In
which we take a closer look at each issue. For our capsule
history of the magazine, go here.
Volume
2, Number 3 (June, 1982)
Cover
Art: Malcolm McNeill (for Richard Matheson’s
“The Doll”)
TZ
Publications, Inc.
President
& Chairman: S. Edward Orenstein
Secretary/Treasurer:
Sidney Z. Gellman
Executive
Vice-Presidents: Leon Garry, Eric
Protter
Executive
Publisher: S. Edward Orenstein
Publisher:
Leon Garry
Associate
Publisher and Consulting Editor: Carol
Serling
Editorial
Director: Eric Protter
Editor:
T.E.D. Klein
Managing
Editor: Jane Bayer
Assistant
Editors: Steven Schwartz, Robert
Sabat
Contributing
Editors: Gahan Wilson, Thomas M.
Disch
Design
Director: Michael Monte
Art
and Studio Production: Georg the
Design Group
Production
Director: Stephen J. Fallon
Controller:
Thomas Schiff
Assistant
to the Publisher: Judy Borrman
Public
Relations Manager: Jeffrey Nickora
Accounting
Manager: Chris Grossman
Circulation
Director: William D. Smith
Circulation
Manager: Janice Graham
Eastern
Circulation Manager: Hank Rosen
Western
Newsstand Consultant: Harry Sommer
Advertising
Manager: Rachel Britapaja
Adv.
Production Manager: Marina Despotakis
Advertising
Representatives: Barney O’Hara &
Associates, Inc.
Contents:
--In the Twilight Zone: “The mind’s eye
. . .”
--Other Dimensions: Books by Thomas M.
Disch
--Other Dimensions: Screen by Gahan
Wilson
--Other Dimensions: Music by Jack
Sullivan
--Other Dimensions: Etc.
--“Browning’s Lamps” by David Nemec
--Fantasy in Clay, photographs by Scott
Hyde
--“Anniversary Dinner” by D.J. Pass
--“The Dark Ones” by Richard Christian
Matheson
--TZ Interview: Philip K. Dick
(1928-1982) by John Boonstra
--TZ Screen Preview: Blade Runner by James Verniere
--“Alan’s Mother” by Steve Rasnic Tem
--“Zombies” by Dolly Ogawa
--“Home Visit” by Roger Koch
--“Mrs. Halfbooger’s Basement” by
Lawrence C. Connolly
--“The Broken Hoop” by Pamela Sargent
--“Some Days Are Like That” by Bruce J.
Balfour
--Show-By-Show Guide: TV’s Twilight
Zone, Part Fifteen by Marc Scott Zicree
--“The Story Behind Richard Matheson’s
‘The Doll’” by Marc Scott Zicree
--TZ Discovery: “The Doll” by Richard
Matheson
--Looking Ahead: In July’s TZ
--In
the Twilight Zone: “The mind’s eye . . .” by T.E.D. Klein
-Klein
begins his editorial column with a reminiscence of fantasy writer John Collier (1901-1980),
author of many highly-regarded short stories, including “The Chaser,” which was
adapted for the first season of The Twilight
Zone by writer Robert Presnell, Jr. and
director Douglas Heyes. Collier also had several of his stories adapted on Alfred
Hitchcock Presents. Klein then introduces
the gem of the issue, Richard Matheson’s “The Doll,” a teleplay
originally slated for the fifth season of The Twilight Zone which went unproduced for over twenty years before appearing on Amazing Stories. The column finishes up with the customary
snippet bios of the issue’s contributors along with thumbnail images.
--Other
Dimensions: Books by Thomas M. Disch
-Disch takes
a look at T.H. White’s The Maharajah and
Other Stories, edited by Kurth Sprague,
and finds it competent but lacking the power of White’s masterpiece, The
Once and Future King. Disch next looks at
Michael Bishop’s No Enemy But Time and
praises its imaginative approach while also faulting the construction of the
novel’s time travel element. Disch is more critical of Spacetime Donuts by Rudy Rucker, which he feels lacks the
skill shown in Rucker’s first published novel, White Light. Finally, Disch absolutely skewers The
Engines of the Night by Barry N. Malzberg
(the author is left unnamed in the review), which he finds to be both defeatist and
self-serving. This personal history of science fiction writing was later
expanded by Malzberg as Breakfast in the Ruins: Science Fiction in the Last
Millennium, in which Malzberg writes
about the devastating effect Disch’s review had upon him.
