A Dozen Points in Time
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | A Dozen Points in Time |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Carol Davis |
| Date(s): | 1993-1994 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Quantum Leap |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
A Dozen Points in Time is a gen Quantum Leap anthology with five issues. Almost all of the fiction is by Carol Davis.
The issues are meant to be read in order.
Issue 1
A Dozen Points in Time 1 was published in Spring 1993 and contains 256 pages.
- Prologue: The Starbright Project (Feb 1, 1986) by Carol Davis
- Sex, Lies and Chemical Dumps (June 16, 1984) by Carol Davis
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman (Dec 24, 1999) by Carol Davis
- Kidnapping Charlie (July 17, 1979) by Carol Davis
The Other Side:
- One Man and a Baby (Nov 24, 1982) by Carol Davis
- Interim: What Love Means (Feb 14, 2000) by Carol Davis
- Sabrina (July 12, 1992) by Carol Davis
- Interim: The Lady in Red (April 11, 2000) by Carol Davis
- The Needs of the One (Aug 3, 1963) by Carol Davis
- Do Not Leap Gently... (July 10, 1989) by Carol Davis
- Epilogue: Project Quantum Leap (Aug 8, 2000) by Carol Davis
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
It is my understanding that all of Carol's magazines are now out of print. I am including this review in case you see it on an orphan zine table somewhere.
Carol Davis’s anthology consists of a dozen stories (naturally) taking Sam from his first encounter with Al through seven Leaps, to Project Quantum Leap’s conclusion. Interspersed with the Leaps are three “meanwhile-back-at-the-Project” vignettes. The stories not only run in a chronological progression, but progress emotionally as well, with each Leap getting successively more challenging for Sam, or revealing some new aspect of Sam’s or Al’s life.
The anthology starts with “Prologue: The Starbright Project,” which tells about Sam and Al’s first meeting--yes, that infamous hammer-and-vending-machine incident. Al’s initial hostility is quite believable, as is Sam’s ability to gradually win the Admiral over.
In “Sex, Lies and Chemical Dumps,” Sam Leaps into Paul Holloway, a struggling writer whose wife, Cynthia, is a paralegal involved in some lawsuits with an unscrupulous chemical company. Sam must prevent her from being killed when she accidentally gets tangled up in an environmental protest at the chemical plant. This is a neatly told story that would make an excellent episode. Sam’s dilemma about sleeping with another man’s wife is handled realistically (although in a manner that will probably displease “Saint Sam” devotees), and he comes up with a creative solution to Cynthia and Paul’s problems.
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman” is a Christmas Eve vignette in which Al discusses Sam’s dilemma with a new Project staffer, airing some of his own concerns and fears.
In “Kidnapping Charlie”, Sam Leaps into the teenaged husband of a girl (Charlie) who married in haste to escape the drudgery of her home life. Charlie’s father pursues the couple, convinced that Sam’s host has kidnapped the girl, and determined to bring his daughter home even if it means killing her new husband. Sam tries to figure out how to reconcile Charlie and her father while avoiding being murdered. This is a nicely rounded story that would make a terrific episode.
Next, Sam finds himself on “The Other Side”, in a mysterious warehouse filled with empty crates, with no apparent exit or entrance. He encounters Zoey and Alia, who try to tempt him over to their side. While this story raised some intriguing ideas, I found it unsatisfying in that it only raised more questions about Zoey and Alia, but it didn’t answer any.
In “One Man and a Baby,” Sam becomes an unwed daddy trying to prevent his child’s mother from taking the baby away. Initially, Sam’s uneasiness about dealing with the baby is humorous, but as the story progresses, his discomfort begins to have more serious undertones. A well-done story, with some interesting revelations about Sam’s personal life.
“Interim: What Love Means” is a touching vignette in which Donna deals with the loneliness and hurt Sam’s Leaps have caused her, and with the difficulties she has facing Sammy Jo Fuller as a constant reminder of Sam’s unintentional infidelity.
Sam commits one such unintentional act of infidelity in “Sabrina,”, when he finds himself falling in love with a woman he encounters during an apparently simple Leap. This story does a wonderful job of exploring Sam’s fears and loneliness.
The next “Interim: The Lady in Red” isn’t a story, so much as an introduction to Mary Kate Monaghan, a Project staffer destined to be the next love of Al’s life. Monaghan is a smart, independent, likeable woman who turns out to be more than a match for Al.
In “The Needs of the One,” Al is placed in a dilemma when Sam Leaps into a young rock singer’s kid brother. Sam must prevent the singer from causing a fatal traffic accident. However, Al discovers that preventing the accident might also prevent Monaghan’s birth. Sam and Al both go through the emotional wringer on this Leap. But you’ve really got to get out the Kleenex for the last two stories in the collection.
“Do Not Leap Gently...” is a gut-wrenching tale in which Sam Leaps into a terminally ill cancer patient. Ms. Davis more than makes up for the trauma she puts Sam (and the reader) through, however, with “Epilogue: Project Quantum Leap,” which forms a satisfying conclusion to the volume.
