From the Log of the Hellhound

Zine
Title:	From the Log of the Hellhound
Publisher:	Ashton Press
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1988-1993
Series?:	yes
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Blake's 7
Language:	English
External Links:	B7 at Ashton Press and Hellhound series at Ashton Press and hyperlink where the other Log of Hellhound stories are published
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

From the Log of the Hellhound is a gen Blake's 7 AU story series, written by Katarina Larkin (nee Synder) and Susanne Tilley (nee McGhin).

The stories were spread across numerous different zines. Books I and II were re-printed as separate zines (having been previously available as part of anthology zines), and book XIII was also published as a standalone zine. The other books were only ever available as part of other Ashton Press zines, largely Southern Seven).

NOTE: See many more comments and other information at Hellhound Universe, including specific comments about specific stories.

Descriptions

SallyMn describes Hellhound as being "sort of post-series Blakes 7 written in Dallas/Disney style, with a cast unblushingly based on half the popstars and TV stars of the eighties (yes, it is very eighties :)."

A fan on Lysator (1992) described the series thus:

This is very long, not yet finished, and distributed over a number of zines published by Ashton Press. B7 for the eighties, with a lot of style and many original characters, some, I'm told, based on other TV shows. There are many incredible plot devices and coincidences, but I don't notice them while I'm reading. The writing is very high quality, with excellent dialogue and just enough description to set a scene. In Log of the Hellhound books 1 and 2, Southern Seven 3, Blakes Doubles 2, Southern Seven 5, Southern Seven 7 and more to come. There are related stories in other Ashton Press zines. All are available from Bill Hupe.

Prequels

The following stories are listed on the 'where to find Hellhound stories' list as being prequels to the ten Hellhound books. They are published in several different zines. It is not clear whether the stories listed here without authors or zines were ever written, or if they were only planned.

• I Was So Young... (published in Southern Lights #3.5)
• Just Like Heaven
• Hit by Lightning
• The Weight of a Feather (published in Southern Lights #2.5)
• The Blood Red Thread (published in Hellhound Book I (reprint issue) - see below)
• In the Dark (published in Southern Seven #4)
• The Cold Light of Day"
• The Fool's Tale (published in Southern Seven #4)

Book 1

front cover of issue #1, Leah Rosenthal

a 1988 flyer: " of THE LOG OF THE HELLHOUND is being reprinted along with brand new, never before published material in a special, limited print run edition! If you missed buying a copy of SOUTHERN SEVEN #1 and have been frustrated by BOOK II of HELLHOUND featured in Issue #2 (in other words, you want to know how it all started!) here's your chance to catch up! Or if you just like HELLHOUND and want to know more, here's your chance to! Brand new cover by Leah Rosenthal (how can you pass that up??). Also, I corrected a lot of the typos (ouch)..."

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 1 was published in February 1988 and contains 112 pages (reduced). The cover is by Leah Rosenthal and interior art is by Katrina Snyder. Some fiction was reprinted from first edition of Southern Seven #1.

The publishers describe the content thus:

The one that started it all! Book I of this popular series by Katrina Larkin & Susanne Tilley reprinted with brand new, never before published material.

• God from the Machine ("Avon is rescued following Gauda Prime by a rather unusual time traveling thief.")
• Cross of Diamonds ("On an alternate Earth, in the past, Avon struggles to survive and tries to forget about the past he left behind.")
• Only the Thunder ("Far from the mainstream of the Federation, a man named Rohn Smith struggles to regain a memory that was lost in a crash.")
• Knife Edge ("Avon discovers that Blake might possibly be alive and is willing to do anything to gain the means to return to his own time and universe.")
• The Value of Patience ("On a backwater world, Avon thinks he's finally tracked down Blake. The person he finds isn't who he expected all.")
• When the Black Ship Came ("At long last, Avon finds Blake...or the man who seems to be Blake. But Rohn Smith has no memory of being Roj Blake...or of Kerr Avon.")
• The Blood Red Thread (a new pre-Hellhound story about the battle at Star One)

• 

  from issue #1, Katrina Snyder

• 

  from issue #1, Katrina Snyder

• 

  from issue #1, Katrina Snyder

Reactions and Reviews: Book 1

I must say I did not care for the" Log of the Hellhound" at all. I found the series to be tedious and ludicrous While some of the original characters had potential, they were never developed to the point of actually coming to life - although they were better written than the Blake's 7 crew. In a way, it was the attempt to introduce the Blake's 7 crew that overshadowed and deterred the original characters Unfortunately, the original characters were still be better-written than Blake's people. There was none of that special spark that made Terry Nation's creations so endearing in "Log." It was a dragged-on, punked-out new-wave nightmare. I read the first parts and scanned the second parts. Can't say it looks like it will improve. Please, just finish it, and let sleeping (or should it be drugged?) hellhounds lie. Sorry, but this just wasn't my cup of "English" tea.

