Days of Winter

Zine
Title:	Days of Winter
Publisher:	Zara Publications
Editor:
Author(s):	Lucille Staszak
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1983
Medium:	fanzine, print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Dark Shadows
External Links:
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Days of Winter is a Dark Shadows novel written by Lucille Staszak. It was published in 1983 and is 60 pages.

Reactions and Reviews

"Days of Winter" was released in early 1983 by Zara Publications, And was written and edited by Lucille Staszak and Barbara Fister-LI Itz, respectively. Except for the cover graphic by Frank Liltz, it contains no art.

Visually, this is a pretty good zine. The cover title is nice enough; the typing neat and accurate, the printing clear. However, "superficial" is indeed the word for this zine, because the contents are flawed in almost every respect. This story is such a mess, in fact, it's difficult to know where to begin. The plot concerns, to quote liberally from the flyer, 'a beautiful artist' who 'spends the winter at Collinwood, painting a new series of Collins portraits.' While she is working, however, a dark force moves to control her art and her mind. In the first chapter, the artist, Brandi Farraday-Lucas. arrives at Collinwood via taxi, luggage and paint-boxes under each arm. However, I think the poor cab driver got confused and dropped her off at the wrong house, because the motley collection of drunks and space-cases she meets inside sure aren't the Collinses I remember with affection. Even Collinwood itself is casually dismissed as a shambles coated with spider-webs and dust. It was almost as if the authors/editors et al are presenting to the readers their own opinions of DS's multi-dimensional characters and sneering at us for our interest. This in itself is disturbing and shocking—but wait, there's more. The plot Is just as bad as the characterizations. While the premise of an artist being taken over by evil, and having the change reflected in her art is excellent and conducive to many interesting images and ideas, absolutely nothings is done with it. The author/editor/et at seem far more interested in describing to us (somewhat condescendingly, I might add) the thoroughly-unlikable Brandi's beauty, Betamax recorder and 'fabulous' artwork which Quentin has been collecting in a Chewbacca costume for the last several years (no kiddingl). Also Included is a laughable subplot involving Barnabas and Carolyn (who has a "weight problem" which won't fool you for a minute). Worst of all is the denouement (such as it is) which wraps the entire plot up in a single page. And how was Barnabas prancing around swinging his cane at Quentin in 1893 when he was supposed to be locked up in his coffin? Despite all this convolutedness, though, the ever-perfect Brandi is nonplussed and easily falls into Quentin's arms at the end (presumably--hopefully! they will leave the Chewbacca costume in the closet this time), thankful to be away from all those other lunatics at 'Collinwood". Some fan novels can be warmly digested after being read. This one gave me heartburn.

I have not given up hope on the writer of this book, nor am  ! laying the blame entirely on her. I have a few suggestions that should make her next work at least bearable: find an editor who is Interested In the integrity of the book and what it is supposed to portray, work on her characterizations a lot, and rise above the superficiality which now makes her writing amateurish and impersonal. Explore the depth of a proposed plot; don't take the easiest angle and don't let other cooks spoil the broth. Good luck, Lucille