A Tremor in the Force/Issue 005

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Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Dianne Smith
back cover of issue #5, Steven Fox

A Tremor in the Force 5 was published in August 1990 and is 280 pages. It has a color cover by Dianne Smith and other art by Wanda Lybarger, Melanie Guttierrez, Nancy Stasulis, Laura Virgil, Z.P. Florian, R. Adamson, Fabrizio Bertillino, Cheree Cargill, Dani, Pat Easley, Andrea Tonsig, and a portfolio by Steven Fox.

It won a 1990 Star aWard for Best Zine.

The editor recalls:

A Tremor in the Force #5 ran about 250 pages (most of it reduced) and cost me nearly $4,000 when all was said and done, including the cost for the color cover and postage.[1]

From the editorial:

In the past two years, I have been pleased to make the acquaintance of several new voices in fandom ~ Melanie Guttierrez and Lorrie Cherry, Z. P. Florian, Catriona Campbell and Martha Wells. You will find their work gracing this issue, and hopefully for many more to come.

Two novelettes make up the last half of this issue ~ the second part of "The Conspiracy of Kommnor" bv Angela Fassio, and "Castling" by Mesarthim and Stardancer. I think you will be spell bound by both. And TREMOR will hooefully contain sequels to both. Martha Wells is a new name here, making a bright debut with "Trust", one of the most perceptive short studies of Han and Luke that I've read in a long time. Annie Wortham found two of her delightful In-Law stories and you're sure to giggle your way through Carolyn Golledge's hilarious "A Jedi and a Guy Like Me."

I can't begin to mention all the good people who contributed to this issue is this short editorial, so I'll shut up and let you sit back and enjoy!

And may the Force be with you!

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Notions.

[zine]:

It was wonderful to receive my contributor's copy of TIF#5. I really needed the hours of pleasant diversion it provided, though it did take me a lot longer than usual to read due to outside pressing mi demands on my time.

Since, in the past, I've been negligent in acknowledging the fine efforts of all the artistically talented people in SW fandom, I'll comment first on the excellent art of this issue.

The cover by Dianne Smith is gorgeous. This is a very talented lady whose work just keeps getting better. 1 do miss Luke art, however. Come on, Luke fans, make your voices heard.

Where did the illo on page 16 come from? 1 could find no signature or credit anywhere. It's a terrific piece, too. Nancy Stasulis' art is very good. ((Ed: line art on page 16 is uncredited because it was a piece of clip art from a book of stock illustrations.)) Z. P. Florian's illo on page 46 is lovely and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank both she and Melanie Guttierrez for the terrific illos they did for my story. I am extremely flattered.

Wanda Lybarger's work is, as always, very, very The "Art of Steven Fox" was breathtaking. Though his humanoids' proportions seem some-what squat for my taste, his scenery, creatures, space vehicles, etc. are outstanding. My particular favorite was on page 87, but 1 also liked the back cover. There was a wonderful illo by Fabrizio Bertillino on page 122 and Melanie's illo on page 198 was especially intriguing. Fine work by all involved. Congratulate yourselves, artists, on great work.

Now to the written artists. Forgive me if I comment only on my favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire zine.

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne - This is an in- (An interesting idea for the origins of the Jedi. Though I don't agree with all the points raised in the story, I found it an enjoyable read. I especially love the tie to the Yavin temple. Nice touch.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge - Cute, entertaining images. I like stories that show the human side to Luke, especially when he's depicted in so impish a manner as this story reveals. Good work, Carolyn, though 1 think I'd have preferred your original idea better.

"Invitation to the Banquet" by Jacqueline Taero - 1 really like this poem. It reflects Palpatine's evil so vividly and the images evoked by such phrasing as "rich as black wine..." are wonderfully accurate.

"Corellian Myth" by Ming WalJine - A well-written, plausible concept for Han and his beloved ship. Another nice read.

"Marks of Honor" by Carolyn Golledge - Leave it to Carolyn to find a way to not only injure Han, but to reveal even worse past hints. Still, she does write all the characters so perfectly. Keep at it, my Aussie friend.

"The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero - I like this poem! 'Nuff said.

"Trust" by Martha Wells - Nice insight into both Han's and Luke's characters. Another plausible scene.

"The Card Game" and "Poor Relations" by Ann Wortham - Though I normally don't care for alternate universe stories, I'm glad I didn't skip these two good works. I find I rather like thinking of Anakin as an overaged rascal now.

"Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney - This was a marvelous story, very moving and a lovely idea for Chewbacca's end. Terrific mental images I'll long remember.

Last, but far from least, "Penumbra" by Catriona Campbell - This was my favorite story in the zine. What a haunting, terrifyingly vivid account of what might have been. Excellent!

Overall, you've produced a superior zine, Cheree. You should feel quite proud of yourself. I look forward to #6 eagerly.[3]

[zine]:

Excellent zine! I do appreciate the fact that you are still clinging to the "purer faith." There must still be enough of us out there who haven't forgotten. (Just kidding; I know everyone changes and grows, even SW fans.)

Now for my conunents which won't be as lengthy as in the past, hopefully.

Good cover art, but then I haven't seen anything Dianne Smith does that wasn't excellent. I would like to see her do some more of my favorite Jedi, though.

"Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones. We all dream, I suppose. But honestly, Sandi, how did you find the courage to bare your soul or whatever like that? I don't want anyone to see that deep into me. It does seem that we are kindred spirits, however, and I may have to talk to you further (in private!).

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne: This took some thought, several readings and most of my imagina tion but it was worth the effort.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge. What a giggle! I could definitely SEE this. Nice balance to put it after the previous story.

"Notions" by Maggie Nowakowska. Once again, Maggie has given me more to think about. Unlike many of her past writings, this one was not quite as complicated (thank the Maker!). But it was definitely well written and thought out. Unlike other Leia/Vader stories, this one rose above what it could have been and gave us an intelligent look at a very logical situation.

"Invitation to the Banquet" by Jacqueline Taero. I don't usually let myself get taken by poetry. I write it occasionally myself and what usually passes for verse in a zine isn't poetry at all. This, however, was excellent! I felt the evil coming off the page as I'm sure any others who cared to look deep enough did as well. This one almost gets my vote for pick of the zine.

"Corellian Myth" by Ming Wathne. Very good. I'm not much of a Vader fan but this issue gave me a chance to think more about Vader the man, rather than Vader the machine. Most of the views presented were intelligent ones, not just emotional. I think this is true of the entire zine.)

"The Card Game" by Ann Wortham. More crazies firom Ann. Keep 'em coming!

"Acceptance" by Marti Schuller. Ditto my comments on Vader above. Except for a slight tendency to dissolve into sentimentality at the end, I enjoyed this very much. I find it difficult to believe

that someone as completely evil as we're led to believe the Dark Lord was could have sired someone as totally good as Luke was supposed to be. (Not sure about my grammar but I think you get the point.) In any case, this seems to present the idea [3]

[zine]:

First the cover. This is Dianne Smith's tenth cover art I have. Oh, those eyes! What would fandom be without her incredible Han faces? (And bodies, too!)

Sandi Jones: "Dreamweaver." She, who dares to write down what we all dream of, deserves praise! Ming Wathne: "The Seed." Delightfully cosmic. "Corellian Myth". If there is a special award for creating legends, Ming should get it.

Beaker's appearance in SW was the funniest shock ever.

Ann Wortham: I loved the "Dark Soliloquy." The In-Laws series was great. Boy, you can write an Anakin that makes my mouth water. This proves that there is a lot of pleasure in playing with alternate realities.

Carolyn Golledge: I must be one of her biggest fans. "Marks of Honor" fits splendidly into what I see as a complete Han bio, coming together in different zines.

Maggie Nowakowska: "Notions." Excellent, both in writing technique and emotional impact, teeming with thoughts, wit and insight. This is a perfect picture of Anakin, with the cracks of vulnerability in his cold armor.

Marti Schuller: "Acceptance." I had the honor of illustrating this one, but I like Melanie's Luke better than my own. I loved the story, and the very vivid descriptions of the garden.

Sarah Cohen's poem captured a rarely explored field of Leia's personality. Thanks - Leia seldom gets her fair share.

Catriona Campbell: "Penumbra." Yesss, this is a situation worth having nightmares about. Is there any more of this?

Robin White: "In Memoriam." What a terrifying picture -- the hand, the permanently yoimg hand. You must love Luke deeply to touch on this! And you have about as much faith in galactic politics as I do.

Matthew Whitney: "Tears of a Giant." A beautiful story. It is good to see somebody paying attention to Chewbacca.

Martha Wells: "Trust." Splendidly written Solo - - a beautifully mature, clear-headed man. The right balance of humor, tragedy and understanding. And great Lybarger illos, full of motion and temper. Mesarthim and Stardancer: "Castling." Talk about surprises! And great female characters, too!

