Page Created: 09/18/10. Last Updated: 10/27/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 02/09/08.
RIC MEYERS
Selected Books:
Doomstar
Fear Itself
The Great Science Fiction Films
Living Hell
Return to Doomstar
Worst Nightmare
His My Space profile is: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=10593289.
Many of his film reviews can be found at: http://www.comicmix.com/contributor/ric-meyers/
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: September 11, 1993.
Meeting Site: Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 28
Meeting Program: Talk by author / reviewer.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 1993 Phiilp J De Parto:
A day of gorgeous weather greeted the Association in its return to the friendly confines of Upper Saddle River on Saturday, September 11, 1993. The pre meeting activities were held at the Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church and were a mixed bag in their turnout.
Surprisingly, the Writers' Critique Group was the best draw. At different times, the band consisted of Philip De Parto, Elizabeth Grout, Jessica Henkel, Jeanette Kappler, Maxine Kappler, Christopher Nash, newborn Elizabeth Nash, Patricia Nash, Robert Pinkus and Ed Ross. The earlybirds (Phil, Beth, Chuck, and Ed) warmed up by having Elizabeth Grout read a chapter of THE HARDY GIRLS MEET RICH GRANT, a spoof of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew written by Nancy Cucci and Philip De Parto about ten years ago. As more people arrived, Writing Group head Elizabeth Grout led us outside where we set up chairs on the pavement near the little playground, a setting which pleased young Mary no end when the Nash brigade pulled up.
It was a day when only the slightest of nods was given to science fiction. Charles Garofalo read "Untitled," "Eternity/Infinity," and "Nightmare," a trio of "Doom & Gloom" poems by Maxine Kappler. Jeanette Kappler read from TORMENTER, a thriller in progress from Jessica Henkel, about a woman pursued by a psychotic killer. Ed Ross read a horror short by Chuck, "Itching for Action" about dangerous fleas. There was also some discussion of shortcomings of word processing spell checks. Jeanette, for example, pointed out that her unit recognizes "sorcerer" but not "sorceress," at which both Pat and Beth leaped up with cries of "sexist!"
A series of bad breaks undermined the planned chess exhibition. Instead, the group who showed up (Steve Ferrero, Roy Greenberg, Stuart Keshner, and Jeffrey Salcedo) picked up a table and some chairs and played among themselves in the fresh air. The Markland Sword Fighting Practice did not happen.
Back in the church, Bill Molendyk was running his AD&D game. Robert Kappler and Philip De Parto rolled up characters and joined Joel Ryerson and Christopher Wamsley for the adventure. The action consisted of pursuing a war party of orcs who had captured the local priestess. One of the highlights, or lowlights, depending on your point of view, was the introduction of yet another bizarre Phil De Parto character. This one was a half-orc who was fluent in orcish but who badly mangled the Common tongue. His speech patterns were modeled on those of Inspector Crabtree from 'ALLO, 'ALLO." At one point there was talk to trying to "Stithily snake and bish them while they sloop." This encouraged the others to do PINK PANTHER routines as Bill rolled his eyes upwards and asked, "Why me?"
Nancy Denker, Robert Pinkus, and Robert Savoye joined Philip De Parto and Ric Meyers for dinner at the Mason Jar in Mahwah. The food and the talk were both good.
The author's talk began with a reflection of going to high school in the sixties and intimidating teachers into letting the class get away with almost anything. A hard worker who liked to do things his way, Meyers was soon doing reports about movies and handing in papers in the form of short stories. In the years that followed, he became an expert on various movie genres including science fiction and martial arts flicks. Reviews, commentary, consulting, and books happened along the way.
Among the many topics he discussed were Stephen King, "The Destroyer" series, the STAR TREK movies (he read his review of the frist TREK flick), the ALIEN films, how Bruce Lee died, James Bond, Harlan Ellison (after a screw-up while the two of them were involved with THE TWILIGHT ZONE series, he went to Harlan and asked Mr Ellison to simply make it a quick death), Hollywood backstabbing, the Hollywood mindset ("they don't think or react like real people"), DINOTOPIA, writing, splatterpunks and cyberpunks, self defense, guns, how San Francisco has gone downhill, the World Science Fiction Convention, and writing.
One of the many interesting points he raised is that it's hard to do the right thing. Writers and filmmakers who focus on the villain are taking the easy way out because it requires so little effort to depict someone nasty. An honest depiction of someone who confronts choices and acts in a heroic manner requires hard work but is really what storytelling is all about.
Another area of discussion was the writing process and how good it feels to be the "god" of the story you create. He wonders if the contrast between the power in this imaginary world and the ordinariness the author has in the real world is not a major factor in the psychological problems which effect many writers.
The evening went on later than usual because everyone was so involved. Jacqueline Hecht, Jeanette Kappler, Jessica Henkel, and Christopher Wamsley won free books. About a dozen of us went to the Horizon Diner afterwards.