Letters of Comment - Cat-Out-Of-The-Bag Zines

Instead of putting the LoCs in the next issue of a zine, I have decided to put them here on the web page where anyone can read them.

What People Have Said

Refractions #1

From: "Kevan Davis" Subject: Refractions #1 Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 10:44:54 BST

The zine dropped onto my doormat last week, and I must say I was deeply impressed with it all. A nice lot of material (your Blakes 7/Highlander crossover was excellent, and I look forward to seeing the sequels), and splendid artwork, all expertly put together. Top notch. If I don't manage to pen "Cold Fire" before the next issue is out, I'll be throwing coinage at your UK distributor.

> I'm afraid your story is sparsely illustrated, I did the best I could > after the person who was going to do it, couldn't.

Not to worry. I thought your reworked picture of Calder was excellent; certainly an inspirational thing for my future scribblings.

Nice to see all the plot errors and typos waiting for publication before becoming apparent to me, as well. Kudos to you for spotting the Greenacre/ Greenwood nonsense, but I was more than a little horrified to see Morgan speaking of "Malton" at one point (the story was originally set in the mythical city of Malton, but I changed it to Birmingham after a while), and to see Black suddenly getting a gun during one sentence... Such is often the way of things. Never mind.

> And I was impatient to finish, since the > illos for Not Dead But Sleeping were the last thing to do before the > zine was ready. But it should be good anyway. Hope you enjoy it!

Thoroughly.

Kev

From: Subject: Refractions #1 Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 23:55:06 -0500

>Oh, and did you get your copy of #1 okay?

Yes I did -- and it looks very nice! I loved the B5 story in it (had never read that one), but haven't really been able to read the rest of it (see above re life...) Thank you kindly!

Bye for now -- Isoline

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 20:04:12 +0000 From: Jackie Subject: (B7L) re: Winning is the only Safety

Downloaded this story and read it. I really enjoyed it. Can`t wait to get the next part in Refractions 5.

I thought at first Vila was an immortal as well, until I figured that Richie would have picked up on it when they first met. It will be quite interesting to see how Richie copes with teaching Avon all about the rules of being an immortal. Or how Avon will accept the philosophy of immortals. A vision just flashed into my head: Avon and sword, facing another immortal in a duel a la "There can be only One"- as they are about to cross swords, Avon pulls out a blaster and shoots the other immortal. Before the other immortal can recover Avon chops off his head, muttering "April Fool". I really cannot see Avon abiding by the rules.

Anyway, just thought I`d say how much I enjoyed what I`ve read so far. Thanks for posting it to me Jackie

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 09:21:28 -0800 From: Carol A Kinkade Subject: Refractions 1

This is wonderful, Kathryn!!

Everything downloaded beautifully to a readable format. I didn't have to do any reformatting at all. big smile

So far I've only read one story "First Death" -- it's FABULOUS!!! I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you so much for making these available.

Carol K

Refractions #2

From: Ali and Dave Hopkins Subject: Refractions #2 Date: Sat, 18 May 96 23:24:28 GMT

> Well, hopefully you should have it by now, if Judith has > managed to send out > the UK ones - tell me what you think of it! >
> Kathryn Andersen > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Yes, I do....and it looks very nice indeed! The production quality is very good, and I like the contents.....

Thanks!

Ali

From: "Una M. McCormack" Subject: Refractions #2 Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 10:57:54 +0100 (BST)

I received Refractions 2 - and it's wonderful! The S&S / B7 story was superb - he really caught the mood of both programmes. Definitely my favourite story - although as yet I haven't read the Alien Nation one. The artwork was really lovely - and I particularly loved the graphic on the back, and the reflected 'Refractions' logo on the bottom of each page.

I shall be forking out some more hard-earned cash to get the back issue - when I get paid!!

