[Last revised April, 1995. Send corrections, suggestions, and constructive criticisms to sclerc@bgnet.bgsu.edu] I. INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Blake's 7 mailing list! This FAQ file is meant to answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions about the series, the list, and B7 fandom, not necessarily in that order. Please read the file and save it for later reference, even if you already know it all. Make that: *especially* if you know it all. The file is divided into 7 sections: I. Introduction II. Administrivia: A. About the list B. Subscribing C. Unsubscribing D. Problems and help E. Spoilers F. Topics and posting guidelines 1. Why isn't there a newsgroup* 2. The slash/anti-slash debate* III. Netiquette: PLEASE read this! A. Flames 1-6. Ways to avoid flames B. Replying to posts on the list 1. Trimming replies 2. Correcting addresses 3. Using short lines C. Subject lines D. Topics you don't like E. Personal messages F. Massive sig files G. Signing your posts H. Credibility and spelling I. Quoting posts off the list J. Common abbreviations and terms IV. Series basics and some FAQs about the series: A. When was it on? B. Who played who (and how do you spell it)? C. How many episodes are there? 1. Episode list 2. On-line episode guide 3. Print episode guide D. How can I get copies of the episodes?* 1. U.S. and Canada 2. U.K. 3. Australia 4. Elsewhere 5. Asking on the list E. Will there be a sequel? 1. The odds are against it 2. What would it be about? 3. So who survived the final shoot out? 4. Why did Avon have to kill him and where was Servalan? 5. Avon ducked and other survival tips F. Other FAQs V. List of lists and the dates they were last posted* VI. On-line resources A. What's out there? 1. General 2. Rutgers 3. Lysator 4. http://hawks.ha.md.us/blake7 B. How do I get this stuff? 1. Gopher 2. FTP 3. FTP directions a. UNIX b. VMS c. If you can't ftp or gopher i. Mailserver ii. Asking on the list 4. World Wide Web VII. Off-line resources A. Fan clubs B. Conventions* C. Fan fiction and other merchandise D. Books connected to the series ----------- PART II. ADMINISTRIVIA A. About the list: This list is for discussion of any and all topics relating to the British science fiction series, Blake's 7. The list is owned by Calle Dybedahl, and maintained by him and Tommy Persson, through Lysator, a computer society in Sweden. The list has been in existence since November, 1992. B. Subscribing: Send e-mail to blake7-request@lysator.liu.se with the word SUBSCRIBE on a line by itself in the body of the message. Note that there is no S in blake7. To receive the list in digest form, add the word DIGEST to your subscribe request. C. Unsubscribing: Send e-mail to blake7-request@lysator.liu.se with the word UNSUBSCRIBE on a line by itself. Note that there is no S in blake7. 1. Do NOT send unsubscribe requests to the list. 2. blake7-request@lysator.liu.se is the only address that will work. 3. Do NOT send unsubscribe requests to the list. 4. Be PATIENT. The list is not automated; each request must be handled by Calle or Tommy, both of whom have other responsibilities. One of them WILL process your request if you've sent it to the correct address: blake7-request@lysator.liu.se 5. Do NOT send unsubscribe requests to the list. D. Problems and help: Address questions and help requests to Calle (calle@lysator.liu.se) or Tommy (tompe@lysator.liu.se). E. Spoilers: We don't use them. Lists and newsgroups devoted to current series like Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5 usually include a spoiler notice on posts about new episodes. That way, people who haven't seen the episode can either avoid the post or read it at the risk of having plot points "spoiled" by premature revelation. B7 is different: it has been out of production since 1981 and there is no reliable way of knowing who is seeing it for the first time now. Conversation on the B7 list generally assumes that everyone has seen all or most of the episodes. If we didn't, we'd have to announce SPOILER at the start of virtually every post. F. Topics and posting guidelines: Anything even tangentially linked to Blake's 7 is fair game. We discuss the series, things related to the series, and sometimes things completely unrelated to the series. If you're new to Blake's 7, you might find some of the discussions a bit too involved at first. B7 has been a round a long time and so have some of the people on the list. That is to say, they've been talking about B7 for a long time and they've given a lot of thought to profound issues like where Dayna was hiding that wind-up toy in "City at the Edge of the World" and whether Avon had a difficult childhood or was just born ornery. So their posts can be a bit much at first. Fortunately, there are also a lot of people new to the series, too, and they're in the enviable position of seeing it all with fresh eyes and maybe coming up with some fresh twists. When you do decide to jump in to the conversations on the list, be concise, back up your statements with evidence, and read the suggestions in the netiquette section in Part III. There are two topics that resurface quite often--whether to create a newsgroup for the series, and slash fan fiction. To prevent repetitious posts about them, summaries of the issues are presented below. 1. Why isn't there a newsgroup? by Michelle Moyer (MichelleM1@aol.com) Why isn't there a newsgroup? This question gets posted in some incarnation every few months, stirring up a fair bit of discussion. Proponents of a newsgroup point out that mailing list traffic is frequently heavy and that a newsgroup would draw far more people in. Many of them prefer their newsreader to their mail program, as well, or would like to be able to use killfiles to delete subjects that don't interest them. And, of course, we wouldn't get 20 "unsubscribe" messages every term. However, many people on the mailing list prefer it to be kept as a mailing list, for equally valid reasons. Some people aren't able to access newsgroups. Some are concerned that the discussion would turn into a series of flamewars, which has happened on some Usenet newsgroups. Some have found that it's cheaper for them to download their e-mail than to read a newsgroup. And some just prefer that format, for whatever reason. It's impossible to set up an either-or situation that will please everyone. However, it's fairly obvious that the newsgroup proponents don't hate the idea of a mailing list (or why would they have subscribed?) and most of the mailing list supporters don't object to a newsgroup as long as it is in *addition* to the mailing list. If you really want a B7 newsgroup, the best thing to do would NOT be to post messages complaining about the lack of a newsgroup or berating list members for having chosen to conduct their discussions via e-mail. Instead, research what it would take to create a B7 newsgroup and decide whether or not you think it's worth pursuing. If it is, post a message to the mailing list explaining what you are doing and asking people to e-mail you if they're interested. And once you *do* have a newsgroup operational, be sure you post the news to the list so that interested list members can participate! 