Gambit (US Blake's 7 anthology)/Issue 006

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Issue 6

cover of issue #6, Leah Rosenthal

Gambit 6 was published in August 1990 and contains 296 pages.

The art is by Leah Rosenthal (front cover), Michael William, Tanje, Diana English, Denise Loague, Katherine Cremona, Mary Gerstner, and Suzie Molnar.

From the editorial, notes on production:

We made it to number 6! If all went as planed, this is not only a color-cover issue, but a perfect-bound one as well. The binding is the same style used for paperback books, and though its one drawback is that the zine doesn't fold back or stay open as easily, the advantages are that it looks much 'slicker' and the process is agreat deal faster than comb-binding, further shortening our production time. (Comb-binding is extremely time-consuming.) Since Ye Editor contract¬ ed anasty case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome punching the 60,000 pages of GAMBIT 5 in its first print run, the perfect binding seemed like a very good idea. GAMBIT 3, 4 and 5 were assembled piecemeal with the help of friends all over the U.S., and we extend our heart-felt thanks for their kind ministrations. Issue 6 is drawing primarily on local help once again in the hope of decreasing the aforementioned production time. We also hope to eliminate some of the problems inherent in long-distance zine editing, not the least of which has been the increasing unreliability of the U.S. postal 'service.' GAMBIT has never lacked for volunteer labor, even from those who had no particular interest in BLAKE'S 7 (!), and we want them to know that their assistance was and is warmly appreciated. Thanks and three cheers to you all.

[...]

Because of the long-distance editing difficulties we previously experienced, and because so much of our staff has been made up of non-B7 fans who knew little of the series, there have been occasional errors in story or art placement in previous issues. Local editing should help to reduce or eliminate this, but please bear with us. Despite periodic delusions to the contrary, we continue to discover that, alas, none of us is perfect.

Also from the editorial, comments about "the war that rampaged through our little fandom":

Some wag once said "Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained as stupidity." Accordingly, we really must plead 'innocent' to a matter which has generated controversy from some of our contributors, expressly the placement of art and stories within the zine and of contributors' names on the Table of Contents pages. Again, our staff members formatting those pages were often not B7 fans, and knew virtually nothing of the war that rampaged through our little fandom. Their ordering of stories, art and names was altogether random. and any malice there-in inferred is purely imaginary. Objectivity is invariably the first thing to vanish in any war, large or small. We like to think that, at least in an editorial sense, we have maintained ours. We'd also like very much to keep it that way. Now, having bent our own 'rules' by broaching the topic in the first place, GAMBIT'S staff would like to clarify a point or two.

This publication exists for a single, inarguable 3-letter purpose: FUN. We engage in this overgrown, time-gobbling lunacy because we happen to enjoy it, and because many others have told us that they enjoy our meager efforts in the field. Plainly and simply, there is no other reason for GAMBIT to be. It has garnered no profits, no glory and no fame to speak of. And it has, by careful design, brooked no incursion of politics (beyond a gentle parody or two) into its pages. This policy, by caveat of the entire editorial staff, will continue for as long as the zine itself continues: we see no other way to produce a zine, fulfill our purpose and keep the peace all at the same time.

GAMBIT is, therefore, apolitical. That is not to say we are unaligned, undecided, neutral or nonpartisan, but that we are, as a whole, entirely without politics. It does not mean that as individuals, we do not hold strong opinions and feelings on the controversies at hand — we do. But this zine — the product of joint efforts on the part of many differing individuals cannot and will not become the inappropriate forum for debate on such matters. We have no desire to join the morbid ranks of too many zines that have already 'died' of this wearisome malady.

While we sympathize in all respects with the deep-seated emotions involved, we must ask, with soft entreaty, one last favor of our contributors. Please... please don't send us ultimatums? We can find no equitable means of proscribing one side of your war without banning the other as well — and then we'd have no zine at all.

As this column is written, leaders of the two most powerful nations on Earth -- once bitter ideological enemies -- are sitting down across a summit conference table to discuss the rather lofty concepts of disarmament and world peace. The microcosm of B7 fandom would, we think, do well to learn from their example. Perhaps, one day, it will.

With love and a prayer for détente.

