In the Belly of the Whale
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | In the Belly of the Whale |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Elaine Hauptman & Kendra Hunter |
| Type: | |
| Date(s): | 1996 |
| Frequency: | |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In the Belly of the Whale is a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea letterzine.
While it was overwhelmingly gen, it did allow mention/non-explicit discussion of slash, likely because one of the editors, Hunter, was a slash fan.
There were at least five issues.
See similar publications at List of Letterzines.
From the First Issue
WELCOME to "In the Belly of the Whale". We started this new venture for the sole reason that we wanted to meet more VBS fans and converse about our fa orite show. There will be few editorial "rules", since we believe in the Star Trek philosophy of IDIC (infinite diversity in ininfinite combinations). In other words, we believe that everyone isentitled to her/his own opinion, and each opinion is valid. We present this new forum as a place where fans of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" can discuss all aspects of the show and its actors -- DISCUSS, not argue. No fan has ever changed another fan's mind about anything by calling her/him insulting names in a letterzine.
Issue 1
In the Belly of the Whale was published in February 1996 and contains 23 pages.
- episode summaries and credit lists for the actors
- fan letters mostly write of how and why they are fans of the show
Issue 1: Excerpts from Letters
- one of the editors writes: Passion is a wonderful thing and fandom depends almost entirely on passion for motivation. It was this passion for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea which motivated me to convince Elaine that we should do a VBS letterzine. I wanted to communicate with other VBS fans and for reasons unknown to me the communication that was rumored to be in existence isn't. I was disappointed in the fan clubs and other fan activities that promised contact with other fans and their ideas. So Elaine and I have taken on the task ourselves. Both of us have published letterzines before, in Starsky and Hutch fandom, and are both aware of the amount of work required to publish such a forum and to stir the fans to participate. The later is required because the letterzine needs to consist of as many opinions and comments as possible. If the only interest we can find is between Elaine and I, we don't need a letterzine to communicate, we can just talk to each other, but we both want more. In a public forum, like a letterzine, there will always be some people who disagree with the comments of others, and over the years many readers of other letterzines have wanted a set of rules and a list of forbidden topics. We can't do that, or the forum loses its purpose. We do ask that each contributor remember common courtesy and good manners. Beyond that the subjects are open for debate. The first subject I expect to be a problem is slash. Having already read the letters in this issue, I know the subject has been introduced. Since the only apparent VBS fanfiction currently in print is slash, I am not surprised that it is a subject in this issue of In the Belly of a Whale. Generally, the slash fanfiction ina fandom only represents a small percentage of the writing. If that is true in VBS, I have been unable to locate the general fiction. Perhaps you, the readers, can help. Currently, as listed in Bill Hupe's catalog, the GAZ, and The Monthly, the only VBS fiction available is slash. If there are listings of VBS fiction elsewhere, I would like to know so that I can read the material. If there is only an interest in slash VBS, then the question of whether to limit such a discussion in In the Belly of the Whale is moot. If there is more interest in other subjects, then I think that interest will dominate the topics. If there is enough interest in both slash and general topics, this publication can handle the general topics, and Elaine and I will do another letterzine on the alternate months limited to slash only…. In the arena of VBS fanfiction, there is room for the discussion of whether or not the fictional characters have formed a relationship that crosses the border into the homosexual element. There is also plenty of room for the exploration of a relationship that does NOT cross that border and reasonable arguments for both cases can be made in the realm of fiction. Fiction is the medium for exploring any and all combinations of possibilities and I hope that all those possibilities will be explored by the writers, editors, publishers, artists, and readers in VBS fandom.