2. The slash/anti-slash debate a. The anti-slash position by Kathryn Andersen What is Slash? Slash is fan fiction which portrays characters in a homosexual relationship, and derives its name from the slash '/' character used in describing such stories, such as "a Kirk/Spock story". Most of the time, a slash story is explicitly sexual, but a story does not need to contain sex scenes to be considered slash. Arguments against homosexual/homoerotic fiction I'll try here to lay out the various reasons I think people would object to homosexual fiction. I think there's a spectrum of views... (1) Those who object to homosexuality, full stop. (2) Those who object to the explicit portrayal of homosexual acts. (3) Those who object to the particular characters engaging in homosexual acts. (4) Those who wish to support the author's right to say "no". Reason #1: (the "religious" reason) Homosexuality is wrong, it is unnatural and perverted, therefore homoerotic fiction is wrong. Here, it is not a matter of taste, it is a matter of morals. The motivation here is to if possible prevent the corruption of other people's morals, and indeed, the duty to point out where people are going astray, like a watchman on a city who warns of enemy approach: to remain silent is to fall down in one's duty. This, however, is the weakest reason, because there is no common ground for discussion, and persons of religious persuasion are treated like madmen: they get humoured, and everything they say is ignored. Reason #2 is the pornography reason, and arguments usually get bogged down over the definition of pornography. My dictionary says: "Writings, pictures, films etc designed to stimulate sexual excitement". One person's pornography is another person's erotica. Erotica: "explicitly sexual literature or art". As you can see, the difference is merely in the connotations of both words. The people who hold to reason #2 usually don't like "adult" zines either. This again, is a matter of morals. Thus the debates can get very heated. Reason #3 is the character reason; that you consider it an unacceptable distortion of the characters for them to engage in homosexual intercourse. Of course, people who hold reason #1 would probably hold reasons #2 and #3 as well. For people who don't care about homosexuality per se, they might find it still unacceptable, from the context of a series, to make a *particular* character homosexual, because there is no evidence to support it. Mind you, with BBC shows there's no evidence to support anything except celibacy, so arguing from the show is usually fruitless, because those who want sex say "well, its the BBC, of course there wasn't any sex, but if it had been realistic, there would have been." It's not the sort of logic you can really argue with. However, if a person only holds reason #3, then there could exist homosexual fiction that they wouldn't object to, simply because it was so well and persuasively written that the (change in the) character was believable. This reason falls into a matter of taste, rather than morals, I think. 4) Author's rights This is a sub-category or corollory of reason #3. That a character could not be homosexual because the author says so. This generates a heated debate about the nature of fanfic: some say, well, the author has no rights, I can interpret it however I like, and anyway, we have the implicit approval of the author because nobody's been sued yet. And the counterargument is that if an author says it aint so, then it aint so. This can get quite tricky because (a) with a TV show such as Blake's 7, there is no one author, unlike with a book. One could consider at least two primary sets of authors: the script-writers, who wrote the words, and the actors, who "became" the characters. (b) taking the implications far enough it could be argued that all fanfic is wrong, and many people disagree with that: even the ones who don't like homosexual fiction usually like fanfic. Strangely enough, this one again is a moral issue (thus generating yet more heated debate). The moral question is: do I have the right to be completely inconsiderate of others' (the author's) wishes, or will I just do what I want because *I* want to do so, and damn anyone else who might be hurt by it. Hurt by it? Yes, because having one's creation misused/abused by others is hurtful. A minor footnote to this is the objections to stories that portray, not the characters, but the actual actors, in homosexual situations. Such stories *have* been written, and the actors in question would have every right to object to them. So in what category does sexually explicit illustrations fit? COUNTER-ARGUMENTS Here I try to counter some of the arguments from the pro-homosexual fiction side of the debate. 1) "Nobody forces anyone to read slash" Spurrious argument. It is impossible to force anyone to read anything, so of course no one can be *forced* to read homosexual fiction. There are, however, such things as peer pressure, and misinformation. Peer Pressure: this isn't conscious at all, it's just that if one's peers consider homosexual fiction to be the thing that all tolerant and fun-loving people ought to be reading, it will be hard for some people to say no. Given the predominance of homosexual fiction in USA fan culture, it is only fair to give people an alternative view. Misinformation: it is very easy to mail-order a homosexual (or adult) fiction zine without having the faintest idea that it is erotica, until you start reading the first story in the zine. (This has happened more than once to friends of mine) By that time, it is too late: my right *not* to read homosexual fiction has been violated; my brain has been polluted with images I would rather not have been there. It is like going into a movie that one thought was rated 'G' only to find it is an 'R' rated movie. 