Alien Brothers

Alien Brothers is a highly controversial Kirk/Spock slash 275-page anthology published in 1987 by Helena Seabright, a pseud for Barbara P. Gordon. .
It is beautifully designed, with copious artwork, including full-color pages. The artwork is by Gayle F, Connie Faddis, Chris Soto, and Marilyn Cole, and nineteen other fans.
The zine contains fiction by thirty-six fans. Quotes from a few of these stories were included in an article about K/S fanfiction called Going boldly with Kirk and Spock by Chris DeVito, published in the Vancouver Sun in 1994.
It contains a reprint of The Ring of Soshern, one of the first K/S stories, which had only been circuited privately in the early days of K/S.
In 1984, the editor, unhappy with other editors' refusal to publish one of her stories, wrote: "I'm so disgusted with the vicissitudes of some editors that I'm still thinking of doing a zine myself, but don't know when yet." See context regarding this statement and why this zine was so controversial here.
==Awards==
The entire Alien Brothers zine was nominated for a 1986 Fan Q as Best Star Trek Fanzine, but it did not win. Loveslaves was also nominated for a Fan Q as Best Star Trek Story, but did not win.
Gayle F's four color illos, however, did win a Fan Q as Best Star Trek Art.
The story Odds and Abbs won a Surak Award.
==Submission Request==
From Datazine #32:
==Contents==
===The Editor's Foreword===
===Table of Contents===
* Paper Dolls by Kayleen Sybrandt
* The Ring of Soshern, fiction by Jennifer Guttridge ("Stranded after Spock miscalculates the appearance of an ion storm, Kirk soon discovers the reason for the Vulcanʼs abnormal misstep and realizes that he will do anything to make sure Spock lives through his latest pon farr." This story was part of the informal K/S circuit and was later published without the author's knowledge who did not learn of the publication until decades later.) (9)
* Epilog: Another Beach to Walk On, poem by Dale Campion (54)
* The Lyrist, poem by Jenny Star (55)
* Two-Edged Sword, poem by S. Meek (56)
* Soliloquy to a Friend, poem by Jo Ann Sides (59)
* Tickling the Dragon's Tail, fiction by Jane Mailander (Kirk and Spock play a nightly game of seduction and overwhelming passion.) (63)
* The Logic in Loving You, poem by Noelle Harrison (71)
* Threatened, poem by Donna Rose Vanderlaan (75)
* Deadly Fears, poem by B.L. Barr (79)
* The Captain's Fantasy, poem by John Elliot Lowell (80)
* Odds and Abbs, fiction by Jenny Starr (Humor: "Kirk and Spock devise a plan to divert the crewʼs attention when they learn that bets are being taken on the odds of their being lovers.") (83)
* By All the Gods, poem by Robin Hood (94)
* The Air is the Air, fiction by Vivian Gates ("When Kirk and Spock are captured by Klingons, Spock agrees to sex with them in order to protect Kirk, making Kirk aware of Spockʼs bisexuality and creating problems in their friendship." Sequel: Compensation/What Can Be Done.) (also in As I Do Thee #5 (1986) and as the standalone, The Air is the Air (1986). According to the author, this story was printed in this zine without permission.) a 1985 personal statement in Not Tonight Spock! #11, Gates writes: "NOTICE: I have withdrawn my story, "The Air is the Air" from Alien Brothers as of October 1, 1985, and submitted it elsewhere." (95)
* Alien Nights, poem by T'Hera Snaider (104)
* Homecoming, fiction by Sethera Dragon y) (After VʼGer, Spock confesses his reason for leaving, only to discover that his love and desire are returned by Kirk.) (109)
* Bondlink, poem by S. Meek (117)
* I Thought I Saw, fiction by A.T. Bush (Kirk accuses his bondmate of pushing him into a stream until Spock is able to determine what really happened.) (118)
* The Choice, poem by T'Hera Snaider (129)
*Lament, poem by John Eliot Lowell (130)
* This Sudden Light, poem by Flora Poste (135)
* Requiem & Coda, poem by Laurie J. Huff (136)
* Limits Exist Only in the Mind, fiction by Marcella Belton (Non-K/S story) (139)
*Vigil, poem by Flora Poste (180)
*Dreamwatcher, poem by Jenny Starr (185)
*To Great Lengths, fiction by A.T. Bush (M/U: "When Kirk is taken by slavers, Spock is forced to perform with his newly bought slave when he finally tracks him down in order to get his lover safely free.") (186)
* The Contributors by Editor (list) (198)
*Masks, poem by John Eliot Lowell (202)
*Midnight in Venice, fiction by Jenny Starr ("Kirk and Spock move toward some truths when they mysteriously appear in old Venice wearing interesting...and revealing costumes.") (205)
*The Contributors by Editor (list) (208)
*So Let It Be Done, poem by Rhea Gowan (215)
*Loveslaves, fiction by Dale Campion ("Having lost his last chance to escape, Spock finds himself drawing ever nearer to Kirk, only to be abruptly forced from his side." Prequel: Love Slaveʼs Song which appeared in Duet #3. This sequel, which featured a sex scene with fisting was rejected by the editor of "Duet" for being too extreme and dangerous.) (216)
*Lovers, poem by Betsy Fisher (274)
*The Logic in Loving You, poem by Noelle Harrison
=== Art Gallery===
The zine contains extensive and varied interior art. 
