Gambit (US Blake's 7 anthology)/Issue 003

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Issue 3

front cover of issue #3, Judith Boguslawski. A fan in 2016 said: "#I like how the artist has caught Avon's non-comitted expression #and yet with that *teeeny* hint of a raised eyebrow #to suggest he is quite amused after all #JENNA STANNIS #Roj Blake #cally #VILA RESTAL #Kerr Avon #vintage b7 art #fanzines #fanfiction #other people's lovely art." [1]
back cover of #3, Adrian Morgan

Gambit 3 was published in 1988 and is 294 pages long. On the front cover: "Holiday Snaps- Freedom City."

The art is by Mary Gerstner, Leah Rosenthal, Judith Boguslawski, Kathryn Anderson, Michael Williams, Adrian Morgan, Suzie Molnar, Elizabeth Gagliano, Denise Loague, Lynne Alisse Witten, Jean Graham, and Pearl Stickler.

Also:

  • The Episodes, puzzle by Amee
  • Quotation Puzzles, puzzle by Sandy Lyons
  • Word Search, puzzle by Amee
  • Hodge-Podge, puzzle by Amee
  • The Final Act, poem by Teresa Ward
  • The Plan, poem by Paulie Kay
  • Soliloquy of the Aging Idealist, poem by Amee
  • I, Roj Blake, poem by Sharyn M. Sobel
  • Bonnie Hi Ho Rebel, poem by Sharyn Sobel & Maurine Torrens
  • Images, poem by Amee
  • Freedom, poem by Paulie Kay
  • Gan, poem by Sue Ann Sarick
  • A.W.A.T.A.L., poem by Paulie Kay
  • Alone, poem by Paulie Kay
  • Death's Song filk by Mary Gerstner & Maureen Torrens
  • Vila, poem by Sue Ann Sarick
  • Where Have All the Rebels Gone? filk) by Sharyn M. Sobel
  • Negative Space, poem by Jennifer Tifft
  • Avon II, poem by Sue Ann Sarick
  • untitled poem by Teri Sarick
  • The Leader, the Expert, & the Fool, poem by Paulie Kay
  • Courier, poem by Teri Sarick
  • Liberator Avon, poem by Teri Sarick
  • Silent Plea, poem by Alyns Lawchilde
  • Filksong, filk by Sharyn Sobel

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

See reactions and reviews for Limbo.

[Shortcut to Somewhere]: The difficulty with AUs is that once you get into a no-holds-barred situation, where you can make *anything* happen, rather than sticking to the known constraints, people can indulge themselves at the expense of the story. Thus you get the many AUs where one decision is changed and *poof* - instant utopia. I prefer subtlety, the working out of the consequences of changing one variable and seeing what happens next. I suppose, then, that my criteria for good AU's is similar to that for good crossover stories (or perhaps it is just that my enjoyment is similar) - seeing what Our Heros would do when faced by a different situation (or by different characters, as in the case of crossovers) but trying to keep them as close to the normal characters as you can. That's why I liked "Shortcut to Nowhere" [sic] by Leah and Annie (the only good story in Gambit #3...) because they were still the same bunch with the same problems, and they *didn't* know how much better off they were in this universe than in the original one. It wasn't an instant utopia.[2]

[zine]:

GAMBIT 3 is attractive and a “good read.” I am impressed by the number of imaginative fan writers contributing to these zines. It hardly seems fair to single out a few stories, but it is also impossible to mention all. Having gotten myself off the hook (I hope): “Keep Your Eye on the Ball” is clever and enjoyable; “Villagan’s Island” a scream; “Farewells” a touching vignette; stories by the Mulveys (one person or two?) [Two, and not related so far as we can tell. —Ed.] imaginative and well-written; “Experiment” clever, ‘To See the Fool” a well- done rewrite of the series; and on and on. I do like the way you divide the stories by series and the fact that you keep to your publishing schedule.

