HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Foundation books
Date: 15 Nov 92 17:22:14 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: rkk@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU (Randy Kloko)

In article <9211131109.A14509@mail.lib.duke.edu>, rkk@MAIL (Randy Kloko) writes:
>          It struck me a couple of years ago that the one Foundation
>          book that remained to be written would be a parody, [...]

Harry Harrison did a fine Trantor parody in BILL THE GALACTIC HERO.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
From: mab@buphy.bu.edu (Michael Burstein)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Asimov biography
Date: 17 Nov 92 14:12:59 GMT
Organization: Boston University Physics Department

In article <librik.721968514@cory.Berkeley.EDU> librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik) writes:
>mab@buphy.bu.edu (Michael Burstein) writes:
>
>>I read the following in the November issue of Locus, on p. 8:
>
>>"Stanley Asimov is editing Isaac Asimov's letters for publication. His
>>autobiography, _I, Asimov_, has been postponed. Ralph Vincinanza is now
>>agent for the Asimov estate."
>
>Is this autobiography the one that Asimov had planned, to follow _In Memory
>Yet Green_ and _In Joy Still Felt_?  I loved those books, and always hoped
>Asimov would live to continue them.  I suppose the question is: did Asimov
>assemble his third volume over time, so that it is as rich as the first two,
>or was _I, Asimov_ a last-minute scribble, done when he realized he was dying?
>The first two books are the best example of how a good writer can make a
>fascinating story out of anything, including the day-to-day doings (told in
>incredible detail) of himself.

Well, here's the story as far as I know it. Asimov had been working on
the third volume of his autobiography for some time, and kept trying to
get Doubleday to commit to a publishing date. They kept insisting on
another novel first, a sort of "we'll publish the book you want if
you'll give us the book we want" kind of thing.

Then Asimov got sick. He continued working on his autobiography from his
hospital bed, and then finished it when he was able to return home
again briefly.  Then he was back in the hospital, and he died, and
Doubleday felt lots of remorse for not publishing his book before he
died. Well, I hope they felt remorse.

Anyway, given the fact that Asimov kept diaries from which to cull
stories for his autobiography, I doubt that the entire book will have
the flavor of last minute scribblings. But I'm sure some of it will feel
as if he knew he was dying as he wrote it.

-- 
Michael A. Burstein
Physics Department, Boston University         mab@buphy.bu.edu
590 Commonwealth Ave.                         (617) 353-9437 (o)
Boston, MA 02215                              (617) 735-9433 (h)
From: esr@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: origins of "ansible"
Date: 23 Nov 92 06:20:12 GMT

In <1992Nov22.061404.27926@leland.Stanford.EDU> Elizabeth Wade wrote:
> Does anyone know the origins of the word "ansible" (meaning
> instantaneous communications device)?  I know Ursula Le Guin 
> used it (in _Rocannon's World_ and _The Dispossessed_ among 
> others), but did she invent it?  I also noticed it being used in 
> Orson Scott Card's _Ender_ books.  Has anyone seen it elsewhere?

The SF use originated with LeGuin, specifically in _The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness_.
Several other writers have since picked it up.  I've even seen the term used
by physicists in speculative mode.

I have run across the word "ansible" in a passage describing some details
of the administrative theory of the Roman Catholic Church --- apparently
it's a term of art there.  I strongly suspect that LeGuin picked it up from
there; she calls known space "the Oikumene" and there are other suggestions
of religious-derived terminology in her books.
-- 
					Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>
From: esr@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: works of L. Ron Hubbard
Date: 22 Nov 92 21:43:23 GMT

In <1ej7h7INN5j0@transfer.stratus.com> Jim Mann wrote:
> A few of his earlier works such as Fear, Slaves of Sleep, Final Blackout,
> and Typewriter in the Sky are at least worth reading.  They are decent pulp
> fiction, fun to read, and on  a par  with other "middle-weight" SF of the
> 40s and 50s (that is, on par with Piper or the better Van Vogt).  However,
> some SF historical revisionists really overrate him, trying to rank
> him with Heinlein, which simply is not the case.
> 
> Most of Hubbard's later stuff is just plain bloated and bad.