File:Alien bros int by m cole.jpg|by Marilyn Cole
File:Alienbros zoost.jpg|by Zoost
File:Alienbros kayleensybrandt.jpg|Paper Dolls by Kayleen Sybrandt
File:Alienbros gaylef.jpg|by Gayle F. The drawing won the zine's Second Prize award for art. (the original is 12" x 15")
File:Alienbros cfaddis.jpg|by Connie Faddis
File:Alienbro dorothyloaong.jpg|by Dorothy Loaong
File:Alienbros thera.jpg|by Thera
File:Alienbros janadesorsy.jpg|the zine featured numerous graphical drawings, calligraphy and illustrations credited to Jana Desorcy. Here is an example integrated with text.
File:Alienbros ERIC.jpg|by ERIC/Evallou Richardson
File:Alienbros kathytaylor.jpg|by Kathy Taylor
File:Alienbros marystaceymcdonald.jpg|one of the first drawings the reader encounters setting the tone for the rest of the zine. Artist: Mary Stacy-MacDonald. The drawing won the zine's Second Prize award for art.
File:Alienbros setheradragon2.jpg|by Sethra Dragon
File:Alienbros chrissoto.jpg|by Chris Soto
File:Alienbros gaylef2.jpg|by Gayle F., won the zine's First Prize award for art.
File:Alienbros juliannmichaud.jpg|by Juanne Michaud
File:Alienbros setheradragon3.jpg|by Sethra Dragon. -- "The... illo on page 275, more hurt-comfort that anything else, depicts a wounded and bloody Kirk kneeling at the bedside of a (probably) dying Spock. All that can be seen of Spock is his shining crown of black hair and one lifeless hand cradled tenderly in Kirk's. This is a bold line drawing, and my attention was drawn first to Spock's black hair, then immediately across to the two joined hands. Compelling." Datazine #49
File:Alienbros VirginiaSmith.jpg|by Virginia L. Smith
File:Alienbros Kyla Weston.jpg|"The Eagle and the Butterfly" by Kyla Weston
File:Alienbros richardpollet.jpg|K/S: A Different Perspective cartoon by Richard G. Pollet
File:Alienbros Dorothy Schenck.jpg|by Dorothy Schenck
File:Alienbros Shellie Whild.jpg|Shellie Whild did extensive illustration work on the many poems included in the zine. This illustration is for S. Meek's poem Bondlink
File:Alienbros chrissoto-2.jpg|Chris Soto
The zine also contained a few pieces of erotic art. Below is an example.
File:Alienbros setheradragon.jpg| by Sethra Dragon. Note: Marked as sexually explicit; minimized. "The one on page 265 by Sethera Dragon is beautifully sensitive with soft, suggestive shading and a hint of diversity ... for it shows Kirk's hand in mind-meld position on Spock's face, rather than the reverse." Datazine #49
==Art Credits==
*Marilyn Cole - 240,
*Jana Desorcy, Graphics Designer: all material not otherwise credited,
*Sethera Dragon - 237, 265, 275,
*ERIC - 61, 214,
* Connie Faddis - 181, Gayle F - 57, 203, Dorothy Laoang - 137, Juanne Michaud - 11, 18, 23, 31, 35, 41, 47, Richard G. Pollet - 201, Irene Schechter - 97, 98, Dorothy Schenck - 81, 184, 191, 231, 234, Virginia L. Smith - 251, 257, 261, 272, T'Hera Snaider - 128, Chris Soto - 73, 77, Mary Stacy-MacDonald - 7, 141, 147, 155, 177, Kayleen Sybrandt - 211, Corinna Taylor - Cover and Title Page, Kathy Taylor - 105, Kyla Weston - 65, 69, 209, 227, Shellie Whild - 55, 59-60, 79, 80, 117, 130, 135, 180, 215, 274, Jacquelyn Zoost - 85, 89, 92, 111, 125, 131, Also, special thanks to the artist who did the astronomicals - 107, 199
==The Proposed Sequel==
A second issue of "Alien Brothers" was proposed, but this zine did not materialize.