• Editor's Elocution, editorial by Jean Graham (4)
• Computer Writer's Guidelines from the Assistant Editor by Sandy Van Densen (5)
• Decisions, fiction by Teresa Ward (6) (189)
• Intercepted Transmission, fiction by Aya Katz (Series A) (7)
• Anna, poem by Melissa Mastoris (9)
• A Game of Pyramids, fiction by Ruth Berman (Series A) (10)
• Rooms on Fire by Roxie Ray (filk) (12)
• Breakdown, poem by Michael J. Macomber (13)
• The Beast Within, poem by Michael J. Macomber (13)
• For Maryatt, poem by Teresa Ward (13)
• Reckoning, fiction by Leigh Arnold (Series A) (14)
• Word Searches One and Two, puzzle by Paulie Kay (28)
• Kriss Kross One, puzzle by Paulie Kay (28)
• Rosetta, fiction by Paulie Kay (Series B) (29)
• Change of Heart, poem by Jacqui Topp (33)
• Night of the Living Ice Cream, fiction by Ann Wortham and Leah Rosenthal (Series B) (34)
• A Midnite Visit, poem by Teresa Sarick (36)
• Servalan by Melissa Mastoris (filk, Jessica by Rick Springfield) (37)
• Jumble Sale, fiction by Lorna B. (Series B) (38)
• Forgotten Truths, fiction by Cami (Series C) (45)
• Don't Cry for Me, Federation by Jean Stroud (filk, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina) (61)
• Recollection, poem by Michael J. Macomber (61)
• Things Shared, fiction by Michelle Christian (Series C) (62)
• What I Had to Do by Roxie Ray (filk, Just a Job to Do by Genesis) (64)
• Quotation Puzzle, puzzle by Katherine S. Cremona (65)
• Blake's 7 Word Jumble, puzzle by Katherine S. Cremona (65)
• Nightmare in Paradise, fiction by Margaret Walsh (Series C) (66)
• Justice, fiction by Beth Nachison (Series C) (71)
• The Guilt That Never Sleeps, fiction by Mary Gerstner (Series C) (86)
• A Glance: For Cally, poem by Michael J. Macomber (115)
• Space Fatigue, poem by Michael Williams (115)
• Obsessions, poem by Teresa Sarick (116)
• Kriss Kross Two, puzzle by Paulie Kay (117)
• Mourning, fiction by Jean Graham (Series D) (118)
• Silver Light, poem by Teresa Sarick (119)
• Soolin by Roxie Ray(filk, Sussudio by Phil Collins) (120)
• After the Fire, fiction by Catherine Kendall (Series D) (121)
• Camouflage, poem by Lorna B. (140)
• Cally Recalled, poem by Anne Collins Smith (141)
• The Last Entry, fiction by Margaret Walsh (Series D) (143)
• The Setup, fiction by Jean B. Hubb (Series D) (145)
• Writers' Clay, poem by Lorna B. (152)
• Escape from Darkness, fiction by Sophia R. Mulvey (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (155)
• Feel the Reaper, fiction by April Giordano-Grisalfi (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (166)
• Chains, poem by Jacqui Topp (175)
• Regency, fiction by Irene Stubbs (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (178)
• The Waiting, poem by Melissa Mastoris (186)
• The Way Out, fiction by Lorna B. (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (187)
• Deva, poem by Melissa Mastoris (188)
• A Final Scream, poem by Melissa Mastoris (188)
• Rebel Reunion, fiction by Robert Collins (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (189)
• Rebel Heart by Teresa Sarick (filk, Hungry Heart) (190)
• Refraction, fiction by Lorna B. (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (191)
• Kiss of Death, poem by Melissa Mastoris (195)
• No Danger Without Pleasure, poem by Melissa Mastoris (195)
• Weapon, poem by Michael J. Macomber (195)
• Program, fiction by Sheila Paulson (Jabberwocky universe; reprinted in Jabberwocky Collected and Jabberwocky #3.) (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (196)
• From the Home Office on Star One: Top Ten Blake's Seven Lines by Teri Sarick (242)
• New Beginnings, fiction by Pat Dunn and Diana Smith (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (243)
• Memories, fiction by Pat Dunn and Diana Smith (Series E, Post Gauda Prime) (265)
• The Blake's 7 Routine by Teri Sarick (293)
• Simply Reprehensible by Roxie Ray (filk, Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer) (294)
• Letters of Comment (295)
• Zine Ads (298)

• 

  from issue #6, Tanje

• 

  from issue #6, Denise Loague

• 

  from issue #6, Denise Loague

• 

  from issue #6, Diana English

• 

  from issue #6, Michael Williams

• 

  from issue #6, Tanje

• 

  from issue #6, Mary Gerstner

• 

  from issue #6, Mary Gerstner

• 

  from issue #6, Tanje

• 

  from issue #6, Suzie Molnar

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

[Regency]: Normally I dislike PGPs where everyone improbably survives. But this story has such a clever angle that I found it plausible and fun to read.

