31/32 is fabulous! And I totally agree with your editorial and hope it gets through to the people who "disapprove" of the printing of other kinds of literature in ST zines. WS always has a great diversity in its contents, which is a delight, especially after reading the tenth version of "Spock in pon farr with Kirk/Chapel/McCoy/unknown yeoman/sexy alien the only one around" or "Kirk and Spock prove their love by almost dying for each other again" or "hostile alien entity invades somebody's mind" ... there are other equally worn themes that appear in too many zines. But WS always has a little "something completely different" and that's nice.

Was it intentional, or am I imagining that the STAR WARS portion of 31/32 seems to be a Han Solo special? Not that I mind ... ! (Though on second thought, it could also be considered a Scrod special ... )

Thank you for the lovely presentation of my poem. All the other SW stuff is great. But my favorite item in the whole zine has to be "The Letter" — that's one of those diverse things and it's touching and well done.[6]

[zine]: I am really getting off on the Han Solo stuff in WS 31/32! Especially Miller's "Fastest Gun" — I saw it before it was completed and I must say it is delightfully twitchy. PoBlocki's story was my favorite — her Chewie is really fine (especially her Wookiee-gab, which nearly had me in traction), although I think she was just a tad harsh with Solo's characterization. Oh well, maybe the Princess had a headache (as well as rocks in her head). Gordon's "Mos Eisley Bar" was great — especially the pictures of Han and Chewie looking "innocent".[7]

[zine]:

I thoroughly enjoyed all the SW stories! My favorites were "The Meaning of Scrod ... " and "Homage to Scrod". I think something grabbed my ankle while in the shower last night; upon yelling "Ye Scrods!" and diving for my glasses, towel, and plant gun loaded with Malathion, it let go. Never did get a good look at it...

I'm sure you'll get a lot of letters about "Dear Mom — Love, Trisha", but I liked it very much. Yeah, the idea is a little trite, but it still says a lot ... if the story makes people stop and think — hurrah!

... I was interested by "Sedhozheh", but got lost in all the details. I get the feeling that Elyse Grasso is trying to create another DUNE with her specialized lingo. The details that were there for this one story were, for the most part, extraneous. The ones I wanted to find weren't there. Some I picked up by inference, but you really had to work to follow the story. I would have liked a more complete "picture" before the story started, or the author should have left out all the extras and given more "story" to it.[8]

[zine]:

I was disappointed in WS 31/32. A pretty big thing for me, since I can't remember ever being disappointed in WS in the year and a half I've subscribed.

One quarter of the mag for STAR WARS is fine. More is not. I am still trying to figure out why people who write good STAR TREK stories write crappy STAR WARS stories. So far, I have not read anything that will convince me that STAR WARS has a place in WARPED SPACE. Yuk!

As for lack of character development in the film, there was about the same amount in STAR TREK for Sulu and Chapel — not to mention Kyle, M'Benga, and a score of others — yet no one has trouble writing about them. No, the backgrounds of Solo, Luke, and Princess Leia do not interest me. (So far no robot stories, thank God.) Chewbacca interests me, but apparently no one else. Obi Wan and Darth Vader interest me, but I prefer to wait for the sequel to the film. But, to be fair, all would be for given if there had been enough decent Trek in 31/32.

Too many too-short shorts. The Nellie Gray story was good. The MAN FROM ATLANTIS sketches were better than the show.

I still like the "crude drawings from Vulcan" pseudo-series. "The Greenwood" reminded me of the Scotty faerie tale, and for that reason didn't thrill me overly. But the illos ... exquisite!

Oh, I can handle overdoses of STAR WARS or any other hysteria, but these long, long, dull, dull stories with eight four dollar prerequisites and three in comprehensible words per sentence are just too much.

"Sedhozheh" wasn't as bad as "Gohirsid Jon" — was in fact almost entertaining at times — but if the pages had been occupied with "Star Chaparral" instead, I would not have shed a tear.[9]

[zine]:

"No Reward Is Worth This" — the title doesn't quite seem to correspond with the story — the account of the miraculous rescue of Luke, as seen from the reluctant hero's (Han's) side. Han remained hard-bitten to the last. Good show!

"Gratitude" — what came after the victorious ceremony. However, I really can't see why Luke would want to return to Tatooine under any circumstances. After all, he felt life was passing him by on that "piece of rock". Also, I didn't see any evidence of that close a bond forming between Solo and Luke — not as close as the type forged between Kirk and Spock.

"Jedi Sister" — how about that! Maybe the STAR WARS galaxy is not as male chauvinistic as I expected!

The Scrod Section — never has so much been written by so many about so little. Sounded like pun-time to me. About Paula Block's Scrod segment — I, too, was laughing at it — until I read the last page. There's more than a ring of truth to that one today. After hearing that the STAR TREK II series was now to be a film ... again; Roddenberry and Susan Sackett to the contrary — ST fandom won't wait around forever. They are leaving now, for STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

"The Letter" — well, at least this female character wasn't trying deliberately to get an inside track with Spock. I do wonder, though, why he permitted that "touch" telepathy with her. Also, the drawing seemed to look too much like paper-doll cut-outs. Still, I empathized strongly with the moral of the tale — maybe because, like Spock and Trisha, I too have let time slip by. Poignant lesson!

"The Greenwood" — fairy tale atmosphere. I didn't think Wyman's art was very illustrative of the stranger. But at the end of the tale, I saw that it did serve its purpose — to conceal. It's a change, to see an Enterprise crewmember through alien eyes.

"The Reformation Of Nellie Gray" — average, adventure/comedy tale of the series. But I can't help wondering why even being placed in peril could have caused such a drastic change in Nellie. After all, even, acting like a regulation squeaky-clean yeoman would not have changed her chances of survival one iota in this case. Besides, I'd still like to see a little mischief in her encounters with Kirk — off-duty, perhaps?

"Truce", and "In One Moment's Time" — I think I'd have appreciated these vignettes more if they'd appeared when the show's re-runs were still fresh.

My favorite Trek tale in this ish was "What's In A Gilded Cage". I could actually feel Uhura's strong yearnings for that beautiful long-lasting shell. How ever, I wish I could have seen a few more hints as to the reasoning that actually caused Uhura to finally reject it. Was it that she preferred a real body more?[10]

[zine]:

I loved "Free Enterprise"; the characterization was great. That is Han Solo ... but his hair was too dark in the illos.

"No Reward Is Worth This" is equally good. On the other hand, "Gratitude" leaves me ambivalent for some reason, though the scenes with Han and Chewie work well — maybe the characterization of Leia is off a bit compared to my ideas of her. She doesn't really have any good Princess Leia-type lines. I liked the rats with the targets (womp!).

Hallelujah! Finally an explanation of why it is a Pittsburgh Scrod. And filksongs, "And The Scrod Shall Inherit" and still more filksongs. (They even scan!) "The Bar In Mos Eisley" is magnificent. No wonder Han was faster on the draw — Greedo got his finger/tentacles tangled (note 7th illo).

Subspace Message Printout is a lot better than most Mary Sue type stories. A bit heavy-handed with the moral, but nice in that there is a point to the thing. Very impressive if it was written by someone under 12 or if the character was supposed to be very young, but other wise there's something odd about the prose style.

There are too many flying things in the Vulcan biology thing and their wingspan/ body size ratio is off since it was established in the aired shows that Vul can has a high gravity and thin atmosphere relative to Earth. And they're all too Earth-like. What's the use of developing an alien planet if you're going to de- alienize it? It would make much more sense to work at developing the ecologies which relate to such creatures as the sehlat, le-matya, and tanglepod vine as shown in the animation "Yesteryear". Or even bet ter, invent whatever ecology, etc. you like, but don't call it Vulcan.

"The Greenwood" is a shaggy dog story. Like the stories where Superman marries Lois Lane or she finally finds out who Clark Kent is and it all turns out to be a dream or those Marvel comic stories where New York city is demolished and then Odin or somebody puts it all back together and gives everybody amnesia and they don't notice that the clocks are wrong or what ever. It's writing, but it's not a story. And how do V.M. Wyman's people ever eat enough to stay alive with such tiny jaws?

"The Reformation of Nellie Gray'.' . . . Records Officer Duffy? Oi.

I hereby state for the record that I was responsible for inking and zip-a-toning the illos for "Sedhozheh" and if the artists are to blame for the muddiness of the illos it was me, not Anji Valenza. But I think it was partly the printer.[11]

[zine]:

WS 31/32 looks terrific, especially that foldout of Han Solo ... got me so excited I went to see STAR WARS again.

... Excellent editorial. My greatest love and loyalty belongs to STAR TREK and always will — especially to the STAR TREK universe as expanded and enriched by 'zine writers. But it's a big universe; none of us (I hope) has only one interest. Most of my fannish friends, on the contrary, practically need index cards to keep track! These interests can be mutually enriching and a lot of fun in combination. Sometimes I feel like Obi-Wan Kenobi, being a science fiction fan when STAR TREK was no more than a synaptic disturbance in the fertile brain of the great bird, and seeing and' liking (loving!) STAR TREK from show number 1.

STAR TREK and STAR WARS are not mutually exclusive. They're very different things, and saying that one or the other is "better" is meaningless. They are both beautiful examples of what they are, and that's what counts. Sometimes one feels like whole wheat muffins and sometimes one would rather have eclairs — and it would be a poorer world without either. As you said, one should appreciate them for what they are.

My A-1 choice of jobs, however, is still A & A officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise (and I don't mean the aircraft carrier). By the way, it was great to see Landing Party 6 again — I've really missed them.[12]

[zine]:

Jackie Paciello and Paula Block's STAR WARS stories were very good. The never-ending references to the 'scrod' had me laughing my head off at 3 a.m. (especially "waving dere little fingers at me" p. 33. Where did you find the word 'scrod'?).

I don't usually like "Communications From the Enterprise" types of stories, and Anne Snell's was no exception. I can only start with this comment: Mary Sue. I wish someone would kill Amanda once and for all. The one thing Spock would have done in such a situation would have been to throw her out of his cabin. Fast.

"The Greenwood" is a nice story, and I would have liked it if the faun hadn't turned out to be Spock. That was cute; I don't like 'cute'. It should have been done as straight fantasy. As it was, it turned into a gimmick story: Spock + amnesia + little people in the woods. Re cipe for a fairy tale. On top of that, it was a little sketchy. But not all bad. Nothing in WARPED SPACE is ever all bad.

I usually like Nellie Gray, but couldn't see the point in "The Reformation Of ... " unless it was to provide Nellie with a steady boy-friend?

"Sedhozheh": the introduction gave me a headache. It got worse as I attempted to plough my way through the story itself. Halfway through the second page, I under stood why Germaine Best had seen fit to print her name and address twice in the introduction ((Oops.)). Unless I do de cide to contact her, I won't read any more of "Sedhozheh". I really can't tackle it without more background information and a proper dictionary. Maybe I'm off my feed, or my brain is growing soft, like Kirk's.

There is too much STAR WARS material in this ish. While I am not against SW (on the contrary), I feel that your 'zine should be at least half made up of ST material. Some fantasy, science fiction and STAR WARS is fine, but you really went overboard in this ish. The first fire of enthusiasm and all that, I imagine. And the stories were all good, therefore hard to turn down. You're ab solved, but don't do it again (I can hear you swearing at me).[13]

Issue 33/34

front cover of issue #33/34 by Mark Rogers
back cover of issue #33/34 by Joni Wagner

Warped Space 33/34 was published in February 1978 and contains 100 pages.

The art by Mary Bloemker, T.J. Burnside, Gordon Carleton, Susan Ceci, Jean C., Connie Faddis, Kelly Frame, Nan Lewis, Martynn, Monica Miller, Pat Munson, Jackie Paciello, Mark Rogers, Leah Rosenthal, Carolyn Ruth, Melinda Shreve, Leslie Smith, and Joni Wagner. It was half Star Wars, half Star Trek + Man from Atlantis story.

In the Miscellanea section, an anonymous listing claims: "Illegal buttons of Gee Moaven's artwork are being sold in various stories around the country. None of the dealers have her permissions. If you see any of these buttons, please take the time to inform them that you know they are illegal -- and do not buy them for that reason."

Also in the Miscellanea section, a fan makes three related announcements: one, she is getting married. Two, she is moving to North Dakota (and plaintively asks if there any fans "anywhere" in that state). Three, she "has been persuaded to" hyphenate her maiden and her married name "in fandom, but for all legal purposes she will be" taking her husband's name.


Reactions and Reviews: Issue 33/34

[zine]: Well, I could be wrong; type-plotting moves point-five past light speed, apparently. Carol Mularski's "Renaissance," which not exactly a Lay- Leia story, does manage to marry her off to Luke; and Hill's "Wandering Star" is, so help me, a get-Han saga. Blessedly, there is "The Sith Lord" by Clissold, Deer, Jensen and Gonzalez. There is enough material in these 15 pages to fill three of the projected ten sequels of SW, but tho little more than a character study of Darth Vader, this does give a unique interpretation of the conflict source between Darth, Obi-Wan, Luke's father, and Owen.

For Man From Atlantis fans, there's Paciello's "In Your Silent World." Jackie does better with Luke and Han. Leah Rosenthal's "Lastling" has a Cara Sherman-esque character in this monolithic trek tale, and Beetem's "Shortest Star Trek Story in the World" is a classic parody.

Contents - 5. Graphics - 5. $ Worth 5.[15]

[zine]:

Even doubling up the issues, you still manage to come out more often than all but a very few newsletters. There's got to be an engineering-type-genius (Tullio, maybe?) out in fandom who can hook you up to a power line to lower our fuel bills. The cover was fabulous. Better than many a Galaxy or F&SF cover. The interior art was rather uneven, some of it marvelous, some of it crud.

"Miscellanea" these days contains nearly as much info as SPECTRUM, SCUTTLEBUTT and INTERSTAT combined. And it's one of the least important aspects of WS ....

... Personally, I don't know whether STAR WARS is 'destroying' fandom, aiding an already started process, or has no effect. Regardless, fandom slowly dying. Does anyone have a viable (as opposed to wishful) plan for resurrection? Is there anyone who will even admit to the decline and forthcoming fall?

Dee Beetem, with her Shortest STAR TREK Story ... *sigh* ...

"The Sith Lord". Whew, what a theory. More! [16]

[zine]:

WS 33/34 ... certainly satisfied my craving for more STAR WARS stories and material. "Renaissance" and "Wandering Star" were very very good, and the illos for each were beautifully done.

"The Sith Lord" had an interesting premise, but in some places I felt something was missing, that too much was being left to the reader's imagination. "Inheritance" was so sad!

"Dark Lord" was chilling, and Pat Munson's illo was awe-inspiring. Please continue with STAR WARS and other material, despite what some people say.

Other things: "Reluctant Bride" was cute. I can see T'Pau having fits over "Earther" interference, although her contempt was a little overdone and Kraithish. It took me a while to realize the source of the title for "In Your Silent World", but it fits, it fits! I'm only a peripheral MAN FROM ATLANTIS fan, but I liked the story.

"Lastling" is my favorite non-STAR WARS piece in the 'zine. I was wondering if we'd see more of Kem Tory, and it was great to find out who the Seven Moons were. It's been driving me buggy.

I also enjoyed the Enterprise's new security chief, being a Gary Cooper fan from way back.

Oh — thanks, Martynn, for putting a title to Monica Miller's Han Solo poster [in issue #31/32]. "Fastest Gun" is quite appropriate, although I'd been calling it "Bedroom Eyes" myself.[17]

[zine]:

I see that when you threaten to use any letter written to you in the 'zine, you mean it. As long as nobody comes after me with a bomb, I don't mind.

Less STAR WARS in this one, all of it good. "Renaissance" fine, although I don't much like Solo drunk. But then, I hate all drunks.

"Wandering Star" great; I always had a weakness for wounded heroes.

"The Sith Lord" was also good; but I feel that making Vader Luke's uncle is a trifle far-fetched, as the British elegantly used to say.

"The Reluctant Bride", or the further adventures of the Three Musketeers: o.k., even if, in my opinion, no way would T'Pau have let a female fight for T'Rass. Somewhere, somehow, the Vulcan Traditions must forbid it. I can't prove it, it's just a feeling I have. Don't know why. The "Man From Atlantis" story wasn't bad, but I was never a fan of the show's. I thought that most of the scripts were abysmally rotten (if that's redundant, so were the scripts). The story in WS was better than most of them.

I was expecting another segment of "The Weight" in this ish. I've got a nerve, asking for more, haven't I? I can't commend you enough for reprinting Harlan Ellison's statement re: IguanaCon. From other statements attributed to him, and comments from people who have met him, I'd sort of formed the image of Elas one of the self-styled 'God's gift to women'. I was surprised and pleased to see that he feels even more strongly than I about ERA (I break out into hives whenever I see Phyllis Schafly on TV, or hear her name mentioned). It's a rare delight to discover that you can respect a writer whose prose you love as a person, not only as a writer. Thanks for printing the statement, Lori.

"Lastling" by Leah Rosenthal. A Mary Kemilworth? And a Mary Jeremy? Kidding aside, I know how difficult it is to present new characters at the beginning of a story. One always sounds like a talking biography, somehow. This story got better and better as 1 read it. It's a little far-fetched, but interesting. A little strange, but different. Mellow, but sweet. And I'd like to read more about Sinkoor and the Romulans (the best praise one can give a story, is saying one wants to read more).

... There weren't any LoC's in 31/32. Don't ever do that again. Please! I enjoy them as much as any story. The LoC's and the miscellanea pages are as much a part of WARPED SPACE as the arti cles or fiction. They keep us informed of available items (zines, conventions, etc.) and allow us to check our opinions against those of other readers. They even permit irate writers to shit back (sorry) on nasty readers. They are essential to WS. We love them or hate them, but we need them.

Speaking of hate, doesn't Paula Smith send you any more LoC's? Has she been murdered?

... Once again, I dipped my typewriter in venom and concocted a poisonous LoC for you. As I said, I intend to be very efficient from now on. Translated, it means I'll keep up with you.[18]

[zine]:

Keep the LoC section big. It was my favorite part of the 'zine. Just one thing: when somebody asks a question, why don't you answer it? Some of the unanswered questions have left me screaming.

I think your STAR WARS fiction is much better than what Ballantine has published; somehow Foster doesn't seem to handle other's characters too well. I like his Krang series. (Is that the right name?) "The Sith Lord" by all them people was excellent. A much better explanation for Vader's disfigurement than Lucas's. Volcano, indeed! I would really like to see more by this group. Like, "I'll not come back ... except to take the boy," or what happens when Vader learns that his nephew blew up his toy.

'Bout time we saw Yarrah-Bethan again. It was an interesting twist, having her fight for T'Rass. Only did Roberta have to let loose with T'Pau yelling "Perversion!"? You know what can of worms that's gonna open.

Let's hear some more from Kemilworth Tory, but have Leah restrain her malicious mind. After all, telling us that Tory knows the secret of the Guardian, and going no further is cruel.

