Fiction:
Teresa Ward, "Decisions" (S0)
Aya Katz, "Intercepted Transmission" (S1)
Ruth Berman, "A Game of Pyramids" (S1)
Leigh Arnold, "Reckoning" (S1)
Paulie Kay, "Rosetta" (S2)
Ann Wortham and Leah Rosenthal, "Night of the Living Ice Cream" (S2; Bizarro 7 universe; humor)
Lorna Breshears, "Jumble Sale" (S2)
Cami, "Forgotten Truths" (S3)
Michelle Christian, "Things Shared" (S3)
Margaret Walsh, "Nightmare in Paradise" (S3)
Beth Nachison, "Justice" (S3)
Mary Gerstner, "The Guilt That Never Sleeps" (S3)
Jean Graham, "Mourning" (S4)
Catherine Kendall, "After the Fire" (S4)
Margaret Walsh, "The Last Entry" (S4)
Jean B. Hubb, "The Setup" (S4)
Sophia R. Mulvey, "Escape from Darkness" (S5)
April Giordano-Grisalfi, "Feel the Reaper" (S5)
Irene Stubbs, "Regency" (S5)
Lorna Breshears, "The Way Out" (S5)
Robert Collins, "Rebel Reunion" (S5)
Lorna Breshears, "Refraction" (S5)
Sheila Paulson, "Program" (Jabberwocky universe)
Pat Dunn and Diana Smith, "New Beginnings" (S5)
Pat Dunn and Diana Smith, "Memories" (S5)
Nonfiction:
Jean Graham, "Editor's Elocution"
Sandy Van Densen, "Computer Writer's Guidelines from the Assistant Editor"
Teri Sarick, "From the Home Office on Star One: Top Ten Blake's Seven Lines" (humor)
Teri Sarick, "The Blake's 7 Routine" (humor)
Letters of Comment
Zine ads
Puzzles:
Paulie Kay, "Word Searches One and Two"
Katherine S. Cremona, "Quotation Puzzle"
Paulie Kay, "Kriss Kross One"
Katherine S. Cremona, "Blake's 7 Word Jumble"
Paulie Kay, "Kriss Kross Two"
Poetry:
Melissa Mastoris, "Anna"
Roxie Ray, "Rooms on Fire" (f)
Michael J. Macomber, "Breakdown"
Michael J. Macomber, "The Beast Within"
Teresa Ward, "For Maryatt"
Jacqui Topp, "Change of Heart"
Teri Sarick, "A Midnight Visit" (parody)
Melissa Mastoris, "Servalan" (f, Jessica by Rick Springfield)
Jean Stroud, "Don't Cry for Me, Freedom" (f, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina)
Michael J. Macomber, "Recollection"
Roxie Ray, "What I Had to Do" (f, Just a Job to Do by Genesis)
Michael J. Macomber, "A Glance: For Cally"
Michael Williams, "Space Fatigue"
Teri Sarick, "Obsessions"
Teri Sarick, "Silver Light"
Roxie Ray, "Soolin" (f, Sussudio by Phil Collins)
Lorna Breshears, "Camoflage"
Anne Collins Smith, "Cally Recalled"
Lorna Breshears, "Writers' Clay"
Jacqui Topp, "Chains"
Melissa Mastoris, "The Waiting"
Melissa Mastoris, "Deva"
Melissa Mastoris, "A Final Scream"
Teresa Sarick, "Rebel Heart" (f, Hungry Heart)
Melissa Mastoris, "No Danger Without Pleasure"
Michael J. Macomber, "Weapon"
Melissa Mastoris, "Kiss of Death"
Roxie Ray, "Simply Reprehensible" (f, Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer)
Art:
Leah Rosenthal cover A, V, ice cream
Michael Williams p. 6 Ta
p. 22 A
p. 31 A
p. 48 A
p. 56 A
p. 116 A
p. 120 V
p. 144 A, V
p. 220 A
p. 231 A
p. 256 A
Tanje p. 18 A, B
p. 79 A
p. 125 A, Slave
p. 142 C
Diana English p. 22 G
p. 52 C
p. 69 Liberator
p. 135 Scorpio
p. 208 V
Denise Loague p. 37 Se
p. 44 B, Tr cartoon
p. 75 C
Katherine Cremona p. 43 A, V
p. 120 So
p. 131 A, Ta
p. 148 So
p. 175 A
p. 249 A
Mary Gerstner p. 90 illo for "Guilt"
p. 93 illo for "Guilt"
p. 104 A
p. 110 A-C
p. 177 illo for "Reaper"
Suzie Molnar p. 160 A-Se; illo for "Escape"
p. 167 illo for "Escape"
p. 173 A-V; illo for "Escape"
p. 271 illo for "Memories"
p. 280 Se; illo for "Memories"
p. 286 C-V; illo for "Memories"
Edited by Jean Graham Published Peacock Press 1990
Paper cover with loose protective film Comb binding 300 pp