Aside from the minor quibble that I'd say Piper was considerably better
than Hubbard or Van Vogt, I quite agree with this assessment.  _Slaves_Of_
Sleep_, in particular, compares well with other fantasies of the period and
has aged surprisingly little in the years since.  

I'll go further than Jim; Hubbard's later work stinks badly enough to knock a
buzzard off the proverbial sh*twagon.  It's monumentally awful.  Evidence, if
more were really needed, that founding one's own cult can reduce even the most
original mind to cheezoid degeneracy.
-- 
					Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>
From: ca572@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mark L. Stackpole)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: John J. Miller
Date: 18 Nov 1992 20:15:49 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


	The only other book John J. Miller has published outside
of WILDCARDS is a Buck Rogers novels for TSR.
	The title slips my memory, but is was published in 1991.

Mark_Stackpole@oclc.org
From: tarl@sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Mote around...
Date: 20 Nov 92 23:58:11 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: coyoacan.sw.stratus.com

In article <921120180252.23831e0c@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU>, FELSON_ADJ@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU writes:
> About a year and a half ago, Jerry Pournelle, in his byte column mentioned that
> his sequel "Mote around God's eye" was done... I have yet to see it in
> any bookstores, and the bookstore owners can't find it on any publisher
> list... Anyone know anything about this book, or what the lead time is like
> in publishing?

The original title was going to be "Moat around Murcheson's Eye", but now:

The Gripping Hand, Niven&Pournelle, Feb 1993, Pocket Books.

FAQ anyone?
-- 
         Tarl Neustaedter	tarl@sw.stratus.com
         Marlboro, Mass.	Stratus Computer
Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions.
From: rr@chem.ucsd.edu (Roxanne Rohmann)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Julian May: Anthology? Sets?
Date: 16 Nov 1992 07:18:22 GMT
Organization: Chemistry Dept, UC San Diego
NNTP-Posting-Host: chedccf0.ucsd.edu

In article <1992Nov11.131518.1@vax1.tcd.ie> moflngan@vax1.tcd.ie writes:
 > 
 > Anyway back to the point, I'm interested in getting a full set of
 > Julian May's publications so far (except for the dreaded Black Trillium
 > So, can anybody tell me if there are any anthologies of her work yet or "sets"
 > published. I realise the Galactic Milieu trilogy has just begun but I thought
 > maybe the Saga of the Exiles + Intervention + the Pliocene companion might be
 > available together. Anybody got news on this.
 > Any sign of Diamond Mask yet?

I'm slowly collecting all of her Galactic Milieu books in 
hardback, too.  After writing to the publisher of one of her
books, I was sent the following address from which *all* of
her books can be purchased.  In fact, personal mail can be
sent to her via this address; she apparently lives near there.

Starmont House
P.O. Box 851
Mercer Island, WA  98040
USA

Not only are all of her Intervention and other related books
available through them, there is also a limited release
available of a book called "Brede's Tale", a miniature book
that tells the origin of Brede.  And if you request, the
books are sent to you with her autograph.

I seem to have misplaced the price list, so you may need to
write and ask for price lists first so that you know how much
money to send them.

   ---Roxanne Rohmann

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: urf@icl.se (Urban F)
Subject: Arthur C Clarke: The Ghost from the Grand Banks
Summary: It's better than I expected
Organization: None. On USENET I speak only for myself.
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 19:57:04 GMT

"Is it worth reading or not?", I thought in the SF book store when
I couldn't find anything else I knew I wanted "well, with The
Songs of Distant Earth (the novel, not the novella) I started
wondering if I really should keep up getting everything by him or
not, and with 2061: Odyssey Three I had been disappointed. Well,
what's the harm in trying it out?"