Speak to you soon,

Una

From: Donna Kirking Subject: Refractions #2 Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 17:19:41 -0700

I've been meaning to get back to you regarding Refractions ever since it arrived, but haven't had much time. Interesting, all in all. The Sapphire and Steel story I liked, but it didn't seem to fit the series. I mean, how can Steel be killed off when the last episode shows them permanently trapped in a restaurant among the stars? Steele Blades I had originally read on the Highlander list - I liked it in both places. I'm afraid my allegience to Alien Nation is limited to the series. The Ladyhawk sequel was an interesting extrapolation of the movie. I watch Babylon 5 occasionally and Blake's 7 never, so I'm not really qualified to comment on stories based on those series. I do find it amazing the number of places these series are seen and these stories come from. Indeed, I also love the net, and I hope the sequel to Winning Is the Only Safety will be showing up on the Highlander list soon. Thanks for Refractions and be sure and put me on "the list" for issue number 3 when it comes out.

Donna Kirking El Cerrito, CA, USA dkirking AT earthlink.net

Yes, "Irregularity" does violate S&S cannon, though it doesn't violate Blake's 7 cannon; - it is an Alternative Universe story. (KA)

From: "T.R. Cawi" Subject: re: refractions Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 20:52:40 -0500

Hiya!

Thanks very much for getting refractions 2.2 up! I am an avid collector of Sapphire&Steel fanfic (what there is of it ;) I'd seen the listing for a S&S story in that zine, but never been able to track a copy down!

Thanks again Tina

Refractions 1&2

From: "Alison C. J. Glover" Subject: Refractions #1&#2 Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 19:43:13 +1000 (EST)

Kathryn,

This is just to let you know that Refractions 1 and 2 arrived yesterday, and that my initial reaction is that they look very impressive - both the artwork and the layout.

More when I have had time to read and digest!

Alison

Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 15:27:18 PST From: "Joanne MacQueen" Subject: Re: (B7L) Refractions on the Net

>But, most importantly of all, I have put Refractions #1 up on the net.

(snip)

>(Hmmm, why should I feel defensive about something which is a >favour to everybody? Probably because of the reaction I got last >time.) So, folks, give me some positive feedback, huh?

Yeah, there is a problem with reading anything using Acrobat (but that may be my inexperience with the format in question rather than a real problem - the company wants us to check errors prior to printing using .pdf files, and I still don't know what I was doing wrong the other day). However, the way around it is to print it out, which I intend to do to the rest of it when the toner cartridge is changed - can't have faded patches, now, (grin) can we?

I've done the Jean Graham story already, but I suspect that I'm just a sucker for a Jean Graham story (her web site is bookmarked on my computer at work). But Judith's "Elegy For The Seven" is in front of me now, and I rather like it, particularly the final stanza, which sums up the series quite well (I'll take the liberty of quoting, and hope Judith and Kathryn don't mind too much):

        If you recall with strong affection
        Those who lived and laughed and cried,
        Do not call them good or evil,
        Simply call them those who tried.

I'd comment on Kathryn's poem "Migration", which is part of the same file, but I have a problem there that no amount of printing will cure. This problem will recur as I keep reading - I've not seen some of the series that inspired some of the stories and poems! Never having seen an entire episode of Highlander is going to make that crossover of yours a bit difficult, Kathryn, but I hope that I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the Sapphire and Steel/B7 crossover in issue 2 (never having seen any of that either (sigh)).

Regards
Joanne
(who is going to do the job properly this time, and print out both Refractions #1 and #2 in their entirety, not just the B7 bits, as she did originally with Refractions #2.)

From: "Joanne MacQueen" Subject: Re: (B7L) Refractions on the Net Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 14:18:23 PST

Kathryn,

>Thanks so much for the positive comments.

You're welcome. Being a reading addict, who ought to be saving up to buy zines but finds her reading habit swallowing anything that might've been put towards such purchases, I appreciate the time and effort any B7 fan takes in putting stories on the Web. The least I can do is tell of that appreciation to the person concerned, otherwise what else would he/she get out of doing such a thing?

