Bright Spirit Descending

Zine
Title:	Bright Spirit Descending
Publisher:	was to have been published by Cinemaker Press but after massive fail, was published by Nan Dibble
Editor:
Author(s):	Nan Dibble
Cover Artist(s):	Kevin Barnes
Illustrator(s):	Barb Gipson
Date(s):	1993, then June 1995
Series?:	yes
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Beauty and the Beast
Language:	English
External Links:	online here, available as a download
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

cover by Kevin Barnes

1993 version of the cover

Bright Spirit Descending is a gen 111-page Beauty and the Beast novelization of two episodes, "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell" by Nan Dibble. The art is by Barb Gipson, and Kevin Barnes did the black and white cover.

There is also a sequel Beyond Words, Beyond Silence also written by Nan Dibble.

Its Origins

This is the book Cinemaker commissioned and Republic approved, which Cinemaker inexplicably failed to publish." The novel was later self-published by the writer as a fanzine.

flyer

From a letter to fans:

Because Ed Gross of Cinemaker Press has not kept his promise to publish this book and bring it to the convention, I am making it available on these terms:

Anybody may order a copy for $15. This includes postage. Your copy will be printed and mailed the week following the convention. This offer will continue after the convention, however, in the same manner other Therion Press zines are ordered and mailed. If you have an unfilled paid order for this book (or for "the first four novels," of which this would have been the third) made to Cinemaker Press, you may have a copy of Bright Spirit Descending for $5 from me. I'm sorry to charge you at all, but since I got nothing of the money you paid Cinemaker, and since I can't produce books as cheaply as Cinemaker (if they published them at all), I can't afford to publish and mail this 250,000-word novel at my own expense. Between the paid full-price copies and the $5 copies, I hope to cover the expense of trying to see that everybody who ordered this novel gets a copy. No proof of preordering from Cinemaker is required—just your word and your signature as acknowledgement that your preexisting order for this book has now been filled, by me.

If you've ordered some other book(s) from Cinemaker, I'm sorry: I can't be responsible for all disappointments caused by Cinemaker Press/Ed Gross. But I want to do whatever is in my power and means to see that orders for my own novel. Bright Spirit Descending, are filled, though I have no legal or moral responsibility to do so. I wrote the book for the fandom and I want to give whoever wanted to read it a chance to do so, that's all.

Follow the Publication

All of the information below is from The Helpers' Network Gazette. See that page for links to the quotations.

[February 1994]:

Nan's new book, Bright Spirit Descending, has been approved and has gone to be printed. It's a novelization of "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell". About half of it is an original account of the founding of the tunnel community. It has a Kevin Barnes cover and lovely Barb Gipson artwork (6 pictures) inside. It's a long, substantial book, but the price is the same: $9.95 + 1.50 s/h. The book should be available by the end of March or early April. Nan will accept preorders now for immediate fulfillment as soon as the books reach her. She'll also make a note of backorders-people who ordered "the first four novels". If you had such a preorder and want Bright Spirit Descending, send Nan a copy-ONLY A COPY-of the paperwork including, if possible, a copy of your check or money order, and she'll see that you get your book. She expects to get a list of these orders from Cinemaker, but if you send to Nan directly, then you can be sure your preorder will be filled. Those who preordered hardbacks will get a credit for the difference, to apply to a future order.

[March 1994]:

Updating news about the new books from Cinemaker, Nan finds she underestimated the time it was going to take to publish her new book, Bright Spirit Descending. Before it's printed, Ed Gross needs to know how many copies his distributors order to know know how large the print run should be. That adds another month Nan didn't allow for. So this novelization of "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell," together with an original account of the founding of the tunnel community, should be out sometime either in late May or early June. If anybody's absolutely dying of Vincent deprivation, just can't wait, and wants a foretaste of the book, for $2, Nan will send the first three chapters (send to Helpers' Network, check payable to Nan).

[April 1994]:

Rhonda Collins' novel Legacy of Love has been approved by Republic. The person reviewing it said about Rhonda's novel what they never said about either of Nan Dibble's, that they LIKED it! Legacy of Love takes up with the series final two episodes, then goes beyond them with Diana trying to help Vincent finally come to terms with the fact he still doesn't remember anything about the Trilogy cave and Jacob's conception. Though it's a story of deep caring, it's not precisely a romantic story. It's very well written, with moments of joy and tenderness as Diana attempts to "lead Vincent through the dark" of inner pain and loss into renewed possibilities; all those who feel the series ended too soon and fought cancellation should enjoy it a lot. It should be published sometime this fall. The best guess for the publication dates for the next books due from Cinemaker: Bright Spirit Descending by Nan Dibble should be out by the end of May or early June at the latest, The Official B&B Annotated Guidebook by Jana Ondrechen should be out by TunnelCon. Bright Spirit is $11.45 and the Guidebook's prepublication price of $22.45 still holds. You can preorder these, or Legacy of Love ($11.45) from Helpers Network. And Nan's still sorting out any back orders for books you haven't received: send details of the orders and copies of canceled checks or whatever to Nan at Helpers' Network, and she'll try to get the problem straightened out.