2) "Why don't you go away and stop bothering us?" We don't wish to be censored any more than you do. I'm sure you would be a lot more comfortable if everybody agreed with you, but life isn't meant to be comfortable. 3) "Why don't you worry about the starving in Africa instead?" Spurrious argument. The starving in Africa, or whatever other issue you care to mention is a fine thing to worry about, but hardly the thing which is appropriate to discuss on a Blake's 7 mailing list. Homosexual fiction is, because it is so widespread in Blake's 7 fandom. 4) "Anti-slash people have been really nasty to me" This is a measure of the hot-headedness of the proponents, and how strongly they feel about the issue. Being insulted does not justify insulting others, and insults have no bearing on the validity of the arguments of either side. They just serve to stir up mud. Remember: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me." -- Kathryn Andersen, March 1995 ******************************************** b. The pro-slash position by Susan B. Schnitger (sbs@world.std.com) Slash fiction, the pro side "Slash" (stories that posit that characters of the same sex from a media show are sexually involved with each other) is simply one of the subgenres of fan fiction, but easily the most controversial. Many object to slash, usually for reasons based on ethics, morality, religion or taste. Obviously these are all subjective matters: what one person finds offensive the next finds acceptable or even delightful. Since there is no absolute judgement possible, debating slash on those terms is as futile as trying to settle which is the "best" flavor of ice cream or the "true" religion. What can be said objectively is that the writers of slash are taking someone else's creations and playing with them, extending their adventures and exploring the possibilities that they find intriguing. This is *exactly* the same thing that *all* writers of fan-fiction do. The main difference is that, as a generalization, slash is more concerned with exploring the personalities of the characters and how they interact and less concerned with the "hardware" of the B7 universe or creating another "could have been an episode" type action-adventure story. Reading slash, like reading fan fiction of any type, is an entirely voluntary diversion. Zines must be sought out, ordered and paid for. Those of us who like slash would never dream of forcing anyone who doesn't to read it. We simply wish those who dislike slash would be equally as respectful of our rights to enjoy it. [The "Generic Slash Defense Form Letter" is a very long, reasonably comprehensive listing of the objections to slash and specific arguments that have been posted to answer them. It is posted to the list on occasion, and can be found as a file called "SLASH.DEFENSE" in the B7 archives at ftp.lysator.liu.se.] ---------------------------- PART III. NETIQUETTE: There are no official rules for how to conduct yourself on the net, but most groups on-line develop some customs over time. The lack of spoilers noted in Part II is one of the customs for this list. Below are a few other guidelines that are widely accepted on-line and that you might want to keep in mind when posting to the list. A. Flames: Although the definition of flaming varies with individual combustibility, there are some reasonably definite things you can do to communicate clearly and avoid overheating: 1. Remember that there is a human being at the other end of your message. 2. Avoid name-calling and casting aspersions on other people's mental health, IQ, ancestry, or personal hygiene. Don't say anything you wouldn't say to someone's face. 3. THINK before you post. Did the other person really say what you think she said? 4. Remember that in cyberspace, no one can see you smile: you have to communicate as best you can without any verbal clues. Moderate use of smileys to indicate humor is nothing to be ashamed of (IMO, the people who rant about smileys tend to be the very people who should learn to use them 8-) but excessive use of them, like excessive use of exclamation points, question marks, and other forms of emphasis, can become annoying very quickly. DO **you** SEE what I **mean**???? *-) 8-) 8-)!!! ;-) 5. Keep your pet peeves on a leash. We all have things that make us want to put up the radiation flare shield and clear the neutron blasters for firing. I'm not talking about a topic you don't like, that's covered below; I'm talking about personalities on the list. Maybe it's their habitual use of coarse language, or their customary tone (personally, I grind my teeth at Burning Bushes--people whose posts state their opinions as if they had them as facts direct from the Burning Bush--because the brusque, know-it-all tone pushes my buttons), but at some point someone else on the list is going to rankle you. You have two options: ignore it or respond. If you must respond, do it politely and as calmly as possible, and preferably off the list. 6. When you are disagreeing vigorously with a post to the list, remember that understatement makes a better impression on your audience than overstatement. Rhetorical questions and sarcasm that are perfectly all right in-person, because you can modify them with facial expressions and tone of voice, tend to look like immature ranting on-line. Frosty disdain, on the other hand, translates quite well into this medium. It is also less likely to lead to temper tantrums and flame wars on the list. B. Replying to posts on the list: PLEASE take a few minutes to learn how to use your mail editor. In particular, learn how to edit posts when replying to them and how to change the address lines when replying. 1. Trimming replies: When replying to a post on the list, include enough of it to remind everyone what you're replying to and retain the meaning. If you're replying to post that said "Why does everyone think I hate Avon? Nothing could be further from the truth" do NOT reply with "Sue said: >I hate Avon..." (Placing a > in front of the lines you are quoting is an on-line convention understood by most people. Some systems do it automatically when you use the reply function.) Do NOT include the entire post just to say "I dis/agree" or stick some other one or two line response at the end of it. Over- quoting is as bad as not quoting at all. 2. Correcting addresses Edit the address lines so that a copy of your reply goes ONLY to the list OR to the original sender, but NOT both. Several list members pay for their access time or by the number of messages they receive and double messages run up their costs. 