Book Review: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer—The Harvest" by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Harvest by Richie Tankersley Cusick (Archway, 1997)

For the last few months, I’ve been interested in sf and fantasy creators who have experienced extreme, severe reputational failures and falls in their careers. First came New York magazine’s ham-fisted confessional feature, "The Undoing of Joss Whedon," in January, which explored the rise and fall of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenwriter and then showrunner who went on to write and direct The Avengers. In that article, Whedon—once a fan favorite—didn’t really explain or apologize for his misogyny and mistreatment of cast, crew, and others, but instead came across as just another tone-deaf man who couldn’t gracefully cope with or manage unexpected, newfound power and authority.

Instead of disavowing Whedon’s past work because of his reported emotional abuse and affairs, I chose instead to revisit Buffy, which I wasn’t an avid fan of when it first aired, but in which I’ve been interested because of its once-active fandom and online community. (The decision surprised my wife; we both find it challenging to enjoy Woody Allen movies or Louis CK’s comedy now that we know more about them.) Since the article was published, I’ve watched several episodes of Buffy: "Welcome to the Hellmouth," "The Harvest," and "Witch," which aired March 10 and March 17, 1997. I also read the 1997 tie-in novelization of the first two episodes—really a two-part pilot—Richie Tankersley Cusick's The Harvest.

The TV show, which is enjoyable, comes off as a bit dated more than two decades later—that Nerf Herder theme song!—and the novelization is a pretty straightforward beat-by-beat adaptation of the first two episodes, adding very little in terms of literature. Regardless, I’d watch and read more—and the tie-in novel has inspired an interest in other TV tie-in writing, specifically that surrounding Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider.

Admittedly, I feel guilty revisiting Whedon’s work, but it was once important and meant a lot to a lot of fans at the time. Part of me rationalizes the rubbernecking by considering whether Whedon’s abuse of power had started yet that early in his career. Regardless, it’s an interesting experience revisiting the work of people who are now much less respected and revered than they once were. (This review was previously published in slightly different form in the APA-L apazine Telegraphs & Tar Pits #4.)

Quotes of Note: A.E. van Vogt, "Mission: Interplanetary" I

 Quotes of Note from Mission: Interplanetary by A.E. van Vogt:

"There are at least two reasons why a territory becomes uninhabited. One is lack of food. The other is war." (p. 12)

"[T]he first step is a merciless questioning of all that was once held sacred." (p. 16)

"Space madness ... was a meaningless phrase... . The fact that men had gone insane in space from loneliness, fear, and tension did not make a special sickness of it." (p. 26)

"[T]he end result might well be death for people who had inflexible ways of dealing with unusual danger." (p. 37)

"[B]ehind the grosser aspects of any science there is an intricate tie-up with other sciences." (pp. 39-40)

"Nexialism is the science of joining in an orderly fashion the knowledge of one field of learning with that of other fields." (p. 46)

"I've been laboring for years under the delusion that mathematicians were scientists." (p. 48)

"[A] man who is right often enough gets a hearing in a crisis." (p. 50)

"[F]rom the beginning of time, the unthinking majority has paid the price of obeying without question the commands of leaders whose motivations they didn't trouble themselves to inquire into." (p. 59)

"[C]ivilizations ... seem to be born, grow older, and die of old age." (p. 60)

"[R]ight now we are making the mistakes that lead to decay." (p. 60)

"The outstanding common denominator of the 'winter' periods of civilization is the growing comprehension on the part of millions of individuals of how things work." (p. 60)

"For better or worse, the fight usually takes place within the framework of a legal system that tends to protect the entrenched minority." (p. 61)

"The human mind normally balanced innumerable opposing impulses so that the average individual might live his life span without letting one feeling gain important ascendance over the others." (p. 65)

"There's only one sure protection against hypnosis, and that is to be trained in it exactly the right way." (p. 70)

"Mind reading would stultify the development of any race... ." (p. 70)

LOC for The Obdurate Eye #15

The following is a letter of comment sent to Garth Spencer, editor of The Obdurate Eye, commenting on #15.