[Night of the Living Ice Cream]: A Bizarro 7 story and the only one you'll find posted here on our website. All of our other Bizarro 7 stories are still to be found available in the reprinted The Bizarro Zine 1-4. We're going to have a Bizarro website up and running soon (similar to the Hellhound website), so be sure to check it out when you see it announced. In the meantime, here's the last Bizarro 7 story Leah and I ever wrote. We had plans for many more and some of them even have notes written up but, alas, we've never returned to the land of wacky, duck-loving rebels.

[Mourning]: ... though I'm usually an admirer of Jean Graham's writing she lost me in Mourning when Vila thought resentfully about Orac's part in the Malodaar incident—and they hadn't even left Terminal yet; Let's do the Time Warp.

[zine]: American genzine with stories, printed in series order, poetry, puzzles, filks, letters of comment and drawings. There are three each from series A & B, five from C, four from D and nine PGP, so Blake, Jenna and Gan fans may go short. Front cover is a colour drawing by Leah Rosenthal of Avon, Vila and a rather virulent ice-cream sundae. There are far too many items contained in Gambit 6's closely typed pages to discuss each one, but the overall standard is pretty high.

Many of the shorter stories are especially good. "Intercepted transmission" by Aya Katz is a succinct interpretation of Avon and Cally's attitudes to one another early on which manages to say a good deal in just over two pages. Only slightly longer is "A game of pyramids" by Ruth Berman which is a very nicely observed conversation between Blake, Jenna and Vila on the niceties of crime and ethics, and the advantages of being a Delta. "Rosetta" by Paulie Kay also uses the "there's more to Vila than meets the eye" angle. My favourite however was "Mourning" by Jean Graham, a way above average post-Terminal encounter between Vila and Avon.

Humorous stories are often the most difficult to sustain and "Jumble sale" by [Lorna B.] rather outstays its welcome. The reverse is true of "Night of the living ice-cream" By Ann Wortham and Leah Rosenthal, a self-explanatory Bizzarro 7 story with a really great ending.

Among the longer pieces, "Justice" is a thoughtful story in which the sister of a Federation trooper killed in one of Blake's attacks looks to revenge him.

In "Forgotten truths" by Teresa Ward and Cami Tarrant's amnesia is used by the Federation against his Liberator colleagues.

"Escape from darkness" is an enjoyable alternative PGP in which everyone survives and Avon suffers and gets forgiven in what may be a relatively happy ending, no less....

In contrast "Refraction" by [Lorna B.] is a chilling PGP tale about Blake and Vila which is the reverse of happy, though Vila gets to do the decent thing.

Three of the longer stories are part of a series, which may or may not concern you. I was a bit disappointed to have so much of the zine occupied by them, but that's personal to me, not a comment on their quality.

"The guilt that never sleeps" arises from Cally's early life and follows a story published in an earlier Gambit (3?). Although the writing is good, especially in the opening and closing scenes between Avon and Cally, I felt the portrayal both of her and of Vila was too much at variance with their series' characters.

"After the fire" is a sequel to "Naked eye " in Gambit 5 by Catherine Kendall; there is at least one more episode in a later Gambit. This story centres on Dayna, Tarrant and Vila. As I've read the later episode first and haven't yet found the first one, I can't really judge how good this is overall.

"Program" is a Jabberwocky story by Sheila Paulson featuring Dayna in a manner of speaking. The Jabberwocky stories represent a coherent universe and are all undeniably well-written, but as I personally find it difficult to get really involved in them I similarly wouldn't want to venture an opinion on how this one rates. Jabberwocky and where to find it

Of the remaining stories, I thought "New beginnings" and "Memories", both Avon and Vila stories by Diana Smith and Pat Dunn had more than a touch of the Mary Sues. "Reckoning" by Leigh Arnold involves Avon's brother, and doesn't say much that is new.