I'm puzzled by the Hellhound contingent's emphasis on the popularity of the cycle. What's the point? Popularity is no gauge of worth—Shakespeare wasn't the most popular playwright of his day. I'm disturbed, however, by the interjection of yet more personality politics into Blake's 7 random, and by what seems to be an attempt to make an issue of a non-issue i.e., one review of one piece of fanlit by one reviewer in one fan publication.

Miss Virgil states that I "did not... allow the reader the opportunity to make up his/her own mind... by not including ordering information." No, I didn't include ordering informs lion in my Hellhound review; I didn't include it for Avon; On-line either, an oversight I'll rectify in future reviews. I wasn't aware, however, thai failure to do so constituted forbid ding fans to think for themselves—or that reviewers controlled fans' minds.

As for the charge of bias: I made no secret of the fact that the outcome of the Steinburg case (eight years for beating i child to death), I can't say the charge breaks my bean. I also read Hellhound at least five times before concluding I couldn't stomach it. That anything goes in fanlit is one school of thought; I belong to the school that whatever was shown in the series was the way it happened, and that fanlit should adhere to that "reality."

Mrs. Larkin's complaints are contradictory. She complains that I infer her and her co-author's views from the story cycle, then states that hers are "obviously very different," inferring mine from my review. 1 did not infer her or her co-authors views, merely the views that were coming across in the story cycle. She writes a long dissertation defining an opinion and stating that those expressed in a review are merely those of the reviewer—things I'd thought so obvious as not to require stating—then goes on to say she finds it ironic that I judge the characters in Hellhound. when by definition a review, amateur or professional. is a judgment. As for the position of Hellhound: the story cycle is extremely partisan, but the characters presented sympathetically are often little different—by their own standards—from those presented unsympathetic ally. How different, for instance, was Jeanine Orly from Avon's mother, Sarah?

Concerning the points Mrs. Larkin brings up my inference that Avon would forgive his father's prenatal abandonment and assume his surname was incorrect, which I've since discovered. I stand corrected; however, the principle remains the same. She herself raises the issue of "living in a society where you are considered 'less than human." What does she think takes place in situations of child abuse and/or neglect? What messages does she think are being transmitted by having Avon's grandson assume the surname of a great-grandfather who all but stretched bis sons out on an altar and sacrificed them to the Great God Ego? Or having a boy show no resentment toward a mother who apparently made no attempt to defend him from an abusive stepfather? Or having that boy admire a teacher who didn't lift a finger to help him? Perhaps I am taking this matter too seriously—but I think not. As for Avon's mother never being described as a servant: the word used was "drudge"; if that is not a synonym for "servant" I'd be interested to learn what it is. I've also yet to see a passage presenting Servalan's administrative and military prowess rather than using the "feminine wiles" of manipulation and sex. The claim that Hellhound has "no great artistic pretentions" is contradicted by the other claim that the characters in the cycle don't represent the authors' views. Creating characters that fully realized is difficult for' 'serious" writers; to claim that Hellhound has done it suggests very great artistic pretentions indeed.

I don't object to the borrowings, blending an projection of contemporary attitudes, mores, fashion etc. per se. just the amount of it.

I don't judge Hellhound by the same standards as "serious literature" (and where did the idea come from that "serious literature" wasn't intended to be read for pleasure?). I closed my review "amateur status does not excuse careless craftmanship." I criticized careless crafting; a piece of literature doesn't have to be "serious" to strive for excellence; Hellhound does not strive.

Considering bow prevalent child abuse is, it's difficult to see how I could be elitist. As for condescension—it seems to me I regard fanlit, and by extension Hellhound, with more respect than Mrs. Larkin does.

As for the "critical acclaim" of other reviewers: I call it as I see it, not as anyone else sees it; and in fact bow anyone else sees it is irrelevant. I'm sorry Mrs. Larkin's feelings were hurt, but in case she missed it, Hellhound offended me.