>Well, poems will be a bit hard to connect to, I agree! >But I think the stories, for the most part, don't require that much >knowledge to enjoy - at least, I try to pick good stories that can >stand up on their own. Though I guess the vigniettes don't stand on >their own either. But I can assure you, the Blake's 7/Highlander >crossover will be comprehensible to you, since it's told from the >point of view of the Blake's 7 characters - and has been beta-tested >both with HL fans who never saw Blake's 7, and Blake's 7 fans who >never saw Highlander.

Having managed to print out the crossover since sending that post, I can only agree. The B7/Sapphire and Steel crossover I had no problems with whatsoever, so maybe I should've known I wouldn't have been left entirely in the dark. Hopefully, I'll be able to print some more today. (smile) The anticipation makes up for the horrible weather in Sydney at the moment.

>enjoy.

Oh, I intend to (smile)

Joanne

From: "Otewalt, Andrew" Subject: thankx ! Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:29:10 -0800

kathryn - i was checking out Reflections 1&2. (Refractions, not Reflections - ed.) thanks for making available fan fict available on the net. i know that keeping a web site up and running is an enormous task. that, combined with actually writing is truly an overwhelming task. so, i'd like to take a minute to thank you for your work. i love to read, and i love to read blake's 7 stories. and now, i have some mixed media to read. cool.
thankx again. -- andrew

From: "David Henderson" Subject: Refractions1.2 - Adobe format Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 17:34:02 +1000

Kathryn,

Thanks for publishing the early Refractions zine on the web. Downloaded it a couple of weeks ago. First time I have really used a .pdf file. I like the double column layout and the effort you put into the scrolling from bottom of first column to top of second is appreciated.

Liked your B7/Highlander storey and noted it is continued in Refrac#5. Do you conclude (or at least wrap up :) the storey line in #5?

Thanks again, David H.

Well, that depends what you mean by "wrap up". It's a sort of open-ended series in one respect, since Avon-as-immortal has the potential for many adventures. I have ideas for a third story, but that doesn't mean that when I've written it, I won't have more ideas. (KA)

From: "Joanne MacQueen" Subject: Refractions 1&2: review Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 21:47:33 PST

Kathryn, hello.

Just some more comments on Refractions 1 and 2. I meant to send them the other week, but real life things like work, and looking for a new place to live during the working week, got in the way. Should get my priorities right, right?

###

Multimedia zines risk, at best, puzzling their hopeful audience with stories from programmes they've never seen. But for the first two issues of Refractions, the editor appears to have preferred material that wasn't going to be so impenetrable (although I think "Suspicion" in issue 1 is the exception to this rule).

For a start, I've never seen 'Alien Nation' the movie, let alone 'Alien Nation' the television series, yet Kev Davis' "Not dead but sleeping" and its sequel "Cold Fire" worked for me. All you need to know is that there are these spotty-headed aliens trying to integrate into human society, and off you go into two more or less present day murder investigations by the police in a city in Northern England, led by a detective whose alienness softens into eccentricity in a British setting (instead of being just weird, if considered in the original American context). Any further information about the characters and situation (barring what is and what isn't a red herring) is given along the way. Both stories are a very good read, if you can get past the dreadful names given to the aliens (the first corpse in the sequel "Cold Fire" being a "wonderful" example), and if you are happy for police detectives to be a law unto themselves.

Russ Massey's "Irregularity" is another, well, I hesitate to say enjoyable given the plot, story but it is well done, nonetheless. A Blake's 7/Sapphire and Steel crossover, but unlike the two Alien Nation stories, I think it would help to be familiar with one series or the other. Lots of nice touches, however, including what appears to be hate at first sight between Avon and Steel.

