Pros in multi-media zines: Concupiscence
Dec. 7th, 2011 12:54 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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discoveredinaljFirst in my adventures in multi-fandom magazines with Pros content today is Concupiscence. (What is this, you ask? Background/intro to adventures here)
Concupiscence: "...Professionals and Gifted Amateurs" was published by Manacles in 1991. It has 150 pages. There are five Pros stories and seven others: two Wiseguy stories, and single stories about Blakes 7, Starsky and Hutch, Star Trek:the Next Generation, Star Wars and General Hospital.
Three of the Pros stories are already online; a fourth is on the Proslib CD.
The cover is a plain blue cover, and there are no interior illustrations. The print is large and clear and in two columns per page. The final line to one of the stories has been written by hand: looks like a line of type fell off the page. A two or three sentence teaser is set into the middle of the first page of each story, and this often shows you who the pairing is. I didn't see many typos, although one repeated one was in one author's name in the header on each recto page, unfortunately enough. Overall, it's really easy to read.
There's a foreword at the start and adverts at the back: adverts for a Wiseguy slash novel, Oblique Publications, Homosapien (a zine) and Escapade II (a con); and requests for stories for Concupiscence II and Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.
Pros content: about 40 pages.
The Smallest Room, by Sebastian. 10 pp. Bodie and Doyle in one small room; idle talk turns to daring... It's online in several locations (eg, The Smallest Room at Sebastian's website) so you can make up your own mind, but I like this. I like Sebastian's style and the way her stories snake and change direction.
To The Victor... by Snow White. 2pp. Not quite B/D yet, but Doyle has designs. Spoils of War is the sequel. Can't say too much about it without spoiling it - it's so short - but I like Doyle's thoughts at the end very much - competitive and quite vindictive, and I don't blame him. Bodie's a bit too open with his emotions for me. Available online.
Someone Special, by Meg Garrett, 6pp. Again, not B/D, but more than that would spoil it. Doyle listens as Bodie chats to old army mates, who turn out to include characters from other shows. From the names given, I guessed one show correctly (New Avengers), and had no idea about the other (Sandbaggers). I didn't need to know anything about them to enjoy it (which is just as well), as the various old mates complain about the constraints their current work puts upon them and the difficulties of finding that someone special. This is light-hearted fun, and none the worse for that. It's on the Proslib CD.
...The Spoils of War, by Snow White. 8pp. Sequel to To The Victor... Aha, this story is B/D actually getting down to it (finally, only the second in the zine!), but it's taken them a long time to get there, and a posthumous letter from Cowley explains why. I don't find it entirely credible - although I am personally always prepared to believe the worst of one character, who is portrayed here as cynical and manipulative. I don't see Doyle weeping with rage, for example, and parts are too romantic for me. I enjoyed it nevertheless. Admittedly, I think that was partly because I want them to make it into the bedroom (alley, whatever) at least once, and I was getting a bit concerned that it wasn't going to happen more than once in the entire zine. Shallow, me? Available online.
Undercover, by Stew. 14 pp. The only Pros content not online or on the CD. Again, B/D (oh, the relief). Told in the first person, from Bodie's point of view. It's set during In The Public Interest, and circumstances are getting to both men ("You ever thought about it?" "I haven't run out of women yet.") Nice weaving of episode and outside-the-episode scenes. I like the idea that Doyle might suggest to Bodie that he might be starting to be entertain thoughts about men generally, trusting Bodie with that information, but that he also might suggest he has no interest in Bodie himself ("Why should you think you qualify?") - there's quite a level of trust there. I had read a couple of Stew stories and wanted to read some more, and this story was one of the reasons to get the zine. So I was glad it didn't disappoint.
Enjoyed all the Pros stories.
Non-Pros content:
The Iceman Cometh, by M. Fae Glasgow. Blakes 7, Avon/Vila, 7 pp. Vila propositions Avon. Successfully. I don't really imagine Vila talking like this, but Avon, yes. Entertaining ending.
Rich Man, Poor Man, Monica Rose Kiesel, Starsky and Hutch. 3 pp. They're playing Monopoly, and Starsky owes Hutch millions. Hutch suggests a way to pay off the debt.
To Those Who Wait, by Melody Clark. Wiseguy. Frank/Vinnie. 21pp. I know nothing about this show. I had never even heard of it. It made me wonder if I had missed out. Two characters in a cabin. Frank has admitted a lot about his feelings in a psych evaluation, the report of which Vinnie has managed to get hold of. Vinnie pushes Frank to admit the same to his face. Available online
Mental Traveller, M Fae Glasgow ST:TNG. Picard/Data. 19pp. Inspired by a Blake poem, though I don't quite see it myself. Picard and Data discuss life, death, love, possession and submission. Matters progress. Another fandom I know nothing of, though at least I've seen the programme. I really enjoyed M Fae's take on Picard and Data's thoughts here. Like her Pros writing, the train of thought is quite unsettling at times.