Dear Mr. Spencer:

Having recently come across your fanzine The Obdurate Eye #15 on eFanzines—my first exposure to your writing—I wanted to send a brief letter of comment. So I shall.

What method do you use to lessen the size of your apazine files? I just recently started submitting my apazines to Bill Burns for inclusion in eFanzines—and returned to the National Fantasy Fan Federation’s N’APA after a 13-year absence—and would welcome any tips and tricks you can offer. 

Regardless of your technical challenges accessing television, what programs have you sought out via Chromecast TV, Google Home, and your tablet? I tend not to watch TV or online videos on my iPad, but did welcome the opportunity to do so while preparing for a couple of medical procedures earlier this year. I was pleased as punch to be able to access our cable TV DVR on my tablet (a Svengoolie episode), as well as Crunchyroll (Astro Boy). I hope that you’re over the worst of your bout with COVID-19.

Your commentary on linguistics and semantics reminded me of one of my favorite sayings, which I don’t get to use often enough: Jargon is just slang for lingo. In one particular apa I’m active in, participants occasionally pick nits about word selection. A recent instance inspired me to jokingly respond using a purposeful misspelling. However, much to my disappointment, no one pointed it out. (At a recent LASFS meeting, my mispronunciation of comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz’s name—which was decidedly incorrect—was corrected by a fellow fan; to my amusement, that correction was then also corrected, by someone who actually knows Sienkiewicz.)

The excerpt from your autobiography commenting on the challenges facing convention organizers and the value of newszines in terms of fostering common knowledge made me think of Filthy Pierre’s The Con Committee’s Guide (available at https://tinyurl.com/runacon). It’s a little dated—1984—but remains my go-to source when I have questions about con organizing. What did you do with The Maple Leaf Rag to foster common knowledge? Regardless, I’ve experienced much the same; sometimes people are fine just muddling through.

How to Human’s definition of “Agenda in Life” made me think about Sam Lubell’s approach to breaking down avocational projects: Project Classics, Project History, Project Trek, and Project Shakespeare. Being explicit about one’s areas of focus and interest is something I’ve done on an informal basis—and I think the concept merits additional consideration. I remember being surprised when I first learned there were multiple phonetic alphabets. In addition to the NATO phonetic alphabet, Western Union also had one of its own, for example.

In the letter column, Lloyd Penney’s remark on Kumospace—”[W]ith hundreds, if not thousands of social media platforms, it’s doing an even better job of keeping us apart”—gave me pause. Given recent news about Twitter, where I curate articles related to business, marketing, technology, culture, and fandom almost every day—Elon Musk bought it—I’ve been considering returning to blogging more actively. We’ll see how well my tweets transform into longer-form blog entries at http://mediadiet.net/—as well as whether anyone finds or engages with them. Already, the N3F, in which I’m active, has some members who participate in Facebook, some involved in MeWe (another social media platform), and some not online at all. Even our clubzines don’t reach a critical mass of our members.

So your comment that even at cons in the 1980s, the shared understanding—or common knowledge, again!—of what fandom was piqued my interest. I’ve seen this in recent years at the San Diego Comic-Con, the Los Angeles Comic Book Convention… and less so at Loscon, which is much less of a mediacon and therefore attracts fewer “tourists.” I missed the most recent Gallifrey One, so I’m not sure how much of a traditional con it is these days. But there definitely seems to be more room for people less involved in fandom to participate in such events. Personally, I think it’s caused by the wider range of online outlets for fandom and information of a fannish nature, which were previously served through cons, fanzines, and the like—fandom has entered the mainstream to some extent. I also think the multitude of entry points is a good thing. But we do need to be more mindful of the capabilities and needs of that broader spectrum of fen.

