“To save Spock’s life, Kirk consents to sex with a factory owner in a society where to be unemployed is grounds for imprisonment. We never hear Kirk and Spock speak one word to each other, but their love shines out of everything they do, everything they are. Thank goodness this author has written more stories than this one, but even if she hadn’t, her reputation as a superb writer would remain secure.” (The K/S Press #89)
Before “hurt/comfort” became the more widely-used term, “Get” or “Get ‘em” stories featured gratuitous whumping of a specific character who is injured, mistreated, and otherwise tormented throughout the story.
“Get" stories were frequently gen, and often light on the comfort. The Star Trek zine Contact contained both “Get-” style and “Hurt/comfort” style stories, as well as both friendship and slash stories between Kirk and Spock. Some early examples include Star Trek: TOS stories The Logical Conclusion, Spock Enslaved!, and The Rack.
In a 1976 article on the genre, Becca Oroukin and Connie Faddis, offer several possible explanation for “Get ‘ems” appeal, “Creators of “get-em” tales sometimes equate them selves subconsciously with God. The STAR TREK characters are ours to mold or mangle. We direct their fates. We exercise control over the lives of our fictional heroes as an expression of our wish to exert greater control over our own lives and the lives of those we love… Ultimately, good tragedy and drama are not usually concerned with the suffering itself, but with the dignity with which it is endured, or the strength with which it is conquered. Through suffering, one can reach reflective self-consciousness and an awareness of human limitations.”
When Kirk is blinded by a Tholian weapon, Spock leaves the service to stay at his side.
Nightvisions, originally published as a print fanzine in 1979, was one of the first full-length K/S novel ever published. Cover art by Signe Landon.
“This 250 page novel has attained near-legendary status since its publication in 1979 and it is well deserved. It opens with Kirk in virtual retirement and seclusion, under McCoy’s care on Starbase 9, having been blinded in an encounter with the Tholians. He is not dealing well with the affliction, and attempts to send Spock away without letting him know about it. This gambit, of course, fails. Spock settles in to care for Kirk in a luxurious seaside home, complete with a loyal Andorian housekeeper. Conflicts arise between Spock’s overprotectiveness and Kirk’s fierce need to retain at least an illusion of his old independence, complicated by a gradually growing physical awareness of each other. They become lovers, against a background of McCoy’s search for a cure for Jim’s condition, and his growing apprehension concerning the symptoms of ongoing damage and possible death.” (x)
“A brilliant, classic take on the Outsider POV and Prison tropes, structured as an interview with another inmate affected by what he saw of Kirk and Spock.” (x)
Trope Tuesday: A popular trope in fanon and canon, amnesia as a trope often gets paired with Hurt/Comfort and Angst elements. Read more about this trope, share some of your favorite amnesia works and join the discussion by following this link. http://bit.ly/2EgeZyQ
“While most of my recommendations have been for old stories, this one is definitely the oldest. It was originally published in a print zine (anyone remember those?) in 1981! It’s now available online, with permission from the author, courtesy of the “Foresmutters Project”, which makes old slash stories (primarily Kirk/Spock) available online for the first time… “The Prize” is one of my favorites of these old stories, and stands up very well against modern fanfiction. It considers an alternate universe, one in which Surak’s reforms never happened on Vulcan. In this world, the warrior Spock acquires a human slave. It’s a very interesting look at what would happen to the essential characters of Kirk and Spock if they instead lived under very different circumstances. Spock’s characterization, in particular, is carefully drawn and quite consistent with his portrayal on the show.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Spock considers leaving the Enterprise to be part of a Medusan team when Kirk discovers that they have spontaneously bonded and reacts badly to the idea.
Originally published in 1995 in the print fanzine T’hy’la #16.
“I loved this story. I didn’t want it to end. When it did, I accorded it that highest of personal accolades, I went immediately back to the beginning and started reading it again.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Kirk forces a confrontation with Spock after getting his body back from Janice Lester, angered over his lover’s unwillingness to share himself as exemplified by Spock’s not telling him about Zarabeth, which had caused a month long separation.
Originally published in 1988 in the print fanzine Naked Times #21.
“This is perhaps one of my most favorite stories I have read. Why? Because it shows that Kirk and Spock do have problems. That they, like all of us, must work to solve those problems.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
One year after leaving for Gol Spock goes into pon farr and mentally calls Kirk, who also feeling the effects, goes to him.
Originally published in 1985 in the print fanzine “First Time” #2.
“A beautiful pon farr story. While on earth, Kirk becomes aware that Spock is in need of him. Following his instincts, he travels to Vulcan and, unerringly, on to Gol where he finds Spock in pon farr. Natasha’s version of pon farr is different from most in that Spock is far from violent. He is literally helpless as a baby. The ensuing love scene is very beautiful and also a typical of most pon farr scenes. This is a gentle loving, a gentle story. And the fact that the title is taken from a poem by Leonard Nimoy somehow makes it that much better.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Characters: Spock, James T. Kirk Additional Tags: First Time, Romance, Vulcan Mind Melds Summary:
Time after time, Jim Kirk has fallen for the wrong woman, and Spock has been there to pick up the pieces. How long can this go on? A sequel to “A Requiem for Methuselah.”
