Starry Knights

You may be looking for Starry Nights, an explicit het anthology of science fiction also published by Merry Men Press, or Starry Nights, the Star Trek: TOS poetry zine.

Zine
Title:	Starry Knights
Publisher:	Merry Men Press
Editor(s):
Date(s):	2003 - 2004
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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Starry Knights is a slash Star Trek: TOS anthology.

Issue 1

front cover of issue #1, Marianne Muller -- "This is one of the best zine covers I have ever seen because it is designed specifically as a zine cover and imaginatively and beautifully composed. There is an AU Spock next to a Mirror Spock above an AU Kirk next to a Mirror Kirk below. The faces are near perfect and Kirk’s nude body is beautifully drawn. The four of them stand together in the foreground with the full moon as a backdrop. Everything is set against an alien landscape which might be Vulcan with a bright sun. I just love it—and I’ll bet the original is spectacular."

back cover of issue #1, Marianne Muller -- "Just beautiful, Marianne! While the front cover was nice, I prefer seeing Kirk and Spock together as they are in the images on the back cover. A small naked Mirror Kirk and Spock are embracing each other and kissing near the top of this cover. Then there’s a gorgeous picture of a longhaired naked AU Kirk and Mirror Spock, their bodies entwined as they passionately kiss. We see mainly Kirk’s back and the side of his face, but no worries here—I love this view of Kirk! The pictures are floating against a starry background."

Starry Knights 1 was published July 2003 and contains 179 pages. It is letter-sized and perfect bound. Front and back covers by Marianne Mueller, with interior art by Marianne Mueller, Liz Woledge, R. Hood, and Karola. It is a theme zine dealing with alternate versions of the episode Mirror, Mirror.

• "Mate-Lock" by Deanna Gray (A/U: After his cohorts turn on him, Kirk finds himself in prison for stealing a top-security disc. "Kirk crept quietly through the darkness, his companions trailing stealthily behind. The air between them was charged with suppressed tension. So far all had gone well: Kirk had gotten them in through the ventilation ducts without detection by Security or the automatic sensors. He had guided them flawlessly through the labyrinth of corridors and they were now at the final barriers. One more door, then the safe, and the disk would be theirs. They would retreat the same way, and be on their way to the rendezvous point by morning. Months of planning and preparation had gone into this, but soon all his labor would finally pay off.")
• "Empire Progeny" by Laura Arnold (M/U: Kirk and Spock become lovers while on shoreleave and soon after begin plans to overthrow the Empire. "Kirk strode rapidly down the corridor, forcing his guard to hustle to keep up. He turned slightly, giving Ferrill a rare good-natured grin. “You're out of shape, Leon.” Ferrill didn't even consider contradicting his young captain. “Yes, sir. I'm looking forward to lots of exercise on this shore leave.” The anticipation of a well-earned leave on Argelius was the reason for his own good mood—along with the lessening of tension among the crew. “Horizontal.” Kirk quipped. “Unfortunately, Empire credits don't go far on Argelius these days.")
• "The Soul Inside" by Elise Madrid, a pre-Reform Vulcan story (A/U: The slave Kirk and the Vulcan prince Spock are tricked into becoming bondmates. "Once, just once, he wished the boy would follow his advice. Was that asking so very much? The powerful man strode along, his eyes scanning ahead. From the day he had been given the responsibility to teach and protect Lord Sarek's son, K'iron had attacked his duty with all the strength and knowledge he possessed. Much good it did, he thought. Spock could be so very…stubborn. As K'iron cleared an outcropping of rock, he saw his young charge and could not help but feel an overwhelming pride and great love. Boy? No, this was no boy, K'iron acknowledged. It had been many years since the young heir could be mistaken for that.")
• "Lonely Cabin" by Brigitte Whelan (M/U: The events from the Enterprise Incident as they might have transpired in the mirror universe. "The alien lay in the dark, the air still around him, blackness seeping across the floor. He waited, hand poised over his cock and he listened…. He was quite alone, as he always had been. As he would likely always be. His fingers gripped his hardened flesh tighter as his other hand finished its descent, taking his sacs in a firm grasp. They were heavy in his hand, aching, full of seed waiting to be poured out from his being. It had been too long since last he had indulged himself. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he spread his legs, exposing himself fully to the darkness. The delicate pouch of flesh tingled with pain and pleasure as he squeezed it. Yes, too much time had elapsed since he had he would remedy that.")

• 

  interior art from issue #1, Marianne Muller -- "Opposite page 142: AU Kirk and Spock in sexy warrior regalia. A beautifully detailed and again, an imaginative piece. Where this woman gets her source material—I want it, too!" <ref> from The K/S Press #92

• 

  interior art from issue #1, Marianne Muller

• 

  interior art from issue #1, Marianne Muller -- "Opposite page 90: A sexily outfitted Mirror Spock casually watches Kirk in the shower. What a terrific pose—I love the water effect coming down Kirk’s body. I also love the composition—Spock frames the foreground. Marianne is a master (mistress?) of this imaginative art."