Gordon's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS poster was inspired.[19]

[zine]:

I liked "Renaissance" very much. The characters were just right, though I think Luke will revive the Jedi without any urging from the Princess. That's a good explanation of how the Princess resisted the mind probe, which is something I've wondered about. "Wandering Star" was also very good, but I think Han knows why he went back. He went back because, as he would put it, "The damn fool kid's gonna get himself killed." It's true that he might not realize why he cares if the kid gets killed until an incident like the one in the story shocks him into it. I agree that he'll never say any more than "Thanks". "Inheritance" was touching, but I'm confused. I thought the speaker in the poem was Luke's father, but then who is Monica's lovely illo supposed to be? ((Young Luke.)) "The Dark Lord" was very good.

I liked "The Reluctant Bride", but I don't see how Captain Stavek knows T'Rass well enough to be willing to be her champion. I enjoyed "The Lastling" very much. I was glad to see the explanation for the behavior of the Vulcan Council in "Notes From An Archaeologist On Vulcan", and am looking forward to a sequel explaining why Cooper was in jail on Starbase One. "The Sith Lord". Very interesting theory, but I don't accept it. I seriously doubt Kenobi would have known all that and not told Luke some of it. Also, I don't think Owen Lars could or would have kept Luke's own grandfather away from him. In addition, there are some gaps in the story. For example, how exactly were the Jedi purged? Finally, a small point. I think Owen's attitude towards Luke's father is best explained if Luke's mother was Owen's sister, and that Skywalker was probably not from Tatooine. The story does give a good explanation of what a "Dark Lord of the Sith" is. I enjoyed the MAN FROM ATLANTIS story. I liked the show when it began, but the plots became silly and the characters weren't developed, so I stopped watching.

To Steve Czapla: I don't know anyone who's left STAR TREK fandom for STAR WARS. Some of my friends are still only interested in STAR TREK, and the others have simply added on another interest.[20]

[zine]:

First off, I have to say that the Mark Rogers cover on WS 33/34 is fantastic! I could swear that's a portrait of two para-huans from Schmitz's Demon Breed (highly recommended SF).

I, too, am in favor of across the board samplings of science fiction in your 'zine — not just STAR TREK. For instance, the Jackie Paciello story about the MAN FROM ATLANTIS was a refreshing and beautiful piece. And I happen to think that the delicate balance that Duffy and Montgomery brought to the relationship between Mark and Elizabeth could be one of the most difficult to write about. I think Paciello did a good job — anybody else taking up the challenge? I am enjoying Roberta Rogow's creation immensely, and the fun gets better with each new installment. Frankly, the Tudors always left me cold, but a Finnegan-tormenter for Kirk is great and I'm a push over for Vulcans. More, please! Leah Rosenthal!!! That's enough ... just say her name and then contemplate infinity. Where did this person come from — the forehead of Zeus? (for Jove, read T'Pau.) The little con report that accompanied WS 29/30 is a joy — I show it to people who want to know what a con is like. I was captivated (tantalized? haunted? titillated?) by the hints of ancient Vulcan (Vynsahn) in WS 29/30. Ima gine my joy, then, to see those tidbits so fully realized in "Lastling". Kem Tory is a foe worthy of T'Pau — when will we see more? And Cooper (I have this hysterical mental image of the sheriff from "High Noon" on board the Big E.) What next?

Was disappointed, of course, at the absence of "The Weight' — but that lack was actually made up for by Doris Beetem's story which was only 2.375 times as long as its title. Trufun.

On the STAR WARS stuff. Why there really is a Han/Chewie relationship! (Uh oh ... the wookiee's out of the bag now!) However, I am enjoying the further adventures of Han, et al. By the way, is that poem from Kelly Hill's story a song? It's beautiful.

"The Sith Lord" was interesting reading — and a reasonable backward extrapolation. The authors did a good job — and they brought up a few very interest ing questions with that ending.

Anyway, I have loved every issue of WARPED SPACE I've read. They get better each time, and I hope you'll consider this my vote to continue what you were planning on doing anyway.[21]

[zine]:

How long does Connie Faddis spend on those illustrations, anyway? Goddess, I wish I could draw like that! . Whew! Move over, F.K. Freas.

Since there seems to be some sort of debate on the comparison between STAR TREK and STAR WARS, might I throw in my five cents' worth? As entertainment, both have their strong points. In the area of characterizations, TREK has had three years of exposure and nine more of spec ulation in the fanzines. STAR WARS is only a ten month old space fantasy, with all the whys and wherefores in Lucas's head (and he may not even do the next one or two sequels). It can't hope to com pete with TREK'S track record. I do take offense to the remark that the SW charac ters are not real. They're as real as one wants them to be; it takes only a little more digging. True, the character type of a sheltered young man who gets more adventure than he bargained for, but still rises to the occasion, is present in more than one plot (D'Artagnan, "Prince Valiant", Captains Courageous). However, so is the image of the individual who is in a position of authority at an early age, and agonizes over drastic command decisions (Lord Jim, The Hobbit, David and Jesus in the Bible). The question is: who is more realistic, Luke Skywal- ker or Jim Kirk? It's all a matter of exposure and trial-and-error fan fiction. We've got a brand new springboard for ideas here (for both ST and SW). Let's enjoy it, not point accusing fingers.

Loved "No Reward ... " (J.P. has another fan out here in the boonies), not to mention the scrod material. So would my tribble, if I let it anywhere near the 'zine. Back! Back! [22]

[zine]:

That cover on 35/36 is fantastic!

"Warped Communications" in the past two issues has been somewhat unsettled with vociferous complaints about too much SW and/or the quality of SW material. Kind of reminds me of the outrage some hard core SF fans felt when ST was first called science fiction. There's room for all folks, and then some.

Frankly, WS has never disappointed me. It has an excellent variety of ST, SF, and now SW. Plenty of humor, serious and 'weighty' (pardon the pun!) matters — I've always enjoyed it all. It's heaven to see some more of the KLYSADEL series. The art work on pgs. 24-25 was magnificent. "Voices On The Wind" is well-written SF that touches on the ST universe.

I like the recent installment on "The Weight". This is really taking shape. I'm looking forward to more.

Keep up the good work.[23]

[zine]: Basically, I think "The Sith Lord" needed more to be written. I can't see documenting Darth's rottenness in the space of 20 or 30 pages. Something very involved happened to him: being seduced by the dark side of the force doesn't sound like much fun. I mean, it was probably terribly exciting for him, and frightening too, and I can't help but imagine there was one hell of a fight for his soul on. The way it comes out in the Sith Lord story it sounds like the Exorcist or the Omen, like he was possessed by it by giving it an inroad into him. Perhaps it's more like getting turned on to the power of the universe; the dark side's role was passive. In "The Sith Lord" it sounds like it was just waiting for him, fangs dripping.[24]

[zine]:

Concerning the question of the diversity of the material in WS — al though the non-TREK material is a relatively recent development, hell, you've been saying for 35 issues now that WS is slanted towards diversity. And most of the praise for WS (other than praising its frequency and consistently-high quality) has especially noted the element of diversity. The people Who bitch about the non-TREK material strike me as in much the same class as the people who nitpick about STAR WARS or STAR TREK 11 without Spock. You're going to watch/read it no matter what you complain about now, so why complain? The fact remains that WS is the best $ for value even after you delete SW material (if you object to that) or "The Weight" (if you object to that).

To Julie Helseth — while I do not agree that "people who write good STAR TREK stories write crappy STAR WARS stories", granted your premise, perhaps it is for the same reason that by and large the early TREK zines (of course there are notable exceptions) were of comparable quality (whatever that means). Give them a couple years and a couple sequels, and then see if they write "crappy stories".

... Does Signe want to sell the original for "Patience"? ((Nope. It's mine.)) ... The story "IDIC' ... and the "UPI Newsitem", both could have been improved by drastic shortening. Cute. So? Nitpick about Nan Lewis's illo of Nellie and Uhura for 'The Tantalus Hype". If Uhura was holding her knife that way, not only would she probably cut her hands, but rather than threatening Nellie with it, she would lose both knife and, if fighting the Mirror-Nellie, her life in very short order. Shame to foul art that good with something like that.

Anji's tale of the KLYSADEL was less perplexing than usual. I can never remember who is what, and what has gone before. I think this is a very big problem. Especially as KLYSADEL appear now in five zines. The bone of contention with DIAMONDS AND RUST had been that the series appeared in so many different places, and because of that, regardless of the merit of the series (or lack thereof), it could not be properly evaluated. Mandi would contend (validly, I think) that her Kirk in, say, "Treasure" evolved from the series through the individual stories. And, again, here, I cannot follow the plotline, and especially cannot see the evolution of the characters. For any characters in any fiction to live, they must change with time. If I can see them only briefly, in one or two stories out of a vast body of fiction (with some fantastic detail work), I lose a lot.

And, of course, for an example of what I mean by evolution of characters mandated in fiction, and a case of what marvels can come from this, we have a rather Fishy tale [in The Weight]. There is a very strong temptation to cry out in the middle of reading the latest chapter, "Spock, you twit. Look at Quanna, and then look in the mirror already. To quote "City", "I am a fool.") Very strong notion he should have reached the truth already. And why isn't Kirk suspecting anything? Why don't the Anarchists meet up with

Khan and his batch of Playdo-boys? How about Mirror"The Weight"? And Juggeth Roundthigh can play a dulcimer and sip dandelion wine during her coffee break in the vast bureaucratic maze in which she works ... Can the Guardian send one over to the Mirror-Universe? Why not?[25]

[zine]:

As always, you provided a most interesting and balanced issue. The Nellie Gray story made me chuckle — I'd love to know how the "Mirror" Kirk copes with his version!

"The Weight" — well, Sheila and 1 had been wondering if Quanna was the Spock alternate. One thing — you mentioned in the introduction that Parts-2 and 3 will be printed in their entirety — is there any chance that this segment will be, too? ((Yes. After "The Weight" completes its serialization in WARPED SPACE, both it and its 'prequel' "The Sixth Year" v/ill be published by T'Kuhtian Press under one cover, to be followed by separate one-cover publication of Parts 2 and 3.))

We both missed some of the earlier parts, and though I think we've followed pretty well, it would be nice to have it complete.[26]

[zine]:

I'm all for IDlC in a 'zine ... provided, mind you, that the 'infinite' regularly includes some MAN FROM ATLANTIS material. D'ya think, if you twisted a few arms jut a bit harder, you might induce some talented person(s) to write just a couple (thousand) more MFA stories? You could try ... please, Lori. Have you ever seen someone with a really bad case of fin-flash having withdrawals? It's a horrible sight ... dragging themselves feebly along the beach, having periodic and increasingly intense convulsions, lifting their sandy faces to gaze at the water and sobbing, pitifully ...

Anyway, if you should hear from anyone else who sounds as (or almost as) obsessed as I am, I'd love to correspond with them.[27]

[zine]:

I've never watched "The Muppet Show", so 1 got quite a chortle over the illustration, thought maybe it was an original concept that would pop up in a later issue. Well, why not? I'm in the habit of thumbing through each issue before 1 read it, looking at the illos and guessing what happens in the stories — the title "The Reluctant Bride" with Kirk's picture under it got an even bigger laugh than "Pigs In Space". That story weighs about half and half with me. I like Ivanov (how 'bout a story, Rober ta?) and wanted to find out why T'Rass was reluctant, but the rest of it seemed sort of tacky — making T'Rass's be trothed Stonn's brother (just because Stonn's a jerk doesn't mean his brother would be one, too — lots of nice folks have jerky siblings) and making said jer- key brother a dope peddler seems a bit contrived. Jerks or not, Stonn and Steyn are Vulcans — and I have a hard time believing that even the creepiest Vulcan would be involved in something that seamy.

I have an equally hard time believing that even a jerky, creepy, runty, dope-peddling Vulcan could be whipped so easily in a fight, unaccustomed to combat or not — especially by a non-Vulcan. I was delighted to see the -urk- "pseudo-series" (why didn't you tell me?) blossom into a full-blown adventure yarn, complete with old loves and New Guinean puberty rites. Leah Rosenthal has a knack for tying up loose ends (Har-de-har-har).. Bravo!

"The Sith Lord". Although I disagreed with the basic premise of this story, I enjoyed it — so far it is the best-written SW piece I have yet come across. However, the fact that it took four people to write it does not alleviate my cynicism over much.[28]

[zine]:

The fact that I've been commenting exclusively on SW material would probably fuel the accusations that "SW is taking over," which I find ridiculous. It's simply taking its place among the rest, and there's bound to be a particular surge at the beginning of any 'movement'. I've always thought WS was an SFzine, not a STzine, so SW does have its place here too. The reason for my slant in commenting is that I have been reading them piecemeal (I have classes, work, etc. four nights a week, plus correspondence, writing, and general living), and having been in ST fandom for over ten years (with no intention of dropping out) I gravitated to the more different material first for a change. I did think "Interstellar Baby sitters, Inc." was hilarious; and am thoroughly delighted to see that there are others interested in MAN FROM ATLANTIS stories; look at it this way, folks: at our worst, we couldn't be as bad as the series' scriptwriters! It's an absolute impossibility. In fact we've bettered them already with Jackie's story, and Gordon's cartoon is priceless. I'm hoping to see a lot more.

I tend to prefer orchestras to solo instruments, so keep the variety coming, Lori![29]

[zine]:

The best-reading SW story was "The Sith Lord" by all those people, because it was well-developed and not the obvious and rather cliche extension story. The only thing I didn't like was all those relatives. Really, people, we're dealing with a galaxy full of planets to choose from. This begins to read like a backwoods country soap-opera, and I get enough of that from the Carter clan. Pardon the political digression.

"Lastling" was interesting and took three re-readings to get it straight. Is Leah Rosenthal an anthropologist or historian, by any chance? Very authentic- reading, except for the incorrect use of the term 'linguist'. (Linguistics teachers are picky.)

"In Your Silent World" was okay — let's put it this way; it was better than any of the series' episodes. The title was beautifully appropriate. The characters were well-handled, even though Mark was a bit predictable. (Formula, again.) The ending was obviously rushed — a bit tacky, but still plausible. The art was pretty bad — mainly because I've already got the originals of what it was traced from. Still, it's a start — and despite what MAN FROM ATLANTIS degenerated into, it had a hell of a lot of potential. And "The Reluctant Bride" was great. Those three ought to be around for a long time yet.[30]

Issue 35/36

front cover of issue #35/36, Hans Dietrich
back cover of issue #35/36, Gordon Carleton: "One Day on Yavin Four"

Warped Space 35/36 was published in March 1978 and contains 98 pages.

The art is by Gordon Carleton, Hans Dietrich, Connie Faddis, Leslie Fish, Melly Frame, Amy Harlib, Signe Landon, Nan Lewis, Leah Rosenthal, Carolynn Ruth, and Anji Valenza.

From the editorial:

There will be a breather between this issue of WARPED SPACE and issue #37 — at least a month, probably longer. I'll have to recuperate from T'Con, do some spring house- cleaning, and reorganize myself in other ways. Jan Lindner's sequel to Paula Smith's "For Sale, Must Sacrifice" from WARPED SPACE 15 will definitely go in WS 37, and that issue will also contain an updated schedule of printing. To all the authors who have sent me manuscripts, please hang in there! That's one more reason for me taking a breather between issues — I will go over manuscripts next month and notify you all of acceptances or rejections, re-write suggestions, etc. Pass the word. Gordon and I plan on producing a T'Con Souvenir Book, which should contain photos panel transcripts, artwork, etc. — maybe assorted reviews of the con. Supporting and attending members of the convention are scheduled to receive this publication as part of their convention membership. Anyone else desiring a copy is requested to send a s.a.s.e. to us no later than April 30. We will use these s.a.s.e.s to estimate the necessary print run, and will send price information in early May. We hope to print the Book in May.

[snipped]

If anyone has a copy of the soundtrack album for "Silent Running" for sale, I'm interested!

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 35/36

[zine]:This ish starts out with an nice cover by Hans Dietrich. I'm not sure if the cover relates to anything inside. Probably not, but it's a good piece of art just the same, and art for art's sake has always been fin by most people in fandom. (Also, it looks like it's printed on vegetable parchment... yes? Looks very nice.) The written part of the issue starts off with a section of various notices and plugs as well as the WS lettercol, followed by a short but poignant vignette by Jane Firmstone, in which she personifies the idea of IDIC as a person. Just long enough as a story to say something without getting maudlin. Nicely done. 'The Tantalus Hype' is a return to the Mirror, Mirror universe in which a supposedly gruff character named Nellie Gray is chosen to go into the alternate universe to copy the plans of the Tantalus device. Although Dirty Nellie is supposed to come across as a brusque tomboy, she is actually only a Mary Sue in wolf's guise. She speeds through the plot propelled on the wishful strings of the author, encounters a whole two or three obvious conflicts that can't help but feel contrived, and escapes (golly gee!) in the nick of time. A nice, basic action/adventure plot, but almost zero characterization to prove that Nellie is little more than a wooden marionette. Following this is a story called 'Voices on the Wind.' I flatly refused to read this story after reading the introduction. It is so involved and convoluted that I felt like I was reading another language, indeed, Anji even redefines the use of pronouns in her story. Look people, if I wanted to learn another language, I would take up French or something practical. Creating alternate universes may be fun, but don't get so carried away that your readers need to spend a lifetime buried in some abbey somewhere before they can amass enough knowledge to read your work... Kraith is a good example because it is so familiar... Even so, Kraith does get a little too over-involved in made up words... The same problem with 'Voices on the Wind' cropped up in 'To Know Dishonor' in Masiform D #6... This is as much the editor's fault as it is the authors'. If the author is so wrapped up in her own universe's complexity that she can't write comprehensibly about it to other people, then for Ghod's sake, find somebody to write the introduction who both understands the universe in question and writes in 20th century English. Forcing a reader to understand a complicated background to an alternate universe story is like forcing a beachcomber to earn a master's degree in oceanography before he can collect shells on the shore. ... The next part of The Weight. In this installment, Kirk ties the two alternate timelines together through the Guardian of Forever and brings the anarchists through the corrected timeline. The shock of merging both the alternate universe Kirks into one body is too much for the captain and he retreats into catatonia... One technical quibble: Leslie does not credit many of the lyrics which she quotes in her story, many of which are heavily copyrighted... Although this may be Leslie's decision, omitting the credits is a copyright violation and makes YOU liable, Lori, because you printed it that way... In general, the only thing that is worth your time in the zine is the segment of Fish's story, and handful of decent illos, particularly a good one of Obi-Wan by Signe Landon printed on heavy stock... If, however, you don't like The Weight, you might want to wait until the next issue of WS to subscribe...[32]

[zine]:

The cover looks like a couple of depraved Khevet. Is it intended, or am I the depraved being, to imagine such a thing?

Your art is up to its usual high caliber. I always expect Leslie Fish's [art to be], for reasons of my own (it horrifies me, is why).

Whoever wrote "UPI Newsitem is quite mad. Chain him/her to a desk and demand more.

"The Tantalus Hype": the premise of this story is absolutely ridiculous; the story itself closely follows the premise. I think that Roberta Rogow, for the sake of using a frankly endearing character, has a tendency to let plot and credibility slide into nothingness.

