The Space: Above and Beyond
Fanfic Writer’s Resource Center

This page provides a place for Space: Above and Beyond fanfic writers to share our areas of knowledge and our resources with each other. Probably the best place to look first for the answer to most any series-related question is the Mission Status web site. Pat “wu” Moss has created an encyclopedia there that contains a truly amazing amount of information. There are also links to a wide variety of other Space-related web pages. Also, don’t forget web-search services such as Yahoo! and Alta Vista, for questions of a more general nature.

I've moved the list of links from this site to Scribbles, my ezine. Please read Scribble #3: A New Home for my Writer's Resource Links for an explanation of this change.

The individuals listed below have gracefully volunteered their knowledge, reference works, experience, and e-mail addresses. All of our “Amateur Experts” have listed an area or areas in which they feel comfortable answering our questions. I hope in time to get this into a more organized, alphabetical format, but for now, I’ve simply listed each volunteer and the areas he/she has chosen.

Notice: 

If you would like to be included, please e-mail me. Possible areas of knowledge include your occupation, hobbies, and the area of the country that you live in. Also, if you feel you have a good reference work, and would be willing to look things up in it for other people, please list that also.

I am especially looking for current/former service people. Most of us fanfic writers, myself included, have no military background. We would appreciate having technical advice available!

SPEEDBUMP
speedbmp@wvinter.net

Have significant knowledge and good reference works about:

general journalism (print only)
computers (IBMs mainly, some Mac knowledge)
Spanish (language and culture)
medieval history, including women's roles and lives
media ethics
art history
Highlander--both movies and TV series (for all you crossover hopefuls)
Star Trek (also for crossover hopefuls)
publishing, especially self-publishing and newspaper
how a modern printing press works
the history of books
libel and slander, including laws, cases, etc.
cats (as in housecats)
the works of Robert A. Heinlein
The history of West Virginia and the Kanawha Valley
Rape
Cooking
HTML
Stained glass (we have one of the largest manufactures in the world less than 30 miles from my house)
political science

Have some knowledge about, and/or have good reference works/people to look at/talk to about:

groundfighting (A style of combat using *real* (not pro) wrestling techniques)
other martial arts including aikido and ninjitzu
Louis L'Amour (Sackett novels)
Blues questions
Shakespeare, his works, and England in his time
Sherlock Holmes
Herbs--cooking and medicinal, storing and drying, how used in historical times
Coal mining (great for that In Vitro mine experience!)
Sewing and tailoring
Etymology, linguistics, word histories and origins for specific words
Mythology (Greek, Roman and Norse)
Geography
Astronomy
Golf
Baseball
Physics (not navigational, but theory)
The Korean War and WWII
The Renaissance and Reformation
basic anthropology

Other references I have available to me to help you with questions:

Past JMDG-L digests (if you are a member)
The Timetables of History (incredible reference work!)
Folksongs of Britain and Ireland
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the English Language (history, structure, mechanics
and usage of English all covered)
The History of the USMC
The United States Constitution
Hundreds of compact discs
Hundreds of science fiction and fantasy books
Space: Above and Beyond novelization and all comic books
The Golden Retriever (movies on video reference, has over 25,000 titles)
many books on art and art history
Criminal justice overview reference
Spanish/English Dictionary (most comprehensive one available)
Superstitions
tons of dictionaries, including one of only archaic words
Books on the history of West Virginia and the Kanawha Valley (where I am from)
The Conquistadores

M. PARRISH

parrish@iglobal.net

I am a published novelist (but not in the Sci-Fi genre) and would like to offer any help to aspiring writers on story structure, plotting, etc.

RACHEL S. HUGHES
rhughes@net-link.net

I'm a nurse with 20 plus years experience in general trauma and neurosurgery. I would willingly answer medical/blood and gore type questions. (I really hate it when that kind of stuff is wrong in fan fic.) I also have a couple of friends who were military nurses, who can supply some of those details.

RHONDA

(MR ROD LANE) ESPI35E@prodigy.com

Reference material on the history of the Texas Rangers (the cops, not the team),
near-death experiences,
Arthurian legends in different cultures,
procedures of dignitary protection,
the United States Secret Service.
Although I have never worked as a peace officer, I was a police reporter and have done lots of research (both reading and interviewing) into various law enforcement issues and procedures.

Also, journalism experience (TV, newspaper and radio), studio and remote television production and 35mm still photography.

GABRIELLE BESSEY

gdbessey@ingr.com

cosmetology
editing/grammar questions.
Mobile/Loxley area: I don't live near Mobile, but I've visited there, so I might be able to help.

RAYHNE

rayhne@itis.com

Rayhne has a very thorough dictionary of military terms. She is also very well informed about S:AAB fanfic.

SUSI PATZKE

susi.patzke@nwn.de

I'm a student of biology (in my final year which is the sixth) currently working on my final thesis. My special knowledge spans everything concerning aquatic life and ecology (with focus on animals though). In the wake of my thesis I'm currently very informed about everything concerning the ozone layer, UV radiation and its impact on life on Earth. But I can definitely research all information that is connected to the field of general biology.

I'm German, therefore have detailed knowledge of Germany's society and traditions, thankfully also about its history, with particularly detailed background knowledge of the holocaust in WWII, as well as WWII's general history. My mother experienced WWII as a child from the age of 8 to 14 and is very willing to share her views and experiences with me.
Although I don't know much about physics myself, my friend is an ethusiast when it comes to the navigational side of physics -- so if someone needs to know something about space travel or wormholes, I'm sure he could help.

My brother has spent 4 years with the German Navy and is especially interested in its history.

My personal interests/knowledge:
**German history (especially WWII)
**History of the state of Israel and the Jewish people
**Biology
**Whales -- their habitats, life, distribution, danger of extinction
**Characterization in creative writing
**Sailing -- I've been a sailing instructor for five years, with detailed knowledge in the field of teaching beginners
**Shakespeare -- I own the complete edition of his works and have read pretty much most of it --> Interpretation of Shakespeare's works
**Star Trek/Star Wars
**living in Northern Germany, my knowledge of the region is quite good
** travelling in Germany (especially trains + cars) -- lots of personal experiences :)
** psychotherapy

Hope there's something that can help someone...

BECKY RATLIFF

sratliff@zoomnet.net

I have a BSED in elementary education. I can answer questions referring to the profession of teaching, and to child development. (I've found this background very helpful in understanding Cooper's situation.)

I am presently employed in the hotel business as a night auditor, which is a bookkeeping position.

I do crafts of all sorts, such as sewing, cross-stitching and crocheting.

Recipes -- I have a good collection of cookbooks, and can probably find a recipe if you need one.

I live in Southern Ohio, and I am familiar with the area between Huntington, West Virginia; Columbus, Ohio; and Cincinnati, Ohio.