Unfamiliarity with "Ladyhawke" and some other source material (making me wonder what else that was good on television that I've missed while my nose has been stuck in yet another book) made it difficult to judge against the characterisation. This is not to judge them harshly, but having become so enthusiastic about the Alien Nation stories, I suspect that most of my appreciation was used up by the latter, especially as I chose not to read all the stories consecutively.

"Suspicion", however, is more irritating the more I think about it. Not because of its execution and characterisation - I'd expect a story with Avon and Soolin in it to contain some serious bickering at one point or another. It is just that it feels as though it is a fragment of a larger story. It makes you ask questions, such as Why were they on the planet in the first place? and What was the bounty hunter doing to excite Soolin's suspicions so that she'd shoot him? Maybe that isn't so bad, and the author is happy to allow the reader to dream up his or her own ideas as to where the story might have come from and where it was likely to go to after that point.

The artwork, where it is meant to (ie where it isn't simply decorative - candles and frames and the like), captures characters' likenesses quite well (fortunately, I've a very good idea of what Joanna Lumley, David McCallum, and a few other people, look like), though, to my mind at least, Kathryn has drawn Avon far better (the picture accompanying Judith Proctor's story "Shane", for instance) on other occasions. A cartoonish quality to the illustrations for the two Alien Nation stories complements the off-beat character of those stories. Unfortunately, something funny happened in the reproduction of one of the illustrations for "Irregularity" - I'm fairly certain the picture is of Avon, but it cannot be seen properly. I know Avon gives the impression of being very dark, but this is too much!

Regards
Joanne

###

Hmmm. This picture problem demands investigation! It may be that the Unix version of the Acrobat Reader, xpdf, is the culprit - it sometimes has problems with pictures with black backgrounds. I may have to re-do said pictures to get the same result with a different method. (KA)
Yes, I have drawn better Avons. (KA)

From: "Otewalt, Andrew" Subject: thankx ! Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 16:49:34 -0700

i downloaded and printed all refractions, thankx ! i have read and re-read all of them, they are, indeed, a wonderful collection. and thankx for making them accessable on the web. please let me know when refractions # 5 is out . . . thankx again for letting this sci-fi, ( hate that name, but it works ) and
blake's 7 fan, get a reading fix.

-- andrew a.k.a. "the readaholic"

Refractions #5 has been out for a while. (KA)

From: Pat Patera Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 08:57:18 -0700 Subject: website

Hi Kathryn,

Nice of you to post these zines online. I'm tempted by the story: Avon and Soolin exchange sharp words. But I'd have to swallow the whole zine for the one story. hmmmm

Why does it matter if "this stuff takes up a lot of space" since geocities provides the space for free? And even if it isn't read by hordes, why take it down after going to all the work to put it up?

Alas, I will not download a zine because since getting on the lysator email list, all my discretionary reading time seems spent on reading the list. :-(

Pat P

Well, there's no point in wasting space with something that nobody wants, is there? (KA)

Refractions #3

From: "Una M. McCormack" Subject: Refractions #3 Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 07:09:29 -0400

Dear Kathryn

Thanks for Issue 3, which arrived safely, despite being subjected to the vagaries of the British postal system (I have changed address). It looks as lovely as usual, and it's always a pleasure to see one's name in print.

Una McC

From: Beth E. Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 17:30:32 -0500 Subject: Re: B5/Highlander story in zine

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you on this. I did get the zine-- and then promptly tossed it on the "to be read pile" in favor of Harry Potter.

I loved the stories in this zine! The Quantum Leap one was spectacular (and encompassed a scene very near to what I would have done as a series finale). Messages from... was hysterical (and I'm big Corwin fan, yeah, I need help :). And the B5/Highlander crossover (I'm bad with titles did I mention?) was great. Richie didn't just spill, but it's impossible to put one over on Michael Garabaldi.

And Methos was in it too. Cool.