Thank you for encouraging readers to submit book reviews to The N3F Review of Books. I second the motion! You can see some recent reviews of my own in the March 2022 edition. And I just sent Mr. Phillies another batch of reviews for the forthcoming issue. Even if you review books for a fanzine or apazine, we’re open to reprints. Right now, we depend heavily on several online sources and are looking to diversify our reviewers.

Well, that’s it for now. I hope you and yours are doing well. I’m currently reading A.E. van Vogt’s Mission: Interplanetary, which is enjoyable so far—and tonight is movie night with a friend: either In the Year 2889 or Mars Needs Women, both directed by Larry Buchanan.

Music Video of the Day: Garotas Suecas, "Difícil de Domar"

 

Daily Headlines for April 26, 2022

Newsmax using climate change outrage to lure paid newsletter subscribers
Newsmax's "free" anti-climate change book comes with an auto-renewing subscription.

Shoot em up! How TV fell in love with video games

From Halo and Resident Evil to emo apocalypse thriller The Last of Us, video game adaptations are storming our screens. Is this a fast-track to quality TV – or a cynical cash grab?

Mattel launches He-Man game on Roblox

Hello Kitty makes its debut on Roblox with a restaurant game

Technology is saving the live sports experience

The Amazon Labor Union beat a behemoth — can it keep winning?

The Amazon Labor Union has a chance to prove it can keep winning

BioWare might be the next game studio with unionized workers in its midst

It’s unclear how BioWare or its parent company, EA, may respond to the organizing efforts

Hack on Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs leads to $3m simian oblivion

Latest mass theft of digital art assets is carried out by phishing post on Instagram

The funding gap in start-up investing

How to reframe your anxiety over a shortage of talent

Too many leaders think of talent management as win-lose scenario, but it’s actually better to focus on employee satisfaction—especially during a talent crunch.

How to interview and hire for entry-level digital marketing positions

Does your agency or brand need to hire employees with little or no digital marketing experience? Try these helpful tips and questions.

We’ve declared our company remote first. Here’s how we’re engaging everyone without office perks

Crunchbase’s chief marketing officer explains what they’ve invested in when catered lunches and enticing outdoor spaces went away.

Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer says this one element sets innovative companies apart

At Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Summit, the Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO discussed how her time at Starbucks and on Amazon’s board shaped her.

Uncovering the hidden gems of Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American parks

Olmsted is best known for designing Central Park, but he also designed hundreds of other spaces around the country. A new guide highlights some of his lesser-known works.

The climate bystander effect is real. But these leaders are out on a ledge trying to fight it

BlocPower’s Donnel Baird and Stripe’s Nan Ransohoff talk about why we can’t sit back and assume other people are trying to solve climate change.

This rooftop coating uses sunlight to actively cool your house

SolCold designed a four-layer material that absorbs some particles of light—then uses them to conduct a reaction that turns heat into a cooling mechanism.

Shigeru Miyamoto announces the delay of the Super Mario Bros. movie

The new release date was moved to early April 2023.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair review – exhilarating gaming-horror mashup

Teen Casey joins an occult online game in this unnerving experiment in form by trans film-maker Jane Schoenbrun

Apple TV+ hosts the London premiere of 'The Essex Serpent' starring Tom Hiddleston & Claire Danes

The new Apple TV+ show will arrive on screens on May 13.

Something sinister is lurking in The Essex Serpent’s first trailer

The new Apple series is an adaptation of author Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel

Watch the trailer for Apple TV+ period drama 'The Essex Serpent' now

The new show will premiere on May 13.

'Severance' rides high, sits 3rd in most-streamed shows from last week

The popular Severance continues to be a streaming winner for Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ host John Stewart wins a prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Stewart was recognized for a 16-year career and his work to help 9/11 emergency service workers.