3. Using short lines Most screens are about 70 characters across. If you type more than that without hitting the return key, the line is cut off and partially wraps around. It will probably look OK on your screen, but for many people on the list it will look like this: If you ask me, the people who designed on-line mail editors ha deliberately tried to make life difficult by using so many different standards. Why can 't all systems work alike? C. Topics you don't like: We're an eclectic bunch and it is inevitable that not all of our tastes and interests coincide. If a particular thread bothers you, the most effective tactics are to: 1) Delete the posts unread 2) Try to start up a conversation on a topic that does interest you. The very worst thing you can do is post an objection about the subject matter--this will only prolong the discussion. Remember: 1) Threads rarely last longer than a week. 2) Some of the topics you will like will be annoying/offensive/ boring to others. D. Subject lines: Please use descriptive subject lines. Most people on the list belong to other mailing lists, have limited time on-line, and don't have mailers that tell them which list a post is from. Descriptive subject lines help them sort through their mail quickly and decide what to read. If your post covers several topics, try to list as many as you can in the subject line: "leather, Shadow, weapons, Gan, tarriel cells" is much more helpful than "leather, etc" or "misc" or "various" or other nondescriptive headings. To do otherwise rather assumes that everyone is hanging on your every word, regardless of what you're talking about. E. Personal messages: Do NOT send personal messages to the list. Attaching a little announcement to the end of a post that you are getting married/a new car/a lobotomy this weekend is fine. If you want to congratulate someone who has announced that s/he is getting married/a new house/a lobotomy this weekend, do it in private e-mail, not on the list. Please. If someone sends e-mail directly to you and not to the list, DON'T answer it on the list. The person with whom you are corresponding probably doesn't want his or her conversation with you broadcast to the 250+ subscribers of the list nor are the 250+ subscribers of the list interested in having your personal mail in their mailboxes or subsidizing your personal mail. If you need to get in touch with someone but don't know their address, or mail to them keeps bouncing back to you, a note to the list asking them to e-mail you is fine. Apologizing to the list at large for it wins you extra brownie points. F. Massive sig files: Many people pay for either time on-line or the amount of information they download. Full screen pictures of the Liberator, 18 character high pictures of your name, endless cute quotes, etc. cost people money. They also mark you as someone with an inflated sense of his own importance. Try to keep sig files to 7 lines at most, preferably 4 or 5, and never use a sig file that is longer than the text of your message. G. Signing your posts: Some people use e-mail systems that strip the address lines at the top of posts and they will have no idea who posted your scintillating analysis of why moon disks have strings if you don't sign your name. H. Credibility and spelling: Everyone hits the wrong key every now and then, however, repeated misspellings and mistakes about homonyms (there for their, hear for here) will detract from your on-line credibility. It's very hard to take someone's analyses seriously if she can't keep simple words like to and too straight. It is extremely difficult to give credence to someone's opinion about the series if she doesn't even bother to learn what the characters' names are and how to spell them. I. Quoting posts off the list: If you want to quote, in whole or in part, anything posted to the Blake's 7 list in another venue, ask the author for permission first. This includes forwarding posts to other lists and newsgroups, as well as quoting posts in papers or articles. J. Common abbreviations and terms: AU (or au or a/u): Alternative universe [a genre of fan fiction] BTW: By The Way FWIW: For What It's Worth Fan fiction: Stories written by fans using the characters and universe of a television series (sometimes a movie series, like Star Wars, or books, like Sherlock Holmes). Fandom: A disorganized subculture of fans who do things like write and read fan fiction, set up and attend conventions, make videos, join fan clubs, contribute to newsletters, talk on on-line discussion groups... For more information, try _Textual Poachers_ by Henry Jenkins (Routledge,1992) and _Enterprising Women_ by Camille Bacon-Smith (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992). Fifth season: Fan fiction set after Gauda Prime. GP: Gauda Prime IMO or IMHO: In My Opinion or In My Honest (or Humble) Opinion MarySue: Fan fiction in which the impossibly beautiful, impossibly brilliant, and nauseatingly self-sacrificing heroine is clearly a stand-in for the author. The boys' version is sometimes called MarkySue. Meegat: A fan who blindly worships either Paul Darrow or Avon (or, by extension, anyone) a la Meegat in the episode "Deliverance." OTOH: On The Other Hand PGP: Post Gauda Prime [a genre of fan fiction] PWP: Plot, What Plot? [used in regard to fan fiction] ROTFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing [this is not as commonly encountered here as on some other lists] Slash: Fan fiction about sexual relationships between two or more of the male characters. B/A (Blake/Avon) and A/V (Avon/Vila) are the two most popular pairs in B7 slash. The name slash derives from the / between the character initials or names. YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary ----------- PART IV: SERIES BASICS A. When was it on? January 2,1978 - December 21,1981. Since 1986, it has been making the rounds of PBS stations in the U.S. The Sci Fi Channel (cable network) reportedly bought exclusive airing rights in 1993, but the series has not