Phantoms

Zine
Title:	Phantoms
Publisher:	Charlotte Frost
Editor:
Author(s):	Charlotte Frost
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1997
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Starsky and Hutch
Language:	English
External Links:	Phantoms at the SH archive Phantoms at AO3
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Phantoms is a slash 133-page Starsky and Hutch novel by Charlotte Frost. It contains no interior art. Proofreaders were Beth Cambre and Trish.

It won a 1998 FanQ Honorable Mention. This story was nominated for a STIFfie in 1997.

Author's Comments

You have a great idea for a plot. You have a h/c scenario that the readers are going to love. And then you have a major female character that you know the readers are going to hate. What to do?

Write it and hope the Marianne-haters come around.

I think they did. I’m under the impression that “Phantoms” is the overall second most favorite C Frost S&H story.

When you write a lot of h/c, the ongoing challenge is to find a fresh hurt. Once, a beta sent a list to me, forwarded from another fan friend, of “injuries that have never happened to Hutch before in a story”. They were things like being attacked by a bear, being wounded with a bow-and-arrow….

And being wrapped in barbed wire.

Barbed wire?

My imagination went into overdrive. Ooh, goodie! Barbed wire! What a great idea!

And thus the h/c situation in “Phantoms” was born.

I’d always wanted to do something with Marianne. Though her and her brother were “losers” and people I would have no desire to meet, I thought she was the most multi-dimensional guest character that ever appeared on the S&H series. (Actually, I think she was more multi-dimensional than Huggy or Dobey, who always seemed rather unbelievably clownish to me.) And she had every right to be furious with Hutch for fucking her under false pretenses. I love when she gave him a piece of her mind in the episode.

I remember one of the snail-mailed comments I got on “Phantoms”. (Email was in its infancy then.) The person said that she started reading the novel as soon as she pulled it from her mailbox and started walking back to her house. She mentioned that she loved it that I started my stories “in the middle of the action” (or something like that).

Hmm. By today’s standards, that would qualify as a highly-detailed, lengthy comment. Anyway, I still remember her enthusiasm and how good it made me feel.

Before I was on any of the lists, a trio of fans had a lengthy discussion about “Phantoms” and those emails were later forwarded to me, with permission of the participants. It was neat seeing so many aspects of the story being discussed, positive and negative. That kind of constructive criticism doesn’t happen anymore.

The Editorial from the Zine

By the time I was done putting this novel into a single-spaced format, it ended up a bit on the short side. I hope I can make up for it next time with an extra fat zine.

More often than not, hurt/comfort scenarios are the inspiration behind most of my stories. PHANTOMS is no exception. I heard from one fan friend about another fan who made a list of hlc situations that had not yet happened to Hutch, and that list was passed on to me. One of those situations - for now, let's just say it involves wire - sent my imagination into overdrive. I was able to combine that scenario with a couple of vague ideas I'd had floating around in the back of my mind, and this novel is the result. I am particularly pleased to, finally, have written something that ties into the episode "Ballad for a Blue Lady", as I feel Marianne Owens was the most multi-dimensional guest character to ever appear on the Starsky & Hutch series. I've always wanted to do a story that involved her in some way, and I hope everyone will enjoy reading about her impact on our boys as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

An extra special thanks this time around to my proofreaders, Beth Cambre and [Trish], as they both had good suggestions for helping smooth out some rough spots. I was a bit under the gun, as I did want this zine to be available for Zebra Con, and I don't think it would have been near as good a story without the assistance from these two dedicated fans. Thanks, ladies, for coming through in a pinch.

I'm not sure what's next from here. I have another novel started and numerous short stories in various stages of completion. But after publishing three zines in a year's time, my pocketbook is in desperate need of a break. Most likely, there won't be anything new from me until next summer, and I don't know if what I publish then will be another novel or HAS 5. I'll just have to see how things turn out.

Finally, at the risk of whining, there's been quite a dearth of LoCs the past couple of zines, though overseas fans have been particularly faithful in passing along their comments. I hope it goes without saying that I love feedback and am always interested in what fans like best and least about my zines, and what they would like to see in any future zines I do. Silence does tend to make one question if all the time and effort of publishing what one writes is worth it.

I have always thought of Starsky & Hutch as the greatest love story of all time. I hope you enjoy this latest rendition of that very special relationship.

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  sample page

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  Charlotte did something unique; she included a pre-printed form for feedback

Reactions and Reviews

This novel holds a special place in my heart. Back in 1997, when I first starting reading Starsky & Hutch slash, this was one of the first zines I bought. I still have it today in my collection.

Why this must be read: Because I prefer novels to anthologies, this story grabbed my attention. It has all the great elements we love in Starsky & Hutch fandom: friendship, danger, intrigue, hurt/comfort (lots of that) and hot first time sex.

The premise is that Starsky & Hutch are undercover for a mob boss (who thinks they are lovers), when their cover is blown. Hutch is given a choice, go to bed willingly with the mob boss or see Starsky killed before his eyes. Hutch will do anything to save his friend, so he gos off with the guy. (Don't fear I wouldn't rec a rape story). Things happen...and in the end the boys are reunited and start to explore their feelings for one another. One of Charlotte's best novels, especially for those of you who love a good hurt/comfort piece.

[kimberlyfdr]
I love this story, but it's got Marianne in it. I hate her to death, so this story was made much darker for me because she was in it. However, she needed to be in it because no other character could create the kind of feelings in the story like she could.

[partners4life]
I just ignore [Marianne] and wallow in the hurt/comfort aspect. *g*