:)
Thanks so much! Tigger

Refractions 3&4

From: Joyslin Molpus Subject: Refractions 3&4 Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 13:01:16 -0500

Kathryn,

I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading Refractions 3&4. Although most of the stories were not new to me, the artwork made re-reading them most enjoyable.

Thank you for all your work.

Joyslin Molpus

From: Sockii Subject: Refractions 3&4 Date: Mon, 4 Aug 97 08:44:30 -0500

Hiya - just wanted to drop you a note the 'zines arrived safely on Friday. Thanks much, so far I'm really really enjoying them. Quite impressive writing, good art, and well put-together. I'll try to send a more detailed LOC when I finish reading more.

BTW, I'm definitely in the camp that doesn't mind buying 'zines where there is "net fic" in them. I have neither the time nor interest to scavenge through so many archives, especially when I may only be marginally interested in a fandom, so I'll take an editor's selection of which ones are worth reading. And so far they're great choices :-)

sockii, aka nicole

Refractions #4

Date: Tue, 12 Aug 97 23:19:56 -0500 Subject: Refractions #4 From: Sockii

Just finished Refractions 4 (the B5 novella). Very nice. Just what I needed to hold out a little longer during this long stretch before the new episodes start.

The artwork was great (I particularly loved the Talia picture - you don't sell any art prints from your 'zines, do you? :-) The zine was extremely well proofread and edited, one of the best put-together 'zines I've bought in a while.

And of course, the story. Well, Garibaldi is my favorite character so I'm always psyched for a story that features him strongly, especially in a nice character piece like this. There were some interesting threads brought up by the author, like Garibaldi's potential "psi" talent of some kind - has she developed these threads any further in other stories? Seems like there's more potential for a story there.

Anyhow, just wanted to send along some kudos. I also loved the Highlander/B5 story in Refractions 3 (and I'm not even a big Highlander fan). Now I'll have to go back to read the rest of the stories in that issue.

I'll definitely be waiting for future editions of the 'zine.

sockii, aka nicole

I do sell prints of some of my artwork, check out (KJA)

From: Inge Huenerbein, GERMANY (snail mail) Subject: Refractions #4 Date: 22 Aug 97

Dear Kathryn,

Greetings from Germany! I recently ordered Refractions #4 from Judith Proctor in England, and I just had to write to tell you how much I enjoyed this particular zine. All the Refractions zines are excellent. I still have to order #3. I like the beautiful parchment paper covers. Since I have no internet access and never found and Babylon 5 fan fiction anywhere else, I was so thrilled with this one-story zine. I am 'starved' for B5 fan fiction and expecially interested in longer stories.

For me, Isoline's novel is far superior to most of the novels that have been published so far. (Of the official novels, I only enjoyed Voices and the excellent The Shadow Within so far. I have yet to read the Sinclair story that is supposed to be part of the arc.) I wonder if Isoline has written any other B5 stories and if any more will be printed in Refractions. Fans very often have a much better feeling for what other fans want to read. They give us exactly what we want to read, the characterisation is much better than many 'commercial' novels, and they often have more imagination. Anyway, Isoline definitely has a new fan.

I also love all the Refractions stories based on other series, especially the crossovers, and all the drawings....

Well, keep up the great work on those magnificent fiction zines. I am sure everyone loves them. Do you publish any other zines besides Refractions?

All the best to you, take care, Inge

Refractions is the only zine I publish. (KA) (later... Staked Blake also)

Refractions #5

Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Sondra Sweigman Subject: Refractions 5

As promised, Kathryn--feedback on your zine:

First, it was refreshing to find a multimedia zine where I could actually read all but one of the stories. Usually I have to bypass 50% or more for lack of familiarity with the story's universe.

Secondly, it was nice seeing all the lovely artwork (most of it yours). For some reason, most zines I've read recently have had mediocre artwork or none at all.

