Knifebrothers: A Tale from the Age of Chaos by Emily Ross

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

What I love about the ProsLib CD is that no matter how often I've dipped into it, and how often I've thought that's it, I've read all the good stuffif I give it just one more go then the odds aren't bad that I'll find another treasure...

Today I found a story from Disk 55 (although actually, from Author Folder Emily Ross), called Knifebrothers, which at first I couldn't fathom because the names Bodie and Doyle didn't crop up once. Glancing through it, I rolled my eyes, copied and pasted and reformatted away from the whole five-words-to-a-line thing, and then did a find and replace to fix the awkwardness of Myles and Crispin (although in another world, good names... *g*)

Anyway - it's an AU fantasy story, set in the land of the Hundred Kingdoms, where Myles Bodie is the son of a warrior king sent to a rival kingdom as a hostage for peace. Crispin Doyle is the son of the witch-queen of that land, who entices Bodie to follow him, and befriends him.

It's nicely written, I like the universe that's being created, and I want to read more! Worst of all though, the story finishes very abruptly - almost in the middle of a sentence, oh no!

Has anyone ever heard of Knifebrothers by Emily Ross? Has anyone ever heard of Emily Ross? She's written one other story on ProsLib (Weathercock), which I also liked a lot (though it was a bit heavy on the apostrophes *g*) but she's on neither Circuit nor Hatstand archives. I can't do a search of palelyloitering until I get home (impatient!) but something tells me I won't find her in a zine, either... She's surely too good a writer to have just vanished - does anyone know who she is/was/became?

Please help me find out more about this story and this Pros writer?! I'm half wondering if she might have gone pro and continued the story as an actual original fiction...

Comments

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Can't help with your question, but I greatly admire her choice of pseudonyms for Bodie and Doyle.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

They're good, aren't they - I'd read the story under those names, in fact... (though then they wouldn't be B/D, if you see what I mean...) *g*

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

Fanlore shows Credo (poem) by Emily Ross in British Takeaway #2; Been So Long On Lonely Street and Pensees Perdue (poem) in British Takeaway #3; Wild Fancy (poem) in British Takeaway #4; Over the Rainbow in British Takeaway #5; Metal Fatigue and Incident at a Field Hospital (poem) in British Takeaway #6.

Metal Fatigue was co-written with Shoshanna, so she may know more about Emily's writing.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you! I've made it home to my palelyloitering files now, and found the ones you have listed above and a few more. Next step, to rummage amongst my collection and see what I've got. Naturally the one zine series I'm very short on is the British Takeaways - argh! *g*

Thanks for the heads-up about Shoshanna too, perhaps I'll see if I can write to her... I'd certainly like to read more of Emily's stories...

Emily Ross

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

In Pros, Emily Ross wrote mainly short pieces and poems; most of her zine stuff was poems, IIRC. I know that she was involved with editing zines, though which escapes me at the moment. Her name comes up a lot in various Pros and other fandom circles for a variety of things, always well regarded.

I have it hovering in the back in of my mind that Emily Ross also wrote under another name (if not more) in Pros and I want to say that ER was one of her pseudonyms but I can't find any of my notes on pseudonyms, so it's just a feeling and I could very well be misremembering! IF (and it is a BIG IF) Emily Ross also wrote as ER there are two stories by her on the Proslib CD (In an English Garden and The Wolf-Price).

I think Emily had pretty well moved on from Pros by the early 2000s though to what other fandoms I can't think. I remember that she sold off a large Pros zine collection back in 2003 or thereabouts - and the prices were very reasonable. She was quite nice, and more concerned with re-housing the zines with other fen than making a profit.

I'm half wondering if she might have gone pro and continued the story as an actual original fiction...

It's possible though (I'm dredging this up from memory so bear with me *G*), I remember that Knifebrothers was published in a Darkover anthology zine back in the late 1980s called Moon Phases. Nina Boal was editor for at least part of the zine series (so another Pros connection). Not sure if Knifebrothers was a Circuit story first, then published in Moon Phases or if was zine published then put on the Circuit later. OK - need to go check a few things as this is making me wonder and I don't want to pass on bad info - back soon.

Back again! Yes, it was publshed in Moon Phases 13 in 1989, the editor was Nina Boal and the story had the same title, Knifebrothers. I have a feeling (feelings again, no hard facts! *g*) that the story might have been meant to continue on in future issues but never did as far as I know. I wasn't a big Darkover zine fan, but maybe someone who is and who has kept the zines could check. Sadly, the Fanlore listing for the Moon Phases zine series doesn't have a complete TOC for all issues.