- a British fan writes: As a writer of fan fiction I became extremely interested in the friendship between Crane and Nelson, and all my recent work has been about this couple. In recent years I have written only 'slash' stories, of the kind where their friendship broadens into a sexual relationship. This subject is obviously not to everyone's taste, and will not be mentioned again unless the editors wish the zine to cover that particular aspect of fandom. As a writer it's not only the relationships that interest me, but the unique 1960's blend of adventure and science fiction. Granted, the science is not exactly scientific -- some of the notions make us chew the table ~ and after the wonderful first season, reality took a back seat. But despite that, the series has a charm which cannot be recaptured in any modern programmes. The actors tried so hard to make it all believable. In the first season particularly, they acted their socks off. Remember Crane in 'Mist of Silence', watching his crewman executed? Remember him alone on the sub in 'The Human Computer', giving the best performance of his entire career? Remember the plots in season one which were good enough to make a feature length movie from - and ended up better than half the movies made since? I can even think about the silly monsters and the lobster man with great affection, knowing now that Paul had sometimes as little as four hours to create and make the whole monster suit. The more you know, the more you appreciate what incredible dedication, blood, sweat and tears, went into this lovable (sometimes laughable) series.
- the same British fan writes of some cultural fandom differences: As one of the number of British Voyage writers I find sometimes that our view of Crane and Nelson differs somewhat from the general American view, and that is an interesting topic for discussion. In general you seem to see an age difference between the two of twenty or more years, whereas we use the actors real ages, with a difference of not more than fifteen years. Americans also have a tendency to make their relationship much harder, with more emphasis on domination and S&M, and there is a trend we British find unpleasant of having Lee psychologically damaged by a traumatic youth. In my opinion, the character as displayed on screen shows none of these tendencies, and would not have risen so far in his career or been the personable and selfless man, be loved of his crew, if he was. And the actor's own personality - Hedison is one of the nicest men other showbiz people have ever known, and is universally loved - shines through too strongly to be ignored. Agreed, it's fun to speculate 'what if and write about the characters in different universes, but I don't like to see a character's personality changed completely. If I want to do that, I change his name and write about someone new - because he's not the same person. Slash, to my mind, covers all aspects of the show as seen on screen, including the 'missing bits' which can be extrapolated from what you see - but not changing the show's actual appearance. And what that appearance actually is of course, is a matter of subjective interpretation. We can all look at the same thing and see something completely different.
- another fan writes: ...of course, you have the wonderful friendship between Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane. There are a number of episodes where they themselves tell us what close friends they are, and many episodes which play off the fact of their friendship, such as "Enemies", one of my favorites. I'm a hurt/comfort fan, and I always love to see the agonies that either Nelson or Crane goes through when the other one is off somewhere facing sure death. They clearly care deeply about each other. And I do love the scenes when whichever one is facing sure death is saved by the other one, and they are always so glad to see each other. Their relief that everything is okay again is palpable, and their joy at being together again is exciting to watch.
- a fan writes of some production values: So what if you can see the tape holding some of the monsters together! That just makes them more endearing to me. The special effects, and the aliens in silly costumes, and the monsters don't look any worse than they did in the original Star Trek series, which started two years after VBS, and which has gone on to create all the spin-off series and movies, etc. I think Irwin Allen could have given us a little more plot, and certainly more character development, but as to the special effects and monsters, he probably did the best he could with the technology and money he had to work with.
- the author addresses her 1979 essay Characterization Rape: An Examination of Fan Fiction: As to my personal views, I am on record in the public forum, The Best of Trek #2 with an article entitled "Characterization Rape", in which I state clearly that I do not believe in a sexual relationship tionship between Kirk and Spock. That was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far way, before my religious experience while on the road to Damascus. Actually, I was on a beach in Athens watching the calm waters of the Mediterranean while working on a Starsky and Hutch novel that I had my great revelation regarding the love between two men and how powerful it can be. Since that time, I have been involved in gay rights, worked in the adult entertainment industry, read volumes both fiction and non-fiction regarding the gay lifestyle, and have made many friends in the gay world. My horizons have been expanded and my life enriched by the experiences. [1]
Issue 2
In the Belly of the Whale 2 was published in April 1996 and contains 32 pages.