As for the stories themselves, my two favorites were the 2 you wrote. The first chapter of "The Butterfly Effect" did confuse me; although I was acquainted with the titular concept, I couldn't see how it related to the story. Now I think I "get" it: You're planning a whole series which will end up vastly divergent from canon, based on the small variance you introduced in the first installment. Anyway, #2 is beautifully written, Avon is the Avon I know, and with the epilogue, I'm eagerly looking forward to #3.

"WITOS - Hide and Seek": Masterful weaving together of elements from both universes. One of my favorites: the idea that Sarkoff's collection was a Watcher's archive. Also, the new rule about no fighting in space. But did you have to kill off Duncan? (Actually, you probably did. Had the battle which spawned the new rule been Zimazino Kalter vs. Joe Schmo, I doubt it would have engaged the reader's emotions in the same way!)

The other story I especially liked was "Mortality Rate." I enjoy this author's penchant for unconventional speculation regarding the Immortality Game--in this case, that the headless bodies disintegrate in the Quickening. Countercanonical (we see many bodies buried in the series), but perhaps it shouldn't be. The producers had one huge conundrum on their hands in those headless bodies and basically chose to ignore it after the first season, but I think Russet's solution might have served them well.

Anyway, be sure to let people know when (and where) installments #3 of both "Butterfly" and "WITOS" are available.

Sondra

From: Pamela D. Bochinski, Esq. Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 13:20:58 -0400

Kathryn, ye editor -

Rec'd the mag and finally got around to thanking you for it. THE ILLUSTRATIONS LOOK GORGEOUS. This is top quality stuff. Thanks.

Elise

Staked Blake

From: "Ellynne G." Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 23:37:39 -0700

I just read through the fanzine. Loved all of it. I'm surprised what a difference the text style makes. And the pictures! My favorite was the one of Angel and Buffy, but I was just blown away (and find myself wishing I could draw). I'm dying to show it to a couple people I know (art minors) just to hear what they have to say (my art vocabulary starts dribbling out somewhere around Fantastic!!! [probably because I just know it is fantastic but I lack the vocab to go say why I think that]).

While I have to admit really enjoying it, I had this one odd reaction: I kept judging the stories by the premises I'd set up for my story. Little things going off in my head like, "But Avon knows Angel," or "But Willow's _Anna's daughter." I'm hoping this just reflects lack of mental elasticity rather than major ego. Or, better yet, something I'll get over soon so I can give them the appreciation they deserve (I really and literally [and nonsarcastically] hang my head in shame over not doing that right now).

However, speaking of major ego, the ending of Daddy's Girl didn't work for me, mostly for these reasons. Also, I guess I see Avon as intrinsically in control in his mindset even if circumstances don't bear this out - even if he's being downright suicidal and despairing - and something about the whole bit with Willow didn't quite work with that (like I said, I think this shows an evil ego bit going on my part).

Ellynne G.

From: "J MacQueen" To: blakes7 AT lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Evil genii Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 18:30:10 +1100

So almost everyone has left work for the day, except for a few random editors, Mrs Immigration Minister, and me; and I'm intending to leave too when I check my e-mail. Message from Ellyne - what's this? Something available at Kathryn's site? Something new? Right, let's see. Half an hour later, I am the possessor of a printed copy of Staked Blake. Thankyou, ladies, for keeping me at work much longer than I needed to be!

Ah well, it is nearly Christmas and I should think myself lucky to be getting such a present, and early too! Now, it is definitely time for me to shut the computer down and go, before I start reading it at work...

Regards
Joanne

From: "Roberts, Patricia @ CSE" Subject: B7/Buffy crossover story Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 13:35:19 -0500

Hi Kathryn,

Just wanted to let you know that I printed out the B7/Buffy story and can't wait to start reading it.

Thank you so much for going to all that trouble. It's really appreciated. I love crossovers when the writer knows both universes (like Sheila Paulson). I love Buffy and Angel (as well as lots of other TV series). I'm a multi-media fan, always have been.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Take care.

