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S. Hereld Collection of Blake's 7 Fanzines and Fan Fiction Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research. Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department. Copyright: Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials. Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement. Acquisition and Processing Information: Sandy Hereld donated these materials to Special Collections in May 2008. Photographs: None |
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Scope and Contents
The Hereld Collection consists primarily of fanzines and examples of fan fiction by a number of authors, dealing with the British science fiction television series Blake's 7. There are also some items of fan fiction involving other genre shows, including The X-Files, Highlander: The Series, The Sentinel, and The Sandbaggers.
Much of the fan fiction is of the "slash" variety. "Slash" refers to fan fiction that is sexually explicit, and usually, though not exclusively, homosexual in nature. In slash sex and sexuality are the centers of the story, rather than the more conventional adventures featured in more traditional fan fiction.
In addition to the self-published fan materials, there is also a fairly long run of the more professionally produced Horizon, the official fan magazine of the Blake's 7 Apprecation Society.
Historical Note
Blake's 7 was created by Doctor Who writer Terry Nation, and was broadcast from 1978-1981 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The show was popular and well-received by critics and audiences alike throughout its run. The show was based around the adventures of a ragtag group of rebels that battled the evil, tyrannical Terran Federation. For the first two seasons of the show, the group was led by revolutionary Roj Blake (played by Gareth Thomas) and operated from a comandeered alien spacecraft that the group renamed the Liberator.
During the first two years, the show was marked by continuing conflict between Blake, an idealist fighting for freedom and justice, and the rest of his crew, a collection of outlaws and criminals. Of particular note was the ongoing duel of personalities between Blake and ruthless, cynical realist Kerr Avon (Paul Darrow). After Blake disappeared at the end of the second season, Avon replaced him as leader of the crew, revealing an ongoing internal conflict within Avon between his sense of self-preservation and a growing, Blake-inspired interest in freedom fighting. This conflict made Avon perhaps the most complex character on the show, and certainly contributed to his immense popularity among Blakes 7 fans.
Blake's 7 was a significant break from its much more optimistic fellow cult shows Star Trek and Doctor Who, as well as the more simple good-evil dualism of the Star Wars movies and of early science fiction movies and TV. The show is notable for its dark and pessimistic tone, its collection of morally ambivalent, sometimes unsympathetic characters, and for the development of long story arcs. These features came to influence much subsequent science fiction broadcast media, including Babylon 5, the new Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Firefly, Farscape, Andromeda, and Lexx.
The show was also noted for its surprising willingness to kill off or otherwise remove major characters. Of the original 7 crew members introduced in the show's first season, convicted murderer Gan (David Jackson) was killed in Season 2, Blake himself and smuggler Jenna (Sally Knyvette) disappeared at the end of that season, and telepathic guerilla warrior Cally (Jan Chappell) died at the end of Season 3, along with the Liberator itself and its superintelligent computer Zen (Peter Tuddenham).
The final episode of the series, "Blake", epitomized the show's concern with the fatal costs of resistance. The episode saw the return and death of Blake himself (shot by his ertswhile comrade Avon), the destruction of the rebels' replacement ship Scorpio, and the apparent shooting deaths of 4 additional Scorpio crew members - resistance fighter Dayna (Josette Simon), salvage operator Soolin (Glynis Barber), contraband runner and skilled pilot Tarrant (Steven Pacey), and cowardly thief Vila (Michael Keating), one of the original 7 - by Federation forces. In the memorable final shot of the episode (and the show), Avon steps over Blake's body, raises his gun, and smiles at the Federation guards who have surrounded him. The screen goes black as shots ring out.
The show's complex themes of shifting loyalities, freedom for all vs. self-involvement, and the struggle of the few vs. the many have made it a definite cult hit with a dedicated fan base. Many fans are particularly taken with the character of the morally ambiguous Avon, the subject of much of the fan fiction in the collection.
Related Materials
Horvat, M. The M. Horvat Collection of Genre Apazines, 1943, 1945, 1958-2002.
A collection of science fiction, fantasy, mystery and other genre "apazines" (informal publications similar to newsletters or fanzines, and published by fan groups called Amateur Press Associations, or "apas"). MsC825. (Finding Aid)
Horvat, M. The M. Horvat Collection of Science Fiction Fanzines, 1935-1990.
