Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is a slash K/S Star Trek: TOS anthology of fiction, poetry and art edited by Dorothy Laoang.
The zine Amazing Grace came out after the movie The Wrath of Khan:
The first issue sold out of its initial print run of 300 in six months.
==About the Title==
The title of the zine comes from the tune played in the movie at Spock's funeral. This choice of song in the movie was hotly debated in the letterzine Interstat. See: Interstat/Issues 051-060.
At least one fan wrote to The K/S Press of her dislike of this title, giving the whole zine a hard pass: 
A fan in Interstat wrote: 
==Story Summaries==
Many summaries below are from Gilda F.
==Issue 1==
Amazing Grace 1 was published in February 1984 and has 116 pages. There were 300 copies printed. 
The art is by by Dorothy C. Laoang, Vel Jaeger, and Suzan Lovett, Barbara P. Gordon, Nan Lewis, and Al Laoang. 
Includes a 2-page fold-out by The Southern Cross.
* Editorial
* Homecoming by Dorothy C. Laoang (ST:TMP)
* Friend, Brother... Lover by Wendy Rathbone (Kirk feels that Spock is slipping away from him after VʼGer,but at the same time is picking up Spockʼs mental calls to him as tʼhyʼla.)
* A Personal Moment of Truth by Sharon F (ST:TMP)
* The Singer and the Song by Dorothy C. Laoang (art by Al Laoang) (When Kirk discovers Spock playing his lyre in the OD, Spock is reluctant to tell him the name of the piece he is playing.)
* Etude and Code by Mikki Reynard (Kirk talks Spock into taking their rented vehicle off the beaten path.) (gen)
* An Inner Journey by Vel Jaeger (art by Vel Jaeger)
* Fantasy by Vivian Gates (art by The Southern Cross)
* Joyride by B.L. Barr
* To Please Thee by Gene S. Delapenia (art by Dorothy Laonag)
* Divertimento by Mikki Reynard (Spock comes to Admiral Kirkʼs aid after Kirk is rejected by a woman.)
* Anamorphosis by Ellen L. Kobrin (art by Suzan Lovett)
* Priorities by Susan F
* Until It Ended by Emily Ross
* Untitled by B.L. Barr
* And Always Shall Be Yours by Patricia Frazer Lamb (art by Dorothy Laoang) (40 years after Spockʼs death, a now aged Kirk prepares to rejoin his bondmate by having his body taken to Genesis after his death.)
* Coroach by Emily Ross
* The Battle Joined by Nancy Esther James
* The Final Score by Susan Meinecke (art by Nan Lewis)
* Musings by Susan Meinecke (art by Dorothy Laonag)
* Walking on Thin Ice by Christian Drake (art by Al Laonag) (After Spockʼs death, Kirk is unable to recover from their torn bond and the grief that is burying him.)
* If This Be Madness by Judy Darnell
* Thenody by Ellen L. Kobrin (art by Dorothy Laonag)
* Perspectives by Susan Meincke (art by Dorothy Laonag)
* Pretenses by Susan Meincke (art by Dorothy Laonag)
* Between by Nancy Esther James
* To Face the Future by A.T. Bush (Kirk is devastated by Spockʼs death but must contend with a Klingon threat while having blackouts from the severed bond.)
* A Beach to Walk On, author not credited (art by Barbara P. Gordon)
* Strangers by Susan Meincke
* Soliloquy by Dorothy C. Laoang
* In Memorium by Gene S. Delaphenia
* The Best of Times by Judy Darnell
 
Image:amazinggrace1-1.jpg|from issue #1, Barbara P. Gordon
Image:amazinggrace1-2.jpg|from issue #1, Al Laoang
Image:amazinggrace1-3.jpg|from issue #1, Vel Jaeger
Image:amazinggrace1-4.jpg|from issue #1, Dorothy C. Laoang
Image:amazinggrace1-5.jpg|from issue #1, Suzan Lovett
Image:amazinggrace1-6.jpg|from issue #1, Dorothy C. Laoang
Image:amazinggrace1-7.jpg|from issue #1, Nan Lewis
Image:amazinggrace1-8.jpg|from issue #1, Dorothy C. Laoang
 
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1===
==Issue 2==
Amazing Grace 2 was published in 1992 and has 116 pages.