- description of the Fishguard Film Society's exhibition in Wales where "Moby Dick" was filmed
- Television Credits: Richard Basehart (this section takes up half of the space in the zine)
Issue 2: Excerpts from Letters
Not a big fan of the title:
I thoroughly enjoyed the first issue of In the Belly of the Whale. Although I must agree with Ima Fan about not liking the title.
Fandom and tolerance:
HELLO AGAIN, and welcome to Issue #2. We are delighted at the slow but steady response being shown to this new venture. In the two months since Issue One first appeared, we have mailed out almost three dozen copies of Issue #1 to interested fans. Now, If we could just get all those people to write letters for publication!
There is an interesting variety of letters in this issue. It is clear that Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea touched (and continues to touch) many fans on a very deep level. In future issues, we hope to discuss all aspects of the show, from the plots, to the characters, to the monsters, and even to the show's creator. Feel free to discuss anything relating to VBS. What's the consensus about having a TOPIC OF THE MONTH? Do we need one?
[...]
As stated in Issue #1, there will be few editorial "rules" inside these green pages. We believe everyone is entitled to her/his own opinion, and that each opinion is valid. In the Belly of the Whale is a forum for the exchange of conversation and ideas about a TV show we all love.
So... turn the page and let's discuss it!
Fanfiction and tolerance:
I was surprised to learn that straight zines are in the minority and that slash ones seem to be in demand. I've read every "straight" one I can lay my hands on and I am always on the lookout for any new ones that may "surface". (Pardon the pun.)
On the controversial subject of slash, as you say everyone is entitled to their own opinion and each of us has our own interpretation of the feelings between the crew of the Seaview. To me, the strong characters of Nelson and Crane don't even hint at anything other than friendship and in fact Crane's flirting with every female he comes into contact with (even those old enough to be his mother) belies it.
There are other kinds of love between adult males apart from homosexuality, such as a father/son relationship, which is my interpretation of the obviously strong bond between Nelson and Crane. I also enjoy the brotherly, bantering friendship that exists between Crane and Morton in so many of the U.S. zines I've read.
I've spent many happy hours reading zines as I am sure a lot of other fans have, too. Thank you to all the writers of zines "straight" or "slash" for the pleasure they bring to others.
Fanfiction and tolerance
I read with interest the letter about Voyage fan fiction. I've read many Voyage zines, both straight and slash, from this country as well as England. And, truthfully, I've encountered both great and poorly-written stories in all areas. Speaking strictly as an eager reader, I hold a differing view ... I think there is a steeliness and reserve in Crane's personality that indicate he might have had to over come earlier problems. Thanks to Irwin Allen and his refusal to give his characters any background, we'll never know for sure about Crane's childhood or youth, but I
think the fact that some early trauma is written into so many fan stories indicates that many writers see him that way, plus I think it's a device which provides dramatic tension.
Fanfiction and tolerance:
...it's fun to speculate "what if" and write about the characters in different universes. I think that's basically what all fan writing is about. From my point of view, it's the reading that's fun. However, I don't think I've ever read a fan-written story where I thought their personalities were changed beyond recognition. Even in the most far-out stories, there are always little familiar things to remind us of whatever character we saw on the TV screen. In Voyage particularly, we know so little about their lives from the episodes, so how do we really know how Harry or Lee would react in so many other situations, particularly away from Seaview.
The variety and intensity of fan writers' imaginations is wonderful and never ceases to amaze me. One of my personal favorite writers, and possibly the most prolific of all, is an English writer who uses the pseudonym Lindar. Her plots are frequently brilliant, and even though she writes in the English style of not having a specific point of view, I have enjoyed her work immensely, and look forward to each new zine.
On the subject of slash, I'll admit that all the novels or stories written by Lindar that I mentioned in the previous paragraph (that I've enjoyed so much) are slash. I do read and enjoy "straight" zines also (I read everything about VBS I can get my hands on), but the romantic slash zines are my favorites. I understand that we can't really discuss them in detail in this l/z, but I don't see why the mention of slash should be come a problem. Hopefully, the fans who read this l/z will be tolerant of each other's views.