• 

  interior art from issue #1, "Comfort" by Marianne Muller -- "I believe I have said before I am partial to the way a long haired AU Spock looks, and that’s what we see in this wonderful picture by Marianne. I love the little braid in front of his ear, and the way Kirk is resting his face against Spock’s shoulder. This is a lovely Kirk face, too. Having read “Mate-Lock”, this picture perfectly illustrates a scene from the story in the page facing it. I wonder if this picture was specifically drawn to accompany the story, or if the author chose the picture and incorporated the scene into her story, or if it was all just a happy coincidence? In any case, it’s an excellent picture of Kirk and Spock. Bodies a tiny bit more buff than they were in TOS, but not much, and hey - maybe Kirk and Spock started working out more! Plus, I like these bodies and don’t really care if they are 100% true to life or not! Spock’s pose is particularly well done, with one leg up on the bed, and a glimpse of his penis visible between his legs. Since I’ve read the story, I know what is about to happen soon between them, and think the conflicting emotions of both men are apparent from this picture. The more I look at this picture, the more I like it."

interior art from issue #1, Liz Woledge -- "Opposite page 57: A long-haired Spock rests with closed eyes on Kirk’s chest. Gorgeous! Beautifully shaded and intimately drawn. I especially love Spock’s closed eyes and face. Kirk’s face as he looks down at Spock is perfectly done with the jaw line and the chin. No easy task! Alive with feeling—one of the best."

interior art from issue #1, Liz. -- "“Love In The Mirror”, opposite page 174. Wow! Gleaming, glowing, shiny-skin naked bodies with Spock holding Kirk up in his arms. One of the more explicit of Liz’s I’ve seen and it’s a beauty. A sexy beauty." Note: Marked as sexually explicit; minimized.

interior art from issue #1, Karola. -- "And I must make mention of “The Dark” by Karola opposite page 156. I know how difficult this type of light/dark pen and ink is to do. I really like the pose that Spock is in (mighty sexy!) and the light on his arm is particularly well done." Note: Marked as sexually explicit; minimized.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Mate-Lock.

See reactions and reviews for The Soul Inside.

See reactions and reviews for Empire Progeny.

See reactions and reviews for Lonely Cabin.

[art]: There is also art in this zine which is adequate, but nothing that I truly fell in love with. In other words, it wasn't Suzan Lovett, Chris Soto, or Shelley Butler quality in my opinion, but I am very picky about art.

[art facing page 57, Liz]: This is a quiet and tender picture of Kirk and Spock asleep. It accompanies “Mate-Lock”, and so also portrays a long haired Spock. Spock has his head on Kirk’s chest, and both look utterly peaceful and deeply asleep. I like the glimpse of Spock’s fingers that we just barely see, curling around Kirk’s neck. Spock’s lips are so well done and very sensuous looking. (Those authors who keep writing about Spock’s “thin” lips must need glasses! Sure, his upper lip is thin and stern, but oh that full and lush lower lip!) I think Spock’s hair is especially nice in this picture - there are lovely shiny highlights, but it looks so soft as it rests against Kirk’s chest. Nice work, Liz.

[front cover]: This picture really gives a good idea of the combined themes of the new zine, Starry Knights. At the top of the cover is a wonderful picture of an AU Spock‘s head and shoulders with long, flowing, beautiful hair and sexy braids in front of his ears, which is next to a picture of a Mirror Spock‘s face seen from the side. Right below these two pictures is a slightly smaller picture of an AU Kirk and Mirror Kirk (presumably this is Mirror Kirk—kind of hard to tell since he’s naked in both these pictures!) Next is a small picture symbolizing the two different types of stories, as an AU Spock, AU Kirk, Mirror Spock and Mirror Kirk join hands in a circle. All this is set against a background of a mysterious structure set on top of a hill against a stylized sun. Very evocative.

["Cherished" by Virginia Sky]: I love this picture. It was one of several of Virginia’s CGA art pieces that caused a bidding war at the KSP party at Shore Leave. Spock and Kirk are naked, and Spock is on his hands and knees as Kirk bends over him and kisses his lower back. There’s something about the way Kirk is kissing Spock that is so tender and loving, and made me realize “Cherished” was the perfect title for this picture. Once again Virginia has selected wonderful bodies for her picture—not too buff, but nicely muscled. Virginia uses the same technique as in the other CGA illustrations in this zine. The images are not sharp and crisp as they would normally be in a photograph, but have been smoothed out and altered so that it feels as though we are looking at a painting instead.

["The Dark" by Ingela]: Remember, I am not an artist so have no idea how to describe this technique of Ingela’s. She’s used this for other pictures too, but I don’t think I’ve ever written an LOC to tell her how much I like it. The overall impression is of darkness. Much of the picture is black, and only part of the body is shown. It’s almost a reverse silhouette. This technique seems perfect for this splendid picture of the dark and mysterious First Officer of the I.S.S. Enterprise as he masturbates. His stomach muscles are highlighted through the use of this technique, and we barely see the outline of his hand on his penis, but know exactly what he is doing. This is a very sexy picture of Mirror Spock!