This is an extremely well-written collection. Any one of the Leap stories would make an excellent QL episode. Through all her tales, Ms. Davis’s portrayals of Sam, Al, and Donna are poignant and believable, sensitively showing the three friends with all their flaws and fears. She emphasizes her characters’ humanity, rather than their heroism, and she does a wonderful job of showing them as realistic human beings. Ms. Davis not only has an excellent grasp of Sam, Al, and Donna’s personalities, but she also creates well-rounded supporting characters. The collection is nicely illustrated by Kate Nuernberg and Terri Librande.
I have absolutely no qualms about recommending this zine. Just make sure you’ve got the Kleenex handy.[1]
Issue 2
A Dozen Points in Time 2 was published in 1993 and contains 280 pages.
It was illustrated by Phyllis Savacool, Sharon Reynolds, and Kate Nuernberg.
- Alternative Reality (Apr 15, 1995) (1)
- Memory Once Rewritten (May 1, 1995) (16)
- Idolbreaker (July 5, 1986)
- Home (Nov 25, 1969) (77)
- Hello Again, Hello (June 5, 1997) (81)
- Remembrance (Aug 8, 1997) (110)
- Midnight on a Country Road (Sept 2, 1997) (115)
- Ruthie (Jan 20, 1978) (145)
- Measuring the Marigolds (Feb 17, 1998) (207)
- Love, Thelma (June 15, 1998) (221)
- Oh Baby, Baby (Dec 11, 1962) (225)
- The Heart's that Yet to Mend (Oct 30, 1998) (250)
- Holiday Inn (March 26, 1993) (260)
Issue 3
A Dozen Points in Time 3 was published in 1994 and contains 207 pages. Artwork by Phyllis Savacool.
- The Interview by Carol Davis
- He'll Come Back Again by Carol Davis
- Piano Lessons by Carol Davis
- This Cage, poem by Sally-Anne Donnelly
- An Officer and a Gentleman by Deborah A. Stressner
- Re-Crossed by C.F. Camin
Issue 4
A Dozen Points in Time 4 was published in 1994 and contains 215 pages.
- The Quiet Man by Carol Davis (“It’s August 8, 1994. Dr. Samuel Beckett, ‘the next Einstein’ is turning 41. The dream he’s carried with him for most of those 41 years is becoming reality in the middle of the New Mexico desert. But in spite of that, a surprise party, the good cheer and support of his friends and colleagues, there’s no ‘happy’ involved with this birthday.")
- After Midnight by Carol Davis (“Ever wonder what the Project complex is like after hours? You’ll find out, courtesy of a maintenance man who finds things ‘down below’ that he didn’t expect!”)
- Blue Christmas by Carol Davis (“Christmas in Hawaii is a far cry from Christmas in Elk Ridge, but the remaining members of the Beckett family are all together -- for what they don’t realize is the last time before The Leap.”)
- Up, Up and Away by Carol Davis (“Al’s platinum American Express card has just gought [sic] him an hour piloting a tiny plane. He’s in his glory..but his afraid-of heights partner, strapped in alongside him, is NOT.”)
- For Tommy by Carol Davis (“25 years ago today (4/8/95), Sam Beckett lost his brother...his hero...his champion. As a kid, he wanted little more than to make Tom proud of him. He’s about to find out that hasn’t changed.")
- There Was an Old Man by Carol Davis (“The first time around, eccentric old Wilford ‘Billy’ Houston died of exposure in a snowbank near the unheated shack he called his home. Nobody cared then, and nobody cares this time...except for a stranger named Sam.”)
- Flashback by Carol Davis (“How do you tell the difference between a night- mare and reality? In the middle of a terrifying night in 1997, Tom Beckett has to answer that question.”)
- A Rose for Miss Valentine by Carol Davis (“Sam leaps in to find a pair of limpid brown eyes gazing longingly into his -- and isn’t amused that the eyes belong to a boy named Ted.”)
- Hey, Sailor by Carol Davis (“‘Hey, sailor...want to buy a thirsty nurse a drink?’ A minute ago, ‘Bingo’ Calavicci was standing in an all- white room surrounded by strangers. Now he’s in his quarters at North Island, being kissed by the woman he loves. Obviously, he’s just had one hell of a trip. But to where?”)
- Jenni by Carol Davis (“There’s a silent, frightened little girl in the Waiting Room. As Al and the Quantum Leap team will discover, her fear has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with the people she left behind.”)
- And One More for the Road by Carol Davis (“Sam has Leaped into the future. Just 21 hours, but that’s far enough. How can he set things right when they haven’t happened yet?”)
- Evolutions by Carol Davis (“What goes around, comes around. It’s August 8, 1994 again -- but this time history has been changed, and when Sam arrives at a roadside dive called TACOS BURGERS COLD BEER for the party Al has arranged, there’s a surprise visitor waiting for him.”)
Issue 5
A Dozen Points in Time 5 was published in 1995 and contains 111 pages.