Pat

From: Murray Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 19:05:44 +0000 Subject: Re: [B7L] Evil genii

Dear Kat,

Well done regarding 'Staked Blake'. Also, Heppy Christmas.

Yours,

Murray

From: Jacqueline Thijsen Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 20:35:15 +0100 Subject: Re: [B7L] Evil genii

Hi Kathryn,

>I've been holding off on the official announcement because I was >hoping to announce it when it's also available in printed form from >Linda Knights, but as I don't know what the status of that is, >and Ellynne's already let the cat out of the bag, yes, folks, >Staked Blake is Here!

Oops, yes, this reminds me that I have not yet thanked you for my copy, which got here more than a week ago. I have not yet had the time and energy to read it, but I have been enjoying the illo's. And without being even slightly prejudiced, I must say that the illos that go with my story are the best ones. The one I asked for turned out great, but my favorite is the one of Avon and Amelia. I don't know Fliss' e-mail address, but please tell her for me that I'm delighted with her work and very impressed. Of course your illos and Jem's are also great, but hers are incredible.

So, once again, thanks! I think I'll just take the zine to work with me and read it there, since there's nothing else for me to do at work, anyway. The new projects won't start until January, and I am still too new at the job to be able to fix production problems with the programs on my own. Hmm, maybe I'll be able to impress some of my coworkers with my having a story out in print :-).

>The evil genius of Steve Rogerson, Mistral, Jacqueline Thijsen, >Ellynne G. and illustrated by me, Jem Dixon and Fliss Davis, >this is an all-crossover B7/Buffy zine, 92 pages long, 85000 words.

I don't think I've ever been called an evil genius before. I think I could get used to it :-).

I'll write my compliments about the stories to the authors themselves. I have this sneaking suspicion that theirs are probably better than mine ;-).

Cheers,

Jacqueline

From: "Una McCormack" Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 19:50:43 -0000 Subject: Re: [B7L] Evil genii

Hi Kathryn,

Delighted to see that 'Staked Blake' has arrived, particularly since I have become addicted to BtVS and Angel since it was first mooted!

I'm also furious with myself that I didn't email my thanks for all your hard work in putting up Refractions in PDF - I for one appreciated it enormously.

Have a lovely Christmas and New Year,

Una

From: "Leia Fee" Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 21:50:57 +0100 Subject: Staked Blake

Downloaded Staked Blake a few days ago and enjoyed it immensely.

It's not really an obvious crossover but it all wroked really well, and the creativity of some of the ways of bringing to two sets of characters together was superb.

Looking forward to the sequel

Leia

From: "Gemma Tiley" Subject: Staked Blake Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 18:18:37 +0100

Hi there,

just writing to say thanks for making Staked Blake available online. I don't often read crossover, but I downloaded a bit to show to my Buffy fan chums and couldn't resist reading it - very enjoyable, (and another step towards enticing them into this fandom ) :-)

thanks again,

Gemma

Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:35:50 -0500 Subject: Thanks for Webbing Staked Blake From: Marian Mendez

Hi,

Thank you for putting Staked Blake on the net. It's beautifully laid out, downloaded&printed perfectly&the stories are well-written.

I'm a Blake's 7 fan meeting Buffy and her friends for the first time in your zine and I'm very impressed.

Once more, thanks for all the work that went into it. My compliments to everyone involved. --
Marian Mendez

Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 15:40:05 +0100 Subject: Buffy/Blakes7 X-overs From: "Imzadi White"

Didn't really like the first story even with the working in of quotes! Liked the second in spite of the creepy ending. Mind you I still can't imagine Avon behaving the way he did in this one.

I really like Thicker than water. Willow as Avon's daughter by Anna - intriguing! Mind you puns made we wince "We're not on Cansai any more!" OUCH!

Full marks for Number 3 Half marks for Story two I like the idea of gene splicing vampirism! question is does it confer longevity!