Sensory Overload (Sentinel zine)

For the Sentinel website see Sensory Overload (Sentinel website).

Zine
Title:	Sensory Overload
Publisher:	Neon Rainbow Press
Editor(s):	Jody Norman & Cinda Gillilan
Date(s):	1997-2005
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	The Sentinel
Language:	English
External Links:
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Sensory Overload is a gen Sentinel anthology.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, by H. Ann Walton

Sensory Overload 1 was published in December 1997 and contains 182 pages. The cover is by H. Ann Walton.

The title page erroneously states it's a slash zine.

• Blind Faith by McKenzie Griffin ("A missing scene from "Blind Man's Bluff" that fills in the time from Blair's collapse in the police garage to his eventual return to consciousness in the hospital.") (13)
• Top Ten by Jane Edgworth (22)
• Bomb Squad by Sandy Fiore ("Sandburg, a street kid and a bomb. Need we say more?") (23)
• Top Ten by Jane Edgworth (27)
• The Joke's On You by Cathy Schlein ("Someone's stalking Sandburg and playing practical jokes that are getting deadly. Ellison is on a murder case that he seems to be allergic to. Neither may survive.") (28)
• Term Finals by Anonymous (56)
• Touch Me Not by Sheila Paulson ("A blow to the head sends Ellison's sense of touch into hyper-drive. The results send Sandburg into a face off with a speeding car, a confrontation he loses.") (winner of 1998 FanQ) (57)
• Lost Direction by Theresa Evans ("Caves and crazed boyfriends are not the right mix for an enjoyable weekend of spelunking, as Jim and Blair discover.") (78)
• Only at Finals by Anonymous (95)
• Unwilling Sacrifice by Krystina Lee ("When a professor gives Blair the task of identifying several artifacts, warning bells go off. Then he disappears. Can Jim find him before he becomes the soup de jour for an ancient god?") (96)
• Top Ten by Jane Mailander (110)
• Shadowed Memories by Debbie Pack ("Blair's sick, he's hurt, and he's being hunted. Too bad he can't remember who he is. Where's a sentinel when you need him? Looking for his guide, of course! Better hurry, Jim!") (111)
• Ambush by Cheryl Benson ("Blair is framed for murder, Jim is stalked, and the worst is yet to come.") (144)
• Top Ten by Jane Mailander (160)
• Feeding on Dreams by Gena Fisher ("Jim is having nightmares, or is he seeing demons? Kero, dream, or evil entity? Jim'd better find out, and right now. Sandburg's life hangs in the balance.") (161)

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, by H. Ann Walton

Sensory Overload 2 was published in 1998 and is 149 pages long. Color cover by H. Ann Walton, interior art by Anja Gruber.

• Gateway by Sheila Paulson ("A gift from his "sister" sets Jim and Blair up for a test that just might kill them.") (26)
• Damage Control by Londa Pfeffer ("A missing scene from "Sweet Science." Jim can't help but respect his partner's convictions.") (4)
• Carded by Debbie Pack ("When Blair comes home upset, Jim has to get to the bottom of it.") (6)
• ER by Cheryl Benson ("It's another trip to the hospital.") (2)
• Inside Walls by Jody Norman ("A trip to Pike's Peak for Jim and Blair.") (5)
• The Price You Pay by Debbie Pack ("On his way home, Jim walks into the middle of a robbery. The perps are busted, but for Jim the story has only just begun. A father out to protect his son will stop at nothing to stop Jim from testifying. The problem is, Blair's caught in the crossfire, and he's sick t'boot.") (49)
• Across a Dark Room by Jody Norman ("A serial killer is on the loose and Jim is on the case. A woman is stalking Blair and he's in her clutches. Will either survive?") (21)
• Guide Duty by Becca Koldfurr ("An artifact at the university lets loose an ancient sentinel with a score to settle with his guide. Problem: his guide is long dead, but there's a live one named Blair Sandburg available...") (crossover with Poltergeist: The Legacy) (29)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

[Gateway]: Another Sheila Paulson story, I saw, I pounced, I read. And I was not disappointed. She does good Jim and Blair, with their weaknesses and strengths; Jim the concrete, Blair the imaginative. I really liked the idea of the whole thing being a test of trust under fire. (I wonder why it is, though, that Blair having a half/step-sister seems to be more popular in fanfic than him having a half/step-brother?) I also spotted the mention of the Ghostbusters and smiled.