"Voices On The Wind": its introduction rivaled that of "Sedhozheh", but I managed to pull through. Definitely harder to follow than "Gohirsid Jon". Which, as far as I can judge, it doesn't have much to do with. It's very hard to go from one KLYSADEL story to the next.

I feel guilty about "Sedhozheh" as well; if I could finish this story, I should have the other. Maybe I'll give it another try.

"Voices" is bizarre and compelling — the art is fabulous. I can't help feeling that Anji Valenza would make it much easier on the reader if she got the series published in book form (continuity being beneficial to the human mind, you know). Surely she could find a science fiction editor willing to do so?

If a horrible thing like "Marauders of Gor" can get published, someone must be willing to print a good thing like the KLYSADEL series?

"The Weight": Gahrhk! I knew Leslie Fish wouldn't let Kirk come back to point one. After all, it's hardly worth her while to drag a character through months of misery and actual physical/mental suffering, just to allow him to remain the same person he used to be — a person Fish doesn't happen to like much, incidentally.

Quite a neat trick to have the two time-lines merge through Kirk. A bit hard on Kirk, yes, but after all, what mercy can he expect from Leslie Fish? I suppose I must be thankful that he got his eye back, lot the scars, limp and brain damage. Never mind the tuberculosis and mental strain: it does get them taken care of, finally — and now!

I'm actually going to miss old Crown-of-Mirrors: he reminded me of the theme song from one of the Disney series: "Scarecrow, scarecrow ... "

Physical regeneration notwithstanding, it seems that Kirk is not through suffering yet (another turn of the screw in 38?). At least, I can see that Spock will have some difficulties of his own fairly soon. Already has them, in fact — I'll bet Quannechota could get arrested on Vulcan for what she's done.

Is it gross to point out that underneath all the sociological coating and numerous sub-plots (as in: 'Uhura: power-groupie'), the main 'moral' of this story is a good screw will put all your fears to rest'? (Or most of them, anyway.) As far as I can tell. Fish hasn't made the 'new' Kirk an anarchist after all, which is reasonable as well as clever of her (I can only take so much). I must admit that I got to laugh several times while reading this segment. That's a switch: I usually read "The Weight" in grim, horrified silence.

The 'fight' between the two Kirks was gripping: incredible writing. I was hanging on by my thumbnails ... All right, I give up: I may not agree with all (or most of) Fish's premises and if a ideas, but I sure am addicted to "The Weight". I'm already trying to figure out what happens next.

By the way, I didn't know part of rural Michigan was French-settled. Do people actually speak French there now? And has anyone else noticed that Leslie Fish's "eh eh's" and "hee hee's" in "Warped Communications" sound like the demented laughter of mad scientists in old black and white 1940 horror movies?

... WS 35/36 was up to your usual standards. Keep it up.[33]

[zine]:

That cover on 35/36 is fantastic!

"Warped Communications" in the past two issues has been somewhat unsettled with vociferous complaints about too much SW and/or the quality of SW material. Kind of reminds me of the outrage some hard core SF fans felt when ST was first called science fiction. There's room for all folks and then some!

Frankly, WS has never disappointed me. It has an excellent variety of ST, SF, and now SW. Plenty of humor, serious and 'weighty' (pardon the pun!) matters — I've always enjoyed it all. It's heaven to see some more of the KLYSADEL series. The art work on pgs. 24-25 was magnificent. "Voices On The Wind" is well-written SF that touches on the ST universe.

I like the recent installment on "The Weight". This is really taking shape. I'm looking forward to more. Keep up the good work.[34]

[zine]: I'll start with the cover — looks like a typical couple at Santa Cruz beach — my father thought it was a driftwood sculpture. "The Tantalus Hype" was fun, but, like nearly all Dirty Nellie stories, ended just as things started cooking. Frust rating! That Ivanov story better be at least ten pages long! I really enjoyed the latest segment of "The Weight", as usual ...[35]

[zine]:

I loved Gordon's cartoons, especially the Devil's Tower one, and I liked the sports bulletin. I loved "IDIC". It's a much better answer to various complaints than any LoC could be. "Patience" was excellent. It reminded me how important my dear Luke is. "The Tan talus Hype" — how could a story Nellie tells Kirk/A on the spur of the moment be something Nellie/A was supposed to tell him? I admire the amount of work Anji Valenza has done, but I found•"Voices On The Wind" boring.

Maybe it isn't fair for me to comment on "The Weight" since I first read it in 26/27, read 24 and 25 later, and consequently had trouble making sense of the story, but I don't like it. I think Jim Kirk would try to find a way to put time right without bringing 41 people (it might have been 57) into a universe in which there is no place for them. I

don't understand how Kirk and Spock can have female analogues with different names, instead of simply never having been born. I don't agree that women's rights would still be an issue 200 years from now. Granted, women were not equal to men in the aired episodes, but that was a reflection of the times and can be ignored by fans writing today. I also don't like the idea that all the more open-minded Terrans are space travelers. We'll need people with vision on Earth, too, and I think they'll be there. Finally, I don't understand why the Guardian is given a personality. It certainly didn't have one in "The City on the Edge of Forever." [36]

Issue 37

Warped Space 37 was published June 21, 1978 and contains 63 pages. It has a front cover by Gordon Carleton and a back cover by Jackie Paciello.

The interior art is by Mary Bloemker, Gordon Carleton, Edith Crowe, Cheryl Frashure, M.J. Fisher, Desire Gonzalez, Michael Goodwin, Amy Harlib, C.L. Healy, Terri Korthais, Signe Landon, Martynn, Carolynn Ruth, Catherine Strand, Anji Valenza, Joni Wagner, Robin Wood, and Joyce Yasner.

Fandoms include Star Trek, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Man From Atlantis, Logan's Run and Wonder Woman (centerfold).

front cover of issue #37, Gordon Carleton: CE3K
back cover of issue #37, Jackie Paciello: Hawkeye Pierce)

This issue included a flyer from the editors explaining in great detail the legal battle they were having with the original university club, MSUSTC, regarding rights, privilege, and money. The flyer included the names of about 100 subscribers and the amount they were owed, along with a plea to petition the university. There is a response to this flyer by three members of MSUSTC, see The Other Side Speaks: THE DEBT THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

This issue contains the flyer which set off the The Naked Times Flyer Controversy.

This issue also includes a letter of comment from David Arey ("Audio-Visuals, Tristar Industries Inc., STAR TREK AMERICA, STAR TREK PHILADELPHIA, STAR TREK ATLANTA") that addressed fan complaints about fan experiences at the Schuster Cons:

I wish to comment on some of the unflattering things that have been said concerning the conventions that we hold in various areas of the East Coast. It has been stated that we are a rip-off group, only interested in the amount of money that can be made from the STAR TREK phenomenon. I have also heard the pronouncement that we do not have enough variety to our cons. My comments will be directed towards these two points.

First, I must state that the majority of STAR TREK fans who attend our cons are very loyal and caring. It seems to be a small group that feels we are not giving as much as they feel would be necessary for an enjoyable con.

The comment about being a rip-off: not only in my own opinion, but, in that of other fans, the conventions we do are not a greed-project! When you pay your $20.00 for a three-day ticket, we try to give you three, full days of entertainment. An average of seven different events are taking place from the time we open at 10 o'clock in the morning. Example: Dealers' Room; episode film room; art exhibit; writers' panels; amateur film contest; autograph session with the stars; a variety of displays on space colonies, space shuttle, computer advances, etc.; and the crazy costume contests. This is only a sampling of the type of things that take place at our cons. The science fiction film festival usually takes place after 9 p.m. As a rule, the last room to close down during the three days is the episode/film room. It usually closes around 3 a.m.! We are one of the few conventions that have had Leonard Nimoy attend. With this as an example, do we sound like a rip-off to you? It must also be understood that it is a costly investment to put together a convention of this type. Hotel bookings, stars' air-fares, equipment rentals, film costs; not to mention the salaries of those on the staff that get paid for their hard work. Simple it is not!

In regards to the variety question, I guess I have already answered that. If someone out there still considers us a rip, please send us any information you have on how to make it less expensive to put on a convention, and we will lower our ticket prices.

My thanks for allowing me to air my views about this matter.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 37

See reactions and reviews for No Deposit, No Return.

The current trend in WS towards diversity is a good one, because we had begun to scrape ST dry. Who would have thought that possible ten years ago? It's also a bad one, because I'm al ready sick and tired of SW. I agree that it will grow with the fan work, because fan exploration brings variety and life

in a way that formula-professionalism will never do. But unlike the underdog ST, it started out as a cult and where-do-you- go-from-there? Too much SW is definitely not a good thing.[38]

Hmmm ... Lettered, lettered, info, 'zine ads, con announcements, poems (not bad, tho I've never seen MAN FROM ATLANTIS) ... Hey, I'm halfway through the 'zine and no fiction yet! Ah, here we go.

... Hmm! A collection of short-shorts. Wazzamatter, nobody sent any long stories this time? Or is this to give folks a rest from long, 'weighty' stuff? Heh!

Actually, quite good: I was 1/3 through "Class III Reprimand" before I realized my leg was being pulled.

"Man Trapped"; another lovely little vignette by Poblocki — wish she'd do more cf these little gems. The Robin Wood illo was excellent; don't lose that artist!

"And A Star To Steer Her By": another good vignette. Like "Man Trapped" (and "Mind Rape" before it) it fulfills all the requirements of a good short-story — tight plot, good terse characterization, and a turning point successfully turned. This I'll say for your vignettes, they're very well written! Ditto for "T'L'Ila", with its peculiarly Kraithian flavor. Just one problem; in later episodes the Big E di.d have the cloaking device, so T'L'Ila couldn't have prevented its use. Maybe Scotty had used the intervening time to make a good working diagram of the device. Anybody writing a story about that?

"No Deposit, No Return": a very good (and long awaited) sequel to "For Sale, Must Sacrifice", with some nice insight into McCoy as one damn good doctor. I like. More from Lindner soon? Hope?

The Haiku were nice compact little gems, gorgeously enhanced by the illos. Was that last one really a drawing? It almost looks like a matted photo. The cartoons: Ay-yi-yi! Amy Harlib has gone absolutely bonkers on scrod. (How does Scrodula keep his cape dry?) "Little Troopers" and "Moff Tarkin": ah, parodies have always been a WS strong point.

"Memory Strands" is nice, but a bit loose in structure; this doesn't build up the mood, but tends to let it down after awhile.

"For Han", on the other hand, has a good tight structure and builds up its mood very well; in fact, this is one of the best Han Solo character studies I've ever seen. Congratulations. "Star Death", I'm afraid, doesn't really make it; the character analysis doesn't go deep enough; Tarkin's mood just doesn't get intense enough for the final upset to have much impact. Nice design, but insufficient materials — if you know what I mean. Try again. The back cover illo is good, but who the hell is it? Hawkeye Pierce? Nah, he doesn't look weary and bedraggled enough. (Hey, I didn't know you guys were M*A*S*H fanatics, too!)

[snipped]

If you'll read back to Part III [of The Weight], you'll note that Kirk did make some efforts to keep the Anarchists from jumping through to his universe, but they made it clear that they weren't having any such offers; in fact, they almost pulled off a mutiny at one point, and Kirk didn't want to push their unsteady tempers any further. Besides, he was so frantic to get time set 'right' that he didn't much care who got hurt — least of all himself.

As to why Kirk has a female analog with a different name instead 'of simply never having been born', why what's in a name that makes it a matter of life and death between universes? In a different culture, people could have different naming systems. Why female? Well, aside from making the plot interesting, why not? Whether a child gets an X or Y chromosome is a 50-50 proposition; we've already seen one alternate universe where Kirk is still male, so the odds are that in the next one he'd be born female. As for women's rights still being an issue in 200 years, look, it's been an issue for 100 years already! Prejudice against Blacks has existed for only 400 years, and it's taken a century to overcome it this far, and we're still not out of the woods on that one; how much longer do you think it will take to overcome a prejudice which has infected Western civilization for 1400 years, at least? Besides, prejudice against women is one of the 'givens' of the ST aired episodes, so like it or not we have to deal with it— explain it, or write around it — but deal with it. If we throw out one ST 'given', where do we stop? Sure there'd be some open-minded people left on Earth, but the majority of adventurous and open- minded people would have gone to space — for the same reasons that such folk got in covered wagons and headed west in America — and that would have an effect on the culture left back on Earth.

I got the impression in "City" that the Guardian did have a rudimentary personality; note how neatly it put down Spock! Besides, a machine capable of 'reading' visitors at a glance — telepathically or however — would almost necessarily pick up some aspects of their personalities in communicating with them.

Since everybody seems to have figured out who Quanna is, there's no harm in telling; Kirk hasn't guessed because he wants to believe she's Miramanee, and Spock hasn't guessed because his Vulcan pride won't let him see any thing familiar in a 'savage, warlike barbarian' Human. Haven't you ever thought, watching ST, that Humans seem remarkably apologetic for themselves in front of Vulcans — or other aliens for that matter? And that the aliens — particularly Vulcans — are quite pleased to agree?

Yes, "The Weight" will end with the next installment, after which it'll be printed all together as a special. HOWEVER ... (dammitall, Lori, I've mentioned this a couple times!), the 'sequel' is actually a related string of short-stories rather than another novel — and there's no reason (at least, none I can see) that they shouldn't see. print in WS ... or THE OBSC'ZINE, anyway. Unless fans are getting sick of seeing "The Weight" characters in WS, that is ...

A Han/Chewie relationship story??? Heh! Why not? I've already seen one underground SW in which Han gets Luke (Luke compares him favorably to the Princess!), and he strikes me as the sort who takes his fun wherever he can get it, and Chewie's a trustworthy old buddy, after all. Ho! Ho! Let's give George Lucas nightmares about that one! The S.O.B. deserves it for strangling his own fandom. Heh! Hee!

[Pam Kowalski]: Well, the first thing that hit me in this ish was Leslie Fish's s.o.b. comment on Lucas. Looking back now, my initial anger has dissipated into just exasperation. C'mon, Leslie, if GL were 'strangling his own fandom' none of us would be getting any ST fanfic published at all for he would have loosed the Fox dogs on us long ago. Somehow, I can't help but believe that Lucas has every right to ask that certain things not be done with his characters, and if he doesn't care for Han/Luke, or whatever, stories — and has taken the trouble to acknowledge that fanfic even exists and to pass the words through the fans rather than through lawyers — we should at least have the courtesy to respect that request. The SW people are GL's babies. I would be just as concerned if people took a character from one of my upcoming stories — a woman who is not inclined toward permanent relationships — and changed her into a homebody simply because they like chose kind of stories. GL has stated that Luke and Han are not inclined toward each other, that their characters that point quite strongly, but it's the only point he's made regarding fanfic. So, go ahead and do whatever you want with your own SW characters, but let's maintain the courtesy of allowing the creator to define his characters his own way.[39]

There's another difference between SW and ST that you didn't mention; ST had more than 70 episodes to develop characters in, SW had only two hours — and 90% of that was given over to frenetic action, not character development. Even if Lucas does make a sequel to SW, that'll only be another 2 hours (and I suspect that it'll be 90% frenetic action, too). 4 hours vs 70-plus isn't much of a contest, at this rate, even given an eager and talented fandom, it'll take SW about 50 years — at least — to develop a fan-lit as broad and intense as ST's. Besides, the ST movie is finally underway — with Nimoy! — so ST will get more input for fandom to work on.

So Bethan beat a Vulcan in a fight ~ how's this hard to believe? She's an Andorrian, not a Human, after all; why should Andorrians (or their slightly mutated Andorrian relatives) be weaker than Vulcans? Wotthehell, Kirk has managed pretty well against Spock a couple of times ("Amok Time" and'"This Side of Paradise"), and Spock had the benefit of Star Fleet training.

[Addressing a fan's complaint about the art is the previous issue]: Great Ghu, you're nearly as long-winded as I am!) Wow, where to start? Well, artwork: I checked over the illos you mentioned and can't understand what you find wrong with them. The airbrush-and-ink Han Solo drawing on p. 23 of WS 33/34 wasn't that bad. Your choice of unfavorite "The Weight" illos in 29/30 leaves me puzzled, too. The problem with p. 109 was over-heavy inking (printer's fault) 'rather than drawing, and I can't see what the complaint is with p. 105 or 100. The drawings on p. 111 and 112 I thought were two of the best I'd done in that issue — clear, crisp, no distortion, no imbalance. What bothered you about these illos? I think the ones on p. 84, 86 and especially 89 were much worse artistically, and the one on p. 107 was much more gruesome. Wot gives? Still dunno why my art horrifies you. Is it because of the similarities to Andrew Wyeth? Or to S. Clay Wilson?

What's the point of 'taking' Kirk apart, piece by piece'? No, it's not to make him an Anarchist (the Anarchists themselves aren't trying; they simply assume that he already is one, and treat him accordingly).. All I'm doing is making him think seriously about a lot of his basic assumptions, and showing what Kirk would be like if he lost all his regular props — his crew, his rank, his authority, his vanity, his touch of arrogance, his full strength ship firepower, his Federation law, and his back-up from Star Fleet. What's left of the marvelous Captain Kirk when he can't bully anybody? Well, he still as his courage, his sharp wits, his personal loyalty, his dedication, and his ability to love. Not bad, I'd say. 'Why couldn't Kirk have been a man in this universe?' For one thing, because he's been a man in every other universe we've seen, and the odds of genetics insist that he's got to come up female sometime soon, 'So small a difference ... an X chromosome instead of a Y', as Kirk him self noted. For another thing, making this Kirk female allows for a lot of comment about ST's — and society-in- general 's — attitudes toward women. Need I say more? Why make Jenneth Kirk's alter ego at all, you ask? Because half the fun of the story is making Kirk take a long hard look at himself, the way he had to in "The Enemy Within", which is something he wouldn't voluntarily do without a living mirror in front of him. As for 'shoving all those people down on a new planet ... and forgetting about them as fast as possible', heh! Heh! (Hmm, does sound mid-Karloffian, doesn't it?) Wait and see! How can one 'deal with a ship- ful of people used to discipline and sick authoritarian procedures'? By example. If he hollers "Fire in Engineering" the rest of the crew is going to feel pretty embarrassed if they don't know how to do anything but sit around with their thumbs up their while the shaggy backwoods men grab fire extinguishers and clatter down to the engine room; a few such shamings and even a crew of Big Brother devotees would go so far as to try thinking for themselves. How would you maintain something like the UFP with Anarchism?

