Quantum Mechanics (Quantum Leap anthology by Peg Kennedy)

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Zine
Title:	Quantum Mechanics
Publisher:
Editor(s):	Peg Kennedy (the first two issues), Betsy Fisher and Jenna Stockinger (the third issue)
Date(s):	1992, 1996
Series?:
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Quantum Leap
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Quantum Mechanics is a gen anthology.

Many fans consider this a zine of tragic fic.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1, minds-i-view

Quantum Mechanics 1 was published in January 1992 and contains over 200 pages. It was edited by Peg Kennedy.

The art is by Debora h Base-Smith, Tamy Erickson, Nola Frame-Gray, Terri Librande, JM McClure, <=minds-i-view=> and Paulie. It has calligraphy by Karen Serassio.

From a July 1993 ad in GAZ:

Edited by Peg Kennedy, featuring 200 pp of fiction and art and a full color cover by <=minds-i-view=> . Fiction by Sheila Paulson, Sandy Hall, Rebecca Reeves, Sharon Wilsom, Teri Sarick, Jennifer Smallwood, Janna Stockinger and others. Sam leaps into Prof Stokes as he's about to stake Barnabas 'Cross' Collins and finds he's not the only one lost in time; Sam makes his last leap; Al receives a Christmas present he won't soon forget; Sam has a chance to save a loved one of Al's; Sam must save a young man when he leaps into his English teacher and much, much more.

From the editorial:

Leaping around through time I wind up in all sorts of strange and different situations. Like this time, I appear to be some sort of an editor of Quantum Leap fan fiction...

No wait, been reading too many of these stories.

Yes, it's true. We finally convinced minds-eye-view to put aside her pen and pick up the paintbrush for our cover. Not to be outdone, Nola Frame-Gray took the leap and submitted her first piece of fan fic to this issue of Quantum Mechanics (many readers are probably familiar with her cartoons).

• Editorial by Peg Kennedy and Bill Hupe (1)
• Leaping Letters, cartoon by Nola Frame-Gray (2)
• As the Clock Ticks Slowly By, fiction by Rebecca Reeves (3)
• Why, poem by Sandy Hall (13)
• Answered Prayers, fiction by Linda Knights (14)
• One Day, poem by Melissa Mastoris (16)
• Ticket Home, fiction by Sharon Wisdom (crossover with Dark Shadows) (18)
• A Reward, fiction by Janna Stockinger (38)
• June 15, 1945: A Diary Entry -- If I Had a Diary, That Is, fiction by Janna Stockinger (41)
• The Leaping Quantum Physicist, poem by Melissa Mastoris (44)
• Leaping Home, fiction by Sandy Hall and Barbara Stanton (46)
• Who Am I This Time, poem by Vonne (55)
• Oh Boy, poem by Teri Sarick (56)
• A Stitch in Time, fiction by Nola Frame-Gray (59)
• Carousel Horses, fiction by Sheila Paulson (61)
• Quantum Leap: Sam Beckett, poem by Teri Sarick (88)
• Comforts of Sleep, poem by Carol Lance (90)
• Extended Stay, fiction by Jennifer Smallwood (92)
• Al's Plea, poem by Melissa Mastoris (107)
• Starry, Starry Night, fiction by Teri Sarick (crossover with Beauty and the Beast) (109)
• When I Go Out to Sea, fiction by Terri Librande (191)
• Leaps and Bounds, poem by Teri Sarick (192)

• 

  from issue #1, Paulie

• 

  from issue #1, Nola Frame-Gray

• 

  from issue #1, minds-i-view

• 

  from issue #1, sample text

• 

  from issue #1, JM McClure

• 

  from issue #1, Terri Librande

• 

  from issue #1, calligraphy by Karen Serassio

• 

  from issue #1, Paulie

• 

  from issue #1, Deborah Base-Smith

• 

  from issue #1, Nola Frame-Gray

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

Three out of five stars. Not a good as I'd hoped, mainly because I didn't much like the story that took up almost half the zine. Also, includes death stories.