Book Review: "Brood of the Witch-Queen" by Sax Rohmer

Brood of the Witch-Queen by Sax Rohmer (C. Arthur Pearson, 1918)

Apparently, I’ve been on a bit of an occult fantasy kick in recent months. Perhaps inspired by Moira Greyland’s memoir and subsequent reading of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Dark Satanic, as well as watching the recent Guillermo del Toro movie Nightmare Alley—and then reading the original 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham—there’s something in the air, water… or at least in my reading pile.

This wonderful 1918 novel, written by Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward under his pen name more commonly associated with Dr. Fu Manchu, picks up where Dark Satanic leaves off, almost—and digs deeper into some of the occult activities that might have been undertaken by the antagonists in Bradley’s much more recent novel. Rohmer’s action-packed, globe-trotting book details the trials and tribulations of Dr. Bruce Cairn and his son as they chase Antony Ferrara around their home city—and to Egypt—trying to determine just the cause, nature, and extent of his occult power.

It’s not an easy effort, and the heroic pair, as well as their friends and loved ones, come close to death or madness several times. Chapter 8, "The Scorpion Wind," reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Masque of the Red Death" as Ferrara—and a sandstorm—approach a hotel party complete with military band in Cairo from the depths of the Sahara Desert, emboldened and enlarged by collective belief in Khamsin, a hot wind some thought to be caused by an efreet. As the plot proceeds, elemental forces decidedly come into play, and the scenes set in the bowels of a pyramid and pharoah’s tomb are among the most claustrophobic, intense, and suspenseful I’ve ever read. As is the scene with ghostly beetles in the apartment of Cairn’s son.

Parts of the book read as though the book was originally serialized, which I don’t believe it was, and there are several instances in which the book resets, jumps locales, or otherwise changes direction, all in the service of keeping the narrative going for just a little longer. It’s not entirely a seamless read. Regardless, the book is a fun read, and notable. No less than H.P. Lovecraft referred to the novel in "Supernatural Horror in Literature."

This review previously appeared in March 2022 edition of The N3F Review of Books.

A Record of Interest: Illumishade, "Eclyptic—Wake of Shadows"

Recommended listening: Illumishade, Eclyptic—Wake of Shadows

Record of the Day: Moonlight Haze, "Animus"

Today's favored listening: Moonlight Haze, Animus

Quotes of Note: Jack L. Chalker, "Midnight at the Well of Souls"

Quotes of Note from Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker:

“[R]eality [is] the stabilized, transmuted primal energy.” (p. 283)

“[E]ven perfection is imperfect… .” (p. 283)

“[N]ot merely to love others, but to be loved as well … is the ultimate point of life… .” (p. 284)

“When love is meaningless, or abstract, or misunderstood, then is that person or race also meaningless.” (p. 284)

“There’s hope. And despair, too.” (pp. 285-286)

“[T]he religious prophets who made it were the ones who thought in … political terms… .” (p. 286)

“[P]eople who love people no matter what their form or looks.” (p. 295)

“Monsters aren’t racial, they’re in the mind.” (p. 296)

“Nothing equals anything, really; the equal sign is strictly for the imposed structure of the universe. Rather, everything is relative to everything else.” (p. 320)

“Utopia wasn’t fulfillment, it was stagnation.” (p. 320)

“We are the sum of our past, good as well as bad.” (p. 332)

“Don’t … run away from your fears. Face them! Stand up to them! Fight them with goodness, mercy, charity, compassion! Lick them!” (p. 334)

“When the end justifies any means, you are no better, perhaps worse, than those you despise.” (p. 335)

LOC for Tightbeam #331

The following is a letter of comment sent to George Phillies, editor of Tightbeam, commenting on #331.

Dear Mr. Phillies:

Jose Sanchez’s cover to Tightbeam #331 (April 2022) is amazing! Between this cover and Alan White’s recent cover for Eldritch Science, we’re really pulling out all the stops in terms of cover art in recent months. The back cover, while an older piece, is also impressive. Wonderful book ending, and what a joy to behold. I look forward to seeing more of Jose’s work.