Alas, Tajerh was killed too soon. Good Jedis, each well written, scattered all over the landscape. Anakin and Vader ~ to make them into TWO people nearly knocked me out! Imagination has no limits. Kenobi playing God, as usual. And just what does it mean that Leia and Luke are NOT related? Is there a second part in the making, with Han as the best man at their wedding?

Well, this is it, and now I am settling back waiting for the next issue.[3]

[zine]:

Since you, Cheree, were the one that got me hooked on STAR WARS zines, I think it is only fair that you get my first ever LoC. 1 was a STAR TREK fan way back when and, although I privately wrote to editors and some of the writers, I somehow never did a LoC. When you read this, you will see why I am NOT a writer!

First, I want to compliment you on the overall quality of the zine. The print is clean, crisp and eminently readable. As 1 get older, my eyes tend to complain about bad print. I find that even superb stories tend to seem bad if 1 can't read them. The graphics add a polished look to the zine. The artwork is great - not too much and not too little.

Some zines seem to have way too much artwork. Not that 1 am against artwork ~ in fact, I really enjoy it and sometimes it even gives an insight to the story that I didn't see. The cover was terrific - I am a Ford fan and an avid admirer of Dianne Smith. As for the stories, there were so many excellent ones that it is hard to pick just a few. Carolyn Golledge is fast becoming one of my favorite writers - - "A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" was a real knee-slapper. I loved every minute of it. Ann Wortham's In-Laws stories are priceless. Laughter truly is the best medicine. On the other side, one of the most poignant stories was "Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney.

All in all, I don't think that there was a story that I hated. There were several that I didn't agree with but that's what makes them so much fun to read.

Having read all the TREMORS in the last year, they are fresh in my mind and I can say that the quality is excellent and somehow seems to get better and better with each issue. I can hardly wait for TREMOR #6.[3]

[zine]:

Thank you again, Cheree, for another great issue. "Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones, art by Pat Easley. A nice story. Particularly interesting for the dreamweaver concept and "ultimate alternate imiverse" idea. Thus, each person enjoys the company of their fave (in this case, Luke) in a very democratic/nonpossessive way. Good idea, Sandi. Good to see Pat's art again.

"The Seed" by Ming Wathne. Enjoyed this time-spanning tale of race-seeding by the Jed. I liked the way you handled the "echoing" elements of what was retained of the Jed in all the future races. It's details like this in that type of story that makes it particularly enjoyable.

"Dark Soliloquy" and the "In-Law" stories by Ann Wortham. Not too often do I read a serious piece from Ann but Anakin/Vader's last thoughts was nicely done. Of course, I have always enjoyed the good fun the "Bar Wars" universe represents. I'm only sorry the artist who seemingly did a lot of work I saw connected with it (Suzy Sansom) is no longer illoing SW.

But at least we have the illos/cartoons of Dani here, (sputter, giggle) Beaker in his adventures ~ wonderful, silly visual Jokes. Totally crossed-tmiverse fim (although not for poor Beaker).

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge, art by Cheree Cargill. Enjoyable laughs and a dash of sauce from our Aussie. And quite nice humorous illo from Cheree. Humorous illos are not easy to do and Cheree has the right light touch that makes them work well. (See, Flo, you can even sew up an apron for your Luke doll!)

"Notions" by Maggie Nowakowska, art by Nancy Stasulis. Fascinating psychological and Forceful exploration between Vader, his memories and Leia and her beliefs. Do the past references tie into "Strings"? (STARQUEST) Two lines in particular ~ "a Forceful choir go with..." (what an image!) and "...think imagination had also burned..." moved me as they described the situations involved therein.

Also glad one of my fave illoers, Nancy, is back.

"Conversations in a Garden", written and illoed by Z. P. Florian. Dramatic vignette. I feel sad over lona's (or any man or woman's) total submersion into her partner (Anakin) so that she is lost to any possible future of happiness, with or without another partner. And I feel sad for her contempt of Araa and Bail's relationship.

But (shiver) what happened to Ralim? And would Luke and Leia find out about it years later (through "regular" or Forceful knowledge)? Get that pen out, Z.P. *grin* Nice motion, neat costumes for your figures.

"Acceptance" by Marti Schuller, art by Z.P. Forian and Melanie Guttierrez. This was a wonderful story, Marti! Fluidly written, good ideas and interesting twists. I, who have trouble sometimes seeing good in someone who has exceeded a certain level of "badness", felt the lessons Luke needed to learn. Melanie's illo had interesting visual concepts and good facial expressions. Z.P.'s had real nice line and black/white contrast work. (Particularly Luke in his regfs and black cape and the line work of the ruined estate.)