Concerning Steve Oualline’s editorial, I wholeheartedly agree. How anyone can become so proprietary about work involving characters which they have ’stolen* is beyond me. I do have one reservation; if someone’s story is being sold for profit under another name, then the author has a right to complain. Of course, the author has no legal rights, certainly not worth the expense of fighting for, so he/she might as well say, “that’s the breaks.” Let’s keep the fun in fan writing, as Steve so eloquently said. (I have read some stories, though, over which I thought Terry Nation should sue for defamation of characters!) [3]

[zine]: I really enjoyed GAMBIT 3. It’s rare that my favorite thing in a zine is the poetry, but it was wonderful — particularly Paulie Kay’s “Alone” and Jennifer Tifft’s “Negative Space,” both of which aren’t just good B7, but damn good poetry. More, please! [4]

[zine]: I think issue 3 of GAMBIT is the best yet The new look is quite wonderful. Nice printing. There were so many good stories in #3, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I believe Sheila Paulson’s “Limbo” is it. I really came to care for her character, Meredith. I’m glad the ending was a hopeful one for her and the Scorpio crew as well. My other favorite stories were “Wayward Son” (I like the way Avon came to grips with his family situation and the rebellion), “Shortcut to Somewhere” (a strong Vila story is always a treat, especially from Wortham and Rosenthal), “Professional Courtesy” (it’s nice to have Cally and Vila in the spotlight for a change), “The Search” (the relationship between Avon, Cally and Vila is handled believably — this could have been an aired episode), “Blake’s Boots” (inspired madness), and “Up to Scratch” ("You broke Travis!" — oh giggle). I also enjoyed the artwork from Leah Rosenthal (the “Phil Collins bounty hunter” illo struck me as perversely funny), Kathryn Anderson and Judith Boguslawski (her illos for “Limbo” were great and I loved the “holiday snaps” cover). Being a frustrated artist, I enjoy seeing some well-done artwork. Hope Rosenthal, Anderson and Boguslawski continue to contribute to GAMBIT. [5]

[zine]:

Snapshot effect of the front cover by Judith Boguslawski and her illos for “Limbo” and “Wayward Son.” Adrian Morgan’s Travis on the back cover is excellent Kathryn Anderson’s Gan (p 13) is the best I’ve ever seen of the man. Also liked her Cally (p 40), Soolin (p 279) and Dayna (p 298). Her drawings of the women are very, very good. Other faves are Michael Williams* Vila (p 137), Elizabeth Gagliano’s Blake (p 20) and Avon (p 284) and Suzie Molnar’s “That Was Then, This is Now (p 290-291). Mary Gerstner’s work has a nice, surrealistic feel to some of it (p 73 & 75) and I always love Leah Rosenthal’s work, with the Phil Collins look-alike bounty hunter (p 187) a special favorite. Sandy Lyons’ puzzle on p 262 was great fun. Finally figured it out on the first try! Stretches the old grey matter a bit Thought Steve Oualline’s tongue-in-cheek letter was funny. And where can I get a copy of the Avon photo used on p 178? That is a nice shot of him. [Write to Pearl Stickler, c/o our address.— Ed.]

The humor seemed a little forced this time but there still were some hilarious stories. “Double Take,” where everyone is someone else except for poor Avon, still brings a smile to the lips. “Blake’s Boots” was good too. I can see the rebel leader padding around in stocking feet Doesn’t everyone?

Others that I enjoyed were: “Up to Scratch,” “Hall of Mirrors” (nice idea of historical ancestors), “Farewells,” “Professional Courtesy,” “The Search,” “A Better Man,” and “Embers” (disturbing to think Avon would be as mad as Dorian to use the cave).

The reason I felt “The Genetics of a Joke” was good is because this is how I think Avon would try to handle a drug addiction: on his own and not too wisely. “Limbo” is not your average post-Gauda Prime story. Nor is it in any way Mary-Sueish (thank god). In fact, the heroine is one of the more level-headed women I’ve read. It’s written by Shelia Paulson, whose body of work has been so consistently fine that I would buy a zine just on the strength of her name. There are only a few other writers I can say the same for. “Wayward Son” had an interesting concept... that Avon had been mindwiped as a child. The returning memories could have caused some of the instability we witnessed in the fourth season. The character of the half-sister didn’t seem necessary for the story. And what about Avon seeing his brother as a grown man when Zen activated the ship’s defense mechanism? Supposedly, his brother, though much older than 6-year-old Avon, still died while in his teens. Is there a conflict there or am I missing something? The two stories placing emphasis on Orac were properly disturbing. What payment will Orac extract from Avon for freeing him in “Contract’*? A chilling idea. And the little computer better hope Avon never finds out how Orac has been manipulating the crew in “Experiment” I don’t think Avon will take it very well, especially after both the Blake and the Malodaar incidents. Hmmm. In “Full Circle,” Avon claims he didn’t kill Blake because the Blake they all knew was already dead — changed into something less admirable or noble perhaps. Well, the same could be said of Avon. Everyone changes... good or bad. To stay the same is to stagnate. But I’m glad his crew stole a ship and followed him. In keeping with the zine’s release during the holiday season, there was “Spirits Past and Future.” Didn’t the original story show the character what the world would be like if he’d never been born? (Or am I confusing that with another story?) [You’re confusing it with another story — that’s the 1946 Frank Capra film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” — Ed.] In that case, there would have been no future for Blake and the others. There were too many times when Avon’s fix-it abilities with the computers and Liberator were the only things that saved them.

