Discovered in a Christmas pud - December 31: zine day!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Okay. Hope I can pull this off.

I have participated in DIALJ Christmasses twice before, and both times I have posted reviews of zines, specifically of multi-media zines with Pros stories in them. I did this because I thought that there was likely to be more discussion of Pros-specific zines and so I'd fill in some gaps.

But in fact there has not been that much zine discussion of any nature since then after all. Not that I can find, anyway. This is sad, because there are some cracking zines out there, and some of them are pretty easy to get hold of, whether you borrow or buy them. Some, alas, are trickier. And it's nice to know something about them so that you know whether you want particular ones, or how much of an effort you might be willing to go to for particular zines.

So for my day today, I am going to post a couple of multi-media zine reviews, just for old times sake (a whole two years is a tradition, right? right?), but I am finally going to get around to some recs and discussion, too. This idea came to me quite late, so I am not entirely prepared for it. I do have quite a lot of zines to choose from, and I'm not sure what's best: long detailed pieces about a few zines, or a heap of brief mentions of lots. So I am going to ask you lot.

When I say "I have quite a lot of zines", I actually mean somewhere between one and two hundred. (Pros fandom, what have you done to me?) I have a bookcase pretty much full of the things. So here's the plan: if there's a zine you have always wanted to know about, and you think there's a chance I may have it, mention it in the comments here, and I'll see what I can post about it by the end of the day.

Some help: if it's by Gryphon or Allamagoosa, who are the two zine producers I know are definitely still in business, I almost certainly have it. If it's a letterzine, I almost certainly don't: I have a whole one issue of DIAL, and half a dozen Cold Fish and Stale Chips, and that's about it. I've got a few with heaps of letters of comments in them about previous issues - Chalk and Cheeses and Homosapiens, for example. I have a few No Holds Barred, lots of the 'theme zines' either as the original zines or in the reprinted anthologies, and most of the Motet zines. Courtesy of a friend passing stuff on, I have a lot of the prettier zines, the novels which catch the eye: Harlequin Airs, All The Queen's Men, some of the Pam Rose zine novels, and so on, but they are almost all online as well. I have a fair few Nut Hatch zines - novels and collections - but they produced so many zines that I can't imagine that's remotely comprehensive.

I do have some zines I am less keen on - no, let's be honest, I don't much like - but if you ask me about one of them, I will try to be constructive about why I don't like it. And some that I don't like will be other people's favourites, and vice versa. So knowing my tastes might help. Here goes.

Off the top of my head, I used the Hatstand's lists of rape fics and BDSM fics as stuff to read first; I have no problem with death fic; I like the lads being casually promiscuous (and not just with women); and I have no problem whatsoever with either of them reneging on marriage vows (there are definitely two zines where this happens). I have come to enjoy some AUs but I arrived here initially looking for more CI5 and just-post-CI5 stories. I don't see CI5 as a supportive environment for gay relationships, I don't generally like supernatural stories (so why I bought Brit Shrieks is a very fair question), and I have no interest in stories which involve Bodie and Doyle looking after children. Or Bodie looking after a Doyle who is like a child. Oh, it also occurs to me that I tend not to like mixed slash/gen anthologies, of which I have a few.

And while I wait to see if anyone has anything they particularly want to hear about (I'll check back in regularly; and if answers only start arriving too late for responses today, I'll carry on over in my journal or somewhere), I shall post those multi-media zine reviews - oh, and one long multi-fandom crossover novel with Pros in it - and start working out a list of favourite zines.

Comments

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Do you by any chance have "You Must Remember This"? I've been trying to get hold of that zine for years, so I wouldn't mind knowing if it's worth the effort. *g*

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Argh, heh, nope, don't have that one!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

To be totally honest, I'm not that interested in Zines.
I love my Pros Lib CD, and the most interesting stories not online I was able to borrow from those lovely fellow fans.
I am very glad that there are soooo many fantastic stories online, even if I wouldn't reread multiple of them again and again, I wouldn't be out of reading material for the next three years.
The only Zine I posses is Larton Chronicles, and that even twice. *g*
(And the book....*gg*)

Thank you anyway for your offering, I will keep it mind and I might come back one day!
Have a wonderful evening and all the best for 2014!!!!

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Well, we talked about Paper Flowers a while back (and I still have yet to do something about myGryphon credit :-().

Can you speak to The Ghost and Mr. Doyle? I recently saw a mention of that, and I was intrigued. (But then I like the supernatural stuff, LOL.) I think it's in the You Must Remember This: Pros Movie Night zine. Hopefully that's enough info, because there are a few in the 'Ghost and Mrs. Muir' vein.

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Do you by any chance have "You Must Remember This"?

Ah, a woman after my own heart. :D

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Have you got a copy of a story called army games please x

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Zine-wise we're spoiled for choice in this fandom, and I never know where to start, so I'm tracking this post in order to use it as a guide to zines I might be interested it acquiring. Thanks for providing an interesting topic.

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I have a poor, loose copy of it. I think I actually purchased it, but it fell apart. I can't remember much about it, except that I was extremely disappointed. I've held onto it, though, as…you know, you do. *g* I can bring it to the Pros con, or send it along in the mail if you'd like to take a look at it!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

You don't need the zine for that! I think you are talking about Army Games by Sebastian, and although it was published in a zine called Sebastian Collected 1, it is available online, at the Circuit Archive - http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/8/armygames.html - and at Sebastian's website - http://www.zeropanic.net/fanfic/sebastian/pros/index.shtml.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Yes, borrowing is a good thing too!