• "As the Clock Ticks Slowly By" - Rebecca Reeves. Very good. Sam's a secretary again, at an office party. Dodging a drunken and lecherous party-goer, Sam ducks into the nearest ladies room and out of the high heels. Overhearing the girl-talk there lets him know where he is and what he's there to do.
• "Answered Prayers" - Linda Knights. What is Sam's state of mind after all this leaping? This leap gives him a chance to be cared for. Depressing for the reader though.
• "Ticket Home" - Sharon Wisdom. A Dark Shadows cross universe, Sam leaps into Professor Stokes. Could the strangeness of Collinwood offer him a "Ticket Home"? And at what price? It's the Dark Shadows universe that has problems here. The descriptions and events mostly go with the '60s version, but some details and the illos are of the '90s version.
• "A Reward" and "June 15, 1945: A Diary Entry" - Janna Stockinger. Two digressions set in the middle of the Leap Back. First Al's and then Sam's thoughts on the reversed situation they find themselves in.
• "Leaping Home" - Sandy Hall and Barbara Stanton. Sam's leaped into himself - on the day he's to testify at a Congressional funding hearing. Will this time around be different?
• "A Stitch in Time" - Nola Frame-Gray. The cartoonist's first text story. A shocking leap raises some difficult questions for the reader.
• "Carousel Horses" - Sheila Paulson. Sam's a high school English teacher, trying to help a boy with a lot of writing talent. Excellent, practically the only one in the zine that is an episode-like story.
• "Extended Stay" - Jennifer Smallwood. My favorite in the zine. Sam's a doctor again, the newly arrived chief of staff at a mental institution in October, 1953. The situation brings up unpleasant memories for both Sam and Al. Sam is determined to stay and fix more than Al thinks he is there to do. A happy ending in a largely tragic zine.
• "Starry, Starry Night" - Teri Sarick. Yes, Sam is Vincent *again*, for nearly 100 pages. If this had been the first one of these I'd seen I'd probably have liked it more, as is it dragged on far too long - till I was only skimming it.
• "When I Go Out to Sea" - Terri Librande. A letter from Al to Sam.

I so enjoyed Quantum Mechanics that I am prompted to send you both a letter of comment... ...I didn't have a favorite story. Like in the series itself, I enjoy the variety of stories: Back-At-The-Project, episodic leaps, little vignettes. The poetry and art (and calligraphy) were uniformly good; well-laid out. The work of <=minds-i-view=> in particular is always a bonus! Rebecca Reeves is consistently good. What I think I enjoyed most about "As The Clock Ticks Slowly By" is the opportunity to overhear what others at the Project think of A1 and Sam. Very satisfying. She does a good job with Sam's first person voice (another change of pace that adds variety to the zine). Fun and touching! "Answered Prayer" by Linda Knights was a nice departure, short and bittersweet I like to be reminded that Sam gets tired and frustrated sometimes, and Linda did an excellent job of making Sam's state of mind convincing. If there must be a baby leap, let it be this one! I also enjoyed Sharon Wisdom's use of time travel in "Ticket Home". To me, the best crossovers bring two series together that have some special quality that meshes with the other in a way that really enhances our appreciation of both. This really fit the bill. (But I do wish you would identify the crossed/shared universe in the Table of Contents.) The italicized narrative by Dan made this story very like an episode; more so because Sharon's writing is very visual. I actually see the events unfolding, see the dialogue, etc. Janna Stockinger's two pieces do what fan fiction does best — give us the "missing scenes: from televised episodes. I guess I wasn't the only one who thought A1 and Sam changed places BECAUSE Al had been the one who had helped Tibby. (Tibby, not Toby - my only complaint). I thought "The Leap Back" was going to show us a Leap in which either Al's experience as a POW and with Beth would help him accomplish this new mission, as Sam could not, or else A1 would have something to learn from this leap, that Sam did not need to learn. And "The Leap Back" took it full circle; since Sam as the one preventing the deaths in the end, Sam was the one who resumed leaping. I suppose there wasn't time in one episode to explore these things to the emotional depth I wanted to see, so Janna did it for me! Thanks! She did a great job adopting entirely different voices in each piece. I wish I could write emotion like that. The whole paragraph around "I know it must have been bad when I saw A1 wiping away tears" had me wiping away one of my own. The last paragraph was simply perfect