Some memories:
Guess I was lucky [to be able to watch the show as a kid], because the other members of my family liked it too, so we always watched it. I'm sure the rest of my family didn't love it quite as much as I did, as I know for a fact that my mom and dad didn't have pictures of Basehart and Hedison pinned to the wall over their bed. Yes, I was one of those silly prepubescent girls who pored over the old movie magazines, like Photoplay, and papered my walls with all my favorite gorgeous men. Somewhere along the line, I "matured", and threw all those pictures and magazines away. Good grief, wish I still had them, because these days they'd be worth a fortune. (Not to mention the fact that I wouldn't mind having those photos next to my bed again!)
visibility and the larger world:
I'm not at all sure this [visible fan communication] is wise. That letter in Up-Bubble brought one in response informing me that a couple of my Blake's Seven stories, one of which was never meant to see print, had been pirated for cash... What next, I wonder? [2]
Fanon and fanfiction:
I was stunned to realize [after rewatching the show after a 25-year gap] that my memories had been right in the then, I had always thought I had to apolgise for liking it, characterising it as "the one bad series we're all entitled to." Now realise that I was transferring my love for first season to the rest, a love kept alive by the actors' characterisations, which never wavered, however awful the scripts. The re-showing also enabled me, for the first time in my life, to write serious Voyage fiction. The only way I can do that, still, is to assume that the b/w season and the are separate shows. If I let the colour season creep in, it always turns humorous.
And talking of Voyage fan-fiction have some dear friends who, for fun and amusement, sometimes hand me Voyage zines in order to watch me foam at the mouth. At Intersection, I was crazy enough to buy some for myself so I must be totally masochistic. Maybe I'm just unlucky. Maybe having typed transcripts over eighty episodes so that I can now write Voyage dialogue in my sleep has made me hypersensitive. Maybe having taught myself to write fiction by turning most of the episodes into short stories has ingrained my prejudices. However... when an academic (Gary Westfahl) can, in the highly regarded journal of the Science Fiction Foundation, characterise David Hedison's playing of Crane in a single phrase ("high-strung irritability") and come closer to getting it right than any fan story 1 have yet seen, I think there's a real problem.
For a start there are obvious points about dialogue, most of which I've been known to make before. How many stories have you seen where Nelson calls Crane “son" or "lad"? This happens only in the pilot. There is not one other instance. (Richard Basehart seemed to have trouble getting a handle on Nelson in the first few episodes - and after those episodes, by the way. Nelson addresses Crane as “Captain" precisely twice, both times when he is mad enough to spit.) In series, no-one on Seaview ever calls Nelson "Harriman" or "Harry," and Crane uses Kowalski's and Patterson's nicknames but Nelson (almost always) doesn't, yet the opposites are common in fan-fiction. If you need to give the ship's Doctor a name, then go ahead, but don't have the other characters address him as anything but “Doctor," or "Doc," without a very good reason. And how many fan stories catch Richard Basehart's little trick of repeating phrases (a kind of stutter) particularly when his character is meant to be excited or upset? Well?
Then there's the characterisation. I like Crane and object to people writing him as a wimp. He isn't, believe me. Once far enough away from Nelson so he doesn't feel he has to act as brakes, he can be just as inquisitive and far more reckless. And, talking of applying the brakes, when was the last time you saw a fan story where Nelson and Crane had one of their infamous who-is-in-charge-here-anyway yelling matches? Yet this piece of characterisation is with us as late as Man-Beast. (Hey, I may not think much of the colour seasons, but I know them backwards.) Then has anyone ever picked up on, Nelson's religious faith? Or that dreadful sense of humour? I also like Morton but he has about as much imagination as a codfish and the fact, children, that you fancy him does not change the fact.
