The Weight (Star Trek: TOS story)

The Weight by Leslie Fish is a lengthy and controversial Star Trek: TOS story first serialized in many issues of Warped Space between 1976-1979.
The novel features many original characters, an alternate universe/mirror universe, anarchy, and commentary on gender.
One of the main characters was an "alternate-Kirk" named Jenneth Roantree, who was described by Fish as Kirk's "female analog" and "alter ego." Another original character was "Quannechota Two-Feathers." In May 1977, Fish wrote: 
Fans generally had very strong feelings about "The Weight"; some of the adjectives they used in their letters of comment were: disturbing, emotionally crushing, magnificent, exhilarating, marvelous, and uncomfortable. One fan said the art made her want to vomit. Read these and many more fan comments.
In 1988, the chapters, along with additional content, including material from Enterprise Incidents #7 and #8, was collected into a standalone print zine called The Weight Collected.
"The Weight" won a 1977 Fan Q Award.
==Summaries==
===Original Chapter Titles===
* The Weight: The Lighthouse-Keeper and the Cannibal Train," or, "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here (part 1) (originally printed in Warped Space #17)
* The Weight: We're Jim Kirk, Fly Us (part 2, section 1) (originally printed in Warped Space #19)
* The Weight: Bad Moon RisingTitle from 1969 song by Creedence Clearwater Revival (part 2, section 2) (originally printed in Warped Space #21)
* The Weight: They Told Me, ‘Cheer Up, Things Could Be Worse,’ So I Cheered Up, and Sure Enough, Things Got Worse (part 2, section 3) (originally printed in Warped Space #22)
* The Weight: Tiptoe Through the TulipsTitle from the 1929 song which was famously covered in 1968 by Tiny Tim: They Just Might Take a Hunk Out of Your Leg (part 3, section 1) (originally printed in Warped Space #24)
* The Weight: Study Questions for A Nervous Breakdown (part 3, section 2) (originally printed in Warped Space #25)
* The Weight: Cold Wind to ValhallaTitle from 1975 song by Jethro Tull (part 3, section 3) (originally printed in Warped Space #26/27)
* The Weight: City of the Winds, or, It's Sister Jenny's Turn to Throw the BombTitle from filksong by Leslie Fish (part 4) (originally printed in Warped Space #29/30)
* The Weight: Because Something Is Happening Here and You Don't Want to Know What It Is, Do You, Mr. Spock? (part 4 section 2) (originally printed in Warped Space #35/365)
* The Weight [no subtitle] (part 4, section 3) (originally printed in Warped Space #39)
* The Weight: If You Really Are My Brother, Then You'd Better Start To Pray (part 4, section 4) (originally printed in Warped Space #41)
* The Weight: Judgement Night (conclusion) (originally printed in Warped Space #42)
Two related, background articles by Leslie Fish were printed in "Warped Space" #23. They were titled: "On Anarchists & Their Communities" and "...Music, Tantra, & Dancing Anarchists."
==Origins of The Weight==
"The Weight" is based on "The 6th Year," a story by Ed Zdrojewski in Warped Space #3: 
==The Role of Song Lyrics in the Story==
thumb|the song lyrics, published in Warped Space #42
The story also contains a lot of song lyrics. It opens and closes with these song lyrics:
A fan in 1998 wrote: 
==A Sequel?==
In 1980, there was talk of a sequel -- some discussion is in the LoC section and the editorial of Warped Space #43.
From the editorial: "And Leslie Fish has stressed to me that Part 2 of "The Weight" consists of a series of interrelated short stories, complete in themselves, so they will start appearing in future WS issues whenever Leslie gets them going."
In 2017, Fish discussed this sequel: 
==Inspired Works==
* Invaders Great and Small by Leslie Fish, Joanne Agostino and James Van Hise (A McCoy story from 'The Weight' universe. McCoy is a country doctor on an Earth that has renounced high technology. When the Romulans invade, McCoy is abducted to help them combat a plethora of Earth diseases ravaging their troops.) (published in Enterprise Incidents #8) (1980)
* A Brief Encounter in a Timeless War by Jim Van Hise (1979)
* The Weight was referenced in the filk song "The Late Night Zine Lament" about readers waiting for the next chapter.
