Seeking Pros list makers and readers of Mel Keegan's books

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

marjorammax asked at prosfinder about which of Mel Keegan's m/m books are based on older Pros stories and their publication format.

That post is here:
http://prosfinder.livejournal.com/60462.html

byslantedlight and I offered some info, and londonronnie mentioned a partial list she had posted in a comment on an earlier LJ post about Jane & Kathy Keegan's Pros story lists.

Because I'm a completist, I couldn't resist pulling together info I had and some info already out there from other folks. (Also, I'm in the middle of a seemingly neverending Pros project that is wearing me down and I need a shorter project that actually has an end point in view. *BG*)

I would REALLY appreciate the help of other Pros list makers *g* and those who have read Mel Keegan's books to create a more complete list.

That way, in the future, folks interested in the question can be refered to a central post with - I hope - full info. And the list can be posted to handy reference sites like Palely Loitering and The Hatstand Archive.

ALL info gratefully welcomed.

To spare the reading lists of those who might not be interested, look beneath the LJ cut for more detailed info and links to useful reference posts (e.g. Jane & Kathy Keegan's Pros story lists, Mel Keegan's books in print).



As part of the discoveredinalj 2011 winter challenge, I updated my previously compiled story lists for Jane & Kathy Keegan. There you will find complete info on their Pros stories and their original publication. At least I hope it is complete, but additions and/or corrections are most gratefully welcome!

Jane & Kathey Keegan Pros Story Lists with londonronnie's partial list of Mel Keegan's stories in comments:
http://discoveredinalj.livejournal.com/229430.html

NOTE: The Palely Loitering website has the 2007 version story lists due to software issues that have prevented byslantedlight from updating recently. Once that problem is resolved, I expect the 2011 version will replace the older info.

Mel Keegan's books in print (paper and ebook) - taken from her website:
http://www.dream-craft.com/melkeegan/bip.html

Aphelion
Aquamarine
Breakheart
Callisto Switch
Crimes of Passion
Cry Liberty
Dangerous Moonlight
Death's Head
The Deceivers
Deep Sky
An East Wind Blowing
Equinox
Flashpoint
Fortunes of War
Ground Zero
Ice, Wind and Fire
Lords of Harbendane
Mindspace
Nocturne
Probe
The Rabelais Alliance
Scorpio
Shadow and Flame
Stopover
Storm Tide
The Swordsman
Tiger, Tiger
Twilght
Umbriel
White Rose of Night
Windrage
The Winds of Chance

Event Horizon - Forthcoming
More Than Human - Forthcoming

I think all Mel Keegan books are in print or forthcoming, but if you know of any that are out-of-print and not listed here, please leave any info!


Mel Keegan books based on Pros stories - WORK IN PROGRESS - Alphabetized by Mel Keegan's titles
Aquamarine by Mel Keegan originally published as Aquamarine by Jane in FANTAZINE 5 (1993, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Breakheart by Mel Keegan originally published as Breakheart by Jane in OTHER TIMES AND PLACES VI (1995, OTP Press; available from Kathleen Resch & Waveney Zine Shop)

Differences: Unknown from Pros version, however, it was also later published in a gay & lesbian themed SF/F collection. "Note: this 'generation' of BREAKHEART is 1,500 words longer than the text previously published in Alyson Books' 'Swords of the Rainbow, USA, 1999." (Info from publisher product descripton on Amazon.com)


Dangerous Moonlight by Mel Keegan originally published as THE PERFECT GENTLEMEN by Jane (1991, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


An East Wind Blowing by Mel Keegan originally published as An East Wind Blowing by Jane in FANTAZINE 4 (1992, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Fortunes of War by Mel Keegan originally published as A MADRIGAL by Jane (1987, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Ice, Wind and Fire by Mel Keegan originally published as Ice, Wind and Fire by Kathy Keegan in CROSS MY HEART 1 (1987, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Nocturne by Mel Keegan originally published as UNFINISHED MELODY by Jane (1988, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Storm Tide by Mel Keegan originally published as FLOOD TIDE by Madelaine Ingram (1992, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown, According to londonronnie "interestingly, Mel Keegan introduces this novel as being inspired by a short story by "the late Lane E. Ingram."