I enjoy the experience of curling up with a good book or a zine, and the only sad thing about zines is that I can't put them onto my Kindle and so take dozens of them around with me at a time.

Larton - ah, this is one I heard a lot about and so got early on. It is quietly and happily surreal, and despite my insistence that I like CI5-based plot - and this absolutely isn't - I like it a lot.

Actually, as I put lists of favourites together, I'm now rethinking my claim that I like CI5-based stuff. Oops. Anyway, yes, come back when you decide you are in a zine mood, and happy 2014!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

You, too, huh? *g*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Thanks, yes, I'd love that. I can even rebind it if you'd like. :-) I'll email you with my address.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

I've never got into zines - partly financial restrictions, and partly I really do loving my fic electronically. But...! Never say never - and there's some cracking-sounding stuff out there I keep hoping will appear online one fine day. Thanks for the great topic - I'm fascinated in what other people have to say.

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Oooh - oooh, miss! I have another question!


The Getting To Know You Universe, which is mentioned on Palely Loitering: were there ever more than two entries (more had been discussed)? Did it ever get transferred to a zine / elsewhere?

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Can I... somehow get involved with this exchange? (After gilda_elise, of course.) I may actually *be* at the Pros Con. :Still astounded by that:

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Don't think they ended up in a zine, but they are on Proslib CD, along with another two: Getting to Like You, and Getting to Hope You Like Me, Too. And, ooh, they are all on the Safehouse:

Getting to know you (http://the-safehouse.livejournal.com/304272.html)
Getting to know all about you (http://the-safehouse.livejournal.com/322807.html)
Getting to like you (http://the-safehouse.livejournal.com/346427.html)
Getting to hope you like me too (http://the-safehouse.livejournal.com/364911.html)

So far I am doing better at the online story questions than at the zine ones, oh dear!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

You're doing a good job answering questions! Zines are sometimes odd creatures to electronicly based fans. You know I love zines and have a small collection I treasure. I find them special, treasures that we will never have again. It's irrelevant to me if the story is published online. I love zines. Thanks!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Paper Flowers! Yes, must include that.

I don't have the You Must Remember This one, no. Supernatural, eek! The only similar one I can think of is a Ghost And Raymond Doyle one in an Unpro (cam't remember which), and I think we have confirmed before that this is not the one you were asking about. I'm sure I have seen the author of The Ghost And Mrs Doyle on LJ, though, although can I remember her name? Argh!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

We are, and I know the feeling, so I hope lots of people will chime in! I hope it turns out to be interesting!

(And I must say that I'm delighted that the first question was one that someone else could answer and a queue appears to be forming - I have learnt a thing already!)

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

I'm really looking forward to comments too - there are a few of us who like them, and we all have different opinions about which ones are good!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

I thought you might have a comment or two, yes!

I know what you mean about special treasures. Yes, it would be so much more convenient from the point of view of consuming fic if it was all either online or easily procurable for the Kindle (*hugs Kindle*), but there is history in the pages. I have on my shelf something that was clearly one contributor's trib copy, with a grateful note from the editor on the inside front cover. And others have clearly been taken apart and loved and rebound and rebound and have still survived - just! - for twenty or thirty years. I have a couple of stories in both circuit version and subsequent zine version. And there are sometimes extra pictures or little changes and you can see that someone has gone through and re-thought how they were telling it. It's all fascinating.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

And it's just occurred to me: am I the only one who has spotted Rhiannon creeping onto AO3? With a story called ...And on you my life turns (http://archiveofourown.org/works/954260).

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

It was announced in one of the comms....so there should be more poeple who know.
In fact, I do know that at least five know about it.... *gg*

[sw33n3y.livejournal.com]

You have how many zines? Wow! :D

I know almost nothing about the zine world. My first contact with fan fic was online and that's the medium that I seem to have stuck with (especially with the convenience of Kindle thrown in). Having said that, I know what you mean about the unique experience of an actual bound work. Nothing can replace that extra sensory element.

This detailed overview of the medium is a great idea and I'm going to be taking notes because this will be my best opportunity to get some bearings on the Pros zine landscape.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

*glances again at page*
Oh, haha, of course you know about it!
*ding*

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it. I didn't plan this! To be fair, a good half of that has come via the generosity of friends downsizing and saying 'here, have my collection' - one in particular practically doubled my collection at one stage, and as it happened, we had very few overlaps. But I can see why people start trying to 'complete their collection' - there are still zines I want to read and zines I keep an eye out for, and it keeps expanding, because I come across authors whom I am willing to follow into other fandoms (my first second-hand zine was Kitty Fisher's Lucifer Falling, which is a Highlander zine novel, I have mentioned buying DVS stuff in MfU, and there's a few others...)

I knew about zines long before I got into Pros because I have had plenty of friends who were into fandom at a time when zines were part and parcel of it. I remember being handed one for a very obscure SF fandom back in 1988 - oh, if only I had then accompanied that friend to the con she was trying to get me to!

I ran out of time for doing recs here, so I shall try to do a weekly zine post over on... I dunno. My LJ, or CI5HQ, or somewhere. New year's resolution.

(and we know how well those tend to go...!)