No Holds Barred #5

Recommended

No Holds Barred #5 is a 169 page comb-bound, letter-sized, two-column zine released in 1994. It contains 28 stories and poems in total, one of which is Holmes/other. The other fandoms are Quantum Leap, Alias Smith & Jones, The Wild Wild West, Man from UNCLE, Robin of Sherwood, Simon & Simon, Miama Vice, The Crying Game, Dracula, Wisegay and Hamlet.

Before the Fire is a 5-page story written by Gloria Lancaster, It is probably the most astounding Holmes-slash zine story I have read.  It is like the slash zine short story equivalent of Michael Dibdin's Last Sherlock Holmes Story--not in any overt way (Dibdin's story is certainly not slash) but because it is so dark, so striking and so powerful.  It is difficult to say too much about this short and quite simple, but very nuanced story--at least not without stealing from its impact.  But if you like your slash with deep shadows, and even deeper angst, don't miss this one.

[Cover art by Maureen Burns]

See also:
Fanlore: No Holds Barred, Gloria Lancaster