And I still can't pin down the timeline of zine to Circuit or Circuit to zine. Maybe someone with a better memory can tell us? Oh, I know that I've run across some stuff from Emily in the Cold Fish & Stale Chips letterzines regarding WIPs. I wonder if any of that was related to Knifebrothers? Will have to see if I can dig out any info there....

Emily Ross attributed poems & stories & limericks:
BRITISH TAKEAWAY II (Kate Nuernberg) - Credo by Emily Ross

BRITISH TAKEAWAY III (ca.1988, Kate Nuernberg)- Been So Long on Lonely Street by Emily Ross
Also listing for Pensees Perdues by Emily Ross

BRITISH TAKEAWAY IV (Kate Nuernberg) - Wild Fancy by Emily Ross

BRITISH TAKEAWAY V (Kate Nuernberg) - Emily Ross wrote:
The Guardians
River on the Edge of a Graveyard
Forbidden Fruit
Hostages to Fortune
Culpability
Over the Rainbow

BRITISH TAKEAWAY VI (Kate Nuernberg)
Metal Fatigue by Emily Ross & Shoshanna Green
Incident at a Field Hospital

NO HOLDS BARRED 2 (1992, Kathleen Resch) - Limericks by Emily Ross

A SIMPLE GAME (Sep 1992, Jane Carnall; circuit zine)- Loose Ends by Emily Ross

FRUIT COCKTAIL--AGAIN?! (1993, Rainbow Dragon Press - A Morning in the Life by Emily Ross

Re: Emily Ross

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Unless it's a totally different person, she also wrote a bit in K/S.


ROSS, EMILY
In Halka's Wake - Nome 12 (19901
Sick Call - Matter/Antimatter 5 (1985)
There's Got to be a Morning After - Twin Destiny 1 (1983)
Transposed Images - Amazing Grace 2 (1992)

Re: Emily Ross

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Comments crossing in the ether. *G* I belatedly remembered that she wrote in Star Trek (TOS) and thought there was some of her work in Nome. Wasn't she in several of the Nomes? I think Nome remains my favorite of all the many (and wonderful) Star Trek zines: fantastic art, great stories and poems, such a variety of styles and authors.

Re: Emily Ross

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

No, those four stories are the sum of her work in K/S.

And, yes, the Nomes have some really great stories and artwork in them. And they're huge! *g*

Re: Emily Ross

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is brilliant, thank you! I've made it home to my palelyloitering files now, and there are definitely a couple of pieces (WiPs, presumably) in Cold Fish and Stale Chips, which I do know that I have on a shelf nearby, so I shall have a read of those before bed tonight and see. *g* Frustratingly, British Takeaway is a zine series for which I only have one issue - number one, which Emily Ross isn't in. Still, I now have my next zinehunt lined up... *g*

Thanks too for the info about Moon Phases 13, because I'd really like to track down any other versions out there - just in case they go on for a page or so longer, because the ProsLib version seems to have such an abrupt ending...

You've got me fascinated about the possibilities of pseudonyms now too, I shall have to read ER (hah, of course, Emily Ross!) tomorrow, and see if there are similarities... and cross my fingers that someone else might have some information to add to all this.

As usual, you're a star - thank you!

Re: Emily Ross - Cold Fish &Stale Chips, British Takeaway

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Well, that subject line has got me hungry. *g* Thanks for the Cold Fish info in your comment below. My copies aren't readily to hand, so I appreciate it.

I was going to suggest you check out the Rondeau's for the British Takeaways because I know they had the entire series fairly recently. However, I just checked and the current list only shows BT #1 which you already have.

I know that many Pros slash fans tend to put the BT series farther down on their zine hunt lists because the series is primarily gen. But to use your phrasing, it's good gen and several of the slash stories in the series are Pros classics. As a whole, the series is well edited, with fantastic art, and strong stories. Well worth the hunt.

I totally agree with you regarding the abrupt ending of Knifebrothers. It definitely feels like it was cut-off. I, too, would really love to read the story as published in Moon Phases 13 and see if/how it differs from the Proslib version.

Pros pseudonyms are something I've toyed with for a while, but they are many and tangled and surprisingly (at least to me) many authors claim they can't remember all the names they used. It's always interesting to see what names were attached to what stories and wonder why.

More on Emily Ross

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

I swear I'm brain-dead this morning. *sigh* How could I have blanked (even temporarily!) on the fact that Emily Ross was one of the publishers behind Uzi Press which put out two of my all-time favorite Pros zines: Harlequin Airs by Ellis Ward & Master of the Revels by HG.