Book 2

front cover of issue #2

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 2 was published in 1988 and contains 79 pages (reduced). It was originally printed as part of Southern Seven 2 and then available as a separate reprint issue, hence this fanzine starts at page 333 and ends at page 412. The cover is by Leah Rosenthal and other art is by Katrina Snyder.

flyer for issue #2

Hellhound so far...

Avon stood over Blake's dead body...

Following Gauda Prime, Servalan took Kerr Avon to Omega Three, a prison planet for the criminally insane, where she put him under the care of her current lover, Nik Theodorides, the head psychotherapist. As a method of torture, she drugged him into sexual submission and by the time Gamaliel Weaver, former time thief and now free-lance time traveller, stepped in to rescue him, Avon's condition was poor indeed. Avon recovered at Weaver's stronghold on Metracia, from which he promptly escaped by stealing aship belonging to Weaver's son, Phelan Dagonrath.

Dagonrath's ship was preset to an "alternate" 20th century Earth, where Avon in- ’gratiated himself to aSouth African billionaire, Jules Greggory, and totally revamped the computer industry. When his personal relationship with Greggory became too hot to handle, Avon fled with Phelan Dagonrath.

Dagonrath and Avon were forced to make an emergency stop later in time on the same "alternate" Earth, where Avon helped agroup of scientists build the first deep space exploration ship, which he named Hellhound. And promptly stole.

Weaver had told Avon of rumors that Blake had escaped death at Servalan's hands, and Servalan herself had admitted that the "Blake" on Gauda Prime was a clone, so Avon began to search for Blake, Instead, he found Vila, who was taken off Gauda Prime by a smuggler and was trying to find a valuable treasure on a primitive planet. Avon and Vila both barely escaped alive.

Avon's hunt for Blake finally paid off on Danyg, where an amnesiac Blake had made his home as a teacher under the name of Rohn Smith, Meanwhile, the Federation closed in. Avon destroyed a scout ship and the Hellhound left Danyg, taking with it the confused "Rohn Smith"; Morten Hendricks, one of Rohn's students; and Jeanine Orly, Rohn's lover. Avon set course for Nova Seven, a"smuggler's rest", where Vila hoped they would meet some "interesting people."

• Where Were You Hiding? ("Seeking sanctuary and repairs on the smuggler’s base of Nova Seven, the crew of the Hellhound find more trouble than they bargained for...and an old friend.")
• Rebel Without a Choice ("In his determination to return Blake’s memory to him, Avon takes desperate measures and kidnaps a psychotherapist.")
• The King of Pain ("Steffany White soon learns that Blake isn't the only rebel aboard the Hellhound with problems."
• Grip Earth and Let Burn ("A stop at Bahbelias for medical supplies ends in disaster and the Hellhound is forced to make a lightning raid and flee. But they make contact with a rebel group")

• 

  from issue #2, Katrina Snyder

• 

  from issue #2, Katrina Snyder

• 

  from issue #2, Katrina Snyder

Reactions and Reviews: Book 2

I really like it. I read it all very quickly and I am now desperate to read the rest and already very annoyed that I don't have it/will never have the last book. The dialogue is too American and not quite right for the characters, although their actions are spot-on, interestingly. As a B-A person, I really like the fact that it is this relationship that drives the plot. Speaking of the plot - it's fast and interesting (although with some amusing pratting-around/downtime moments) and although I've seen it criticised for not being like Blake's 7, I'd disagree and say it's very like Blake's 7. I understand that it's some plot business but i HATEIHATEIHATE that Avon's a woman hater, and I'm glad that he's getting over it now. It is angsty. It is a lot of fun. I would thoroughly recommend it. [more on this fan's Dreamwidth journal]

More fear and loathing on the road to Arrakis.

In Book II of Log of the Hellhound, the conceptual confusion and carelessness that crippled Book I continue unabated. Ad, as Book II is set entirely in the Federation universe and time, it is even less successful as a space opera.

Characterization continues to be weak, series characters are distorted, and all characters' action and reputed inner thoughts remain a jumble of hard-boiled adventure and soap opera, or more precisely, bodice-ripper—though in Book II the bodice-ripper elements are dominant. The action continues to slow to a dead halt while clothes, (bod, etc. are described in minuie, wearisome, and sometimes redundant detail, and relatives, friends, etc. appear with claustrophobic frequency.