yet appeared. B. Who played who (and how do you spell it)? The main cast of characters were, roughly in order of appearance: Character Episodes Actor Roj Blake (1-26,39,52) Gareth Thomas Vila Restal (1-52) Michael Keating Jenna Stannis (1-26) Sally Knyvette Kerr Avon (2-52) Paul Darrow Olag Gan (2-18) David Jackson Zen (Voice) (3-39) Peter Tuddenham Cally** (4-39) Jan Chappell Servalan* (6-51) Jacqueline Pearce Travis 1* (6-13) Stephen Greif Orac (Voice) (13) Derek Farr Orac (Voice) (14-52) Peter Tuddenham Travis 2 * (14-26) Brian Croucher Dayna Mellanby (27-52) Josette Simon Del Tarrant (27-52) Steven Pacey Slave (Voice) (40-52) Peter Tuddenham Soolin (40-52) Glynis Barber * Not in every episode ** Voice heard in episode 40 Trivia: Vila is the only character to appear in all 52 episodes. Glynis Barber played a mutoid in the first season episode "Project Avalon." C. How many episodes are there? Fifty-two. It ran for 4 seasons (or four series, if you're British) of 13 episodes each. 1. Episode titles for the four seasons: Series A Series C The Way Back Aftermath Space Fall Powerplay Cygnus Alpha Volcano Time Squad Dawn of the Gods The Web Harvest of Kairos Seek-Locate-Destroy City at the Edge of the World Mission to Destiny Children of Auron Duel Rumours of Death Project Avalon Sarcophagus Breakdown Ultraworld Bounty Moloch Deliverance Death-Watch Orac Terminal Series B Series D Redemption Rescue Shadow Power Weapon Traitor Horizon Stardrive Pressure Point Animals Trial Headhunter Killer Assassin Hostage Games Countdown Sand Voice from the Past Gold Gambit Orbit The Keeper Warlord Star One Blake 2. On-line episode guide An episode guide with brief summaries is available through anonymous ftp at gandalf.rutgers.edu and through gopherspace (more information about on- and off-line resources and can be found in Parts VI and VII). 3. Print episode guide Attwood, Tony. TERRY NATION'S BLAKE'S 7: THE PROGRAMME GUIDE. London: Target, 1987. ISBN 0 426 19449 7. D. How can I get copies of the episodes? All 52 episodes have been released on professional videotapes with two episodes per tape. (NB: At least two episodes have been edited: "Space Fall" is missing part of a fight scene between Avon and the computer room technician. The scene does appear on the tapes supplied to PBS stations. In "Rescue," a brief shot of Vila looking longingly at the wine bottle after he kicks the Federation rifle.) Aired versions of the episodes have also been cut when shown on commercial networks. Here's how to get them: 1. In the U.S. and Canada: Until recently, Video Catalog (1-800- 733-2232) and Science Fiction Continuum (1-800-232-6002) had all 26 professional tapes. Current stock varies. The current price via catalog is $19.95 per tape. SFC usually has a table at major conventions, like Visions. 800-Trekker also sells them for $24.95 per tape. Some Suncoast Video and Borders bookstores also carry the tapes but availablility of particular episodes varies store to store. 2. In the U.K.: The tapes may or may not be available, and they may or may not be relealsed at a lower price later in the year. If you look around at enough video or bookstores, you will probably be able to find them. Horizon (see address in Part VII) may also have some copies available in PAL format. 3. In Australia: ABC Shops, most department stores and video outlets sell them for $29.95. 4. Elsewhere: If you are not in the U.K., North America, or Australia, you might have to get copies from the BBC. 5. Strapped for cash? You can ask on the list for someone to take pity on you and copy a few episodes. E. Will there ever be a sequel? 1. The odds are against it. When B7 first hit the U.S., there was already an active fan community. Conventions with Terry Nation, Paul Darrow, and Michael Keating were held in Chicago and Newark and elsewhere. At that time, only 5 years after the series went off the air, a sequel seemed possible. Nothing grew out of the early excitement, however, and right now--more than a decade after the series stopped production-- it is unlikely there will ever be a sequel. 2. What would it be about? What Terry Nation had planned for a sequel is a bit vague, but clues dropped in interviews indicate that Avon would have been in exile since Gauda Prime, living under some kind of truce with the Federation. (Darrow likened him to Napoleon at Elba, poised for the 100 days.) Rumors of someone using Blake's name and creating trouble reach him, as do Federation officials who want him to check out these rumors. To prove his loyalty (or something like that) he is told to kill an old friend who turns out to be Vila...It would go on from there. 3. So who survived the final shoot-out? Both Chris Boucher, who was in charge of the series at that time, and Terry Nation have repeatedly said that the finale was meant to be a cliff-hanger in case there was another season. If there had been, whoever wanted to come back would have been alive and whoever wanted to leave would have been dead. 4. Why did Avon have to kill him and where was Servalan? Gareth Thomas had it stipulated in his contract that Blake had to die in the episode. Paul Darrow has said at conventions that he suggested that Avon be the one to kill him. Janet Lees Price, Darrow's wife, wanted to have a part in the finale and took the role of Klyn (so her husband shot her). Jacqueline Pearce was contracted for a specific number of guest appearances for the season and they had already been used up by the time of "Blake," furthermore, the budget didn't extend to the cost of a voice-over (like they used for Cally's death). That is the official reson that Servalan is not in the final episode. At conventions the actors have sometimes referred to it as "Boucher's Revenge," but, to paraphrase Vila in "Volcano," "they say a lot of things. That doesn't mean you have to believe them." Darrow has voiced complaints several times about the entire crew getting shot/killed at once; he would've preferred killing them off one at a time over the course of several episodes. 