Decades: 1760-1800
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| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Decades: 1760-1900 |
| Publisher: | Pentagram Press |
| Editor(s): | |
| Date(s): | June 1982 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Genre: | gen and het |
| Fandom: | Dark Shadows |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Decades: 1760-1800 is a gen and het 178-page Dark Shadows anthology zine.
Over two dozen stories and vignettes: The are stories from Barnabas' childhood... Incidents from the Revolutionary War... Ben Stokes' past... Jeremiah's marriage to Laura... An encounter between Miranda du Val and Nicholas Blair in hell - an encounter that leads to her life as Angelique... Josette and Angelique's journey to Collinsport... Many stories take new or alternate looks at the events of 1795... The volume concludes with several vignettes detailing the memories of the few survivors of that tragic year.
flyer for "Decades"
Art is by Dave Billman, Judi Buguslawski, Jo Ann Christy, Barbara Fister-Liltz, Ellen Gusetti, Cindy Jorgansen, Jane Lach, Janet Meehan, Shari Metcalf, Andrea Palencar,
Contents
- 1769: Indications by Dee L. Gurnett (Originally published in "Crypt" # 9 - June. 1971)........................ 3
- 1747 - 1774: Memories and Mysteries by Virginia Waldron................................ 7
- 1777: Blood Brother by Jean Graham ........... 8 ("Blood Brother", "Foreshadowed", "The Forsaken" and "Lost Chapter": A 'tetralogy' by Jean Graham. Spanning the years between the Revolutionary War and 1795, these four stories delve deeply the background of Barnabas and Jeremiah Collins. Friends as close as brothers, they ended as cold driven opponents in a forced duel of honor. But the rift created by Angelique was by no means the first that separated them, and the four stories in this sequence set a more complicated stage for the tragedies of 1795.) (reprinted in A Gathering of Shadows)
- 1779: Absalom by Geoffrey Hamell............ 11 (Suppose there had been a third child of Joshua and Naomi Collins, an elder brother to Barnabas, who joined the upheaval of the American Revolution? This story reveals how two branches of the Collins family were united, and brings Barnabas and his father into an uneasy truce.)
- 1780: Hell Wind by Marcy Robin....... . ....... 19 (During the devastation of a hurricane on Martinque, two events—a death, and a first meeting—sow the seeds that would change Josette's life forever.)
- 1783: Empty Future by Marcy Robin . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
- 1790: The Meeting by Debbie Crocker.......... 30
- 1792: The Forsaken by Jean Graham ............ 31 (part of a 'tetralogy' by Jean Graham) (reprinted in A Gathering of Shadows)
- 1793: The Door Stands Open by Geoffrey Hamell 36
- 1794: Caribee by Kathy Resch .......... . ... 37
- The Virgin and the Whore by Kathy Resch... 40
- Traditional Folksong .... . ................ 41
- Departure by Marcy Robin ............... 42
- Foreshadowed by Jean Graham.........… 44 (part of a 'tetralogy' by Jean Graham)
- 1795: Return by Maria Barbosa................ 47
- Art Portfolio: Barbara Fister-Liltz..... 50
- For You by Kathy Resch.............. 55
- Family Portraits: Jane Lach........... 56
- Stranger by Marcy Robin ................ 58
- Choice by Barbara Fister-Liltz......... 60
- I Will Forget by Barbara Fister-Liltz.. 63
- Heat Lightning by Kathy Resch. . . . . . . 65
- Together by Marcy Robin ..... . .......... 65
- The Elopement by Marcy Robin........... 68
- Lost Chapter by Jean Graham............ 76 (part of a 'tetralogy' by Jean Graham) (reprinted in A Gathering of Shadows)
- Art Portfolio: Judi Boguslawski ......... 82
- Wedding Vows by Marcy Robin ............ 88
- Wasted Love/Wasted Son by Marcy Robin.. 90
- Triad by Maria Barbosa................ 92
- The Time For Grief by Marcy Robin..... 93
- 1795: Decisions by Marcy Robin. . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
- Song by Maria Barbosa ..... . .......... 96
- Farewell Memories by Marcy Robin ..... 98
- Yesterday There Was by Maria Barbosa.... 101
- Art Portfolio: Cindy Jorgensen ........ 102
- turn the earth by Kathy Resch . . . . . 108
- Call Me Not Back by Maria Barbosa.... 109
- Edge by Kathy Resch (originally published in "The Deadly Triangle" 1977) 110
- Transition by Marcy Robin........... 110
- Succubus by Kathy Resch......... 112
- The Amethyst (by Geoffrey Hamell . . . . . . 114
- Babylon by Kathy Resch ............ 116
- Jezebel by Geoffrey Hamell .......... 118
- Epitaph: The Reverend Trask 1747-1795 by Jean Graham.................. 119
- Psalm by Barbara Fister-Liltz ........ 120
- Art Portfolio: Jane Lach... . .......... 122
- Premonition by Marcy Robin........... 127
- The Devil Need Not Own You by Kathy. Resch....129 (The seeds of the present are rooted in the past... In the 17th century, Miranda DuVal swore undenying revenge for the murder of her lover... adding another link in the chain binding Angelique and Barnabas through the centuries.)