The science, economics and sociology of the Hellhound universe are no stronger in Book II than in Book I, and even less believable. Again, the reader is expected to believe: that a prototype spaceship intended as a research vessel can outfight warships of an expansionist society with centuries of R&D behind it that Avon's acquisition of enough wealth on a 20th century Earth can finance a revolution against a society that can draw upon the resources of entire solar systems; and that the Hellhound medical unit, produced by a 20th century medical science, would be considered adequate by people of the Federation's time, when medicine, like military technology, would haw had centuries of R&D behind it

Sociologically, Book II is as confused as Book I. and additionally offers the most farfetched and grandiose plot device I've seen in ten years: Avon, who is genetically inclined to be a resistor—an idea taken from the series and potentially interesting, had it been thought through—is so brilliant the Federation considered him such a potential threat it conspired to deny him educational and employment opportunities and attempted to drive him insane.

The storyline begins with Hellhound arriving at Nova 7, an outer space Tortuga, where our heroes encounter Tarrant, who has acquired an alias, a seven: limp, a punk look and a new lover, Bev Hastings, a sort of punk Dorma Reed Bev's former lover betrays them 10 the Federation; during the obligatory gunfight, Blake's lover Jeanine Orly, her personal interests threatened, straps on a gun and leads Blake's imaged protege Morten Hendricks into the fray—though it's mystery why the equivalent of a young merchant seaman would follow the equivalent of a rural school-marm. Jeanine is killed; Tarrant and Bev leave with the others. In search of a cure for Blake's amnesia, they then kidnap a Federation psychiatrist, Steffany White, and the bodice ripping begins in earnest.

Steffany is believable neither as a psychiatrist nor as a product of her society and social class within that society. She blushes at double entendres, hastily looks away from erotic art, hesitates to talk about sexual therapy, avoids thinking about disturbing ideas, within minutes of being kidnapped tells one of her capers his leader is a "lunatic"—and is desperately in need of the number for the Federation chapter of Co-Dependents Anonymous. Hellhound postulates that resistors arc genetically predisposed to rebel though it is not explained whether they would rebel against any existing social system—which would put the Federation's actions in a different context— or just the Federation's. Various passages suggest that "resistor blinking" is classified by Federation psychiatry as a mental disorder usually detected very early, and Avon, only a potential threat, was systematically suppressed: it's therefore incredible that someone with resistor tendencies would have been allowed to become a psychiatrist, let alone treat Federation officials.

Steffany's behavior with the rebels is also strange. She adjusts to learning of the oppressiveness of her society and widespread collusion of her profession in that oppression and transfers her allegiance to the rebels in a few pages, though she takes Avon's torture in interrogation for granted as routine; she seems never to have heard of hostage syndrome or traumatic bonding, though she knows something of techniques of handling hostage situations, and is at a loss to know why she regrets the Hellhound's pursuit by Federation ships; she exhibits little constraint toward her capos, even treating Be v and Vila as friends, and within a few days of Avon's attempt to kill her, discovers she's in love with him. It's also odd, considering the Federations prudery and homophobia and her own inhibitions, that she exhibits no reluctance or dismay about having romantic feelings toward an avowed bisexual.

From Steffany's discovery she's in love with Avon, the rest of the story mostly concerns their peculiar courtship and her agonizing over why she loves him, but it never occurs to her to consider the ethics or psychological health of a psychiatrist and patient having a sexual relationship—which itself raises the question of the state of Federation psychiatry— nor does she consider Avon's motives in the matter.

The affair is finally consummated in a scene during which she thinks that she is "a prisoner in love with her jailer" and that "he could offer nothing but running, always"— odd and rather contradictory thoughts if she has truly joined the rebels, and unintentionally ironic following descriptions of expensive high-fashion clothes she'd bought with money Avon provided. I'm reminded of a statement by Dr. Allene Goldman, who teaches as the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas: "Most of love is really self-interest."