Kirk's 'vicious attack on his "twin"' was not meant to show 'how frightfully "inept, stupid and bloodthirsty" Kirk "used" to be' — it's meant to show how Kirk feels about that version of himself. Consider: he's spent 9 miserable months kicking himself for that disastrous mistake, now he has a chance to vent that fury on something besides his immediate self, and (to top it all off) Kirk-1 has just blown away one of his rescuers. Reason enough? Moving on — how/why could Quanna 'get arrested on Vulcan for what she's done'? She didn't like the contact with Spock any more than he did, she performed the rite for the sole purpose of putting Kirk back together, and she did give Spock fair warning. Spock's reactions are his own problem — though they do have a bearing on what follows. As for a good screw taking care of Kirk's troubles, it only took care of one of them — and besides, he got hypnotized, chanted over, and a good beating as well. Hardly the average screw. Glad you got some giggles out of this installment; wait 'til you see the next one (Hee! Hee! — a la Peter Lorre.)-

Predictions about the Death of ST Fandom sound suspiciously like frantic Christian predictions about the End of the World. I haven't seen the number of 'zines slacking off; on the contrary, so many new ones (damn good quality, too!) are coming out that it's hard to keep track of them. Somebody's obviously buying these 'zines, so just who's gafiating?

Next: 'the red-hot topic of homosexuality in ST'. Sorry, keed, but your facts are 'way off on this one. Yes, 'there are people who are homosexuals' — about 5% of the population, and 'there are people who are heterosexuals' — about 10% of the population. not 'period'. You've left out the other 85% — who are bisexual in varying degree. 'Tis not I who claims; it's the social scientists. The first Kinsey Report, in 1931, found that 51% of the males interviewed (and the researchers were very careful to get accurate samples) admitted to at least one homosexual experience to the point of orgasm. That's just the ones who would admit it, in 1931, in a sex-negative culture. What do you think the real figure is? Fact is, homosexual behavior is common to all Human cultures, all primates, all mammals, and even most of the non-mammalian vertebrates. 'Unnatural act'? Balls! So look at aired ST; what you'll see is plenty of proof that K & S love each other dearly — and that can be reason enough for them to wind up in bed. And why not? Sure, 'Kirk is heterosexual' and 'Spock is the closest thing to a neuter' — and that doesn't prevent a damned thing. No matter what their usual tastes, they could easily make exceptions for each other. Why should that make any difference to their usual behavior? Do you really think that every Human male who feels the slightest yen for another male promptly develops an urge for overdone make-up, a screechy voice and a limp wrist? Hardly. Your next-door neighbor could have a same-sex lover or two, and you've never-know it. [speculation about a politician snipped] There's no reason to think that our favorite Star Fleet officers would behave any differently. After all, not Elaan's tears or Edith Keeler's life made him give up his duty to the Enterprise; why should it be any different with Spock, who'd know better than to even ask it?

[Rebecca Hoffman]: I see she's preaching from her home-made altar again — as usual about the Kinsey Report. My only comment is that I wish she'd find something else to talk about. She's used the Kinsey Report so much that she's running it into the ground, and thereby, making the argument ineffective. Frankly, I don't think too much about the K/S thing. It's an ininteresting experiment, but my God! It's not as if the world ends tomorrow if everyone in Fandom doesn't go for it. Frankly, I don't believe most fans really care for the stories that much. There have been some good ones, yes, indeed. But most that I've read were examples of the worst romantic schlock ever written [about seven unclear words] by a mile;. Many of the newer fans in my area are just now finding out about the K/S stuff (and these are relatively open-minded people), but their reactions range from disbelief to disgust. It's not hard to understand why, either. As I say, it's an interesting experiment, but that's about it.
I'm just getting a little tired of Leslie's repeating an argument that's so old it's prehistoric. I'm also tired of Leslie's continually comparing human sexual behavior with that of lower animals. She forgets that there is one basic difference between animals, who act solely on impulse or physical stimulation and humans, who, while they also act on Impulse, have a thinking, reasoning brain which sets us apart from animals. We can — and should — think before we shack up with everyone we take a fancy to. it's not a sign of being liberated when one bed-hops: it's a sign of sheer stupidity — or that these people are reverting to animal level of acting solely on impulse. It's no defense for homosexual behavior, either, for animals in a homosexual relationship are either in a situation where there are no females, or — and this is a far more common reason — it is a way of dominating other males. That's where we get the expression "pecking order". But, it is certainly not a valid defense for two intelligent, reasoning beings named Kirk and Spock to enter into a homosexual relationship. Neither is that mother-raping Kinsey Report. Said report is as valid as the non-existent registration papers on my alley cat — and it's been used so much in defense of these K/S gay stories that I think a lot of people are tired of hearing it. If Leslie wants to defend these stories, fine and dandy, but the least she could do is find another argument and stop boring us to death with this one.
[Edith Crowe]: Even the x-rated stuff is too bloody predictable. My attitude about sex is simple: as long as there is truly free and informed consent, mutual desire, and it's not morphologically, impossible, it's okay with me. I may not choose to do it, but I'm sure not gonna tell you you can't. There are some really marvelous potentials with K/S that aren't being explored. It's possible to write a believable K/S story which keeps the two protagonists in character, it's just not easy. [Gayle F] can do it (can she ever!) and so have others. Unfortunately, most K/S stuff has either or both of the parties involved acting like the heroine in a particularly sappy romantic novel (supermarket paperback variety). It is also well to remember that sex involves more than genitalia, it takes place between (among) sentient creatures (or unsentient) in the context of a whole society. Sex doesn't take place in a vacuum either (sure would be uncomfortable, not to mention brief, if it did)!
In K/S terms, there's the problem of (a) successfully keeping it quiet, which has its own problems, i.e. to pretend most of the time that something very important to you doesn't exist; b) not keeping it quiet, at which point the excrement would really hit the air circulator. 1 don't think Star Fleet would be particularly upset about the sexual aspect, though some individuals might look askance, but they sure would be concerned about its potential for destroying command effectiveness, creating dissension in the crew, etc.
And Vulcan — oh brother! Methinks a homosexual relationship on Vulcan would be about as popular as a ton of steak tartare ... and with a human yet! (Now there's another nice topic — the gap be tween pronouncements and actual behavior of Vulcan society re the IDIC — speaking of being more honored in the breach than the observance) ...[40]

I want to make one fairly general comment on "Voices On The Wind", mostly because I was reminded of it by a LoC in 37. I'm glad to see that you're printing sf in WS; I like the increased diversity of the 'zine.- However, I found "Voices On The Wind" hard to read, for the same reason that I have had difficulty with other stories in the Klysadel universe: not that they are appearing irregularly and in different places, as one reader assumed the trouble to be, though it might help if they were all together in one place. My problem is that the reader is being asked to accept too much alienness, beginning with the vocabulary, with out any sort of human reference to help interpret all this information. I suspect any story that has to give a glossary and an explanation of the various characters — it seems to me that the author could have taken a little more trouble and included the necessary information in the body of the story; and it never hurt to cut down the amount of foreign vocabulary required (this rule was drummed into me in high school composition classes), alien as well as simple Earth-foreign. Now I am not exactly a new reader of sf — I've been reading it for over 16 years — so I think my difficulty with the Klysadel things is not a result of not having developed the mental set yet; I think it's a result of there not being any human reference within the stories. Constructing alien worlds and universes is a wonderful intellectual exercise — I've done it myself — but a story is no more than an intellectual exercise if there is no way for the reader to relate to the world in human terms; if everything is alien, including the characters' motivations, then the reader can admire the technical quality of the story, maybe, but not really get into it. For anyone but the author to understand what is going on or feel anything about it, it is usually necessary to bring human beings into it somehow so that we can at least have their reactions to identify with (the other alternative is to make the aliens in question basically human, and that is a less satisfactory answer); fiction is about people. There is good reason why little or no sf exists that is entirely alien, without at least one human as a focal point for the reader: nobody would read it. With a completely alien world, the author faces another barrier between herself and her reader: to be true to her own conception, she really should not use human metaphors, or the 'real' world intrudes on the created one. Unfortunately, this results in in comprehensible characters doing incomprehensible things for incomprehensible reasons. Anji has a very interesting world constructed; I think she needs to concentrate on making it more accessible to the reader.

Brief comment on the latest installment of "The Weight": it had me enthralled — I could not put it down until I had finished it. The tension building up toward the eventual discovery by the Anarchists that their new universe is not what it is made out to be is getting unbearable. I'm also glad to see Kirk coming up from the depths at long last.

While I'm on the subject of SW, I want to throw in a plug, not for my 'zine, but for my writers, aimed at the people who have not read some of the excellent SW fiction that is being produced by Maggie Nowakowska, Dyane Kirkland, and Ellen Blair, to name just the three who have appeared in SKYWALKER so far. This is not vignettes or groping attempts at development, but well-worked-out, developed, characterized fiction. Maggie's story in SKYWALKER 1, for example is 90 pages long, and in my opinion and that of several LoCers is one of the best pieces of fan fiction, ST or SW, in existence. David Lubkin [in a comment from an earlier letter in "Warped Space"] gave SW fiction two years to develop; I submit that there is already high-quality fiction being written. (MOONBEAM 3 also contains some excellent material.) SW, I think, offers fan writers an almost unlimited vista (which will of course be narrowed as succeeding sequels come out) for stories, and is also a more difficult field than Trek-fiction, because everything has to be worked out.

Of course Trek fiction has more possibilities than are currently being realized, since it is concentrating so much on one type of story (the character story); there are still open areas of Trek for fan writers, in which they can create sf stories — "The Weight", for instance, is Trek, but it is also excellent sf, and manages to convey the impression of a world beyond the immediate circle of the characters (in some recent stories, I've noticed, it's hard to tell even that there is an Enterprise beyond the characters of the stories), let alone any wider world. If some Trek writers and fans are shifting their attentions to SW (though I suspect that in most cases, it's just a matter of adding an interest), it may be because there is, at the moment, more possibility for variety in SW than in Trek.

I wonder if what many fans object to about the pro conventions (like ST America) is not that they are not getting their money's worth (in terms of actual dollars spent for a particular type of attraction, they are probably getting their full dollars' worth), but they are not getting what they feel they ought to from a con. Those of us who have been going to cons for a few years are not fond of pro cons ...they're shows, in some cases approaching circuses, with big time everything and a lot of show business thrown in. They're impersonal; not only is there no contact with any of the guests as a rule (I admit that this would be hard to achieve, but I also think that the circus atmosphere at pro cons is one of the reasons that contact between guests and fans is probably impossible), but it's very hard to have contact with other fans. The general tone of the cons is rather mercenary. It just feels wrong, especially when I compare it with some of the big fan-run cons a few years ago, which were almost as large as the pro cons or larger, had the stars as attendees and most of the attractions of the pro cons, but also had the more intimate atmosphere that originally drew me to cons. It was possible to meet other fans because there wasn't three-ring entertainment 24 hours a day. And these cons, at least in California, were run by people who were not paid for their services but gave them be cause they wanted to; the Equicon committee members, for example, had to buy membership in the con, although the major members had their expenses at the con paid. I submit that there is a noticeable difference between a con which the committee is doing for the love of it, and one for which the committee is being paid (which makes it in one sense just a job like any other); just as you can tell when an author has put love into a book or a director has cared about a movie, you can tell when a con is presented for love rather than money.

[snipped]

I agree absolutely with Daphne Hamilton that McCoy is the real mystery among the big three of ST — we know a hell of a lot more about Spock than we do about McCoy. I also think that McCoy is a much more complex character than Spock. And I will say so even as I am burned at the stake for heresy ...[41]

I have just finished my first year participating In fandom, i.e. subscribing to fanzines, writing for fanzines, reading as many stories, novels, etc. as my pocketbook will allow me to. There is something, however, that absolutely frosts my intestines! I have never come across such negative criticism, nitpicking and fault-finding as I have among ST fans (I'm too new to use the word 'fen'). I can't believe the number of 'critics' this particular phase of fandom has spawned. The negative plainly outweighs the positive. It's a wonder fanzine editors and publishers put up with this sort of thing.

Anything that has to be dissected, analyzed and criticized in such finite detail immediately loses its entertainment value for me. Fanzines have become an 'art form' and for them to constantly be criticized because this issue wasn't perfect, or that drawing could have been better, or that story could have been different ... everyone's a critic or, worse yet, an amateur shrink ... is ILLOGICAL! Come on, gang, these efforts are not THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY or THE SATURDAY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Try putting out your own 'zine before you take something or someone to task for their efforts. If you want perfect, then buy ESQUIRE or TIME, but for gosh's sake, let's stop this petty carping and just enjoy!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank editors like Lori, Kathy Resch, and T.J. Burnside whose time and effort and a lot of love go into their fanzines. Thank you for providing me with hours of entertainment which would otherwise have been denied me, if not for your dedication to fandom. Fandom isn't a profession! It's something to enjoy. When we start taking ourselves too seriously, then it's time to go on to something else. ST fandom has become a 20th century phenomenon. Let's not spoil it by treating every story, poem, or the artwork as a thesis to defend! I think we all should take Jean Lorrah's advice when she says, "Read, relax, and enjoy".[42]

Dear people — I wrote most of the [ Dirty Nellie ] stories about two years ago. A lot can happen in two years, and my more recent stories show growth in style and plotting (take a look at "The Awakening" in PROBE 12 to see what I mean). Also — as I developed the story, I found myself getting into some pretty murky territory. There are at least seven stories in the Dirty Nellie/Oriana series left to run, and they take our heroines out into the Big Wide Galaxy, where they will run into a real problem that faces most people at one point or another in their lives: a philosophical parting of the ways with a person with whom they have been very close. It's happening to some people in Trek fandom right now, and it's shattering when it does happen. More than that I can't say — it would spoil the story. Just remember — most of the stories were written for fun, not to make a point. The point creeps into the stories almost unnoticed.

About Stonn and Steyn — (in "The Reluctant Bride") — I agree that I sort of loaded the dice there. Actually, my idea was not that Steyn was actively involved with the drug trade, but that he simply didn't follow through in the way that a really painfully honest person would. Case in point: the opium traffic — most shippers are scrupulously careful about seeing that the cargo doesn't go off to the wrong port. Steyn isn't dealing drugs himself — he's just taking a piece off the top, and the stuff gets to the wrong port by 'mistake' — or it gets hijacked — or some thing similar. Not really crooked, but not a thing that a reputable shipper does, either. Certainly nothing that T'Rass can prove, and she can't accuse him of it either, without proof. And I had to give Spock a really good reason to refuse her besides "I don't want to", which isn't a logical reason for NOT doing something on Vulcan.

About having a FEMALE fight — well, I read at least one story where a female fought for herself! Why CAN'T a female right just as well as a male — especially an Andorrian female, trained in security work? And you will note, she had to go into training to do it, too, and got wounded anyway. Not every Vulcan is a Spock, after all. What T'Pau is screaming about is not sexual but LEGAL perversion — using chop-logic to pervert the meaning of the Laws of Vulcan, In other words, legal chicanery, which is enough to give any law-abiding being cold shivers. Dirty Nellie found a loop hole they hadn't thought of!

About "The Tantalus Hype" — well, I had my doubts about that one myself, and on re-reading, there are holes big enough to drive a starship through. Basically, I was trying to bring out the deepening relationship between Kirk and Nellie — and she's capable of handling Kirk-A only because he's a type with which she grew familiar in Spacetown. Nellie-A is just as smart as our girl, she's just an addict (no cracks over whether THAT'S smart!). If you go by the theory of parallel universes at all, you can see that there are enough similarities in the Mirror universe so that Nellie can concoct a story that is close to the true one. Mirror-style. Also, it's what someone sneaky in Spacetown might do to someone he wanted to mess up really nastily. And if you think that one was far fetched, wait till you read "Finnegan's Wake"!

[snipped]

STAR WARS stuff gets better and deeper — I especially like the Han Solo soliloquy in WS 37, and some of the art work. And I like the return to solid 'what-happened-after' stories like "Man Trapped".

Which brings us around to "The Weight", or as it should be spelled, "The Wait". I had Quanna pegged by the third installment, by the way — the who's who game is fascinating. As for who GETS who, that's also going to be fun. Can't wait for the end of the blasted thing — do you folks realize that it started in 1976? [43]

WARPED SPACE 37 was excellent! The cover and fold-in had me giggling myself ill. Loved it! Gordon's illo of Spock is perfect — he's so quiet and gentle-looking. As for the rest of Gordon's cartoons, what can I say? His sense of humor hits me dead center and I love all his cartoons; can't explain why I like them so much, I just want more! More! (Please?) My favorite has to be Hobby the Robot, Dr. Morbiiis, and Captain What's-his-name — NICE!

The illo for THE NAKED TIMES, showing Spock as the (by now) infamous 'simpering gay' was priceless! "Warped Communications" and "Miscellanea"' are great — please don't consider leaving either of them out! And your editorial, Lori, is always nice to read. You have the rare talent of writing chatty, neighborly edi torials without sounding forced, cutesie-pooh, or over-done.

Terry K.'s unicorns are lovely. Can this person also do dragons and griffins?

I regret, with tears in my eyes, that I never saw MAN FROM ATLANTIS; when you work nights and ALL your friends work days, your few nights off are scheduled two months in advance. None the less, the poems "Other Side'" and "Farewell" were excellent and the art was equally good. Too often poetry based on a person or show makes sense only if you know who and what is referred to, in detail. These two poems stood alone quite nicely. Thanks for printing as much poetry as you do. The two SW poems, "Leia Organa: Memory Strands" and "For Han (an introspection)" were also good. I liked the strong, brave, competent woman shown in the Leia poem and as for the Han poem, well, he's my favorite SW person, and to me, Susan R. Matthews has captured him perfectly. The Martynn illo was nice, also.

I realize this sounds like I'm a slobbering softie; problem is, I haven't found anything here to dislike enough to be nasty about it! Normally, when I like something I praise it to the skies, when I don't care one way or the other I don't say anything, and when I dislike something; I scream like a banshee and bother every one I know about it for the next week. The STAR TREK vignettes are a nice idea. We're all so familiar with the episodes that these little glimpses of our favorite folk during the show is sorta like frosting on the cake. Nice also that there's a place for vignettes, with out having them re-written into stories. A number of people (like one writing instructor I had at Wayne State) don't seem to think the vignette is an acceptable genre of creative writing. I disagree, and am glad to see them here. Please continue!

I have little to say about Leslie Fish's "The Weight", except that, as she's written it, I think the change in Kirk's character and attitudes are logically presented and fascinating to watch. Ev eryone's commenting on her changes in Kirk; hasn't anyone else been struck by some of her other marvelously atypical for-Trek-fiction characterizations? Uhura as a slightly calculating and hard, ambitious woman rather than the sweet, warm, gentle lady she's usually taken to be; Christine Chapel as the strong, clever, intuitive, interesting person Uhura's usually written, rather than the simpering weakling usually shown — M'Benga as a good doctor, technically, but an absolute idiot when it comes to doctor-patient communications. And my own favorite reversal, Scotty as a demon-haunted second-rater, who knows his limitations and his failings and is tortured by them. Not particularly pretty, but very human and acceptable as she's written it. What can I say? I love her stuff, I read it in awe, amazement and joy, and I can't wait for more. And I love her illos. I'm a would-be artist with no training and her illos usually cause me to weep with despair over my own, even as they bring joy over their excellence. To have seen an artist grow and improve over several years-worth of WS was great![44]

I am lying here in the back of the van as we chug along somewhere in South Dakota, reading one of the WS 37's from the box under the seat. Words fail me. ... So much so that it's taken me nearly two months to finish this LoC.