[zine]: 'There are plenty of things that can be done badly in a fanzine. Bad presentation, bad art, bad concept bad writing. In fact, so many things can go wrong it seems amazing that any zines make it to the market much less any good ones. I'm pleased to add Jean Graham's Gambit 6 to my list of the ones that beat the odds.

Gambit 6 is a slick, professionally-presented publication. The sheer size of it is daunting, or—if you're a glutton for Blake's 7 literature like me—absolutely intoxicating. There are a total of 25 short stories, drawn from every series. Naturally, they can't all be great, but the vast majority are, at least, competently executed I counted up my votes for favorites after I'd read the zine cover-to-cover twice, and was mildly surprised to find seven I felt were deserving of specific praise.

Intercepted Transmissions, a very nice story by Aya Katz, did an interesting turn on the issue of Cally's telepathy. I found [Lorna B.'s] Jumble Sale a wonderful slice of the lighter side of the Liberator; I've always suspected Jenna of collecting revealing underwear. Jean Graham gave us a darkly effective vision of Terminal in Mourning. Irene Stubbs' Regency is a unique work, noteworthy especially for her use of Zen and Orac as main characters.

Refraction by [Lorna B.] is a beautifully realized piece on Vila's last confrontation with Blake. Program, a Jabberwocky story by Sheila Paulson, was my first introduction to the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saving the best for last, I have to count Justice by Beth Nachison as an outstanding piece of fiction. Not fan fiction. Fiction, period. This work didn't strike any false notes for me either in concept or execution, and it drives home the inevitable gap between justice and revenge. Beth is a fine writer. I look forward to reading more of her in the future.

My approval is not quite unreserved for this collection. I felt that Mary Gerstner's The Guilt That Never Sleeps was an experiment that got out of hand, a story that seemed barely in control of its premise for most of its length. It was especially tragic that the work contained several nicely realized scenes—scenes that were lost in the failure of the premise in total. Paradoxically, the artwork was outstanding.

I had serious reservations about the two collaborations between Pat Dunn and Diana Smith, New Beginnings and Memories, and no moments of pleasure. I never bought into the character of Anthea Marden, and I couldn't see Avon doing it either—even after Gauda Prime The uncomfortable placement of these two weak stories at the end of the zine left me feeling disappointed, especially after liking the earlier works so much.

In spite of my reservations on those particular stories, I felt the quality of Gambit 6 was impressive. I haven't even mentioned the outstanding poetry by Michael J. Macomber, Teri Sarick, Anne Collins Smith, [Lorna B.], Melissa Mastoris — or the vivid artwork by Mary Gerstner and Tanje. I haven't even had time to try the puzzles yet. Suffice to say that although I can't say I loved every story in the zine (and indeed actively disliked at least three) I wasn't in the least sorry to have spent money on this one. And I won't hesitate to spend more on the next issue.

[zine]: "The Good, the Bad, and the Unique" (A blatantly prejudicial, biased non-review of some recent zines.) Before going on, please read this disclaimer. I admit that this considers zine stories for only three things: if they are fair in characterizing Tarrant (The Good) if they greatly misunderstand, malign, or ignore Tarrant (The Bad), if they have some refreshing premise or twist (The Unique). I will not comment on quality of good writing and will ignore or pan stories that are better written than some of "The Good" ones. All ratings are based on my own personal impressions, tastes, and interpretations.

• [The Good]: Decisions by Ward - Deeta tells De1 that he will be leaving Earth.
• [The Good]: Tarrant art by Michael Williams
• [The Good]: Forgotten Truths by Ward & McCoy - amnesia causes Tarrant to forget his desertion from the Federation.
• [The Good]: Nightmare in Paradise by Margaret Walsh - Someone wants Tarrant.
• [The Bad]: The Guilt That Never Sleeps by Mary Gerstner - Cally is in trouble and Tarrant's reactions include, "We could just leave her..." and "She's only an alien." (Wasn't Tarrant the one who never deserted a shipmate or did we watch different third seasons?)
• [The Good]: After the Fire by Catherine Kendall - Tarrant and Dayna begin a relationship after Zeeona's death.
• [The Good]: Escape from Eertaiess by Mulvey - Just as the crew are about to be berated for not helping Avon during fourth season, it is realized that they had pressures of their own. (What a welcome, and far too often overlooked, admission.)
• [The Good]: Regency by Irene Stubbs - What happened to Zen after Terminal!
• [The Good]: Program by Paulson - A Program becomes self aware and it will have ramifications on the Jabberwocky crew with most focus on Avon. (I'd line to see a future story considering more of Tarrant's reactions.)
• [The Bad]: New Beginnings by Diana Smith and Pat Dunn - Vila and Avon survive GP again, and find some new female shipmates.