Issue 3

cover of issue #3, by H. Ann Walton

Sensory Overload 3 was published in October 1998 and contains 164 pages.

The internal art is by Trish Day and maybe Michelle Deeming.

• Comaland: Blair's Story by Cheryl Benson ("Blair visits Comaland and gets a surprise.") (2)
• Nine and Sixty-Ways by Sheila Paulson) ("Blair decides to give Jim a little space and heads off to the Post Office. I mean, what can happen at the Post Office? Oh yeah, that's where the term "postal" was invented...") (also in Author's Choice) (20)
• Guardian Spirit by Sandy Fiore) Blair's community service project introduces him to an unexpected new friend. Too bad she's dead. The question now is: Can he stop a tragedy before anyone else dies?") (18)
• Extradition by Cheyenne ("Jim and Blair travel to Arizona to bring back a prisoner, but a prison uprising has the locals too busy to go fetch their man, so the partners head out to get the man themselves. Too bad it wasn't as easy as they'd hoped.") (38)
• Jade by Megan Marie Irvin ("While investigating a murder, Jim and Blair discover a young girl who's been abused by her step-father. They promise her she'll be safe, but daddy isn't ready to give up just yet.") (12)
• The Underside of the World by Jody Norman ("A woman has wormed her way into Jim and Blair's lives, but is she who she appears to be, or a force that's out to kill them?") (won a 1999 FanQ) (42)
• Haunts of the Past, Uncertainties by Rayden Star ("A young woman enters Jim and Blair's lives, bringing a gift for each of them. Can they keep her alive to enjoy them?") (20)
• Comaland: The Choice by Cheryl Benson ("Blair's back in Comaland, but can he get back to his body before he's permanently dead?") (2)

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, by K9

Sensory Overload 4 was published in May 1999 and is 180 pages long. The cover is by K9. The internal art appears to be by Michelle Deeming.

• To Guard a Life by Jody Norman ("A missing scene from the pilot. Get inside Blair's head as he discovers a living, breathing sentinel.") (11)
• Photos by Cheryl Benson ("Jim recalls an interesting encounter from childhood.") (19)
• We're Getting There by Theresa Evans ("Blair is forced to kill a man, and now he has to find a way to live with it.") (21)
• Us v. Them by Anna Kelly ("A tag to "Warriors." In the aftermath Jim has some soul-searching to do, and luckily for him, he has a guide.") (35)
• Heaven Can Be Hell by H. Ann Walton ("A vacation for Jim and Blair does not go the way they'd hoped! (41)
• Ramblings by Cheryl Benson) Some thoughts from Jim.") (45)
• Occupational Hazards by Anna Kelly ("An attempt on Blair's life almost costs Jim his. (47)
• Ode to a Diet Coke by Ima Pepper ("A satire of buff proportions.") (57)
• Mind of Confusion by Megan Marie Irvin) ("A crossover with FX: The Series. Angie witnesses a murder, but a blow to the head leaves her with no clue as to who she is, or who the murderer is. Blair and Jim race to catch the man before he can strike again.") (61)
• Whose Life is This Anyway? by Sandy Fiore ("In a complicated tale, Blair is nearly killed, Naomi is on the run, and Jim is trying to sort out the mystery of his guide's past.") (75)
• Frailties of the Present by Rayden Star ("Jim's daughter, Maggie, is in an auto accident.") (127)
• A Blast From the Past by Cheryl Benson ("Jim might be gone, but he's still watching over his guide.") (139)
• Crossing the Edges of Reality by Jody Norman ("In the middle of a hostage situation, an act of courage costs Blair and Jim dearly.") (winner of a 2000 FanQ) (142)

Issue 5

cover of issue #5, by H. Ann Walton

issue #5, another version of the cover

Sensory Overload 5 was published in May 2000 and contains 152 pages.

The color cover "(Cat's Meow") by H. Ann Walton won "Best Color Piece" at the SentiCon 2000 art show.

The internal art is by Anja Gruber and Cartoons by Nola Frame-Gray.

