Nightmare (Space: 1999 zine)
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Nightmare |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor: | |
| Author(s): | Diana Winslow |
| Cover Artist(s): | |
| Illustrator(s): | |
| Date(s): | April 1979 |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Space: 1999 |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | link to zine info (archived) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Nightmare is a 121-page gen Space: 1999 novel by Diana Winslow. It was illustrated by Mary Bloemker.
Summaries
Description from a 1979 ad: "Did Alan Carter and Nikki Ferrell actually experience the devastating catastrophe as they claim? If so, will the moon be destroyed? His friends search for the answer, although there appears to be no answer possible. Could Helena be right after all? Contains Year One and Year Two characters."
Description from "Catacombs": "Alan Carter and young Nikki Farrell witness the destruction of Alpha. When they awake from a shared nightmare they find themselves in Alan's quarters. The date on their comm- locks show that it is just two days before Alpha will be destroyed. When they try to explain what they saw, no one will believe them. Helena tells Alan that Nikki is a known drug user and that a form of LSD was found in her blood samples, and that she most likely gave him some without his knowledge. Alan refuses to believe this and strives to convince the rest of Alpha that doom awaits them and that it's not just a drug induced delusion." [1]
Based on Another Fan's Novel
All references to Australia, Kali, and Alan or Helena's presence in Australia is based on Phyl Proctor's novelette, "The Broken Gardenia", published by Phyl Proctor, 1978, and is available through the British Nick Tate Fan Club [address in Birmingham, England redacted] This novel. Nightmare, is not intended as an infringement upon the rights of Ms. Proctor. Her permission to make reference to her story was received and is greatly appreciated.
Zine Dedication
This story is dedicated first to my husband and daughters who so patiently endured endless hours of the nerve-grinding peck peck of two fingered typing and all the rest of'the confusion during the past year of Nightmare's many revisions, cuttings, additions, and all the rest. Thanks for putting up with me.
I also dedicate this story to Nick Tate.
Nick, It's your talent as an actor that made Alan come alive. You turned a name in a script into a real person with strong emotions, intelligence, strengths, weaknesses, sensitivity, and faults. And Nick, thank God you didn't make him perfect. Cardboard characters have no faults; they are perfect. Real people have nagging faults they must learn to contend with, and Alan has his share of these. They sometimes were his stumbling block, yet at the same time, they are another aspect of his character that makes him so much more believable.
Nick, you may not remember this, but at Con I in Columbus, I said to you, "Thank you for Alan Carter." You looked puzzled by that comment. But now, after being around all these SPACE 1999 fans, I'm sure you're beginning to understand. So, I'll say it again, "Nick, thank you for Alan Carter." and I'll add, thank you, Nick Tate, for being the wonderful down to earth kind of guy that you are." Everyone in fandom, I'm sure, joins
me in wishing you and your family much health and happiness, and we wish you continued success in your career. Your kind of talent deserves the best that your field has to offer. Good luck, and God bless.
Thank Yous
The zine as a LONG thank you section that ends with
And to all of you who invest your money in this novel. I hope that you're not disappointed. We all have our own ideas as to what SPACE; 1999 should be. I think that is one of the things "that makes, the show so fascinating. Nightmare is based on my vision of the show; you may agree with me, or then you may not. I would like to hear from you. I do appreciate constructive criticism. This is my first attempt at this, and to be totally honest, I'm scaired [sic] to death. But it's something I've always wanted to do, and now I have. I really enjoyed it, and who knows, I might try it again.
The Zine's Preface, and Comments on the Direction the Show Took
The zine has a very long preface, describing and summarizing the novel.
But before all that, the author makes a statement regarding the direction the show took after it had "new management":
Nightmare is not a Year I story, nor is it a Year II story. If life on Alpha continued along its perilious course, how could there he a definite splice between Year I and Year II? There couldn't be. Life doesn't come to a certain point, then suddenly turn full circle and head off in a new direction. In this story, let's forget about increased production costs, contract disagreements, prior commitments of actors, and other 1970's problems. Let's concentrate on our people, our Alphans, hurtling through space on their runaway moon.