There must be some good Voyage fan fiction out there. I think. Anyone know where?
Fanon and fanfiction:
...that's where a lot of the fun comes from in fandom... being able to develop your own universe and background from the characters and what is given to you throughout the course of the episodes. Irwin Allen didn't seem to spend too much time or thought as to what drove the characters or their back story. I've read several different versions of Lee's back story from fans and they are all different.
Some kind words, in general, for the postal service:
Since the publication of Issue I, we have moved, which caused some problems with the mail. It shouldn't have, since we had directed all the mail to the Post Office box. However, with a change in address for the street mail, but not the box, the postal workers were confused and I think some mail was returned to the sender. The post office does the best they can. With the exception of Singapore, I think the US has the best postal system in the world. It's not perfect, but it does work most of the time.
Issue 3
In the Belly of the Whale 3 was published in June 1996 and contains 38 pages. This issue has an extensive credit list for the actor David Hedison.
Issue 3: Excerpts from Letters
Regarding cultural differences:
... 'we British' don't all necessarily find distasteful the stories suggesting that Lee Crane had a traumatic childhood. It's a point of view - not necessarily one with which I agree, nor for which I see any basis - but which I still find an interesting concept. Though, to be fair, I haven't come across that many stories which made the point that strongly.
On the subject of the British, I'm curious as to what Ima Fan means when she describes the English (could we make that British, please?) style of writing as having no specific point of view. Maybe I've missed something, but that lost me. (Hey, I sense an on-going discussion looming.)
Irwin Allen's "tinkering," Star Trek, and hype:
Voyage was a terrific idea that could have been as Star Trek once. If Irwin Allen had left it alone and given those involved greater power with its production, I think that what you see in First Season would have still been its format in Fourth. But Irwin could not leave the show alone. He was always tinkering with it, and always finding ways of saving money, which resulted in great chunks of previous movies - and worse, earlier episodes - being used to pad out, and the monsters from Lost in Space turning up, thinly disguised, in Voyage.
In a way, I'm glad now that Voyage isn't Star Trek. For one thing, I would be bankrupt several times over buying all those enormous houses just to keep the memorabilia collection! Secondly, I am now seriously tired of the hype, and the cloning, which has resulted in glossy shows like Babylon Five and Seaquest DSV. Thank goodness for The X Files, my current favourite (but still never to top Voyoge!) and so different. Although it is also starting to get a bit over-hyped in this country, and I suppose the same must be true Stateside. I still like the original Star Trek and the movies (except the last one and No. 2), and I like Picard of Next Generation, but I found I got bored with the show and subsequent clones. At least the original was still a little rough around the edges! The later ones are all too, too smooth.
Skip the teeth:
I don't think the Voyage production values were poor. I think they were excellent for the time (you should see first season Episodes of The Avengers, with Honor Blackman in - they are really rough!), but perhaps spoiled by the overdoing of the rock 'n' roll, or the rather silly monsters - such as the nasty sharp pointy teeth on the giant man in "Leviathan" or the werewolves in "Werewolf and "Brand of the Beast". For many years, all I had of the latter was a sound tape, and I listened to it frequently because the scene before Nelson changes, where he is sounding so tortured, was very good. Then, in 1982, I got my first videos of the show, and say the pointy teeth, which make the monster silly rather than scary!
A fan being fannish:
I love live theater, and I would particularly love to be able to see David on stage, since he is such a good actor and definitely a favorite of mine. If he would only get a little closer to Sacramento! Or, if that elusive winning lottery ticket would finally ar rive. When that happens, believe me, I'll be on the first plane to see David perform. A favorite fantasy is to be able to rent a hotel room for the entire run of the play, and be in the first or second row every single night. I know that probably sounds a tad excessive, but I think it would be a fabulous experience. Live theater is never the same twice in a row, and that's one of the things that makes it so much fun and enjoyable.
