Time and Space Can Be a Bitch

Zine
Title:	Time and Space Can Be a Bitch
Publisher:	Elizabeth Hlabse
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1995
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Quantum Leap
Language:	English
External Links:
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Time and Space Can Be a Bitch is a gen 65-page anthology published by Elizabeth Hlabse. The art is by Kate Nuernberg & <minds-i-view>.

It is a charity zine.

Contents

• Hard Copy by Patricia Poole
• Kaffeeklatsch by Jane Mailander (crossover with Northern Exposure)
• Punchline by Carol Zara
• Center Me by Yapha Schochet
• Nocturnal Conversations by Lorraine Anderson
• Beyond Killin’ Time by Sharon Wisdom
• The Invisible Man by Terri Librande
• Diary of Dr. C. Gooshman, Ph.D by Beth Hlabse
• poetry by Robin Kwong and Jane Mailander

Reactions and Reviews

The title of this zine proclaims that Time and Space Can Be a Bitch. So can I, but even I have a hard time being bitchy about a zine with such good intentions.

This anthology, dedicated to the memory of Dennis Wolfberg (who played QL’s much-maligned, hopelessly harassed, halitosic programmer), was put together as a fundraiser for the Wolfberg Children’s Education Fund. When I first read about this zine, I thought, “What a great idea!” Since fanzine publishers, artists, and writers aren’t supposed to benefit financially from their work (without getting in deep legal caca, that is), it’s nice to see that someone can benefit from the talents of the group that put together this volume. I wonder if this will start a trend.

The stories in the collection center around Gooshie (as if you couldn’t guess). Most of them are brief vignettes rather than full-length stories, with each writer trying to offer a little insight into the background and personality of “the little guy with bad breath.” While I would have liked to have seen many of the stories expanded, the zine was an entertaining read--not the best I’ve seen, but by no means the worst, either.

The best story in the collection is Patricia Poole’s “Hard Copy,” which portrays a quarrel between Gooshie and Al. For once, Gooshie asserts himself, getting revenge on the Admiral through a series of rather fitting practical jokes.

A close second is Jane Mailander’s “Kaffeeklatsch,” which should probably be re-named “My Card Game with Gooshie.” It’s a Northern Exposure crossover (which ties in with another of Ms. Mailander’s stories, which I’m afraid I haven’t read yet). Gooshie ends up playing Waiting Room host to Dr. Joel Fleischman. Nothing much really happens, but the Yiddish-sprinkled dialogue between the two men makes this a droll little vignette (just be prepared for some groan-inducing puns).

Also on the light side is Carol Zara’s “Punchline,” which flashes back to Gooshie’s first meeting with Sam and Al. This is a cute vignette, but I was left with no answer to the great mystery: “How many physicists does it take to screw in a light bulb?” (Answers, anyone?)

Two of the more serious stories, Yapha Schochet’s “Center Me” and Lorraine Anderson’s “Nocturnal Conversations” analyze Gooshie’s feelings of insecurity and inadequacy over his inability either to prevent Sam’s initial Leap or to retrieve him.

In Sharon Wisdom’s “Beyond Killin’ Time,” Gooshie finds that his brief stint as Project Observer during Al’s absence has unsettling ramifications.

Terri Librande’s “The Invisible Man” starts out promisingly. Told from Gooshie’s point of view, the story’s opening nicely captures the programmer’s self- effacing personality. However, I wish the rest of the story had been developed in more detail. The ending offered an intriguing solution to both Gooshie’s guilt and Sam’s temporal exile, but I think a longer lead-in to Gooshie’s decision would have added some suspense to the story.

The opening story in the group, Beth Hlabse’s “Diary of Dr. C. Gooshman, Ph.D.,” gives a brief account of Sam’s first Leap, from Gooshie’s viewpoint. While it works as an introduction to the rest of the volume, it really doesn’t add much to what the series has already shown us about this Leap.

Overall, I guess “cute” would be the best word I could use to describe this collection. None of the stories is a standout, but there aren’t any real stinkers, either. There’s some nice artwork from Kate Nuernberg and <minds-i-view> (has anyone ever seen anything but nice artwork from these folks?), and poetry by Jane Mailander and Robin C. Kwong. (Ms. Kwong’s “program poem” is fun, if you can handle a little pun-ishment.) So, would I recommend this zine? Yes, I guess so, with a little hesitation. The writing is competent, although not exceptional (sort of like Gooshie?), so it’s not a bad little zine. And at least you know your money’s going to a good cause.