On the way home in the underground, I started glancing through
it, (which led me to temporarily put away another book I was
reading) and the next day I had finished it. "I guess this means he
hasn't lost it, even though it's not among his very best", I said
to myself, and am now telling you.

It's written in lots of very short chapters, and I suppose you
can say it's more about the project of raising the Titanic then
about the characters. Even if we get to know them very sketchily,
I don't think the character description is just superficial. It's
rather that what little there is, is the most important things.

I like his The Imperial Earth, Rendezvous with Rama and the
Fountains of Paradise the best, The Sands of Mars and The Deep
Range are also among my favourites. I definitely rate The Ghost
of the Grand Banks ahead of 2010 and 2061.
--
 Urban Fredriksson   urf@icl.se  (n.g.u.fredriksson.swe2001@oasis.icl.co.uk)
 "Failure requires effort. That's why some people never fail." -Bengt Anderberg
From: stong@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU (Simon Tong)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:47:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: ariel.1e6nimINNbja
Organization: University of Melbourne
NNTP-Posting-Host: ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au

>sahle@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Eskinder Sahle) writes :
>
>I need some help....  I'm looking for examples in fiction literature
>of super sophisticated communicative computers a la HAL. 

_Emerald Eyes_ and _The Long Run_ by Daniel Keys Moran.
The sequel, _The Last Dancer_, is due out next Fall.

Great SF, a must read.

It's not so much the computer itself that is communicative, but
rather what Moran calls "images".  They are "application programs"
that help the human user to navigate in cyberspace. Images use
natural language and have some sort of personality.

I have been away for a while and was not able to follow this thread in full.
If someone else have mentioned these books already, I apologise.
From: pss1@kepler.unh.edu (Paul S Secinaro)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Moiraine (off the wall idea!)
Date: 15 Nov 1992 15:36:43 GMT
Organization: University of New Hampshire  -  Durham, NH
NNTP-Posting-Host: kepler.unh.edu

In article <BxM84p.MIn@ccu.umanitoba.ca> umwieb69@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Brent Michael J. Wiebe) writes:

>Don't ask me where I got this off the wall idea, but has anyone ever
>thought that Moiraine could be a forsaken?  I mean, perhaps I am
>crazy, but a few ideas have come to mind.

(semi-spoilers)


I don't know about the Forsaken part.  If that were true, she would
have to have been alive for 3000 years, yet I'm under the impression
that she grew up in the Royal Palace in Cairhien (i.e. there are
people around who have known her since she was a child).

On the other hand, she might possibly be a Darkfriend.  At the
beginning of _The Great Hunt_, there's a description of a meeting that
a group of Darkfriends have with Ba'alzamon.  Several Aes Sedai
(identities unknown) are present.  Right after this, in the first
chapter, we learn that Moiraine has just returned to Fal Dara from a
mysterious trip.  A trip in which she left Lan behind.  Now why would
she leave her warder behind, hmm?  Something to think about, anyway.

>I think therefore, that Moiraine was a forsaken who had her ties cut to the
>dark lord by Lews Therin before he broke the world (in the same way Rand cut
>Sammael's(?) ties in the battle in Rhuidean).  This could explain a lot more.
^^^^^^^^^^

No, Asmodean.

-- 
Paul Secinaro
pss1@kepler.unh.edu
Synthetic Vision and Pattern Analysis Laboratory
UNH Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
From: laurap@neuro.duke.edu (Laura Elizabeth Poole)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Ender's Game Definitive
Date: 17 Nov 92 14:08:16 GMT

Has anyone read the new Author's Definitive Edition of _Ender's Game_ by
Orson Scott Card? The original version is one of my favorite books of all
time (I've written 2 papers on it), and this is one of my favorite authors.
I haven't read the new edition yet, and was wondering if it was significantly
different from the original version (novel, not short story).

