Gambit (US Blake's 7 anthology)/Issue 005

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Issue 5

cover of issue #5, Mary Gerstner

1989 flyer for issue #5

Gambit 5 was published in December 1989 and is 310 pages long.

The art is by Mary Gerstner (front cover), Maria Letters, Kate Knepper, Kathleen Coy, Leah Rosenthal, Annie Hamilton, Denise Loague, Suzie Molnar, Wilma Douglas, Michael Williams, Jennifer Tift, Jean B. Hubb, Adrian Morgan, and Kathy Hanson.

The zine is online here.

From the editorial:

by Jean Graham]:

Well, if the budget held out, you are now thumbing through the first full-color-cover issue of GAMBIT. If it didn't, then you have the first one-color-cover issue (meaning it's in one color ink as opposed to several, or simply black, as were our previous issues), and our full color efforts will be making their debut next time, with GAMBIT 6. We're trying, in essence, to make our outside as pretty as our inside-so all you color artists out there please take note. We'll be looking for color covers! Art in theme with 'Gambit' (either the episode or the computer in 'Gold,') is preferable, but not essential. We do have to work from your original, so please be prepared to part with it for a time. We can't guarantee that we'll be able to use every piece of color art, so to be fair, please send us a black & white copy for consideration first. Then we can twist your arm for the original later on.

The color covers have become possible because GAMBIT has a new printer with a far larger facility than the old one, and the capacity to handle our burgeoning print runs. Frankly, we had outgrown the previous company, and though Ye Editor was employed there and could obtain nice discounts, it had become all too painfully obvious that GAMBIT was seriously straining the capacity of the limited (and outdated) machinery. Our new printer has offered us the same discounts (he wants our business) and color printing besides, so, old loyalties notwithstanding, we gleefully tergiversated.

Color is, however, an expensive addition to our already stretched budget. So, readers, please send us your 'input' on whether or not you think an additional $1.00 (bringing our first class price to S16.00) is manageable. The price increase would be effective with issue #6. Alternatives to a price increase would be a slightly smaller zine (we'd have to turn down some submissions), or a smaller typeface and/or the removal of the 'air' between the paragraphs in stories. Some of these may already have been implemented with this issue. Let us hear from you--we'd like your opinions on this.

[snipped]

Now it's time to unplug the phone, disconnect the doorbell, crank up the stereo and sit back to enjoy GAMBIT 5. As al- ways, we welcome your letters of comment on this or any of our previous zines.

[from Kelly & Karen Turner ("your other editors)]:

Well, our computer must hate this 'zine. Last issue when we received stories from Jeannie, our hard disk died within the week. This time, Jeannie sends stories, our 2nd hard-disk dies! Sorry this 'zine is late, but several items have intervened. The San Francisco earthquake, the holidays, and late hours at work (to name but a few).

We hope you like the "look" of the 'zine. It takes many, many weeks work to do just the layout alone. This usually includes printing out all 300 pages 3 times for proofreading and making sure everything looks "just right." I'm sure there are still a few errors, but with this much text, it's expected.

For those of you interested in techie things, this 'zines layout was done on a 25 Mhz 80386 1BM PC clone, the page layout software was Xerox Ventura Publisher, and it was printed on an Apple Laserwriter.

• Editor's Column by Jean Graham (3)
• Homecoming, fiction by Teresa Ward (Pre-Series A) (4)
• I Need a Crew, poem by Michael Macomber (5)
• Never Practical, fiction by Cami (Pre-Series A) (6)
• Travis and Tarrant, poem by Teresa Ward (15)
• Life Sentence, fiction by Jean Graham (Pre-Series A) (17)
• Grand Illusions, fiction by Alicia Ann Fox (Series A) (20)
• The Beginning, poem by C.T. Cap (22)
• It's Worth the Trip, fiction by Mary Gerstner & April Giordano (Series A) (23)
• Captain Leylan's Report, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series A) (28)
• Pirates of Pezants, fiction by Leigh Arnold (Series A) (28)
• Mutability, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series A) (37)
• Acceptance", fiction by Lee Vibber (Series A) (39)
• Psychology, fiction by Paulie Kay (Series A) (43)
• One Day More, poem by Michael Driver (48)
• A Little Night Music, fiction by April Giordano & Mary Gerstner (Series A) (49)
• Liberator, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Series A) (53)
• A Short Catalogue, filk by Michael Driver to the tune of "Frere Jacques" (55)
• Sweet Sixteen, fiction by Aya Katz (Series B) (56)
• Someone to Watch Over, fiction by Jennifer Smallwood (Series B) (60)
• The Girl with the Light, fiction by Juli Cleveland (Series B) (64)
• Chenie: Gambit, poem by C.T. Cap (70)
• Moira, fiction by T.L. Condon (Series B) (71)
• Galactic Drive, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series B) (80)
• The Entertainer, poem by Michael Driver (82)
• Tarnished Gold, fiction by Jacqui Topp (Series B) (83)
• Santa Claus Was a Delta, fiction by Michelle Christian (Series B) (84)
• In the Past Lies the Future, fiction by Michelle Christian (Series B) (89)
• Trials and Tribbleations, fiction by Roxie Ray (Star Trek: TOS crossover) (Series B) (91)
• Palace Games, fiction by Nancy Klauschie (Series C) (95)
• Lost & Found, fiction by Teresa Ward (Series C) (107)
• Lonely, poem by Michael Macomber (113)
• To Recognize the Fool, fiction by Mary Gerstner (Series C) (115)
• To Kill the Fool, fiction by Mary Gerstner (Series C) (124)
• Alien Eyes, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series C) (126)
• Comfort, fiction by Lee Vibber (Series C) (130)
• It Wasn't All Lies, poem by Jacqui Topp (132)