Enjoyed Steven Fox's richly detailed and contrasted art portfolio. And shivered over R. Adamson's piece for Catriona Campbell's "Penumbra". (S/he's good ... more! more!) Ominous dreamscape, Catriona, into reality, (gasp)

"The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero, art by Cheree Cargill. Did I get a great laugh out of Jacqueline's detailed emotions/observations presented in this rather dry, straight-faced humorous poem of the "red guards". Then I was so busy enjoying the lightly drawn folds of the guard's uniform (I'm into drapery) that it took me a second to register the transformation of the Guard from silent terrorizing visage into "uh-oh-eyed" human behind the mask with those silly (wonderfully so) eyes Cheree so perfectly placed there. Thank you for a double- barreled laugh.

"Trust" by Martha Wells, art by Wanda Lybarger. I don't think I've ever read her work before and I very much enjoyed her style ~ low-keyed humor and descriptions of emotion and dialogue between Luke and Han. I really liked Wanda's piece - a sexy (in that "poor baby" way) Luke but truly the interestingly and very difficult placement (perspective-wise) of a languidly draped Han in chair, feet propped up. He also frames Luke along with the glow of the Endor trees outside the Falcon's window. Fine piece, Wanda!

"Tears of a Giant" by Matthew Whitney, art by Z. P. Florian. Sad but lovely, and lovingly expressed piece for Chewie, the Ewofo, the others remaining and gone and, of course, the wondrous trees of Endor. Nice grove of trees and lovely flowers, Z. P. "The Conspiracy of Komnmor" by Angela Fassio, art by Bertillino and Tonsig. Lots of good stuff here.

First, one plot quibble which is really a personal quirk. Unless the character really gets in sync with me right off, I usually take a while to warm up to any potential love for Luke. Especially if it's one of near instant love blossoming for one or both parties. So I do have a dichotomy of still being irked by this plot line yet being moved by the dialogue between Luke and Yoda on love and Jedi, Yxel's keen awareness of Leia's anger; and I "say" to Luke, "Don't you know how to Force heal enough so that the med team could try and save Yxel." And having him close his heart to love in the future? I can only put that into a poetic quotation: The Universe- breadthless infinitely creative/and Woven with Love/do not Love and Joy/go beyond the horizon/you gaze at now?/round the road someday/can not Magic/be assembled in another's form/and unique gifts?/to receive joy from their exquisite elixir/does not dishonor diminish the other/for Love's Realm is expansive. Anyway, the description of the ecological ruin caused by the Imperial installation was aching. And I look forward to seeing what happens to Preel, Elora and Company, the twins finding their mother, whether there's more of those beings Luke found in the science lab, etc. I liked the clothes and stances of Tonsig's illo, although I don't think Yxel wore that kind of outfit (text says tunic and leather pants). Bertillino's illos have wonderful detail and remind me of SF book interior illustrations.

"Castling" by Mesarthim and Stardancer, art by Melanie Guttierrez. The authors and artist already know how much I enjoyed their piece and since I'm near the limit here, I'll be brief. The long-view aspect I always enjoy, so the Amidaa's history, along with their "metaphysics" (another pet fave) was a great lead in for me. Two scenes amongst many stand out - Rieeken and troops landing on Alderaan 0 was there!), and the sim rising on Tatooine as Ben begins his exile. Lots of drama, good Mothma, Palpie, and originals, and the plot twists. I also look foward muchly to seeing the next part. Some excellent illos by Melanie. Good compositions, strong/fluid expressions on faces and bodies, interesting details in clothing and architecture. Hope you'll be doing some for the next installment.

Thanks to all the participants again for contributing and, of course, Big Thanks to Cheree for making it all possible as editor and publisher.[3]

[zine]:

A TREMOR IN THE FORCE #5 was like all TREMORS ~ beautifully put together, and I wish to thank you, Cheree, for all the obvious hard work and love that went into putting it together. I also want to thank you for the contributor's copy.

Now to the comments:

"Trust" by Martha Wells. One of the best pieces of SW fan fiction I have ever read. Sweet, sentimental, moving, inspirational, and sad. Perfect is only one of the words I could use to describe this story.