The behavior of the activist-adventurers is handled a little in Book II, at least in the case of Tarrant, though the others ate not handled so well, particularity in their reactions to the hostage situation. And I feel obliged to mention an odd and disturbing remark of Tarrant's, namely that Avon would do the dirty work that "a nobel (sic) rebel leader would have to keep his hands clean of"; I don't recall that Blake ever hesitated to do his suddenly and very obviously attracted to Steffany, can't keep his hands off her in fact And even though he engages in lengthy examination of other issues and relationships in his life, expends no energy considering this sudden change. It is beyond the bounds of probability that anyone, however obtuse and unaware of his feelings, would not exhibit some puzzlement in so abrupt a change in something as fundamental as sexual reactions. It would be nice if Hellhound would make a greater effort to be believable as space opera; even nicer if it would make up its mind whether it's a political thriller with serious moral and philosophical points o make, or a romance with none but "love conquers all." If the former, it should examine the issues it has introduced seriously; if the latter, it should leave out issues and pursue fantasy. As it is, I have seldom seen a piece of literature that so defeats any statements it might have on the human condition. The characters' suffering serves only to titillate, which is especially offensive, as most fan-lit I've seen, however clumsy in execution and naive in approach, has managed avoid prurience. Book II can be enjoyed as an especially lurid bodice-ripper, but as those can be read for nothing at the local library I would recommend money be spent on other fannish matters such as club dues or keeping Blake's 7 on the air.

Every once in a while, a writer comes along in fandom whose work is considerably above average. Susan Matthews is such a writer. So are Snyder and McGhin. My first encounter with their work was their short story 'Weight of a feather', in Southern Lights Special 2.5. It impressed me because their view of Avon was intriguing -- somewhere between the 'Avon has a marshmallow center' and 'Avon is an unremittant bastard' schools of fanfic. In Snyder and McGhin's universe Avon IS a bastard, but has been through life experiences (apparently since grade school) that would reduce a less hard-nosed character to whimpering Jello. And while the amount of effort required to achieve redemption will be considerable, they make it clear there is still some good left in him that the right person (Blake or equivalent) might reach. I mention 'Weight of a feather' because it has some basic assumptions in common with HELLHOUND that are peripheral to the main plot but still significant. The first is that Vila knew Avon in school, though Avon would probably not remember something as unimportant as a Delta two grades behind him. The second is that Avon was ranked Beta rather Alpha on the whim of a schoolmaster, and he is still pissed off about it. The third is that Avon is bisexual. This duality becomes a reasonably crucial factor in HELLHOUND: it makes us unsure of Avon's true motives for searching so relentlessly for Blake, and it qualifies his actions when he gives up on women entirely after a VERY unpleasant post Gauda Prime interlude with Servalan. HELLHOUND is not for everyone. On the one hand, it is dark, brooding, and often brutal -- if it were a movie, it would receive 'hard R' rating. On the other hand, it is exceptionally well-crafted. Some people, after reading Book I, complained it was not Blake's 7 at all. Obviously, these people needed all the trappings of the B7 universe rather than just the characters in order for it to be B7. Maybe Book II made them happier. Only one thing is certain: there is no neutral ground when it comes to HELLHOUND. Either you'll love it, or you'll hate it. Considering Southern Seven continues to publish new installments, there must be demand. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the next segment.

Book 3

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 3 stories were published in Southern Seven #3. The stories took up the space of 80 pages.

• Shadows of the Night
• Weeping for the Memory
• The Ghost of Cain
• The Foundling
• Finders Keepers

Reactions and Reviews: Book 3

Not having read the first two parts of Hellhound, I'm saving this for later. I've read so many series in the wrong order I thought it would make a nice change to be chronological. As the Hellhound series is widely recognised as excellent, I'm presuming the wait will be worth it. Is Avalon in it?

Book 4

front cover of Blake's Doubles #2, Suzan Lovett. Depicting Kerr Avon and Roj Blake.

orginal art, "Crying for the Moon," used as the cover of issue #2

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 4 stories were published in Blake's Doubles #2.

This issue won a 1990 Fan Q Award.

• Wonderland
• Rule Britannia
• Shadows More
• The Wolfmasters of Hearne
• The Drowning Man

Leah Rosenthal created "a take-off of [the] lovely Hellhound Avon cover that Suzi Lovett provided for Blakes Doubles #2. Click here to see a totally irreverent view of Kerr Avon...but don't be shocked! I call this one... Hellbuns!" This cartoon was used as the back cover of Southern Comfort # 5.5 (?).

The zine also contained several pieces of interior art by Katrina Larkin:

• 

  from Blake's Doubles #2, Katrina Larkin

• 

  from Blake's Doubles #2, Katrina Larkin

• 

  from Blake's Doubles #2, Katrina Larkin

Book 5

front cover of issue #5

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 5 80 pages (reduced).

It was originally printed as part of Southern Seven #5 n.2 and then available as a separate reprint issue, hence this fanzine starts at page 324 and ends at page 403. The front cover is by Katrina Snyder.