American genzine with stories, printed in series order, poetry, puzzles, filks, letters of comment and drawings. There are three each from series A & B, five from C, four from D and nine PGP, so Blake, Jenna and Gan fans may go short. Front cover is a colour drawing by Leah Rosenthal of Avon, Vila and a rather virulent ice-cream sundae. There are far too many items contained in Gambit 6's closely typed pages to discuss each one, but the overall standard is pretty high.
Many of the shorter stories are especially good. "Intercepted transmission" by Aya Katz is a succinct interpretation of Avon and Cally's attitudes to one another early on which manages to say a good deal in just over two pages. Only slightly longer is "A game of pyramids" by Ruth Berman which is a very nicely observed conversation between Blake, Jenna and Vila on the niceties of crime and ethics, and the advantages of being a Delta. "Rosetta" by Paulie Kay also uses the "there's more to Vila than meets the eye" angle. My favourite however was "Mourning" by Jean Graham, a way above average post-Terminal encounter between Vila and Avon.
Humorous stories are often the most difficult to sustain and "Jumble sale" by Lorna Breshears rather outstays its welcome. The reverse is true of "Night of the living ice-cream" By Ann Wortham and Leah Rosenthal, a self-explanatory Bizzarro 7 story with a really great ending.
Among the longer pieces, "Justice" is a thoughtful story in which the sister of a Federation trooper killed in one of Blake's attacks looks to revenge him.
In "Forgotten truths" by Teresa Ward and Cami Tarrant's amnesia is used by the Federation against his Liberator colleagues.
"Escape from darkness" is an enjoyable alternative PGP in which everyone survives and Avon suffers and gets forgiven in what may be a relatively happy ending, no less....
In contrast "Refraction" by Lorna Breshears is a chilling PGP tale about Blake and Vila which is the reverse of happy, though Vila gets to do the decent thing.
Three of the longer stories are part of a series, which may or may not concern you. I was a bit disappointed to have so much of the zine occupied by them, but that's personal to me, not a comment on their quality.
"The guilt that never sleeps" arises from Cally's early life and follows a story published in an earlier Gambit (3?). Although the writing is good, especially in the opening and closing scenes between Avon and Cally, I felt the portrayal both of her and of Vila was too much at variance with their series' characters.
"After the fire" is a sequel to "Naked eye " in Gambit 5 by Catherine Kendall; there is at least one more episode in a later Gambit. This story centres on Dayna, Tarrant and Vila. As I've read the later episode first and haven't yet found the first one, I can't really judge how good this is overall.
"Program" is a Jabberwocky story by Sheila Paulson featuring Dayna in a manner of speaking. The Jabberwocky stories represent a coherent universe and are all undeniably well-written, but as I personally find it difficult to get really involved in them I similarly wouldn't want to venture an opinion on how this one rates. Jabberwocky and where to find it
Of the remaining stories, I thought "New beginnings" and "Memories", both Avon and Vila stories by Diana Smith and Pat Dunn had more than a touch of the Mary Sues. "Reckoning" by Leigh Arnold involves Avon's brother, and doesn't say much that is new.