The closest I've ever come to doing something like that was about 10 years ago when I went to Las Vegas for a week to see two of my favorite singers. The Everly Brothers, and I saw 10 concerts in a row. Fabulous! Each show was slightly different. Even longer ago than that four of us fan friends journeyed to Los Angeles (back when we were all living in Texas) to see Paul Michael Glaser in two consecutive performances of a wonderfully funny play called "The Lady Cries Murder", and we were doubly thrilled when David Soul appeared in the audience for one of the performances (the only time he saw the play).
I spent half my time watching Paul on stage, and the other half watching David Soul watch Paul. Treasured memories!
Thank you for sharing:
Since starting my quest in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea a little over a year ago, I have been reminded a number of times about what fandom means and why it's so important to me. People I've just met have loaned me out of print zines from their libraries and other people have provided hard to locate videos. To each of you, my warmest thanks. Elaine and I have enjoyed many hours of entertainment be cause of your generosity.
Since my encounters with fandom began almost twenty years ago, I have had my life enriched by the many people I have met. To think we started with an Interest in a television show and discovered we had many more things in common. I have entertained people in my home from all over the U.S. and had guests from England, Australia, and Israel. I have had the pleasure of being a guest in many homes, sharing stories and episodes and having fun.
Freedom of speech and choice:
In the spirit of IDIC, I would like to pull my soapbox out for a paragraph or two. There are in this and other fandoms people who are offended by the fiction I write and the stand I take on gay rights. It is not my wish to offend or demand that mv fiction be read. I ask only for freedom of speech and that all humans be accorded the same rights. I am offended by the gross and gratuitous violence present in today's movies and television. I exercise my right not to watch those shows and avoid the products of advertisers who sponsor them. When I think the line has been crossed, I exercise my right to express my views. However, I make it a point never to condemn a movie I haven't seen.
If you wish to discuss gay rights with me, I will be happy to entertain all arguments except quoting the Bible. I may have been raised a Southern Baptist, and studied the scripture in great deal, but I have never been able to accept the writing as anything more than a history of the Hebrew people. Please bear in mind that freedom of religion means freedom to have no religion.
Issue 4
In the Belly of the Whale 4 was published August 1996 and contains 32 pages.
This issue contains only a handful of letters from fans. Instead, the content is mainly a very, very long description and transcript of Paul Zastupnevich's (assistant to Irwin Allen) talk at the 1994 con, Voyage. The transcription is by Jeanette Georgali of Giant's Log. See Voyage for an excerpt. The other long feature is a description by Linda Hackett of a gathering in Fishguard, Wales for the 40th anniversary of "Moby Dick."
The TOTM is:
(I) Would you go on a Seaview cruise?, (3) Why (or why not)?, (3) What would you most like to do/see?, and (4) What crewman would you most like to be able to spend time with and get to know a little better (platonically, of course)?
So, come on guys! Let's hear what you have to say.
Issue 4: Excerpts from Letters
A feature, not a failure:
I don't find the concept of the character of Lee Crane having a traumatic youth distasteful and as Irwin Allen never gave much background information on the characters that he in vented, I think most people have formed their own views on this point. The idea that Lee Crane did have a bad start to life and managed to overcome it (as frequently happens in real life), all adds to the strength of the sometimes brooding and always reliable Captain of Seaview.
Performance archiving and theater shows:
Speaking of lost performances, yes, it is a shame that so many are lost to us. It is something of a worldwide disgrace as far as I'm concerned. Even if filmed by a sufficiently snobbish university who kept them archived for years and years and required your first born for permission to view them, it might be worth it. For example, Jerry Lewis is doing the 'devil' role in "Damn Yankees" here in Chicago right now. It won't be preserved. I'm not a fan of his humor, but it is a shame. Maybe as the Internet gets to the point where it can charge for downloading something as simple as a taped performance, we'll see more of that kind of thing.