- Eyes That See Another Place (Thursday, December 31, 1953) by Carol Davis
- Between the Lines (December 31, 1974) by Carol Davis
- Julie, Julie, Julie, Do You Love Me? (Wednesday, December 31, 1975) by Carol Davis
- Vigil (Sunday, December 31, 1978) by Carol Davis
- A Life of Cages (Une Vie En Forme De Cages) by Micheline Caputo, translated by Sherlock
- Man to Man by Jamie Greco
- Home Grown (September 1964) by Jamie Greco
- Wonderful Tonight (April 28, 1995) by Cathy Madden
- Father of the Bride (June 4, 1984) by J.P. Williams
- Letter From An Unknown Woman (March 15, 1996) by J.P. Williams
Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5
Reviewed by: Lorraine Anderson.
For some reason, I don't remember catching up with the first four "Dozen Points in Time," and I almost didn't buy this one. As I've said before, those writers who print their own 'zines with their own stories make me uneasy... I never know what kind of quality I'm going to get, and it smacks of "vanity press." However, after reading Carol's stories, I'm can see I'm going to rethink my policy...
The first four stories are by Carol Davis, and all take place on a New Years Eve.
“Eyes That See Another Place (Thursday, December 31, 1953)”: I'm finding it very hard to explain what this story is about. On the surface level, it's about the Beckett family bonding and waiting for the new year. However, it's much more than that. It's about Tom and John getting used to the baby Sam. It's about Thelma's recollections of the past, and her perceptions of her family, including the realization that Sam may be more advanced than his brother. Basically, it's a quiet little story with nothing much happening, but Carol makes it into a little gem. I really enjoyed this story.
“Between the Lines (December 31, 1974)”: Sam comes home from college to find a rebellious seventeen-year-old Katie at odds with Thelma about Katie's boyfriend -- which causes Sam to question the wisdom of going away to college. This is, I think, one of the best stories of the 'zine. Carol explores the characters of the young Sam, Katie, and Thelma with an interesting writing style and scenes which feel just right.
“Julie, Julie, Julie, Do You Love Me? (Wednesday, December 31, 1975)”: Sam, a student at Cambridge, tutors and helps a socialite in Calculus and life. Another enjoyable story, although I thought it a bit long for the subject matter, and Sam's unbridled lust for Julie put me off a bit. I do have to admit it dents Sam's image as a Boy Scout, especially with the first line: "All I asked Santa for that Christmas was a chance to see Julie Moore naked."
“Vigil (Sunday, December 31, 1978)”: In the middle of his residency, Sam tried to decide whether he wants to become a doctor. This is told from the point of view of an elderly friend of Sam's. Another nice story, with a resolution which is just right.
Now, on to the stories which are not Carol's:
“A Life of Cages (Une Vie En Forme De Cages)” by Micheline Caputo, translated by Sherlock: I have to admit that this story is the reason I bought the 'zine. Both the author and the translator are friends of mine, so take the review as you will. I've seen the original (which doesn't help me, not knowing French), I've seen the first translation, and now I've seen the finished product. My verdict? This is a nice little vignette which explores Al's state of mind while a prisoner in Vietnam, and how the hardships of his past help him endure his present. It's rather short of conflict and resolution, but it offers vivid images.
“Man to Man” by Jamie Greco: A far-reaching story which touches on several incidents from Sam's birth to just before his first leap. It details how Sam and his father fulfill each other's dreams. A little disjointed, I thought... it easily could have been longer... but otherwise a nice story.
“Home Grown (September 1964)” by Jamie Greco: The Beckett family try to decide whether an eleven-year-old Sam should leave home to go to an advanced school. This story is told from shifting points of view of everybody in the family. Another good story.
“Wonderful Tonight (April 28, 1995)” by Cathy Madden: Ten days after Sam's first leap, Al and Tina lock horns with a hard-bitten member of the Appropriations Committee at a cocktail party. Basically, the story is about Al worrying about how Tina is dealing with the Senator, and what he finds out about Tina, the Senator, and himself. I enjoyed the characterization of Tina... we all know that Al wouldn't fall in love with a blonde bimbo. (The vertical mamba, well, that's another matter.) Another enjoyable story.
“Father of the Bride (June 4, 1984)” by J.P. Williams: Sam and Donna are preparing to get married. A nice character study about Donna, her perceptions of Sam, Al, and her own father, and who she picks to walk her up the aisle.
“Letter From An Unknown Woman (March 15, 1996)” by J.P. Williams: Per Verbena's advice, Donna writes a letter to Sam. Much of the letter details Donna's conflicts with her divorced, bitter mother, and how they finally agree about Sam. Another nice character study.
There isn't one clunker in this 'zine. However, there's something I didn't notice until I was all through... which is that not one story is about Sam being on a Leap! I'm not sure whether this was accidental or by design.
A nice 'zine, full of character studies. If your taste runs to knock-em-down, drag-em-out action, you'd be better off going somewhere else, but this 'zine suited me just fine. [2]
References
- ^ from The Hologram #12/13 (October 1996)
- ^ from The Hologram #11 (April 1996)