--Other
Dimensions: Screen by Gahan Wilson
-Wilson
reviews Quest for Fire (1981), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud,
which was the subject of a full-color screen preview in the December, 1981 issue of Twilight
Zone Magazine (part 9 of our series).
Wilson generally praises the film with particular attention given to the
actors, the technicians who created the behavior and language of the characters, and the practical special effects.
--Other
Dimensions: Music by Jack Sullivan
-Sullivan
devotes his column on spectral music to Russian composer Dimitri
Shostakovich, giving particular attention to the composer’s struggles under the
oppressive Stalin regime. He covers these works:
Fourth
Symphony
Fifth
Symphony
Eighth
Symphony
Violin
Concerto No. 1
Tenth
Symphony
Symphony
No. 13
Symphony
No. 14
Sonata
for Violin and Piano
String
Quartet No. 15
--Other
Dimensions: Etc.
-A
new column for the magazine, described as “a department for you, the readers.
We’re looking for pithy views, provocative quotes, unusual photos, weird and
amusing newspaper items, surprising uses in the media of that magic phrase ‘The
Twilight Zone,’ and any other tidbits suggesting that the Twilight Zone exists
right here and now on earth.” Readers are encouraged to send in items with the
promise of a poster of Twilight Zone cat Maximilian. This column presents a
reader’s photos of gargoyles in Europe, a letter received by TZ Magazine
contributor Tom Seligson from director Wes Craven, two cartoons, a quote from
an H.P. Lovecraft letter giving recommended reading, and a quote from author Peter Straub on science
fiction.
Illustrated by Marty Blake
“Searching for the greatest batter in
baseball history, he discovered the dreadful secret of . . .”
-A
sports journalist discovers the story of baseball’s greatest hitter, who never
made it to the big leagues because of his lack of fielding skills. When the
journalist tracks the player down he discovers that the secret of the hitting
success lies in the man’s eyes. The journalist arranges to receive the man’s
eyes after the man’s death only to discover, almost too late, the high price
one pays for the gift of miracle sight.
-David
Nemec is described by T.E.D. Klein as “a New York writer whose most recent
novel was Bright Lights, Dark Rooms, published in 1980 by Doubleday, with two
more due to appear this October: Bad Blood from Dial and The Systems of M.R. Shurnas from Riverrun Press. Two of his stories have also been included in
Martha Foley’s yearly honor roll of Best American Short Stories.” Nemec (b. 1938) is equally well-known as a
baseball historian, as “Browning’s Lamps” capably demonstrates. The story does
take some pretty wild leaps of logic dealing with the transference of eyes but
is very well-written and engaging. It will hold particular interest for those
readers who are also interested in baseball.
--Fantasy
in Clay
Photographs by Scott Hyde
“The Martin Brothers, four Victorian
English potters, created a grotesque menagerie of ‘boobies, boojums, and
snarks.’”
-The
eccentric Victorian English brothers and potters Robert Wallace Martin, Walter Martin,
Edwin Martin, and Charles Martin are profiled on the occasion of a New York
gallery exhibit of their work. Their rather tragic lives are briefly discussed
followed by a photo gallery with many examples of their works.
--“Anniversary
Dinner” by D.J. Pass
Illustrated by Robert Morello
“A modern American cautionary tale about
onions, marijuana, and the generation gap.”
-A
pleasant old couple, who live semi-reclusive lives on their self-sustaining
farm, encounter a young female hitchhiker on one of their occasional trips into town.
They invite the young woman to stay the night at their farm and have her for
dinner, literally.
-This
humorous horror tale was memorably adapted for the first
season of Tales from the Darkside. That program mined quite a bit of material
from the pages of TZ Magazine. The story was adapted by writer James Houghton,
directed by John Strysik, and featured Mario Roccuzzo and Alice Ghostley as the
cannibal couple, and Fredrica Duke as their unfortunate dinner guest. It
first aired on February 3, 1985.
--“The
Dark Ones” by Richard Christian Matheson
Illustrated by Annie Alleman
“Hundreds pursued him – and the only
escape was death.”
-Richard Christian Matheson, son of TZ writer Richard Matheson, returns to the magazine with this darkly ironic short-short about the hunter and the hunted. Richard Christian Matheson at this
time was building a career as an acclaimed writer of dark short fiction after a
precocious beginning as a prolific television writer. “The Dark Ones” was
collected in Scars (1987).
