Love Songs (Beauty and the Beast anthology)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Love Songs |
| Publisher: | Adele Turner |
| Editor(s): | |
| Date(s): | 1995-1996 |
| Series?: | |
| Medium: | print zine |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Love Songs is a het Beauty and the Beast (TV) anthology of fiction.
The first volume has fiction by only Adele Turner. The second volume has fiction by Turner and Mickey Sayles.
The art is by Mickey Sayles.
Issue 1
Love Songs was published in July 1995 and contains 188 pages.
All of the fiction is by Adele Turner.
- Dedication (i)
- I Swear, poem (1)
- I Swear, fiction (2)
- ...Happily Ever After (reprinted in slightly altered form from Within the Crystal Rose #2) (26)
- All the News That's Fit to Print (40)
- The Guardian (58)
- Once Upon a Time... (122)
- Casablanca, Revisited (140)
- Into the Future (184)
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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1
In a group of seven loosely connected short stories and novelettes, Turner chronicles the Happy Life Below in the tunnels, with Vincent and Catherine enjoying their largely untroubled marital bliss.In the longest and strongest stories, "The Guardian" provides an intriguing portrait of sorceress Morgan, guardian of two children, David and Jeanette, who flee to the tunnels from an abusive boarding school. All are of Creole background, and there's authoritative background detail about that and about Morgan's lifelong service to "the Lady," the Great Mother, one of the forces for Good in the universe. That sets her up as an effective opponent to Paracelsus, whose natural self was long ago ousted by an evil being, and who again menaces the tunnel community. In "Casablanca Revisited," Devin returns to the tunnels with fiancee Jenny, and everyone doubts that the match is wise or will be enduring. There's some excellent characterization and byplay, humorous and otherwise, in this tale.
In "I Swear," Vincent and Catherine are wed, then reflect on what led them to make this ultimate commitment in several extended flashbacks.
In "Happily Ever After," Father's irritable mistrust of Catherine puts a considerable strain on their relationship until Vincent puts his foot down, so to speak, as Catherine recuperates from having protected children during a flood (this story, in a slightly different form, was published in Within the Crystal Rose II).
In "All the News That's Fit to Print," tunnel children under Catherine's tutelage begin a tunnel journal with spectacular headlines that cause a small uproar among the community.
In "Once Upon a Time," tunnel women pronounce harshly on the denseness and chauvinism of men, setting off a round of contrite flower-buying by the masculine contingent, and Catherine learns that Mary has an intriguing secret.
In "Into the Future," feeding their son, Vincent remembers how Catherine delivered their firstborn.
The stories are well written, well edited, and well presented. The longer pieces are more lively, with conflict that doesn't immediately evaporate. [1]
Issue 2
Love Songs 2 has the subtitle: "Second Verse." It was published in February 1996 and contains 235 pages.
The authors recommend that the stories be read in order. Although each story can stand on its own, the stories form a certain continuity.
Adele thanks her co-writer:
In addition, all of the considerable artwork, graphics and borders in the zine were done by Mickey. Obviously, a renaissance woman. I think you'll be charmed by her work, as I was.
Therefore, it would be supposed that I'd have Mickey at the top of the list to be acknowledged in the completion of this zine.
But, nooooooo....
That honor goes to AT&T, without whose constant support (for which we thanked them by sending in copious amounts of money) this zine would not have been completed. Each month, upon receipt of our phone bills, we would moan to each other (over the phone, of course) that this HAD to end, we couldn't continue having 90 minute long distance phone conversations several times a week, sometimes more than once a day. Some month, someday. I'm certain we WILL receive a phone bill that totals less than $150, but not this month, or last month, or the month before that, or.... So, thank you, Ma Bell.
Now, if anyone tells you that we write zines to make money, you may laugh. We will NEVER make enough money to cover the phone bills incurred in the writing of “Love Songs-Second Verse.” Furthermore, we don't care. I had a ball, and I'm sure Mickey will agree (after her whip scars fade.)
Oh yes, lest I forget: Thanks to you too, Mickey.
- A Father's Love by Mickey Sayles (2)
- Operation Vigilant Sentinel by Adele Turner (4)
- Revenge by Mickey Sayles (30)
- A Matter of Trust by Adele Turner (reprinted from Magic Windows) (34)
- Groundhog Day by Mickey Sayles (50)
- In Darkest Night by Adele Turner (64)
- Running Scared by Mickey Sayles (114)
- Dreams, Zines & Memory Loss by Mickey Sayles and Adele Turner ("Lots of wonderful writers have done their own versions of the 'she's not dead' story. We think you'll find this one a little different. Woven into the story (some might say 'contorted') are the titles of almost 200 different zines. Can you find them all? To check your answers, there's a key in the back of this zine.") (reprinted from an abbreviated format in Voices Unheard) (120)
- I'm Not Worthless, I Can Still Serve as a Bad Example by Adele Turner (128)
- The Homecoming by Mickey Sayles (158)
- A Match Made in Heaven by Adele Turner (176)
- Pachyderm Paradise by Mickey Sayles (192)
- A Clean Desk is the Sign of a Sick Mind by Adele Turner (198)
- P.S. I Love You by Mickey Sayles (214)
- Green Eggs and Ham by Adele Turner (218)
- The Journey by Mickey Sayles (234)
- Key to Dreams, Zines & Memory Loss (239)
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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2
A substantial zine, especially for the price, with alternating stories by Turner and Sayles, and comely illustrations by Sayles. Some of the stories are quite brief; others are more substantial. In a continuing element, Samantha has made for Vincent a clay gargoyle, whose name Narcissa declares to be Quentin, and who thereafter haunts the stories, watching protectively over Vincent and Catherine, and discreetly flying around to do it!The zine’s longest story, Turner’s “In Darkest Night,” returns Sorceress Morgan and her ward, David, (introduced in Love Songs) to the tunnels to deal with a problem: there’s an elemental in the Pipe Chamber, and she (the elemental) is in love with Pascal and refuses to let anyone else enter.
In other stories, there’s an appearance by Devin (Turner’s “I’m not Worthless, I Can Still Serve as a Bad Example”; Vincent’s disconcerting encounter with a gigantic groundhog (not to be confused with a hedgehog!) named Reginald Barrington-Smythe III (by Sayles); cleaning Father’s study (Turner); a childhood escapade of attempting to present Father with actual “Green Eggs and Ham” (Turner); an funny exchange of letters (Sayles) between child-bruised Vincent and recuperating child-bruised Catherine; and other whimsical and fantastic elements. All the stories are good natured and literate. Many are loosely connected, following Vincent and Catherine’s married life, with its occasional ups and downs (no privacy!) and the birth of their first child. Other stories focus on various tunnel dwellers finding love, including Pascal, Mouse (with Lena!), and Winslow. Besides the giant groundhog, other stories feature fantasy elements including Vincent and Catherine transformed into elephants by passing through the Great Hall’s tapestry; “Dreams, Zines, & Memory Loss,” a story whose narrative is woven out of the titles of zines. Someone’s (usually Father’s) mild annoyance is as angst-ridden as it ever gets. Overall, good natured, whimsical and imaginative, and quite a lot of fun. [2]