One of the most interesting types of stories are the alternate universes. Change one event and see what happens from there. In GAMBIT #3, there were four, I believe. In “Shuttle,” Avon succeeds in killing Vila over Malodaar. Then he goes after Servalan in anger, hurt and revenge, only to be told the Vila he killed was a clone. (Made when? He seemed to have the memories of the original up to that moment. I would think it would take longer than a few hours to make one and when were they separated? Did he know he was a clone?) Avon is given a second chance when he saves the real Vila and therefore we have a happy ending. But there are a lot of questions left over. ‘To See the Fool” was another alternate tale. Avon loses an eye during the torture by Shrinker, finds Sula/Anna Grant is still alive, Blake with Del Grant, and himself unable unable to kill the woman he loved. Talk about hell. “Was it worth it, Avon? Did it change anything?” Possibly not, but I would like to read a sequel. What happens next?

My two all-time favorites were also alternate universes. “Shortcut to Somewhere” has Vila fleeing Avon only to find Blake wasn’t the haven he’d hoped for. The events on Gauda Prime nearly repeat themselves, making one. wonder if history doesn’t try to ’correct’ changes. Annie and Leah have given us another strong portrayal of Vila. “Stealing’s Quicker” is how I wished the series had progressed. After the alien invasion, Avon talks Vila into ’taking over’ as the leader of Liberator’s crew, thus avoiding most of the conflict and pressures between Tarrant and Avon. Vila takes to the responsibilities of leadership quite well and everything seems to function a lot smoother. Again, another universe asking for a sequel. [It’s in this issue. —Ed.] Would Vila with Avon backing him give up control if they found Blake? Would the disasters of Auron’s destruction and Anna’s death still happen?

That’s why science fiction is my favorite reading/watching/writing genre. It’s not always predictable; there are infinite ways a story can go from any point and you have an entirely new culture or alien(s) that is completely different to the human way of thinking. Diversity![6]

[zine]:

Have thumbed through GAMBIT 3 and see you have received some really outstanding artwork (love the cover “snapshots!” Judith Boguslawski does capture the B7 characters very well!) as well as work by some new writers. New to me, anyway.

On GAMBIT 2: Your Editor’s Column was a real hoot! All the people who have looked through the zine have had to read your “Entertainment” page! Artwork—I like Ms.

Molnar’s style and Judith Boguslawski’s artwork is very professional. I have a gripe about some zine editors who send me contributor’s guidelines requesting only “the best artwork” be sent to their zine! That really turns me off because some artists might not be the “best” but they might have a very unique style.

Favorite stories in GAMBIT 2 so far have been “Force of Attraction,” “A State of Mind,” “Shadows Without Substance,” “Outside Impression” (the first B7 fan fic I’ve read in which one of the main characters from B7 wasn’t telling the story. I’d like to read more stories that are done in that style), and “The Night Wind” (a very touching story which proves that Tarrant and Avon can get along — contrary to what some people believe. I’m not a devout Tarrant fan but I think there has been too much “Tarrant bashing” and writing Tarrant “out of character” in fan fic! [7]

[zine]:

I read “Limbo” last. It seemed at first glance a real Mary Sue. But Sheila Paulson wrote it, so I figured she could pull it off. And she did! Merry was just as vulnerable, and Avon ended up helping her as much as she helped him. The whole thing was very believable. So it wasn’t a Mary Sue at all.

You’ve been too busy: missed seeing anything you’d written. [I was working on MIRAGE, blatant plugs for which are liberally sprinkled below. — Ed.]