"Leaping Home" (by Sandy hall and Sharon Wisdom) ~ I loved how quickly A1 believed Sam, without question. Good to see something by Sheila Paulson again — I heard she wasn't doing much QL fiction these days. One thing I can always count on from Sheila, better than anyone else I think, is that she'll develop fully realized "guest" characters that I really come to care about her stories COULD be episodes! "Carousel Horses" was wonderful. When I first read Jennifer Smallwood's work in Oh Boy!, I made a point to remember her name. She didn't let me down. "Extended Stay" " wow! Although I've read two other stories that start from the same premise, I never knew how hers was going to end - it was suspenseful and poignant to the last Teri Sarick's "Starry Starry Night" was filled with literary references- I really liked that I thought it stayed true to the B&B universe too. And Terri Librande, what a piece to end a zine with!

I am writing, first of all, to congratulate you on the beautiful effort called Quantum Mechanics. As a big Leap fan, I was very pleased at how it came out, especially since not every zine with the word Leap on it is that good. I especially liked Janna Stockinger's pieces, and the artwork was especially nice. The cover by <=minds- i-view=> was wonderful. I hope to see many more!

My best friend has been letting me read her first issue of Quantum Mechanics. I wanted to let you know you have a good zine — there are some fine pieces in it May I make a suggestion, however? I feel you could use a third person to do your proofreading. I found a number of grammatical errors — and not just isolated in one story. I suppose they pop out at me because I, too, am a writer, and I was an English major in college. I just felt you'd like to know, since this is only your first issue of the zine. Keep up the good work and keep on Leaping!

I enjoyed Oh Boy 1 and 2 and Quantum Mechanics 1 very much. The stories were engaging and in character, the illos gorgeous, and in general the format was highly readable! ...My only complaint about the above zines was the preponderance of A1 and Beth stories. I realize you can only publish what's submitted and I really can't complain about the quality of the stories themselves. They were great!

I thought I'd send a few comments on Quantum Mechanics. Tm glad you could use my story, though the artwork wasn't what I expected. I enjoyed many of the other stories. "As The Clock..." seemed rather pointless. "Leaping Home" was good wish fulfillment. "A Stitch in Time" was just too bittersweet! How could he leap without the accelerator! "Extended Stay" was my favorite. Jennifer took a nightmare episode and made it a friend. I liked the subplot of Al's little sister being helped. Excellent story. Paulie did some great art, as usual...

I was most impressed with the job you [Peg] did editing Quantum Mechanics (I could not have asked for a better artist than KOZ) but what blew me away about the job of editing you did on this zine (aside from the fact that you had the good taste to accept my story, plus I was pleased with the improvements you made on it) was the slant of the entire zine. Too often I've read mediazine stories where a particular media character is used to mimic the author's narrow- minded bigoted views. It is such a refreshing change to see you (and Bill) have not fallen into this trap. In particular, I am referring to the story which immediately follows my story, "A Stitch in Time" (if memory serves me right) where Sam, a teacher, has to befriend a boy who also plays football, and who has an abusive father. Well, the things that impressed me about the story (sorry, but I don't have my copy of Quantum Mechanics right at hand) is that 1. Sam and Sam's 'daughter' (daughter of Sam's host body) stood up for the boy's decision to stay friends with his best pal even though that pal happened to be gay. 2. That the author put this idea in the story. 3. But, you, as editor, allowed this to remain in the story. Congrats on your attitude.

This being only the third new QL zine I’ve read in the past eleven months, I truly wish I could say I liked it more than I did. There’s a lot of poetry here, very little of which did anything for me other than what is quoted in “Starry Starry Night.” The art ranges from somewhat poor to very good, but then I hardly notice art anyway unless it’s either truly outstanding or truly awful. The stories here have a similar range in quality to that of the artwork illustrating them.