--TZ
Interview: Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) by John Boonstra
Photographs by Kim Gottlieb
“A final interview with science
fiction’s boldest visionary, who talks candidly about Blade Runner, inner voices, and the temptations of Hollywood”
-Philip
K. Dick died on March 2, 1982, shortly after this interview was conducted. His
untimely death meant that Dick did not get to see how the film Blade Runner spawned
a small industry of films adapted from his novels and short stories. The
heartbreaking part of this interview is the optimistic tone struck by Dick, who
felt that he still had a lot of great work ahead of him and who also felt that
he was finally at a place to do the work he had wanted to do for years. The
interview covers all areas of Dick’s career, including his beginnings as a
writer, his mainstream work, his most recent novels, the novel he was currently
working on (the unfinished The Owl in Daylight), as well as Blade Runner, the
highly anticipated adaptation of Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep? Dick speaks about his initially
contentious relationship with the studio, his refusal to write a novelization
of the film, and his joy at reading the script changes made by writer David
Peoples. Dick also discusses how his fiction was related to the type of fantasy
presented on The Twilight Zone (though
he never wrote for the series), his marriages and divorces, and the ways in
which science fiction is reflected in modern society. This is essential reading
for fans of Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner, or science fiction in general.
--TZ
Screen Preview: Blade Runner by James
Verniere
Illustrated with stills from the film
“Harrison Ford confronts a world of
renegade androids in Ridley Scott’s film of the Philip K. Dick novel.”
-A
full-color preview of Blade Runner (1982), based on Philip K. Dick’s Do
Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968),
adapted by writers Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. James Verniere focuses on
the design of the film and the challenges of the production with quotes from
director Ridley Scott, screenwriter David Peoples, production designer Lawrence
G. Paull, and concept artist Syd Mead. Blade Runner was not initially successful financially or critically when it arrived
before audiences in 1982 but its reputation has steadily increased to the point
of being considered among the finest science fiction films ever made, and the
finest of the many adaptations of Philip K. Dick on screen. Author K.W. Jeter wrote three sequels to Blade Runner: The Edge of Human (1995), Replicant Night (1996), and Eye and Talon (2000). The definitive book on the making of the film is Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon. A sequel to the film, Blade Runner 2049, appeared in 2017 from director Denis Villeneuve.
--“Alan’s
Mother” by Steve Rasnic Tem
Illustrated by Harry Pincus
“She was wise in the ways of magic, but
she had something more important to teach: a lesson in reality.”
-A
meditation on childhood and the loss of innocence centered around a young boy
who comes to disbelieve his mother’s magic ways as he matures, thus spoiling
the ability for her magic to help him. Tem (b. 1950) is an award-winning and
highly-regarded author of dark fantasy novels and short stories. He appeared
earlier in the March, 1982 issue with the creepy and effective story, “Sleep.” “Alan’s Mother” is
a gentler tale of the ways in which cold reality can destroy the magic of the
world, and how rationality can destroy imagination. The story was reprinted in 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories (1995).
--“Zombies”
by Dolly Ogawa
Illustrated by Peter de Seve
“It was a real Rocky Horror show –
directed by his own mother.”
-A
spoiled, overgrown child of a man who cares about nothing except playing music
with his band the Zombies discovers that his mistreated mother has rented out
his bedroom to a very scary border. “Zombies” was a debut story from Ogawa. It
was reprinted in the Summer, 1985 issue of Night Cry.
Illustrated by D.W. Miller
“There was something subtly wrong over
at the Martin place . . . and those dead rats were the least of it!”
-Two
social workers pay a home visit to a frightening family who harbor a deadly
secret. This wonderfully nasty horror story would have been right at home in
the pages of a pre-code horror comic. It is part killer family story and part
creature feature with plenty of shocking detail. Koch once worked as a social
services case worker and used that experience to imagine this horrible scenario. The story was reprinted in the first issue of Night Cry.
--“Mrs.
Halfbooger’s Basement” by Lawrence C. Connolly
Illustrated by Ahmet Gorgun
“Was she a witch, or just a crazy old
lady? The answer (enough to make you scream) lay hidden in the darkness of . .
.”
--“The
Broken Hoop” by Pamela Sargent
Illustrated by Bruce Waldman
“Torn between two cultures, she also had
to choose between two worlds – and only one of them was real.”
--“Some
Days Are Like That” by Bruce J. Balfour
Illustrated by Randy Jones
“Being the last man on Earth wasn’t all
fun and games!”