* "The Weight" was parodied in a fanwork by Paula Smith in Wasted Space (1977)
File:warped19art5.jpg|art from issue #19, the artist is Leslie Fish
File:Men13art1.jpg| a parody from Wasted Space, printed in both Menagerie #13, also printed in Warped Space #26/27 in 1977
==Comments from the Author==
===1977===
 
===1979===
===2017===
==Sample Pages from "The Weight" ==
Leslie Fish created extensive the art for "The Weight." A selection, used with Fish's permission, is below.
File:Warped17art1.jpg|from Warped Space #17, character is Sparks Vanderhoof
File:Warped17art2.jpg|from Warped Space #17, character is Ann Bailey
File:warped19art6.jpg|from Warped Space #19
File:warped19art7.jpg|from "Warped Space" #19
File:warped19art8.jpg|from "Warped Space" #19
File:warped19art9.jpg|from "Warped Space" #19
File:warped21art2.jpg|from "Warped Space" #21
File:warped21art5.jpg|from "Warped Space" #21
File:warped21art6.jpg|from Warped Space #21
File:warped21art7.jpg|from "Warped Space" #21
File:warped21art8.jpg|from "Warped Space" #21
File:warped21art9.jpg|from "Warped Space" #21
File:Warped22art3.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art4.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art5.jpg|from Warped Space #22
File:Warped22art6.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art7.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art8.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art9.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art10.jpg|from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped22art11.jpg|synopsis from "Warped Space" #22
File:Warped24art3.jpg|from Warped Space #24
File:Warped24art4.jpg|from "Warped Space" #24
File:Warped25art2.jpg|from "Warped Space" #25
File:Warped25art6.jpg|from "Warped Space" #25
File:Warped26-27art3.jpg|from "Warped Space" #26/27
File:Warped26-27art4.jpg|from Warped Space #26/27
File:warped29-30-5.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 84
File:warped29-30-8.jpg|from Warped Space #29/30, page 89
File:warped29-30art3.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 90
File:warped29-30-3.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 100
File:warped29-30-4.jpg|from Warped Space #29/30, page 105
File:warped29-30art2.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 107
File:warped29-30art1.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 109: From a fan: "Pgs. 100, 105, 109, 111, and 112 actually made me throw up. Especially p. 109, with 105 a strong contender." from a letter of comment in "Warped Space" #37
File:warped29-30-6.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 111
File:warped29-30-7.jpg|from "Warped Space" #29/30, page 112
File:warped3435-10.jpg|from issue #35/36, Leslie Fish
File:warped3435-11.jpg|from issue #35/36, Leslie Fish
File:warped3435-12.jpg|from issue #35/36, Leslie Fish
File:warped3435-13.jpg|from issue #35/36, Leslie Fish
File:Warped3435-15.jpg|from issue #35/36, Leslie Fish, page 87: a fan who'd had a lot of criticism regarding Fish's art for The Weight in letters of comment in Warped Space had this to say: "What bothered me about your illos? I suppose I am a little (or a lot) "straight", but seeing a naked, female Spock standing over Kirk's bed, looking like he's about to whip him with a Christmas tree leftover, is a bit unsettling." from Warped Space #40
File:Warped39inside.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:Warped39inside-1.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:Warped39inside-2.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:Warped39inside-3.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:Warped39inside-4.jpg|from Warped Space #39
File:Warped39inside-5.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:Warped39inside-6.jpg|from "Warped Space" #39
File:warped41-9.jpg|from "Warped Space" #41
File:warped41-10.jpg|from "Warped Space" #41
File:warped41-11.jpg|from "Warped Space" #41
File:warped41-12.jpg|from Warped Space #41
File:warped41-13.jpg|from "Warped Space" #41
File:warped42-13.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-14.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-15.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-16.jpg|from Warped Space #42
File:warped42-17.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-18.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-19.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
File:warped42-20.jpg|from "Warped Space" #42
==Reactions and Reviews==
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==References==
Category:1970s Fanfiction