Zine review for 'Living Pros' zine

[greengerbil.livejournal.com]

Hello all. 
I promised   byslantedlight a zine review for her reviews site Palely Loitering, and now it's done and posted at my lj (yaay! I figured out how to use an lj cut! Thank you BSL - I'd never have figured it out on my own) she has suggested that I have a go at posting it here as well... under a cut, of course.

So here goes.

Living Pros.

Published 1999 Bovinity Press.

The zine is A4 size, properly bound i.e. no spiral binding. The cover design consists of three small colour photos of Cowley, Bodie and Doyle on a white background and is protected by a laminated sheet.  The layout is standard text, not double column. Production standards are high and there are few if any typos.

There are no illustrations. The last page consists of a list of keywords and spoilers (eg. FSTIM for ‘First Time’)

The stories.

Pandora’s Box by Miriam – A first time story, this is written with a light touch.  Not a great deal happens but there is a lot of banter which reads authentically, although the move from snarky interchanges to bed seemed a little abrupt to me.   A nice, light read with no great dramatics and after the one rampant Americanism on the first page, no jarring Americanisms either.

The Ruthless Old Bastard by Anne Higgins – set after the episode ‘Need to Know’, this story is available in the Circuit Archive and those familiar with the writer will be unsurprised to find that in it Bodie is Cowley’s son. He is also not the focus of the tale although Bodie and Doyle appear; the pairing is between Cowley and the Minister who visited Cowley during the episode.  As with all Higgins’ stories it is well-written, and the relationship between Bodie and Doyle is shown as close and loving, but it is not  B/D and therefore I found it difficult to sustain my interest to the end.  Others might, but I think this is one for Cowley fans.

P4 You Say You Love Me by Maiden Wyoming – A well-written h/c and first time story. Doyle and Bodie have been exposed to deadly viruses during a CI5 raid on a biological research station, and are placed in isolation in case they succumb to infection. Bodie suffers a reaction to the anti-viral and other shots they have been given, and Doyle has to treat him.  Doyle’s simmering fury at their confinement and his fears for Bodie are particularly well handled, as is his gradual realisation of his feelings for his partner. 

Not A Roar, But A Whisper... by Elessar – Bodie and Doyle get back from an op, both exhausted and Bodie slightly injured, and Doyle decides to declare his interest.  Completely written from Doyle’s POV, this story has some nice details of Ray’s childhood, though his awareness of Bodie’s feelings and his careful consideration of what to do about them is possibly a little too detached. Doyle’s own feelings seem somewhat muted – but then, look at the title!

Anything Goes by Dee – another one that I’m sure I remember reading on the Circuit Archive, this is one I am fond of.  Bodie plays a practical joke on Doyle and Ray, determined to get his own back, sets about convincing Bodie that he has fallen for him, eventually making a pass at him. Bodie falls for it and a stunned Doyle realises that Bodie is really in love with him.  I love the relationship in this story – the one-upmanship combined with the genuine care for each other, and both lads are nicely written.  

Will You Still Need Me...? by Joanna Dey – this story consists of snapshots of the Bodie/Doyle relationship over twenty-odd years, as Ray gets progressively less tolerant of Bodie’s refusal to believe their relationship will last.  Bodie is portrayed well, but Doyle is a little too weepy for me – and far too willing to talk about his feelings!  

That Look by Amanda Warrington – This is quite an action-packed story in which Bodie and Doyle become involved in a terrorist hijacking and (after some to-ing and fro-ing from Doyle) realise their feelings for each other .   The pacing was rather slow as there is a lot of description – of Heathrow airport, the hoops that air passengers have to jump through, much detail concerning the internal layout of a commercial jet – all of which slowed the pace of what was presumably intended to be a fast-moving action-adventure. I had the definite impression that the writer had done a huge amount of research on this and was determined to use it all... and at nearly 70 pages it is the longest story in the zine.  

Some Like It Hot by Anne Higgins – a sequel to ‘The Ruthless Old Bastard’, this has Doyle playing a trick on Bodie by taking him to a Tex-Mex restaurant and making sure that Bodie gets the hottest options on the menu – without warning him about the after-effects. However, trust Bodie not to react in quite the way Ray expects...!  A nice light piece, although there was a little too much of Doyle seeing – and treating – Bodie as a ‘big kid’, and far too much of Bodie pouting to get his own way.   

Zeno’s Paradox by Miriam – This is an older lads story.  Bodie wakes up on the morning of his fiftieth birthday; Ray cooks him breakfast, gives him his presents and the two go back to bed. This is a lovely, gentle story in which nothing much happens – but it happens beautifully. The deep love between the two is brought out in almost every sentence, but never obviously, and the writer has both men nailed, from Doyle’s snarky tongue and complicated personality to Bodie’s reluctance to talk about his feelings and mixed feelings over growing older.

Lighter-footed Than The Fox by Arduinna Finn – This is an unusual and funny elf story.  There is clear affection for both lads in the writing and Bodie’s warmth and humour are well to the fore – in fact both lads’ lighter sides are portrayed with a nice, delicate touch. The banter between them is particularly well done. I smiled all the way through this one – a lovely way to finish an excellent zine.       

There. I hope that worked and humble apologies to everyone if it didn't!

Comments

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this - lovely to have a review where we hear about all the stories, just what I wanted when I first came into Pros! I shall put it up at www.palelyloitering.com immediately! *g*

[magenta-blue.livejournal.com]

A great review of the zine - you have summed each story up so well, and that is exactly what I'd need to know if zine buying. Thank you so much - it worked perfectly!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this!

I don't have this zine so if I ever see it up for sale I'll know exactly what to expect. Cheers!

[jgraeme2007.livejournal.com]

Nice job. I always enjoy reading reviews of Pros zines. Thanks!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Just noticed this - I love reading zine reviews, even if the chances of getting hold of the zine itself are slim. And this was just the right balance of information and opinion for each one. The one I know and adore here is Miriam's Zeno's Paradox. I agree with your review of it completely.