From the zine:

Avon stood over Blake's dead body...

Following Gauda Prime, Avon escaped Servalan and her unpleasant idea of suitable torture through the auspices of a time-traveling thief. Trapped on an alternate 20th-century Earth, Avon made the best of things by obtaining a fortune in diamonds via the computer industry and then stole a sophisticated exploration spaceship. He headed back to his universe and began to search for Blake, who was rumored to be alive. He found Vila, Blake, and two companions of the latter: Morten Hendricks, a protege of the amnesiac rebel; and Jeanine Orly, Blake's lover. In Avon's haste to escape, the aptly named Hellhound was damaged by Federation ships and put into Nova Seven, a "smuggler's rest," for repairs.

On Nova Seven, they discovered that Del Tarrant and his girlfriend Bev Hastings had found sanctuary there as administrators, and after an altercation with a greedy smuggler, which resulted in Jeanine's death, they left Nova Seven with the crew of the Hellhound. Avon kidnapped a psychotherapist, Steffany White, to help Blake regain his memory. This plan went awry when the Federation closed in and Avon went off the deep end, believing he had been betrayed. Steffany managed to help Avon return to a functional state, and complicated matters by falling in love with him. While they were picking up drugs for Blake on the planet Bahbelias, a resistor helped them escape the Federation once again, and they headed toward DorVail, a rebel enclave which asked for their help.

During the journey, both Tarrant's accidental overdose on painkillers and Blake's victory over his amnesia served to unify the crew, but once they reached DorVail Avon shocked them by attempting to murder one of the rebels there ..,his older brother, Marc. Marc proved to be a child molester, and was shot and killed by Avon, The two groups of rebels attacked and defeated the Federation outpost on Schorbin Minor, but had a falling out over what to do with one of their prisoners, Sevran Sleer, Avon's son by Servalan. Blake (over Avon's protests) insisted on taking the boy along.

Then they stopped on Terra Tetra to repair Tarrant's bad knee. While there, Avon, Morten and Vila rescued Dayna Mellanby and the teenaged Blood Hakharrian from the clutches of an evil Madam, and Blake invited Tarrant's surgeon along, unaware that "Fen Payne" was one of the "victims" who had got him sent to Cygnus Alpha and has now sworn to kill Blake.

After they left Terra Tetra, the Hellhound found a derelict Raldeeni ship. Snake-in—the-€rass, and unwisely boarded her. The boarding party (Avon, Vila, Bev and Blood) were exposed to astrange disease and all but the immune Blood soon fell ill. Fen Payne had sabotaged the ship's guidance system, and they remained in place while the physicians searched for a cure and the others tried to repair the ship. Meanwhile, Servalan sent Fil Serada (her new "pet," so she hopes) out after Blake, Blood found the cure in the Snake- in-the-<3rass* vault, and Tarrant tricked Serada and destroyed his ship.

Blake decided to show his compassion by helping out the survivors of Serada's ship after it crashed on a nearby planet, unaware that the planet is also inhabited by the survivors of the Eighth Fleet's flagship, Galileo, including Vila's brother, Jahove, and an old "acquaintance" of Avon's, Jamial Blair, Steffany and Fen helped the wounded, but when the rebels were almost captured they beat a hasty retreat, taking with them Blake's nephew, who had been the mutoid pilot of Serada's ship. While helping Blake's nephew regain some vestige of his humanity. Fen Payne becomes convinced that Blake did not molest him, but he neglects to tell his story to Blake and Avon, an oversight that will catch up to him when the Hellhound makes a stop for guns and butter...

• Guns And Butter
• Wicked Ways
• Flesh and Blood...At Least

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Adrian Morgan

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Suzan Lovett, depicting a scene From the Log of the Hellhound

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Mariann Howarth

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Katrina Larkin

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Leah Rosenthal

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Theresa Buffaloe

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Katrina Larkin

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Theresa Buffaloe

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Laura Virgil, reprinted in color in Southern Seven #12

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Suzan Lovett, William Bodie and Ray Doyle fan casted as original characters in Hellhound Universe: "I love Lew Brody — the illos are great, as is the Lovett portrait of Dafydd and Brody standing together. Both are interesting characters, people that I'd be willing to read more about no matter who they look like." Another fan wrote: "The talk was about a picture that Suzan L. did for a Hellhound series. The picture had taken the faces of our own Bodie and Doyle and used them. The Doyle character was named Dafydd (David) while the Bodie character was named Lew Brodie. The story was included in Book II of the Log of the Hellhound. The picture is interesting in that Dafydd had to be surgically altered to look human. If you think about what his scars would be like after the Graveyard episode." That's what he would be like in the picture."