"Invitation to the Banquet" and "The Imperial Guard's Tale" by Jacqueline Taero. I have never read anything by Jacqueline that I didn't like, and I was not disappointed by either of these poems. Although "Invitation" was a little too spooky for my taste (I read it in a well-lit room). Wonderful, as usual, Jacqueline, is all I can possibly say.

"Dreamweaver" by Sandi Jones. A delicious wallow with the YUMMY one and I thank you.

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" by Carolyn Golledge. An attempt at Humor, that once again turned into denegration of the TRUE Hero of the STAR WARS movies, namely Luke Skywalker. I mean, really. Organizing a Kitchen?? Baking Pies??, AND Washing socks for the Corellian???????]] I'm sorry, but this SUCKS!!!! (Before you have a heart attack, Carolyn, think how you, an obvious HAN fan would feel if the story had been reversed). When is Fandom going to realize that it ISNT necessary to elevate one's favorite character to high altitudes by taking someone else's favorite, and I don't mean just Luke, and turning them into something that even George (The Worm) Lucas wouldn't recognize? Humor- what a novel concept.

The art of Steven Fox was beautiful in its detail, although I in my humble POV do not like the subject matter. It is all according to taste.

"Conversations in a Garden" by Z. P. Florian was wonderfully illustrated and beautifully written. Thank you, Z. P., for an enjoyable story.

That's all I have to say, except once again, I would like to thank you, Cheree, for a well done and beautiful zine and for all the wonderful comments you made about "Castling". Your feedback meant more to Mesarthim and Stardancer than you will ever truly know.

May the Force be with you and may you always Walk the Skies.[3]

[zine]:

Absolutely the BEST, most true-to-life conversation between Han and Luke I have EVER read took place in [ Ltlj's ] "Trust"! The bitter humor and irreverence Han displays outwardly, while taking Luke VERY seriously, and Luke's courage and resignation to face whatever reaction his friend might have was heartrending. As obnoxious and cynical as Han might have been, his "...give me a little credit" was wonderful; as were his accurate assessments of Kenobi's plotting. To have managed to juxtapose extraordinary characters and powerful dialog with a simple, relaxed setting was sublime. Two men talking became profound. You gave Solo depth beneath his bravado, [ Ltlj ] ... THIS Solo, I like! Quiet dignity for all the characters and just the right amount of magnificent irony throughout. I LOVED this story!

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" has given me this wicked idea for a story in which Han reveals a degree in Cosmetology, re-decorates the Falcon (the entire Base) in gingham ruffles and has all of his fannish sexual excesses catch up with him in a particularly nasty, medical way. Luke feverish, in bed, was a delicious image, but really ... darning socks?!

"Marks of Honor" was believable and well-written. Although I'm sick, sick, sick of Han stories, this one had a nice "attitude."

"Conversation in a Garden" was a chilling look at L&L's mom. It sure explained why no one mentioned her to either of her children. Great illo, too, as always; beautiful line. I love the picture-book style.

The art portfolio by Steven Fox was intricate and technically precise, though the subject matter was not to my taste.

Dianne Smith's cover was beautifully three-dimensional, as always.[4]

[zine]:

"A Jedi and a Guy Like Me" - Very funny! I loved it. Ann Wortham's "In-Laws" are wonderful. Delight fully funny. I just wish she included Luke and Leia more (Actually, I have never read an "In-Laws" story with Leia! I probably haven't been reading all the right zines!).

"Acceptance" ~ Very good. Marti knows how much I like what she writes, but I thought I should say it anyway. Great work, Marti!

"Somehow I Always Knew" ~ I usually don't like poems, but this one is an exception. Very perceptive. "The Conspiracy of Komnmor" ~ I wish I had read the first part. I might have liked the second one even better! But what kind of ending is that? Will we ever know what happens after "the end of part one"? ((Ed: There is actually a sequel but there were problems in getting it translated and reworked from Italian to English. If you'd like a copy, try contacting Gian Paolo Gasperi, Modena, Italy.))

The two versions of "the origins" in the zines are very different from one another and, in spite of my prejudice, I loved both "Conversation in a Garden" and "Casting."

My favorite story is "Notions." Beautifully written, as always, original, thought-provoking. Wonderful...[4]

References

  1. ^ How to Do a Zine in Southern Enclave
  2. ^ This was a story that was in the works for a long time; it was mentioned being read by at least one fan in 1981 in the article Mixed Grille or will the real Darth Vader please stand up?. It was originally planned for Imperial Entanglements.
  3. ^ a b c d e f from "A Tremor in the Force" #6
  4. ^ a b from a letter of comment in "Tremor in the Force" #7
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