From a submission request: 
From the editorial: 
* Daybreak, poem by Emily Ross (4)
* Blanket by Charlotte Frost (While waiting to be released by the rebels using him as leverage in their planetʼs negotiations with the Federation, Spock thinks about the blanket Kirk brought him, and finally realizes his loverʼs true motivations.) (5)
* Night Winds, poem by Robin Hood (17)
* First, Do No Harm by Judith Gran (Knowing that he could save her if they take her with them, McCoy struggles over Miramaneeʼs fate as it comes up against the Prime Directive and Kirk and Spockʼs relationship: Sequel: After The Tahiti Syndrome.) (18)
* Wind on Water, poem by Robin Hood (36)
* The Weaver by Ann Guise (37)
* A Shimmer of Mist, poem by Robin Hood (77)
* Transposed Images by Emily Ross (Kirk is willing to let Spock go to Vulcan in hopes of finding a bondmate, until the mirror Spock makes him realize how it is between him and his captain, and how it could be for Kirk and his Spock.) (78)
* Temptations Renewed by Flora Poste (Kirk wonders at Spockʼs withdrawal since their last night of lovemaking, and hopes to pull him back while on shoreleave, afraid his lover is having seconds thoughts about bonding with him.) (84)
* a recipe for "Temptation Mousse" (chocolate mousse) by Flora Poste that embellished by much K/S meta and fantasy—an excerpt: "Indulge in some mildly sadistic fantasies at this point, as you beat the egg whites and whip the cream until all are fully engorged and stiff with eagerness. (Use the chilled bowl and beaters for the cream; use another bowl and beaters or whisk for the egg whites.) Think about joining things, amalgamating, mingling... coming together. Fold a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Then fold all of the egg whites into the rest of the chocolate mixture. (Didn't they come together nicely ? Just like a certain Vulcan and—I don't need to elaborate, do I?) Now repeat the procedure with the cream. Fold a little of the chocolate/egg white mixture into the whipped cream, and then fold all of the whipped cream into the chocolate/egg white mixture. Do not over-fold it streakiness is acceptable. (A little streaking may even enhance your pleasure.)") (Author's notes say that this was inspired after reading Sharon F's story Temptations in Final Frontier #2.) (101)
* Duoshade Magic, an art tutorial by Dorothy Laoang, includes example illos ("Remember those so-called "magic" coloring books we sometimes got as kids? The pages were blank, but all you had to do was dip your brush in plain water, swipe it across the page, and a picture appeared as if by magic. What we didn't know then was that the pictures were already there, only they were printed in a special ink that was activated by water. Well, DuoShade by Grafix works on somewhat the same principle.") (103)
* After the Tahiti Syndrome by Judith Gran (Back on the ship, Kirk and Spock reaffirm their bond and their commitment to each other: Prequel:First, Do No Harm.) (107)
* Continuum, poem by Dorothy Laoang (116)
File:Amazinggrace2inside.jpg|inside issue #2, Deeb for Blanket
File:amazing2-1.jpg| inside issue #2, sample title page
File:amazing2-3.jpg| inside issue #2, A. Laoang for First, Do No Harm
File:amazing2-4.jpg| inside issue #2, Dorothy Laoang for The Weaver
File:amazing2-5.jpg| inside issue #2, Dorothy Laoang for The Weaver
File:amazing2-6.jpg| inside issue #2, Chris Soto for Transposed Images
File:amazing2-7.jpg| inside issue #2, Marty Siegrist for Temptations Renewed
File:amazing2-8.jpg| inside issue #2, from the art tutorial, Dorothy Laoang
File:amazing2-9.jpg| inside issue #2, from the art tutorial, Dorothy Laoang
File:amazing2-10.jpg| inside issue #2, Dorothy Laoang for After the Tahiti Syndrome
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2===
==Issue 3==
Amazing Grace 3 was published in January 1996 by Dorothy Laoang. It has 172 pages. Art by Dorothy Laoang, Al Laoang, Deeb, Shelley Butler, and W. Charles.
* Unto Which Holy Estate by Judith Gran (Is an ideal Vulcan/Human ceremony ever feasible? Back together after VʼGer, Kirk and Spock plans for marriage meet with opposition concerning the type of ceremony they want.)
* "Brothers in Time" by Michelle Arvizu (A Star Trek II and beyond story, McCoy must console first Kirk, and then Spock, through the death of the other.)
* "A Shot in the Dark" by Kyla Luba (New discoveries and revelations, while hiding in a cave from the animals that chased them there during a landing party, Kirk confesses his love to Spock by talking to him about imagining.)
* Misplaced in Purgatory by Judith Gran (An unusual alien contact/captivity story, unable to “speak”, Kirk and Spock are institutionalized as intelligently substandard by the telepathic populace on the planet they crashed landed on.)
* "Jagged Edges" by Jenna Sinclair (A "Sharing the Sunlight" story, Kirk and the landing party are held by Klingons, reminding both again of what they have lost when their bond was destroyed along with Spockʼs telepathic abilities: Prequel: Promises To Keep Sequel: "Manna".)
* "Finally" by Kathy Stanis (In the Nexus, with a difference, Spock follows Kirk into the Nexus and they become lovers before returning together to their own time and place.)