A collection of science fiction "genzines" (general issue magazines) and "fanzines" (less formal publications). It is estimated to contain 15,000-20,000 individual items. MsC791. (Partial Finding Aid)
Box Contents List
Blake's 7 |
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Box 1 |
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| Folder | Item Title |
| 1 | Alternative Seven 2 - 3 (n.d.) |
| 2 | Amare 2 (n.d.) |
| 3 | Anglo File (1985) |
| 4 | Avon, Anyone? (1987?) |
| 5 | Avon Calling 1-2 (1990-1991) |
| 6 | Avon Calling 3 (1994) |
| 7 | Avon the Terrible (1990) |
| 8 | Before and After (n.d.) |
| 9 | Beloved Adversary (1994) |
| 10 | Bizarro Zine 1-2 (1988-1989) |
| 11 | Bizarro Zine - Bizarro Coloring Album (1991) |
| 12 | Blake, Rabble and Roll 1-3 (1989-1992) |
| 13 | Blake's 7 A-Z: An Index to B7 Fiction 1 (1984) |
| 14 | Blake's 7: A Marvel Monthly 18 (1983) |
| 15 | Blake's 7 Poster Magazine1 (February 1994) |
| 16 | Blake's Doubles 2-3 (1989-1990) |
| 17 | Blake's Seven: The Other Side 1, 3 (1986-1987) |
| 18 | Blake's Seven: The Other Side 4-5 (1987-1988) |
| 19 | Blake's Seven: The Other Side 6, 9 (1989, 1993) |
| 20 | Brother of Shadows....and Son of the Light (1989) |
| 21 | Checkers: A Tale of Treachery (1992) |
| 22 | Cohorts 2 (1995) |
| 23 | A Companion for My Death (1989) |
| 24 | Crossroads (n.d.) |
| 25 | Dark Between the Stars 2, 5 (1990, 1993?) |
| 26 | Different Destinies 1 (1989) |
| 27 | Double Vision (1993) |
| 28 | Doppelganger (n.d.) |
Box 2 |
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| 1 | The Epic (n.d.) |
| 2 | Fire and Ice 2 (1993) |
| 3 | Freedom City Gazette 1-4 and Fall Special 1987 (1987-1988) |
| 4 | Freedom City Gazette 5-8 and Winter Special 1989 (1989-1990) |
| 5 | Gambit 2 (1988) |
| 6 | Gambit 4 (1989) |
7 |
Gambit 6 (1990) |
| 8 | Gambit 9 (1992) |
| 9 | Ghost - Blake's Seven: A Sixth Series 1-2 and All That Was Ever Ours (1986-1987) |
| 10 | Ghost - Blake's Seven: A Sixth Series 3-5 (1987-1990) |
| 11 | The Great Lord Shiva's Dance (n.d.) |
| 12 | Hip Deep in Heroes: A Blake's 7 Filk Song Book (1989) |
| 13 | Horizon 12, 17-20 (1983?, 1986-1988) |
| 14 | Horizon 21-24 (1988-1990) |
| 15 | Horizon 25-28 (1990-1992) |
| 16 | Horizon 29-31 (1992-1994) |
| 10 | Horizon 32-35 (1995-1996) |
| 11 | Horizon 36-37, 39 (1997-1998) |
| 12 | Horizon (Fan Fiction) 2, 17 (n.d., 1992) |
| 13 | I, Avon (n.d.) |
| 14 | Interface 1 (June 1982) |
| 15 | Input 1, 3 (1988-1989) |
| 16 | Klyn's Seven, or, How to Really Run a Revolution (1989) |
| 17 | Laidback 3-4 (1983, n.d.) |
| 18 | Liberator 3, 5-6, 10 (n.d., 1980) |
| 19 | Liberator Dreams (1991) |
Box 3 |
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| 1 | Log of the Hellhound1-2 (1988) |
| 2 | Log of the Hellhound 7-8 (n.d.) |
| 3 | The Long Way Back (1989) |
| 4 | The Machiavelli Factor (1982) |
| 5 | Magnificent Tails (1988) |
| 6 | Mascarada (1985) |
| 7 | The Measure of Affection (1992) |
| 8 | The Mind of a Man is A Double-Edged Sword (1983) |
| 9 | Morgan (1988) |
| 10 | Oblaque 1-2 (1988-1989) |
| 11 | Oblaque 3-4 (1989-1990) |
| 12 | Oblaque 6 (1993) |
| 13 | Oracle (1986) |
| 14 | Out of Orbit (n.d.) |
15 |
Out of The Night (1988) |
| 16 | Panning for Pyrites (1989) |
| 17 | Power 1-2 (1989-1990) |
| 18 | Powerplay 1-2 (1987-1988) |
| 19 | Powerplay 3 (1988) |
| 20 | Probability Square (1989) |
| 21 | Program - Blake's Seven: A Fifth Season 1-2 (1986) |
| 22 | Program - Blake's Seven: A Fifth Season 3-4 (1986) |