["If Wishes Were Horses" by Marianne Muller]: Very interesting and clever title! This is not the best Kirk face Marianne has ever done, but I know Kirk is really hard to get right under normal circumstances, and it must be even harder to draw him with his face contorted with passion. And quite frankly, no one will be looking at Kirk’s face for long once they see this very erotic pose, in which Kirk is penetrating Spock as Spock, his back to Kirk, sits in his lap. Nice job with the fingers as Kirk firmly grasps Spock’s penis! An excellent Spock body, too. Just the way I like him—slender but muscular.

["Love in the Mirror" by Marianne Muller]: Being a big Kirk fan, and a huge admirer of his beautifully shaped posterior, this picture really caught my eye. It’s a wonderful picture of a naked Mirror Spock with his penis partially showing as he stands and holds a naked Kirk up against him. Kirk’s legs are widely spread as he grips Spock’s body with them, and his buttocks are beautifully displayed. They are round, full, and firm, and combine with strongly muscled and perfectly shaped thighs to make an incredibly erotic picture. (Especially if you have read the story, as I have, and know what they are about to do next. Whew, time for a cold shower!)

["Passion" by Virginia Sky]: I believe this picture was another one of Virginia’s CGA art pieces that resulted in a bidding war at Shore Leave. Someone has done a very good job titling this picture, too, because it is very passionate! This is another picture of a naked Kirk and Spock making love, in which Kirk is leaning back on one arm as Spock leans over him and kisses him. There’s something about the angle of Spock’s body and Kirk’s head in this picture that really appeals to me. Spock is especially nice in this picture—I love the muscles in his arms, and the curves of his back and leg. I also liked the use of shadows in this illustration. I thought this picture was intensely erotic.

Issue 2

Starry Knights 2 was published in 2004 and contains 179 pages. The art is by I.M. Mueller, Liz, and T'Sharien.

Some summaries are by Gilda F.

• "Tellarites in the Empire" by Laura Arnold (M/U: Kirk is taken by the Tellarites after insulting a member of their ruling family.)

front cover of issue #2

back cover issue #2, Liz -- "Oh, I do like this piece by Liz on the back cover of Starry Knights 2. It depicts Kirk sitting along the side of a swimming pool, one leg over the side and one leg extended on the side. Along that extended leg lies Spock on his stomach. His arms are wrapped around Kirk's butt and his face is pressed against Kirk's stomach. Palm trees in the background complete the scene. The best part of this piece of art is that it isn't static at all, as might be assumed from my description, but there is a lot of emotion conveyed in the expressions on their faces, in the way their hands rest against one another. Oh, yeah, Kirk's hand is resting against Spock's back. I am a sucker for beautifully placed hands. I am no genuine art critic, so don't take me too seriously, but I am going to guess that this is not Liz's most technically perfect piece of work. There seem to be lines here and there that are a bit too heavy (maybe outline lines? For guidance? I am not sure. Maybe just lines of drawing that the artist thought should be one intensity and I think should be another), and I find them a bit distracting. However, the piece shouts of intimacy, and I love that more than anything. I really, really like this drawing. Oh, and I'll add that the technique used complements the emotion in the picture. It's all sort of grays, and it works really well with the subject matter, I think. And, finally, though I know this is undoubtedly intended to convey an a/u setting (since it's the back cover of Starry Knights, which is a/u and mirror combined, and the front cover is undoubtedly mirror), in my opinion this could be our Kirk and Spock, in Starfleet, on leave. As a matter of fact, in my mind it is!"

• "Make Love to the Sun" by R. Hood
• "Adam" by Mabel Chute (A/U: Cadets Kirk and Mitchell volunteer for honor guard duty for the burial of a Vulcan scientist on Earth.)
• "Acts of Creation" by S.R. Benjamin
• "An Impossible Relationship" by R. Hood (M/U: After returning to his own universe, Kirk finds himself being drawn to Spock, but fears the Vulcanʼs mental powers.)
• "The Lion and the Lamb" by R. Hood
• "The Sky Falls" by Susan Sicafoosh
• "Catching a Falling Star" by Nadja Lee (A/U: At the same time that Spock enters Gol, Kirk joins Starfleetʼs Samurai Academy in order to control the pain heʼs felt since Spockʼs departure.)
• "Transformation to Life" by Susan Sicafoosh
• "Heroes to Each Other" by Elizabeth Scott (A/U: Kirk and Spock help an unaligned planet gain Federation membership while trying to keep their love affair secret.)
• "Wind Rider" by Scott Hunter (A/U: Spock is injured in a shuttle crash and recuperates on Vulcan, courtesy of Sarek and his adopted son, Kirk.)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

See reactions and reviews of Wind Rider.

See reactions and reviews of Heroes to Each Other.