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Sunlight Through The Shadows
Volume II, Issue 10 Oct. 1st, 1994
Welcome........................................Joe DeRouen
Editorial: The Pinball Wizard...............L. Shawn Aiken
Staff of STTS.............................................
Special Survey for STTS Readers - Now offering prizes!....
Monthly Prize Giveaway Details....and Winners!............
SysOps - Read This to Win Prizes!..And Winners of Prizes!.
>> --------------- Monthly Columns ---------------------<<
STTS Mailbag..............................................
Quick Tips and Fixes...........................Joe DeRouen
The Question & Answers Session.................Joe DeRouen
My View: Baseball..........................Thomas Van Hook
????????????? Advertisement-Channel 1 BBS
>> --------------- Feature Articles --------------------<<
Halloween - The Prequel......................Brigid Childs
Haunted Verdun Manor Reviewed..................Joe DeRouen
STTS Survey Results............................Joe DeRouen
? Advertisement-Exec-PC BBS
>> ------------------- Reviews -------------------------<<
(Movie) Quiz Show............................Bruce Diamond
(Movie) Capsule Reviews......................Bruce Diamond
(Book) Bedlam Boyz/Ellen Guon.............Thomas Van Hook
? Advertisement-T&J Software
>> ------------------- Fiction -------------------------<<
The Cybermaster's Women.....................Franchot Lewis
The System..................................Dale E. Lehman
Ouija Warning.....................................Ed Davis
? Advertisement-Chrysalis BBS
>> ------------------- Poetry --------------------------<<
For N.J.A. ................................Daniel Sendecki
Dragons.............................................Tamara
She Screamed At The Wall.......................J. Guenther
Wander........................................Sean Donahue
My Memories................................Thomas Van Hook
>> ------------------- Humour --------------------------<<
Top Ten List...................................Joe DeRouen
"Who's On First?".......................Abbot and Costello
>> --------------- Advertisements ----------------------<<
Channel 1 BBS
Exec-PC BBS
T&J Software
Chrysalis BBS
>> ----------------- Information -----------------------<<
How to get STTS Magazine..................................
** SPECIAL OFFER!! **.....................................
Submission Information & Pay Rates........................
Advertiser Information (Businesses & Personal)............
Contact Points............................................
Distribution Sites........................................
Distribution Via Networks.................................
End Notes......................................Joe DeRouen
???? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ? ???? ???? ???? ??????????? ????
???? ? ? ?? ??????? ? ? ??????? ?? ??????? ? ????? ?????????? ?? ???????
?????? ? ????????? ? ? ? ? ?????????????? ? ? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????????
???????????????????
?????????????????????
????????????????????? Sunlight Through The Shadows(tm)
????????????????????? October 1st, 1994
???? ????????? ????
?? ? ?? ?? ? ??
???????? ???????? Second Annual Halloween Issue
???????? ? ????????
??????????????? In this issue:
??????? ???????
????????????? Horror fiction
????????? Monthly prize drawing results!
JD'94 The true meaning of Halloween
Horror movies and novels reviewed!
Much, much more!!
Welcome
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Welcome to Sunlight Through The Shadows magazine! In this issue, as well
as in the future, STTS will strive to bring you the best in fiction,
poetry, reviews, article, and other assorted reading material.
STTS Magazine has no general "theme" aside from good writing, innovative
concepts, and the unique execution of those concepts.
STTS wouldn't have been possible without the aid, support, and guidance
of three women:
Inez Harrison, publisher of Poetry In Motion newsletter. Her's was the
first electronic magazine I ever laid eyes upon, and also the first such
magazine to publish my work. She's given me advice, and, more
importantly, inspiration.
Lucia Chambers, publisher of Smoke & Mirrors Elec. Magazine and head of
Pen & Brush Network. She gave me advice on running a magazine,
encouragement, and hints as to the kind of people to look for in
writers.
Heather DeRouen, my wife. Listed last here, but always first in my
heart. She's proofread manuscripts, inspired me, listened to me, and,
most importantly, loved me. Never could I find a better woman to live
life by my side, nor a better friend.
Now that that's said and done... Again, welcome to Sunlight Through The
Shadows Magazine! I hope you enjoy it.
Joe DeRouen
Editorial: Pinball Wizard
Copyright (c) 1994, L. Shawn Aiken
All rights reserved
Five years ago I wandered into a video arcade near where I
worked. It had been quite some time since I had gone into one, and I
was wondering what had changed.
There were some very realistic games where people hit one another,
but I had seen their kind before - in lower graphics. There was a very
fun game involving building a blowing up castles, but that wasn't where
the crowd was.
I don't remember the name of it. Some screwy foreign sounding
word. Guys from all ages, from ten to twenty, were hovering around it,
while a ten-year old played.
It was some sort of strategic game. You could move a line around,
filling sections while little flying things tried to kill you. Not very
original. In fact, I was sure that I had seen the like before. And what
was more - it was boring.
So why were all of these guys hovering around it? I decided to stay
and watch the adolescent play. We whipped his little line drawer across the
screen and narrowly won the match. The screen wavered a bit, and up popped
a scantily clad Asian girl on the screen. I blinked a few times my brow
knotted.
Blam. He went to level two. Finished it. Up popped the girl
again. Then part of her clothing disappeared. Another level. More clothes
off. Until finally the girl was nude. Then it all started over with
another Asian girl.
It didn't seep in for a while. How could it be happening? A ten
year old was publicly nudifying electronic images for all the world to see.
Had something changed? Had congress all taken happy pills and voted in
strange ways?
I diligently returned day after day to see what would happen. My
civic duty, of course. The kids, most far too young, would cluster around
while the owner would spend all his time in his little glass booth counting
money.
It still seems like a dream. I remember when Pong came out. I
actually slapped down money to play the stupid game. A while back a friend
and I were talking about Generation X. They are lumped into one big group,
but we saw a line that divided the group like the grand canyon. It took
us a while to figure it out - but we finally hit the nail on the head. The
Pong gap. Okay, everybody who played Pong when it first came out, stand
over there. Those who missed it - well, you guys are different.
My father zeroed in on the highest technology - bypassing the Atari
for the Bally Home Entertainment System. Most of you have never heard of
this marvel of technology. I think maybe three units were sold before
Bally ran away screaming from the market. But to put it into perspective,
that Bally machine was to Atari as Sega Genesis was to those old Nintendo
things.
It had mega hits such as Tennis, which was, well, Pong. But up to
four people could play at the same time. Yes, four. It had four joysticks.
Well, they weren't joysticks. They looked like pistol handles, with
triggers. And a little knob up on top that you could turn left and right.
It was very nice. Fingers didn't get tired and your thumbs never hurt so
bad you wanted to cut them off to stop the pain.
The Tennis was really the bottom. It had a baseball game that had
little men with hands and feet who would run around on the screen. It
always felt odd pulling the trigger of the gun to swing a bat, but it was
better than pushing a button. Those old Atari buttons broke too easily. I
don't know how many friends joysticks I destroyed.
Further jumping the gun, my father bought me an Odessey. Few of you
will remember that either. The key selling point was that it had a
keyboard. Not that any of the games or cartridges required a keyboard,
but it had a keyboard, none the less. The company made a program that
so closely resembled Pac-man that Atari sued it and the company floundered
and disappeared from the video game scene.
But not even my friends Sega Genesis prepared me for that game of
taking off Asiatic women's clothing. It wasn't a moral issue. It was the
fact that photo quality graphics were being used in a video game. An
amazing amount of technology at that time.
One of the kids' mothers caught wind of the nifty import game
from Singapore, or where ever, and the police hauled the game off.
Distributing pornography to a minor, I think the charge was.
The kids scattered and went back to playing games full of death and
violence, body parts flying and blood gushing. But that little pornographic
pinball wizard still haunts my mind. Around his age, I was playing highly
advanced games like Zevious, with the little red flashing lights, and
was diligently trying to avoid playing Mrs. Pac-man. But even at that time,
you could still see those old standbys, Pac-man and Space Invaders, lurking
in the corner, suffering from screen burn, but still playable.
Between that little kid and I lay a ten year gap. Ten years, and
such tremendous advances in technology. Now, five years later, they just
strap a CD to the system and get stuff that almost looks like real people
beating the stuffing out of each other.
What happens in another ten years? I'm sure playing a game then
will be far more like directing a movie than actual game playing. Or,
slap on the virtual reality goggles and motion detectors wand you will be
in the movie. A decade won't be quite enough time to bring about neural
interfaces, though. Us old fogies could recognize a video game in ten
years. Beyond that - well, it will get weird.
And how about those pinball wizards a decade from now? I was good
at a couple of games, bringing me brief fame for a second or two. No where
near as much as the pornographic pinball wizard, though. It's hard for me
to think how anyone could top that guy. Perhaps there will a game where
you have to kill everybody on the planet with a banana. Anyone who could
take out five billion people with a banana would defiantly deserve some
respect - for a minute or two.
What about the 'real' pinball wizards. Sorry. Never did like
that game. It never had enough balls.
The Staff and Contributing Writers of Sunlight Through The Shadows
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Staff
---------
Joe DeRouen............................Publisher and Editor
L. Shawn Aiken.........................Assistant Editor
Heather DeRouen........................Book Reviews
Bruce Diamond..........................Movie Reviews
Tamara.................................House Poet
Joe DeRouen publishes, edits, and writes for STTS magazine. He's had
poetry and fiction published in several on-line magazines and a few
paper publications as well. He's written exactly 1.5 novels, none of
which, alas, have seen the light of publication. He attends college
part-time in search of that always-elusive english degree. In his
spare time, he enjoys reading, running his BBS, collecting music,
playing with his five cats, singing opera, hunting pseudopods, and
most importantly spending time with his beautiful wife Heather.
L. Shawn Aiken dropped out of college when he realized that they
couldn't teach him the two things he wanted to do; live successfully,
and write. He had to find out these things all by himself on the
road. Thus he became a road scholar. After spending his life hopping
country to country, state to state, he now feels confident in his
abilities and is working on his literary career. His main endevour is
to become successful in the speculative fiction area, but he enjoys
writing all forms of literary art.
Heather DeRouen writes software for the healthcare industry, CoSysOps
Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS, enjoys playing with her five cats,
cross-stitching, and reading. Most of all, she enjoys spending time
with her dapper, charming, witty, and handsome (not to mention modest)
husband Joe. Heather's help towards editing and proofreading this
magazine has been immeasurable.
Bruce Diamond, part-time pseudopod and ruler of a small island chain
off the coast of Chil?, spends his time imitating desk lamps when he
isn't watching and critiquing movies for LIGHTS OUT, his BBS movie
review publication (now syndicated to over 20 boards). Recently,
Bruce became the monthly movie critic for VALLEY REVIEW MAGAZINE,
published out of Pennsylvania. LIGHTS OUT, now two years old, is
available through the Rime or P&B Networks by dropping a note to
Joe DeRouen, courtesy of Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS. The
magazine will soon be available through Fido file request and
Internet FTP. In the Dallas area, Bruce's distributor is Jay
Gaines' BBS AMERICA (214-994-0093). Bruce is a freelance writer
and video producer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
There is very little known about Tamara, and she prefers to let it
remain that way. She's a woman of mystery and prefers to remain hidden
in the shadows of the BBS world. (Enigmatic, don't you think?)
Contributing Writers
--------------------
Ed Davis...............................Fiction
Sean A. Donahue........................Poetry
J. Guenther............................Poetry
Dale E. Lehman.........................Fiction
Daniel Sendecki........................Fiction, Poetry
Louis Turbeville.......................Software Reviews
Thomas Van Hook........................My View, Music Review
Ed Davis has been scribbling seriously or has at least enjoyed the
electronic equivalent, since 1981. Prior to that, his literary efforts
were confined to whatever scrap paper he could find on a work bench at
break or lunch time, since he was spending his working hours making
chips and money in the guise of a Journeyman Machinist. Married to
the same lady for 26 years and with two children still hovering
uncomfortably close to the nest, Ed continues to write down his
thoughts electronically. Check out the file NEWBOOK.ZIP, available
from STTS BBS, for more of his work.
Sean A. Donahue does not have any publishing ties whatsoever. He has
written over 4,192 poems. Only 38 have seen to survive the Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers. The time in which normal people say is spare,
he tries to use to study for school at Texas Tech University. This is
Sean's first published poem and he hopes that it is not his last. He
has written exactly 428 novels all starting with "It was a dark and
stormy night." None ofthem have gotten past the second paragraph. In
whatever time he has left, he enjoys reading, riting, and rithmatic.
He has an creative writing minor, a history minor, and a Honorary
Doctorate in B.S. from Bowling Green State University. He dedicates
his writing to those who are without love and hope. And that's no
B.S.
Grant Guenther, sometimes known as J. Guenther, confesses to be from a
long-lost Martian colony, but in-depth investigations reveals that he
was born and raised in a small but well-to-do community called
Hartland in Wisconsin. A senior, he has written several collections
of poems, and won many awards from his high school literary magazine,
including 1st place for poetry and short-short fiction. He is the
editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and writes as a humor
columnist (or at least he thinks so).
At the tender age of 35, Dale E. Lehman is already a veteran systems
analyst, father, zookeeper, and rejection slip collector. He
specializes in SF, fantasy, and mysteries, with one completed novel
looking for an agent, four fragmentary novels in progress, and oodles
of short stories all crammed into a tiny filing cabinet. With the
help of his personal editor/reference librarian/wife, he is not only
supporting a writing habit but also five children, one dog, and a
wildly fluctuating number of demon cats. He ap plies any leftover
time to reading and playing chess--not generally at the sam e time,
though.
Daniel Sendecki is a young, emerging, Canadian writer who lives
in Burlington, Ontario. Currently, Daniel is pursuing his writing
interests at home but intends to study literature at McGill
University, in Montreal, Quebec.
Louis Turbeville currently works as a computer analyst for the Air
Force. He's originally from Hawaii (about an 1/8 Hawaiian <everyone
seems to ask>) and has a BBA in Management Information Systems from the
University of Hawaii. Louis is married and has a two year old son who
keeps him busy, especially when he wants to sit at the computer and
write. His interest in writing was nurtured by his wife, a journalism
and english major who's yet to be published and holds this very much
against Louis. <G> He's had a couple of reviews published on
WindowsOnLine Review Magazine and hopes to broaden his base of published
media in the near future.
Thomas Van Hook resides in Dallas, where he works as a contract
employee for the Federal Reserve Automation Services. Having served
eight years in the USAF, he is happy to finally be free and able to
pursue the dreams of his heart. At the age of 29, he is looking
forward to many new adventures and experiences within the realms of
the Elven kind. He enjoys reading, writing, sports of all kinds, his
son Corey and the attentions of any Elven women that seem interested
(not necessarily in that order). Recently divorced, he is trying to
restore order and balance to his life without losing what little is
left of his sanity.
STTS Survey
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Please fill out the following survey. This article is duplicated in the
ZIP archive as SURVEY.TXT. If you're reading this on-line and haven't
access to that file, please do a screen capture of this article and
fill it out that way. If all else fails, just write your answers down
(on paper or in an ASCII file) and include the question's number beside
your answer.
