Falling from Grace
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Falling from Grace |
| Publisher: | Full Moon Utility Press |
| Editor(s): | Leona Rose |
| Date(s): | October 1995 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | multimedia/Hard Target |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Falling from Grace is a 107-page slash crossover anthology of Hard Target crossed with Near Dark, Die Hard, Last Samurai, Pros, Eroica, Lovecraft and the Holy Bible.
See The KSA Archive Interview with Taz for the editor's comments about this zine.
From a Flyer
Just wanted to let everyone know that there's a new zine rapidly coming together in this neck of the woods. Allow me to quote the ad copy here:
- We've got Bodie.
- We've got Eroica.
- We've got mercs, vampires and Satan himself...
- And...we've got a little game we'd like you to play with us.
FALLING FROM GRACE- An adult slash zine featuring all of the above and those very bad boys from "Hard Target."
Premiering at Media West '95, 'Falling From Grace' will be a one-shot effort, brought to you by those bloodthirsty campers at 'Full Moon Utility Press'. A limited edition of 50 copies. Reserve your copy now with a deposit of $5.00. Final price to be announced (but not too outrageous). This zine will not knowingly be sold to anyone under 18. Age statement required.
Contents
- The Apple by Dargelos, art by Jean (Note: this story had a different title on a flyer: "Driving a Hard Bargain.") ("Fouchon watched the blunt courtship unfold. A joke, a tentative touch by way of testing Pik's receptivity. Pik moved into the touch with his usual animal grace and those dark, wanton eyes turned full on the doctor who must certainly have been wondering how this day, of all the tedious, corrupt days of his life, had brought him such a lucky catch. You should have seen the one that got away, Fouchon thought as he stroked the cool surface of the glass before him.") (1)
- Appetites by Lorna Marks ("He cut you too, you're bleeding," Fouchon's tongue moistened dusty lips. Pik was caught by it, mesmerized in spite of himself. Long fingers stroked him, playing with the tear, fingering the spill from a tiny cut, then suddenly, deliberately ripped his shirt at the neck. Fouchon leaned into the point of the knife. Waited.") (5)
- The Cat Came Back by Taz (Summary from AO3: "The Cat Came Back" is a "Professionals" crossover with the films "Hard Target" and "The Last Samurai." Although written after "Holding Out 'Til Dawn," this story should be considered a prequel to that one.") (11)
- The Killing Thing by Dargelos, art by Jean (29)
- Servant of Two Masters by Dargelos, art by Jean ("Life in Germany is always 'mit schlag'," Gruber remarked as he poured his coffee. "It cushions us from so many of life's little dissappointments. Tell me, do you have an exclusive arrangement with him?" He plopped a spoonful of cream into his coffee and stirred. Globs of butterfat appeared on the surface and Pik grinned. "We have a very comprehensive understanding of each other's needs," he replied, filling his own cup and topping it off with a spoonful of cream. "We both have our little indulgences." Hans' brow furrowed slightly. "I'd never thought of myself as an indulgence," he murmured. "Mit schlag," said Pik.'") (37)
- Holding Out 'til Dawn by Leona Rose, art by SVE ("Pik closed his eyes and turned his face into the soft black cotton of Fouchon's shirt. He smelled the fire but under the fabric he could feel a strong heart beating and it was very warm. "Did he get to you?" He finally asked the question he needed to hear the answere to. Fouchon took his hand off the wheel and cupped it possessively around Pik's head. "No. That albino freak had only one thing I wanted. But I'd go to Hell after it." Pik felt something flutter under his breast, but it was too painful to think about.") (58)
- The Odor Out Of Place by Germaine Elliott, art by SVE ("Please don't turn into a frog, Emil. Remember our agreement? If one or the other of us is injured beyond help? If you turn into a frog I'll never be able to get you through customs. I'll have to kill you. That would hurt my feelings. You don't want to hurt my feelings, do you?")
- Snowblind and Far from Home by Dargelos, art by Jean (97)
- Hey, Sailor, you want some more of that? (103)
- The Scent of God by Dargelos (105)
Sample Interior
Reactions/Reviews
1995
Another unexpected piece [I picked up at a ZebraCon] was a Hard Target (with crossovers) zine which also promises to be good writing, the interest for me being that one of the stories featured an Eroica crossover. [1]
1997
This is a very well-written zine (many new stories from Dargelos, who wrote Pros as Fanny Adams! I'd track down and read her *laundry list*!), but it's not for the faint-of-heart or the sweetness & romance fans. The characters are violent men who kill for fun, and the stories carry a crystalline sharpness that can slice into your soul. On the other hand, the relationship between Fouchon and Pik (the name is South African, and actually pronounced more like "pook" than "pick," but even the zine's creators call him "pick") is highly romantic, fraught, loving, and intensely tender. It's just that these are men who feel and express their tenderness in highly disturbing ways.
My advice would be to skip the movie and just read the zine. (You do not need to have seen the movie to understand and love the stories; I hadn't. Actually, I was sorry when I finally saw the movie, because the characters didn't look at all as I had imagined them...!
[snipped]
(Full disclosure statement: I proofread much of this zine, and am friends with most of its creators. However, they not only didn't take most of my corrections, they misspelled my name in the proofreading credit(!), so please don't blame me for typos. And I like my friends too much to publicly praise their work if I didn't honestly think it was good.) [2]
Those of you who have read Falling From Grace (You know just what horror this implies; for those of you who haven't, let me just say that this dream made dreaming that I was the Hellhound Avon, which I did several years ago, look like dreaming about being Bambi. Please note, however, that Fouchon was pretty good in bed.) [3]
References
- ^ from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #11 (November 1995)
- ^ Review posted to the Virgule-L mailing list in Feb 1997 by Shoshanna, quoted with permission.
- ^ from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #17 (May 1997)