We faced flood, famine, and fen all across the U.S., but all the time we had our own natural disaster on board. Christ, this is a lousy issue. Well, [it is] one without much substance. The cleverest piece in it had to be Gordon's Purina cartoon in the back. No, really, there wasn't a single piece that went more than three pages, illos included, except the Haikus (a whole seventeen syllables per page) and the Night Of The Living Scrod portfolio — pictures of mere beasts, as 'twere.

I don't know why Jan wrote a sequel to "For Sale, Must Sacrifice". The original piece was worthless enough. '"No Deposit", at least, is merely pointless.

" ... .And a Star" and "T'L'Ila" are soppy. I am convinced that if one could somehow banish people's italic elements or under score key, they would not be able to write. What saves the day, though, is Dian Hardison's "Other Side". Ah. Dactylic tetrameter is a pretty heavy beat for English poetry, but Hardison made it flow. Impressive. And Martynn's illo was a perfect complement.

Back to the mines, Chapek! Repent of your revisionist ways I Free Silver! This issue was just a communist plot to drag in the LoCs, wasn't it? [45]

I usually like WS, but I must say I really disliked #37. There was hardly anything in it worth read ing, much less worth paying money for. Mostly letters, short stories and poetry.

The artwork was, as usual, very good. Very diversified. The stories were good, but too short, and I missed "The Weight". Seemed odd without it in.

I enjoy the Klysadel series, nice. Where did the name 'scrod' come from?[46]

While I'm in a complaining mood, I would like to point out that issue #37 was definitely below par. But then, vignettes, poetry, and cartoons are my least favorite items in your 'zine, and I was hoping (waiting and praying) for the final installment of "The Weight". Please be more careful in the future when publishing serials since you don't publish frequently enough to sustain the story if the serial misses an issue. Please bring "The Weight" out in its entirety soon — preferably with some historical comments on its evolution ... As to whether or not to include general sf material in your 'zine, I would like to vote that you keep it predominantly ST-oriented. You made your reputation on ST extrapolative fiction and there are plenty of general sf-oriented 'zines around.[47]

... I found 37 and 38 to be somewhat disappointing. For one thing, the long-promised conclusion to "The Weight" was in neither. For another, the contents were grade school/Jr. High level, except for perhaps three stories. The feature format seemed to be one of my usual complaints about most fan stories — too short, little plot, almost fragments — postscripts to be tacked on to STAR TREK or STAR WARS episodes. What is there, in most cases, is well-written, but appears underdeveloped or unfinished. "Tega Run" in #38 was one of the better ones. The most adult reading in either issue was "Warped Communications".[48]

WS #37 was one short-short after another, but quite enjoyable due to the variety. Good for those times when you can't find the time for reading a decent- sized story, but not really satisfying to a real ST craving. Those reprints of artwork from FUTURE WINGS were intriguing, to say the least. I plan to check out FW. Is there some sort of story behind the artwork? (I sure hope so, as I've been trying to imagine a story line they might have been used to illustrate. )

I had been hoping "Finnegan's Wake" would've been just that. Dirty Nellie is more than enough to put Kirk through. Finnegan still has that nightmarish quality Kirk remembered on "Shoreleave". Surely he wouldn't be commandant of Star Fleet Academy without gaining some tact and compassion. Otherwise pity the poor plebs!

"What If They Gave A Con ... " was hilarious! But a friend of mine asked me if it was fact or fiction ... y'know,I couldn't tell her one or the other? Careful extrapolation, maybe?

Since I enjoy Harrison Ford in most any part he portrays, I quickly got interested in "Tega Run" and H. Solo. And, although I question the unusual speed with which he and Chewie become close friends able to guess each other's moves, it did seem to be a viable explanation for their relationship as viewed in SW.[49]

... All the art (in 37) was good ... "Class III Reprimand" was mediocre. STAR TREK/CB has been done into the ground. The vignettes, on the other hand, were quite good.

I liked "No Deposit, No Return" (having read "For Sale, Must Sacrifice") but it's really too short to stand on its own, and given the length of time that's passed since the first story was published, I'm not sure it's fair to your newer readers to publish such a short sequel ...

I did like the art, poetry, filksongs, and scrod stuff, but I will not die happy unless I know whether there was some special reason for having Hawkeye Pierce on the back-cover.

... I was disappointed, over-all. See what happens when you let us get used to excellence and then turn out an issue that's "merely" very good? [50]

Frankly, I find ((WS 37)) a bit skimpy; the LoC's are longer than most of the stories! I'm very glad to learn that all future issues will be doubles; they're a lot meatier. And they don't usually fall apart when opened (which is what #37 did). This will be one of those meanie letters, I think. To begin with, please don't go off on a "Close Encounters" binge! I loathed that movie: the last half-hour's worth of film should have been proceeded by the statement, "I want to make lots of money". Give me STAR WARS a hundred times! At least, it is unpretentious about its aim, and seems to have been made in a spirit of fun, not lucre. I do not want to know what became of what's-his-name, you know, the guy who fathered 3 children before he decided he wanted to "experience" something else.

A lot of poetry in #37, rather good, as far as I can judge. More cartoon-style drawings than art, too.

I do like the idea of a "scientific column". As an arts major, I like to try and keep abreast of scientific findings, and have to rely on "vulgarization" articles and books to do so.

"A Class III Reprimand" was cute, no more. As for the batch of vignettes, they tend to disappoint somehow. The greatest vignette I ever read was P. Block's Mind-Rape". The ones in #37 don't measure up. "Man-Trapped" didn't move me ("the yolk is on me"!? Is Block cracking up?) any more than did "And A Star To Steer Her By ... " On the Other hand,"T'L'Ila" positively annoyed me. I sure would like to be able to catch "glimpses of the entire future of my race" while a prisoner on board an enemy ship, in a desperate situation! And even though Mathog is entitled to her opinion on the "women's place" in the ST universe, I doubt that it will be so lowly that Kirk wouldn't bother to look the door of the room where he has imprisoned the commander of an alien ship who happens to be a woman! The fact that she's "gowned and jewelled" notwithstanding (the Commander didn't even look like a Leila Kalomi). As for her "in sights" into the racial destinies of both Romulans and Vulcans, phooey! She's either thinking about how she can get out of there, or she's engaging in philosophical musings. If she can do both at the same time, she's a lot brighter than I gave her credit for (she was made a fool of by Spock, remember?). Finally, to think that after taking such risks to get a cloaking device. Kirk would be "sleeping", Spock "meditating", and Scotty "boozing" while the device lay unguarded, or as near to it as to make no difference, is, well, laughable. To intimate that she was treated with deference and whatnot as a woman and that she would have been shot down where she stood in the same story is bad plotting; either one or the other. And I could have survived without the reference to one more little Spockie on the outer edge of the galaxy. It's bad enough that he has to go to bed nearly as often as Kirk, does he have to strike gold every time?

To continue in this foul vein, I have to say that I could also have done without "No Deposit, No Return". I am sick to death of stories where Spock lies fatally wounded while Kirk sleeps in exhaustion and McCoy feeds him (Spock) milk or whatever.

"STAR TREK Haiku" was all right, and the "Scrod Portfolio" amusing. The STAR WARS vignette and poetry, nice, but without much substance. All in all, a skimpy issue and a bit of a disappointment ... I've noticed that when ever I feel disappointed by an issue, it is always followed by a fantastic one.[51]

... Some fine artwork in #37 — especially that of Martynn — an excellent Han Solo (accompanying an equally excellent poem) and that lovely one of Mark and the dolphin. I am without a doubt a cetacean freak, and as for MFA — the pilot movie was one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. Unfortunately, they tossed out all the best stuff when they made it into a series, which went down

hill faster than a roller coaster with greased wheels. First they turned Mark into Superamphibian, destroying that marvelous vulnerability which was his most attractive characteristic; then they turned Elizabeth from a strong, intelligent, competent woman (and the boss) into a twit reduced to opening the airlock for Superamphibian. It makes me very glad they never made "Questor" into a series! [52]

1 agree with Daphne Hamilton's objections to the 'softening' of Han Solo in many stories. However intrigued many of us are by the man, I suspect that most of us would also not care for him a great [unclear type]. Han is abrasive, let's face it. And, hell, why do main characters have to be totally likeable? Han is pushy and self-centered; JT Kirk is high-handed and bossy; Spock is a snob; I talk too much, and my neighbor plays her piano too loud ly, but what a bore if we liked every thing about everybody. Let's keep Solo the discordant, contradictory person he was in the movie; Luke can still be his friend, and the stories of such an awk ward relationship — Jedi and outlaw — will make for Interesting, realistic reading.

Martynn's illos can just keep coming. The dophin and his humanoid was appreciat ed out here in the country of Orca.

"Class III Reprimand" was fun, esp. after having had to write too many ads for a CB lingo book. Of all the vignette^, I liked

"T'L'Ila" best for all its implications. It's nice to see the Trek characters doing something that affects more than their private universe. The story left you postulating various out comes and thinking about the Federation rather than just the big E. "For Han"

was my favorite piece. Susan Matthews knows how to use individual words to their best, rather than just stringing them to gether. She tells a story in her verse as well as building flesh and blood characters.[53]

Issue 38

Warped Space 38 - September 2, 1978 - fantasy cover - penguin piloting spaceship by James Caulfield. 100 pages. It's content is Star Wars and Star Trek: TOS.

front cover of issue #38, James Caulfield, very similar to the cover of the OKon 1979 program book
back cover of issue #38, James Caulfield

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 38

See reactions and reviews for What If They Gave A Convention And NOBODY Came? .

On WS 38, my compliments to Judi Hendricks for "Tega Run". Han Solo has always fascinated me ever since SW. I'm curious to know what he was like as a young man. The story gave us some insight into the forces that shaped him. I particularly liked the way he met Chewbacca, although it was a shame about Han's partner Pauri. A grisly way to meet one's maker. Re "Finnegan's Wake", I must admit to liking Fin-negan even though I understand he did give Jim Kirk quite a bad time at the academy.[54]

... I found 37 and 38 to be somewhat disappointing. For one thing, the long-promised conclusion to "The Weight" was in neither. For another, the contents were grade school/Jr. High level, except for perhaps three stories. The feature format seemed to be one of my usual complaints about most fan stories — too short, little plot, almost fragments — postscripts to be tacked on to STAR TREK or STAR WARS episodes. What is there, in most cases, is well-written, but appears underdeveloped or unfinished. "Tega Run" in #38 was one of the better ones. The most adult reading in either issue was "Warped Communications".[55]

... rather liked the space-going penguins, but covers with too much black get all over my fingers when I'm reading — I went nuts trying not to smear grey on the poor penguin ... glad to see lots of LoC's (why didn't you just give Leslie Fish's a title and publish it as an article?). I really can't comment on the "Quark Primer" and "Capricornicopia One", since through the beneficence of the ancient gods I have a- voided being afflicted with either of the originals ... my general impression is that neither deserved the dignity of being parodied, being to a great extent parodies in and of themselves. On the other hand, I liked the "Prisoner" cartoon despite the fact that I was never a fan of the show. Gordon did a great job of condensing the entire series into a single page. "The Messages of STAR TREK". Oh really now, in a couple of months, if my time sense isn't hopelessly screwed up, it will be the 10th anniversary of the last of the original, non-rerun STAR TREK episodes. Haven't there been enough of these articles in the past decade? If I wanted to hear the Gospel according to STAR TREK I'd buy the book that's out with approximately that title. Frankly, my opinion has always been that people learn more from parables than they do from sermons that tromp a moral into the ground by pound ing on it. Liked the red-shirt cartoon — brings back the good ol' days when hardly an issue passed without Girc'N bitching on that subject ... "First Sight" was very good.

So was "Finnegan's Wake" in another way ... the suspense of wondering when Jimmie-boy's old enemy would show up among the living gave an interesting ... flavor? ... to the story. "What if ... Came" ... Feh.

Has Leslie Fish written any stories about the Rim? And if so where can I find them? ((SEHLAT'S ROAR, see address in Misc.)) Will you be publishing any that aren't yet pubbed? If not, who will?

Of the STAR WARS stuff, I liked "Tega Run" best. Unlike many stories, it started somewhere and ended somewhere, and the middle was good too. Runner up was "Splinter In A Pig's Eye", for art and the last three lines, which make a nice point. Where would swashbuckling heroes be, after all, if they lacked villains to fight? And someone once pointed out that Leia came through that interrogating session with damn little visible harm done ...

I am terribly bored with scrods, but I liked the Loch Ness cartoon; the caption hit just the right note of innocence.[56]

...WS 38 was — is — as I expected, a vast improvement over 37. The cover, though — it isn't bad — seems a bit amateurish compared to previous ones (my favorite being the couple on 33/34, with 29/30 and 35/36 as close seconds). The cover on 39 is good, but what's Frank Langella doing there? The worst ever was on 37 (I'll admit that the fact that I hate CE3K didn't help it any). Nice beginning, isn't it? Take heart, from now on it'll be all roses (or nearly so).

"A Quark Primer" was fun, "Captricornicopia One" less so, but I did see one episode of "Quark" and not the movie. Then, I must ashamedly confess that the ion drive analysis was way over my head.

"First Sight" was — well, okay. It's not exactly my kind of thing, but it was well done, and had a point to it.

"Finnegan's Wake" — I don't know; it's a nice little story, like most of Rogow's "Dirty Nellie"'s, but suffers from the same ailment as its predecessors — what's the point? They're all little incidents that seem to lead you nowhere. Frankly, I like the "Oriana" series much better. We get the amusing Nellie, as well some good plotting and a sense of purpose without which ST fiction leaves me feeling kind of cheated.

"What If They Gave A Convention ... " amusing, although I suspect it of being an inside story.

As far as the songs are concerned, they're usually good, but I'm hampered by nearly never knowing the tune they're supposed to be sung to — it's a definite drawback.

"Who Only Stand And Wait": good. Kelly Hill really feels her STAR WARS themes, and puts them across well. There's something very chilling in someone's waiting for Stormtroopers to come for him. I only wish somebody would come up with a creditable reason for Vader's "vendetta" against Luke's father. After all, we only know that he was "betrayed and murdered by Vader", not the why or the wherefore of it. I can't believe in jealousy and thwarted love, not with Vader; professional jealousy would be more in his line, wouldn't it? If Skywalker had been chosen to head the Jedi, for instance, he would have been pretty annoyed, I think.

"Tega Run" — it's not bad, is the only thing I can honestly say. I can't judge it well — much too gory for my taste ... "pulled the man's arms out of their sockets, bones popping and muscles and ligaments tearing ... " See what I mean? Both arms yet — one would surely have been sufficient. I can't imagine a man continuing an assault with one arm torn out of its socket. "Team work": a good try, but I can't get into 'droids with such human feelings.[57]

Thanks for the copy of WS #38. They just keep getting better! As a matter of fact, I had a hard time finding anything at all to nitpick over; it is such a nice ish! And I finally am hooked on the LetterCol. Several people said complimentary things about my previous artwork for WS therein and I thank them with all the fervor of an artist who thrives on feedback — good or bad. I consider the lettered a most important feature of the 'zine as it gives the contributors a chance to converse with the readers and explain and/or defend their creations to all and sundry.

Dave Lubkin's "Quark Primer" was a scream! It is only fitting that Gordon should do the honors on the illos. Knew he would have to sneak Oscar the Trash Monster in with Dink! I miss that show, but it was doomed to a preordained death just by the very fact that it was sf-oriented and funny. Query: should P. Smith be flattered or insulted at the dedication?

Glad to see more artwork by Hans. While I don't exactly get the inside joke in the Rec Room 2 cartoon, I still really admire the flow of her style. The flying horse on p. 75 and the unicorn on 79 are especially impressive.

And talk about impressive! Ms. Popplestone is way over my head but that doesn't stop me from sitting back and admiring the sheer gorgeous technicality of her explanations. Does she want questions on anything? ... The nicest thing about Ann's articles is that I can sit in my office (or any place that takes life too seriously) with my WS open to her beautiful and completely scientific prose and nobody suspects that I am in reality sneaking in my fix of fantasy under the guise of a popular science format. Thank you, Ann!

Didn't catch enough of "The Prisoner" when it aired to catch the drift of Gordon's cartoon, but the rest of the Carleton offerings were the usual amusingly excellent caliber. I was surprised and delighted to see a sort of unofficial gallery of his stuff up in the Chicago restaurant Nowhere Fancy. Carleton goes well with mushroom omelet ... How much would Gordon charge to do one of those great Darth Vader "No smoking! It's hard enough to breathe!" posters for my desk? I'd be willing to pay to get the point across to some of the weed freaks where I earn my daily credits.

"The Messages of STAR TREK" was succinctly put by Ms. de Vera. We know the show was relevant, but it's particularly edifying to have that fact expounded upon in such an enlightened manner.

"First Sight" — compact, not overdone, and completely in character! What a pleasant surprise! When some writers get into Spock's had he sometimes loses that "alien" quality that added so much to our insights of him. Above all, Ms. Rawn kept him in control and, even in the midst of what was a terrible shock, scientifically curious in a detached Vulcan way.

"Finnegan's Wake" has to be my favorite Dirty Nellie story so far. Normally I can find some sort of ragged edge (aside from the obvious one on Nellie) about which to complain, but not this neat little who-done- it. All the twists were in perfect order, and while her Finnegan wasn't up to par (al though I realize the difficulty of ref pictures for that character). Nan Lewis's illos were wonderfully suitable. I appreciate the way she actually illustrates the action for the story and doesn't just do portraits.

P.A. David doesn't know the worst of it. Said author should have been to the last couple Pittsburgh STAR TREK cons, they make "Bison 10" sound pretty good. An interesting (and hysterical — especially the rabid portrait of "Shyster") speculation.

Randy Ash's "On The Rim" was a fitting poetic and artistic (good copy of Fish's style!) tribute to Fish's Rim material, which I personally find much more interesting than "The Weight". Really there is no greater compliment than to have fen parody one's own creations.

Leah Rosenthal's cartoons are always welcome additions. I especially liked her poignant Mark Harris. The Han and Leia with their Corell wedding gifts is really cute, too.

Let's have more of Judi Hendricks' SW stuff? "Tega Run" is by far the most believable, in-character how-Han-met-Chewie story I've read to date. Now we even know how Han got that rakish scar on the chin (not from kissing a gal with braces?). And it really was a fascinating stroke to pair Han up with someone looser and wilder than himself just to emphasize that streak of caution. Uh, is it my imagination, or did Connie really mean to make Pauri look like a sleazy Luke? 1 didn't see any justification for that in the story aside from the fact that it was mentioned that he was blond. Judi, you really did manage to get a bit of blood and guts into this one, didn't you? If I didn't care for Connie's Pauri, I loved the Chewie and the strange energy weapons he and Han tote in that pic. Judi says she pronounces all of Chewie's dialogue before writing it — I'd like to hear those writing sessions ...

Kelly Hill's "Duel" and Munson's "Death Battle" complimented each other perfectly. "Rogue Mercenary" ... ah, Kel, you really rated the best artwork in the ish, this time! Must be easy to write inspired verse looking at that masterpiece of Miller's.