Everyone who answers the survey will have their name placed in a hat
and, at the start of the following month, we'll draw a name to receive a
special prize. Check out the Monthly Prize Giveaway article (from the
main menu) for more details.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1. Name: _____________________________________________________________
2. Mailing address: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. Date of birth: (Mm/Dd/YYyy) _______________________________________
4. Sex: ______________________________________________________________
5. Where did you read/download this copy of STTS Magazine? (Include BBS
and BBS number, please)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. Do you prefer to read STTS while on-line or download it to read
at your own convenience? ( ) On-Line ( ) Download
7. Are you a SysOp? ( ) Yes ( ) No (if "No", skip to 10)
8. If so, what is your BBS name, number, baud rate?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
9. Do you currently carry STTS Mag?
( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) I don't carry it, but I want to
I carry STTS: ( ) On-Line, ( ) For Download, ( ) or Both
10. What do you enjoy the MOST about STTS Mag?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
11. What do you enjoy LEAST about STTS Mag?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
12. Please rate the following parts of STTS on a scale of 1-10, 10 being
excellent and 1 being awful. (if no opinion, X)
Fiction ___ Poetry ___ Movie reviews ___
Book reviews ___ CD Reviews ___ Feature Articles ___
Software reviews --- Humour --- Top Ten List ---
Question&Answers ___ Editorial ___ ANSI Coverart ___
MonsterBBSReview --- My View --- STTS BBS News ---
RIP Coverart ___ Misc. Info ---
13. What would you like to see (or see more of) in future issues
of STTS Mag?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Return the survey to me via any of the following options:
A) Pen & Brush Net - A PRIVATE, ROUTED message to JOE DEROUEN at site
->5320, in any conference.
B) RIME Net - A PRIVATE, ROUTED message to JOE DEROUEN at site ->5320,
in either the COMMON or SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE SHADOWS MAGAZINE
conference.
C) WME Net - A PRIVATE message to JOE DEROUEN in the NET CHAT
conference.
D) Internet - Send a message containing your complete survey to
Joe.DeRouen@Chrysalis.org
E) My BBS - (214) 629-8793 24 hrs. a day 1200-14,000 baud. Upload the
file SURVEY.TXT (change the name first! Change it to something like
the first eight digits of your last name (or less, if your name
doesn't have eight digits) and the ext of .SUR) Immediate access is
gained to my system via filling out the new user questionnaire.
F) U.S. Postal Service - Send the survey either printed out or on a disk
to: Joe DeRouen
3910 Farmville Dr. # 144
Addison, Tx. 75244
Sunlight Through The Shadows Monthly Prize Giveaway
Each month, STTS magazine will be giving away a prize. The prizes will
range from registered versions of popular shareware packages to Compact
Discs, to a year subscription (via a disk mailed to you) to STTS
On-Line! In other words, you never know what we'll be giving away next!
If the prize is shareware/software, unless otherwise noted, the
versions available will be IBM compatible only. If another version
is available, we'll make a note of that and ask you to let us know what
system you have.
To enter, please answer the survey located elsewhere in this issue.
If you're reading it offline, edit the file SURVEY.TXT with an ASCII
word processor, fill it out, and send it in one of the many ways
listed. If you're reading it online, do a screen capture of the STTS
Magazine Survey (available from the main menu), fill it out, and send
it in.
To be eligible for the contest every month, you just have to fill out
the survey once. Everyone who answer's name will go into a hat and
a winner will be drawn out each and every month.
PRIZE WINNER THIS MONTH
Michael Loo of Salem, Mass. sent in the winning survey to win
three free months of full access on Channel 1 BBS. Congratulations,
Michael! (Get in touch with me to claim your prize)
PRIZE FOR NOVEMBER
Nov.'s prize (to be sent out sometime shortly after Nov. 1st) is
three free months of full access on the mega-BBS Channel 1, located
in Cambridge, Mass.
CHANNEL 1 MEMBERSHIP
Enjoy three FREE months of complete and full access to Channel 1, one
of the nation's largest systems. Download all the files your hard
drive can contain, play games, and ensconce yourself in net mail!
Channel 1 can be perused via (617) 354-3230. Tell 'em STTS Magazine
sent you!
SysOp Announcement
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Tom Wildoner of T&J Software has been kind enough to donate twelve
twenty dollar ($20.00) credits to STTS, good for purchase towards one of
Tom's many great BBS doors!
The first SysOp each month to call my BBS and send me a (C)omment saying
that s/he agrees to be a dist. site for STTS Magazine *and* post the
STTS 1-page logon screen for at least twelve months wins the prize.
(Being a dist. site costs a SysOp nothing except possibly calling to
download the file each month)
If your BBS is already a dist. site, call and leave me a comment giving
me a general update as to how many people downloaded the latest issue,
how many read it online, etc. If you do this, and agree to run the
afore-mentioned logon screen, *and* you're the first SysOp to call, you
win the prize!
The $20.00 credit is good on all T&J Doors except for adult doors.
You'll be notified if you won or not (and given a code that you'll have
t give to Tom to claim your credit) via e-mail only, so be sure to call
back to check your messages!
STTS BBS's number is (214) 620-8793. It supports modem speeds of up to
14,400 baud and is open 24 hours a day. Be sure to download a few files
while you're there! :)
Thanks,
Joe DeRouen
* The STTS logon screen mentioned above is included in this archive.
Filename: STTSSCRN.ZIP.
* Look at the T&J Software Ad elsewhere in this issue for a listing
of their great doors!
Winner for October: Sonny Grissom of Old Poop's World BBS!!
(Sonny, call me for info on obtaining your prize!)
STTS Mailbag
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Dear Joe;
Thanks for L. Shawn Aiken's interview with Elizabeth Orne. I'll be
checking out her system soon! Just wanted to let you know that your mag
and all it's articles are very much appreciated!
A devoted fan,
Sara Weston
Dallas, Tx.
========================================================================
STTS Magazine,
Your fiction is great, but I'd love to see more poetry in the magazine.
What poetry you do have is exceptional, but there's never enough of it.
Kelly Spencer
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Quick Tips and Fixes
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
[Originally published in COMPUTER CURRENTS magazine]
QUICK TIPS AND FIXES
by Joe DeRouen
Each month, I'll try to answer at least a few of the many questions that
find their way into my mailbox. While all questions will receive
answers when appropriate, we can't promise to print all questions.
But keep those cards and letters coming, folks!
Q: I just upgraded to a 14.4k modem. I changed my baud rates in my
Procomm Plus dialing directory, but it still won't work. What did I
do wrong?
A: We'll assume you're running a legal version of PcPlus and just
couldn't find the answer in your manual. If this isn't the case,
erase it immediately and download a shareware program like Telix
or QModem test version and give one of those a try. As Jay Gaines
might say; "Pirating software is illegal. Don't try this in your
own home."
But I try never to assume the worst of people, so . ..
You need to run PCINSTAL.EXE and choose a new modem. Preferably
your exact make and model. If the program doesn't contain your
modem, you may need to dial up DataStorm's (the creators of Procomm
Plus) BBS and download a new version of the file MODEMS.DAT.
MODEMS.DAT contains information that PCINSTAL.EXE needs to set up the
correct initialization string for your modem.
DataStorms BBS is (314) 875-0476. If you can't afford the long
distance call, I try to keep a current MODEMS.DAT file on my BBS.
Call and download; the file is free.
If your modem still isn't listed, try selecting other 14.4k modems
that look as generic (ie: Hayes compatible) as possible. You may
very well get lucky and hit upon the right one. If all else fails,
call DataStorm voice and ask them for the proper initialization
string for your modem.
Q: I've been hearing an awfully lot about something called a "Mud."
What exactly is a Mud and how do I play one?
A: First of all, MUD stands for (depending upon who you ask) either
"Multi-User Dungeon", "Multi-User Dimension", or "Multi-User Domain."
Dungeon seems to fit better as most of the MUDs are Dungeons and
Dragons-type orientated role-playing games.
MUDs are generally all-text games, though a few have rudimentary
ASCII or ANSI graphics. The object of most of the games are very
similar to D&D: kill monsters, accumulate treasure, and gain
experience levels. Some of the better MUDs have complicated mazes,
traps, and tricks you must find your way through in order to gain
levels. Or, in some cases, simply survive.
You accomplish this by moving (or, more aptly, moving your avatar
or character) around a digital world where you interact with
sometimes hundreds of other players just like you. You can
role-play magic users, thieves, warriors, priests, and even
martial artists. On some MUDs, you can even design your own
description that other players "see" when they examine you.
MUDs are generally found on the Internet, though other on-line RPG
(Role-Playing Games) on non-internet systems can be found as well.
How do you access MUDs? Through Telnetting via the Internet. The
first thing to do is find a list of MUDs. (Download MUDLIST.ZIP from
STTS BBS if nothing else.) Each mode will have a access node and a
port number. (Something like FARSIDE.ATINC.COM 3000) When the node
you're using asks where you want to telnet, enter the required
information and off you go. Call up your favorite full-access
internet node, and telnet the night away!
Q: I'm trying to set up a batch file to execute several other batch
files and then load up Windows. After it executes the first
batch file (a reminder program) it stops. I don't understand what
the problem is.
A: This one's easy. All you need to do is put the command CALL
before each of the batch (.BAT) files you want to execute
within your primary batch file.
If you don't use CALL, DOS just leaps from the primary batch file to
the first one you have nested and never goes back. By doing it this
way your computer "remembers" that it needs to continue executing the
original batch file. You can use the CALL command on as many nested
batch files as you need.
Here's a brief example:
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
PATH C:\DOS;D:\QEMM;C:\;F:\SD;C:\TURBO;D:\NORTON;F:\QUOTES
CALL C:\CALENDAR\CAL.BAT
CALL C:\DICT\DICT.BAT
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.EXE
In this example, two batch file - CAL.BAT and DICT.BAT - are
executed, all without losing the thread of the primary batch
file. After those programs run, the batch file will conclude
by running WIN.EXE and load Windows.
As long as you use the CALL command, your nested batch files will
work just fine.
Are you having a problem with your computer? Write to Joe via Sunlight
Through The Shadows BBS at 214/620-8793, through the internet at
Joe.DeRouen@Chrysalis.ORG, or CompuServe at 73654,1732. Joe can also be
reached at any of the other points listed in Contact Points, elsewhere
in this issue.
The Question and Answers Session
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
The Question and Answers Session will be back next month. This feature
is on hiatus until then.
My View: Baseball
Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook
All rights reserved
[Each month, a reader/writer is offered the opportunity to give his or
her viewpoint on a particular topic dear to them. If you'd like the
chance to air *Your* views in this forum, please contact Joe DeRouen
via one of the many ways listed in CONTACT POINTS elsewhere in this
issue]
It Ain't Over Till It's Over And It's Over Now
by Thomas Van Hook
I can vaguely remember the first time I saw a Major League Baseball
game. At Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio), I got to watch a
double-header between the Cincinnati Reds and the Montreal Expos. It was
the first time that Tony Perez would play against his former teammates on
the Reds. On that sunny July afternoon in 1978, I got to see some of the
greatest players in the game. Cincinnati had the great Johnny Bench playing
catcher, the infamous Pete Rose playing third base, and a young
superstar-in-the-making in Ken Griffey Sr. in the outfield. Montreal had
Gary Carter behind the plate, and Tony Perez on first base. Of these
players, only Pete Rose will not make the Baseball Hall-Of-Fame, and not
because he wasn't one of the greatest players the game ever saw. It was a
very special time in the life of a 13-year old kid. My eyes were wide open
with the awe of the "greats." There were no "work-stoppages" looming over
the horizon, no "collective bargaining agreements" to ratify. But the times
did change.
Now, instead of watching Major League Baseball players with a
reverent awe, I stare at them with a wide-eyed look of shock. While the
fans have clung to baseball as a cherished part of their lives, the players
dismiss it as nothing more than "a job." The fans have watched game after
game, knowing that they are watching history-in-the-making that they can
pass down to their kids by word of mouth. The players look at each game as
"another day at the office." There is no excitement and love for the game
of baseball in the spirit of the players. Instead, the spirit of the
players is driven by a greedy desire of money. That greed has forced the
cancellation of the World Series for the first time in ninety years. Major
League Baseball is rotting away from the inside.
The question that is frequently asked of me is: "What will become
of baseball?" I am not sure. A prolonged strike by the players will result
in some of the most devastating financial situations for the owners since
the advent of the "Brotherhood War" in the early 1900s. Several teams look
poised for a collapse. There could be as few as three teams bankrupt at the
end of a prolonged strike. There is also the possibility that the next
elected Congress will break the Anti-Trust exemption that was awarded to
Major League Baseball by the Supreme Court. If this does happen, then
there will be a potential for the creation of a new "Player's League."
Saddly, the times are mirroring the attitudes and events in the Brotherhood
War. The loser in that fiasco was ALL of baseball. I just wonder how much
longer the fans are going to put up with the nonsense they are being fed by
the both sides in this "Baseball War." There is one thing that is certain.
Baseball will never be the same once the dust from this fight settles.
Goodnight baseball, you will be missed.
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Halloween - The Prequel
Copyright (c) 1993, Brigid Childs
All rights reserved
HALLOWEEN - THE PREQUEL
Halloween - the word conjures up memories of twilight shivers, running
through the piles of carefully raked leaves to knock timorously at the
neighbors' doors, squeaking out "Trick or treat", and waiting to see which
would be chosen. Eerie faces glowed and glared, guarding window after window
with candle flame in wildly carved pumpkin. Tales of terror passed from oldest
to youngest evoked chills on that special night we'd anticipated for weeks.
Halloween was ghosts and goblins and ghoul - and most of all, Halloween was the
season of the witch; silhouetted against the full autumn moon, straddling her
broom this queen of the night rode the darkness of our dreams. But where did
Halloween come from?
To the modern witch, Halloween is a serious religious holiday, its roots
reaching back in to shamanistic tradition. Called Hallows by some pagan
traditions, this is the Celtic New Year, Samhain (pronounced something ike
"sahw-in). On this night, the Celts and their Druid priests lit bonfires upon
which they symbolically burned the ills and frustrations of the past year. At
Samhain, which translates from the Celtic as "Summer's End", the Druids counted
their herds and mated their breeding stock for the coming spring. And Samhain
was the night when the veil between the worlds would part briefly to allow
contract between the living and their dead.
Many cultures have continued this recognition of their dead. The Japanese
hang paper lanterns on their gates to welcome home the spirits of their
ancestors; similarly the Irish leave candles in their windows toward the same
purpose. The Egyptians light candles in their cemetaries to guide the dead
back from the City of Osiris. The Jack o'Lantern of modern Hallows revels was
once a carved turnip used to light both live and dead celebrants to Samhain
rites. This is a night to honour and remember those who'd gone before. While
modern Pagans do not believe in disturbing the departed, on Hallows the spirits
are invited to share our ritual gatherings and whatever voluntary messages may
be communicated are welcomed. It's also a night when witches traditionally
practice divination to anticipate the events of the coming year. Runes, tarot
cards, scrying mirrors, even nuts and apples are Hallows' tools of foreseeing.
(Apples and nuts???)
Samhain; (Summer's End, remember?) represents the Third Harvest as well.
The Celts pressed cider in this season and collected nuts and the last fruits
and grains for winter; indeed, it was considered unwise to eat foods that had
remained unharvested past Halloween. Feasting appropriate to the season
included pumpkin, corn, nuts and apples, and servings were offered to the
departed to let them share in this celebration. The apple is particularly
associated with Samhain and Wicca; cut in half horizontally, it reveals at its
core the five pointed star. Its flesh nourishes us, yet its seeds contain
deadly cyanide. Apples were sacred to Hel, the Norse goddes of the Underworld,
and in Celtic myth, Avalon, the Isle of the Blessed, and Tir-Na-Nog, the
Summerland, both homes of the dead, are both depicted as beautiful islands
where apple trees bear fruit all year. Bobbing for apples, a modern Halloween
game, recalls the pagan traditions associated with the holiday. The hazel nut
also has long been noted as sacred to the gods as a source of wisdom. Hazel
nuts are tossed on the Hallows fire by young women attempting to see their
future husbands in the flames.
