The Halkan Council

The Halkan Council was a very influential Star Trek: TOS monthly letterzine.
Published by two high school students, it is considered the first letterzine in Star Trek fandom, and by default, possibly the first in all media fandom. It sponsored the first Star Trek Fan Fund, started the Fan Q Awards, and was the first zine in which the term slash (referenced as "/") appeared. 
"The Halkan Council" was the gathering place for much of the early discussion of the show, and there were many letters by the movers and shakers of the time. Some of the topics enthusiastically debated: Vulcan biology and genetics, Kraith, the tensions between Star Trek and science fiction fans, the state of fandom in general, specific fanworks and tropes, and much more. 
 
== Succeeded by Other Star Trek Letterzines==
* The Halkan Council (December 1974-September 1977)
* Interstat (November 1977-March 1991)
* Not Tonight Spock (June 1984-July 1986)
* The LOC Connection (January 1989-December 1993)
* Come Together (January 1994-August 1996)
* The K/S Press (September 1996-present day)
For other fandom letterzines; see List of Letterzines.
==The Issues: Summaries==
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==From the First Editorial==
==The Term K/S==
Although the term K/S had previously been used to represent friendship without a sexual element, the / was first used to refer to a sexual relationship in this letterzineScience Fiction Citations for OED, accessed December 26, 2010 , and it was in The Halkan Council where some of the early discussions about K/S and slash took place. Excerpts from a few issues can be found in the fanzine Legacy and are posted online here. 
==Birthplace of the Fan Quality Awards==
There was much discussion, especially in the earliest issues, of Star Trek fandom having a separate awards program/system from the Hugo Awards. Some fans felt separate awards would be good idea, as they would be more useful and a way to step back from having to compete with literary science fiction fans (see Science Fiction Fandom vs. Media Fandom). Other fans thought separate awards would be a bad idea, that Star Trek would never be taken seriously as a fandom if they retreated and accepted a "consolation prize," that Star Trek had to compete on the same field as sf fans. 
: From issue #4: "Rather than physical awards handed out at a con, I'd like to see Halkan Council stay in print -- frequent issues, coming out over several years -- and HC running a yearly poll (with other Trekzines helping to distribute the poll.) That way the winners would get get glory, without so much hassle about when and where and not so much worry about cost." 
: From issue #4: "If ST fandom were to have awards similar to the Hugo, it should be stated 'favorite fanzine,' favorite editor, etc I don't think it's wise to make awards for excellence a popularity contest, as Hugo-like voting would." 
: From issue #6: " ... Why not combine the two ideas discussed (ST awards, a collection of different stories) and consider several awards for fan stories and the publication of the winners each year? I don't know enough about the mechanics of publishing to know how well this would work, but it sounds interesting..." 
: From issue #7: Regarding the zine Quartet Plus One: "Wasn't that a beautiful experience? I adore that little pumpkin-headed alien, and the final story ("Ni-Var") dealing with Spock split into his two natures was a masterpiece. It's a toss-up as to which of those will appear in that 'Best Writing' [award] that's being planned, but I'm sure part of it will appear."' 
: From issue #7: "As for the naming an award, I'd like to suggest that these publications be dedicated to the memory of the late Gene L. Coon, and the artwork to the late Tim Courtney." 
==General Fan Comments About "The Halkan Council"==
===1975===
 
===1976===
===1977===
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Non-fiction Zines
Category:1970s ZinesCategory:2020 Featured Articles