    I like your use of the phrase “N3F Revival.” We are indeed enjoying fine days in terms of fanzine and apa activity. The migration of some material from Tightbeam to FanActivity Gazette makes total sense thematically, and we now have a proper newszine. I was sorry to hear that Silver Empire shut up shop. Hopefully, if rights to the works they published weren’t already held by the writers, the rights have reverted so we can see other publishers reprint and distribute their former catalog. I wasn’t familiar with them previously, so I don’t even know what I was missing. But “heroic, wondrous adventure fiction” sounds up my alley.

    Graham J. “GrayJay” Darling’s letter of comment on the mistaken origin of the unicorn and its cultural importance goes beyond my brief comments in response to Tightbeam #330, and I resonated with his reference to Physiologus and T.H. White’s consideration of the unicorn as an “ur-wild beast that could only be tamed by a gentle maiden.”

    While I was somewhat familiar with the recent scandal involving comic book and fiction author Warren Ellis, I was unaware he’d penned an anime, FreakAngels, as reviewed by Jessi Silver. Interestingly, it started as a Web comic and was later collected and published by Avatar Press, which has published multiple Ellis comics over the years. I might have to look for the Avatar edition before checking out the animated series.

    Thomas E. Simmons’s comic book reviews are a welcome addition, and we get reviews of three issues of Shogun Warriors! I have the third issue and another in storage and will have to return to the series based on Simmons’s comments. I hope to see more of his writing in the future.

    I appreciated Jon D. Swartz’s bio-bibliography of Frederik Pohl. His origins in the Futurians, fandom, and sf magazines are fascinating, and Mr. Swartz’s profile makes me want to return to his writing. I have a handful of his books cataloged in my personal library, including Alternating Currents, Shadow of Tomorrow, Space Merchants, and the anthology Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3. Which do you recommend I dip into first?

    Will Mayo’s short reviews are always welcome, and we end the issue with your recipe for Greek stew. I’ve yet to make any of the recipes offered in Cedar Sanderson’s column. Have any Neffers made anything in particular that they’d recommend?

    Thanks to all who submitted content to this ish of Tightbeam. It was well worth reading.

LOC for The National Fantasy Fan Vol. 81 #3

The following is a letter of comment sent to George Phillies, editor of The National Fantasy Fan, commenting on Vol. 81 #3.

Dear Mr. Phillies:

I received the March issue of The National Fantasy Fan (Vol. 81 #3) a few weeks ago, but it’s still the most recent ish on hand, so I still have time to comment. Phew! Kudos on undertaking the herculean task that is the Neffy Awards. You should still have my nominations from December; feel free to use as many of them as you see fit for the current categories. I am looking forward to the opportunity to vote on the best of 2021!

    What Facebook groups do you recommend members join? I’ve been enjoying the N3F Facebook and MeWe groups and have recently branched out to checking out a few others. Depending on a Neffers’ involvement and participation in fandom, folks might also appreciate and enjoy the FAAnEds, SF Fandom, Corflu 39, and Science Fiction groups—among others. I’d love to know which groups you recommend.

    Mr. Trainor, I would welcome the opportunity to buy an N3F T-shirt, perhaps screen printed with the illo in the top left corner of thish’s cover. That’s a mighty fine looking logo. Is it the work of Alan White? Even the older logo included on the N3F’s Fancyclopedia 3 Web page would make an excellent T-shirt. I continue to support the idea of an N3F gathering or mini-convention in Nevada next fall. Neffercon! I plan to wear my club T-shirt there.

    Welcome to new members Amy Brodhead, Tiffanie Gray, Lisa Nybaek, Lisbet Rasmussen, Ed Stapleton, Michael Williamson, Clark Wilson, Jami Wilson, Jagi Lamplighter Wright, and John C. Wright. I’m glad you joined.