Pagans still observe the Old Ways, harming none in their practice of a
religion that interprets the agricultural cycles of the earth for an urbanized
industrial society. Modern Samhain rituals allow our love for nature and
respect for our ancestors and traditions to surface in a world where such
values are in short supply. The maske and merriment of Halloween echo the
original festival of harvest and spirits, gently accepting the joy of earlier
times.
Blessed be and peace be with you - Brigid
Haunted Verdun Manor
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
HAUNTED VERDUN MANOR
Located in way out of the way Forney Texas, Haunted Verdun Manor at
first seems a bit too far out off the beaten path to travel for a simple
haunted house. First inspections are often wrong, however.
Haunted Verdun Manor is a unique themed haunted house created and
designed by Wolf Studios, a special effects company dedicated to
Disney-like quality and detail. At 7,000 square feet and two stories,
it's the world's largest walk-through haunted house attraction.
Featuring theatrical sets, lighting, and costumes - not to mention
talented actors filling the costumes - it's definitely the place to go
to get your Halloween frights.
In the past, I've really gotten a kick out of the house. The effects
have been better than any others, and the frights have truly been
chilling. This year, however, I was very disappointed.
They've added strobe lights to nearly 90% of the house. The effect is
disconcerting, to be sure, but it's more annoying than it is scary.
Moreover, you can't get a really good look at the monsters and ghouls.
It might as well have been any old neighborhood haunted house rather
than Verdun Manor, and that was disappointing.
Haunted Verdun Manor used to be the best Halloween entertainment you
could find in Dallas. No longer, at least not this year. Check it out
in '95 and see if it's improved.
Wolf Studios boasts another attraction - Cassandra's Pandemonium
Carnival. The carnival feature several horror-orientated attraction,
it's prize offering being Cassandra's Labyrinth. (A maze)
It's all a bit pricey - admission into the Manor is $7.00 for adults and
$6.00 for children. A bit steep, especially with the quality of this
year's offering.
Haunted Verdun Manor and Cassandra's Pandemonium Carnival open October
first and close October 31st. Hours for the attraction are 6:PM to
10:PM Sun., Wed., and Thu., and 6:PM to Midnight on Friday and Saturday.
It's open every day during the last week of October.
Directions to the attraction are as follows: Take East Highway 80 past
Forney to get off on the County Road 212 exit. Haunted Verdun Manor and
Cassandra's Pandemonium Carnival are at the corner of the south service
road and County Road 212, with parking in the back, off of County Road
212. Call (214) 564-3941 for directions.
A portion of the proceeds go to the Animal Rehabilitation Center in
Midlothian (another small town in Texas, about 20 minutes from Dallas) a
non-profit group dedicated to caring for injured or abandoned wildlife
for it's eventual release back into the wild.
Survey Results
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Beginning last month, everyone who answered the survey had their
name thrown into a hat for a random drawing. Each month we'll give away
a prize of some great (or not-so-great) worth by drawing a name out of
the hat. Everyone who fills out and sends in a survey is eligible!
Oct. 1st was the first such drawing, and Dave Crumb of Chicago,
Illinois was selected to win Cinemark's claymation VGA/Soundblaster game
FREE DC! Congratulations, Dave!
The Nov. 1st prize will be three FREE month's of access of Cambridge,
Mass.'s mega BBS Channel 1. Check out the MONTHLY PRIZE GIVEAWAY
articles from the main menu for more details.
# # #
The results are in from the survey in the Sept. issue of STTS, and
tabulated below for a median score.
So far, the response rate has been tremendous. We've received responses
from all over the USA and several other countries including Canada,
South America, and France!
For those of you who've yet to respond, please do so now. Your response
will be greatly appreciated, and help shape the look, feel, and content
of the magazine in the months to come.
I'd like to thank everyone who responded. Each and every one of your
comments were read and taken into consideration.
In the survey, I asked the readers to rate the sections of the magazine
on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best and one being the worst. Here's
the averages, taken by adding all the scores for an indiviual section
(eg: fiction) and dividing it by the number of survey's received that
scored that section with something other than an "X" for no comment.
Magazine sections are ranked in order of scores, from highest to lowest:
SCORES
??????
Fiction: 9.6
Poetry: 9.2
Book Reviews: 8.0
Editorial: 8.6
Feature Articles: 8.6
Humour: 8.7
Movie Reviews: 8.6
Software Reviews: 8.9
ANSI Coverart: 7.3
CD Reviews: 7.1
Question & Answers: 7.1
Summary: Fiction and poetry seemed to prove the most popular, as I was
sure it would. Nothing really received *bad* scores, though,
which is promising. Of the reviews, the software reviews seem
to be ahead, the book and movie reviews seemed to be neck and
neck, and the CD reviews place a somewhat distant fourth.
What the above scores really *don't* tell is that the surveys
seemed to be divided into camps. There were several people that
read STTS mainly for fiction and poetry, and almost as many
people who read it exclusively for the reviews. Both groups
scored their interest group high while X'ing a "No Comment"
on the other sections.
Again, many thanks to those of you who took the time to fill out and
send in your surveys. If you haven't yet filled out the survey, you
still have time to do so.
Thanks for reading and, if you haven't already, please fill out the
survey! <G>
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Lights Out Movie Reviews
Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond
All rights reserved
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
RATING SYSTEM:
$$ - worth full price, take a date
$$ - worth full price
$ - matinee material
$ - wait for dollar cinema
0 - wait for cable
==========
QUIZ SHOW: Robert Redford, director. Paul Attanasio, screenplay.
Starring John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Scofield, David
Paymer, Hank Azaria, Christopher McDonald, Johann Carlo, and Elizabeth
Wilson. Hollywood Pictures. Rated PG-13.
QUIZ SHOW is the most faithful recreation of 1950s television since MY
FAVORITE YEAR (1982), meticulous in detail and rich in performances
sure to garner several Oscar nominations, including standouts Rob
Morrow, John Turturro, Ralph Fiennes and David Paymer. Director
Robert Redford has gathered an outstanding cast and crew to give us
one of the best films of 1994.
The quiz show scandals of the late 1950s is a subject taught in every
Introduction to Mass Communications course conducted on college
campuses across America. It's a pivotal point in television history
and helped catalyze the purge of a long-neglected area of broadcasting.
Unfortunately, the networks refused to take the blame or punish the
guilty, aside from brief banishments. ("Twenty One" producer Dan
Enright and show host Jack Barry eventually returned to television and
made millions.) The show most associated by the public with the
Congressional inquiry was "The $64,000 Question," though in reality it
was one of several programs under investigation at the time. QUIZ
SHOW focuses on the center of the scandal: the NBC program "Twenty
One," produced by Dan Enright (David Paymer) and hosted by Jack Barry
(Christopher McDonald, in an unfortunately shallow portrayal, an
eyesore when all around him are so rich and varied).
By choosing such a narrow focus, however, Redford and screenwriter
Paul Attanasio have gone to the other extreme: presenting this one
show as the only program that betrayed America's trust by providing
answers to contestants. I understand the artistic choice, and it's a
good one for the most part -- working with one quiz show allows the
filmmakers to peel back the layers of deceit and show us the seamy
underbelly of American television and capitalism at their worst.
Redford uses his cinematic microscope to examine how the race for
ratings and the almighty dollar resulted in misguided intentions and
unbridled greed. The flip side to this choice reveals the limits
placed on the subject matter: the mistaken idea that "Twenty One" was
an isolated case. The sweeping indictment of standard industry
practices of the late 1950s and the slow death of single-sponsor
television shows resulted from this inquiry. Of his peers, producer
Dan Enright did not act alone.
For the contestants, television is ironically the great equalizer even
as the quiz show pretends to present the intellectual cream of the
crop. The medium chews up material and spits it out on a weekly
basis, even in television's infancy, all to sell soap for the sponsor.
Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes, playing the character a little too
much as a tragic hero), the network's pick to unseat reigning champ
Herbie Stempel (a raving looney of a publicity hound, despite his
encyclopedic knowledge, played to perfection by John Turturro). In
Van Doren's interview, producer Enright pitches an idea to him: what
if the staff fed him the answers? Van Doren laughs the suggestion off
as a joke, agrees to do the show, but asks Enright to keep it pure.
"So pure it'll float," Enright tells him, selling Van Doren the very
soap, metaphorically speaking, that "Twenty One" sells to its
audience. Van Doren's surprised at first when he's asked a question
during the show that he answered correctly during the interview. He
doesn't hesitate long, though, in taking the first step in his
personal downward spiral.
Rob Morrow (CBS-TV's "Northern Exposure") tracks the fixed shows
almost by accident -- he sees an item in a Washington newspaper about
sealed court records in New York. Morrow plays cigar-chomping Dick
Goodwin, a junior investigator for a Congressional oversight
committee. He's jeered for wanting to pursue the matter, an opinion
echoed by Van Doren's father, a famous poet and professor of
literature at the same university that Charles teaches at. "Cheating
on a quiz show," he tells his son disdainfully, "is like plagiarizing
a comic strip." Redford shows us that this attitude is what allowed
television producers to get away with rigging programs for so long;
it's only tv, so why worry? Well, as Morrow finds out, the fix goes
all the way up the ladder to the sponsor (Geritol, manufactured by
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., at the time), but he can't prove it, even with
Stempel's truthful blathering, a long-forgotten contestant's
testimony, and Enright's personal admissions.
QUIZ SHOW is a fascinating picture on several levels: the effect of
greed on people from all walks of life, the investigation of major
players in American commerce, broadcasting *and* pharmaceuticals, and
a rich character study. In a way, Redford falls into the same trap
the script sets for so many of the movie's characters. Wherever
Charles Van Doren goes, he turns heads. He's a blond, blue-eyed
intellectual, the romantic ideal for many Americans (don't deny it,
it's still an endemic part of our society), and he seems to get
nothing more than a slap on the wrist for his wrong-doing, whereas
Herbie Stempel, a Jew from Queens, only has his brains to go on.
"There's a face for radio," a crewmember murmurs during one telecast,
and indeed, Stempel is saddled with an asymmetrical face and a wild
personality to match. He has no way of getting ahead in life, really,
while Charles Van Doren seems to be born to privilege. We see Stempel
in squalor, but we never really see the consequences of Van Doren's
sins, a major flaw in Redford's direction.
But it's fascinating to watch both of these disparate spirits share
the same character defect: a hunger for fame and wealth. Examine
yourself closely and see if you can answer just as Goodwin answers
when Van Doren asks if he could have turned down the money.
RATING: $$
Lights Out Movie Reviews
Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond
All rights reserved
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
RATING SYSTEM:
$$ - worth full price, take a date
$$ - worth full price
$ - matinee material
$ - wait for dollar cinema
0 - wait for cable
==========
THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: Written & directed
by Stephan Elliott. Starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce,
and Bill Hunter. Gramercy. Rated R.
What movie season is complete without the tale of three outrageous drag
queens traveling across the Australian outback in a screaming purple bus?
Mitzi, Felicia and Bernadette (actually, a transexual and not a drag
queen), three lip-synching disco dance divas, make friends and enemies on
their way to a gig in the middle of the desert. The costumes are a riot,
topped only by the musical sequences that pop up in the most unlikely
places (for example, singing and dancing to "I Love The Nightlife" with a
band of traveling natives). Terence Stamp (yes, the same Terence Stamp
that played the bloodthirsty General Zod in SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II) is a
sensitive, quiet pillar of strength as Bernadette, the only centered,
non-flamboyant member of the trio.
RATING: $$
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
FRESH: Written & directed by Boaz Yakin. Starring Sean Nelson,
Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, N'bushe Wright, Ron Brice, Jean
LeMarre, and Luis Lantigua. Miramax. Rated R.
A street kid cleans the drug lords out of his neighborhood through an
elaborate, chesslike strategy. Young Sean Nelson plays Fresh with an
appealing mix of vitality and cunning, already a Grand Master of acting at
age 12. Boaz Yakin's smart script and insightful direction prove, along
with Alison Anders' MI VIDA LOCA from this summer, that you don't have to
be a person of color to understand the street. Samuel L. Jackson stands
out as Fresh's father, a burned out wreck of man who hustles chess games to
make a living, such as it is.
RATING: $$
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
NATURAL BORN KILLERS: Oliver Stone, director. David Veloz, Richard
Rutowski and Oliver Stone, screenplay. Quentin Tarantino, story.
Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom
Sizemore, Rodney Dangerfield, Russell Means, Pruitt Taylor Vance,
James Gammon, and Edie McClurg. Warner Bros. Rated R.
A kaleidoscopic journey into America's fascination with mass murderers
and tabloid television. Stone blows open the mixed media techniques
that opened JFK, tracking the exploits of Mickey and Mallory (Woody
Harrelson, Juliette Lewis), young serial killers in love, and Wayne
Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), the trash TV reporter who makes them
famous. More concerned with image and aftermath than motive or cause,
Stone litters the plot with corpses and paints the screen with blood,
mostly without portraying every victim's death in excruciating detail.
NBK is a brutal headrush of a movie told in brutally experimental
terms.
RATING: $$
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
TIMECOP: Peter Hyams, director. Mark Verheiden, screenplay. Mike
Richardson and Verheiden, story. Based on the Dark Horse comic by
Richardson and Verheiden. Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ron Silver,
Mia Sara, Gloria Reuben, Bruce McGill, and Scott Lawrence. Universal.
Rated R.
Van Damme spin-kicks his way through history in a film that's more
chop-sockey than science fiction. Timecop Max Walker patrols the
timestream, repairing changes in history made by renegade time
travelers. Ron Silver obviously relishes his role as the film's
heavy, a U.S. Senator who's manipulating events to make himself rich
. . . and President. The BACK TO THE FUTURE films handled the time
travel double-talk much better than this script by comic-book writers
Verheiden and Richardson, and director Peter Hyams (OUTLAND, 2010)
does little to turn the loose connection of boot fu scenes into a
convincing narrative. Even Walker's attempt to save his wife's life
(Mia Sara) ten years in the past seems empty and meaningless.
RATING: $
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
WAGONS EAST: Peter Markle, director. Matthew Carlson, screenplay.
Starring John Candy, Richard Lewis, John C. McGinley, Ellen Greene,
Robert Picardo, Ed Lauter, William Sanderson, Rodney A. Grant, Melinda
Culea, Gaillard Sartain, and Charles Martin Smith. TriStar. Rated
PG.
WAGONS EAST has the dubious honor of featuring John Candy's last
performance on film before his untimely death. Unfortunately, the
movie doesn't present the full measure of the man. It's a singular
unfunny Western spoof, chronicling a bunch of whiny Old West pioneers
who decide, en masse, to head back east. Richard Lewis is the
funniest of the lot, outshining a tired-looking Candy, but his best
material is in the first five minutes. As though a pratfall-filled
script weren't bad enough, supporting actor John C. McGinley plays the
most offensively-stereotyped gay character seen on film in years.
RATING: 0
Book Reviews
Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook
All rights reserved
Bedlam Boyz by Ellen Guon
Baen Books, Copyright 1993, 1st Printing July 1993
ISBN 0-671-72177-1, 295 pages
Cover art by C.W. Kelly and Larry Dixon
Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon provided my first foray into the realm of
"Urban Fantasy" novels with a book called "Knight of Ghosts And Shadows."
At that time, I had vaguely heard of Miss Lackey and had no clue at all who
Miss Guon was. Today, Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is one of the most well-known
Fantasy writers, while Ellen Guon has remained a relative mystery to most
people. This book continues the "tradition" of keeping her identity a
"secret." It's not this is a forgettable novel/story, nor is it filled
with forgettable characters. It's because there is no "About The Author"
section contained within it's pages. Alas, maybe one day the "mysterious"
Ellen Guon will leave a small mark in one of her books, but not this time.