• Collapse, fiction by Lorna B. (Series C) (133)
• Memorial on the Planet Kaarn, poem by Jacqui Topp (134)
• Naked Eye, fiction by Catherine Kendall (Series C) (135)
• Reflections of the Soul-- Servalan, poem by Jacqui Topp (148)
• Covenant of Faith, fiction by Dee Beetem & Sue Wells (Series C) (149)
• Unexpected Encounter, fiction by Jean B. Hubb (Series C) (153)
• A Forest in the Firelight, poem by A. Hamilton (158)
• The Stream of Life, fiction by Virginia Waldron (Series D) (160)
• A Keepsake, poem by Michael Macomber (172)
• Blood, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series D) (173)
• Trust, poem by Jacqui Topp (176)
• Obviated Orbit, fiction by Anne Collins Smith (Series D) (177)
• I Was with Blake, poem by Michael Macomber (178)
• Gauda Secunda, fiction by Anne Collins Smith (Series D) (178)
• Lightening the Load, fiction by Lorna B. (Series D) (179)
• Requiem, poem by C.T. Cap (179)
• The Formula for Failure Is Sure Success, fiction by Cyndi Hubb (Series D) (181)
• Silence: For Kerr Avon, poem by Michael Macomber (187)
• Living the Lie, fiction by Rachel Dutcher (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (188)
• Through the Fire, fiction by Steve Zwanger (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (202)
• Return to Freedom City, fiction by Michael Williams (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (216)
• ... if I was right..., poem by Mich (220)
• Legends, fiction by Janet Walker (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (221)
• Jenna, fiction by Adrian Morgan & Brendan O'Cullane (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (222)
• Flower, poem by Michael Macomber (226)
• Choices, fiction by Sheila Paulson (Jabberwocky universe; reprinted in Jabberwocky Collected, and Jabberwocky #3) (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (228)
• No Useless Gesture, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (225)
• These Foolish Things, poem by Jacqui Topp (253)
• Kriss-Kross-- The Bad Guys," puzzle by Rachel Dutcher (261)
• Roll Call, fiction by CarolMel Ambassador (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (262)
• Cold as a Dragon's Heart, poem by Michael Macomber (264)
• Recollections, fiction by Bobbie Stankiewicz (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (265)
• Blake's 7 Crossovers" (humor) by Teri Sarick (288)
• Letters of Comment (288)
• Legacy (For Vila), poem by Michael Macomber (290)
• News Item, fiction by Teresa Ward (291)

• Conversation, poem by C.T. Cap (292)
• Zines and Organizations and ads (295)

• 

  from issue #5, Kate Knepper

• 

  from issue #5, Annie Hamilton

• 

  from issue #5, Denise Logue, "Purr Avon"

• 

  from issue #5, Kathleen Coy

• 

  from issue #5, Kate Knepper

• 

  from issue #5, Annie Hamilton

• 

  from issue #5, Leah Rosenthal

• 

  from issue #5, Adrian Morgan

• 

  from issue #5, Adrian Morgan

• 

  from issue #5, Denise Loague

• 

  from issue #5, Denise Loague

• 

  from issue #5, Kathy Hanson

• 

  from issue #5, Leah Rosenthal

• 

  from issue #5, Adrian Morgan

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

See reactions and reviews for Choices.

[zine]: GAMBIT 5 — wow! I read almost the entire zine in about two weeks. One great story after another. I also spent part of that time re-reading GAMBIT 4, so you can tell I really OD'd on Blake & Co. Have to comment on some of the stories, though if I mentioned 'em all. I'd be out of paper.