Fanfiction and writing styles:
I am a believer in strongly observed third person point of view, particularly in short fiction. I carry it further in my writing to include almost everything I have written. I have read a great deal of VBS fanfiction written by the British (thank you ladies) and the one thing about writing which interferes with my reading pleasure is the point of view hop ping. In some cases the point of view changes with each paragraph, jumping from one character's head to the next. It makes me dizzy.
While this is not isolated to VBS British fiction, it is a type of writing I have seen in many areas of fandom regardless of the country of origin. I see the pov hopping as an error and if I'm editing a story, request the author pick one point of view, crawl into that character's head and stay there. (Author's don't belong in stories either.) In discussions on this subject with other fans, I have been told that in Britain the readers want to know what's going on in the minds of all the characters and the pov hopping allows for that. I believe that a single point of view makes a stronger, more powerful story.
I'd like to hear other opinions. Think about your favorite fan story and what makes it work for you. If any of you prefer the multi point of view in your stories, I'd like to know your reasoning. I probably won't change my mind, but I want to know what other readers think and why. It's part of the fun of fandom.
Issue 5
In the Belly of the Whale 5 was published October 1996 and contains 36 pages.
- two reviews (one by Gill Trevor and Cris Smithson, the other by Chris N. and Tina Y.) of the Stoppard play "Rough Crossing," includes pages from the playbill
- a clipping of a review by R. Scott Reedy in an unidentified newspaper about Hedison in "For Security Reasons"
- transcript and description of Hedison's talk at Dixie Trek
Issue 5: Excerpts from Letters
Thank you for the reports:
Thank you to Linda for her wonderful story of the "Moby Dick" 40th anniversary. I love to hear about the "behind the scenes" events of a movie. Things were very different in the early days of film making. Stars were more accessible to the fans. I also loved Paul Z's stories about Irwin Allen. In the lingo of the business, he would be referred to as a "high maintenance" individual. After years of working in the entertainment industry, there is a well-known list of celebrities who are on the un-written "high maintenance" list. It's a crazy business filled with interesting people and no matter how many times I try to get out of it, I always come back for more.
Worldcon:
I had a chance to attend WorldCon in Anaheim this past month. (Of course, it was conveniently located 40 minutes down the freeway!) WorldCons are a different type of convention. It was fun to meet some of the people whose names are familiar from their fan fiction. The dealer's room had its share of media material, but not as much as I have seen at past conventions. The hot show at the convention this year was BABYLON 5. Every panel and discussion on the show was standing room only. People started lining up early for the events and there still weren't enough seats
to accommodate every one who wanted to attend, so there were many disappointed fans. The con committee did plan an eclectic array of programming, so there was something for everyone.
About writing styles and point of view:
Now... on to the topic for the month. Point-of-View. This topic always generates a heated discussion, which I've never been able to understand. Most of the complaints about POV in fan stories is be cause the writer ends up switching POV in the middle of a sentence, the middle of a paragraph, or from one sentence to the next. I've read some stories where I had to go back and re-read a paragraph because the POV made it extremely confusing. Unless you are James Joyce, the majority of writers can't pull off a successful POV shift. There is no problem with a POV changing from one chapter to the next and many authors, including Anne Rice, use this technique with success.
From the very first time I sat in English composition class, POV was drilled into our heads. We did exercise after exercise on first, second, and third person. Nothing got you a marked up paper faster than writing a story with shifting points of view within a sentence or a paragraph. Perhaps this is the reason why I have so much trouble reading fan fiction with this problem. I want to be able to sit down with a story and become so engrossed in it, that time passes before you know it. Nothing is more frustrating than reading a story and having to re-read parts over because of the confusion caused by the composition.