"Teamwork" was just about my #2 fave in the whole ish. Finally someone tackles the unsung heroes of the Wars. It is a sensitively drawn portrait of 3P0 that would do Lucas proud and Gordon captured the peculiarly undroidlike concern of the one mechanical for its companion in his illo.

"Act Five" scans perfectly and even has a moral to the story! Thankee, Po. And now that she's on top of the literary pile, Po's hefting pen and starting a promising shot at artwork. A nice Leia! If the Princess doesn't want the heroes, there are quite a few willing stand-ins around ...[58]

#38 was a neat little bundle of goodies. I enjoyed everything therein, especially the SW stories. My favorite was "Teamwork"; I have a fondness for those 'droids, in case you hadn't noticed. "Tega Run" was also good — great background for the forming of another team. "Who Only Stand and Wait" was well done, but predictable. Martynn's young Obi-Wan looked more like James Doohan than Alec Guiness to me, for some strange reason!

I am really glad to see you turning to more articles. I am looking forward to "Analysis Please" in each issue, and "The Messages of STAR TREK" contained a very meaningful message of its own.

"First Sight" was touching. The Dirty Nellie stories are always of interest, but "Finnegan's Wake" seemed too short, or too rushed, for the story it was telling.

"What If They Gave A Convention ... " and "Splinter In A Pig's Eye" both were a riot! And the cartoons — don't ever stop printing them. Gordon's get better and better; Leah's are priceless ...

Remember when I called Monica Miller's fold-out poster of Han Solo "Bedroom Eyes"? Wrong, wrong. I take that title back and gladly bestow it on her Han portrait on p. 67. As Mork would say ... deep sigh.[59]

Some brief comments on #38 ... Hans Dietrich is fantastic! I have to remember to ask the folks in Buffalo to send me some Canadian stamps so I can get FUTURE WINGS. Klysadel stories are al ways appreciated, but I agree with Bev Clark and Dave Lubkin re the difficulty of reading them. I'm glad to see a writer taking some risks and creating an alien society, but all too often it reads more like an ethnography than literature. The problem is that the characters are too alien; quite the opposite — they sometimes seem all too human, in a colloquial way, for such non- human creatures. The main problem, I think, is the language, and the fact that this isn't a novel or a collection of stories in one place. In a case like that, one can get away with introducing a lot more in the way of alien concepts and terminology. When there's a passage of time between reading one story and another, it's too hard to keep track: the flow of the story grinds to a dead halt while you're trying to find the glossary.

I humbly admit that I am astonished at the quality of the SW fan fiction. WS has published some very good stuff, and SKYWALKER is quite remarkable. When rumors of the incipient birth of SW zines and fiction began surfacing, my first thought was, "How the hell can anyone sustain any decent fan fiction on that — there's nothing there!" Put down the cudgels, friends, and allow me to continue.

I loved "Star Wars". Paid cash money to see it three times, which I realize is minuscule to those who have seen it 10x, but I can count on the fingers of one hand the movies I've paid to see more than twice. My main reaction to SW was as a visual feast — which to an artist, is pretty important. The other thing was seeing my feelings about space, the limit less wonder of the universe out there, actually given concrete form. I kept thinking, "If I ever get out there, this is what I'd expect it to look like." It's when I stopped reacting on a visual/visceral level and starting thinking that I got into trouble. I can see a more interesting ethnic/racial/age/sex mixture, a greater sense of cosmopolitanism (or IDIC, if you will) in San Francisco than I saw anywhere in the SW universe except one bar. Read Ursula LeGuin's review of SW in a journal called Parabola (Vol. 3, No. 1); she makes some very good points. Some of these things must be bothering the fans, too, because in true fannish fashion they are writing stuff that fills up the holes in the movie — making the characters less one-dimensional, creating strong women characters, etc. It's a shame that the big bucks go to such drivel as Splinter of the Mind's Eye which is barely fit enough to wrap fish in compared to some of the fan-produced stuff.[60]

Well, the first thing that hit me in this ish was Leslie Fish's s.o.b. comment on Lucas. Looking back now, my initial anger has dissipated into just exasperation. C'mon, Leslie, if GL were 'strangling his own fandom' none of us would be getting any ST fanfic published at all for he would have loosed the Fox dogs on us long ago. Somehow, I can't help but believe that Lucas has every right to ask that certain things not be done with his characters, and if he doesn't care for Han/Luke, or whatever, stories — and has taken the trouble to acknowledge that fanfic even exists and to pass the words through the fans rather than through lawyers — we should at least have the courtesy to respect that request. The SW people are GL's babies. I would be just as concerned if people took a character from one of my upcoming stories — a woman who is not inclined toward permanent relationships — and changed her into a homebody simply because they like chose kind of stories. GL has stated that Luke and Han are not inclined toward each other, that their characters that point quite strongly, out it's the only point he's made regarding fanfic. So, go ahead and do whatever you want with your own SW characters, but let's maintain the courtesy of allowing the creator to define his characters his own way.

I was delighted to see "Quark" make it to WS pages. 'Tis a shame the show was pulled; one full season of such looniness would have been great. Keep up the non-fiction — it balances the rest nicely.

Sigh — Martynn's lllos again. "Who Only Stand And wait" reminded me of some thing I've noticed in other SW stories. Obi-wan always — scratch that always, the nasty generalization that it is — Obi-wan often seems to be monkish and just a wise old sage. Someone to bounce the other characters' dialogue off of. Just a bit too all-knowing. Hell, this man, at the time of this story, has just made one of the classic, all-time blunders in trusting Vader. Wouldn't he be a bit more volatile over Alin's decision?

I enjoyed "Tega Run". The idea of two young smugglers is a good addition to Han's current gamut of backgrounds. There's been a lot of olderspacer/young smartass stories, and a few loners; TR is just as legit.

"Teamwork" was nice. Good to see there are people who can handle the droids. I must confess, i tend to think of them much as I think of my phone: useful, but not very inspiring.

Hurray, for "Act 5"! Simply, hurray. Hans D's illos are always welcome, too. They keep us aware of the aliens out there, which is all to the good.[61]

Issue 38 had a nice variety of subjects. The "Quark Primer" and MAN FROM ATLANTIS cartoons were howls. The "Messages of STAR TREK" was thoughtful and contrasted oddly with Gordon's cartoon of the 'red shirt' jinx! The vignettes I've read I liked, and "First Sight" was no exception.

But "Finnegan's Wake" received the STAR TREK prize. Why Kirk never strangled Finnegan is a puzzlement. He must have more patience than I gave him credit for! The STAR WARS stuff constantly surprises me with its depth of feeling and characterization, and I wish more TREK fans could look at it objectively.

"Who Only Stand and Wait" was a well-conceived 'birth of Luke' type story, and the ending beautifully written. There ought to be a 'name Luke Skywalker's father' contest.

"Tega Run" showed a young Han Solo only a fraction less wary/foolhardy than his older self. But bumping into a Wookiee? That's what I call the beginnings of a wonderful relationship.

"Duel" belongs in my Theology department, and "Rogue Mercenary" has a splendid sort of irony; poetry about Han Solo? He would shudder. Monica Miller's illo tells me that there are others with the same reaction to the Corellian—pant, pant! "Team work" was a nice look inside a 'droid's head (contradiction in itself) and "Splinter In A Pig's Eye" has been sung to laughter.

"Act Five" isn't badly set to the tune, Paula ... except that she's not a queen! Her father was First Viceroy, and the senatorial family was princely, similar to Russian Grand Dukes? Still, very funny.

Anji's "Voices In The Wind" has me confused, even after reading the ending. The language is too alien and I can't get a bearing on who is who. Or what.[62]

Issue 39

front cover of issue #39 by Martynn from the Frank Langella's movie Dracula
back cover of issue #39 by Connie Faddis (reprinted in Dracula)

Warped Space 39 was published in November 1978, is 124 pages long.

The editor sent this issue (and possibly earlier ones) to Lucasfilm by Craig Miller's request. In May 1979, Chapek-Carleton mentions the difficulty she had in getting "Lucasfilm" to pay her the money the company owed.[63]

The editor noted that R&R #1 and Pegasus could now be added:

... to the list of xeroxable 'zines... I've been asked to make a 'reverse plug', and with some sadness, do so. I do not recommend that anyone currently try to order either SENSUOUS VULCAN or SPOCK ENSLAVED!, as Diane Steiner, to the best of my knowledge, is not filling orders, but is accepting checks. Several people, myself included, have repeatedly called her or written letters (or both), but have gotten no response. I hear that she is now refusing to accept registered mail. If you are awaiting a 'zine from her and are really desperate, I suggest that you check with your local postmaster and see what course of action he or she recommends. I had an order for SENSUOUS VULCAN in at least a year ago, and Diane has still not sent my copy.

In the Miscellanea section, a fanzine publisher explains why so many fanzine orders have gone missing:

It has been proven beyond all doubt that a party or parties unknown has been tampering with my mail for the past several weeks (as of 10/9/78). A formal investigation has now been initiated. Anyone who has ordered anything from me since about the first of July and has not received what they ordered can assume 1) their order and payment did not reach me or 2) I sent the material ordered, but it did not reach their address. Anyone who has sent checks to me that have not turned up in their bank statements during the period of time indicated are advised to stop payment immediately and send out new ones if they wish. Those who have had their checks returned but haven't received their materials are advised to contact me to see if I received the checks, or if some 'funny business' has been going on...i.e., forgery. I know for a fact that the checks and money orders I did receive during this period were those that had been tucked inside a s.a.s.e. and couldn't be seen or felt from outside. 'Crud' and personal letters have made it through to mailbox, of course, but nothing of value has made it for a period of at least two months ... except for one exception. It was impossible to tell from the outside that it was some thing of value. Those who have sent artwork, stories, fanzines, etc. and haven't received acknowledgement now know why. I didn't get the items -someone or something else did. Am greatly sorry for the inconvenience that this state of affairs may have been causing you. Hopefully, the 'problem' will soon be taken care of.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 39

[Paula Block] replied to a fan's letter in #37 which took other fans to task for being too critical about the fanworks they purchased and read]: I will respond to your letter as a writer, not just as a fellow fan.

By your own admission you are what is known in fandom as a 'nouveau Trek', and I think this is the main reason for your, ah, "frozen intestines". You are too new to the scene to realize that what all the nitpicking and "fault-finding" which you find so detestable amongst fen spawns not a massive army of cold-hearted critics but a number of very talented writers.

True, fandom was not a profession in the "golden days" of Trek — but it is very much a profession now, gaining more respectability every day. Fandom (and good strong constructive criticism — which is the aspiring writer's best and truest friend) has made legitimately published writers of such fans as Connie Faddis, Paula Smith, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and with all humbleness, myself. If I had not listened carefully to all the good and bad comments I've had on my fan writing, my writing would never have attained the polish it now has. Fandom is the writer's training ground. Nowhere else does an amateur have the opportunity to be read by so many different people with so many different opinions to voice. Of course some of them hurt, but a person who really wants to write must learn to adapt, to not take criticism personally, to evaluate all suggestions. You are responding in your letter as a reader, rather than a writer, and a rather inexperienced reader at that. You would not be enjoying the Trek literature you are currently reading nearly so much if it were still the pap that much of early fan literature started out as. (And I don't deny that I was one of those early pap writers — just pick up an old copy of WARPED SPACE and you'll see what I mean.)

I have a feeling you'll be getting a lot of feedback from other folk on your letter so I'd better get off the soapbox before I'm pushed off. Just wanted to explain that the definition of criticism is not, as you seem to believe, "some nasty things about something," but "an analysis of qualities and evaluation of comparative worth," and it is a most valuable commodity, even if WARPED SPACE isn't Esquire.

Paula, certain portions of that letter were an outright insult to both old and new fans. I quote, "By your own admission, you are what is known in fandom as a 'nouveau Trek'." That particular term is taken from an old snob term, "nouveau riche'", which people of inherited wealth used to distinguish themselves from chose who had . acquired their wealth by hard work. Do we now find ourselves trying to create yet another schism in fandom? It looks like it to me. Another schism is exactly what we don't need, but such put-down snob remarks are quite likely to do just that. Old fans aren't better than new fans — hell, we were all new fans once — and new fans don't deserve such comments just because they dare to express their opinions. As a matter of fact, Joan's observations are quite valid — as are yours.
Now, I know that sounds like a paradox, but it isn't, really. You make quite a few points about the needs for constructive criticism within Fandom. It is necessary to all of us, yes. But I believe that what Joan was referring to is the tendency of too many to try to tear apart stories, zines, whatever, with destructive criticism. They don't tell you what's basically wrong, they just say, "The story stinks, the author can't write, and the whole thing should go for toilet paper." If that's the sort of thing that Joan was referring to, then she's right. We don't need that kind of bullshit! It doesn't do anybody any good, except bolster the ego of whoever's tearing something apart. But please, Paula, stop putting down new fans ~ even unintentionally. It's a disservice to all of us, yourself included.[64]

Please keep publishing material in WARPED SPACE not related to ST (STAR WARS is my favorite), but I also enjoy MAN FROM ATLANTIS, PRISONER, etc. I really liked the basic premise and the characters of MFA, but was turned off by the juvenile scripts. How about something on THE CHAMPIONS

(Glad to see from the letter column that I'm not the only one who fondly remembers that show), and THE NEW AVENGERS, which is a delight.) [65]

So now we've seen seven hours' worth of BSG and can say we have a pretty good idea of what all the shouting was about. The show will never succeed. Why? "Good grief, look what they did to the viewers in the very first week — actual references to 'One God'! Not only that, the Commander definitely has faith, prays, and makes references to 'God'. It's clearly evident that all the characters believe in the same one God. Tsk, tsk, tsk. That will never do!"

"To make matters worse, they haven't presented any homosexual relationships! Of course, it may well be that the attraction between Starbuck and Athena, and his playing around with the 'socialator' is done to conceal what he and Captain Apollo are really doing when they're out there inspecting their Vipers."

"No, there's simply no way that BSG can succeed; it just isn't presenting what the viewing public really wants!"

Silly, isn't it? However, after some of the things that have been written and said about other publications, movies, etc., those were the cynical ideas that ran through my mind while I was watching the three-hour movie that began the "exciting new science fiction series that will outshine STAR WARS." Maybe someone somewhere was thinking those things — and meaning it, unfortunately. [MUCH snipped] [66]

BSG — the new sf show of the season — I don't have to ask if you saw it or not — is the Pope Catholic? What did you think? Fox does seem to have grounds for a lawsuit — the costumes, special effects, and the general storyline (the few fighting the many for freedom) are very similar. How ever there are differences, too. The general story is man vs. machine rather than man vs. man as in SW. The people fighting are members of a close family — Adama and his children. And there are wo men who appear to be more active in the actual fighting. The good points of 0SG involve the presence of a family. This gives a focusing point to the story. If the relationship between Adama and the Colonel is developed there could be another Kirk-Spock relation. It has already been hinted at with the scene of the two meeting secretly in the docking bay. A genuine feeling of warmth can be perceived.

There was for me at least a disappointment in the characters Starbuck and Apollo. Before it was shown, it was stated by TIME that Starbuck and Apollo could be inter changed with Solo and Skywalker. I was expecting exciting and stimulating men with some charisma, however I found Starbuck and Apollo rather stale and flat. In two hours of SW most women were attracted or envied in some either the character of Han Solo or of Luke Skywalker. In two hours and twenty minutes the same effect failed to occur in BSG. Starbuck is callous and Apollo is almost invisible. Apollo is there, but so what? The most interesting of the two is Starbuck, even with his many faults.[67]

More smudgy black print on the cover. Rats. Pity, since it's quite a good picture, even with Dracula's cloak turning lighter grey on the right every time I handle the 'zine.

Is there a tune that goes with Paula Smith's "Li'I Teeny Things"? It deserves a good one ... I 'specially liked the rocket dropping the "egg" in the beer ... nice visual pun ...

Uh ... Lori? If I were to take up a collection, would you accept payment not to run full-page ads for NAKED TIMES? The gods know that I'm grateful for being warned against that particular 'zine, though. There is a boundary between the liberty of Saturnalia or of humor, both of which are consecrate to the gods, and pure godawful lack of taste, and I honestly think those ads are well over the boundary ... which is probably a pity since some of the story synopses sound quite good. I do not disapprove of sex or of homosexuality, but I do disapprove of stories written purely for their exploitative shock value and the editors of NAKED TIMES have given me every reason possible to distrust their editorial judgment in this matter. I regret going on so long about this, but I felt that it needed to be said, and it is a matter which has been troubling me ever since the first, illustrated ad you published for NT.

... "Solatium" was pretty fair — at least the characters felt right, and since it's just an incident in the middle of every thing, one can hardly complain about lack of plot...

"Nosferatu" was also very good, and interesting in light of the old belief that vampires came from suicides to begin with.

"Star Light, Star Bright" was superb, the best young-Kirk story I've encountered. He and Kirk, the other characters were people, not puppets, and there was an interesting new alien (too many Federations found in Trek-lit are overly-abundant in humans). My only quibble was with the title — too light for the heavy soul-searching etc. in the story.

"Trekula" — to quote the story, "nothing happened". A shaggy-dog story. Pity. After salt vampires, cloud-vampires, emotional REDJAC vampires, and what-not, the idea of a Teal vampire on the Big E should at least be good for a parody, if not a 'serious' story.

"S'our Trek, Too" is intriguing, what there is of it so far. Is Rosebud a reference to some sf film I've missed?

"Resurgence" — it would be unfair to try to criticize this in literary terms now — it is the beginning of a story, not a story in itself, but the characters breathe and the reader is left screaming more! more! and breathing dire curses in the direction of editors who fill their 'zines with stories ending "to be continued", which is always a good sign from the author's point of view.

In and of itself, "Resurgence" is no more a story than "Solatium", of course: events happen but they don't go anywhere. But "Resurgence" is obviously heading somewhere, and if the rest of the journey is as good as the beginning the story as a whole will be excellent.

On to "The Wait, Book 35, Chapter 120, Section 5B, Paragraph 57Z@4 ... " Leslie Fish has told us that "The Weight" is part of a trilogy. I keep getting the strange feeling that, like Kirk with the Anarchists, she is holding something back. Come on now, Leslie, confess: this latest installment really takes us halfway into Volume 2! Or is Volume 2 going to involve those strange species mentioned in "On The Rim"? Kirk's repeated references to the Rim in this installment are highly suspicious ... Aside from that, I loved the sequence of the unarmed ship throwing rocks and such ... it's a pity Federation tractor beams have no tight focus, though. If it has high-powered tractors with fine focus and a fast on-off switch, an "unarmed" merchant ship can take the plates off an enemy as if it was peeling a banana; perhaps that's why the Feds didn't build in the fine tuning, though I am a little confused about why tractors go through shields when nothing else does, especially since deflector shields and tractors ought to be the same sort of thing but with a different focal length and the polarity reversed ...