'Never Practical' by McCoy is a fascinating insight into Del and Deeta's early years. I really liked it.

'It's Worth the Trip' by Gerstner and Giordano —it's worth the read for the sardine can opener line!

'Psychology' by Kay was great -what a mindblower. It clears up a lot of inconsistencies about Vila.

'A Little Night Music' from that dreaded duo again (G&G) is fun! Keep 'em coming.

'Liberator' has the unique viewpoint of the ship. Mulvey creates a whole previous crew in a few lines. Fine extrapolation.

'Sweet Sixteen' by Katz is um, fer sure, like, totally rad. The salad bars are closing. Really. (I like it!) 'Someone to Watch Over...' by Smallwood is sweet. Always knew some angel had to be responsible for all the impossible situations the gang manage to overcome. (Angels and good writers!) Nice twist at the end.

'The Girl With the Light' - I'm always partial to the TWILIGHT ZONE ending. Nicely done, Ms. Cleveland!

'Santa Claus Was a Delta' by Christian. Well, I can't exactly imagine the Christmas tree Vila devised, but the story was fun. This one screamed for illos!

'In the Past Lies the Future' — Christian creates a sensitive treatment of a mostly-ignored character — Gan. Good stuff.

'Trials and Tribbleations' by Ray; lots of fun. Good characterizations on the fuzzies (tribbles, that is, not Blake.)

'Collapse' by Breshears; so that's why Cally called out Blake's name before she died. Never did make sense, till now. Really puts a different light on the final episode, too! Very good.

'The Stream of Life' by Waldron; this could be a novel. What a great portrayal of Vila's young life. Truly inspired writing!

'Covenant of Faith' by Beetem & Wells: powerful story, it all builds to that last two lines. Great.

'Naked Eye' by Kendall is extremely confusing, but then it works out. If written differently, this could easily be a spoof, but it works well as a dream. What a trip.

'Gauda Secunda' by Smith; aw, say it ain't so, Anne. 'Jenna' by Morgan & O'Cullane, should really be called 'Avon,' I think. The last paragraph says it all.

'Recollections' by Stankiewicz is good writing, finding a lot of insight in each episode. Very interesting despite going over the 'old' material; it's done in a fresh way.

Some of the best poems, I thought, were 'Flower' by Michael Macomber (the imagery catches my imagination), 'Cold as a Dragon's Heart' by Christian (uses the Sir Gawain legend in an intriguing parallel), and Macomber’s 'Legacy.' Poor Vila, all those great lines and scenes and then to be killed off so casually. That's the tragedy of war.

As you can see, I enjoyed the zine. Please pass my thanks and praise on to everyone involved.

[zine]: First of all, I love the color cover. It makes the zine look very professional. I don't see why anyone wouldn't be willing to part with one dollar more if it includes improvements like this one.

I loved the 'Blake's Seven Crossovers.' They were all very funny and I must say that Teri Sarick has a good eye for comedy. It made me think up other crossovers, like 'Faulty Liberator. 'Avon inherits a hotel in an English coastal resort. He is helped by Manuel Vila, his clutzy delta class butler. But there is only one catch: Servalan has inherited a half interest and thinks she has the right to run the hotel.

I enjoyed 'Lost and Found' but then I've always had a soft spot for Tarrant. But I liked the fact that it put Tarrant in a good light. Also liked 'Trials and Tribbleations’ -it was good, and I liked the fact that it was funny and in character at the same time. I also liked 'Santa Claus Was a Delta.'

I think the best story in the entire zine was 'Choices’ by Sheila Paulson. This was the first JABBERWOCKY story I'd encountered, and suffice it to say, I hunted down the other parts and read those, too. Thanks for including the list of where to find them; it was very helpful. I just hope we don't have to wait too long for another part.

[zine]: GAMBIT 5 was great. Even better than last time, I think. My favorite stories were 'Life Sentence,' 'The Stream of Life' and 'Blood,' all dark humor. And self pity. We mustn't forget self pity. 'Someone to Watch Over' was also pretty funny. Imagine Avon's guardian angel having to watch out for Vila. Where was Vila's angel, asleep on the job?

[zine]: Was pleased to get GAMBIT 5... I must say 'The Stream of Life' is one of the best pieces I have ever read. The beautifully crafted background throws a completely different light on Vila and his actions and was very believable. The Faginish Restal was great, and the story twists heartbreaking. No wonder Vila often looks so lost and bewildered. Wonderful!