“As the Clock Ticks Slowly By” is a neat little story that’s somewhat marred for me by an unexplained and unnecessary device. On this leap Sam finds himself suddenly wearing a watch that appears to be counting down the minutes until he leaps out While the sense of urgency this conveys is helpful to the story, I would have preferred for Sam to feel this urgency on the basis of his own nearly infallible instincts. Still, I liked the story, with its basically sound plotting and believable dialogue.

“Answered Prayers,” on the other hand, is more a premise than an actual story. Sam has no struggle or decision to make here, no quandary to work his way through. Cast in a passive role for once, his mere presence is enough to accomplish what he’s there to do, and I find the piece ultimately unsatisfying as a result.

“Ticket Home” is good by any measure of fan fiction I care to throw at it, one of the best stories in the issue. In fact, it’s almost enough to make me borrow Tracy’s Dark Shadows tapes and give the show a chance. Almost.

“A Reward” and “June 15...” explore the thoughts and off-camera reactions of Sam and Al as Al finds himself Swiss-cheesed and leaping for the first time. As with “Answered Prayers,” they’re not truly stories, but as interludes within the aired episode these two pieces nevertheless work fairly well.

“Leaping Home” gives us yet another angle on the days before Sam leaped for the first time. Some interesting points are raised here, including a paradox I'd like to have seen explored. Still, the story does manage to go over old ground in a new way, and moderately well at that.

“A Stitch in Time” presents an interesting idea, but I could wish for better execution from this first-time writer (but much-published cartoonist).

“Carousel Horses” is one of the longest stories in the zine and one of the best as well. Sheila Paulson can always be counted on for good work, and this is no exception, with original, competent plotting and well-realized secondary characters one can truly care about.

“Extended Stay” comes up with a new wrinkle on the Bellisario Laws of Quantum Leaping, one that I rather like in fact. It’s not much of a stretch to figure out which patient at the mental institution will ultimately come to Sam's attention, but that is just one facet of this excellent story, probably my favorite in the whole zine.

“Starry Starry Night,” all 89 pages of it, alternately entertained and annoyed the heck out of me. Not being a Beauty & the Beast fan, I can only assume from all the characters and plot details that appear here that the author knows that universe well. But when she comes to Quantum Leap lore, much of it rings false, from the author’s bogus made-up name for the handlink (and Sam repeatedly calling it a tricorder as a joke) to the mind-leap theory to Al's jeering remarks about Vincent’s feline appearance. Overall, though, the plotting and dialogue are good, and if this—like other B & B crossovers—is a bit of wish-fulfillment for B&B fans who want Catherine to survive it’s none the worse for that This story may have annoyed me at times, but it also kept me reeling through to the end.

“When I Go Out To Sea” is a letter from a dying Al to Sam. I may not approve of Dean Stockwell’s cigar smoking myself, but I feel that issue has rather inappropriately spilled over into fiction in this case, with little more than shock value to show for it.

All in all, there are several stories here that are worth your time, and possibly your money as well. It wasn’t the best QL zine I’ve read to date, but in all fairness it wasn’t the worst either.

Issue 2

cover of issue #2, minds-i-view

flyer for issue #2

Quantum Mechanics 2 was published in November 1992 and contains 200 pages. It was edited by Peg Kennedy.

This zine includes death stories and much Donna-trashing. It was a 1993 FanQ nominee for Best QL Zine.

The art is by Anna Oliwa, TACS, Cindy Colafranceschi, Tamy Erickson, Nola Frame-Gray, Robert Jan, J.M. McClure, Todd Parrish, <=minds-i-view=>.

From Bill Hupe's catalog:

Sam leaps into Bobby Kennedy's life in a LA Knights story; Donna cannot cope with Sam's decision to return to leaping; Sam leaps into Carl Kolchak, who is 'investigating reporting' a series of serial murders: and the murderer is identical to Kolchak; a visit from the past for 'Angel Al,' and many more stories, poetry, and art by Mailander, TACS, Reeves, Hall, Sarick, JM McClure, Parrish, Ambassador and others. Front cover by <=mindsiview=> and a back cover by Anna Oliwa.

