1992 - 10/1992 Meeting

Page Created: 09/25/10. Last Updated: 10/27/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 02/02/08.

JEANNE CAVELOS

Ms Cavelos' website is: http://www.sff.net/people/jcavelos/.

Books:

Babylon 5: Casting Shadows

Babylon 5: Invoking Darkness

Babylon 5: The Shadow Within

Babylon 5: Summoning Light

The Science of Star Wars

The Science of The X-Files

MEETING SUMMARY:

Meeting Date: October 10, 1992.

Meeting Site: Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Official Attendance: 31.

Meeting Program: Talk by Horror book editor.

Notes:

The Dell Abyss line was discontinued subsequent to Ms Cavelos' talk at the meeting. She currently runs the Odyssey science fiction writers' workshop, provides editorial services, and writes genre fiction and non fiction.

Meeting Memories:

Newsletter Account:

Last month's meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held at the Methodist Church on Saturday, October 10, 1992. Jeanne Cavelos, the editor of the Dell Abyss horror line, as well as certain other projects, was the evening speaker.

Attendance at the pre-meeting activities was spotty. The Asimov's meeting never quite got off the ground, although they did make a new recruit in Steven Ferrara. Turnout for the chess tournament was light, although some of that may be attributed to a conflict with a chess demonstration in a nearby mall. The Markland sword fighters arrived late, but seemed to have an acceptable workout.

The writers groups continue to do well in their own chaotic way. The 2 PM group flowed into the 5 PM group without a formal change as people came and went over the course of the day. At various times the following members were present: Philip De Parto, Charles Garofalo, Douglas Finch, Jackie Hecht, Chris and Pat Nash, Jeanette and Maxine Kappler, and Rick Mac Namara, as well as non members Lonny Buinis, Thomas Purdy, and Joel Ryerson.

Short fiction read and critiqued included "First Contact" by Patricia Nash, a story set in the same world as her Michael Mc Carthy tales but hundreds of years earlier, and "The Carousel of Mirrors," a Bradburyesque horror piece by newcomer Rick Mac Namara. There were also readings of works in progress by Charles Garofalo and Jeanette Kappler.

Almost as important, Jacqueline Hecht agreed to take up the reins of the 5 PM group, a post which has remained vacant for the past six months.

Jeanne Cavelos' talk in the evening was well received. Although she has other responsibilities as well, she has three separate projects of interest to the group.

The Dell/Abyss horror line is her best-known offspring. Ms Cavelos talked about the origin of Abyss, of how she was able to convince her superiors to commit to a new venture at a time when every other horror publisher was cutting back and proclaiming that horror ws dead.

The line has aggressively sought out new writers and pushed for cutting-edge horror. It has been heavily promoted with advertising and routinely employs special "gimmicks" like cut-away covers and foil lettering. Not to everyone's taste, the books have won critical praise and awards by those who do not mind the graphic storytelling.

A second area the editor has exploited is the trade paperback. These are the oversized softcovers which occupy a small niche between mass market paperbacks and hardcovers. Among the fantasy and science fiction authors she has brought back into print in this format are E R Eddison, William F Nolan, and Robert Anton Wilson. Ms Cavelos feels that this is a very useful format for certain works whose appeal makes them a slow but steady earner.

The third project is her newest. It is a line of graphic novels like the Frank Miller/Dave Gibbons opus, GIVE ME LIBERTY, originally published by Dark Horse Comics. She said that her biggest difficulty in marketing this line is that the stars of the comic book field do not have name recognition for the person who shops in a regular bookstore. Her fantasy is to do original graphic novels by superstars in the book field--Stephen King, for instance--but does not envision anything like this happening in the immediate future.

I had warned her that she'd be getting a lot of questions from me as our group is notoriously question-shy. The influx of new people into the S.F.A.B.C. has brought a more vocal group to our meetings. People were interested and the questions kept coming from the audience.

After the meeting was over, Lonny Buinis led a group outside to the front lawn to scan the heavens with his telescope. Thanks to Paul Dellechiaie who also brought a telescope. While that was happening outside, Philip De Parto was showing the debut episode of WOOPS!, a sort of post-atomic GILLIGAN'S ISLAND.

William Benthake, Charles Garofalo, and Steve Piva won free books. The Association welcomes newcomers Steve Ferrero, Rick Mac Namara, and Steven Piva. Thanks are also extended to Bobbie Smith and Jeanne Cavelos who donated books to the club.