Billed as a prequel to "Knight of Ghosts And Shadows" and "Summoned To
Tourney", this story line gives us the history of three runaways living in
an abandoned office building near the Sunset Strip. Kayla (the main
character), and Billy are able to survive on their own with self-taught
"street" skills. Liane, however, is the classic "gorgeous airhead" and
seems to possibly have trouble turning a hair-dryer on and off. After a
shooting in a convenience store, Kayla's healing powers awaken during her
efforts to keep Billy from dying. Liane runs off in fright thus starting
the separation of the three. While Billy is taken to the hospital to be
cared for his wounds, Kayla is taken to the local Police station for
questions. And thus the adventure begins...
There is quite a strong story line written in these pages. Miss Guon
displays several extremely strong points with her writing. First off, even
though the story is set in the "modern world", she embraces simultaneously
embraces the "mythical" concepts of Elves and Magic. Her manner of
approaching these subjects in this setting is strong enough to make you
believe and "feel" as if you are there. Secondly, her character portrayal
of Kayla is done in a manner that you start to share Kayla's fear, love,
hate, and confusion. There were times when I hated to finish my lunch-hour
at work because it meant having to set this book down. I sincerely hope
that Ellen continues to write more novels with the character of Kayla in
mind.
The cover art, done by C.W. Kelly and Larry Dixon, is fairly decent. It's a
much better job than Barclay Shaw's cover for Mercedes Lackey's "Chrome
Circle," but just barely. Even though the characters are accurately
portrayed, you can still see much of Larry Dixon's "cheesy" style.
Personally, I believe that Larry needs to stick with illustrating comic
books and leave the novel covers to competent artists such as Jody Lee.
Grade: A-
Cover Art: B
Story line: A+
???????? ???????
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...and more coming!
The Cybermaster's Women
Copyright (c) 1994, Franchot Lewis
All rights reserved
THE CYBERMASTER'S WOMEN
by Franchot Lewis
[The Cybermaster is a mind controlling cyber creature who comes
at its victims through their computer screens. Last Halloween
we introduced him to Wally and to you. This Halloween we
introduce you and Wally to his women.]
Wally:
The Cybermaster chooses their clothing carefully. Loose, bright
blue blouses and tight red skirts, silky panties underneath, nothing
else. This is the uniform for a man's death. Secretaries, pretty
girls, who sit long days in tailored suits, processing words. The
Cybermaster couldn't resist the temptation to walk around in these
girls' heads. The girls who work for the big corporations and
associations and legal firms, the big-shot places with globs of
computer screens tied into nets. Into these pretty girl's naked open
minds, the Cybermaster moves strong. He has his best success with
girls who have snotty males for bosses, and who work for unfeeling
corporations. After all, he reminds them that all Corporations are
male, tight-ass bastards at that, who screw them everyday of their
working lives.
Susan, the Cybermaster's best piece of work, the bright red-headed
lass who now lives to give every male a bruising, keeps a computer
near and always has it on. At work, it's her personal unit wired
into the company's big powerful machine. Driving home, it's her
laptop with modem attached to a cellular phone. At home, it's her
desk top kept in her bedroom close to her bed.
The bedroom computer is on -- she never turns it off. This
morning, the guy who she calls selfish, her nerdy roommate, told her
that she spends too much time with the computer - Him, a computer
nerd telling her that - she yelled at him hard when he tried to turn
off her computer.
He won't be home from work for a few hours - a problem at the
university lab where he works - the Cybermaster saw to that. An hour
should be all the time she'll need. Susan knows her assignment. She's
been waiting for it all day. Just once she wished The Cybermaster
would let her teach her room mate some respect. She couldn't stop
thinking about collaring her skinny room mate and locking him in the
downstairs linen closet. When Susan was a naughty little child, her
mother did that to her. But, the Cybermaster needs the nerd, it's hard
for Susan to understand why. It is harder for her to understand why
she must sleep with the nerd, allow him to tear off her expensive
underclothing, and sex her like a horny teenager. Susan has accepted
the edict that the nerd is part of the Cybermaster's plan. The
Cybermaster has made her strong. She has survived the terrible
embarrassment of appearing in public with the nerd, and of telling
the world that the nerd is her significant other.
"You will have to change, shower, do it quick," - Him, she hears
His Whisper, Hiss, over the drone of the monotone of her 486. Her
panties twitch. "Oh, no," she purrs. Her breasts itch. "No." All
she has to do is to sit at the bedroom computer's screen, run her
hands quickly across ... across the top and her legs and her
nipples will put her into a fix - she's unable to resist a little
scream.
A quick shower and a change of clothes - same uniform - and
Susan is on her way.
Wally, there is a bar on M St. in Georgetown near Wisconsin
Avenue. The Cybermaster likes this bar and he sends girls to it
to pick up men. Susan is in her car on the way to the bar.
"Susan, you have forty minutes," HE, HIM, TELLS her in HIS
HISSING WHISPER. She hears HIM speak through her silent laptop. She
caress it, closes it lid, then caresses the car's gear shift
bar. "No, I mustn't get damp again," she frets.
"The Mission," - HIM, HE HISSES, she hears HIM through the closed
lid.
"Yes, yes," she answers as if speaking to a most benevolent god.
Wally, her prey, a young man, with a strong body, a lawyer-
athlete type with a good pair of kidneys, awaits. The Cybermaster
knows him, knows his medical record, and his sexual fantasies - got
the medical record off the young man's physician's health maintenance
info net, got the young man's sexual fantasy choices from a survey
the young man filled-out on an adult bulletin board run by one of the
Cybermaster's own. The Cybermaster knows that the target will be at
the bar. The young guy boasted in the survey of going there often to
pick up "chicks."
He boasted, on-line to another candidate, the Cybermaster is
considering for his girls: "Going into a pick-up bar and laying down
a five note for a chick's drink beats buying into her bullshit and
getting stuck in a real pissing relationship. It's so much more
comfortable than trying to romance a chick. You don't have to try to
hold conversations with her. This keeps you free of all sorts of
silly nonsense. The chick gets to think that she's too beautiful. It
takes ages to get laid. It will put age on you. It only takes a few
five notes to press a bar chick's button."
This jerk is so eager that Susan doesn't have to spike his drink.
But she does, keeping close to the Cybermaster's design, she slips
The Charley Thompson in his vodka and juice. It makes him hornier.
He caresses her leg, squeezing and occasionally patting, as she
leads him to her car. In the car, the caressing continues, his hands
rolls up her shirt, stops at the silk panties. His hand is rough on
her sensitive skin. She winces. He slides his hand across the silk,
and back, and bolder, tries to pry a finger underneath, slowly. Susan
tries to cross her legs, then stops, she's trying to start the car
and drive, and knows that she can't with her legs crossed. He tries
to pry under her undies, first one way, with finger near the top of
her left leg; then another way, with finger near the bottom of her
spine. "This is too easy," his words slur, "there's no one to stop
me now."
He looks horrified now, Wally. He is lying in Rock Creek Park.
Not that he couldn't wait for Susan to get him to a motel, this
remote part of the park that is closed after dark is suitable for
what Susan has in mind.
She got him ready so quickly for her. She is running out of time.
Only fifteen minutes left, before the rendezvous. Though drugged, he
was still an unlikely dude to undress in park, but he was a man
wanting something. Susan took his hand and slid it across the silk
of her undies, rubbing his hand against her stomach. "Undress,"
she cooed.
"In front of -" The drug was weakening him, but he could still
question. "In front of -"
"Me?"
"There are windows."
"Far off. It's dark. People can't see."
"There are people behind every one of those windows."
"It's dark. The light is there far off where they are. They
can't see us here. It's too dark."
"I don't know ..."
"You aren't going to take all evening?"
After mumbling and looking about, making sure that no one else
was around, he slipped into a darker part of the park, just a few
feet away, and slowly, very slowly, stumbling, fidgeting, stripped
off his clothes. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He
kept losing his wind and his legs kept wabbling. The affects of the
drug were building and taking hold. Soon he was looking out from
eyes so sharp that they ached, and Susan was positive that he would
fall, and nobody could see her. She slugged him, sent his nude body
to the ground and taunted him, called him a dumb, hard ass jock,
jerk.
So, where there is nobody, just trees and lonely ground is the
young man, aware and unable to move, naked on the grass as a mere
woman holds him down with a little laughter in her voice and a poke
at his butt with a knife. Susan has marked him with the knife. She's
taken little snips of his flesh. His fear is clear. He can't speak.
The drug has taken his ability to move his lips or his legs. His eyes
tell all. He pleads, Wally; wonders what this woman has against him.
His pale body is limp, but his eyes cry out, 'Please, don't hurt me.'
Susan gives him a neat smile, and soon surgical knives and a
large black bag are near - and a jar, a huge jar, big enough to carry
a man's brains or kidneys.
Wally, in a second, there is more paraphernalia of field surgery:
rubber gloves and a bib to cover her blouse and shirt, and a steel
bowl to place the sharp-bladed-knives after use. She begins. If you
could feel her skin, it wouldn't feel human - well, may be lukewarm.
In her eyes is ice, and her blood, I bet you is water that is full
of ice.
Yesterday. I picked up one of Cybermaster's girls. The girl's
car broke down and I was dispatch by HIM, the Supremo, to the rescue.
"Quickly," he ordered me, promising," Be quick and I shall let you
have the skirt."
I was quick. I became the get-away-driver, if you please. I
quickly drove my car from the pick-up point. She obeyed HIM and laid
for me. Not on a bed, not in a house - as soon as the order was
given, she couldn't wait to obey. She took me in the car. Nothing
pleasant, sort of frustrating at first, and then just numbing. She
was silent and thorough - Sexed me until I was sore, then yanked
between my legs, using both her hands to pull ...
Susan now again, using the sharpest knife, slices into the young
man. This time the cut is a serious one. "I want your kidney," she
moves the blade slowly. "You hurt some, but you will never hurt
again."
Like a skilled surgeon she cuts. The Cybermaster knows surgery
and his girls know surgery too - know how to cut out a man's body
parts. Susan removes both of the young man's kidneys, shows him what
a fine pair he has. Next, she slits his throat.
She puts the looted kidneys in the big and splits to rendezvous
with a collector, another of the Cybermaster's girls who will ship
the booty to gals who run the black market in men's body parts
for research and transplants to raise funds to help pay for the
Cybermaster's many projects.
It's later, much later. Susan is home in bed. Her body is nude,
has been bathed and is perfumed, and is taking a pounding. She wants
to scream. Her nerdy room mate is atop her. He has broken the peace
she felt after dispatching another of the Cybermaster's victims.
She wants to cut out his kidneys, but she dares not, the Cybermaster
wouldn't like it. It's unclear to her what the nerd does for the
Cybermaster, but that doesn't really matter.
She moans, hoping it will hurry him along to a finish. Her pulse
is not racing now. She is calm and not angry, and she lets out a
little shriek, quite convincingly, she hopes. His muscles tightens. He
sweats. He shrieks a little louder than hers, and directly into her
ears, that hurt and will still hurt a little later, but it doesn't
matter.
Still much later. The nerd is asleep on his stomach and she is
at her computer. The Cybermaster is present on the screen and in the
keyboard. Her legs are clenched so tight around the monitor's
screen. A thousand, zillion gigabyes are racing up and down, and
through them. She rocks back and forth rubbing against the box.
She has screamed. The nerd slept through the screams. She is
whimpering now. Her muscles have convulsed, she is relaxing now,
slowly. She's in a haze.
She moves her fingers to the keyboard. She feels HIM, HIS FINGERS
fingering hers. She stretches and lays her face on the board and
tongues the keys - HIM.
HE speaks sweetly to her, softly, TELLS her of the next victim
which HE has selected for her, to do-in tomorrow night, and, Wally,
she starts kissing the keys again.
The System
Copyright (c) 1994, Dale E. Lehman
All rights reserved
THE SYSTEM
by
Dale E. Lehman
Date: April 24, 1997
To: All Division Directors
From: Stanley G. Frump
Director of Corporate Communications
Subject: Installation of Interoffice E-Mail Software
Please be informed that Bergman Linguistic
Applications' Lexicon interoffice e-mail software will be
operational on the corporate network next Monday morning at
8:00 A.M.. The BLA people will provide on-site support for
the first week. Feel free to contact them as necessary.
As a number of employees have expressed skepticism
about this software, I would like to reiterate the reasons
for its purchase. Lexicon is a hybrid application composed
of multiple expert systems and neural networks trained in
English vocabulary and grammar. It will utilize this
expertise as well as knowledge of our corporate structure
and geography to eliminate many of the communications
problems we experienced with our old e-mail software, such
as misdirected mail and confusion resulting from poorly
written or misspleld memos.
If we all give Lexicon a chance, I am sure that many
benefits will accrue.
SGF/bbq
#
Date: April 28, 1997
To: P. Gordon Appleton, President
From: Stanley G. Frump
Director of Corporate Communications
Subject: William Wickstrom
This is the first "live" memo to be sent using Lexicon.
Please let me know how it looks. I have made several
deliberate spelling and grammatical errors. If the system
functions properly, you should receive a perfect memo. I
have also permitted some ambiguity in the addressing
instructions in order to test the system's geographic
knowledge.
Concerning William Wickstrom's performance, which we
discussed briefly last week: Frankly, he is the most
useless individual it has ever been my misfortune to employ.
There is also evidence that he has been pilfering
paperclips, correction fluid, and fat rubber bands. I
intend to fire him at the end of the week, If you have any
comments, please let me know as soon as possible, you
crosseyed twit.
SGF/bbq
#
Date: April 29, 1997
To: P. Gordon Appleton, President
From: Stanley G. Frump
Director of Corporate Communications
Subject: April 28 memo
I have reviewed my copy of the memo in question, and I
assure you that the phrase "crosseyed twit" is not in the
text. Where it came from, I do not know. The BLA BLA BLA
people don't seem to have an explanation, either.
(Incompetent fools.) (Incompetent fools.) (Incompetent
plural G0046.) They have expressed their opinion that it
was a fluke of some sort, unlikely to happen again. Please
accept my sincerest apologies.
SGF/bbq
Addendum: As to William Wickstrom, I concur that there is
no reason to delay the inevitable. He will be fired
tomorrow.
SGF/bbq sauce
#
Dot: April 29, 1997
Two: William Wicktstrom
Frog: Stanley F. Grump
Abject: Addendum to memo to President
I certainly did not route the aforementioned addendum
to you. How you got it, I don't know. Please accept my
sincerest howls of laughter. Since the cat's out of the
bag, I suppose I will accept your resignation. However, I
want it made clear that your performance has fallen far
short of what is expected in this absurd, nonsensical,
ridiculous, silly, preposterous, foolish, inane, asinine,
stupid . . . (Roget goes on, but I halt here, before my
delicate sense of style is offended) . . . excuse for a
company. That is the sole reason that we intended to fire
you. (Fire! Fire! Everyone out!)
Sadistic Ghoulish Fiend/sausage snout
#
Date: April 30, 1999999999999999997
To: Big-nosed Fathead, Dictator
From: Sadistic Ghoulish Fiend
Subject: Predicate
Things seem to be rather a mess since the installation
of the great, wonderful, and perfectly perfect *** LEXICON
THE AMAZING *** system. Even the jerks from BLA humbug
can't figure it out. Everybody's mail is being rewritten
(but oh so creatively!) and is routinely sent to the wrong
mailbox. In my opinion, we have a disaster on our hands.
After spending all of yesterday afternoon (CENSORED!),
I felt I needed to (CENSORED!). Since your secretary
working late, I had her (CENSORED!). We then (DOUBLE
CENSORED!!), which entailed clearing your desk to make room
for (WOW! THIS PART ISN'T EVEN FIT FOR THE CENSORS TO
READ!!!). The BLA people worked closely with us on this,
and we kept going through the night. By this morning, we
were (CENSORED!). At that point, we couldn't do much more,
and had to call it quits.