| 23 | Promises, Promises (1993) |
| 24 | Raising Hell 1-2 (1987-1988) |
| 25 | Raising Hell 3-5 (1990-1992) |
| 26 | Rallying Call 12-15 (1993) |
Box 4 |
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| 1 | Rallying Call 16-19 (1996) |
| 2 | Rallying Call various (1992, 1994, n.d. |
| 3 | Resistance 2-3 (1988-1989) |
| 4 | Resistance 4-5 (1990-1991) |
| 5 | Resistance 8 (1994) |
| 6 | Return of the 7 (1985) |
| 7 | Return to Cygnus Alpha (n.d.) |
| 8 | Risk (1997) |
| 9 | Second Chance (n.d.) |
| 10 | Seventh Sector 1 (n.d.) |
| 11 | Shadow at the Edge (1995) |
| 12 | Shadowplay (1988) |
| 13 | Signals From Scorpio 17-20 (1987) |
| 14 | Songs of Innocence (1993) |
| 15 | Southern Comfort 5.5 (May 1990) |
| 16 | Southern Comfort 6.5 (April 1991) |
| 17 | Southern Comfort 7.5 (May 1993) |
| 18 | Southern Lights Special 2.5, 3.5 (1986-1987) |
| 19 | Southern Seven 1 (December 1986) |
| 20 | Southern Seven 2 (October 1987) |
| 21 | Southern Seven 3 (August 1988) |
| 22 | Southern Seven 4 (December 1988) |
| 23 | Southern Seven 5 (July 1989) |
| 24 | Southern Seven 6 (October 1991) |
Box 5 |
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| 1 | Southern Seven 7 (April 1992) |
| 2 | Southern Seven 10 (May 1995) |
| 3 | Standard By Seven 11 (April 1982) |
| 4 | Standard By Several 1-3 (1987-1990) |
| 5 | Straight Blake's 3 (1996) |
| 6 | Ten-Credit Touch: The Lighter Side of B7 Kink (1993) |
7 |
Terminal: A Behind the Scenes Look at Blake's Seven (1990) |
| 8 | Terra Nostra Underground 2 (1990) |
| 9 | Those Who Favor Fire (1989) |
| 10 | Time Distort 1-2 (1983) |
| 11 | The Totally Imaginary Cheeseboard (1988) |
| 12 | Touched 1, 3-7 (1984-1986) |
| 13 | Touched 8-11 (1986-1987) |
| 14 | The Unique Touch 2 (1988) |
| 15 | The Void Aflame, Like a Bonfire (1989) |
| 16 | Wallow Zine (n.d.) |
| 17 | The Way Back 1 (1983) |
| 18 | Miscellaneous SF Magazines with Blake's 7-related articles (1979, 1981, 1992, 1995) |
Escape From New York/The Man from U.N.C.L.E. |
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| 19 | The "Escape From New York" Affair (1992) |
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Forever Knight |
| 20 | Lizards In The Grass (1995) |
Highlander: The Series |
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| 21 | Futures Without End 1-2 (1998-1999) |
| 22 | Futures Without End 4 (2001) |
The Sandbaggers |
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| 23 | Cities and Thrones and Powers/Gods of the Copybook Headings (n.d.) |
| 24 | It Couldn't Happen Now.... (1992) |
| 25 | A Sense of Occasion, volume 1, issues 1-5 (1990-1991) |
| 26 | A Sense of Occasion, volume 2, issues 1-5 (1991-1992) |
| 27 | Trade Secrets (n.d.) |
| 28 | Seventh Sector 1 (n.d.) |
The Sentinel |
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| 29 | Hope (May 1998) |
| 30 | Love and Guns VIII (May 1999) |
| 31 | Pregnant Pauses (1999) |
| 32 | Rough Trade (May 1998) |
| 33 | Your Kink Or Mine? (August 1999) |
Box 6 |
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The X-Files |
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| 1 | Beach Blanket Frisky (May 1995) |
| 2 | Incident UXP 1-3 (1994-1995) |
| 3 | Layup (1995?) |
| 4 | Property of the FBI 4-5 (1995-1996) |
| 5 | The Skeptic and the Believer 2 (May 1996) |
| 6 | Travels with Mulder (April 1995) |
Assorted |
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| 7 | Various fan fiction (n.d.) |