[August 1994]:

BOOKS FROM CINEMAKER (SNORE): Still waiting for Bright Spirit Descending (sigh) which is expected any day now... Jana Ondrechen's Official B&B Annotated Guidebook should go to the printer in late September (Jana's currently checking galleys, a necessary stage before any book is printed) and be published, at the earliest, about late November (roughly 8 weeks, once it goes to the printer). Bright Spirit, by Nan, is $11.45; the pre-publication price of the Guidebook is still $22.45 until it is published. Nan still has a few hardback copies (about 10) of the first two books, her Beyond Words, Beyond Silence and Prosser/Swope's Lost Yesterdays, Impossible Tomorrows. If you really wanted a hardback but couldn't get one, this is about your last chance. The hardbacks are $18.45 each; send all orders for Cinemaker books to Helpers' Network.

[November 1994]:

CINEMAKER NEWS...FINALLY!: For the first time since summer, Ed Gross of Cinemaker talked to one of us, in this case Jana Ondrechen, who relayed to Nan. According to this conversation, Ed is very apologetic for the delay in releasing the next books and probably still doesn't understand why the silence, the lack of information on what was going on, was even worse for us. Anyhow, he says he still hasn't succeeded in collecting from the distributor in Canada who owes him $30,000, and that's hampered him in all kinds of ways, especially producing the next few books. However, Nan's next book, Bright Spirit Descending, is at the printer. Though Ed didn't say specifically, it should be published in the next couple of months. And Ed assured Jana that her Guidebook (The Official Beauty and the Beast Annotated Guidebook) would indeed be published (she'd begun to wonder) sometime after that, probably late spring or early summer: before the convention, anyway (Nan's guess). Nan knows those who've ordered, and intended to order, these books have been waiting with increasing impatience and frustration, and so have Nan and Jana and the next author in line, Rhonda Collins. Ed's call, the first since summer to any of us (who have left practically daily messages on his answering machine), again reassures Nan that despite delays, the books will indeed be published in the relatively near future. Ed's license to publish B&B books comes up for renewal next year and Nan has no idea whether he intends to renew. However, this has no effect at all on the intended publication of Perlman and the Beast, since it's Ron Perlman's own personal recollections, and nobody's permission save Ron's (which Ed already has) is needed for Ed to publish it. Whether Ed has the license or not makes no difference at all. Since this book is the most marketable of any Ed's had in the works so far, and since nearly all the work on it has already been done (the interviews were done long since), Nan has no question whatever in her mind that it will eventually be published. This is, however, a conclusion on Nan's part, not anything Ed has said; but at this point she's more willing to rely on her own conclusions than Ed's sometimes overconfident estimates. Nan believes that everyone who ordered a copy of Perlman and the Beast, either signed or unsigned, will eventually get it. Please don't be anymore impatient than you can help. We're all dancing as fast as we can--Ed Gross included.

[February 1995]:

Three months and counting. Ed Gross of Cinemaker recently contacted both cover artist Kevin Barnes and Jana Ondrechen (author of the B&B Annotated Guidebook) [Ed: though not yet us] to tell them that he intends to put out and premiere, at A Distant Shore, Nan Dibble's Bright Spirit Descending, Jana's Official Annotated Beauty and the Beast Guidebook, and Rhonda Collins' Legacy of Love...and possibly Perlman and the Beast, as well. If this happens (and we all know that Ed's intentions are much better than his delivery, to date), those who'd ordered "the first four novels" will finally get them; those who'd ordered the Guidebook, some as long as 3 years ago, will finally get it; and (though this is even more uncertain than the rest) the hundreds who pre-ordered Perlman and the Beast may also find their wait at an end. We don't doubt that Perlman and the Beast WILL eventually be published, but Ed's getting all these books ready for the convention sounds rather iffy, to us. But cross your fingers: this may come out all right in the end, after all the frustration and delays. We're all certainly experts on both waiting and hoping....