She also published at least two Blake's 7 zines, Songs of Innocence & Songs of Experience. Emily wrote in Blake's 7 fandom, as well as Star Trek (TOS), Starsky & Hutch, and various other fandoms over the years.

Re: More on Emily Ross

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - your level of brain-death is one I aspire to, you know... *g*

You've got me totally intrigued by Uzi Press publishing HA and MotR too, cos I do not have them down as the publishers, rather Kathy Snow. So I'm guessing Uzi (with ER and others?) published them first, and then KS took over? Curses upon a necessary day job - I'd far rather track this down than go to bed, but go to bed I must, for now...

Re: More on Emily Ross - Uzi Press

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

"Lol - your level of brain-death is one I aspire to, you know... *g*"

Ah, that's sweet, but really, these days my memory is shot (meds and menopause have so much to answer for) and if it weren't for my notes and saved files I'd be lost!

Yes, Uzi Press originally published both Harlequin Airs & Master of the Revels, and Kathy now handles the reprint versions - and she does a FANTASTIC job! I could rave about how they are the gold standard for reprints (and have *g*).

Anyway, as you know, Master of the Revels was published as a serial story on the Circuit. When the story was complete HG pulled the chapters together and Suzan agreed to do illos (no idea if HG approached Suzan or Suzan approached HG), then Uzi Press published the result as a zine in 1990. It was perfect bound; the reprint is comb bound, with laminated color front & back covers.

From what I remember of HG's comments on the Pros-Lit discussion of MotR back in 2007, she did little or no editing before the story was zine published, simply gathered the parts together. I know she said the story as a whole never really got beyond the first draft stage. (Though frankly, if that's her first draft stage, it's still much better than many others' final drafts!)

I wonder how her re-editing project is going, or if she's put it on indefinite hiatus? It's a big project and I have ambivalent feelings about major editing and revisions versus originals, but I'm definitely interested in seeing what she finally ends up doing. I should drop her an email and inquire - and also ask about how Suzan came to do the illos. She's always been friendly and responsive in discussions, so I imagine she'd answer.

Uzi Press had two editors, Emily Ross & Rita S. (erring on the side of caution as Emily has used her whole name repeatedly in fandom, and I'm not sure about Rita or others involved). Rita S. also heroically typed the entire zine - no small undertaking - and she, Emily, Karen B., and Kathy L. were the proofreaders. (All info from the zine's flyleaf.) I know that some of those involved with Uzi Press were also involved with the US Circuit Library and I'm guessing that was where the Press was formed, perhaps as they read the story in pieces.

Uzi Press put out Harlequin Airs in 1993. I think it was perfect bound, not sure; there was an option to get the zine unbound, which I have due to the art. Not sure if an unbound option was ever offered for MotR. Sadly, AFAIK, HA and MotR were the only two zines that Uzi Press ever put out. I'm not sure when Kathy took over the reprints; I know that she was handling them by 2000, but it could have been several years earlier.

Re: More on Emily Ross

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I've just read Wolf-Price by ER from the ProsLib CD, and I'm as sure as can be without asking her that ER is indeed Emily Ross. I also read the two Cold Fish and Stale Chips stories last night - one was Weather-cock, also on the ProsLib CD, but the second was a new story that again reads as all-but original: A circle of elves have captured a monster, as they peel away its outer shell it reveals itself to be human, and also to be someone we recognise, though they don't - Bodie... I'm also very interested in the fact that the author answers a few standard questions after the WiP, including - would you like to finish this story and, most intriguingly, would you like someone else to finish this story, to which she answered "sure"... I'm wondering if that could actually be taken as permission to have a go, because I'm rather intrigued by the set-up she's presented... *g*

Re: More on Emily Ross - ER :& WIPs

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I did a quick skim of both stories and The Wolf-Price definitely pinged as being written by Emily Ross. It would be useful to have good dates on all four stories to see if the ER stories were written first or later.

"I'm also very interested in the fact that the author answers a few standard questions after the WiP, including - would you like to finish this story and, most intriguingly, would you like someone else to finish this story, to which she answered "sure"... I'm wondering if that could actually be taken as permission to have a go, because I'm rather intrigued by the set-up she's presented... *g*"

I'd say take Emily at her word. To me it absolutely reads as permission for another author to take up the story and play with it. Go on - I'd love to see what you make of the premise. Besides, then you could say you'd written that most beloved of all Pros AUs - an elf story. *g*