5. Avon ducked and other survival tips: There are many, many ways to explain the survival of various characters. Fan fiction is rife with stories that let Our Heroes live to fight another day. Here's a brief list of some of the more common ploys, each of which has a myriad of variations. (Partly derived from a longer version posted Jan 22, 1994 by Nicole Vifian): Avon ducked and the troopers killed each other in the crossfire. Vila was shot in the back but fell the wrong way, ergo he wasn't shot. Avon-and-Blake-set-all-this-up. Servalan-set-all-this-up. Orac-set-all-this-up. Something-else-set-all-this-up. It was the clone. The Dallas version: the 4th season was all a dream. F. Other FAQs/observations: Certain questions seem to come up again and again. They reappear because there is no official answer other than "oops! the writers goofed," and that leaves the door open for us to speculate and offer our own theories. Remember: there is no such thing as one right answer, but everyone thinks their answer is the one right one. A few of the much-discussed topics (a longer list of Frequently UnAnswered Questions is posted periodically by its compiler, Kathryn Andersen. It was last posted Dec. 8, 1993): Why is Vila the only man called by his first name? Why do the stories about Auron in the first and third season conflict? Why didn't Blake just kill Travis when he had the chance(s)? What happened to the 4 months between taking Liberator and arriving at Cygnus Alpha? Hey, the Federation symbol is a lot like the one from Star Trek turned sideways! Travis was marked so why didn't he die when Servalan used Imipak on the guard? What is the difference between time distort and standard by whatever? Was Avon a bubble off plumb in season 4? Was Blake a terrorist or a freedom fighter? Hey, it could have been Blake's clone on Gauda Prime! Is it true Paul Darrow deliberately hammed it up in "Timelash" as revenge for Colin Baker's performance in "City at the Edge of the World"? A few questions that routinely create long discussions on the list are: How did you get hooked on the series? How do you get others hooked on the series? Anything about slash. --------------------- PART V. LIST OF LISTS AND WHEN THEY WERE LAST POSTED. This is a list of lists that have been posted. It is not exhaustive and it will be updated as new lists are posted, or I dig them up in the archive. You might want to retrieve the archives for days following the one on which the list was posted to catch any follow-up discussions. Actors' other roles: Nov. 20, 1992 Frequently UnAnswered Questions: January 14, 1995 Recurring Themes in Fan Fiction: May 2, 1994 Costume Index: available from Jean Graham (jeanb7@aol.com) and the ftp files (pub/blake7/misc) Gauda Prime blue print of the final shoot-out: May 18, 1994 (Not technically a list, I know. So sue me.) Morbidity rates: May 20, 1994 Characters' Ages: June 2, 1994 Reappearing guest actors: June 6, 1994 B7 Avatars in professional fiction: March 18, 1995 Errors, bloopers, etc: June 14, 1994, with ongoing sporadic additions Recycled props: June 15, 1994 Disembodied voices (uses and abuses of telepathy): June 15, 1994 Filming sites: June 18, 1994 Lions and tigers and bears, oh my (animals): June 21, 1994 Games people play: June 21, 1994 In search of...(3rd and 4th season Blake references): June 21, 1994 Address list (gen zines, merchandise, clubs): March 12, 1995 Drinking Game: September 12, 1994 Adult/Slash zine address list: September 7 and October 8, 1994 Food, glorious food (and alcohol): January 17, 1995. ----------------------------------- PART VI: ON-LINE RESOURCES A. What's out there? 1. General Among the many goodies you can find on-line are episode guides, transcripts of the episodes, pictures, sound files, and backlogs of the list. The files at Lysator are accessible through anonymous ftp, gopher, and WWW browsers; recently, B7 stuff has also become available at a couple of WWW sites. 2. Rutgers Rutgers University's ftp files contain episode guides for many science fiction television series, including B7. The address is gandalf.rutgers.edu and the directory is pub/sfl. 3. Lysator Lysator's main directory [explanatory notes in brackets]: archive [backlog of list mail] images [pictures in .jpg or .gif format] incoming [stuff for Calle or Tommy] misc [fanzine addresses, pictures, credits for the series, Blake Revisited] scripts [episode transcripts] sounds [to play on your computer] 4. http://hawks.ha.md.us/blake7/ A a World Wide Web site with picture, sound, and text files. 5. http://www.phlab.missouri.edu/HOMES/ccpeace_www/Blakes7/ Another WWW site with pictures, sounds, and miscellaneous goodies. B. How do I get this stuff? 1. Gopher Gopher is a menu-driven way to search for files all over the world. At each step, gopher presents you with a menu of choices. On the system I use, I just type gopher at the main prompt and after that keep choosing from menus until I get to Sweden and then Lysator. Once at Lysator, select Science Fiction (Linkvoings Science Fiction-Fvrening) and then you'll see another menu that includes Blake's 7. 2. FTP (with many thanks to Jan Adlington) The ftp address for Lysator is ftp.lysator.liu.se Read this carefully. It's from the Lysator files: "Most of these files have some sort of extension to their name, which shows what kind of file it is. Currently, the following extensions can be found here: .jpg JPEG encoded picture file .gif GIF encoded picture file .gz File compressed with gzip .tar.gz Many files archived with tar and then compressed with gzip. If you can't uncompress gzipped or tarred files, our FTP server can do it for you. When you "get" the files, just omit the extension, and our server will unpack the file before it sends it to you." Read the above paragraph again. Leaving off the .gz or .tar.gz does work for text files. Really. Trust me. For the picture files and the sound files you need the corresponding software for your computer. If you want to get the picture and sound files and are having trouble doing so, get in touch (off the list) with: Jan Adlington (janicea@morgan.ucs.mun.ca) PC sound and graphics Dennis Holmes (dholmes@rahul.net) Mac and OS/2 sound and graphics Kin Ming Looi (ming@cix.compulink.co.uk) PC sound and graphics Jim Shillington (shillington@symplex.com) DOS, UNIX, Windows sound Michael Smith (smith@math.anu.edu.au) sound 3. Directions for ftp'ing text files (everything that isn't a picture or a sound) a. UNIX Type: ftp ftp.lysator.liu.se When you are asked to login, type anonymous and hit return (you need to hit return after every command, so keep doing it even though I've left it out of the directions below) When you are asked for your userid, type in your e-mail address. NOTE: Some systems only take up to eight characters. If you are bounced out