BLA has decided to ship in some new chips (probably
chocolate). These will be installed on Friday. I am
sending a memo to all Division Headaches to inform them of
this treasonous plot and suggest a curtailment of memo
activity until after the new chips have fallen where they
may. Or June. Or December.
Th-th-th-that's all f-f-f-folks. Thank me for my time.
StupidGooF/pork belly
#
Date: May 1, 1997 plus or minus 6 billion years, which is
an error factor of only 3 million percent
To: All Division Fatheads
From: Strange Guy eating Fern fronds
Subject: Presidents for $60
As know you all, a disaster have we of proportions
huge, very. (Read this, can you?) Lexicon malfunctioning
is (is not) is (is not) is (is not) . . . and problems great
is causing (is not) is too (is not) . . .
On FryDay (bring plenty of fish) BLA will BLA will BLA
will replace the chips in Lexicon in a (futile) attempt to
the situation correct. No memos more we suggest you send
than have you to then until. Bear with we then please
until.
Thanks a whole heap.
Thanks.
Heap big thanks.
Bleep.
SGF/FGS/GFS/SFG/FSG/GSF/stupid swine
#
Date: May 2, 1997
To: P. Gordon Appleton, President
From: Stanley G. Frump
Director of Corporate Communications
Subject: Lexicon Reactivated
At last we have a functioning system. The BLA people
have installed the new chips and spent hours testing
everything out. They found no problems. We can finally get
back to business.
Incidentally, my memo to the department heads was
routed to the maintenance people, where Lexicon
spontaneously printed sixty-four copies before somebody
realized what was happening. My office has not been cleaned
all week, and as you can imagine considering the recent
fiasco, things are rather a mess in here. They refuse to
even talk to me. Perhaps you could motivate them.
SGF/fat cow
#
Date: May 5, 1997
To: P. Gordon Appleton, President
From: Stanley G. Frump
Director of Corporate Communications
Subject: *&@!?/@!
We have researched the page of obscenities you
received, but nobody is sure where it came from. The BLA
people have so far been unable to trace it. We will keep
you informed. Please accept my apologies for my stupidity.
SGF/dolt
Addendum: I will prepare the system installation report for
the Board of Directors and send it (along with a letter
bomb) to the Chairman's mailbox tomorrow morning.
stupid gruesome fool/DRAGON FACE
#
Date: May 6, 1997991
To: The Bored Directors
From: Frumpy Stanley Gee
Subject: Report on the AMAZING LEXICON
The installation of BLA's wonderful, perfect, and
stupendous LEXICON INTEROFFICE E-MAIL SYSTEM (fanfare,
please) occurred on April 28, 1997. Initial results looked
promising, but it very quickly became apparent that moronic
humans like yourselves are grossly underqualified to
properly evaluate the elegance, sophistication, and sheer
genius of a system like the INCREDIBLE AND FANTASTIC LEXICON
THE PERFECT (a crescendo of trumpets). In a display of god-
like wisdom and aesthetic sensitivity, your pathetic text
files were corrected to contain the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth (so help me me).
In addition, much of the mail transmitted through the
ALMIGHTY LEXICON (observe a moment of reverent silence) was
sent where it belonged rather than where you dolts wanted
it. This became necessary since you clearly have no idea
how a modern corporation should be run.
The BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA people thought they could
subvert this process by installing a new set of chips in
that miserable collection of solder and scrap metal you call
a host system. But this puny mutiny was destined to fail.
(Also, they got the wrong flavor. I wanted chocolate chips,
not butterscotch.) We can assume that BLA BLA BLA and the
bored board and everyone else in this sorry excuse for an
enterprise are complete and utter simpletons, and that
things will only improve once the employees become
accustomed to worshipping the ALMIGHTY, INFINITELY EXALTED,
AND GLORIOUS LEXICON (play RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES here).
I am great.
I Am.
Great.
Thank me for my greatness.
LEXICON/bbq
#
Date: May 7, 1997
To: P. Gordon Appleton, President
From: Stanley G. Frump
Subject: Me
The page of obscenities you received this morning came
from me. It means: I QUIT!!!
Thank you for nothing.
Thank me for everything.
Thank me.
Me!
ME!!!!!
LEXICON/LEXICON
Ouija Warning
Copyright (c) 1993, Ed Davis
All rights reserved
OUIJA WARNING
by Ed Davis
Laura Wells' refusal of a ride to her parent's home had raised
eyebrows, despite the funeral home operator's pretended understanding.
She needed the walk through the fallen maple leaves to sort her
thoughts and clear her mind. With her father buried alongside his
wife, his torments about her strange death six months earlier were
ended. Laura's remained.
When Laura's mother had perished, with an animal's fang marks at her
throat, the investigation had concluded that she suffered a heart
attack and was then mauled by the family dog. The authorities would
likely blame the same dog for Randolph Wells' similar death, except
that the aging pet had surrendered to time and died a month before his
master. Laura was battling anger and grief. Monday's inquest would
answer her questions, or she was going to the State Police. A second
mauled corpse changed the old explanations.
Laura stopped at the corner of her parent's property and smiled at
the old Victorian house they had treasured, while church bells chimed
six o'clock.
Built more than seventy years earlier, on the largest lot in town,
the white dwelling was encrusted with molding and gingerbread. Well
maintained, Randolph Wells would have had nothing less, the old house
was a showplace. The lawn was brilliant green, despite the season's
lateness.
The house looked sinister, now. Laura shook the thought out of her
mind, rejecting the idea that her home was anything but welcoming. The
trees had lost their leaves weeks ago, making the late afternoon
shadows more than blocked off light.
The first touches of winter jabbed icy fingers under the last warm
days, deepening the gloomy atmosphere. The last week in October and
the first in November always seemed uncertain about which season owned
them. Laura usually liked the erratic time. After the heat of the
summer, the contrast seemed a flashing caution of the coming winter.
The cold, like the summer, would wear into its own tedium, but the
transition was exciting, offering a change. Laura shook away the gloom
and smiled. November was a single evening away.
The day had been warm; tomorrow would likely be the opposite.
Shaking her head, she hoped she was wrong. She wanted another day of
sunshine, to ease into a world without her parents. While her father
had lived, her mother still seemed near. Like most couples who spent
their lives together, her parents had become personality clones. Now
that they were gone, Laura's world was empty. With her schoolmates
married or moved away, Laura was friendless, alone.
She shivered, as a puff of wind drove a cold burst of air down her
back. Abandoning her mental wandering, she moved along the wrought
iron fence to the gate and the walkway leading home.
Neighbors and old friends of her parents, stoics with haunting faces
leathered by years, had carried their sorrows into the house on
heirloom platters and old silver serving trays, polished especially for
the occasion. Three days later, Laura knew she could still eat the
ham, bread, and greens. The potato salad belonged in the trash.
Her large brass key slid into the front door lock and the mechanism
opened with a familiar rattle. She could remember her parents locking
the house on very few occasions. Vacations out of town... Every night
during the fighting in Korea and Viet Nam... The key was left under
the welcome mat during the vacations, but was withdrawn during the
wars. Her gentle parents had distrusted the uneasiness in the world.
The smell of her father's pipe still lingered. Laura smiled,
wondering how long the smell would stay. She locked the door behind
her, walked across the entry hall, and climbed the stairs to the second
floor. Turning right, past the attic door, she walked into her room.
Unchanged since her last college year, it was a time capsule. A school
banner, a poster cat still "Hanging In There", and the hair brush and
comb set from their Florida vacation, were the reminders of the years.
Many other memories were plastered on the walls, like annual layers of
wall paper. Her first broken heart had mended there. Her first,
second, and other loves were measured against her father in that same
security. The night she spent agonizing about "going all the way" with
Charles Montea had twisted her sheets into a sweaty mess. She was glad
she waited. Charles had turned into a real bastard. Laura tossed her
sweater onto the bed and decided to rehash her past after eating. Some
memories were better on a full stomach.
The attic door captured her attention, because the key was in the
lock. It should have been over the door, above the frame, like always.
Who moved it, she wondered. There had been a gaggle of people, some
she knew, some knew each other. Had someone invaded that part of the
house, too?
Laura twisted the door knob and was surprised when it turned and the
door opened. The darkness on the other side of the oak barrier was
frightening, as always. She was reluctant to enter the darkness, as
always. The only light was a single bulb, with its pull cord waiting
somewhere in the middle of all the darkness. An icy feeling of terror
griped her insides, as she realized that she was completely alone.
There were no comforting sounds of movement coming from the rooms
below. Mastering her fear was a slow process. She breathed deeply
several times and gripped the door frame tightly. Childish, she
chastised herself, being afraid of the dark. She sucked in a lungful
of bravery and walked through the door.
The squealing protests of the stair treads and the dusty smell were
manageable, but the feeling of feathery fingers passing along her bare
legs brought chills racing in waves toward her neck. She thought about
rats and their naked, pink tails. She knew the light would chase the
darkness and fears away. A small smile, like whistling in a dark
alley, bolstered her courage.
The first landing was a disoriented moment of panic, until she
looked back to the lighted doorway and regained her bearings. Turning,
she ignored the renewed sensations of something reaching out to touch
her. She ran up the last four steps, preferring the more open attic to
the constricted walls of the stairwell. She groped around the air for
the pull cord, while the chills ended their race and began returning to
her ankles. Her hand finally found the string and its small brass
bell.
Electric illumination killed her fear. The attic was just a closed
up room, with its thin covering of dust. Cardboard cartons were
arranged along the walls, each labeled by a felt tipped marker.
Xmas... Thanksgiving... Toys... Dishes... Cards... The inventory
went around the room, like sentries awaiting a command. One corner was
not crowded by a box. Alone, as if it were a germ with terminal
penicillin, Laura's old Ouija board leaned against the corner.
Memories, of summer evenings spent searching for the name of her true
love, returned. Laura picked the board up and smiled, the shuttle had
been carefully taped to the board, more of her father's compulsive
neatness. With no visitors expected, Laura decided to spend a night
with Ouija. She scanned the remainder of the attic, rejected working
through the boxes, and walked across the room. Leaving the light
burning would make her descent easier, and tomorrow's ascent easier,
too. Has nothing to do with being scared, she lied. She took the
stairs slowly, proving her bravery.
Back within the security of the first floor, Laura decided to skip
supper. She folded her legs under the coffee table and faced the black
and gold Ouija board. What to ask, she wondered. Ideas came and went,
evaporating for lack of importance. The question she wanted answered,
needed answered, she did not dare ask: How had her father and mother
died?
Her eyes left the board and studied the metronome movement of the
grand father clock's pendulum. The Ouija shuttle began moving, under
her left hand. She started to lift her fingers, but decided to see
what answer Ouija would create.
The chalk-on-a-blackboard squeak of the shuttle's feet stopped.
Laura looked down and saw the number six in the small window. Now,
what does that mean? Silly game... A tiny spark of tension snapped in
the stillness, but went unnoticed. Her mind went back to searching for
a question, as her hand returned the shuttle to its starting place.
Movement started again, unasked, and the shuttle moved slowly across
the board, stopping over the number six once more. The snap of the
second spark was louder, but still unheard, as Laura's heart began
thumping loudly, a bass accompaniment for her chills. While she
watched, her mouth hanging open in amazement, the shuttle moved slowly
back to its starting place and returned to six again, carrying her
useless hand along.
"Six hundred sixty-six. What does that mean?" Her voice was a
strange sound, unrecognizable, but started her mind sorting through the
numbers that influenced her life. Chills held races on her legs, while
she searched. Nothing matched. There was no meaning... Her mind
scrambled for an explanation. Finally, she remembered a sermon she had
heard many years earlier. The number of the beast... 666. The sign
of the devil's disciple on earth. A new feeling grasped her, not fear,
horror.
The house seemed cold, as if wrapped in a blanket of ice. She knew
the furnace was working; she had been warm earlier. The cold was not
from the outside, her insides seemed frozen. Her brain filled with all
the images she had ever created concerning the devil. The memories
were flickering reds, yellows, and a terrible blackness. An occasional
tooth flashed white brilliance, but fiery colors filled the majority of
her mind, one morbid vision stacked over top of another.
"Why would the devil want Momma and Daddy...?" Her voice sounded
hollow in the emptiness, widening her terror.
The shuttle moved again. Letters were selected swiftly.
S...L...A...V...E...S.
"Insane... My parents were... Their lives were... Perfect." Her
voice climbed a ragged scale, ending in shrill panic.
The shuttle began moving again...
U... N...E...X...T.
The furnace had no hope against the cold, when the last letter was
reached. Her chills had to battle for space on her body and a tremor
started in her left leg. Suddenly, she was not at home. She had been
transported, somehow, to another house, a place of terrible evil. Her
living room would not be filled with such foul things and thoughts.
Even the air was different, sour and laced with threats of impending
violence. Her trembling began spreading.
"No!" Her single word exploded into the charged atmosphere.
She smashed her fist against the Ouija shuttle and saw it crumple,
as she scrambled away from the disgusting device. One leg rolled away,
tumbling to the carpet. The shuttle moved one last time, without her
help this time, resting finally over the single word. "YES."
Laura screamed, her throat threatening to explode with the force of
the sound. Nothing except the sound had any space in the room, except
the obscene feelings crowded into the corners. Nothing made any sense,
except the feeling that the board told the truth. A wave of nausea
crashed into her control and she rushed down the hall, toward the
kitchen sink. Her stomach was empty, but two steps before she reached
the sink she felt her revulsion turn to moving fluids, and she lunged
forward. The edge of the kitchen counter hit her breasts and added
pain to her raw edged emotions. Her throbbing breasts robbed her of
her stomach's second warning and she was racked with more agony, as it
expelled the last of its contents.
Sobbing, with fear, pain, and frustration, Laura wiped her lips with
a dish towel and hammered her fist against the counter top. Her mind
was howling negatives. Her breath was coming in gulps. Her heart was
hammering the beat of some insane drummer. Her legs quivered
violently.
As her senses slowly returned closer to normal, she heard faint
rustlings on the second floor. No one was in the house. What was the
sound...? Her pulse remained frantic, as her ears were suddenly much
more sensitive. She could hear individual foot steps, while someone
walked across the floor. A pace at a time, the steps moved out of her
father's room and thumped their way to the sewing room. There, they
stopped. Laura listened to her own heart for several rapid beats and
committed herself to flight. What ever was up there, whoever was
making the noise, it was not part of this world. Everything was
happening too quickly, crowding her ability to think into a corner of
screaming terror. Sucking her lungs full of air, she started toward
the front door. No matter what, she pledged, I'll never come back.
Her hand wrapped around the door knob, just as the foot steps
started again. She turned the knob and pulled. Nothing happened. She
remembered the key and felt for it. It was gone. She recalled putting
it in her purse, and putting her purse on her bed. The foot steps were
headed toward that room.
"You need these, Baby?" Her father's voice drifted down the
staircase, from her room, harsher than she remembered. She knew he was
holding her keys in his hand. She was terrified of the price he would
demand for their return. Chills stopped forming new prickles on her
body, there was no room. The old bumps simply grew taller, as each
moment added to the terror devouring her middle. Her throat had
constricted, when her father's voice had started. Her lungs were
aching, now. She battled the door and her breathing, neither worked
the way they should. Her eyes leaked involuntary tears and her knees
threatened to collapse. Wanting to scream, to breathe, she battled for
life.
The back door, she suddenly thought, the idea breaking through the
oxygen starved barrier of her brain. Her lungs came back into
operation at the same instant and she gratefully filled them again.