Kirk is ordered to do whatever it takes when a ruler’s heir is interested in him.
Originally published in 1989 in the print fanzine T'hy'la #8.
“This goes on along as a standard, yet above-average love story of Kirk and Spock dealing with an alien culture. But then the readers gets to the ending… And it is PRICELESS!!“ (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Kirk goes with Spock to Spock’s home on Vulcan for R&R, hoping their time alone will push their relationship to its next level.
Originally published in 2007 in the print fanzine Legacy #2 (Beyond Dreams Press).
“This story is just a feast for the senses. The story stays flawlessly in Kirk‘s point of view so we experience what Kirk does in the immediacy of it happening. It increases the uncertainty he is feeling because just like Kirk we‘re never quite sure we‘re reading Spock right. One misstep would be a disaster… A gem of a story, and worthy of being included in Kathy‘s body of work.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Spock’s physical desire for Kirk is forced to the surface by the dreams he’s having after partaking of meat—and sex—on Sarpeidon.
Originally published in 1994 in the print fanzine No Greater Love (Diversity Press); revised by the author and reprinted in 2006 in the print fanzine T’hy’la #26.
“’Meat Dreams’ is one of the best K/S stories I have ever read. It is exciting, with wonderfully well-written action scenes. It is intellectually satisfying, with a complex puzzle provided not just by the obvious events of the story, but also by the intriguing use of symbols and imagery. This story is compelling, and at 33 reduced pages of print, there’s plenty here to enjoy and remember. J.S. Cavalcante has written her very best story in this first time tale written exclusively from Spock’s perspective.“ (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
As Spock realizes that he will be drawn to Kirk during his next pon farr and decides to leave the Enterprise, Kirk is injured while competing in an alien game.
Barbara Storey was a slash and het fan writer, fan poet, and fanzine publisher. She is perhaps best known for her work publishing Nome an early influential Star Trek fanzine and the Star Trek slash novel Broken Images. Her writing in “Just as the Twig is Bent” published in Nome #11 won her a 1988 Surak Award for Best Long Story and a FanQ Award for Best Short Story. In 1983 Nome also won her and co-editor Vicki Clark a TrekStar Award for Best Zine. Issues #3-9 of Nome won the Surak Awards for Best Fanzine Editing. (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
I just got an email from Barbara today. She’s given the go-ahead for people to create transformative fan works from her stories and fanzines. So podfic, fan art, translations etc. she’s on board
How to drive your perfectly reasonable, albeit libidinous, bondmate completely out of his mind … Or “But Jim, why is it called K/S, when logically it should be J/S or K/X?”
“Spock discovers K/S in the archives retrieved through the Guardian of Forever and becomes fixated on why it would be called ‘K/S’ and not 'J/S’ (James/Spock) or even 'K/X’, presuming Spock‘s last name began with an 'X’. This is quite charming in that nothing will quench Spock‘s appetite for knowledge, even when inappropriate.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Feeling like a third wheel after Spock invites him along on his and Kirkʼs shore leave, McCoy decides to return to town from their campsite — in the only means of transportation they have.
It was first published as gen in Lone Star Trek #3 in 1991, reworked as slash for T'hy'la #26 in 2006. Cover image by T’Guess.
“According to the editor’s notes, this was originally published back in 1991 as a gen story. I have to say, now that it has been rewritten as a K/S story, it’s hard to tell such wasn’t the case to begin with. Both portions have been blended together beautifully and the final result is something that is a rarity in K/S - a story that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page. Even after all these years, there are still only a handful of stories I can place in that category, and this one definitely qualifies.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Kirk/Spock Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard McCoy Additional Tags: classic slash, Tentacles, Alien Sex, First Time, Sex In A Cave Summary:
After their shuttle craft explodes, Kirk, Spock and McCoy seek shelter in a cave. While they await rescue, a badly injured, delirious Spock expresses his deep longing for an emotional relationship with Kirk.
“This story is probably the first fully-developed K/S short story that was actually published. In it, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are stranded on a planet when their shuttlecraft lands and explodes. Spock suffers from a blow to the head and is unconscious when they take shelter in a convenient cave. (Convenient caves are an amusing cliché used by many K/S writers over the past twenty-five years.) During his delirium, Spock expresses and acts on his deeply-suppressed desire for a sexual relationship with Kirk. McCoy feigns sleep, and Kirk, though initially confused, goes through with the encounter, presumably willingly. But the question is, will Spock remember when he regains consciousness?” (x)
“I remember reading “Shelter” in WS20 and going crazy waiting for the sequel to come out. As usual for many stories of this type, it ended with the ‘mating’ and there was no discussion of the ‘aftermath.’ And in this case, since Spock was ‘out of his mind’ during the mating, it was logical that we fen were going ‘bug-fuck nuts!’ waiting for the sequel to find out how both Kirk and Spock would feel later, on the Big E, when they were both in their ‘right minds.’ (x)
Originally published in Warped Space #20 in October 1976.