• Room For Rent by Anna Kelly ("When Jim turns bearish, Blair feels he has no choice but to move out of the loft. But things don't go the way hoped for Jim or Blair.") (11)
• Brothers by Sheila Paulson ("Crossover with Shadow Chasers. Jon and Benny come to Cascade on the trail of a "superhero" - a potential sentinel. But when Benny and Blair meet, both men get more than they expected - more information about their pasts and a gift they never knew they had.") (26)
• Police Instincts by Laura Michaels ("A crossover with Time Trax. Captain Lambert is from the future, but his turf is the past. In this case he's looking for a fugitive and a young girl. The problem? Jim and Blair are baby-sitting the child. Can the situation be resolved with everyone's secrets intact?") (57)
• Truth is the Only Reality by Jody Norman ("An old "friend" of Blair's returns with an agenda - capture Sandburg's will and bend it to his own. As a result, Blair and Jim must fight off a new threat it will take all of their combined talents to overcome.") (75)
• The Last Word by Ben Thayer & Don Thatt ("A horrible nightmare plagues Blair as he waits for his dissertation defense date to arrive. . .") (138)

Issue 6

cover of issue #6, by K9

Sensory Overload 6 was published in May 2001 and contains 214 pages. Color cover by K9, internal art by Anja Gruber and Sheila Paulson.

• The Draw by Anna Kelly ("Jim loses his senses again, and this time he thinks it's for good. Which leaves Blair in an awkward position, and he decides the best thing is to bow out gracefully. But things are never as simple as they seem.") (14)
• Remembrance of Things Past by Sheila Paulson ("Blair never knew who his father was, and Jed Stone was the closest he ever got. Now Jed is dead and Blair is trying to deal with his grief, which isn't easy when Jim starts to think it might have been murder.") (32)
• The One You Love by Anna Kelly ("Blair ends up in the hospital with appendicitis, but Jim isn't alone while he waits for news.") (5)
• The Dawn of a New Day by Becca Koldfurr ("Crossover with Poltergeist: The Legacy) An organization bent on destroying mankind develops the ability to clone human beings, and one of their random samples is Blair Sandburg. But Blair was fixated on the story of an old "guardian" and his "companion," and that opened the door for the companion's spirit to take over the clone. In the duplicate of Blair's body, the companion goes in search of a new guardian, and the only one in town is James Ellison.") (56)
• Only a Stone's Throw by Jody Norman ("Jim is undercover when he's caught in an explosion that leaves him trapped in his cover persona, and his friends thinking he's dead. But before long the truth is out, but Jim Ellison is no longer the same man his guide and friends once knew, and they're not at all sure how to get Jim back, but they do know they have to try... no matter what it might cost them.") (96)

Issue 7

cover of issue #7

Sensory Overload 7 was published in 2002 and contains 185 pages and internal art by Anja Gruber.

• Goodbye to Forever by Carole Seegraves ("Simon recalls good times and bad with his wife as he prepares to sign his divorce papers.") (4)
• Sudden Realization by KAM ("Simon gets a lesson in the depth of the bond between Sentinel and Guide.") (4)
• The Pig by Melinda Holley ("Jim, his brother and his father, and Blair go toy shopping, revealing some interesting secrets.") (4)
• Three Point Shot by Melinda Holley ("Jim and Simon have to apologize to Blair, something they both have trouble with.") (4)
• Infomercials by Carole Seegraves ("Blair's moment of weakness turns out to be more embarrassing than he thought.") (4)
• Fear by Melinda Holley ("A training exercise for the detectives in Major Crimes, and Blair, leads to an interesting revelation from Sandburg.") (10)
• Shake, Rattle and Roll by Melinda Holley ("An earthquake traps Blair in a bus. Jim finds him, but getting Blair out might just be more dangerous than the quake itself.") (21)
• For the Time, Being by Anna Kelly ("As Blair lies near death, Jim waits, and Simon worries what will become of the Sentinel if he loses his Guide.") (11)
• Interdepartmental Diplomacy by Cheryl Benson ("Jim's been giving the paramedics a hard time when Blair's hurt, and now their chief is complaining to Simon.") (3)
• Second Sentinel by Sheila Paulson ("Jim and Blair meet another Sentinel and Guide, only this time things go a little differently than any of them expect.") (40)
• All Roads Lead to Cascade by Melinda Holley ("A look into the future lives of Jim and Blair, post the series finale. Blair is finally back in Cascade, and things pick up about where they left off for him and Jim, but there are a couple of twists along the way - like both men's daughters.") (34)
• Welcome To Your Legacy by Becca Koldfurr) ("Crossover with Poltergeist: The Legacy. Blair starts to work for the Legacy and his first assignment leads to interesting realizations.") (31)
• a filk by Melinda Holley

Issue 8

cover of issue #8

Sensory Overload 8 was published in May 2003 and contains 189 pages.