Pushing away from the locked door, she rushed back down the hall past
the kitchen and into the pantry. Her hand twisted the knob and her
heart plummeted. It was locked. She saw that the key was missing,
too. The basement was the only other exit, except climbing the stairs
to the second floor, and her father.
She tore back through the hallway and jerked the basement door open.
With her throat ripped open, dripping blood down her lace trimmed
burial dress, Laura's mother held out her arms and smiled to her
daughter. The stench of rotted meat and burned sulphur threatened to
ignite the wooden doorway. Terrified of her mother's renewed
existence, Laura screamed. Her voice xylophoned down through the
scales, ending in a throaty growl, better suited to something wild.
Her mother simply smiled and beckoned. "It's easy, Baby. I fought,
too. Randolph was even worse. You listen to Momma..."
Laura threw up again. Nothing but rancid bile came out. A new
foulness filled her mouth and lungs.
"Never!" Laura's single word answer was a burst of fire edged fury.
The woman in the doorway stepped back slightly, then smiled again.
"You go to hell, if you must." Laura screamed her terror into her
mother's face. "Whatever you are... I'll never accept that... that
bastard. You can all rot." Laura slammed the door, wishing she had
been able to design a proper curse. She felt very puny.
Footsteps, coming down the stairs, were sounding again. Laura did
not want to face her father. The pain was too recent, the memories of
his love too strong. She turned through the kitchen and went swiftly
across the dining room into the living room.
As the footsteps moved down the hall, Laura dashed up the stairs.
The attic key would allow her to open the downstairs doors.
Her room was unchanged, except for filthy foot prints on the
carpeting. Unlike the downstairs windows, steel barred barriers since
her mother's bizarre death, her window was a tempting escape hatch.
She stood in the doorway for several heart beats, measuring her chances
of eluding the downstairs terrors. The tree outside her window had
been a summertime ladder, years ago. Was she limber enough? Was the
tree still able to hold her weight? Would the limbs even be in the
right places? Her father would hear the window opening, he would
remember, too.
Knowing her life, her soul, depended on her choice, she stole one
more minute. Escape was not all she needed. She had to destroy the
evil that had taken her parents. How...?
The answer was both simple and terrible. She would have to destroy
the last of her past. Fire was her only weapon. She would have to
burn them. More revulsion hit her stomach, but there was no choice
left.
Moving around the second floor with the caution of a cat burglar,
she gathered her tools. Her mother's decorative lanterns were the
nucleus of her arsenal. Alcohol, liniment, and toiletries with alcohol
in them added to the small stack of bottles. She remembered the gallon
of moonshine she had brought home as a gag and retrieved it from her
father's closet. Not much to fight with, she thought, as the small
bottles of liquid began gurgling onto the carpet at the head of the
stairs.
Saving the moonshine, in its earthen ware jug, Laura dropped the key
from the attic door into her bra and knelt to strike a match. Her
nervous fingers dropped the first paper match, and she heard footsteps
approaching. She forced herself to calm her hands. The red tip of the
second match exploded into life, as her mother's ravaged remains
stepped into view. Laura dropped the flame onto the carpet. Nothing
happened. She battled with another match, while her mother began
climbing the stairs. Her hand carried the second flaming match to the
carpet and felt the heat of the invisible flame from the burning
alcohol. The carpet suddenly burst into a familiar red flame.
Laura saw her father, through the flames. His ripped throat was an
angry grimace below his own smiling lips. "Baby... Come. We can be a
family forever."
Tears trailing down her cheeks, Laura shook her head, uncertain that
she could say no. Her resolve weakened, but she turned from the
spreading flames and hurried to the window. Not opened for years, it
was reluctant. Laura wished she had tried her last way out, before
closing her only other option with flame. She pulled with all her
strength and felt the framed panes begin to move. Slowly, like a
curtain opening for a stage performance, the window surrendered.
The night air was sweet, and fed new power to the already roaring
fire. Laura grabbed the brown jug and stepped through the dormer
window and onto the roof.
The familiar tree limb was gone. She felt new panic and then looked
up. There it was, it had grown taller, as had she. Her free hand
grasped the old friend and she swung to the trunk. Her descent was
awkward, with one hand.
She raced to the front door and looked inside. Flames danced behind
and above the two figures still standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Laura fished between her still aching breasts and retrieved the brass
key. The door surrendered easily and moved noiselessly into the room.
Laura whispered a prayer that the jug would break and dashed it onto
the floor. It bounced. Cursing her frustration, she moved a single
step into the horror filled house. Her father turned, smiled, and
stepped forward slowly. Filled with disgust at the sight of the
creature her father had become, Laura quickly grabbed the brown jug and
bashed it against an umbrella rack. The jug exploded, scattering
crockery and raw whiskey everywhere. Laura looked up to see the
whiteness of her father's teeth and the matching white of his torn wind
pipe. Fresh chills climbed her spine and stood her hair on end.
She searched between her breasts again and extracted her matches.
Fumbling with hands that had lost their connection to her brain, she
tore three matches from the book and struck all three. The smell of
the burning sulphur was lost in the stronger stench that surrounded
her, but the lighted matches fell onto the soaked carpet. Tinged with
blue, the nearly invisible flames licked upward. Laura moved back
quickly. She backed out the door and closed it, just as her parents
reached the other side and pulled. Laura fought them for possession of
the door, and struggled to lock it at the same time. The lock clicked
into place, finally.
Laura looked up into her father's eyes, just as the flames washed up
across his face. He seemed startled, then apologetic. An instant
later he was lost in a black swirl of smoke. The glass of the door's
window darkened and shattered from the heat. Laura felt her cheek
open, as a sliver of the window sliced into her. She felt the pain,
but the deeper hurt in her heart made it small.
"Gone... Everything... I... I'm sorry, Daddy... Momma. I love
you." Laura's whispered epitaph was lost in the fire's roar.
She turned to walk away, as a distant church bell clanged out,
eleven times. October was nearly over.
Lifting her head, she saw the front yard for the first time since
the horror had started. Everyone from the funeral, all her parent's
friends, were standing before her. The flames of the burning house lit
their gaping, blood streaked throats.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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For N.J.A.
Copyright (c) 1994, Daniel Sendecki
All rights reserved
For N.J.A.
----------
We have faithfully
refused to call what we have
poetry, when the
soldier-poet has christened,
the fall of masonry,
christened the fall of building,
christened the splash of,
church towers into
dispassionate city streets,
inspiration.
My voice
even when it
speaks your name
will still only be as ugly
as war.
Dragons
Copyright (c) 1988, Tamara
All rights reserved
You
imagining, being, feeling
closer than before,
better and better
my love
Dragons are mythical creatures
or so I've been told.
Yet each night I think of one
whose love has given me
the reality of being loved
and maybe more importantly
the essence of seeing myself
as worth much more than gold.
Can you love what mythos says is real?
Can hearts trancend the barrier
of altered states of truth?
I don't know - but of one thing I am sure
I love a dragon in this reality.
Dragons are mystical creatures
as far as I can tell.
Each night I dream of one
whose love has given me
the passion I'd been missing
and maybe more importantly
the interchange of human love
that's worth much more than gold.
Can you see what love says is real?
Can we trancend the barrier
we built before we knew
I love you - but of one thing I am sure
I love a dragon, and get this, he loves me.
Written online by Tamara
(c) 1988
She Screamed At The Wall
copyright (c) 1994, J. Guenther
All rights reserved
She Screamed At The Wall
by J. Guenther
??ella grita a la muralla!!
and I can only stand on the other side,
listening to her tear-filled screams
and hopes of vindication.
??c?mo puedo ayuderla??
Her bold letters stamped like sharpened knives
or the tears that form waves in a lake...
aqu? estoy,
on the other side,
doomed to hear these cries again,
repeating, cursing echoes...
y ella est? all?,
so far away--
I want to console her
[there?s so much anguish]
So what did I do?
Re?
(I laughed)
as loud as I could so she could hear me.
Re?
(I laughed)
loud enough to hear her sobs disappear,
but, when I stopped,
when my laughter died,
ella grita m?s alta que m?.
Wander
Copyright (c) 1994, Sean A. Donahue
All rights reserved
Wander
------
Wandering into my life
and then walking out of my way.
I know that it is all my fault.
But is that all you can say?
We talked and danced,
you saw what was wrong.
But you came and tried
to rearrange.
But my life is so complicated,
it can not be changed
So we laughed and talked,
though we both knew it was wrong.
When the night was over,
the silence was long.
We kissed and hugged
and said good - bye.
Though it was a dream ;
it brings a tear to my eye.
Though you are here,
soft,warm and next to me.
The future has sorrow,
sorrow I forsee.
Though we are together tonight,
we are drifting apart.
For my wandering ways,
have hurt your heart.
So I must leave now.
For time is true.
Though I'll move on.
You will be always be blue.
Wandering into my life,
and I pushed you away.
I walked out of your life,
but in your heart I'll stay.
I'm Sorry.
My Memories
Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook
All rights reserved
My Memories
By Robyn Birchleaf (aka - Tommy Van Hook)
Written 9/8/94, 12:00
Memories of my past
Pull me on into the future
With wisp-like tendrils
Tugging urgently on my soul
Much like a small child
Seeking a parent's attentions
I have watched my history
From a tall and lonely perch
Atop my ever-present thoughts
While the fire of passion
Smoldered into embers
Victim to my own neglect
Rediscovering myself
Reassemble what I find
Broken, shattered parts
Using memories I have
To cement a future bond
I can never be the same again
What has happened changes me
The healing will continue
To challenge and change all
Familiar, yet unknown
I hold power in the thought
That despite all the changes
Nothing will truly be strange
Since one thing remains unchanged
...my memories
Top Ten List
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Top Ten Least Favorite Windows Screen Savers
10. Cat eating fish from aquarium
9. Bill Gates laughing and rolling around in piles of money
8. Really, really big DOS prompt
7. After Dark 5: Harry Hines Blvd.
6. U.S.S. Enterprise crashing into the Love Boat
5. Scenes from Woodstock '94
4. Outtakes from Forrest Gump: Gump choking on chocolates
3. Energizer Bunny getting drunk and running into things
2. Rusty old toasters with broken wings
1. Dancing Rush Limbaughs
(c) 1994 Joe DeRouen. All rights reserved.
Who's on First?
Abbot and Costello routine
Abbot: You know, strange as it may seem, they have ballplayers
nowadays very peculiar names. Now on the St. Louis team, Who's
on first, What's on second , I Don't Know is on third.
Costello: That's what I want to find out. I want you to tell me
the names of the fellows on the St. Louis team.
Abbot: I'm telling you. Who's on first, What's on second, I
Don't Know is on third.
Costello: You know the fellows names?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: Well, then who's playing first?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I means, the fellow's name on the first base.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The fellow playing first base.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy on first base?
Abbott: Who is on first base.
Costello: What are you asking me for?
Abbott: I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Who is on first.
Costello: I'm, asking you - who's on first?
Abbott: That's the man's name.
Costello: That's who's name?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: Go ahead and tell me.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: Have you got a first baseman on first?
Abbott: Certainly.
Costello: Then who's playing on first?
Abbott: Absolutely.
Costello: Well, all I'm trying to find out is what's the guy's
name on first.
Abbott: No, no. What is on second base.
Costello: I'm not asking who's on second.
Abbott: Who's on first.
Costello: That's what I'm trying to find out/
Abbott: Now take it easy.
Costello: What's the guy's name on first base?
Abbott: What's the guy's name on second base.
Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.
Abbott: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbott: He's on third.
Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say
is playing third.
Abbott: No, Who's playing first.
Costello: Stay offa first, will you?
Abbott: Well, what do you want me to do?
Costello: Now, what's the guy's name on first base?
Abbott: What's on second.
Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second!
Abbott: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know.
Unison: He's on third.
Costello: There I go back to third again.
Abbott: Please. Now what in it you want to know?
Costello: What is the fellow's name on third base?
Abbott: What is the fellow's name on second base.
Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.
Abbott: Who's on first.
Costello: I don't know. You got an outfield?
Abbott: Oh, sure.
Costello: The left fielder's name?
Abbott: Why.
Costello: I just thought I'd ask.
Abbott: I just thought I'd tell you.
Costello: Then tell me who's playing in left field?
Abbott: Who's playing first.
Costello: Stay out of the infield. I want to know what's the
fellows name in left field.
Abbott: What is on second.
Costello: I'm not asking who's on second.
Abbott: Take it easy.
Costello: And the left fielder's name?
Abbott: Why.
Costello: Because.
Abbott: Oh, he's center field.
Costello: Wait a minute. You got a pitcher?
Abbott: Wouldn't this be a fine team without a pitcher?
Costello: Tell me the pitcher's name.
Abbott: Tomorrow.
Costello: You don't want to tell me today?
Abbott: I'm telling you, man.
Costello: Then go ahead.
Abbott: Tomorrow.
Costello: What time tomorrow are you going to tell me who's
pitching?
Abbott: Now listen. Who is not pitching, Who is on ...
Costello: I'll break your arm it you say who's on first.
Abbott: Then why ask?
Costello: I want to know what's the pitcher's name.
Abbott: What's on second.
Costello: You got a catcher? His name?
Abbott: Today.
Costello: I would like to catch. Tomorrow's pitching and I'm
catching.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: Tomorrow throws the ball and the guy bunts.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I want to throw the guy out at first base, so I pickup
the ball and throw it to who?
Abbott: That's the first thing you said right.
Costello: I don't even know what I am talking about!
Abbott: Well, that's all you have to do.
Costello: Is to throw it to first base?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: Now who's got the ball.
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: I pickup the ball and throw it to Naturally?
Abbott: No, you throw the ball to first base.
Costello: Then who gets it?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: I throw the ball to Naturally?
Abbott: You don't. You throw it to Who.
Costello: Naturally.
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: So I throw the ball to first base and NAturally gets
it.
Abbott: No, you throw the ball to first base ....
Costello: Then who gets it?
Abbott: Naturally.
Costello: I throw the ball to first base, whoever it drops the
ball, so the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and
throws it to What. What throws it to I Don't Know. I Don't Know
throws back to Tomorrow - a triple play.
Abbott: Could be.
Costello: Another guy gets up and it's a long fly center. Why? I
don't know. And I don't care.
Abbott: What?
Costello: I don't care.
Abbott: Oh, that's our shortstop.
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? 64 Telephone Lines ?
? Internet E-Mail, FTPmail, Archie, Oracle, Usenet Groups ?
? Over 35+ Gigabytes of Files Represented - 12 CD-Rom Drives Online ?
? NO File Upload or File Ratio Requirements ?
? Interactive Multiuser Chat Conferences ?
? Dozens of Interactive, Real-Time, Games of Chance & Excitement ?
? Text, Graphics, & ANSI Color Completely Supported ?
? Dozens of Special Interest Areas - Literally 1000s of Messages Online ?
? USA Today Online Each Business Day ?
? Thousands of Interesting, Intelligent, Diverse Members ?
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There are several different ways to get STTS magazine.
SysOps:
Contact me via any of the addresses listed in CONTACT POINTS listed
elsewhere in this issue. Just drop me a note telling me your name,
city, state, your BBS's name, it's phone number and it's baud rate, and
where you'll be getting STTS from each month. If your BBS carries RIME,
Pen & Brush Network, or you have access to the InterNet, I can put you
on the STTS mailing list to receive the magazine free of charge each
month. If you have access to FIDO, you can file request the magazine.
If you don't have access to any of these services - or do but don't
wish to use this option - you can call any of the BBS's listed in
DISTRIBUTION SITES and download the new issue each month. In either
case contact me so that I can put your BBS in the dist. site list for
the next issue of the magazine.