[zine]: I wanted to say how much I enjoyed GAMBIT 6 . I especially (as always) enjoyed the JABBERWOCKY story and ’After the Fire.* I dearly hope that the latter’s author will continue with the series. I also appreciate the letters of comment section. It’s always nice to know you are appreciated. Another story I liked was ’Night of the living Ice Cream.’ As with all BIZARRO stories, it was funny in a twisted sort of way.

[zine]: GAMBIT 6 is simply brilliant I love the ’new look’ with the perfect binding — with that, the color cover and laser printing it’s easily one of the best looking zines I’ve ever come across. The contents matched the excellence of the presentation. I liked so many of them it would take far too long to list them, but I must make special mention of the poems in ’Cally Recalled,’ and the wonderful sequel to ’The Gambler’s Bane,’ ’The Guilt That Never Sleeps,’ all of which were truly outstanding. Regarding your editorial, I can only hope your call for peace in the world of B7 fandom is heeded by all. News of ’the controversy’ has of course reached fans over here [in the UK], but gratefully after a few letters in club newsletters seems to have died down. I hope the same happens over there and that the fans can soon get back to the whole point of fandom — enjoying the series, the zines and themselves!

[zine]: Your zines have steadily improved in format and content This cover was a beaut! You had some memorable stories in here.

’Night of the Living Ice Cream’ - a "slow” BIZARRO tale, I thought until I reread it and visualized the sundae speaking in the tones of the King, Elvis!

"The Guilt That Never Sleeps" - this not only destroyed the image of Vila as a fun-loving thief, but also the image of Cally as a "pure" rebel. There was much more darkness to her than being possessed by other beings. A well-plotted, dark tale.

’After the Fire" - it’s not quite a sequel, but a "what were the others doing in the meantime?" Good to see that Vila and Dayna survived —and Jenna! This demands a sequel where the two groups meet up. ’

Cally Recalled’ - good look at her, by friends past, present and might-have-been.

'Escape From Darkness’ —the part that really rang true to me was Deva’s angry reaction to Blake’s overwhelming obsession with Avon. It makes his Gauda Prime followers more than faceless "yes men.” Also, a good look at the Scorpio crew’s reactions to the crisis.

’Regency’ - a very different tale, Where only the computers (Zen, Orac, other systems) got the action and the speaking parts.

’The Way Out’ - Avon was really gone, when he didn’t use that gun to kill Servalan!

’Rebel Reunion’ — they actually found a Batman who could beat out the Joker in insanity — Avon! Liked the light-hearted victory banter.

’Refraction’ — was this a sequel to ’Collapse’ in GAMBIT 5? How ironic that ’harmless’ Vila should end Blake’s evil plans! Poetic justice!

’Program’ - I was going to write earlier, to protest Dayna’s early end in the JABBERWOCKY series. Good thing I didn’t. Orac and JABBERWOCKY are the strongest agents used by Divine Providence to pull off a’ resurrection.’ Sheila can be full of surprises! I am surprised, though, that the crew didn’t check Servalan thoroughly for hidden weapons on capturing her. After all, she pulled the same trick on her last encounter. But I see new trouble for the Blake Jenna relationship. Blake’s offer to leave with Avon showed Jenna her presence wouldn’t be enough to keep Blake on the ship —but Avon’s absence would drive him off it. Looks as though first place in Blake’s life goes not to his cause, but Avon.

Final thoughts: I agree with your ’Elocution’ column. Other letterzines have described the argument in full. Save your zine for fun!

