P.K.E. Readings OnLine Story Index


     Welcome to P.K.E. Readings OnLine, the section of my site that lists all stories and art relating to the 'zine. On this site you will also find links to other RGB related artwork, stuff about the EGBs, and links to other GB sites you may enjoy.
     P.K.E. Readings was started by B.J. Tandarich and Barb Victor in 1989, and was first printed up in 1990. I met the two of them when they were just coming up with the ideas for some of the stories...and boy, did we hit it off! I had the first of the RGB 'zines that Pam Spurlock and I would put out, Nearly Fatal Attraction, and they all wanted a copy. It was so much fun to find fellow RGB fans at cons! Though Mary Jean Holmes was the first publisher/writer to put out GB related stories, (Marginal Error, a novella, and several stories in ShadowStar, a multi-media 'zine) P.K.E. Readings was the first fully RGB multi-story 'zine...but it sure was not the last! RGB fandom really took off, and many more 'zines hit the cons soon after #1 was out. The fandom is still going strong today, with both 'zines and web-published stories and art.
     P.K.E. Readings as a print 'zine only lasted four issues. Sales were good, and the fan base was still strong, but the work load was really bearing down on B.J., who had taken over all editing chores after Barb Victor left the team. Sad to say, the types of stories that were becoming popular at the time were not to B.J.'s tastes, so finding stories that she would print was becoming harder and harder. Finally, with the cover for #5 all planned out, and the art painted, B.J. decided that the last issue of P.K.E. would not come out that year...and probably never would.
     But, with the advent of computers in so many fans' lives, it is possible to pass along many of the stories that have been out of print for so long. Most of these stories are pretty 'mainstream'...hurt/comfort and heavy angst were not the editor's cup of tea...and are rated "G" or "PG". I have listed the titles for all of the stories in each 'zine, even though I do not have permission to make web files of all of them...some authors cannot be found, some publish their stories on their own pages, etc. I am not printing all of the art though...just some of the pieces that I have room for. (and yes, most of 'em are mine...so sue me...)

Special thanks go to AnneL for her efforts in turning my messy scans into readable HTML, to Elctrowolf and theBlueThunder for web design advice, and to Diana Harlan Stein for coding lessons!

P.K.E. Readings #1
 Our First Issue! The illos for the stories (the ones that have 'em) are on a link at the end of each story. No fair sneaking ahead to see the illos first!

IMPOSTER
by Deborah Van Fossen

OUT STANDING IN THEIR FIELD
by Pam Spurlock

NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by B.J. Tandarich

PRESENT TENSE
by B.J. Tandarich

PLAY US A SONG, DEAD PIANO GUY
by Judy Breuer, Sandy Schreiber, Pam Spurlock, and B.J. Tandarich

Also in this issue were two other stories by Barb Victor, WHO'S A HAPPY CAMPER? and BEAUTIFUL DREAMER. If anyone knows Barb, or can contact her, please let me know! I would love to put her other stories on the web!

  • Click HERE
    • to see the Back Cover of Issue #1.

    P.K.E. Readings #2

    THERE SHE IS
    by Jane Tesh

    GONE WITH THE GOLEM
    by Deborah Van Fossen

    DISTILL OF THE NIGHT
    by Barbara H. Victor and B.J. Tandarich

    THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
    by Jane Tesh

    YOUR SOUL PROVIDERS
    by Barb Pyles

    BROTHERLY LOVE
    by Pam Spurlock

    Also in this issue was the story TURN A BLIND EYE by Barb Victor.
    GONE WITH THE GOLEM and BROTHERLY LOVE both have illustrations by the authors.
  • Click HERE
    • to see some other illos from issue #2.


  • Click HERE
    • to see this cover bigger!

    P.K.E. Readings #3
     Barb wanted to do something special with the third issue, since the 'zine was doing so well...so she offered to spend mucho buckos to do the cover in full color...a litho-photo print! It was not just a color copy from Kinko's...but a full-color print from Color Q!! What a great chance to go to town on my illo for this issue! Barb still has a ton of the covers at her home...they made twice as many as we ordered.....!
    The painting was done twice normal size, just so I could put in all the detail I could manage.
    There are a few links in this issue, because a couple of the authors have their own sites, and have their stories posted there. One is Sheila's story, "The Cellar", and the other is Jeff's "Beer Barrel Busters". Go and enjoy their sites, then come on back here for the rest of the stories! Also, there will be links to art work I did for 'Cellar', 'Switched', and' Beer'.

  • BEER BARREL BUSTERS

    •  by Jeff Morris
  • Click HERE
    • for 'Beer' illo.

    A WOMAN'S PLACE
    by Jane Tesh

    SWITCHED CHANNEL
    by Deborah Van Fossen

  • SHIP OF GHOULS

    • by Deborah Van Fossen

  • THE CELLAR

    • by Sheila Paulson
  • Click HERE
    • for illos from 'Cellar'.

    Also in this issue were a couple of essays, a limerick or two,and a short piece by Julie Jay. If anyone knows Julie's email addy, please let me know!