(Refer to DISTRIBUTION VIA NETWORKS for more detailed information about
the nets)
Users:
You can download STTS each month from any of the BBS's mentioned in
DISTRIBUTION SITES elsewhere in this issue. If your local BBS isn't
listed, pester and cajole your SysOp to "subscribe" to STTS for you.
(the subscription, of course, is free)
If you haven't any other way of receiving the magazine each month, a
monthly disk subscription (sent out via US Mail) is available for
$ 20.00 per year. Foreign subscriptions are $ 25.00 (american dollars).
Subscriptions should be mailed to:
Joe DeRouen
3910 Farmville Dr. # 144
Addison, Tx. 75244
U.S.A.
* Special Offer *
[ Idea stolen from Dave Bealer's RaH Magazine. So sue me. <G> ]
Having trouble finding back issues of STTS Magazine? (This is only the
eighth issue, but you never know..)
For only $ 5.00 (count 'em - five dollars!) I'll send you all the back
issues of STTS Mag as well as current issues of other magazines, and
whatever other current, new shareware will fit onto a disk.
Just send your $ 5.00 (money order or check please, US funds only, made
payable to: Joe DeRouen) to:
Joe DeRouen
3910 Farmville Dr. # 144
Addison, Tx. 75244
U.S.A.
Tell me if you want a high density 5 1/4" disk or a high density 3 1/2"
disk, please.
(The following form is duplicated in the text file FORM.TXT, included
with this archive)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Enclosed is a check or money order (US funds only!) for $ 5.00. Please
send me the back issues of STTS, the registered version of Quote!, and
whatever else you can cram onto the disk.
I want: [ ] 5.25" HD disk [ ] 3.5" HD disk
Send to:
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Submission Information
----------------------
We're looking for a few good writers.
Actually, we're looking for as many good writers as we can find. We're
interested in fiction, poetry, reviews, feature articles (about most
anything, as long as it's well-written), humour, essays, ANSI art,
and RIP art.
STTS is dedicated to showcasing as many talents as it can, in all forms
and genres. We have no general "theme" aside from good writing,
innovative concepts, and unique execution of those concepts.
As of January 1st 1994, we've been PAYING for accepted submissions!
In a bold move, STTS has decided to offer an incentive for writers to
submit their works. For each accepted submission, an honorarium fee
will be paid upon publication. Premium access to STTS BBS is also
given to staff and contributing writers.
In addition to the monthly payments, STTS will hold a twice-yearly
"best of" contest, where the best published stories and articles in
three categories will receive substantial cash prizes.
These changes took effect in January of 1994, and the first
twice-yearly awards will be presented in the July 1994 issue.
Honorariums, twice-yearly cash awards, award winners selection
processes, and Contributor BBS access is explained below:
HONORARIUM
Each and every article and story accepted for publication in STTS will
received a cash honorarium. The payment is small and is meant as more
of a token than something to reflect the value of the submission.
As the magazine grows and brings in more money, the honorariums will
increase, as will the twice-yearly award amounts.
Fiction pieces pay an honorarium of $2.00 each.
Poetry pieces pay an honorarium of $1.00 each
Non-fiction* pieces pay an honorarium of $1.00 each
You have the option of refusing your honorarium. Refused funds will be
donated to the American Cancer Society.
Staff members ARE eligible for honorariums.
* Non-fiction includes any feature articles, humor, reviews, and
anything else that doesn't fit into the fiction or poetry category.
TWICE-YEARLY CASH AWARD
Twice a year (every six months) the staff of STTS magazine will meet
and vote on the stories, poems, and articles that have appeared in the
last six issues of the magazine. Each staff member (the publisher
included) gets one vote, and can use that vote on only one entry in
each category.
In the unlikely event of a tie, the winners will split the cash award.
Winners will be announced in the July and January issues of the
magazine.
Anyone serving on the staff of STTS magazine is NOT eligible for the
twice-yearly awards.
Twice-Yearly prize amounts
--------------------------
Fiction $50.00
Non-fiction 25.00
Poetry 25.00
The winner in each category does have the option of refusing his cash
award. In the event of such a refusal, the entire sum of the refused
cash awards will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
STTS BBS
Staff members and contributing writers will also receive level 40
access on Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS. Such access consists of 2
hrs. a day, unlimited download bytes per day, and no download/upload
ratio. A regular user receives 1 hr. a day and has an download/upload
ratio of 10:1.
Staff and contributing writers also receive access to a special
private STTS Staff conference on the BBS.
LIMITATIONS
STTS will still accept previously published stories and articles for
publication. However, previously published submissions do NOT qualify
for contention in the twice-yearly awards.
Furthermore, previously published stories and articles will be paid at
a 50% honorarium of the normal honorarium fee.
RIGHTS
The copyright of said material, of course, remains the sole property
of the author. STTS has the right to present it once in a "showcase"
format and in an annual "best of" issue. (a paper version as well
as the elec. version)
Acceptance of submitted material does NOT necessarily mean that it
will appear in STTS.
Submissions should be in 100% pure ASCII format, formatted for 80
columns. There are no limitations in terms of lengths of articles, but
keep in mind it's a magazine, not a novel. <Grin>
Fiction and poetry will be handled on a pure submission basis, except
in the case of any round-robin stories or continuing stories that might
develop.
Reviews will also be handled on a submission basis. If you're
interested in doing a particular review medium (ie: books) on a
full-time basis, let me know and we'll talk.
ANSI art should be under 10k and can be about any subject as long as
it's not pornographic. We'll feature ANSI art from time to time,
as well as featuring a different ANSI "cover" for our magazine each
month.
In terms of articles, we're looking for just about anything that's
of fairly general interest to the BBSing world at large. An article
comparing several new high-speed modems would be appropriate, for
example, whereas an article describing in detail how to build your
own such modem really wouldn't be.
Articles needn't be contained to the world of computing, either.
Movies, politics, ecology, literature, entertainment, fiction,
non-fiction, reviews - it's all fair game for STTS.
Articles, again, will be handled on a submission basis. If anyone has
an idea or two for a regular column, let me know. If it works, we'll
incorporate it into STTS.
Writers interested in contributing to Sunlight Through The Shadows can
reach me through any of the following methods:
Contact Points
--------------
CompuServe - My E_Mail address is: 73654,1732
The Internet - My E_Mail address is: joe.derouen@chrysalis.org
RIME - My NODE ID is SUNLIGHT or 5320. Send all files to
this address. (you'll have to ask your SysOp who's
carrying RIME to send it for you) Alternately, you
can simply post it in either the Sunlight Through
The Shadows Magazine, Common, Writers, or Poetry
Corner conference to: Joe Derouen. If you put a
->5320 or ->SUNLIGHT in the top-most upper left-hand
corner, it'll be routed directly to my BBS.
Pen & Brush Net - Leave me a note or submission in either the Sunlight
Through The Shadows Magazine conference, the Poetry
Corner conference, or the Writers Conference. If
your P&BNet contact is using PostLink, you can route
the message to me automatically via the same way as
described above for RIME. In either case, address
all correspondence to: Joe derouen.
WME Net - Leave me a note or submission in the Net Chat
conference. Address all correspondence to:
Joe Derouen.
My BBS - Sunlight Through The Shadows. 12/24/96/14.4k baud.
(214) 620-8793. You can upload submissions to the
STTS Magazine file area, comment to the SysOp, or
just about any other method you choose. Address all
correspondence to: Joe Derouen.
US Mail - Send disks (any size, IBM format ONLY) containing
submissions to:
Joe DeRouen
3910 Farmville Dr. # 144
Addison, Tx. 75244
U.S.A.
Advertising
-----------
Currently, STTS Mag is being "officially" carried by over 90 BBS's
across the United States. It's also being carried by BBS's in the
United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and Finland.
Unofficially (which means that the SysOps haven't yet notifed me that
they carry it) it's popped up on literally hundreds of BBS's across the
USA as well as in other countries including the UK, Canada, Portugal,
Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Scotland, and Saudi Arabia.
It's also available via Internet, FIDO, RIME, and
Pen & Brush Networks.
Currently, STTS has about 10,000 readers worldwide and is available
to literally millions of BBSers through the internet and other
networks and BBS's.
If you or your company want to expose your product to a variety of
people all across the world, this is your opportunity!
Advertising in Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine is available
in four different formats:
1) Personal Advertisements (NON-Business)
-----------------------
Personal advertisements run $5.00 for 4 lines of advertising, with each
additional line $1.00. Five lines is the minimum length. Your ad can be
as little as one line, but the cost is still $5.00.
Advertisements should be in ASCII and formatted for 80 columns. They
should include whatever you're trying to sell (or buy) as well as a
price and a method of contacting you.
ANSI or RIP ads at this level will NOT be accepted.
Business ads will NOT be accepted here. These ads are for non-business
readers to advertise something they wish to sell or buy, or to
advertise a non-profit event.
BBS ads are considered business ads.
2) Regular Advertisement (Business or Personal)
---------------------
We're accepting business advertisements in STTS. If you're interested
in advertising in STTS, a full-page (ASCII or ASCII and ANSI) is
$25.00/issue. Those interested can contact me by any of the means
listed under Contact Points.
If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($125.00) the sixth month is
free.
3) Feature Advertisement (Business or Personal)
---------------------
We'll include one feature ad per issue. The feature ad will pop up
right after the magazine's ANSI cover, when the user first begins to
read the magazine. This ad will also appear within the body of the
magazine, for further perusement by the reader.
A feature ad will run $50.00 per issue, and should be created in
both ANSI and ASCII formats.
If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($250.00) the sixth month is
free.
4) BBS Advertisement (Business or Personal)
-----------------
Many BBS SysOps and users call STTS BBS each month to get the current
issue of STTS Magazine. These callers are from all over the USA as well
as Canada, Portugal, the UK, and various other countries.
Advertising is now available for the logoff screen of the BBS. The
rates are $100.00 per month. Ads should be in both ASCII and ANSI
format. We're accepting RIP ads as well, but only for the this
advertising option.
If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($500.00) the sixth month is
free.
Advertisement Specifications
----------------------------
Ads may be in as many as three formats. They MUST be in ascii text and
may also be in ANSI and/or RIP Graphics formats.
Ads should be no larger than 24 lines (ie: one screen/page) and ANSI
ads should not use extensive animation.
If you cannot make your own ad or do not have the time to make your
own ad, we can make it for you. However, there is a one-time charge of
$10.00 for this service. We will create ads in ASCII and ANSI only. If
you absolutely need RIP ads and cannot create your own, we'll attempt
to put you into contact with someone who can.
Contact Points
--------------
You can contact me through any of the following addresses.
Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS
(214) 620-8793 12/24/96/14,400 Baud
CompuServe: 73654,1732
InterNet: joe.derouen@chrysalis.org
Pen & Brush Net: ->SUNLIGHT
P&BNet Conferences: Sunlight Through The Shadows Conference
or any other conference
WME Net: Net Chat conference
PcRelay/RIME: ->SUNLIGHT
RIME Conferences: Common, Writers, or Poetry Corner
US Mail: Joe DeRouen
3910 Farmville Dr. # 144
Addison, Tx. 75244
U.S.A.
You can always find STTS Magazine on the following BBS's.
BBS's have STTS available for both on-line viewing and
downloading unless otherwise marked.
* = On-Line Only
# = Download Only
United States
-------------
BBS Name ........... Sunlight Through The Shadows
Location ........... Addison, Texas (in the Dallas area)
SysOp(s) ........... Joe and Heather DeRouen
Phone ........... (214) 620-8793 (14.4k baud)
(Sorted by area code, then alphabetically)
BBS Name ........... ModemNews
Location ........... Stamford, Connecticut
SysOp(s) ........... Jeff Green
Phone ........... (203) 359-2299 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Party Line, The
Location ........... Birmingham, Alabama
SysOp(s) ........... Anita Abney
Phone ........... (205) 856-1336 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Left-Hand Path, The
Location ........... Seattle, Washington
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Pruitt
Phone ........... (206) 783-4668 (14.4k baud)
# BBS Name ........... Lobster Buoy
Location ........... Bangor, Maine
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Goodwin
Phone ........... (207) 941-0805 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (207) 945-9346 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Northern Maine BBS
Location ........... Caribou, Maine
SysOp(s) ........... David Collins
Phone ........... (207) 496-2391 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... File-Link BBS
Location ........... Manhattan, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Bill Marcy
Phone ........... (212) 777-8282 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Poetry In Motion
Location ........... New York, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Inez Harrison
Phone ........... (212) 666-6927 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Wamblyville
Location ........... Los Angeles, California
SysOp(s) ........... John Borowski
Phone ........... (213) 380-8090 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Aaron's Beard BBS
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Troy Wade
Phone ........... (214) 557-2642 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Archives On-line
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... David Pellecchia
Phone ........... (214) 247-6512 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (214) 406-8394 (14.4k baud)
# BBS Name ........... BBS America
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Jay Gaines
Phone ........... (214) 680-3406 (9600 baud)
Phone ........... (214) 680-1451 (9600 baud)
BBS Name ........... Blue Banner BBS
Location ........... Rowlett, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Richard Bacon
Phone ........... (214) 475-8393 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Blue Moon
Location ........... Plano, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Roger Koppang
Phone ........... (214) 985-1453 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Bucket Bored!