The idea of fan cultures, or “fandoms,” cultivating fan fiction writers began at the earliest in the 1920s with societies dedicated to Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes, but took off in the late 1960s with the advent of Star Trek fanzines. The negative stereotype of “fans today is that of obsessed geeks, like “Trekkies, who love nothing more than to watch the same installments over and over…” However, this represents a core misunderstanding of what it is to be a fan: that is, to have the “ability to transform personal reaction into social interaction, spectatorial culture into participatory culture… not by being a regular viewer of a particular program but by translating that viewing into some kind of cultural activity.” Henry Jenkins, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and expert on fan culture, likens fan fiction to the story of The Velveteen Rabbit: that the investment in something is what gives it a meaning rather than any intrinsic merits or economic value. For fans who invest in a television show, book, or movie, that investment sparks production, and reading or viewing sparks writing, until the two are inseparable. They are not watching the same thing over and over, but rather are creating something new instead.
Spock appears restive and combative for weeks until at last the reason for his obvious discomfort is revealed.
Originally published in First Time #62.
“In this story set after the episode This Side of Paradise, everyone has recovered from the spores. Everyone except Spock, that is. The presence of the spores is still bothering Spock, and his deeply hidden passions for his Captain are being released and no longer entirely within his control… We don‘t see a story exploring the lingering effect the spores might have on Spock too often, and I liked how the author set up her story, let us see the effect of the spores on Spock, learn about Kirk‘s love for Spock, and then sent them away together on a mission… Exciting love making scenes and a beautifully worded last paragraph made this story a great beginning to First Time #62.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Kirk isn’t sure he wants to be a nude pin-up in the calendar one of the ship’s cadets wishes to create, even though the proceeds will go to charity.
Originally published in 2004 in the print fanzine Astray In The Wilderness. Published online February 8, 2018 (today!)
“This is an absolutely delightful story, the obvious inspiration being the movie ‘Calendar Girls,’ A brave ensign on the Enterprise decides that the perfect way to raise money for a relief effort would be to have the officers of the Enterprise pose for a calendar that would be sold to raise money. The officers are agreeable until the ensign wants them to pose naked! Or as the ensign puts it ‘well, that is, naked apart from a carefully positioned piece of equipment - or several in the case of the ladies.’” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
“Sigh. What a wonderful story. It is short but filled with love and passion. Spock thinks of his life with Kirk on the eve of their 25th anniversary, and how much he has always wanted and needed Kirk to touch him, and remembers all the times they touched in love.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
A/U Six months after being taken prisoner and raped by a Vulcan captain, Kirk finds that same Vulcan is now being assigned as his first officer when peace is declared.
Originally published in Beyond Dreams #7 in 2004. Cover art by IM Mueller.
“Those K/Srs who know me well know that I don’t particularly care for either “Mirror” or Alternate Universe stories, so when I do read a story set in either of these genres, it really has to be something special for me to sit up and take notice. “Debt of Honor” does just that. Written by one of the best K/S authors around today, it has a gripping plot that draws the reader immediately into the story and keeps one turning the pages until the very end.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
Zinedom is in the final stages of preparing the 520 page, three-novel Star Trek series, The Weight Collected,for publication online:
“A journey back into time thrusts Kirk and the Enterprise into an alternate universe where the Federation never formed, and space is ruled by Romulans. Somehow, Kirk and Spock must repair the damage to the space time continuum, with the aid of their alternate universe counterparts. A seminal work.” (x)
The Weight was originally published by Leslie Fish in serial form in the fanzine Warped Space between 1976 and 1979, and it has never been posted in full online. The complete collection of stories to be posted includes:
“The story is beautifully written and rings absolutely true to the characterization of Kirk and Spock as seen on aired Trek. There is no excessive hand-wringing on Kirk’s part, and even now almost thirty years after it was published, it still retains its power to impress with its beauty and eroticism. Gayle was the inventor of Spock’s pointed tongue, but more importantly she’s the person to thank for a Vulcan’s double ridges, almost universally accepted today as fan canon. Of that Gayle says: “I wanted to do something both alien and sexy.” I would say she succeeded.” (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
As Spock realizes that he will be drawn to Kirk during his next pon farr and decides to leave the Enterprise, Kirk is injured while competing in an alien game.
Barbara Storey was a slash and het fan writer, fan poet, and fanzine publisher. She is perhaps best known for her work publishing Nome an early influential Star Trek fanzine and the Star Trek slash novel Broken Images. Her writing in “Just as the Twig is Bent” published in Nome #11 won her a 1988 Surak Award for Best Long Story and a FanQ Award for Best Short Story. In 1983 Nome also won her and co-editor Vicki Clark a TrekStar Award for Best Zine. Issues #3-9 of Nome won the Surak Awards for Best Fanzine Editing. (x)
Want to help authors bring fanzine stories online for the next generation of fans? Come help us at Zinedom!