because your userid is too long, try again and leave off the part of your e-mail address after the @ (so I would type sclerc@) The screen will now prompt you for directions by showing you ftp> instead of the prompt you're used to seeing. You will also see a lot of numbers and codes 250, CWD, and so on--ignore them, just watch for the ftp> so you know when to type. Type cd pub/blake7 Example: ftp>cd pub/blake7 At the next ftp> type ls (for 'list') and you will see the main directory shown above. When you know which subdirectory you want to go into, type cd and the subdirectory name. For example: ftp>ls ftp>cd scripts then type ls again at the next ftp> and you'll see the list of transcripts available. If ls doesn't work (that's rare), use dir. To transfer one of the scripts to your home directory (so you can download it to a disk or send it to someone in mail, etc), type get and the filename *exactly as you see it on screen*--ftp files are case sensitive. Example: ftp>get 1.The_Way_Back To move to another subdirectory at this point, type cdup or cd.. (try them and see which works for you), then cd and the subdirectory name. Example: ftp>cdup ftp>cd misc ftp>ls (to see the list of what's in the misc directory). If you want to read the file before you transfer it, type get file |more Example: ftp>get 1.The_Way_Back |more Use the spacebar to page through the file. Typing q gets you out of this but _may_ disconnect you and put you back to an ftp> prompt where all you can do is type quit. Using cdup, cd, and dir, you can browse through all the files. When you're ready to quit, type quit (or bye or exit) and you'll be back at your usual prompt. Type ls and you'll see the names of the files you transferred. b. VMS Same as above except: If you want to look at the text files before bringing them back to your local system, type get file TT. Example: ftp>get 15.Shadow TT Stop the scrolling with Ctrl-S; restart it with Ctrl-Q. c. If you can't ftp or gopher: i. Use the mailserver to have the files sent to you by e-mail. FTP by Mail (directions by Susan Schnitger, 9/03/94) Lysator is nice enough to run a ftp-by-mail program, meaning that if you can send & receive e-mail, you can get anything from the archives. The tricky part is (at least for me, since I hadn't understood it) that UNIX systems are really snarky about UPPER and lower case letters being *different*. I'd hate to tell you how many of my early attempts got bounced for that reason...... Anyway, on the theory that examples are worth at least a thousand lines of explanation, here are some useful message templates to clip-and-send. General instruction: send just the lines between the *****'s to ftpserv@lysator.liu.se Turn around time is usually a couple of hours. ************************* DIR pub/blake7/archive QUIT ************************* The above will get you a listing of the message archives. Note: the older (earlier) messages are in subdirs, by year. If you are interested in getting one of those archives, send another message adding the name of the subdirectory. For example: DIR pub/blake7/archive/93 Other directories you can get, by substituting into the above: DIR pub/blake7/images DIR pub/blake7/misc DIR pub/blake7/scripts Which will get you the listings of (respectively) pictures, an assortment of "nonfiction" text files, and the episode scripts. Once you have the name of the file(s) you want, send a message like this to get it: **************************** CD pub/blake7/archive SEND 94Jul6 QUIT ***************************** Note that message archive names follow a pattern: two number for the year + three letters of the month (first one capitalized, next two lower case) + the day (no leading zeroes.) Also, as a rule the archives are created on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so you can guess at the exact name without doing a DIR first and generally be right. Another example, for getting two scripts: ***************** CD pub/blake7/scripts SEND 15.Shadow SEND 34.Rumours_of_Death QUIT *************** Finally, I believe there is a command you need to use first when getting non-text files (it may be "BINARY") and there is a way to have compressed files uncompressed before sent to you (possibly all you do is leave off the ".gz" or whatever from the file name) but I never have had cause to use them so don't take my word for it. :-) If you send just the word "HELP" to the ftpserv it'll send you a somewhat curt explanation of its commands. ii. Ask on the list for someone who can ftp and gopher to take pity on you and send you the stuff. 4. World Wide Web (directions by Jan Adlington, 11/09/94): What's Out There? At the moment, there are two good Web sites for B7 stuff: 1. http://hawks.ha.md.us/blake7/ (Lee A. Butler, butler@hawks.ha.md.us) 2. http://www.phlab.missouri.edu/HOMES/ccpeace_www/Blakes7/ (Loren Peace, ccpeace@sgi1.phlab.missouri.edu) (Note: UPPERCASE and lowercase is important. Remember the slash at the end of the address. If you can't get through to a site, just try again later.) How Do You Find This Stuff? Things change on the Web. If you want to check whether there's anything new, try a search on 'blake' or 'blakes' (different results!) at http://www.einet.net/ Or, use one of the spiders at http://cui_unige.ch/meta-index.html What do you need to use the Web? The Web is great for sound, pictures, movies... Unfortunately, to get the full benefit, you have to be wired the right way. If your computer is directly on the Internet (i.e. you can telnet, ftp, etc. without first connecting to another computer; technically, you have SLIP, PPP, or other TCP/IP networking on your PC), you should get a 'browser' like Mosaic (or Cello, WinWeb, MacWeb, etc.) If you have to first connect your PC or terminal to some other computer to get to the Internet, you may*** be stuck using one of the non-graphical browsers. Is it worth it? Well, you can't see pictures directly (for instance) but you can download the files, and look at them later (the same as if you'd ftp'd them). *** NEW: If you have a UNIX account, you might want to check out TIA ("The Internet Adaptor"), from http://marketplace.com/ (email: tia-FAQ-single@marketplace.com) (NB: _Not_ an endorsement, for info only, I haven't tried this...) It gives you a dummy Internet address (such as 192.0.2.1) and lets you run Mosaic, gopher, irc, etc. I don't know how easy it is to install - the only people I know who have it