I devoutly hope that some of the tension that's been building up will dissipate a little in the next installment when things start hitting the fan ... all this suspense has got to be bad for the collective blood- pressure of the WS readership. Besides, if all these anarchists are as smart and quick on the uptake as they're cracked up to be, there is no way The Secret is going to last much longer. Even allowing 30 or 40 pages of fireworks when Spock and Quanna find out they're each other and another 10 pages of delay for other people's soliloquies, the cat should be let out of the bag in the next chapter ... I can see it now: "Mother of mares! The bastards have a government!"[68]

No LoCs, hmn? I guess, if no body got it, nobody could LoC it. Ann Popplestone's "Recombinant DNA", that I could understand. It's been in enough papers! A clear analysis.

"Solatium": little of Paula Block's out put is ever truly bad; as a vignette, it was quite good — especially the part, "the kid told me that rescuing your royal neck was worth more than I could imagine — well, right now I can imagine 100,000." Pure Solo.

"Our Lot In Life". Hmm? It's the subject matter here that puzzles me: slavery for 'droids? Don't we have enough problems as it is? I suppose, though, that in sf at least if never on this world, the ethics of owning thinking machines will one day be an issue — why not start now?

"Star Light, Star Bright". Lousy title, very good fiction. One of the best early Kirk stories I ever read. Fine idea — God knows a lot of ST fiction starts with little or none — and it gets better along the way. Humorous, good progression, a woman in Security. Top marks to Rose Marie Jakubjansky.

"Trekula" — boredom, it starts, rightly, I'm sorry to say. I usually like [[Landing Party 6]] stories, but what's the point to this one? I suppose it's got one ... if you happen to be a Dracula/DARK SHADOWS fan. I think a fellow called Bram Stoker wrote "Dracula", that's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. If the point was to say that even on the Enterprise life gets boring, you sure put it across well!

"Battlestar" by Kelly. Good. That reminds me, I quite thought a BSG controversy would have broken out by now. Is it just late, or do you people think the show too worthless even to discuss?

"Resurgence" by Jacqueline Paciello. Very good, with Martynn's fine art a fitting companion. The first of three parts, too — if I have any criticisms to make (yes, I do) it's first, Solo's smirking — God, I hate men smirking as much as I hate women huh- huhing! Second, if the fan writers go on this way. Solo will soon be too battle-scarred to show up for the second movie (not to mention bottle-scarred). In one out of every two stories, he gets shot in the stomach, bashed on the head, etc. Slow down! There's only one of him and dozens of you. And where did you all get the idea that he's a lush? I only saw him with one drink, and he wasn't drunk that I could notice. Because he's a mercenary doesn't mean that he drinks like a fish. Logically, a smuggler wouldn't drink much — too dangerous to be cornered while incapacitated. If this goes on, I'll feel compelled to write a story just to slip in that line, "No, thanks, I'm a teetotaler". Aside from that, the story is first rate. I'm looking forward to the sequels, which I devoutly hope will appear in WS 40, 41, and 42 and not — like a certain series I won't mention — be put off half a hundred times.

Speaking of the devil, we get to "The Weight" (my hat's off to whoever said it should be called "The Wait"). Great, as usual. Star Fleet gets its usual share of lumps (don't any fans like the organization? No, I don't either — they may call it Star Fleet, but it's still the Army). Funny as hell, this time. I'll be sorry to see it end — if it ever does, which I'm beginning to doubt. This installment is one of the best, in my book. Laughing like crazy at the dumb "male" conversation on p. 66 one minute and saying "the lousy pigs" aloud the next, upon discovering what planet the Anarchists were being "given" certainly is good mental gymnastics (I also discovered how strangely the Anarchists grow on you). I used to think of them as "that bunch of weirdos who make Kirk's life a hell on Earth." But I got very angry with Star Fleet about that ship and that planet. So I guess it's official, I like them. They're still very weird, though. Where was I? Ah, yes, back to laughing, with McCoy's "because of the disease". How hokey can you get? McCoy ought to be recycled. One question only — how much longer can the dread secret be kept? I expected it to come out ages ago. ... P.S. to Beverly Clark, who doesn't follow my line of reasoning. Doesn't surprise me, nobody does, not even me. Seriously, what I meant was, Jenneth Roantree and Quannechota are the only truly strong, believable, totally "together" (despite awful living conditions) women I've ever read about in ST fiction. And those two great women happen to be Kirk's and Spock's alter-egos. That's what I think is enough to make you scream. The comment was directed towards Trek fiction, not the characters themselves. Presumably the opinion was badly stated.

P.S. to Leslie Fish: what bothered me about your illos? I suppose I am a little (or a lot) "straight", but seeing [File:Warped3435-15.jpg a naked, female Spock standing over Kirk's bed, looking like "it"'s about to whip him with a Christmas tree leftover, is a bit unsettling (WS 35/36, p. 87)]. I have nothing against the art, per se. It's original and quite good. It's the subject matter that leaves me numb. Now that I reflect on it, it's actually quite funny — you say you can't quite grasp what I find "wrong" about pp. 105 and 109 in WS 29/30: I can tell you; it's not the art, or the inking, it's Kirk himself, lying on the ground in a drugged stupor, his Crown-of-Mirrors on, with his grinning "sister" looking on, a pipe of God-knows-what between her teeth (p. 105) and Kirk standing like a scarecrow over the downed figure of his twin, who somehow looks positively vicious, like a corrupt officer, the kind that sells military secrets to the enemy in order to be able to furnish an opulent nouveau riche palace. You see — mea culpa — I am so used to thinking of Kirk as "an officer and a gentleman, sir". My mistake; he isn't even one. We all know he'd do just about anything to get out of a tight spot ...[69]

Definitely a mixed-bag. Connie did a creditable job on His Nibs, too. She really captured the lean, hungry, and haunted look. Her Dracula is more tragic, tortured and wild than mine, and every bit as valid. I missed the LoC column! And I'll bet I'm not the only one. As I get to know more and more fen the letters begin to make a lot more sense. And there's always the devastation and/or ego-boo of reading comments on one's own work.

I must admit that my absolute favorite piece (aside from "Resurgence") has to be P. Smith's "Li'l Teeny Things" with Gordon's teeny illo accompaniment that brings the doodle to the status of art form. "Teeny Things" at once pleasantly conjured up mem ories of Larry Niven's verses scattered through "World Without Time" (i.e. "Oh, we got a new computer, but it's quite a disap pointment, 'cause it always give this same insane advice: oh, you need little teeny eyes for reading little teeny print like you need little teeny hands for milking mice!" — p. 152). If PS hits the bottle again be sure she's got a pen handy for more li'l teeny gems like that!

"Solatium" I had read and enjoyed already at Po's but that didn't stop me from a se cond reading or from marvelling at Po's un erring talent for fleshing out the charac ters of SW past what is offered in the film. [Vignettes are unquestionably one of her fortes. The Joni Wagner illos are beauti ful — especially the slightly belligerant Luke.

I kinda liked Edith Louise Crowe's "Nosferatu". The irony of the death of the undead — a vampire's suicide — is novel. The requiem is painted with a lovely, bleak melancholy. Here is a pitiful night-stalker I more along the lines of poor Barnabas Col lins (the "noble outcast") than Stoker's proud and scornful Count. I rather expect ed a male, rather than female ghoul in the illo, because of the title, I suppose. Patti Cullen-Heyes has done it again! "Our Lot In Life" comes as a logical and endearing sequel to Irene Schafer's "Teamwork" in WS 38. The 'droids, for being the unsung heroes of SW are oft neglected in fen haste to enlarge on the human (and therefore more familiar and easier devel oped), while Lucas obviously thought them quite important. I hope your writers con tinue to tackle the 'droids as well as Chewie for that alien perspective. They I may not have the range or personality of Spock, but then that should make them more of a challenge — especially Chewie!

"Star Light, Star Bright" is a valiant effort at a Kirk story. Not being a true fan of the Great White Captain, I gave it the once-over-lightly. Don't see the basis in "Shoreleave" for making Ruth such an un sympathetic character. I really kinda en joyed the species mix in the cadet roster, even if "elastic man" is a tat hokey. The story did ramble but wasn't without inter est. Randy Ash does nice faces — especially new characters, which look very believ able, but he needs a little body perspective. Nice composition, too. Gordon's two major offerings, "Trekula" and "S'Our Trek, Too" are delightful, as usual. I always like the LP 6 stories but I might have appreciated "Trekula" more than some fen, me being one of the fortunate ini tiates who has actually seen the great Count Ganglia in person and have fallen under his spell. "S'Our Trek, Too" is a marvelous piece of graphics even if the meaning escaped me ...

I had already previewed Kelly's "Battlestar" poetry and rather liked the "Spoon River Anthology" format. Sue Perry did a fine job on Adama and Apollo ...

I actually force-read quite a bit of "The Weight" this time around. I still come up with the same opinion. I admire the skillful and monumental plot development. The bold art style is well-constructed even if Quanna looks more like Spock than Spock does and neither one of 'em looks quite right. The Spock on p. 57 is the best so far. And I still can't believe a fussy, jealous, intolerant Spock — the Vulcan who put up with everyone from Eden-seeking rebels to the Horta; the Vulcan who showed little possessiveness toward Kirk when faced with such threats as Edith Keeler, Rayna, and others. I will admit to being intrigued as to the resolution of the whole mess. May be BSG could pick up Jenneth & Co. on its way through. She and Starbuck deserve each other ...[70]

What can I say? You must have seen "Dracula" on Broadway when you were in New York. Did you know they're now

filming the movie version? ... You have gone vampire-happy, haven't you? We will see more of LP 6, won't we? I can always count on WARPED SPACE to provide a change of pace from the gloom and doom, death and despair type stories that seem to run rampant in too many 'zines. Nice to see a small tribute to "Galactica" (that's about all it deserves!); when will television learn?

"Star Light, Star Bright" was a terrific story; my favorite, I think, except for the current installment of "The Weight". Egad. When is Spock going to catch on to Quanna's identity? That illo on p. 45 — whew, if looks could kill! This is our Mr. Spock? Brrr — wouldn't want to meet him in a dark corridor. But Kirk — he has grown into such a different, but better person; questioning Star Fleet's "ethics", dying inside each time he has to twist the truth for the Anarchists. I'm learning to admire him all over again. I also like the characterization of Chris Chapel — she's a real person at last; no longer a lovesick simpering stereotype ... I hope she is half that well-portrayed in the movie — that much would be a vast improvement.[71]

Hmmmm, enjoyed the cover. Just a note for Frank's fans: he starred in a Mel Brooks movie a few years back, "The Twelve Chairs", in which he played an opportunistic eastern European lad very nicely, and lustily, indeed.

A meaty ish, this. "Solatium" fills in a missing piece of SW — just what led up to Luke's sarcasm in the x-wing hangar — nicely. Of course, now I'd like to know what Organa's reaction to Han's assessment of 100,000 was.

Another good droids story. "Star Light, Star Bright" was a delightful surprise. I put off reading it, having been nearly Kirked to death long ago, but it was great. It depicted a Kirk who was true to someone who would be a starship captain in just a decade. The realities of even a quasi-military life were nicely handled and it was refreshing to see them.

Susan Perry's BSG illos were amazing. And fitting accompaniment for Kelly's prose.

I really don't have anything to add to the discussions on "The Weight". I enjoy Leslie's work mostly because she can make me interested in a situation despite my usual lack of interest in Kirk-in-throes stories competency and imagination are virtues in my book, and Leslie has 'em.

Aw, come on! It wasn't fair to end "Resurgence" where you did! Jackie's description of the fatal meeting in the alley was superbly done: not too exaggerated, yet thrilling. The Luke bit with the plum was a nice touch — these are the kind of tidbits that make a universe — and a farmer from Tatooine — seem real. Luke is ignorant in the story, but not dumb. Good. Jeez, more Martynn illos. Sigh.

Haven't said anything on Gordon's cartoons in the past few ish, but they're as good as ever. Leave it to a stormtrooper to think a sand lizard is a bantha, and leave it to Marlon to forget about mundane things like capes.[72]

Good to see LP 6 again — more, more! Also "Star Light, Star Bright" — it's nice to be reminded once in awhile that there are more people in the ST universe than Kirk Spock, and McCoy, much as we love the big three.

Which brings me to a small digression on the Death of ST Fan Fiction. One must of course keep in mind Sturgeon's Law, but even aside from that there's room for improvement. It's not that ST fanfic is dead, it's that there's a huge field filled with dormant seeds that aren't being watered. Stories about personal relationships are fine, and often marvelous and moving — but sentient beings don't exist in a vacuum. The potentialities of ST haven't begun to be expressed, because so few people are dealing with the characters in a larger context — philosophy, politics, economics, religion, ad infinitum. My god, people, you've got a whole universe to play with, don't limit yourselves!

"The Weight" makes me uncomfortable, exhilarated, depressed, angry (sometimes all at once) but that's because there's real meat to it. The same's true of Kraith, despite its very real faults — it dealt with some really substantive issues. Aside from such juicy topics as sexism/bureaucratic stupidity/excessive militarism/Terran domination/ad infinitum in the Federation, here's that whole exceedingly juicy can of worms, the Prime Directive.

I certainly don't agree with Paula Smith about "For Sale, Must Sacrifice" — it opens up some very disturbing questions about the Prime Directive; the unforeseen consequences of actions that may lead a responsible person to the conclusion that any contact is possible interference. The ethical implications of the Prime Directive alone should furnish enough materials for reams of novels, let alone stories. And what about conflicting interpretations of the Prime Directive? The fact that Kirk wasn't hauled up on charges every other week just shows what the gap is between stated policy and actual implementation. What would happen if Kirk had an A & A officer who viewed the PD differently — how far can one go against one's own strongly held beliefs? "I was only following orders" has been tried as a defense before, and it didn't cut much ice with the world at large. Spock should have had nightmares over what he let Kirk do on Gamma Trianguli VI. And that business with Eminiar and Vendikar: Superpower Muscles in on Local War — now where have we heard that before? [73]

Issue 39 arrived and I nearly swooned at the back and front covers. Langella is gorgeous and I can hardly wait for the Dracula movie being shot in London. "Nosferatu" has a beautifully eerie quality and sadness. One of the loveliest poems I've read on vampirism. "Trekula" and Landing Party Six were a scream ... figuratively speaking, of course. "S'Our Trek, Too" is funny, but I feel that the jokes are a bit 'in'. Paula Block's "Solatium" is a nice chapter in the Luke/Leia relationship. If she knows that Luke's father was a Jedi, then she is not going to be surprised at what follows. Could Luke have blasted Vader? I doubt it, but that won't stop his self-recriminations.

"Our Lot In Life" must have come from the 'Freedom for 'Droids' group, but it was amusing. "Star Light, Star Bright" had a group of interesting cadets besides Jim Kirk, who made a nice post-adolescent. What happened to the others, particularly Jo-el? I am constantly surprised at the number of female security officers showing up. I thought it depended on muscle.

Kelly Hill can take the most stereotypic character and give him heart. Her "Battlestar" was no exception, and the pieces on Apollo and Serena were touching. I'm glad that someone else likes BATTLE- STAR well enough to write about it. The s0j*i0s does have potential, but has been hampered by poor scripts.

Pardon the pun, but the heaviest story in years is "The Weight". I could go on for hours about it, but I'm running out of paper. The characters are superb; Jenneth is marvelous, so completely and undeniably competent. When she walked in on Spock (it was supposed to be the other way around, but our cool Vulcan was the edgy one) clad only in a towel, the tension could've been cut with a knife. The Enterprise crew is showing sides of them selves that they didn't realize they had. Kirk as an ex-juvenile delinquent? Why not? He has plenty of disrespect for convention even now. Christine talking with McCoy is the high point in my book. Majel B. would approve. The artwork is superb and matches the serious tone. The illo on p. 57 comparing the Jim/Jenneth pair and the Spock/Quannechota pair is the best so far. I'm eagerly awaiting the finish, and yet it's going to be frightening. Congratulations,Leslie, and may your end match the beginning.

... The "Resurgence" story is half through, and Han is bleeding to death! What a cliffhanger![74]

I see Paula Smith has returned with a vengeance--loved "Li'l Teeny Things", along with Gordon's li'l teeny people running around in the margins boozing and blowing each other into li'l teeny bits.

"Nosferatu" was beautiful; I think it worked especially well with Martynn's gorgeous cover—still haven't decided whether I like the latter because of its artistic merits or because of the fact that it's (gasp, swoon) Frank Langella. He was the last person I expected to see on a WS cover, but it was definitely a very pleasant surprise. Al so loved the illos on "Voices On the Wind"—Anji Valenza does incredible horses—I can't believe how disgustingly good they are.

On the other hand, there was "Our Lot In Life", which bugged the heck out of me because of just about every thing. What got me the most, I think, besides the general story line, was the way that Luke was sort of running around the Rebel Base like a chicken with his head cut off trying to get those 'droids their passage off the base and their papers and everything—you know, it was sort of a "come-on-let's-get-moving-and-get- your-ID-stamps-and-your-papers-and-this-is-the-next-ship-that-leaves-and-you-can-get-on-it-right-now-so-goodbye" kind of thing—made him look like some kind of fool, which may or may not be true. I mean, naive is one thing, but Mortimer Snerd is another entirely. I'll admit that Luke isn't my favorite character, but he does at least possess a modicum of intelligence, a quality which wasn't exactly evident in this story. Or maybe I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Sorry. However, I've got to admit that this is the first 'droids story I've read, and I'd like to see more from somewhere— they're getting ignored in much the same way that the Princess is, and I'm not quite sure why, since evidently Lucas felt they were the pivotal points of the story. Also enjoyed Artoo's beep-da-boops—had a devil of a time trying to figure out how to pronounce them, though.

"Resurgence" was fantastic, although I practically had apoplexy when I got to the ending. If there's one thing I hate, it's serialized stories. (Leslie Fish, where are you?) Thank god my copy of 40 was in the same package as 39 so I could finish it, and I certainly wasn't disappointed, although I'm not quite sure where we go from here. Luke obviously isn't ready to face Vader if he's going to keep flying off the handle like that, thinking that he can conquer his enemy by catching him off guard. (Aha!) (Or maybe that should be, "Surprise!") (Exit Luke Skywalker, stage left.) Generally, though, I really like the characterizations and the writing— Han's dialogue with himself when he was bleeding to death was great, even though if I read one more story where he gets shot, stabbed, drawn, quartered, and/or dismembered, I'll fall apart. Shoot, why doesn't someone beat up on Luke for a change? Or does everyone feel sorry for him because he's such a nerd or do they all feel that he can probably defend him self with his lightsaber? Who knows? Obviously you can't attack the Princess because the attacker would probably come out on the short end of the stick.

On Carol Mularski's SW music article: yes, Carol, I've noticed that Darth's theme is similar to the Death Star motif—I've of ten wondered if that was intentional or whether Mr. Williams just ran out of new ideas, as he seems to have done with his SUPERMAN score, which is great until you realize that most of it has been regurgitated. Does anyone know if he's been signed to do the music to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK? As for the rest of the is sue, "A New Beginning" was really annoying, simply because I detest those "kill off the crew and start all over again" stories. I nearly threw up when Christine Chapel came walking onto the bridge—I mean, I might have expected that to happen, but for one moment I almost believed that I wouldn't have to read a scene like that. No such luck, folks. Well, too bad.