[zine]: I think the JABBERWOCKY series improves with each story. I had missed Dayna, something I usually don’t do in B7 stories. I then read ’Escape From Darkness,’ which I liked, and ’Night of the Living Ice Cream’ which was mildly amusing but not really up to the usual BIZARRO standards. ’The Blake’s 7 Routine’ had me giggling. I have just started on ’Regency’ which is interesting so far. Thank you for a lovely zine and thank your friends for helping to produce it. It’s a true test of friendship to help with a friend’s incomprehensible hobbies.

[zine]: I just received GAMBIT 6. WOWSERS! Real book-binding! I now have to say that yours is THE most ’professional’ zine on the market. Now, to get a few things off my chest...

First, a response to Irene Stubbs’ LOC. I’m sorry if anyone was offended by my ’Obit’ [GAMBIT 5]; it wasn’t intended to offend. I thought the humor was pretty obvious: Travis (you all did recognize that it was Travis, didn’t you?!) mistakenly kills Paul, thinking he’s Avon. Besides, as I said, it was written in response to the headline. I mentioned the headline to Paul at a con, and he rather liked it, especially since it referred to his namesake, Clarence Darrow. The ’Obit’ was not meant in any fashion to be anti-Darrow. It was not done in bad taste. You can imagine the first thing thing rushed through my mind (albeit only fleetingly) when I spied the headline. So I decided to use it and have a little fun. Obviously, fun is in the eye of the beholder. I would never do anything to offend anyone in B7, most especially the actors. I fear the silly Controversy has sullied our fandom for along time.

Now, for complaint #2: Why, oh why, are stories constantly written casting Tarrant in such a bad light? The Tarrant of the series never even thought of abandoning a crew mate; he was often the one who refused to do so. Yet in most fen fiction he is ready to leave everyone at the drop of a hat. Nor were he and Avon constantly at odds, and when they were, it was never to the extent some stories have them. I have a suggestion. Everyone who isn’t a Tarrant fen: put yourself in a Tarrant fen’s shoes. Imagine that no one likes Avon; in fact he is universally despised. He rarely appears in stories, and when he does, he is grossly miscast. Would you like that? I sure don’t. I spend the first 15 minutes after receiving a zine flipping through it to see if Tarrant even appears, which is rare enough, then I check to see if he’s treated fairly, which is even more rare. Give us a break and try to be fair to the guy occasionally. We sure do appreciate it when our favorite character is treated with a little bit of consideration. To say something nice here, fortunately there weren’t many ’Tarrant is a jerk’ stories in this issue, hurray.

Liked ’Reckoning’ by Leigh Arnold, but a question here: How did the tradition of naming Avon’s brother ’Terrick’ get started? [In very early UK fan fiction, I believe.-JG] ’Jumble Sale’ by Lorna Breshears was very good as well. Typical, too: everyone always buys more junk than they sell. ’Nightmare in Paradise’ was a hoot. I can very well imagine Tarrant foaming at the mouth. Now, I’m a little confused with ’After the Fire,’ which is listed as being a sequel to ’Naked Eye,’ but it reads like a prequel. I mean, is Tarrant dead; because he’s in ’Naked Eye,’ and his physical appearance is explained in this story. Help! Clear this up for me. [It should have read ^prequel.’ -JG]

LOVE Tanje’s art. Just where has this person been hiding? When are they going to do a nice Tarrant or Travis illo?

In parting, in reference to your editorial - goodness, some contributors send you ’ultimatums’? Over what? Never mind, I don’t want to know. All I have to say to you and your staff is keep up the good work. You must have the patience of Job, because if I had to put up with all you’ve apparently endured in the continuing publication of this zine, I would have had a temper tantrum and given it up a few years ago. If you can continue to do it, then God bless and go for broke. Goodness knows we need a little common sense and practicality in fandom about now. Thanks.

[zine]: I received my contributor’s copy of GAMBIT 6 last Friday and have gulped it down. Great as always! I had never seen any work by Tanje before and wanted to let you know how well I liked it. Terrific style. Always like Denise Loague’s work and Leah Rosenthal. I liked Mary Gerstner’s ’Lost Boys’ artwork. Enjoyed her story too. Her stories are always excellently written and constructed. But gloomy! She and April are dangerous when they write separately. (I missed having a ’Saint Roj.’) Loved the BIZARRO story as always. JABBERWOCKY is one of the best series stories I’ve seen. I always save those to read for last because I want to be sure I finish with a high note. I enjoyed Lorna Breshears’ ’Jumble Sale’ very much. (Mine, mine, mine. I also enjoyed Sophia Mulvey’s ’Escape From Darkness.’ I’m sure I've forgotten others that were equally good, but those were some that really stuck in my mind.