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Theresa Buffaloe

• 

  from issue #5 n.2, Katrina Larkin, "Dafydd Kildragon" (fan-casted Ray Doyle)

Reactions and Reviews: Book 5

If you like Hellhound this is fine. If you do not like it, 80+ pages of a zine is a lot to skip over.

Book 6

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 6 stories were published in Southern Seven #7.

• Sins of the Fathers
• The Stand
• Deceit

Reactions and Reviews: 6

And of course there's a nice fat juicy chunk of Hellhound. My one complaint: fond as I am of Suzan Lovett's art in general, I don't like the way she does Hellhound Avon. His hair is too short for my taste. (I have the same complaint about this season's haircut for Sheridan in B5. Super-short hair is fine on women, but on men, ick!) But Katrina Larkin's own illos are very nice, showing us the authoritative version of what the various characters look like. Her style has made great progress since the earlier issues. The Log of the Heckhound cartoon is priceless.

Book 7

front cover of Blake's Doubles #4

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 7 stories were published in Blake's Doubles #4.

• In the Dark
• "The Fool's Tale

Reactions and Reviews: Book 7

Well, this part of Hellhound is in Book 7. They have gone to a planet (with werewolves, no less, one of whom Vila picks up!) to get agricultural supplies for their base, including horses. Blake happens to be watching a black stallion which he tries to pet. It takes off and he says (approximately) "You don't like me very much, do you? Your name should be Avon." Rather cute I thought. However, Avon decides to ride it and a draft horse comes over to make friends with Blake. Large and affectionate. Interesting connection! :-) Anyways, I liked this part better than some of the other Hellhound sections that I've read. I didn't really enjoy the early parts of the series. this was much better.

Book 8

front cover of issue #8

back cover of issue #8

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 8 was published in 1993 and contains 80 pages.

It has a front and back cover by Adrian Morgan. There is no interior art.

Unlike previous "From the Log of the Hellhound" zines, this one's contents is unique to this zine.

This issue includes a Hellhound Timeline (presumably the same one published online here).

The story "One of My Kind" in Southern Seven #10 is not in this zine, but fits in the story timeline of these stories.

• Flame of the West (1)
• The Good Soldier (24)
• Breaking Eggs (43)
• Wise Child (57)

Book 9

From the Log of the Hellhound Book 9 stories were published in Southern Seven #12.

• Just Like A Woman
• The Gates of Hell
• So Close and Yet So Far
• The Prince of Darkness"

Reactions and Reviews: Book 9

Hellhound, of course, is in a class by itself. If you're a Hellhound fan, you've probably acquired this zine already. If not, I do recommend it very strongly, but Book IX isn't the place to start; this saga definitely has to be taken from the beginning. Some feel that this gonzo space opera with its Miami-Vice-like sensibilities is too far from canonical B7 to be enjoyable in a truly fannish way; but many, including me, love it and consider it one of our all-time favorites. Try it and see for yourself.

I've now finished reading Book IX and can report that it delivers. There are lots of ocs, including some new ones, but the many plot threads are starting to come together in a satisfying way. The tide is slowly turning in favor of the rebels, yay! There's not a lot of Avon, but what there is, is choice; and there's a fair amount of Blake. Blake fans will be happy to know that he finds a new love in this book. As usual, lots of vivid description, action, snappy dialogue, great clothes, and rock 'n' roll. I can't wait for Book X! I have my suspicions as to what is going to happen, and I'm very curious to see whether I've guessed right. If so, it should be a wonderful wallow. It will be such a thrill to have the saga complete.

Book 10

The following stories appear on the 'where to find Hellhound stories' list, but seem not to have been published.

• The Blood of the Lion
• Part 1—The Best Kept Secret
• Part 2—Sacrifice Like Lambs
• Wake the Wolves
• Dogs on the Run
• Blaze of Glory
• Epilogue: Look Away

Links

• The Hellhound pages on Ashton Press's site
  • Hellhound Timeline
  • Where to find Hellhound stories
  • Hellhound cartoons
  • Hellhound excerpts
  • Who's who in Hellhound