• Solitaire by Denyse M. Bridger ("Some of Jim's thoughts from the pilot episode.") (3)
• The Outsider by Anna Kelly ("Thoughts on Blair from another detective's point of view.") (6)
• Soaring by Carole Seegraves ("A slice of life.") (3)
• Flies in an Emerald Web by Freya-Kendra ("One of Blair's students draws him into a dark world of crime and hidden power. (55)
• Guilty Conscience by Cheryl Benson ("Jim is having second thoughts about leaving Blair behind.") (2)
• Sacrifice: A Mother's Love by KAM ("Jim learns the real story of his parents' break-up.") (17)
• Dream Quest by Cheryl Benson ("Unsure what to do next, Blair heads off for some quiet thinking time and gets some advice from an unexpected source.") (3)
• The Search for Sandburg by Sheila Paulson ("Crossover with The Master. Blair has been missing for a while when the Master and Max find him and decide to help.") (30)
• It by Cheryl Benson ("Jim wants a partner who's like all the other cops. (1)
• Crack in a Box by Jody Norman ("An entity has escaped and now it's hunting in Cascade. Simon is a victim, and Jim and Blair are also targets.") (winner of a 2004 FanQ) (79)

Issue 9

cover of issue #9, Taleen

Sensory Overload 9 was published in May 2004 and contains 182 pages. The internal art is by Brate and the cover is by Taleen.

• Game Over by KAM ("Blair gets a Palm-pilot, but he's not as happy with it as he expected.") (11)
• From Darkness, Light by Gemini ("Net-fic. Jim and Blair are taken prisoner and must find a way to escape before it's too late.") (15)
• Doubts by Carole Seegraves ("Blair has some doubts about Jim's driving.") (24)
• Once In, Never Out by Gemini ("Net-fic. Jim's past in Black Ops comes back with a vengeance, drawing Blair and Simon as well.") (28)
• Still There by Anna Kelly ("Blair is suffering through the aftermath of Maya, and no one seems to care, least of all Jim.") (41)
• Fathers and Sons by Sheila Paulson ("A crossover with Riptide. Jim's father is kidnapped, but some of Blair's old friends are already in town, looking for the man responsible.") (57)
• Forces Merge by Brate ("In this interesting AU Blair meets Jim when he is several years younger, and more connected to the shaman nature of the Guide. But the connection still can't be denied.") (116)
• Roger's Calling by Jody Norman & Becca Koldfurr ("In the Sentinel: The Legacy AU. Blair is settling in as a member of the Cascade Legacy House, but Jim isn't so sure about the arrangement. Then, a series of strange deaths draws both Major Crimes and The Legacy into the same case, and Blair's the one caught in the crossfire.") (128)

Issue 10

cover of issue #10

Sensory Overload 10 was published in April 2005 and contains 154 pages.

• Incacha's Funeral by Susan Macdonald ("Jim and Blair see to it Incacha is given the proper send off.") (3)
• Watershed by Anna Kelly ("Blair attends a funeral and things go downhill from there, but it leads to a confrontation with Jim that was long overdue.") (11)
• Call Me by Carole Seegraves ("Traffic, cell phones, Jim and Blair.") (4)
• Adventures in the Loft by Gemini ("Jim, Blair and Simon find themselves in the middle of a hostage crisis: their own.") (15)
• Payback by KAM) Jim gets a little revenge." (6)
• Sorry, Wrong Number by Carole Seegraves ("Jim gets a lesson in pick-up lines and telephones.") (3)
• On Our Way to T (and Back Again) by Sheila Paulson ("A crossover with Lord of the Rings. Blair and Jim find themselves in Middle Earth, meeting new friends and sharing more of themselves than they usually would.") (27)
• Long Distance Detection by Laura Michaels ("A crossover with Monk. Jim and Blair get a little help on a case.") (12)
• Wisconsin Dells: The Sentinel and His Guide Take a Vacation by Gemini ("Jim and Blair get a real vacation! And, nothing really bad happens!") (35)
• Band of Brothers by Sheila Paulson ("A crossover with Real Ghostbusters. Blair learns who his father was, gains a brother and nearly gets killed by a demon. And he thought life after graduate school would be boring.") (26)