[zine]: Received GAMBIT 6 on Friday. I love the super cover. Enjoyed Ruth Berman’s ’A Game of Pyramids’ very much. ’Night of the Living Ice Cream’ was okay, but not one of W&R’s best BIZARRO 7 stories. And I’m going to blow my own trumpet and say ’Nightmare in Paradise’ is one of the best stories I’ve ever written. Couldn’t warm to ’After the Fire’ (no pun intended) at all. Somehow Dayna as a prostitute just didn’t gel with me. I loved Anne Collins Smith’s trilogy of poems ’Cally Recalled.’ Beautiful. ’Feel the Reaper’ was excellent. I would not like to meet April Giordano in a dark alley at night. ’Feel the Reaper ’left me chilled. Powerful writing. This woman should be writing professionally. I reckon she would topple Stephen King from his throne.

[zine]: I very much enjoyed ’Regency’ by Irene Stubbs. It was refreshingly different, focusing on Zen, and had a wonderfully upbeat ending. ’Program’ by Sheila Paulson provided some unique new possibilities to the B7 universe. Having Dayna become a self-aware program/android promises many intriguing twists for future JABBERWOCKY tales. I was disappointed that the story didn’t focus more on Tarrant’s reaction to ’Dayna’s’ return. Given the developing relationship that he and Dayna shared, I would be most curious as to how they relate now. The ’Program’ did remember that her last charge to Avon was to take care of Del. I’m hoping that Sheila will explore the repercussions of android Dayna/Tarrant in a future story. I’m afraid that I didn’t very much understand the characterizations in "The Guilt That Never Sleeps" - Was this meant to be an alternate universe story? Avon, Vila and Tarrant seemed completely contrary to their season three behaviors. Wasn’t it Tarrant who insisted they teleport to Ultraworld after their Auron shipmate? Of all. the B7 characters, it was Tarrant who always exhibited the most loyalty, including retrieving Vila’s ’body’ in Dawn, refusing to leave Keezam without Vila (when Avon was ready to go), and even going to Terminal to back up Avon, despite Avon’s sticking a gun in his belly. His actions might have been unwise and impetuous, but they were always motivated by loyalty. Though ’After the Fire’ was labeled a sequel to ’Naked Eye,’ it appeared to be a prequel to it, and a sequel to Catherine’s story in GAMBIT 4. I am curious about what will happen when all of the separated crew are reunited and will be looking forward to more of the series. Thank you, Jean and other production people, for GAMBIT 6.

[zine]: Love the new binding treatment. Very nice, and much better than comb binding or stapling ([ get very annoyed with comb binding that is so tight the pages will not turn easily!) Your editorial gave me a bit of a turn. People are so thin-skinned they can’t even stand to be on the same page-(or facing page) together? Please! It’s just beyond silly. And I certainly have no problems with GAMBIT coming out every 8-9 months instead of twice a year -it’s still one of the most reliably-scheduled zines out there. And the editor actually lets you know if you’ve been accepted or not (and within a year, too!) Who can argue with that? (The above was heavy sarcasm directed at other editors who shall remain nameless—and as far as I’m concerned, anyway, storyless!)

Anyway, as to stories; My favorite this zine has to be ’Justice’ by Beth Nachison. I liked Perian Dee and found her quite well-rounded and believable. Definitely one of the more realistic ’revenge sought on B7 by person unwittingly harmed by said B7 stories I have read. And all the characters were right on. Very good story. I also liked your own ’Mourning,’ which was a very touching tale, with a killer last line. Umm, there was a little mistake in referring to Malodaar while the crew are stranded on Terminal, though. ...A great ’sniffle’ story. ’Program’ also deserves mention -especially for spotlighting Dayna and Vila. I greatly enjoyed ’The Setup’ by Jean Hubb also. Quite a fun little Avon-Vila caper, with some good insight into Soolin’s often neglected character. Another goodie was ’Forgotten Truths’ by Carol McCoy and Teresa Ward (so nice to see Tarrant with amnesia for a change — everyone else seems to have had it one time or another, kind of like mumps). Also found ’Regency’ intriguing. I had trouble understanding some of it, but what an idea! I really didn’t care for ’The Guilt That Never Sleeps’ as I don’t find Cally’s background particularly believable and some of the B7 characters are rather skewed. Ditto ’After the Fire.’ That one had some interesting ideas, but the plot contradicts itself in several places and the writing needs a great deal of work.