Come on, people, show some spirit!:
First thing that I want to say is this: Come on, people!! Put pen to paper or typer to power or whatever to whatever-else, and WRITE! Kendra and Elaine are doing a great thing, getting Voyage fandom back on line on the North American continent, and they can't do it all by themselves! This is a letterzine,so they can't keep putting it out without letters to print. Issue four was a case in point: letters?? Number 3 had six letters, number two had eight, and numero uno had seven. Just from that, I count 14 people who could contribute letters...so why the silence?? This isn't a church congregation, with only one person allowed to speak; it's the trading floor of the stock exchange! Let's see some flailing hands, let's hear some yelling, let's get loud and proud here, people! We are Voyagers, and we've been silent too long! Raise your fist and yell, as Alice Cooper once sang. Do you really want the U.S.S. Voyager to usurp the Seaview's memory in the mass mind of fandom? When we say, “We are Voyagers," do you want them to say, "Nah, we like Deep Space Nine better, I like that holographic doctor, though, he's cool,"??? I think it's time to come up to the surface and stop running at periscope depth, don't you??
To much X-Files, too much Star Trek:
About X-Files getting over-hyped over here, yeah, it's getting a bit tired (the hype, not the show), with the fall season about to land on us all like a truckload of wet cement, nearly every second new show is hyping itself as "X-Files in the future), or "S-Files meets the Fugitive", or X-Files meets (X)", ad nauseum. A big-screen movie version is rolling down the path towards us, and it won't be long before that well is as thoroughly pumped dry as the Trek one has been, for a while. If Voyage had gotten as big as Trek did, I doubt that any of us would be looking back on it, as we do now, with such nostalgia and warm-hearted affection, despite its awkward, stumbling, lump-footed run through four seasons. We'd all be as utterly tired of it, and the inevitable movies, TV sequels ("Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: The Next Generation: Part Two" - there isn't enough room on the TV screen for the title, let alone the show), toys, rip- offs, and digs on episodes of “The Simpsons.”
The state of television today, and yesterday:
"Compare Voyage to its contemporaries and it was a superior show." How very true but you can say that for the most part about pretty much any reasonably good, well written SF show in those eariy days. Consider the 'Twilight Zone" back then, all it had to compete against was utter crap like "Captain Video", "My Little Margie", "Superman", and an endless variety of pre-packaged lunch meat like "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" and "United States Steel Hour". Consider the "X-Files" today: it competes against phlegm like "Family Matters" and "Boy Meets World" reruns, "Rescue: 911" reruns, baseball games, and championship rodeo. Not very hard to beat out snot like that, is it? Sturgeon's Law pretty much rules all of TV, so if a high production valued adventure show like Voyage shows up, it's seen as a band of rescuers would be seen, by starving Andes plane crash survivors!
Probably wouldn't garner four honks:
How many of us have apologized for the "dirty little secret" of watching Voyage? Speaking personally, I've never had to apologize for liking Voyage, since almost no one in Nova Scotia, and perhaps no one in al of Eastern Canada, remembers the show. I could, perhaps, put a huge billboard up at the end of our driveway, that says, "Honk if you remember Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", and I'd be very surprised if I heard more than four honks an hour. I wear Voyage buttons to every con I go to, and so far. I've only received three comments, in total: "Have you seen "Seaquest DSV"? It beats that old chestnut all to hell.", "Oh, you're a Voyage fan? I like Captain Nemo.", and my personal favorite, "I used to watch stuff like that, before I found Jesus. Have you found him in your heart?", etc., etc.
Please, not the big screen:
What would I do with a recast, big- budget movie version of Voyage? I'm going to try real hard to put the idea to tally out of my head, and forget that you ever mentioned it. With all the TV shows being adapted to movies, and being utterly ruined and destroyed in the process, my local four screen multiplex is starting to. look like the world's biggest projection TV. When I go to a cinema, I want a movie, not just a TV show with better special effects. What are we talking about, anyway: "Crimson Tide" meets "Independence Day", with a touch or two of "Mission: Impossible"? Gag. Give me a break. Let good TV shows stay on TV, and use the motion picture screen to show not "My Mother the Car: The Motion Picture". This “X-Files" movie that's being worked on, turns my stomach, just to consider it.