* Poetry and Filks: J.S. Cavalcante
* Artwork: Shelley Butler, Deeb, Laoang & others
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3===
==Issue 4==
Amazing Grace 4 was published in 1998 and has 108 pages.
The interior art is by Deeb, clm, Alison Fiddler (frontispiece), and Shelley Butler. The cover is by Dorothy Laoang. 
* Rain by Michele Arvizu ("While at a conference planet-side, Kirk and Spock draw closer together while sitting before a fire in their room watching the rain.") (3)
* Home Again by Bersahki ("Kirk has problems dealing with his fame after saving the Earth a second time.") (14)
* Coloring, poem by J.S. Cavalcante (36)
* Fever Dreaming, poem by J.S. Cavalcante (37)
* Rosegarden Air, poem by J.S. Cavalcante (38)
* Sand Roses, poem by J.S. Cavalcante (39)
* Save Water by Dana Austin Marsh ("Kirk and Spock visit Vulcan during a drought and have to share showers, a situation that strains both of their control over their concealed feelings.") (40)
* They are Immortal, All Those Stars by J.S. Cavalcante ("Spock is in pon farr when he feels Kirkʼs presence after almost 80 years and decides to leave Romulus in order to find him.") (53)
===Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4===
 
==Special Edition==
Amazing Grace Special Edition Best of the 'Net K/S Sampler published in 1998 by Dorothy L. reprinted stories previously posted online. It has 119 pages. Art by Shelley Butler, Alison Fiddler, Al Laoang, Meg Kelly, Deeb, and Dorothy Laoang.
This issue won a STIFfie Award.
From the zine's editorial: 
* Fire on the Mountain by Greywolf the Wanderer (Kirk and Spock go camping together and find love after Spock is almost hurt in a fall. - It started out as just another shore leave, but the deeper into the redwood Big Basin Reserve the campers hiked, the greater the changes when they emerged.) (5)
* Cover of Night by Killashandra (A/U: After the fal tor pan, Kirk relives memories of his destructive and secret love affair with Spock as he waits for the Vulcan to remember him, hoping for redemption and a second chance to make things right. "During their Vulcan sojourn, while waiting for The USS Bounty to be made spaceworthy, Kirk as a night visitor who is merely a shadow of his former self.") (winner of a 1998 Philon Award) (23)
* But the Memories Remain by Arachnethe2 (A mysterious 80-year old letter, delivered by an unexpected visitor on a hostile world, brings turmoil and finally, a semblance of peace of mind to the recipient.) (48)
* Your Name is Jim by Wildcat ("After the fal tor pan, Kirk must deal with Spockʼs inability to remember their bond while trying to retrieve whales from Earthʼs past. Prequel: Compulsion." "Spock's memory of his and Kirk's intimate relationship is all but gone, but a painful fact which both Kirk and Spock must confront on the long journey back to Earth.") (62)
* Golden Boy by Jungle Kitty ("A/U: Kirk is being forced to give up Spock after he discovers that his loverʼs father was a client of his when he worked as a paid companion during his cadet days." "Kirk's sordid youthful past comes back to haunt him in a unimaginably painful way.") (81)
* The Captain's Log by Judith Gran (Spock questions regarding their last mission, and how they will enter it in their logs, gives Kirk the opening he needs to make them lovers. "Following a nearly disastrous confrontation with aliens, Kirk's mind wanders while attempting to write a log of the recent events. Who should show up at his door, but the very subject of his musings?") (111)
File:Amazinggracese-1.jpg| from the Special Edition, sample title page and text
File:Amazinggracese-2.jpg| from the Special Edition, Shelley Butler for Fire on the Mountain
File:Amazinggracese-3.jpg| from the Special Edition, Alison Fiddler for Cover of Night
File:Amazinggracese-4.jpg| from the Special Edition, Al Laoang for But the Memories Remain
File:Amazinggracese-5.jpg| from the Special Edition, Meg Kelly for Your Name is Jim
File:Amazinggracese-6.jpg| from the Special Edition, Deeb for Golden Boy - "Gorgeous drawing. I like this thick pencil work that looks like charcoal, or maybe it is charcoal. Rich and soft yet strong, and I like how the edges are faded out. A kiss. A quiet, gentle kiss it looks like, maybe just beginning or just ending. Maybe it's the very first time their lips have touched. Or if it's afterwards, maybe it was an urgent, passionate kiss and then, spent, they pull apart, but not too far. I love the tilt of Spock's head. Beautifully sexy in a kind of vulnerability... he is the one being kissed." from The K/S Press #28 
===Reactions and Reviews: Best of the Net Issue===
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Slash Zines
Category:1984 Zines
Category:1990s Zines