-A
short-short about a man who returns from a trip to find himself the last person
on Earth, or so he believes. After days of boredom and despair he decides to
jump off a building only to hear a phone ringing on his way down. Balfour is
described as having interviewed many science fiction and fantasy writers for
magazines. “Some Days Are Like That” is his fiction debut.
--Show-By-Show
Guide: TV’s Twilight Zone: Part Fifteen by Marc Scott Zicree
-Zicree,
author of The Twilight Zone Companion, continues
his early guide to the series with cast and crew listings, summaries, and Rod
Serling’s narrations for the following fourth season episodes: “The New
Exhibit,” “Of Late I Think of Cliffordville,” and “The Incredible World of
Horace Ford.”
--“The
Story Behind Richard Matheson’s ‘The Doll’” by Marc Scott Zicree
-Zicree
provides the history of Richard Matheson’s teleplay with quotes from Matheson
himself. The teleplay was originally slated to appear during the fifth season
of The Twilight Zone when it was purchased by producer Bert
Granet. It was then shelved by producer William Froug after Granet’s departure
from the series due to the fact that Charles Beaumont’s (and Jerry Sohl’s)
“Living Doll” was already in production and two doll stories was more than
Froug wanted to do during one season. Matheson also divulges that he originally
pictured Martin Balsam and Mary LaRoche in the lead roles. Both of these
performers will be familiar to Zone viewers as Balsam appeared in “The Sixteen
Millimeter Shrine” and “The New Exhibit,” and LaRoche appeared in Matheson’s “A
World of His Own” and, ironically, Beaumont’s and Sohl’s “Living Doll.”
Illustrated by Perry A. Realo
“The ‘Twilight Zone’ episode you never
saw: a bittersweet saga of loneliness and love in which fate takes the form of
a dollmaker.”
-An middle-aged bachelor purchases a doll from an eccentric German doll maker as a gift
for his niece. When the niece seems disinterested in the doll, the bachelor
takes it back, intending to return it only to become smitten by its image of a
lovely woman. He returns to the doll maker to inquire about the model only to discover the woman who is the doll's likeness has become smitten by a doll which
resembles the bachelor. The doll maker, it seems, has worked a sort of magic to bring these two lonely people together.
-In
Marc Scott Zicree’s history of the teleplay he quotes Richard Matheson as
believing there is no longer a wide audience for the type of gentle fantasy
displayed in “The Doll.” Matheson arrived at this conclusion largely from the
fact that Somewhere in Time (1980), the film adaptation of his 1975
novel Bid Time Return, failed to find
a wide audience during its theatrical run (though it soon developed a rabid cult following). Matheson did not expect “The Doll”
to ever be produced. Happily, he was mistaken and “The Doll” was produced on
Steven Spielberg’s fantasy anthology program Amazing Stories. It was broadcast on May 4, 1986 as part of
the first season. It’s inclusion in this issue of TZ Magazine no doubt sparked Spielberg’s interest. The episode was directed by Phil Joanou and featured John
Lithgow, Anne Helm, Sharon Spelman, John Christopher Jones, Rainbow Phoenix,
and Albert Hague. Lithgow’s performance was awarded an Emmy. Two of Matheson’s
other stories were adapted for Amazing Stories, “One for the Books,” adapted by Matheson, and “Miss Stardust,” adapted
by Richard Christian Matheson.
--Looking
Ahead: In July’s TZ
-Next
month looks like another great issue. We get stories from Robertson Davies
(also interviewed), Lewis Shiner, Joe R. Lansdale, Joan Aiken, and Robert
Silverberg, as well as Rod Serling’s teleplay for “A Hundred Yards Over the
Rim.” Stephen King guest writes the film review column and there are also
features on Ghostly Britain and John Carpenter’s The Thing. See
you then!
-JP
Nice work as always, Jordan. I read these all when they came out and it's interesting to look back on them decades later to see which authors succeeded and which reviews were prescient. I saw Blade Runner when it came out and I also enjoyed the sequel not too long ago. Interesting that Anne Helm was in "The Doll," since she played another doll-like character in the Hitchcock adaptation of Bloch's "The Changing Heart." Perhaps that's why she was cast here.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jack! Though I don't like every story, the magazine continues to impress as I go along. I, too, greatly enjoy Blade Runner but haven't gotten around to the sequel yet. Very interesting about Anne Helm and you could be right about the casting.
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