• A Promise Held by Janna Stockinger ("For Admiral Albert Francis Calavicci, it was a part of his job that he detested — telling these kids that they were being sent off to serve their country — to fight across the seas in some rabid part of the world and likely as not, give their lives... He wished he could talk to Sam about it. It seemed like Sam was always there, ready to listen to his mumbling. Still, Calavicci knew that this was something he could never talk to his friend about. But unbeknownst to Al, Sam has leapt into the body of a lieutenant who was standing next to the admiral and initiates a unique reunion with an ensign who, in the past, had called the admiral "Angel Al".") (1993 FanQ nominee - Favorite QL Story)
• Answers by Rebecca Reeves ("Tom Beckett ominously knew there was a reason why he kept running into imposing bureaucracy every time he attempted to find out what happened to his brother. Ever since Sam began his latest secret project with the Government, he was good as missing, despite the reassurances from the Admiral and Sam's wife. All he wanted to do was to see his brother and know that Sam was all right... or was he?")
• Where Everyone Knows Your Name by Teri Sarick (multi-cross universe)
• Deja Vu by Jennifer Smallwood (Sam leaps into the project.)
• The Right Place by Linda Knights ("Sam was convinced that Fate had given him a chance to prevent the assassination of Robert Kennedy. He was now a woman named Angie who was at least six months pregnant... but that wouldn't stop him from attempting to warn Kennedy of impending danger!")
• The Triumph of Time by Ann Raymont ("Sam has leaped into the body of Jiri Fejtek, a gymnast representing Czechoslovakia in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, neither Sam or Al... or Ziggy, for that matter, are really sure why Sam is there... until disaster strikes!")
• The Night Leaper by Gary Himes (""Mrs. Martha Applebaum, a housewife, was expecting a surprise from her husband Sidney on the occasion of their thirtieth anniversary. However, it is unlikely that Mrs. Applebaum appreciated the gift her husband presented her with — a butcher knife, placed strategically between her shoulder blades..." Sam was now a reporter, but not just any reporter, but Carl Kolchak, a man excelling in stories that would never make to the press. With a sudden rash of murders perpetrated by family members and friends, all who deny any intent or motive, Sam finds himself in a dilemma... which gets worse when Al informs him that he, too, would become the next murderer.") Crossover with Kolchak: the Night Stalker.
• Castle in the Sand by Mindy Peterman
• other stories by CG Crater, Jennifer Smallwood, Terri Librande
• poetry by Crystal Nauyoka, Vonne Shepard, Jane Mailander

• 

  from issue #2, TACS

• 

  from issue #2, Anna Oliwa

• 

  from issue #2, J.M. McClure

• 

  from issue #2, J.M. McClure

• 

  from issue #2, Cindy Colafranceschi

• 

  from issue #2, sample poem: "Al's Prayer"

• 

  from issue #2, sample text

• 

  from issue #2, Todd Parrish

• 

  from issue #2, Anna Oliwa

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2

Three out of five stars... lots of short stories, Nola Frame-Gray cartoons, poetry, <minds-i-view> cover to die for! nice art throughout, but many of the stories miss for me. Again, includes death stories. Donna Haters - she gets trashed more often b here, something I don't agree with.

• "A Promise Held" - Janna Stockinger (1993 FanQ nominee - Favorite QL Story)
• "Answers" - Rebecca Reeves. Tom Beckett is determined to find out what has become of Sam, no matter how far up the chain of command he has to search. Very odd story.
• "Where Everyone Knows Your Name" - Teri Sarick, funny cross-universe(s).
• "Deja Vu" - Jennifer Smallwood. Sam leaps into the project (a popular zine topic).

Issue 3

Quantum Mechanics 3 was published in 1996 and contains 65 pages. It was edited by Betsy Fisher and Janna Stockinger.

The cover is by <=minds-i- view=>. The interior art and cartoons are by J.M. McClure, Todd Parrish, and Nola Frame-Gray.