[September 1995]:

CINEMAKER (BOO, HISS!): The big disappointment of A Distant Shore (for Nan, at least) was that despite his previous promises relayed here, Ed Gross didn't show up. None of the promised books were there, either. Now, in October, Nan knows no more about what's going on with Ed than she did before, but feels it's safe to say that Ed has gotten out of the B&B business and is no longer a licensee. Nan's view is that Ed isn't dishonest--only dishonorable, in not providing either explanation or refunds for the many he (and Nan, on Ed's assurances) had encouraged to preorder the Cinemaker books. Those orders, with one possible exception, must now be considered down the drain. You're free to try to contact Cinemaker (262 First Ave., Massapequa Park NY 11762) for all the good that will do you: Ed doesn't answer Nan's calls or letters either...never has and evidently never will. He's the worst businessman Nan has ever encountered but she's certain Ed never meant things to turn out like this. But it's cowardly, now that they have, that he's refused to face the fans he ended up defrauding, much less offer any sort of explanation, to say nothing of offering refunds (Nan's also certain that the money just isn't there anymore: Ed's a small time operator who, in this instance, got in way over his head and didn't know how to get out again, except by hiding. We'd all have better luck squeezing water out of the proverbial stone). Nan doesn't know when, if ever, The Official Annotated B&B Guidebook will be published. The author, Jana Ondrechen, was very disappointed that her book hadn't been published. Rhonda Collins, author of the Cinemaker-promised Legacy of Love, was even more discouraged (this would have been her first pro book) and has issued it as a zine, complete with Kevin Barnes color cover ($20 US to Rhonda Collins [address redacted]... Nan believes Perlman and the Beast will eventually be published, but that's just an assumption on her part. But all the work had been done, the market is still there, and Ed paid Ron Perlman a tidy chunk of change for doing the interviews on which the book is based and for the right to publish it. Nor is that book in any way dependent on Ed's holding the right to publish B&B material: Ron's memoirs are his own property, and not subject to licensing. However, if and when Ed publishes this book, he'd presumably have to finally fulfill all those preorders, and Nan don't know if he's either willing or able to do that. Nan's holding onto her records, and if Ed needs to know who preordered, she'll most gladly supply him with all the information about that she was sent over the past two years or so. So Perlman and the Beast is iffy, but still possible. We'll see. Given Cinemaker's abysmal track record, don't hold your breath...but don't give up entirely, either. Is there such a thing as hopeful skepticism? If so, try to practice it. As for Nan, she's publishing Bright Spirit Descending herself, with Barb Gipson's interior illustrations and Kevin Barnes' cover (B&W). The book is exactly as it would have been published by Cinemaker, except that it's 8 1/2 x 11 and spiral bound. A big book, 250,000 words, it's a novelization of "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell" together with an original story of the founding of the tunnel community (about 1/2 the book). Although Nan didn't keep the preorder money for books ordered through her, she feels very bad both about Cinemaker in general and about promoting the books that never were published, although she did so in good faith. She's trying to make what amends she can in the way Bright Spirit is being offered. Anybody with a paid order either for Bright Spirit Descending or "the first four novels," from Cinemaker, meaning that their check was cashed (to the best of their knowledge), can have a copy of Bright Spirit Descending for $5 (slightly below Nan's cost to print and mail it.) You don't have to prove anything--no special paperwork or documentation required: just tell Nan. For anybody else, the price is $15--still low by zine standards, though higher than an ordinary paperback. Nan's intention is for everyone who wanted a copy of Bright Spirit to get one. The same price applies in the US and abroad. Send orders to Nan Dibble...

Summary

Bright Spirit Descending Is based on "The Alchemist" and "To Reign In Heir—the First Season episodes introducing, then developing, Father's greatest nemesis, John Pater: Paracelsus. They occur early in Vincent and Catherine's relationship, but bear all the history, and the seeds of all the developments, of what these lovers are and will become to one another.
In addition to recounting these episodes, with added scenes and material, the book also presents the beginnings of Jacob and John: the founding of the Tunnel Community Itself, the advent of Vincent, and how the man who came to be called "Father" and the man who came to call himself "Paracelsus" came into conflict over the child—a conflict that threatened the foundations of the whole Tunnel Community: "Our first real test of government." as Father later called it.

Gallery

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  Barbara Gipson

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  Barbara Gipson

Reactions and Reviews

This Cinemaker-commissioned and Republic-approved pro B&B book is a novelization of two episodes, "The Alchemist" and "To Reign in Hell," with added material, insights, and interior revelations in those episodes. Roughly half the book is the story of the growth of the tunnel community from its first beginnings and the evolution of the friendship of its founders, Jacob Wells and John Pater. The novelized episodes and the original story weave in and out of each other with some pertinence, since the two episodes involved deal substantially with Jacob (now Father) and John (now Paracelsus) in the series' present. Presumably most Q-fer readers know what Nan's writing is like, and know whether they enjoyed her first pro B&B book, Beyond Words, Beyond Silence, or not. So, beyond saying Nan's been a professional fantasy/sf novelist all her adult life, further description seems unnecessary. Despite the low page count, it's a 250,000 word novel (over three times the length of a standard paperback) and has six of Barb Gipson's handsome interior illustration, as well as a b&w cover by Cinemaker artist Kevin Barnes.