are in comp sci... America Online, Compu$erve, Delphi, etc. have plans for providing access to the Web, but no concrete timetables. Believe it when you see it. (But asking for it might speed them up!) If You Don't Have the Great Wiring: Check whether 'Lynx' is on your local system. Try 'lynx address' at your systems prompt, e.g. VAX> lynx http://hawks.ha.md.us/blake7/index.html VAX> lynx ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/blake7/ (another way to ftp) Alternatively, telnet to a public Web browser: telnet to: www.njit.edu (login: www) Once connected, type g (for 'go'), then put in the address you want to go to. ---------------------------- PART VII: OFF-LINE RESOURCES B7 fandom has been around since the series started. In the U.S., fans were already flocking to the series before it even aired on PBS in 1986. There are many fan clubs, tons of fan fiction, and lots of souvenirs to spend your money on. A. Fan clubs and newsletters: Kathryn Andersen's long list of fan club and fanzine editors' addresses can be found in the ftp files at lysator in the misc subdirectory (pub/blake7/misc) under the file name "addresses." Rather than repeat all that, I've listed the names and addresses of organizations who have members on the list. Horizon: the Blake's 7 Appreciation Society Dues include the big, glossy, irregularly-published newsletter. The current prices are L14.50 for U.S. and Canada, L18.50 for Australia and New Zealand, and L10.00 for U.K. Checks should be made payable to Horizon, the Blake's 7 Appreciation Society and sent to Mary Moulden, Horizon, 88 Cricket Rd. Oxford, OX4 3DH. For information, you can e-mail Kin Ming Looi(ming@cix.compulink.co.uk) ORAC (Organized Response to Avon's Call) Dues include the newsletter, Tarriel Cell. Dues are $12 in the US, $13 in Canada, and $18 everywhere else. Make checks payable to ORAC, and send them to ORAC, P.O. Box 566123 Dallas TX 75356-6123. For information, you can e-mail Joe Isham (jisham@nyx.cs.du.edu) Revel Times Newsletter Jean Graham 5417 Streamview Dr. San Diego CA 92105 jgraham@pnet01.cts.com U.S. Branch of U.N.I.T. 22 West Druid Hill Ave. Randolph, MA 02368-5211 For information, you can e-mail Rebecca Dowgiert (dowgiert@warren.med.harvard.edu) Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association (HRSFA). E-mail to hrsfa@husc.harvard.edu will reach club officers B. Conventions There used to be conventions just for B7 but there haven't been in the last few years. If you want to see any of the cast, your best bets are Visions and Who's 7. Visions is held annually over Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago. The con specializes in British sf series like Dr. Who, Blake's 7, Red Dwarf, and so on. Recent B7 guests include Paul Darrow, Gareth Thomas, and Jacqueline Pearce (not all at once, unfortunately). For information write to Her Majesty's Entertainment, P.O. Box 1202, Highland Park IL 60035-1202. Phone: 708 405-9461. Update 1995: This year's line up does not include ANY B7 guests. Complaints may have some effect. Who's 7 is a British con for Dr. Who and B7, and will next be held in Ashford Kent the last weekend of October, 1996. For information write: 10 Fillebrook Hall, Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone, London. E11 1AG England. or E-mail: lexin@cix.compulink.co.uk C. Fan fiction and other merchandise Eager to find out how other people would write the crew off GP? Desperate for photos of the actors/characters? Dying for your own Liberator handgun and teleport bracelet? Longing to sip tea from a mug with the Federation logo? Unable to start your car without wishing for an Avon keyring? Of course you are! For one stop shopping, I suggest you send SASEs or SAE and IRCs (internation reply coupons, available at better post offices everywhere) to Horizon or Bill Hupe. Both have extensive lists of fanzines and stuff for sale--Hupe is apparently the U.S. agent for Horizon. Two other things to try for lists of fanzines are Media Monitor and Generic Ad Zine. An SASE or SAE and IRCS will get you information on subscribing, and often a free sample issue. For more fan fic addresses, ftp Kathryn and Ann's lists of addresses (see Part V for the dates). NOTE: If you're in the U.S. and planning to send SAEs to the U.K., you might want to send a dollar bill instead of IRCs (especially if you live in a one horse town whose post office has yet to discover the other continents). Bill Hupe and Peg Kennedy 916 Lamb Rd. Mason, MI 48854 Horizon Ann Steele 66 Sherwood Park Rd. Sutton, Surrey SM1 2SG Generic Ad Zine Candace Pulleine P.O. Box 980744 Houston TX 77098-5625 Media Monitor c/o/ Plastic Cow Productions P.O. Box 3081 Danville CA 94526-8081 (e-mail addresses: AnnieRu@aol.com ATeitelbaum@genie.geis.com) D. Books connected to the series: A number of books related to the series exist. There are 3 novelizations of episodes, an "official" sequel, a book about Avon by Paul Darrow, and the program guide. Attwood, Tony. AFTERLIFE. London: Target Books, reprinted 1987. ISBN 0 426 19924 3. [This is the widely reviled official sequel. Not official in the sense that this is what Terry Nation had planned, only in the sense that Attwood had permission to use the names] Attwood, Tony. TERRY NATION'S BLAKE'S 7: THE PROGRAMME GUIDE. London: Target, reprinted 1987. ISBN 0 426 19449 7. [The most comprehensive guide to the series at the moment. It contains some inaccuracies but is invaluable for dates and episode credits. It also has some photos and a few brief interviews] BLAKE'S 7 MONTHLY MAGAZINE [Twenty-two (?) issues of this were published by Marvel beginning in 1981] BLAKE'S 7 ANNUALS [Three of these were published] Darrow, Paul. AVON: A TERRIBLE ASPECT. NJ: Carol Paperbacks, 1989. ISBN 0 8216 2503 9. [Darrow's fan fiction about Avon's family and pre-series life. Like AFTERLIFE, the novel is held in very low esteem by the vast majority of fans who have read it] Hoyle, Trevor. BLAKE'S 7: THEIR FIRST ADVENTURE. NJ: Citadel, 1988. ISBN 0 8065 1103 6. [Novelization based on the first four episodes of the series] Hoyle, Trevor. PROJECT AVALON. NJ: Citadel, 1988. ISBN 0 8064 1102 8. [Novelization based on "Seek-Locate-Destroy," "Duel," "Project Avalon," and "Orac" with a little touch of "Deliverance"] Hoyle, Trevor. SCORPIO ATTACK. NJ: Citadel, 1988. ISBN 0 8065 1082 X. [Novelization based on "Rescue," "Traitor," and "Stardrive"] --------------------------