- Untitled by Kathy Resch ......... 139
- nepenthe lethe by Kathy Resch ... 141
- Mistress Naomi by Marcy Robin. Jo Ann Christy and Pat Lammerts .......... 142
- Loss by Marcy Robin .................. 144
- Trapped by Marcy Robin..... . ......... 145
- 1796: Journey Home by Marcy Robin.......... 146
- 1799: An Ordinary Death by Kathy Resch...149
- New Year's Eve 1799 by Kathy Resch 153
- 1800: Peace Denied by Dale Clark........... 156
- 1795 The Soldier by Colleen Hoey .......... 158
- Art Portfolio: Shari Metcalf.......... 160
- Beyond: Choice by Ernie Terwilliger .......... 164 (Like pawns in a deadly chess game, Angelique and Barnabas lived and died in the tragic sequence of events that took place in the winter of 1795. But when was this game first begun? And who were the original players? A story of true and undying l ove …)
Andrea Palencar
Jane Lach
Cindy M. Jorgensen
Jane Lach
Barbara Fister-Liltz
Jo Ann Christy
Judith Boguslawski
Judith Boguslawski
Shari Metcalf
Barbara Fister-Liltz
Cindy M. Jorgensen
Reactions and Reviews
DECADES: 1760-1800 is a rather difficult zine to review. It offers gorgeous visuals; generally excellent layout, typing, and typeface; and an attractive beige-brown color paper. With ten stories (the longest of which is twelve pages), 27 short-shorts or vignettes, 16 poems, 3 songs, 5 art portfolios, and over 73 pages of art, the prospect of reviewing all of this is somewhat overwhelming. Overall, there are some truly excellent offerings here, and it's often difficult to understand why some of these writers aren't doing pro work. The same for the artists. The period covered here involves the early Collinses, and the reader often gets a strikingly intelligent glimpse of history, particularly the American Revolution, which figures prominently in the first batch of stories. The problem with writing fiction in the past, however, is that the writer has to take care to capture the tone and quality of the era's speech and manners, especially the former. Some of the writers succeed here; others fail, to the point of embarrassment. Many of the prose pieces could easily have been expanded into fine, engrossing stories. A lot of the short-shorts and vignettes are mere wasted, sentimental fluff. Some of the the more memorable prose pieces include "Absalom," by Geoffrey Hamell, about Barnabas' older brother fighting on the rebel side of the Revolution, against the family's wishes; "Empty Future," by Marcy Robin, an all-too-short, tragic story about the ever-somber Ben Stokes, who returned from fighting in the War for Independence only to be imprisoned for 15 years for stealing a potato; "The Devil Need Not Own You," by [Kathy Resch] (whom I consider to be one of the best fan writers and poets in all of media fandom), a brilliantly powerful story about Angelique's past and the events that caused her to make a pact with Satan and thereby become a witch; and "Choices," by Ernie Terwilliger, the longest piece, with a fascinating twist involving Angelique and Barnabas as true, eternal lovers (I can't give away too much about it). Then there are the short-shorts or vignettes, the best of which are "The Door Stands Open," by Geoffrey Hamell, wherein Angelique has a meeting with her demon master; "Foreshadowed," by Jean Graham, an excellent character piece in which Barnabas and Jeremiah, his uncle, have a painful confrontation; "Babylon," by [Kathy Resch], an exquisite tour-de-force about the fanatical Reverend Trask and his sick mind vis-a-vis sex and women; and "Jezebel," by Geoffrey Hamell, a fine, potent glimpse into Trask's cruel and destructive nature. There are many other extremely fine pieces here. As for the poetry, the most memorable are "Choice," by Barbara Fister-Liltz, a finely lyrical piece that compares Angelique's attributes with Josette's failings from Barnabas' point of view; and "Turn the Earth," by [Kathy Resch], about Josette's funeral, with wonderful language imagery: "The Countess turns her gaze beyond new stones, iron grating, obscuring trees, past the land beyond, secure and firm, leading, deceiving to the end." Excellent, varied art is strewn throughout. Barbara Fister-LEtz has a "stunning, explosive portfolio of various characters. Judi Boguslawski's haunting, expressive, smooth style serves to illustrate stories completely, and her portfolio is quite evocative of the series' atmosphere. Cindy Jorgensen's uneven, fairy-tale-like art lends a different quality to the characters and events, an intriguing interpretation to horror fantasy. Jane Lach's child-like characters bring a special warmth to them, and Shari Metcalf's rough-hewn, emotional pieces lend a certain eeriness to the subject. I love to see genuinely different, distinctive styles in art, and this zine offers that aplenty. Because of the steep price, I cannot recommend this zine without a qualifier. The art is the best part of the zine. I leave it for the buyer to decide.[1]
References
- ^ from Universal Translator #25