• This Guy's In Love by anonymous
• The Calm Before the Storm by Mindy Peterman
• Islands in the Leap by Fletcher Stanton
• Somewhere in There by Kristine Beltz

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 3

REVIEWED BY: Lorraine Anderson

I can't remember whether I caught up with any of the previous Quantum Mechanics; it seems to me like they were very highly praised. However, this little 'zine has just four stories, and at least three have some small fault which distracted me from the story.

"This Guy's In Love" seems to be written by anonymous (or by Al, depending on your point of view.) I could find no byline on it, so I can only assume that it was written by one of the editors. It's a neat bit of writing, detailing Al's feelings during the episode of "MIA", and how he has... to a point... resolved his bitterness towards the events that couldn't be changed. In particular, the last paragraph is one of the most excellent pieces of writing I've seen in fan writings. However... and this is a personal bugaboo... I'm starting to get very tired of "missing scenes" or "missing feelings" of episodes I've already seen a dozen times. I already know the ending; I wish authors would make up a new story to augment the episode. But I have to admit that I can't think right now of any "Al and Beth" story that hasn't been done... except maybe one, and I want to think about that one for a while...

"The Calm Before the Storm" by Mindy Peterman. Sam comes home from Washington, discouraged, and Donna, while knowing the dangers, must encourage Sam to test the Project. Mindy is a friend of mine, and I've helped her on this story, so I'm going to bow out of reviewing this. But I've always thought it a nice vignette.

"Islands in the Leap," by Fletcher Stanton. Sam finds himself on the beach of a deserted island with a very annoyed woman... but the situation is far different than he ever dreamed. He has Leapt in as himself, the woman seems to know who he is, then they find a greater threat then they had ever imagined. I hate to give you too many details of this story; part of it's charm is the surprises. But it does has many annoying faults. For one thing, the story wanders back and forth from Sam's viewpoint to Crystal's with no warning whatsoever, and I entirely dislike that. I believe in putting paragraph breaks in when changing viewpoints. The second is that I can't believe that it took Sam that long to realize that the two are wearing the same type of clothing. An hour? C'mon now. The third is that the story seems to fizzle out when Sam and Crystal figuratively "kiss and make up" and the focus switches to the theme of "man against nature" (well, not exactly "nature", but let's stretch this point.) I would have like to have seen them bug each other until the great escape, or perhaps have her switch her annoyance to Al... even Al fans can admit that Al can be annoying if he feels like it. "Man against Nature" can be a compelling theme, but in this case the "nature" threat is so remote to be almost non-existent, and they end up explaining themselves to each other. This ends up boring.

"Somewhere In There", by Kristine Beltz, is a story of memory loss: not Sam's, Al's. It's November 26, 2001, and Sam and Tina Calavicci are by the hospital bedside of Al, who has fallen from a ladder and knocked his head. When he wakes up, they find he has lost 24 years of his life, and the story moves on from there, from heartbreak to heartbreak to a final hope. There's a lot going for this story... it held my interest from first to last, simply because of the conflicted Al... on the other hand, there were a lot of things which threatened to throw me out of the story. For example, I can't believe that Al's doctor can be so hardhearted and hard- headed as to block Al's release, then continually harass Tina (who has changed jobs and was working at the hospital) for taking Al home. What were his reasons, besides the obvious? He seems to take his "duty" over-board. I also can't believe that Sam stayed in the Calavicci house so long. But I guess my main bugaboo is the language Kristine has Al and Sam speaking: they might actually say "wouldjoo" and "getcher" and "toldjoo" in the TV show, but to put it in a story makes the both of them sound extremely illiterate... and we all know they are not illiterate!

This 'zine sports a nice cover by <=minds-i- view=> (are there anything -but- nice covers by this person?), some nice illustrations by J.M. McClure and Todd Parrish, and extremely cute cartoons by Nola Frame-Gray. (I really like her cartoons, for some reason, even though a) I occasionally can't figure them out, b) they're crudely drawn, and c) she put "your" for "you're" on page 31.) All in all, some good story lines, but some very inconsistent writing. Nothing that can't be improved!