The Swordsman by Mel Keegan originally published as THE SWORDSMAN by Jane (1993, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Only character & place names changed?


Twilight by Mel Keegan originally published as Twilight by Jane in FANTAZINE 1 (1988, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


Windrage by Mel Keegan originally published as Nothing Left to Lose by Jane and Madelaine Ingram (from a story by Kathy Keegan) in LEATHER AND BLUE JEANS (1993, PAL Press; available from Denetia Arellanes & Agent with Style)

Differences: Unknown


The Winds of Chance (Legends: The Fall of the Atlantean Empire) by Mel Keegan originally published as WITCHFIRES (LEGENDS aka WITCHFIRE series #1) by Madelaine Ingram in CROSS MY HEART 5 (1990, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)

Differences: Unknown


PLEASE use these summary phrases for differences with additional and/or specific info in comments if needed. It will make things a bit easier to organize.

Differences:
Unknown
Only character & place names changed
Minor revisions
Major revisions
Extensive revisions & story expanded in length


For those who prefer researching from the Pros side, the same list alphabetized by Pros story titles:

Aquamarine by Jane
FANTAZINE 5 (1993, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Aquamarine by Mel Keegan

Breakheart by Jane
OTHER TIMES AND PLACES VI (1995, OTP Press; available from Kathleen Resch & Waveney Zine Shop)
Later published as Breakheart by Mel Keegan

An East Wind Blowing by Jane
FANTAZINE 4 (1992, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as An East Wind Blowing by Mel Keegan

FLOOD TIDE by Madelaine Ingram
(1992, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Storm Tide by Mel Keegan

Ice, Wind and Fire by Kathy Keegan
CROSS MY HEART 1 (1987, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Ice, Wind and Fire by Mel Keegan

A MADRIGAL by Jane
(1987, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Fortunes of War by Mel Keegan

Nothing Left to Lose by Jane and Madelaine Ingram (from a story by Kathy Keegan)
LEATHER AND BLUE JEANS (1993, PAL Press; available from Denetia Arellanes & Agent with Style)
Later published as Windrage by Mel Keegan

THE PERFECT GENTLEMEN by Jane
(1991, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Dangerous Moonlight by Mel Keegan

THE SWORDSMAN by Jane
(1993, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as The Swordsman by Mel Keegan

Twilight by Jane
FANTAZINE 1 (1988, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Twilight by Mel Keegan

UNFINISHED MELODY by Jane
(1988, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as Nocturne by Mel Keegan

WITCHFIRES (LEGENDS aka WITCHFIRE series #1) by Madelaine Ingram
CROSS MY HEART 5 (1990, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
Later published as The Winds of Chance (Legends: The Fall of the Atlantean Empire)


NEED more info on Mel Keegan's Hellgate novels.

londonronnie notes: "There are also a series of Mel Keegan novels set in the 'Hellgate' universe, which was also the setting of Kathy Keegan's The Silence of Knives (although I'm unsure as to whether KK's actual story has been reworked as a Mel Keegan novel)."
http://discoveredinalj.livejournal.com/229430.html?thread=5785910#t5785910

Again, any info will be most welcome. I know the collective memory and efforts of Pros fen can knock this project out in no time!

Come on, the research will be fun - it's an excuse to reread Pros stories or Mel Keegan's books. *g* And it'll be useful to other current and future Pros fen.

*edited to fix typo*

Comments

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

We need detectives not CI5 agents! LOL! Thanks for delving into this web of words.

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor not a detective! Oops, flashback to the wrong fandom. *BG*

Cowley would have your hide for suggesting that CI5 agents are less able to ferret out info than detectives! Though we all know how fond Bodie and Doyle are of the files room. It's field work they love. *g*

I'm hoping the post will jump start other Pros fen into contributing info. Collectively, Pros fen really represent an extraordinary repository of fannish info. I'm constantly amazed and delighted at how much fannish history and info is retained, though I do worry that as we lose fen we may lose our fannish history for good.