The Corellian Point of View, by Felicity Granger, Star Wars, Han/Luke 22pp, After the first film, Luke is getting used to rebels who are denizens of a galaxy rather more cosmopolitan than Tattooine, and starting to look at Han in a different way. It occurs to me that this is possibly a really common trope in Star Wars, but since I haven't read any before, it's new to me. Perhaps that's why I liked it. I liked a lot about this story, from the irony of the rebel pilot who is still maintaining boring machinery - it's not all swooping around in fighters! - to Han's casual reassurance and Luke's confusion about the practicalities. Neither Bodie nor Doyle were ever this naïve...
A Matter of Trust, T.H.E. Manx, General Hospital, Robert Scorpio/ Sean Donnelly. Straight over my head, this one, despite summaries at the start which should have helped. I got the idea of the plot and theme, but it didn't do anything for me because I didn't know the characters.
Goodbye, Mike McPike, Maggie Hall, Wiseguy, Frankie/Vinnie pp. Still know nothing about this show (see above), but again enjoyed this. Frank has to work out what he wants in life and whether he'll succumb to Vince's temptation, and then they both need to work out what they want in bed. The latter part reminds me a lot of Maggie Hall's Pros fic, All Talk: not everyone is the same. Very much about character, but even without knowing the programme, it was nice.
So yes. I enjoyed this, and I enjoyed much more of the non-Pros stuff than I expected. But if you only want the Pros stuff, I would definitely just buy the Proslib CD.
Okay, next one coming up in a few hours.
Concupiscence: "...Professionals and Gifted Amateurs" was published by Manacles in 1991. It has 150 pages. There are five Pros stories and seven others: two Wiseguy stories, and single stories about Blakes 7, Starsky and Hutch, Star Trek:the Next Generation, Star Wars and General Hospital.
Three of the Pros stories are already online; a fourth is on the Proslib CD.
The cover is a plain blue cover, and there are no interior illustrations. The print is large and clear and in two columns per page. The final line to one of the stories has been written by hand: looks like a line of type fell off the page. A two or three sentence teaser is set into the middle of the first page of each story, and this often shows you who the pairing is. I didn't see many typos, although one repeated one was in one author's name in the header on each recto page, unfortunately enough. Overall, it's really easy to read.
There's a foreword at the start and adverts at the back: adverts for a Wiseguy slash novel, Oblique Publications, Homosapien (a zine) and Escapade II (a con); and requests for stories for Concupiscence II and Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.
Pros content: about 40 pages.
The Smallest Room, by Sebastian. 10 pp. Bodie and Doyle in one small room; idle talk turns to daring... It's online in several locations (eg, The Smallest Room at Sebastian's website) so you can make up your own mind, but I like this. I like Sebastian's style and the way her stories snake and change direction.
To The Victor... by Snow White. 2pp. Not quite B/D yet, but Doyle has designs. Spoils of War is the sequel. Can't say too much about it without spoiling it - it's so short - but I like Doyle's thoughts at the end very much - competitive and quite vindictive, and I don't blame him. Bodie's a bit too open with his emotions for me. Available online.
Someone Special, by Meg Garrett, 6pp. Again, not B/D, but more than that would spoil it. Doyle listens as Bodie chats to old army mates, who turn out to include characters from other shows. From the names given, I guessed one show correctly (New Avengers), and had no idea about the other (Sandbaggers). I didn't need to know anything about them to enjoy it (which is just as well), as the various old mates complain about the constraints their current work puts upon them and the difficulties of finding that someone special. This is light-hearted fun, and none the worse for that. It's on the Proslib CD.
...The Spoils of War, by Snow White. 8pp. Sequel to To The Victor... Aha, this story is B/D actually getting down to it (finally, only the second in the zine!), but it's taken them a long time to get there, and a posthumous letter from Cowley explains why. I don't find it entirely credible - although I am personally always prepared to believe the worst of one character, who is portrayed here as cynical and manipulative. I don't see Doyle weeping with rage, for example, and parts are too romantic for me. I enjoyed it nevertheless. Admittedly, I think that was partly because I want them to make it into the bedroom (alley, whatever) at least once, and I was getting a bit concerned that it wasn't going to happen more than once in the entire zine. Shallow, me? Available online.
Undercover, by Stew. 14 pp. The only Pros content not online or on the CD. Again, B/D (oh, the relief). Told in the first person, from Bodie's point of view. It's set during In The Public Interest, and circumstances are getting to both men ("You ever thought about it?" "I haven't run out of women yet.") Nice weaving of episode and outside-the-episode scenes. I like the idea that Doyle might suggest to Bodie that he might be starting to be entertain thoughts about men generally, trusting Bodie with that information, but that he also might suggest he has no interest in Bodie himself ("Why should you think you qualify?") - there's quite a level of trust there. I had read a couple of Stew stories and wanted to read some more, and this story was one of the reasons to get the zine. So I was glad it didn't disappoint.
Enjoyed all the Pros stories.