For poems, I definitely think Michael Macomber’s ’Weapon’ was the best. Poor old Coser, wanting so much to be remembered for his achievement, and ultimately destined for obscurity. And Tanje’s art was wonderful! I certainly hope you can get more of it!

[zine]:There seems to be some sort of squabble taking place; I don’t know what it is about, but I have seen veiled references in other places. I don’t want to step on any toes, but it seems the height of arrogance for people who are being published and distributed for free to object to where their work is placed in the volume.

‘Interrupted Transmission’ has a nice point of view shift. It starts in the third person, but quickly shifts to Avon’s point of view, but skewed, as if from an Avon watching himself. This is something of the quality I have noticed in some of Paul Darrow’s other performances; his characters appear to be watching themselves act. I like this one a lot.

‘A Game of Pyramids’ is very good writing. Vila is lovely and everything is done through speech and action; little character introspection. Very skillfully done.

‘Reckoning’ has a well done family squabble. The mystery solution is a little pat; I’m not sure how the real culprit could be deduced from the evidence presented,, but that is not really the point of the story. Good writing overall. ‘Jumble Sale’ is really funny. I was reading it in the bathtub and almost dropped the book. Lorna Breshears is also responsible for a couple of grim PGP items later on —that’s versatility.

‘The Guilt That Never Sleeps’ does not fit my idea of Cally at all, or my idea of Auron. I just can’t accept it as part of the canon.

‘Mourning’ is believable and fits the emotional state I would provide for the characters. Vila kicking Orac is a nice touch.

‘The Set-Up’ has good characterization. I think the tone shifts from dark to light, or at least lighter, as the story goes on. This is a nice effect.

‘Regency’ is cleverly done. No doubt many of us would find this an attractive PGP situation.

‘Program’ by Sheila Paulson, what can I say? All her work that I have read is well written. I remember ‘ Limbo’ especially, where Avon crashed into Iowa, as very skillful use of a trite situation. (I also remember a wonderful picture of Avon confronting a lobster.) I thought ‘Link-Up’ proposed an interesting situation, but the later JABBERWWOCKY series is too much for me. Avon as telepathic healer is much too New Age for B7. Admittedly I have not read all the intervening episodes, and I am tracking down those I don’t have, but it is hard for me to accept this Avon.

‘Blake’s 7 Routine’ is very funny and right for Jay Leno. Teri Sarick has his style down.

.. .I have never before experienced this form of mania; I didn’t even have teenage crushes. I suppose we all have to go through it sometime, but I thought at my age and stage of life I might escape. I am fascinated by the zine publication and all the busy writers. This is a wonderful outlet.

[zine]: Goodness, where to start? GAMBIT 6 has always attracted me because of the variety of submissions you draw in-and yet again, another sterling issue! The perfect-binding is great. Staples are a hassle and comb-binding is such a hassle (for the reader and the editor). The print layout goes without saying, modest soul that I am. I’ve never seen Tanje’s art before, and it’s lovely! I hope we see more of her work in GAMBIT 7. I don’t have the zine in front of me, but several stories come readily to mind, particularly Irene Stubbs’ ’Regency.’ Well done, Irene! Telling the tale from the computer’s viewpoint made for a refreshing change. As always, the JABBERWOCKY stories grab me by the throat and take me for a roller coaster ride. ’After the Fire’ didn’t do much for me, I’m afraid. I found Dayna’s prostitution and Vila’s subsequent ’rescue’ conflicting with my perception of the characters. ’The Guilt That Never Sleeps’ was great...I’d forgotten what a ’Lost Boys’ fan you are, Mary (you even gave Nanuck apart!). I wouldn’t mind seeing more of your Keifer Sutherland artwork sometime. The name escapes me at the moment, but I enjoyed Teresa Ward’s Tarrant story as well. Keep up the great work everyone!