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

Excellent resource!

It's quite a while since I read the GMP version of Ice, Wind and Fire. The central characters are called Greg and Alex, and are a London-based photographer and a journalist who go to the West Indies on holiday - and then end up in an adventure involving a wrecked plane and smugglers. I don't remember much else about it, apart from the fact it is otherwise pretty similar to the Pros story.

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the info. It confirms my memory that the two versions are quite similar. Certainly the main plot points are the same, though the names and occupations of Bodie and Doyle are changed.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Wow, I hadn't realized she'd written so many. I'm assuming the newer ones aren't from old Pros stories, but all the ones I've ever read are. Sorry I can't add anything to your list, but I can say that your list will come in very handy!

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Jane in any guise is always prolific. *g*

Actually, the "newer" Mel Keegan books continue to be revised Pros stories. She began publishing as Mel Keegan in tandem with her work in Pros back in 1991 (IIRC, Deathhead was the first) and has continued even after she left Pros and fandom back in 2006.

So are all the Mel Keegan books that you read already on the previously Pros list? Even if you can't add details, just confirming the titles would be helpful.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

The ones I've read are. I've still to read "White Rose of Night" and "Death's Head." Once I do, I'll post the details, since I may not know if they correspond to one of her Pros stories.

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

That would be great, thanks! I strongly suspect both - particularly Death's Head - have a Pros connection, though quite what that may be eludes me at this point. Having more details would be very useful.

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

That list looks great.

You do know about fanlore. . . right?

http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Professionals

I just wish we could get more there

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Thanks but the list is only a beginning - there are more to add, so I'm definitely counting on other Pros fen to chime in.

Yep, I'm very aware of Fanlore and the othe projects under the OTW umbrella. Documenting Pros fannish history is happening at Fanlore and certainly in varous Pros forums (LJ/DW, websites, mailing lists).

And byslantedlight did a fantastic job of gathering info for a Pros Fannish Timeline, particularly the British side - and all that info ended up at Fanlore. Why the main Pros summary intro page at Fanlore doesn't have an internal link to the Professionals Timeline page at Fanlore is beyond me - along with a number of other specific Pros pages. If you haven't seen the timeline, it makes for great reading - as do the original source posts by byslantedlight which are linked at the bottom of the timeline page.

Pros Timeline page at Fanlore: http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Professionals_Timeline

As I recently replied to another Pros fan who mentioned Fanlore: I'm aware of OTW and the various projects it covers, and generally consider them worthwhile while certainly problematical in many areas. I was asked to join the committee for Fanlore back in the earliest organizing stages but offline issues (primarily health related) meant that I declined.

And most of my Pros research ends up on Fanlore even without my direct efforts. It's always a bit disconcerting to see certain idiosyncratic phrasing or info stylings there, particularly if they are without attribution. The inclusion of a typo - and the discussion it provoked - was particularly memorable. *g*

I know the Hatstand archivist is heavily involved with OTW and Fanlore, and so info that I send to her as the Hatstand archivist tends to end up on Fanlore. Also, info I send to byslantedlight also tends to end up on Fanlore, as the Palely Loitering website is routinely mined for information and zine cover images.

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

I need to find my e-copy of 'Windrage'...

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

I know you've a lot on your plate right now but if you can find it and report back, I'd really appreciate it. I hope things go smoothly with your mum's move. It's a lot for all involved to deal with in a short period of time.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ack, I didn't track this when it appeared the other day, and look at what I've missed! Now if the world would stop long enough for me to work out Kompozer... (I know I keep saying that...) I've never even thought of buying one of Mel Keegan's re-workings, but I'm curious about them - how do they read to people who do and don't (didn't?!) know B/D? I gather she's re-worked some stories, I wonder if they have more flow than when I read them as Pros stories...? (Maybe it's her world-building getting in the way of her Pros that puts me off, when what I want to read is Pros - so perhaps it comes over better when she's filed off the serial numbers? Hmmn, it's been a while since I've been to her site too, I must have a good explore when I'm more awake tomorrow... And thanks for this - I'm looking forward to exploring what you've said above, and people's replies, properly too!