Non-Pros content:
The Iceman Cometh, by M. Fae Glasgow. Blakes 7, Avon/Vila, 7 pp. Vila propositions Avon. Successfully. I don't really imagine Vila talking like this, but Avon, yes. Entertaining ending.
Rich Man, Poor Man, Monica Rose Kiesel, Starsky and Hutch. 3 pp. They're playing Monopoly, and Starsky owes Hutch millions. Hutch suggests a way to pay off the debt.
To Those Who Wait, by Melody Clark. Wiseguy. Frank/Vinnie. 21pp. I know nothing about this show. I had never even heard of it. It made me wonder if I had missed out. Two characters in a cabin. Frank has admitted a lot about his feelings in a psych evaluation, the report of which Vinnie has managed to get hold of. Vinnie pushes Frank to admit the same to his face. Available online
Mental Traveller, M Fae Glasgow ST:TNG. Picard/Data. 19pp. Inspired by a Blake poem, though I don't quite see it myself. Picard and Data discuss life, death, love, possession and submission. Matters progress. Another fandom I know nothing of, though at least I've seen the programme. I really enjoyed M Fae's take on Picard and Data's thoughts here. Like her Pros writing, the train of thought is quite unsettling at times.
The Corellian Point of View, by Felicity Granger, Star Wars, Han/Luke 22pp, After the first film, Luke is getting used to rebels who are denizens of a galaxy rather more cosmopolitan than Tattooine, and starting to look at Han in a different way. It occurs to me that this is possibly a really common trope in Star Wars, but since I haven't read any before, it's new to me. Perhaps that's why I liked it. I liked a lot about this story, from the irony of the rebel pilot who is still maintaining boring machinery - it's not all swooping around in fighters! - to Han's casual reassurance and Luke's confusion about the practicalities. Neither Bodie nor Doyle were ever this naïve...
A Matter of Trust, T.H.E. Manx, General Hospital, Robert Scorpio/ Sean Donnelly. Straight over my head, this one, despite summaries at the start which should have helped. I got the idea of the plot and theme, but it didn't do anything for me because I didn't know the characters.
Goodbye, Mike McPike, Maggie Hall, Wiseguy, Frankie/Vinnie pp. Still know nothing about this show (see above), but again enjoyed this. Frank has to work out what he wants in life and whether he'll succumb to Vince's temptation, and then they both need to work out what they want in bed. The latter part reminds me a lot of Maggie Hall's Pros fic, All Talk: not everyone is the same. Very much about character, but even without knowing the programme, it was nice.
So yes. I enjoyed this, and I enjoyed much more of the non-Pros stuff than I expected. But if you only want the Pros stuff, I would definitely just buy the Proslib CD.
Okay, next one coming up in a few hours.
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 01:30 am (UTC)Yes, well, neither Bodie nor Doyle are 19, from a dustball farm, or grew up in isolation and oppressive sheltering!
But my god is OT SW fanfic hard to find outside of zines. Like, there are dozens and dozens of H/L novels out there, taunting me with their only-available-in-print-ness.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 09:03 am (UTC)And I thought Luke's confusion - not just about the practicalities, but other stuff (there's a lot in this story, but I didn't want to wreck it for people) - was really sweet.
But my god is OT SW fanfic hard to find - OT? One.. something? Old testament? Oh! Original trilogy?
no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 09:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 02:23 am (UTC)Wiseguy was a hot fandom at one time. There are some clips and vids on youtube if you want to see and/or hear these guys. I was never into it but I recognise the characters if I see a vid. I vaguely remember watching it a time or two during first run.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 09:17 am (UTC)I have now had a glance at the Wikipedia explanation of Wiseguy, and a Bluffer's Guide written by a Blakes 7 fan for the benefit of other B7 fans who get a different multimedia zine containing it (Risk). Fascinating - it sounds exactly like the sort of series I would hate! But I enjoyed these stories...
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 10:02 am (UTC)Quite how I liked these, I am starting to wonder.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 03:37 am (UTC)(but really - thanks for these, its fun to learn about stories that I haven't seen!)
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 10:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 10:21 am (UTC)There are other Stew stories online, but -- looking at the circuit archive now -- oh, this is weird. I'm genuinely thinking, "Hang on, which of these was the one I really liked?" I'm seriously starting to wonder whether I muddled my authors up, because these are nearly all AU, which is not generally my thing at all.
Boggle. Okay, so I was even luckier than I thought, then!
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 07:17 am (UTC)These stories sound interesting and you've told us just enough to send me looking for the ones that are online! As for the multimedia - I'll read happily outside 'my' fandoms but the author has to do a good job of explaining the characters/set-up - something I think is important in fanfic as a whole, because there are always going to be 'newbies' reading.
Thanks for the reviews/recs!
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 10:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 10:28 am (UTC)Nevertheless, glad you're enjoying it! All of these zines are reasonably old, and, so far as I know, they are not now in print.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 11:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 11:21 pm (UTC)On the bright side, of course, it means that I have made the connection between the multi-media Concupiscence and the Pros-specific Nudge Nudge Wink Wink from the same press. So now I know what to keep an eye out for!