In 1987, the editor writes of a second issue: 
From a submission request in May 1991 for a second issue:
From an announcement in 1992: 
==Controversies==
Also see Open Letter by Helena Seabright Regarding "Alien Brothers".
===Regarding Stories Printed Without Permission===
At least two stories in "Alien Brothers" were printed without express permission of their authors.
One was The Air is the Air. The other was The Ring of Soshern.
===="The Air is the Air" ====
In a 1985 personal statement in Not Tonight Spock! #11, Vivian Gates writes: "NOTICE: I have withdrawn my story, "The Air is the Air" from "Alien Brothers" as of October 1, 1985, and submitted it elsewhere."
This is because Gordon had kept this story without publishing it, and Gates decided to withdraw it See Gates' statement about this, and other editor nightmares, at Transfer of Affection. 
In February 1986, the editor of "Alien Brothers" wrote a personal statement to Interstat #100 (see Open Letter by Helena Seabright Regarding "Alien Brothers") complaining about Gates withdrawl, telling fans that one "unscrupulous contributor" had sent one of the works in "Alien Brothers" to another zine. This was an action, wrote Seabright, that that made her decide that all contributors to "Alien Brothers" must sign a release from next time. Seabright also wanted a statement from each contributor regarding the use of her or his real name in the zine.
In April 1986, with the intent of taking some of the wind out of "Alien Brother's" sales, Vivian Gates printed copies of "The Air is the Air" and offered it to fandom to fandom for free, saying it was the "last Vivian Gates story." From the first page of The Air is the Air (Gate's standalone edition):
A fan, Ann C, in April 1986 wrote: 
===="The Ring of Soshern"====
The other story was The Ring of Soshern by Jennifer Guttridge. This story was part of the informal K/S circuit and was, according to some fans, later published without the author's knowledge who did not learn of the publication until decades later.As reported during outreach for the Foresmutters Project in 2002. Most fannish communication in the 1980s took place via mailed letters, so the prominent ads placed in the letterzine Not Tonight Spock that announced the publication of the story might not have reached the author or even if they did, communication between author and publisher might have become garbled over time and distance.
===Subject Matter ===
The story "Loveslaves" by Dale Campion is a sequel to "Love Slaveʼs Song" which appeared in Duet #3. This story featured a sex scene with fisting and was something the editor of Duet refused to print.
In a letter to fans in Datazine #21, the author of "Loveslaves" says there was to be a sequel in 'Duet' #4. "I would like to make it clear that the information in the editorial in that zine is inaccurate. I'll gladly clarify the situation to anyone who writes directly to me. Cynthia C. Drake of Final Frontier now plans to publish the entire story, complete and uncensored."
"Loveslaves" was NOT published in Final Frontier but was instead finally published in "Alien Brothers."
===Art and Threats===
In February 1986, the editor wrote this Open Letter. See Open Letter by Helena Seabright Regarding "Alien Brothers" for fans' reactions.: 
=== Plagiarized Art===
 
One illustration in "Alien Brothers" appears to have been plagiarized by Kyla Weston, which is a pseud for the editor, Barbara P. Gordon. 
The original art was by Pat Friedman and was dated 1986. It, according to Jean Hinson in Way of the Warrior, was the last illustration Pat did before she passed away. 
Friedman's art was used in Firetrine Press's 1989 reissue of Nor No Man Ever Loved, a zine Hinson lightly edited and procured the art for. Friedman's art was later reprinted in the third issue of "Way of the Warrior" #3 in 1990 as an art challenge. 
One likely scenario is that Gordon bought a print or the original of Pat's 1986 illustration shortly after it was completed, and reworked it for her own zine using the name "Kyla Weston." Gordon probably had no idea Friedman's art would appear two years later in Nor No Man Ever Loved, much less that it would get higher visibility in Way of the Warrior in 1990. 