All the cartoons were fantastic, especially Mork and GALACTICA--oh, and Miriam Har vey's on p. 18, too. Gordon's were hiarious ("Uncle Owwennn!!!") and I'm glad he picked up on Superman's cape—if Vader can have his getting caught in doors, why can't the Man of Steel? (Rrrrripppp!!!)

The rest of the issue was just as good— one the best in a long time; only where was "The Weight"? We must be nearing the end, Leslie, mustn't we? Hello? Leslie?[75]

Issue 40

front cover of issue #40, Michael Goodwin
back cover of issue #40, Miriam G. Harvey

Warped Space 40 was published in March 1979 and contains 112 pages. Fandoms include Star Trek, Star Wars, The Man Who Fell To Earth and many more.

The editor repeats some info from a previous issue:

Those fanzine editors who answered the call of Craig Miller to send their 'zines (containing "Star Wars"-related material) to the Star Wars Corp. who have had difficulty obtaining payment (which was promised) for those 'zines should write to the Black Falcon Ltd. address given above. It look five months for me to get paid for WARPED SPACE 39. I've told the company that I'll only send them further issues upon advance payment.

This issue contained an insert, a survey. In "Warped Space" #43, the editor wrote about it:

Those damned questionnaires from WS 40 are still trickling in, so I'll give you guys 'til the end of March [1980] to get 'em in. After that, we'll play statistics, and the results will appear in WS 44.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 40

For the last several issues, Lori has been cleaning out her story files and putting them into print. That's partly why, recently, there's been little of significance in the zine. Yet she didn't scrape the bottom with this issue; most every piece within is at least competent, and one is even damn good. That one is 'Resurgence,' the next chapter in Block and Paciello's Star Wars series, 'Continuator,' in which skewered Han Solo, having sighted Darth Vader at Mos Eisley, risks death and pernicious anemia to return to Yavin to warn the Rebels. One wonders how badly Solo is drawn at the blood bank, the way writers have been picking on him lately. But the story is excellent, and has illos by P-burgh's own Martynn. The next major piece in thish is a Man from U.N.C.L.E. short, 'The Princess Royal Affair.' Except for a tendency to get silly, [Melanie R] has done a nice job of characterization. Landon's illos are slightly disappointing, tho, mostly because they are just portraits drawn from twelve-year old stock stills, and I HAVE seen all those already. Maggie Nowakowska, who by now has written under this and her own name, more in, on, and about SW than maybe George Lucas, has a 35-verse ditty about Solo that will probably turn up at the 2'Con filksing, and rightly. Another SW piece worth mentioning, Pat Carpenter's 'Officer on Duty' is.......... except for the ellipses......... compelling. The title of Leah Rosenthal's 'Changeling' has absolutely nothing to do with her story, which is itself one of the the merely competent pieces. Basically, she has put the Man With No Name on board the Enterprise, making the story The Good, The Bad, and The Half-Assed. Clint Eastwood is a security officer. But the illos are good. Of the two remaining stories, Kelly Hill's 'Seumas O and the Leprechaun' has been done by four different people before, myself among them, and Jeanette Lethco's 'One of Those Days' is, like its subject matter (ten-month old Spock), just TOO adorable for words.[76]

Glad to see the letters back. "Just One Of Those Days" was a bit too cute for me. I can't imagine Sarek being so patient, either; his son's human characteristics probably irritated him greatly from the very start.

Illya Kuryakin kept me reading the U.N.C.L.E. story; he was nicely drawn — both in the writing and the illos. "Dialogue" was very, very nice. This Darth I can believe in; and Obi-wan speaks with a simplicity that is not weak. "Changeling" was another good, general Trek story with lots of other people involved. Keep 'em coming. And more articles like "The Music of Star Wars", please. "For Services Rendered" is also fine. Id like to see more bits like this on Luke. Paula makes Skywalker real, a separate entity who you feel you might know if you bumped into him along the way. Luke deserves this kind of treatment. you know, I think it's time someone did a parody of what seems to have become the classic "Han wrapped in bandages in bed with Luke and Leia looking on concernedly" illo.

Jackie's Darth in "Resurgence" is good. Loved "Letter From Camp". Everyone seems to have shown great restraint in avoiding cross-universe stories in the zines (eh. we know the stories are out there...)... it is inspired.

Ah-ha. Just how close to the script is-Gordon gonna make "S'Our Trek, Too"? Snicker.[77]

I am glad to see more Trek than Star Wars — I. have nothing against SW, but it just doesn't intrigue me that much.

Naturally, the first thing I read was Jeanette Lethco's "Just One of Those Days". Cute vignette about my favorite family, overwritten and cutesy in places, but showing promise.

Is Lynda K. Roper's "A New Beginning" the first chapter of a new serial? It should be; it's smoothly written, and whets our appetite for the real story that will begin once Spock and Christine start trying to live together. And what about all the stories about the colonists?

I don't think Clint Eastwood will ever come up to Gary Cooper, but I did enjoy Leah Rosenthal's "Changeling". AitaPia, though, is the winning character — and the idea of her race a fascinating sf

concept.[78]

"Just One of Those Days" by Jeanette Letcho. Hmm. Let's put it this way — if it was a parody, it was a very funny one. If it was intended as a straight story — you've got to be kidding me.

"Love Bug"? Somehow, I can't see a race who settles marriage disputes by battling to the death worrying too much about little Spockie "hurting himself" in a fall of perhaps seven feet from a curtain rod. Nor can I see catsup and mustard — two condiments used primarily for meat dishes — adorning a table on Vulcan. And I simply cannot envision Sarek putting up with Spockie's childish exploits for more time than it takes to chastise him. It is not logical to allow undisciplined violence to be done upon the house — and Sarek's nerves. As soon as Spock was old enough to understand speech and old enough to need the exercise he would get from bouncing on the bed' and similar horseplay, he would probably be given into the hands of a child-oriented physical therapist who would teach him the correct and logical way to behave. (Physical and emotional restraint walk hand-in-hand; and conditioning like that would have to start young.) It seems as though the author looked on her own son (or nephew, or godson, or grandson) and said, "Isn't he cute? I think I'll write him into a story." So she gave the lad pointy ears. Eek. The art, however, was excellent, particularly the large illo on p.27.

"The Wreck of the Zera Hold" was excellent; I only wish I could read music. Maybe somebody can sing it to me?

"The Princess Royal Affair" was a refreshing taste of U.N.C.L.E. after many long years of absence. Illya? A count? Tell me more!

"Icarus Descending" — to anyone who liked "The Man Who Fell To Earth", like me — it was good. But Lori, why did you put that gorgeous illo of David Bowie staring pensively into the night sky that far into the poem? It would've had more impact if I'd seen it at once, along with the title. I also enjoyed Kelly and Jane's "Dialogue". It was an interesting idea — that Darth didn't want to destroy Obi-Wan as long as he stayed out of his way. A touch of sentiment. Fisher's illo was stunning.

"Changeling". Well, to be honest, at first I said, "Clint Eastwood? On the Enterprise?" But after reading it (Well, after I read it I was still saying, "Clint Eastwood? On the Enterprise?" But not with as much conviction.), I was placated. He's as good a character-model as anybody, I guess. Joni's centerfold was superb, particularly Leia's smiling face.

"Seumas O and the Leprechaun" was one of Kelly's better stories. I loved the lilting dialect. "For Services Rendered" by Little Po is the best real poem ("I call it, 'Free Verse'," Paula is commenting from the corner) in the zine, with good art to match. (Good old Art.)

"Resurgence" by What's Her Name, who ought to be shot for giving it to WARPED SPACE instead of her own bloody zine, is as excellent now as it was when I first laid eyes on it, Martynn's accompanying art is beautiful, especially Chewie carrying Han on p. 87, and Han With His Pants Falling Off on p. 96. (Wouldn't we all like to see Han with his pants falling off? Eh?)

"A Letter From Camp" was disappointing. When I first laid eyes on it, I thought it was going to be terrific, but the best thing about it was the illos! Gordon ought to have his hands bronzed for posterity. (But then he couldn't draw ...)

I was going to say that it's kinda nice not to see any more of "The Weight" in the zine. but Paula just informed me that it's going to be back in the next issue. *sigh* It was a pleasant respite. (Not that I don't like Leslie's writing, you pro-Fish-ers; she writes extremely well. It's the subject, matter I disagree with. Or perhaps it disagrees with me. Like this cocoa. Po, what's in this cocoa?)

"You didn't say anything about 'Notes on the Force'!" Po objected. All right, I'll comment. "Notes on the Force" took

up nearly a page and a half of valuable zine space. And a good thing, too. And on that cheerful note, I think I'll sign off. P.S. PEGASUS IV needs cartoons, plug, plug. Help, help. I thank you, and goodnight.[79]

I wouldn't call issue 40 one of your

winners, high hopes in the Nook notwithstanding. You know, wading thru the Editor's column, the Miscellanea, the letter column, and 6 pages of ads, is rather like flipping thru the Ladies' Home Journal in the women's john here at[80]

There's a helluva lot of filler before one comes to the point of the magazine. Have you considered putting such incidentals back to the end of the zine? The ads at least; you once kept them at the tail. I do not object to the letter- col, but I believe one reason some folks have is its lengthiness so far forward in the zine. It might go well at the end, at least if it's going to be 15 pages. "Changeling" made me uncomfortable. I always want to like Leah Rosenthal's stories, because she has good vision, a vivid imagination, creates or refashions fascinating characters, but I cannot help being distracted by the plot holes and shaky structures in her work. "Changeling" has elements both of what I like and dis like about her stuff. On the plus side, there is the concept of Pia, a metamorphosing vertebrate, who is not supersweetly done. On the minus side, what has a metamorphosing vertebrate got to do with the story of Cooper? Indeed, what has the title, "Changeling", got to do with the story of Cooper? The story of Cooper is the story of the Fugitive, the Man With No Name, of Catch-22 — the story of the man who's been set up and is trying to [unclear type] stuck in at the beginning and end.

As well as Rosenthal handles her own created or modified characters, so badly does she manhandle borrowed ones. Her Kirk is not believable. In the course of the story, Cooper has apparently killed a subordinate without provocation; and in two hours the ship is to pick up the Vice Admiral of the Fleet. Does Kirk put this suspicious, possibly homicidal man at least off duty (if not into the brig so fast your eyes would cross)? No, he keeps him on and shortly thereafter gets "very angry. Not only had Cooper gone out and gotten himself knifed ... he refused to tell the Captain anything about it." Sure, Kirk the Honorable, Kirk the Captain of men, gets pissed because somebody has the nerve to get knifed. Rather less important to the story, but equally distracting, is Rosenthal's version of Sadie Faulwell in the first paragraph. In PoBlocki's series, we knew Sadie as the sort of poor schmoe who naturally gets dumped on, a 23rd century schlemiel. When Cooper accidentally spills coffee on her tunic — the sort of thing that would happen to her — Rosenthal has her "throwing venomous looks at Cooper," "verbally comparing him to the deliberate prankster of the ship (Girc'N)," and "walking out in disgust". This is not good writing, to warp the known personalities of incidental characters in order to present the protagonist most sympathetically. At least, it's not realistic writing.

(Incidentally, about Faulwell "verbally" comparing folks; well, I didn't think she's make up a written estimate. "Ver bally" has become a buzz word in fannish writing of late, almost always being superfluous. I expect shortly someone will write "he verbally said." And I will throw up.)

Meanwhile, back at the rant ... Rosenthal does a beautiful job of characterizing Chapel. Indeed, almost too good. For in so doing, she contradicts much of what we know of the nurse. According to this, she was a cattleman's daughter, raised up on the planet of Targin. Had Rosenthal created all the characters in "Changeling" instead of borrowing from ST and LP 6, she would probably have done a better job with them. Her own people are clear and sharp, like a well-tuned TV set. But when she picks up signals from another station, what we get are ghosts.

Speaking of ghosts, there's "The Princess Royal Affair." Melanie is one of the insightful few [unclear type] long time ago, before there was a galaxy far, far way, before there was media fandom in fact, there was U.N.C.L.E. I loved "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.". I even refused to go to Florida with my folks for two weeks when I was 14 because I would've missed "The Bat Cave Affair". (I did stay in Michigan with an aunt.) But lacking fandom, I was isolated, alone. There were only bright visions of a man named Illya and no one to relate them to. Well, some people were luckier. Melanie had a friend who shall remain nameless called Eileen Roy, with whom she hacked out background and several thousand pages of tales about Napoleon and Illya. This PR affair was probably the most readable one.

Those who remember Po Block's "The Final Affair" from WS 18 probably also notice the differing tones of that and "Princess Royal". At that, PR is closer in tone to the tongue-in-cheek style of U.N.C.L.E., particularly the first season, while TFA is more of an extrapolation of the end-of-the-world feel of the last half-season. PRA belongs to 1964 — or even earlier, the time of Camelot in general, when all things were possible to handsome spies. It was an intoxicating time, as better commentators than I have- pointed out, and in the same way we all woke up hung over in 1979. PRA shows Illya as the early "lackney with a sup pressed sneeze," while TFA shows his soul. Both are legitimate.

Boy, I haven't locced in a long time. Probably a good thing, too[81]

I have no real objections to a story like "Seumas O and the Leprechaun" ((40)) in fact, they can be quite a lot of fun. However, I did find this one interesting in light of the fact that my poor Captain is always getting crucified for breaking the Prime Directive. Aside from the un likelihood of Spook being down on that planet in uniform by himself (unless it was his shuttlecraft that was catapulted through a time warp and he was hijacking it or looking for errant amoebas), the first thing I noticed was that the first words out of our clever Vulcan's mouth was a complete explanation of who and what he was—most logical reaction under the circumstances from our purist who is always reminding our dear Captain (who has nothing better to do than read '50 Ways To Break The Prime Directive Without Getting Caught') not to break it. It seems to me that Spock had the perfect out; all he had to do was pretend to be a leprechaun un til he could figure a way out of his predicament. Since one hardly ever sees Spock at a loss for information in fanlit, I'm sure there's even a little file on leprechauns filed away in that magnificent brain of his--at least enough to fake it.

Then, as if he hasn't given away enough of the future, he calls attention to the gadgets he's carrying to substantiate his claim. Then, of course, he calls the ship in the exact terminology needed to bring the Captain beaming down without any fore thought as to the effect his arrival might produce (of course, he could be assuming that his loyal, moral, law-abiding Vulcan wouldn't be calling unless he was properly alone). I suppose I shouldn't complain, since it's so easy to see why Spock is so unconcerned about his influence on the future; consider the ease in which he runs around erasing memories, ignoring the ethics of brainwashing. As a result, I find this story very refreshing. As long as I have Vulcans running around in Earth's past, playing guessing games of who can I trust with my secrets, I certainly need not worry about what liberties my dear Captain takes with the Prime Directive when he's on a planet trying to destroy his crew or one that is trying to maintain an exploitative status quo.

I can't really say that I spend a lot of time worrying about what's going on in the STAR WARS universe, although I do enjoy reading most of the fanlit. But I do know that most of my interest in the SW universe would dissipate if Han Solo were killed or otherwise removed from the scene. Much as I liked a Princess Leia who was much stronger than I had expected her to be, it was mainly the way she handled Han that appealed to me. Reluctant heroes, heroes by default, and arrogant and stub born men with hearts of gold are far more interesting to me than Mr. Goodguy, born and bred to be your classic hero. Personally, I couldn't care less if Luke ever becomes a Jedi. So, if they are really planning to write Han Solo out of the picture in the sequel, it makes little difference to me how they do it.

And Kelly, I do so much love your Han Solo poetry.[82]

References

  1. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  2. ^ from Scuttlebutt #6
  3. ^ from Scuttlebutt #6
  4. ^ by Paula Smith from Menagerie #14
  5. ^ from Fleet #21 (April 1978)
  6. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #33/34
  7. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #33/34
  8. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  9. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  10. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  11. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  12. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  13. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  14. ^ Ellison stayed in a rented RV that was parked at the curb in front of the Hyatt hotel, on the theory that as long as he didn't spend any money in the state, his boycott would be valid. Of course, this left convention gophers the task of running out to the parking meter every few hours to feed the meter, until the convention was able to persuade the mayor to bag the meter on the the second to last day of the convention. Just an Innocent Question: Time For An Arizona Worldcon Bid? by File770, dated May 1, 2010
  15. ^ from Paula Smith in Menagerie #14
  16. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  17. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #35/36
  18. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  19. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  20. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  21. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  22. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  23. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  24. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  25. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  26. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  27. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  28. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  29. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  30. ^ from "Warped Space" #38
  31. ^ from Warped Space #40
  32. ^ from Spectrum #37
  33. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  34. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  35. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  36. ^ from a fan in "Warped Space" #37
  37. ^ Yes, spelled that way.
  38. ^ from "Warped Space" #38
  39. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  40. ^ comments by Leslie Fish in "Warped Space" #38, some responses by fans in "Warped Space" #41
  41. ^ from "Warped Space" #38
  42. ^ from "Warped Space" #38, Paula Block responds to this letter in "Warped Space" #40
  43. ^ from "Warped Space" #38
  44. ^ by Roberta Rogow in "Warped Space" #38
  45. ^ by Paula Smith in "Warped Space" #38
  46. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  47. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  48. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  49. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  50. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  51. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  52. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  53. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  54. ^ from an LoC in "Warped Space" #45
  55. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  56. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  57. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  58. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  59. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  60. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  61. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  62. ^ from a letter in "Warped Space" #42
  63. ^ "Craig Miller of Chapter II Co. (a division of Lucasfilms) is apparently no longer at Chapter II Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA, 91608. Concerned fans might also try writing to the Star Wars Fan Club, c/o Factors. Does anyone know if there's been some sort of shake-up in the company? Those fanzine editors who answered the call of Craig Miller to send their 'zines (containing "Star Wars" related material) to the Star Wars Corp. who have had difficulty obtaining payment (which was promised) for those 'zines should write to the Black Falcon Ltd. address given above. It look five months for me to get paid for WARPED SPACE 39. I've told the company that I'll only send them further issues upon advance payment." -- comment in "Warped Space" #41.
  64. ^ from a letter of comment by Paula Block in "Warped Space" #40, the response is by Rebecca Hoffman in "Warped Space" #41
  65. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  66. ^ from a letter of comment by Sharon Emily in "Warped Space" #40
  67. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  68. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  69. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  70. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  71. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #40
  72. ^ from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #41
  73. ^ from "Warped Space" #41
  74. ^ from a letter in "Warped Space" #42
  75. ^ from a letter in "Warped Space" #42
  76. ^ from Scuttlebutt #13
  77. ^ from "Warped Space" #41
  78. ^ from "Warped Space" #41
  79. ^ from "Warped Space" #41
  80. ^ from "Warped Space" #41
  81. ^ from Paula Smith in "Warped Space" #41
  82. ^ from a letter in "Warped Space" #42
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