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've already explored a number of options but a quick Google for "Kompozer tutorial video" turned up over 38,000 hits. Perhaps a few might be of use? Trouble is, of course, weeding out those that are helpful from those that aren't - and that's a lot to check out when time is the issue. *sigh* Still keeping my fingers crossed that you can find a good alternative but they are cramping a bit. *g*

I know that you've said several times that you make a strong distinction between fan fiction and original fiction and have different reasons for reading either and different preferences in the two genres. So I'm guessing that if a story lacked overt Pros markers, and so you weren't constantly evaluating it as a Pros story first, AU second, that it would likely have greater resonance. Of course, it might still not attract you as an original story *g* but you wouldn't have the added disappointment of wanting Pros and not finding it.

The Mel Keegan website had a major overhaul fairly recently, so it's worth a look if you haven't been there in a while. She does have reviews up and most - all? - seem to be from people who don't know her Pros past. Or if they do, it is certainly not mentioned. There are also reviews up on Amazon, and I know some of the reviewers names from various fandoms so they are more likely to know about her Pros connections. Don't think I've seen that said explicitly in those reviews, but I've not systematically checked them either, so...

Anyway, one thing that struck me about the current website incarnation is just how much it reminds me of Jane's old DOAW site in structure - though thankfully, it is a bit easier to navigate - and in wording and tone.

Another thing that struck me is just how much I dislike her trend as a digital artist towards a CGI style in all her artwork, not just that for the SF books. I imagine if you are a gamer, it's a style that is very familiar and accepted, but for me it highlights all the things that I already dislike about computer aided or digital art in general. Jane (or JJ or Jade) is actually a talented artist with ink/pencil/charcoal, and some of her earlier digital art is lovely. The newer stuff leaves cold - no, worse than that, it actively discourages me from exploring the text.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I need to start trawling through the tutorial pages again - I've not been able to find an answer in them to what I can't see happening (if that makes sense *g*), because as far as I know I've followed the correct instructions, and there's no reason my files shouldn't be saving on my computer before i upload them. I've missed something... *g* I'll find it - I just need some time to spend on it, which I've not had for a while. Once I do, I'll be back to normal - or hopefully, even better than that... *g*

I get the impression that "Mel Keegan" really doesn't want her fic associated with it's Pros past - in fact I wasn't sure about making the connection at palelyloitering just because of that, but then again it's such an obvious link... I do wonder about that though - there are a few authors who have original fic (actually original *g*) sites too, and although they don't talk about their Pros fic there, they don't seem to be totally secretive about it either... but...

I remember finding DOAW a complete nightmare to navigate, which is probably one reason I never did buy any zines from it, though Jane was still actively selling them when I started in Pros. She was selling stories on CD too though, which didn't appeal to me at all... And I absolutely agree with you about the covers of her books, they put me off when I visited her website the other day too. I find covers do influence my reading of a story (though in theory they shouldn't), so if I'm presented with cartoon-type characters, that's how the story feels to me... which isn't what I want from a story... I've seen some of JJ/Jade's artwork in the zines, and it really is so much better - it's a shame she's not carried on using that... I wonder if it's possible to find second-hand versions of some of the novels, with non-CGI-type covers...

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

NEED MORE INFO re The Sword by Jane & Mel Keegan's Books

I'm looking for some more info regarding Jane's Pros stories and Mel Keegan's books. ANY info is welcome - chime in please!

But in particular, I have a question regarding The Sword by Jane.

The Sword by Jane
FANTAZINE 2 (1990, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)
NOT SURE if incorporated into An East Wind Blowing by Mel Keegan

The Sword by Jane is an AU fantasy story set in 4th Century Britain. The sequel to The Sword is An East Wind Blowing by Jane [FANTAZINE 4 (1992, Nut Hatch Collective; oop)].

Does anyone know if The Sword is incorporated into the Mel Keegan version of An East Wind Blowing? Or does Mel Keegan's version of An East Wind Blowing start at the same place as the Jane version?

As always, I'd appreciate any info