[zine]: I'm still working my way through GAMBIT 5 - it’s great! A wonderful combination of stories, with something for just about everyone. Good variety of artwork, too (I especially enjoyed the Rosenthal cartoons) and even a color cover! Your new layout looks sharp and it's nice to have the stories grouped by season, especially with such a large zine. Although there were many excellent stories, I particularly enjoyed your own, 'Life Sentence,' and 'Sweet Sixteen' was a unique approach. I was also glad to see a story from Sheila Paulson's fascinating JABBERWOCKY universe — the listing of other JABBERWOCKY stories and where to find them was very helpful. I can see what an incredible amount of work went into the zine, major earthquakes notwithstanding! Looking forward to GAMBIT 6.

[zine]: What difficulty could there be with raising GAMBIT to $16 with the next issue? Even that seems a remarkably modest price for such a tremendous publication. And price upgrading is the best of the alternatives you propose.

Your 'Life Sentence' was very enjoyable. Gloomy, but very well written. You've taken over Paul Darrow's Neptune universe for Avon, eh?

Anne Collins Smith's 'Obviated Orbit' is quite good, don't you think? A cleanly reasoned solution. That episode is so full of logical gaps it must have been used for target practice by the tachyon funnel...

Now, my one major criticism of GAMBIT 5... My problem is with Teresa Ward's 'News Item.' I read that through three times, and I still cannot find the humor in it; always assuming it was meant to be funny. All I can find is bad taste. Justification can be made for treating a fictional character any way one wants. But what's the justification for postulating the death of the real, living person who portrayed that character? And for treating that real death as a topic for merriment?...

GAMBIT 5 is a wonderful, solid piece of work. The labor involved in putting it together must have been prodigious. And all as a labor of love! You are to be most heartily commended for giving us GAMBIT.

[zine]: GAMBIT 5arrived safe and sound. It's beautiful, too! The typesetting is very handsome and the layout is spiffy. The artwork is nice and the cover blew me away!

[zine]: I just received my contributor's copy of GAMBIT 5 the other day and loved it. I think my favorite story was 'Blood.' It's nice to see a story that doesn't have Avon's brother as a child molesting, back-stabbing, traitorous scum-bag. I also liked the implication that Avon and Vila knew each other before the series. I have always felt the same. (And I've always thought that what Avon was reading was possibly a letter from his brother.) Other favorites: 'Mutability,' 'A Little Night Music,' (sometimes I'm extremely glad I live several hundred miles from those two, Giordano and Gerstner), 'Liberator,' 'Sweet Sixteen,' 'Someone to Watch Over...' (the whole idea was strange and wonderful), 'Moira,' (especially the end), 'Obviated Orbit,' (happy endings! hurray!), the poem 'Requiem,' 'Choices,' (this was the first JABBERWOCKY story I've read and I loved it), and finally, 'News Item.' I also loved the art, especially Leah Rosenthal and Kathy Coy.

[zine]: A few comments on GAMBIT 5: the color cover is very nice; I think it would be worth the $1.00 extra. Personally, it doesn't really matter to me; it could have a blank cover, as long as the stories inside were good.

My favorite this time around is definitely 'Never Practical,' by Carol McCoy. I always love a good Tarrant story (bet you didn't know that!) and this one is especially nice; it has TWO Tarrants in it. What more could one want? I also found 'Stream of Life' by Virginia Waldron to be greatly entertaining; a fascinating look into Vila's past. At least this story didn't make him out to be a Super Alpha in disguise, something I really can't stand.

And of course, Sheila Paulson's JABBERWOCKY story, 'Choices.' Unfortunately, I read it before thinking that I haven't got the prequel to it yet (coming in SOMETHING... UNFRIENDLY 2.) Oh well. Maybe I'll mindwipe soon and forget I read it. Sheila always does the characters so well. I just wish she'd devote an entire story to Tarrant some time; not necessarily a JABBERWOCKY one. Kathy Hanson's artwork is always nice; and I loved Kathleen Coy's Tarrant illo accompanying Carol's story. Very nice. Just one gripe about most of the PGP stories - why is it always Tarrant who gets killed??!!!

I also loved 'Tarnished Gold' by Jacqui Topp. A nice short piece about My Hero Travis, which treats him like a human being; a rare thing these days. Thanks, Jacqui. I appreciate it!

To answer Nancy Dziergowski's question concerning Blake's behavior in my story Foolish Things from issue 5: "....would [Blake] tumble into bed....with a woman he has only known for a few hours??" 'Tumble into bed" was not the phrase I had in mind. I was thinking in terms of "comfort and joy" or "rest and relaxation" neither of which the poor man ever gets. In any case he knew he was being foolish to be so trusting and said so. Don't we write to stretch the characters just a little? Anyway, thanks, Nancy, for the compliments.