    For those of you who haven’t worked with the Writer’s Exchange Bureau yet, let me tell you: It’s worth it! Not too long ago, I sent in a short story for comment and feedback. Not one, but two fellow Neffers—Judy Carroll and Denise Fisk—spent time with my story and sent thoughtful, in-depth feedback that will be eminently useful as I revise and continue to work on the story. Thank you very much to those involved in the bureau. Revisiting the piece given your input could even lead to a submission to the annual short story contest! I appreciate your help and support.

    I bet Lloyd Penney’s right. In his letter of comment, he suggests that the old N3F Fische Bureau might have trafficked in microfiche. I know that well into the ’90s, as a university student, researcher, and journalist, I was often called on to use microfiche to access the archives of various newspapers. It would have made sense—and been future-thinking—at the time to reduce fanzines and other fannish materials to such a format. I wonder where all that stuff ended up! Just imagine a stockpile of old fannish microfiche. Shiver!

       Bob Jennings makes an excellent suggestion for next year’s Neffys: Offer separate categories for Best Novel and Best Anthology. That makes total sense to me. Bob, your update on the later Planet Comics reprints and revitalized series (Blackthorn, Pacific) was welcome indeed. And speaking of comic books, John Swartz’s shift from classic franchise characters to sf- and fandom-related comic book titles is a welcome transition. His profile of Mystery in Space inspired me to turn to the portion of my comic book collection that I’ve cataloged to see what I have on hand to read. Alas, I haven’t documented any from that series yet, but I do have two issues of Strange Adventures that I’ve cataloged. I’ll have to revisit them. The Interplanetary Insurance and Space Cabby stories sound interesting, if a little goofy and mundane. And your inclusion of Ron Goulart’s works in the Sources listing was poignant given his death in January (https://tinyurl.com/GoulartObit).

    A solid issue with plenty to explore and learn. Looking forward to the next ish!

LOC for Nice Distinctions #34

The following is a letter of comment sent to Arthur Hlavaty, editor of Nice Distinctions, commenting on issue #34.

Dear Mr. Hlavaty:

Thank you for emailing me Nice Distinctions #34. It’s been a while since we’ve exchanged zines or correspondence, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. What a delightful surprise. I see that ND is also available as a PDF, as mentioned on the Robert Anton Wilson Twitter account last month—and posted on eFanzines, no less. That’s slightly easier to read, but I quite like the lo-fi approach of a text-only email. Where do you post on social media? Facebook, I gather; I haven’t explored your LiveJournal in recent days. Regardless, two years between issues is a long time, though understandable given the pandemic. It’s good to have you in my inbox.

While I’m sorry to hear about your health concerns, I’m glad you’re relatively hale and hearty. Reading what you consider the best of your social media commentary is an interesting experience. It’s a free-flowing stream of consciousness, similar to my Common Book items in the weekly email newsletter Media Diet—or Dave Hickey’s Wasted Words and Dust Bunnies, books that collected his social media posts from almost a decade ago. The result is a fun and thought-provoking peek into what’s going on inside that skull of yours.

I enjoyed the random walk through your comments on technology, privacy, politics, science fiction, fanzines, Octavia Butler reprints, transgression, police brutality, the pandemic, gender and race, fandom, cover art, and other topics. I was intrigued by your comment on sf authors contributing to men’s magazines such as Playboy and Rogue. I’ll have to explore that further. I’ll also have to check out Outworlds #71—sounds like a bumper issue!

But mostly you added to my reading list: Isaac Asimov, Butler, Harlan Ellison, Robert A. Heinlein (I recently enjoyed The Door into Summer, which was… made into a movie!), Hugh Kenner, Roger Zelazny, and others. And I’m inspired to seek you out more on Facebook. You don’t always show up in the algorithm-driven stream.

Hope you’re well, and glad to see you continuing to publish. I’ve enjoyed remaining in your loop over the years.