Romantic Myth, Transcendence, and Star Trek Zines

Romantic Myth, Transcendence, and Star Trek Zines is a chapter by Patricia Frazer Lamb and Diana L. Veith in the 1986 book called "Erotic Universe: Sexuality and Fantastic Literature." 
It was originally a 1982 oral presentation called: "The Romantic Myth and Transcendence: A Feminist Interpretation of the Kirk/Spock Bond." The text of the oral presentation was reprinted with permission in the 1985 Sime~Gen zine Post-Syndrome: Considerations on Sexuality in the Sime/Gen Universe. While the topic and contents of the book chapter and the oral presentation are quite similar, the 1986 version is much revised.
"Romantic Myth, Transcendence, and Star Trek Zines" is oft-cited, and a very early example of acafandom.
Joanna Russ cited it her early works, as does Henry Jenkins in Textual Poachers.
"Romantic Myth, Transcendence, and Star Trek Zines" predates the two essays by Joanna Russ (Another Addict Raves About K/S and Pornography by Women, For Women, With Love) though Joanna Russ got her essays into print ahead of theirs. from Edi Bjorklund in K/S & K.S. (Kindred Spirits) #20 
==Some Topics Discussed==
* Leslie Fiedler and "Love and Death in the American Novel"
* extensive discussion about and quotes from the zine Nightvisions
* the fics Desert Heat, The Brothel, The End of the Hurt/Comfort Syndrome, Alternative: The Epilog to Orion, Mirrors of Mind and Flesh, Companion: The Rest of the Story, T'Zad'U, and On the Beach
* fan meta Return from the Glass Isle: The Romantic Structure of Star Trek
* it lists the addresses for three zines: Universal Translator, Datazine, and Trexindex
* Mary Renault is mentioned
* hurt/comfort, first time stories, slash
* the article states erroneoussly that "In the literature of the ST fan world, 'K/S' always indicates a sexual relationship, just as 'S/H' (in the realm of zines) indicates a sexual relationship between the characters of the 1970s television 'Starsky and Hutch'"
* discusses the topics of "androgynous heroism and transcendental romantic love"
* a chart of the "female" and "male" qualities of Kirk (very female) and Spock (very male)
* "These stories are not about two gay males and should not be categorizes as examples of homosexual literature -- either male or female."
* "Unlike Henry Higgins, the K/S writer does not cry, "Why can't a man be more like a woman?" She asks instead, "Why can't we all just be human?"
* "Competition between [Kirk and Spock], however is never a threat. In zines as in the television series, Spock has no command ambitions; he is content to second in command and to remain at Kirk's side." This is juxtaposed against Spock's greater physical strength.
==Excerpts from the Article==
 
==Some Comments==
===1993===
===1994===
===2012===
===2020===
Just Some Thoughts from a Female ST Fan Who Doesn't Understand K/S 
I remember (as an adult) asking friends what "slash" was and they lent me copies of "Nome", because these were the best K/S zines around. And I read them, and looked at the drawings, and I thought, "This is so strange. All these beautifully written stories about people who have Kirk's and Spock's names, and appearances, and jobs, on the starship... but something is just really off about their characters and their relationships." And I still didn't understand slash.
Now, after reading these articles on Fanlore, I think I understand better. I am not enough of a romantic to "get" the love connection... And that is okay.
==References==
Category:1982 Academic Commentary
Category:1986 Academic Commentary
Category:Slash Academic Commentary