If my review of Hello Out There! had to be one line, it'd be this: This 'zine has content. And not just a little bit of content, either. Great, heaping scads of content that sort of lay there and twitch, asking you to read and re-read and find new things hidden inside.

Handled with a wry wit that borders from time to time on self-satire, the editor of HOT #3 publishes not only a host of varied writings and articles and interviews, but also photocopied renditions of actual death threats made upon his person. (And the person of his mother, in one case.) I'd buy the 'zine just for that.

Articles and stories/poetry vary in quality, as one would expect. There is a fantastic interview that lasts several pages with the Reverend B. Dangerous -- a circus-type freak from a Rose-type show who pierces varied parts of his body for the amusement of others. Because of the featured article, the cover art and some original interior art is a host of circus freaks -- not necessarily for the squeamish, but apt.

Also in #3 is a story about a lonely sperm (who becomes a lonely fetus), a fantastic Free Thinker's Manifesto, reviews of 'zines that I'd never heard of, and an Ingenius Product of the Month that is guaranteed to turn your stomach and make you laugh.

One of the more memorable writings in this issue is one of the shorter short stories. Called "Eulogy" by andy HORNE, it is a man trying to eulogize a drinking buddy he has no respect for. For some reason, this makes my brain do cartwheels -- it's an intriguing theme.

Just in case that's not enough, there's Xerox Art, unsent letters and a story about J.D. Salinger's mistreatment of women from fictional love letters to a stalker. There's also a censored porn contest. That one you have to see to believe.

I'm not even scratching the surface here. There's much more inside. At $2.50, it's a steal.

Hello Out There! is available quarterly, and subscriptions are available for $8 (U.S.) per year. Checks or concealed cash can go to David Khalili, Hello Out There, P.O. Box 1918, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or e-mail him at lounglzrd6@aol.com.

[ by Elizabeth Badurina ]