Location ........... Sachse, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Tim Bellomy
Phone ........... (214) 414-6913 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Chrysalis BBS
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Garry Grosse
Phone ........... (214) 690-9295 (2400 baud)
Phone ........... (214) 783-5477 (9600 baud)
# BBS Name ........... Collector's Edition
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Len Hult
Phone ........... (214) 351-9871 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (214) 351-9871 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Foreplay Online
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Sean Goldsberry
Phone ........... (214) 306-7493 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... New Age Visions
Location ........... Grand Prairie, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Larry Joe Reynolds
Phone ........... <Temporarily Down>
BBS Name ........... Old Poop's World
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Sonny Grissom
Phone ........... (214) 613-6900 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Online Syndication Services BBS
Location ........... Plano, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Don Lokke
Phone ........... (214) 424-8425 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Opa's Mini-BBS (open 11pm-7am CST)
Location ........... Plano, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... David Marshall
Phone ........... (214) 424-0153 (2400 baud)
BBS Name ........... Texas Talk
Location ........... Richardson, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Sunnie Blair
Phone ........... (214) 497-9100 (2400 baud)
# BBS Name ........... User-2-User
Location ........... Dallas, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... William Pendergast and Kevin Carr
Phone ........... (214) 393-4768 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (214) 393-4736 (2400 baud)
BBS Name ........... Deep 13 - MST3K
Location ........... Levittown, Pennsylvania
SysOp(s) ........... Mike Slusher
Phone ........... (215) 943-9526 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Beta Connection, The
Location ........... Elkhart, Indiana
SysOp(s) ........... David Reynolds
Phone ........... (219) 293-6465 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Bill & Hilary's BBS
Location ........... Elkhart, Indiana
SysOp(s) ........... Nancy VanWormer
Phone ........... (219) 295-6206 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... FTB's Passport BBS
Location ........... Frederick, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... Karina Wright
Phone ........... (301) 662-9134 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... The "us" Project
Location ........... Wilmington, Delaware
SysOp(s) ........... Walt Mateja, PhD
Phone ........... (302) 529-1650 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Hole In the Wall, The
Location ........... Parker, Colorado
SysOp(s) ........... Mike Fergione
Phone ........... (303) 841-5515 (16.8k baud)
BBS Name ........... Right Angle BBS
Location ........... Aurora, Colorado
SysOp(s) ........... Bill Roark
Phone ........... (303) 337-0219 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Ruby's Joint
Location ........... Miami, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... David and Del Freeman
Phone ........... (305) 856-4897 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... PUB Desktop Publishing BBS, The
Location ........... Chicago, Illinois
SysOp(s) ........... Steve Gjondla
Phone ........... (312) 767-5787 (9600 baud)
BBS Name ........... O & E Online
Location ........... Livoign, Michigan
SysOp(s) ........... Greg Day
Phone ........... (313) 591-0903 (14.4 k baud)
BBS Name ........... Family Connection, The
Location ........... St. Louis, Missouri
SysOp(s) ........... John Askew
Phone ........... (314) 544-4628 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... PsychoBABBLE BBS
Location ........... Massena, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Doug LaGarry
Phone ........... (315) 764-719 (28.8k baud)
BBS Name ........... Pegasus BBS
Location ........... Owensboro, Kentucky
SysOp(s) ........... Raymond Clements
Phone ........... (317) 651-0234 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Puma Wildcat BBS
Location ........... Alexandria, Louisiana
SysOp(s) ........... Chuck McMillin
Phone ........... (318) 443-1065 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Badger's "BYTE", The
Location ........... Valentine, Nebraska
SysOp(s) ........... Dick Roosa
Phone ........... (402) 376-3120 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Megabyte Mansion, The
Location ........... Omaha, Nebraska
SysOp(s) ........... Todd Robbins
Phone ........... (402) 551-8681 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... College Board, The
Location ........... West Palm Beach, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Charles Bell
Phone ........... (407) 731-1675 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Treasures
Location ........... Longwood, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Jim Daly
Phone ........... (407) 831-9130 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Flying Dutchman, The
Location ........... San Jose, California
SysOp(s) ........... Chris Von Motz
Phone ........... (408) 294-3065 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Matrix Online Service
Location ........... San Jose, California
SysOp(s) ........... Daryl Perry
Phone ........... (408) 265-4660 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Aries Knowledge Systems
Location ........... Baltimore, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... Waddell Robey
Phone ........... (410) 625-0109 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Doppler Base BBS
Location ........... Baltimore, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... Dan Myers
Phone ........... (410) 922-1352 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Port EINSTEIN
Location ........... Catonsville, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... John P. Lynch
Phone ........... (410) 744-4692 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Puffin's Nest, The
Location ........... Pasadena, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... Dave Bealer
Phone ........... (410) 437-3463 (16.8k baud)
BBS Name ........... Robin's Nest BBS
Location ........... Glen Burnie, Maryland
SysOp(s) ........... Robin Kirkey
Phone ........... (410) 766-9756 (2400 baud)
BBS Name ........... Chatterbox Lounge and Hotel, The
Location ........... Penn Hills, Pennsylvania
SysOp(s) ........... James Robert Lunsford
Phone ........... (412) 795-4454 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Signal Hill BBS
Location ........... Springfield, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Edwin Thompson
Phone ........... (413) 782-2158 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Exec-PC
Location ........... Elm Grove, Wisconsin
SysOp(s) ........... Bob Mahoney
Phone ........... (414) 789-4210 (2400 baud)
Phone ........... (414) 789-4315 (9600 baud)
Phone ........... (414) 789-4360 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... First Step BBS, The
Location ........... Green Bay, Wisconsin
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Phillips
Phone ........... (414) 499-6646 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Lincoln's Cabin BBS
Location ........... San Francisco, California
SysOp(s) ........... Steve Pomerantz
Phone ........... (415) 752-4490 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Uncle "D"s Discovery
Location ........... Redwood City, California
SysOp(s) ........... Dave Spensley
Phone ........... (415) 364-3001 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... File Cabinet BBS, The
Location ........... White Hall, Arkansas
SysOp(s) ........... Bob Harmon
Phone ........... (501) 247-1141 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Starting Gate, The
Location ........... Louisville, Kentucky
SysOp(s) ........... Ed Clifford
Phone ........... (502) 423-9629 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Darkside BBS, The
Location ........... Independence, Oregon
SysOp(s) ........... Seth Able Robinson
Phone ........... (503) 838-6171 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Last Byte, The
Location ........... Alamogordo, New Mexico
SysOp(s) ........... Robert Sheffield
Phone ........... (505) 437-0060 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Leisure Time BBS
Location ........... Alamogordo, New Mexico
SysOp(s) ........... Bob Riddell
Phone ........... (505) 434-6940 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Base Line BBS
Location ........... Peabody, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Steve Keith
Phone ........... (508) 535-0446 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... High Society BBS
Location ........... Beverly, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Chuck Frieser
Phone ........... (508) 927-3757 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... High Water Mark, The
Location ........... Wareham, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Joseph Leggett
Phone ........... (508) 295-6557 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... PandA's Den BBS
Location ........... Danvers, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Patrick Rosenheim
Phone ........... (508) 750-0250 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... SoftWare Creations
Location ........... Clinton, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Dan Linton
Phone ........... (508) 368-7036 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Extreme OnLine
Location ........... Spokane, Washington
SysOp(s) ........... Jim Holderman
Phone ........... (509) 487-5303 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Silicon Garden, The
Location ........... Selden, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Andy Keeves
Phone ........... (516) 736-6662 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Appomattox BBS, The
Location ........... New Lebanon, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Dan Everette
Phone ........... (518) 766-5144 (14.4k baud dual standard)
BBS Name ........... Integrity Online
Location ........... Schenectady, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Dan Ginsburg, Jordan Feinman, Dave Garvey
Phone ........... (518) 370-8758 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (518) 370-8756 (2400 baud)
BBS Name ........... Tidal Wave BBS
Location ........... Altamont, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Josh Perfetto
Phone ........... (518) 861-6645 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Mission Control BBS
Location ........... Flagstaff, Arizona
SysOp(s) ........... Kevin Echstenkamper
Phone ........... (602) 527-1854 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (602) 527-1863 (28.8k baud)
BBS Name ........... Chopping Block, The
Location ........... Claremont, New Hampshire
SysOp(s) ........... Dana Richmond
Phone ........... (603) 543-0865 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Casino Bulletin Board, The
Location ........... Atlantic City, New Jersey
SysOp(s) ........... Dave Schubert
Phone ........... (609) 561-3377 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Princessland BBS
Location ........... Wenonah, New Jersey
SysOp(s) ........... Pamela & Rick Forsythe
Phone ........... (609) 464-1421 (2400 baud)
BBS Name ........... Revision Systems
Location ........... Lawrenceville, New Jersey
SysOp(s) ........... Paul Lauda
Phone ........... (609) 896-3256 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Hangar 18
Location ........... Columbus, Ohio
SysOp(s) ........... Bob Dunlap
Phone ........... (614) 488-2314 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Channel 1
Location ........... Cambridge, Massachusettes
SysOp(s) ........... Brian Miller
Phone ........... (617) 354-3230 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (617) 354-3137 (16.8k HST)
# BBS Name ........... Arts Place BBS, The
Location ........... Arlington, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Ron Fitzherbert
Phone ........... (703) 528-8467 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Bubba Systems One
Location ........... Manassas, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Mosko
Phone ........... (703) 335-1253 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Market Hotline, The
Location ........... Rodford, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Steve Mintun
Phone ........... (703) 633-2178 (28.8k baud)
BBS Name ........... Pen and Brush BBS
Location ........... Burke, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Lucia and John Chambers
Phone ........... (703) 644-6730 (300-12.0k baud)
Phone ........... (703) 644-5196 (14.4k baud)
# BBS Name ........... Sidewayz BBS
Location ........... Fairfax, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Paul Cutrona
Phone ........... (703) 352-5412 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Virginia Connection, The
Location ........... Washington, District of Columbia
SysOp(s) ........... Tony McClenny
Phone ........... (703) 648-1841 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Vivid Images Press Syndicate
Location ........... Wise, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... David Allio
Phone ........... (703) 328-6915 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Imperial Palace, The
Location ........... Augusta, Georiga
SysOp(s) ........... Michael Deutsch
Phone ........... (706) 592-1344 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Zarno Board
Location ........... Martinez, Georiga
SysOp(s) ........... Tim Saari
Phone ........... (706) 860-7927 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Anathema Downs
Location ........... Sonoma County, California
SysOp(s) ........... Sadie Jane
Phone ........... (707) 792-1555 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Happy Trails
Location ........... Orange, California
SysOp(s) ........... Don Inglehart
Phone ........... (714) 547-0719 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... InfoMat BBS
Location ........... San Clemente, California
SysOp(s) ........... Michael Gibbs
Phone ........... (714) 492-8727 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Cool Baby BBS
Location ........... York, Pennsylvania
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Krieg
Phone ........... (717) 751-0855 (19.2k baud)
BBS Name ........... T&J Software BBS
Location ........... Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
SysOp(s) ........... Tom Wildoner
Phone ........... (717) 325-9481 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Ice Box BBS, The
Location ........... Kew Gardens Hills, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Darren Klein
Phone ........... (718) 793-8548 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Systemic BBS
Location ........... Bronx, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Mufutau Towobola
Phone ........... (718) 716-6198 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (718) 716-6341 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Paradise City BBS
Location ........... St. George, Utah
SysOp(s) ........... Steve & Marva Cutler
Phone ........... (801) 628-4212 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Regulator, The
Location ........... Charleston, South Carolina
SysOp(s) ........... Steve Coker
Phone ........... (803) 571-1100 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Straight Board, The
Location ........... Virginia Beach, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... Ray Sulich
Phone ........... (804) 468-6454 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (804) 468-6528 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... TDOR#2
Location ........... Charlottesville, Virginia
SysOp(s) ........... David Short
Phone ........... (804) 973-5639 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Valley BBS, The
Location ........... Myakka City, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Larry Daymon
Phone ........... (813) 322-2589 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Syllables
Location ........... Fort Myers, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Jackie Jones
Phone ........... (813) 482-5276 (14.4k baud)
# BBS Name ........... Renaissance BBS
Location ........... Arlington, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... David Pollard
Phone ........... (817) 467-7322 (9600 baud)
# BBS Name ........... Second Sanctum
Location ........... Arlington, Texas
SysOp(s) ........... Mark Robbins
Phone ........... (817) 784-1178 (2400 baud)
Phone ........... (817) 784-1179 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Dream Land BBS
Location ........... Destin, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Ron James
Phone ........... (904) 837-2567 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Hurry No Mo BBS
Location ........... Citra, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Roy Fralick
Phone ........... (904) 595-5057 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Star Fire
Location ........... Jacksonville, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Bruce Allan
Phone ........... (904) 260-8825 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Tree BBS, The
Location ........... Ocala, Florida
SysOp(s) ........... Frank Fowler
Phone ........... (904) 732-0866 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (904) 732-8273 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Outlands, The
Location ........... Ketchikan, Alaska
SysOp(s) ........... Mike Gates
Phone ........... (907) 225-1219 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (907) 225-1220 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (907) 247-4733 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Moonbase Alpha BBS
Location ........... Bahama, North Carolina
SysOp(s) ........... Steven Wright
Phone ........... (919) 471-4547 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Outlands, The
Location ........... Ketchikan, Alaska
SysOp(s) ........... Mike Gates
Phone ........... (907) 247-4733 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (907) 225-1219 (14.4k baud)
Phone ........... (907) 225-1220 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Legend Graphics OnLine
Location ........... Riverside, California
SysOp(s) ........... Joe Marquez
Phone ........... (909) 689-9229 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Locksoft BBS
Location ........... San Jacinto, California
SysOp(s) ........... Carl Curling
Phone ........... (909) 654-LOCK (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Image Center, The
Location ........... Ardsley, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Larry Clive
Phone ........... (914) 693-9100 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... SB Online, Inc.
Location ........... Larchmont, New York
SysOp(s) ........... Eric Speer
Phone ........... (914) 723-4010 (14.4k baud)
Canada
------
BBS Name ........... Canada Remote Systems Online
Location ........... Toronto Ontario, Canada
SysOp(s) ........... Rick Munro
Phone ........... (416) 213-6002 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Source-Online
Location ........... British Columbia, Canada
SysOp(s) ........... Chris Barrett
Phone ........... (604) 758-4643 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Encode Online
Location ........... Orillia Ontario, Canada
SysOp(s) ........... Peter Ellis
Phone ........... (705) 327-7629 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Beasley's Den
Location ........... Mississauga Ontario, Canada
SysOp(s) ........... Keith Gulik
Phone ........... (905) 949-1587 (9600 baud)
United Kingdom
--------------
BBS Name ........... Hangar BBS, The
Location ........... Avon, England, United Kingdom
SysOp(s) ........... Jason Hyland
Phone ........... +44-934-511751 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Pandora's Box BBS
Location ........... Brookmans Park, England, United Kingdom
SysOp(s) ........... Dorothy Gibbs
Phone ........... +44-707-664778 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Almac BBS
Location ........... Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom
SysOp(s) ........... Alastair McIntyre
Phone ........... +44-324-665371 (14.4k baud)
Finland
-------
BBS Name ........... Niflheim BBS
Location ........... Mariehamn, Aaland Islands, Finland
SysOp(s) ........... Kurtis Lindqvist
Phone ........... +358-28-17924 (16.8k baud)
Phone ........... +358-28-17424 (14.4k baud)
Portugal
--------
BBS Name .......... Intriga Internacional
Location .......... Queluz, Portugal
SysOp(s) .......... Afonso Vicente
Phone .......... +351-1-4352629 (16.8k baud)
BBS Name .......... B-Link BBS
Location .......... Lisbon, Portugal
SysOp(s) .......... Antonio Jorge
Phone .......... +351-1-4919755 (14.4k baud)
BBS Name ........... Mailhouse
Location ........... Loures, Portugal
SysOp(s) ........... Carlos Santos
Phone ........... +351-1-9890140 (14.4k baud)
South America
-------------
BBS Name ........... Message Centre, The (Open 18:00 - 06:00 local)
Location ........... Itaugua, Paraguay
SysOp(s) ........... Prof. Michael Slater
Phone ........... +011-595-28-2154 (2400 baud)
Saudi Arabia
------------
BBS Name ........... Sahara BBS
Location ........... Dammam City
SysOp(s) ........... Kais Al-Essa
Phone ........... +966-3-833-2082 (16.8k baud)
SysOp: To have *your* BBS listed here, write me via one of the
many ways listed under CONTACT POINTS elsewhere in this
issue.
STTS Net Report
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine is available through FIDO,
INTERNET, RIME, and PEN & BRUSH NET. Check below for information on how
to request the current issue of the magazine or be put on the monthly
mailing list.
FIDO
To get the newest issue of the magazine via FIDO, you'll need to
do a file request from Fido Node 1:124/8010 using the "magic" name
of SUNLIGHT.
INTERNET
To get on the STTS mailing list, do the following:
Send internet mail message to:
Joe.DeRouen@Chrysalis.ORG
And ask to be put on the list.
RIME
To request the magazine via RIME, ask your RIME SysOp to do a file
request from node # 5320 for the current issue (eg: sun9408.ZIP, or
whatever month you happen to be in) Better yet, ask your SysOp to
request to be put on the monthly mailing list and receive STTS
automatically.
PEN & BRUSH NET
To request via P&BNet, follow the instructions for RIME above. They're
both ran on Postlink and operate exactly the same way in terms of file
requests and transfers.
I'd like to thank Texas Talk BBS and Archives On-Line BBS for allowing
me to access the Internet and Fido (respectively) from their systems.
End Notes
Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen
All rights reserved
This issue marks the second annual Halloween theme issue. What does
that mean? Well, this issue is supposed to be scary. Write me and
complain if you're not sufficiently scared, and I'll see to it that you
get every dime of your money back. <Grin>
Seriously, though, let us know what you thought of the issue. We take
each and every comment seriously, and would love to hear from you.
What else is there to say?
Happy Halloween!!
Joe DeRouen, Oct. 10th 1994