I love how the covers always manage to tie into the episode “Gambit.” This one was gorgeous. [8]

[zine]:

I loved GAMBIT 3. It really looks sharp! There's so much crammed into it, yet all is neat and readable. If I ever decide to do a zine. I'm using your layout service... (and having my head examined! I know editing a zine is lots of hard work—better you than me!) Love that cover! How about a portfolio next time, with more snapshots from the Liberator/Scorpio family album? Wow, lots of alternates and PGP this time. And a lot of it is fairly upbeat. My favorite kinds of story. (I have to admit that “The Wail," etc. were well-written stories, but way too depressing! I think of GP as just another cliffhanger ending, not The End!)

“Stealing’s Quicker" — Interesting idea, very well-done. But I can’t see Vila being happy in this role for the long term. ‘To See the Fool"—Neatly-plotted story, with excellent dialogue. Rather unfair to Tarrant, though. He could be thoughtless at times, but he didn’t have an ounce of real malice in his body. Tarrant is more in character in “The Search" and “Shuttle." He liked to talk tough, but when push came to shove he never abandoned a crewmate. “Spirits Past and Future"—Loved this one. Avon as Scrooge — priceless! “Shortcut to Somewhere"— Wonderful, as expected from Ann & Leah. Those two have a good grasp of 4th series crew dynamics. A happy ending — Blake and Avon both put in their places. Lovely illos, too — it's always special to see a story illoed by its author. “Limbo" — A tired old plot, but Sheila makes it all work out, adroitly avoiding the usual Mary Sue traps. Very cute, picturing Avon watching TREK on the VCR! “Wayward Son"—Nice. A genuine happy ending. The Federation may not be overthrown, but Avon has what he really wants: safety and wealth! “Embers"—Oh, yes. If it all has to end on GP, this is the way to do it -- Servalan gets hers. “Experiment"—Innovative. Would like to see a sequel to this. I’m fond of artificial intelligences; it's nice to see Orac given sympathetic treatment for a change. ‘Tull Circle"—Possibly my favorite in the zine. Characterizations were perfect. I love the way Dayna and Soolin made their own escape, while the men needed to be rescued—by Avalon! And they all end up back together. I like Scorpio's crew, so it's great seeing them all survive and go on having adventures together. I like the LOC section; it's always nice to see what others think. I would like to comment on Steve's letter, though. I like having the protective messages in zines. I am fairly new to fandom. Not too long ago, I was paying S30-S40 for $10 zines at Creation cons. Okay, so I was wet behind the ears and greener than Vim—when those messages started appearing, I got a clue! I view them as valuable caveat emptor warnings, especially for neos. [9]

[zine]:

298 well-printed pages of fanfic, indexed by series. I’ve yet to find an issue that was a dud. One of the interesting things with Gambit in general is that there’s always at least one UA fic. (Universe Alternation - something happened differently from canon and the story veers off into new directions.) As this is a type of fanfic I adore, Gambit is one of my favorite zine series. #3 has “Stealing’s Quicker” by Nancy Klauschie. At the end of Powerplay, when Vila wakes up, Avon talks with him privately with a proposal: Vila should be in charge of the crew. Avon wants the ship, but he doesn’t want to lead Blake’s Crusade, and he certainly doesn’t think he’s the person to keep all the crazies in line. He knocks down Vila’s “stupid delta” facade, pointing out all the ways the thief is the best person for the job. And Vila rises to the occasion admirably.

There’s quite a lot worth reading in this; definitely a must-buy if you come across it.[10]

[zine]: GAMBIT 3 arrived last month and kept me up all night. There were such a lot of interesting stories, poetry and artwork. I liked the cover, 'Snapshots From Freedom City.' The story that sticks out most in my mind is The Experiment by Morgan and O'Cullane. I liked it, but am still uncertain of what it means. Is it an indictment against Avon—he seems the least likely person to choose as a model for human friendship-or, in the story, a rebuke to Avon when Orac eventually tells him why it saved him (he was 'useful') as a definition of friendship. A very provocative story. [11]

References

  1. ^ comarum.tumblr,
  2. ^ Lysator, Kathryn A, Jan 1995.
  3. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  4. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  5. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  6. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  7. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  8. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  9. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #4
  10. ^ by bruinhilda, bruinhilda.tumblr, November 18, 2016
  11. ^ from a letter of comment in "Gambit" #11
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