Wilderness
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Wilderness |
| Author(s): | Lorraine Bartlett & Laurie Haldeman |
| Date(s): | 1978 |
| Length: | 130 pages |
| Genre(s): | gen |
| Fandom(s): | Starsky and Hutch |
| Relationship(s): | |
| External Links: | |
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Wilderness was published in 1978 (probably summer) and a 130-page highly influential Starsky and Hutch story that makes up the entire second issue of the gen zine Zebra Three. Written by Lorraine Bartlett & Laurie Haldeman, it is widely mentioned as one of the the h/c fics that started it all.
It is illustrated and edited by Connie Faddis.
It won an Encore Award.
Summary
Summary from a 1978 flyer:
Hutch wins a bet and gleefully drags a gripping Starsky off on a backpacking expedition as far away from LA's crowds and smog as he can manage. It's a wonderful escape... until the solitude turns from a haven to a trap, and Hutch is left facing the possibility that the price of his vacation could be Starsky's life.
Author's Notes
The author notes in the zine:
Publisher's note to those buying a xerox of this issue: My apologies for the poor quality repro on this issue. The original version of this story was printed on fibertone paper, hence the stray marks on the text and some illustrations. I have tried to repair the worst to the light print.
Some Art from the Story
from issue #2, Hutch and Captain Dobey
from issue #2, "You Just Killed My Partner," also referred to as "the holding scene," this piece was the winner of an Encore Award in 1979 and possibly 1980
from issue #2
from issue #2
from issue #2
Reactions and Reviews
1978
As a forfeit for losing a bet, Starsky is obliged to accompany his partner on a back-packing trip to the mountains. Once away from the amenities of civilization (defined as johns, burritos and girls, poor Kenneth Clark), he falls violently ill, and Hutch must find help for him and deal with his own rampant guilt feelings. The characterizations are well—executed, and the prose, while it lacks the mature control and the polish of a Connie Faddis or a Lindner, is fluid and eminently readable. Rapid growth should come with experience. Indeed, one appreciates this piece not only For itself, but for the promise it bears of still finer things to come, the quality of which is glimpsed in the sequence in which Hutch administers an injection to a grousing-but-trusting Starsky, and in the final scene. “Wilderness” is a solid and entertaining read that kept me awake and turning pages until 3 a.m.; with my 'beginning—to-becoming-jaded tastes that is no mean feat. The art, all by Faddis is sparse but excellent. Both issues, highest recommended. [1]
Z-3-II is a novel, completely and complete in this issue, by Lorraine Bartlett and Laurie Haldeman, entitled "Wilderness." Starsky, having lost a bet with his partner, must go backpacking into the mountains and there contracts a Mysterious illness. Not surprisingly, it's rather well written, being thoroughly edited by CFaddis and JLindner, and critiqued by the rest of LAPD East's round robin. There's a hell of a lot of convincing medical detail, and enough hurt/comfort to satiate anybody. Only rabid anti-S&H folks should pass up these zines. If you're at least neutral, you ought to give 'em a try. I bet you a nickel you'll like them.
Contents - 4 Graphics - 4 SWorth - 4. [2]
1979
An innovative writer could, I supposed, find a new way to do it, or a variation on the message to deliver. But innovation & originality, they're rare. I have a feeling that we're all going to be gritting our teeth through a plethora of insanely written reiterations of "Wilderness." Dreary, dreary. [3]
1985
What does your average S&H fan like? This novella reads like the answer to that question, in parts. There is a PLOT. There is physical and mental 'payne&aguny'. There is h/c in spades. And it's not badly written, either.
Let's begin at the beginning. Hutch has persuaded Starsky to accompany him on a camping trip, and Starsk, though not keen, doesn't bitch too much. Hutch is his buddy, and what Hutch wants, he'll provide. Not without a little sniping, of course, since he doesn't want Hutch to get the idea that his partner's a pushover. However, before the vacation can start, the boys are involved in an accident. No serious harm done, they think, and take off for the tall timber. All is beautiful. Hutch is enjoying the wildlife, the scenery, and all the other outdoorsy stuff he 1ikes so much. Starsky isn't so enamoured of it, but what the hell, if Hutch gets off on playing Grizzly Adams...
The second day, he isn't so sure this is fun. He doesn't feel too good. He has this pain...
And Hutch, who wanted to get-away-from-it-al1, finds himself trying to cope with a seriously-ill Starsky in the middle of nowhere, with the only help being a Forest Ranger who isn't all he seems.
Its a tense pacy story, told with enthusiasm and skill. Faddis' art is of a high standard, p89 being one of "the most effective. The printing is readable, and layout good.
Altogether, a Good Read. Recommended! *** rating. [4]
1991
With fewer that 15 S&H zines, my choices are somewhat limited. But I would have to say "Wilderness". It was one of the first zines I got my hands on, and I couldn't stop reading and re reading it for weeks. Reminded me of my favorite episode (SHOOTOUT), so that must have had something to do with it, too. [5]
1996
Vol. 2 [of Zebra Three] consists of a lengthy novella called "Wilderness." Starsky and Hutch go camping and Murphy's Law goes into overdrive. Everything that can go wrong, does... Again, well-written and superbly illustrated. [6]
2012
This is a wonderful Hurt/Comfort story, one of the best ever written. It concerns both of them going hiking in the mountains and running into danger. I don’t want to tell you the kind of danger because it would spoil the story. But this leaves you with the kind of a good feeling because you can just see this happening in your mind. It is set between the second and third aired seasons. [7]
Complaints About Piracy
From S and H #12 (summer 1980), the publisher complains about fans xeroxing copies of Wilderness and giving them to friends:
It’s made 50+ people who’ve been waiting for the reprint wait up to close to another year longer before I was willing to tackle the job again. It’s very easy to reprint a mimeo zine, if the stencils are intact, BUT how many of the readers actually realize the time/effort that goes into printing/collating/punching/bradding/stuffing envelopes/taping envelopes and taking an hour every week to have the zines individually weight at the post office? Why should I go through the trouble of printing/collating etc. for 10 people?" In the same issue, she says that she will "reprint Wilderness in July and August (probably July since the guarantee on the mimeo runs out July 30th, and if it’s going to break down, I’d prefer it does so before I have to pay for repairs.)" She writes that she is going to run off 100 copies and, "then Laurie and I are going to burn the stencils.
In issue #13 of that letterzine, a zine editor replies:
Good grief, Lorraine. I can’t imagine anybody sending another fan to jail [a reference a letter in the previous issue about copyright] for Xeroxing a zine. I’d rather write fifty letters of permission than try to sort through stencils after rigor mortis sets in. In fact, once 1-shot’s sold out, I’ll happily grant permission… and on that happy day, I will put a notice anywhere that’ll print it. Besides, saying that there will be no further reprints of Wilderness means that anyone who can’t live without a copy has to turn to the photocopier.
References
- ^ by Jane Aumerle, from a 1978 review published in Mahko Root #2
- ^ from Paula Smith in Menagerie #14
- ^ from S and H #1. In 1979, fans were already complaining about the same stories being written over and over again. A fan, ironically this story's illustrator, notes that rescue/get'em stories seem to dominate.
- ^ review by Terri Beckett in APB #33
- ^ from a fan listing her favorite SH zine, from Frienz #13
- ^ from Black Bean Soup v.2 n.22 (June 1996)
- ^ from a 2012 eBay seller