Despite the fairly large distribution of "Alien Brothers," Hinson, the editor of both zines, made no known public mention of Gordon's blatant appropriation. Despite Gordon's high visibility in fannish circles, no other fan did either. 
Image:nornomanus-1.jpg|Pat Friedman's original 1986 illustration in Nor No Man Ever Loved (the US edition)
 File:Alienbros Kyla Weston-1.jpg|Kyla Weston's illustration, presumably 1987
===Regarding How Long the Zine Took to be Published===
While it was not uncommon for zines to take years to be published, and Alien Brothers was no exception, fans may have had less patience with the delay due to the other problems the zine had.
In a personal statement in the fall of 1986, the editor wrote that the zine wasn't late as she never set a publication date, that even if it were late it was because her house flooded and even though she saved the zine, she lost everything else. She scolded folks for hassling her about how long it was taking for this zine to be published: 
In a letterzine, she wrote: 
=== Regarding the Reveal of a Legal Name===
In the open letter, Open Letter Regarding "Alien Brothers", the editor revealed a fan's legal name/connected pseuds.
Ann C wrote: 
Lynda C wrote: 
In the Open Letter by Vel Jaeger Regarding "Alien Brothers", Vel wrote: 
===Regarding the Zine Editor's Pseud===
"Helena Seabright" was a pseud for the editor of the zine, Barbara Gordon.
Some clues: letters from both Seabright and Gordon were written on the same typewriter with the same chipped letters, Seabright had no "fannish presence" in letterzines other than that connected to the publishing of this zine (she "came out of nowhere"), she was never seen in person, and all of her signatures were typed and no one ever saw any of her handwriting (not even personal notes added at the end of typewritten letters, something that was a common practice).
Another speculation which fans felt meant the two names were the same person: "Alien Brothers" published the once-rejected story Loveslaves, a sequel written by another pseud of Gordon's, Dale Campion.
=== Regarding Cash Paid for Fan Material===
The standard "payment" for fiction, art, and poetry received by zines was a free copy of the zine itself, a trib copy. 
"Alien Brothers" was quite unique in that the editor offered cash awards for art, poetry and fiction submitted. This was something that was the topic of quite a bit of fannish discussion regarding legality, fairness, and fannish customs and norms.
Another zine, KSX, also proposed cash awards for material, but that zine did not receive the same flak that "Alien Brothers" did. This was possibly due to Gordon's often combative fan relationships, something that spilled over onto her fanworks and their reception. 
The proposal:
Proposed award prizes for "Alien Brothers" issue #2 were announced as follows: Winners of Novels/Novellas would win $200 First prize, $100 Second and $50 Third prize. Art winners would receive $100 first, $50 second and $25 third prize. Humorous short stories would win $50 first, $25 second and $10 third prize. Poems: $15 each for the best three and $10 each for the three next best, and $5 for the third-best. A special bonus prize was offered for the best poem, story or artwork which "uses the concept of Kirk as "quintessential devil" (the Klingon's phrase from ST:IV, of course). This interpretation can be serous, humorous, loving, fantastical - anything your imagination can supply."
Winners for issue #1 were announced as follows.
*Artwork: First prize, Gayle F. for her Kirk portrait (see gallery below). The editor commented: "to be fair, the black and white was judged."
*Second prize went to Mary Stacy-MacDonald for her dramatic portrait of Spock and Kirk in a veiled woman's grasp (see gallery below).
*Third prize went to Virginia L. Smith for her portrait of a pre-Reform Vulcan Spock on page 272 (not included in gallery).
*No fiction prizes were listed
Fans respond:
In February 1988, one zine ed disagreed with "Alien Brother's" cash offering for content. She cited a number of reasons for her opinion.:
Another fan wrote in February 1989:
A fan wrote in February 2019: 
== From the Zine: Contributors' Guidelines & Editorial Policies==
The editor explained the guidelines for the next issue, one which was never created. In the guidelines, she addressed a number of the controversies regarding the first issue.
==Reactions and Reviews: Comments by Fans About the Contents of the Zine==
=== 1987===
===1988===
===1989===
===1995===
===1996===
===2021 ===
==Further Reading==
*Star Trek Fanzines and Sexual Freedom at "Pussy Goes Grrr" (December 6, 2009)
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Slash Zines
Category:Kirk/Spock
Category:1987 Zines