Comments? email is great...
laura
From: tombrady@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu (Tom Brady)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Stephen King's "rock group"
Summary: Is nonexistent.
Date: 23 Nov 92 23:26:00 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Nov23.171856.4587@noao.edu>, morin@noao.edu (Marg Morin) writes...
>Is this the same rock group in which Stephen King was invited to participate?
>I saw him on Whoopi Goldberg's show last Friday and they mentioned him
>playing guitar, but I didn't catch the name of a group or album.

Stephen King was in a one-shot band for a fundraiser (I think)
at last year's American Bookseller's Association meeting. He
was joined by Robert Fulgham, Dave Barry, Amy Tan and someone
else whose name escapes me. I heard a snippet of the show on
one of the NPR news shows. Let's just say that, as a band, they're
really good authors. It was all in fun, anyway - no album is in
the works that I know of.
-Tom
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Tom Brady        Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
brady@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu  ...lost in the wilds of Southwest Virginia...
"Never underestimate the effect of inertia as a force in society."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: mwp@iconix.oz.au (Michael Paddon)
Subject: Re: Amber questoin: Could Oberon still be alive?
Organization: Iconix Pty Ltd (World Headquarters)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 23:40:38 GMT

In <1992Nov18.071723.154977@zeus.calpoly.edu> jkusters@zeus.calpoly.edu (Chrome Jester) writes:
>Okay, I've read the first set of Amber books a few times, and I have a
>question that I was hoping someone could shed some light on.  Could Oberon
>still be alive?  Could he have made a deal with Dworkin and staged a phoney
>funeral?  Could Brand have actually lied about seeing Dad die?  (As if that
>would be any surprise?)  The question arises from some thoughts I've had
>towards a Amber Role-Playing campaign I'm working on...

An interesting question. Recall that in order to repair the damage to the
primal pattern, Oberon had to reinscribe the missing sections with the
Jewel of Judgement. It follows that Amber's Pattern is now partly cast
in Oberon's image.

Recall also Dworkin's comments; damage to the Pattern was reflected in its
inscriber and vice-versa. And the Pattern acts to preserve its drawer. A neat
little closed system until Dworkin realized that those of his blood also
had the power to harm it (and him by extension).

So the question remains... if Oberon did reinscribe the Pattern, then
   (1) It would have acted to prevent him from dying
   (2) If he did die, the Pattern would reflect this fact

The lack of blemish on the Primal Pattern (although we never see it again,
the fact that the universe restabilizes and Patternfall is won by Amber
work as indirect evidence for this conclusion) strongly suggests Oberon
is still alive.

One could argue that Corwin's Pattern was responsible for the stabilization.
Remember, however, that Oberon's repair effort would have damaged the Pattern
substantially upon failure. This has clearly not happened since Amber is as
solid as ever, and the shadow walking/trump powers of the royal family
are unaffected (these all depend upon that Pattern).

This raises a number of questions:
   (1) How was Dworkin's relationship to the Pattern altered by all this?
   (2) Why did Oberon fake his death (remember he is a subtle and shifty
       bastard at the best of times)?

                                     Michael

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        II
       IIII
  IIIII    IIIII    Michael Paddon
  IIIIII  IIIIII
  IIIIIIIIIIIIII    Iconix Pty Ltd           Email: mwp@iconix.oz.au
  IIII     IIIII    851 Dandenong Road,
  IIIII    IIIII    East Malvern,
  IIIII    IIIII    Victoria, 3145,          Telephone: +61 3 571 4244
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  IIIII    IIIII
  IIIII    IIIII    Death to all fanatics!
  III        III               --- Illuminati Papers
  IIIIIIIIIIIIII    
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: jhh@waldzell.physics.yale.edu (Jim Horne)
Subject: Real physicists as sf authors
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science, New Haven, CT
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:12:02 GMT


There is a persistent rumor that the esteemed physicist Sidney Coleman has  
written a science fiction novel under a pseudonym. Given that Sidney is great  
physicist and a very funny guy, I'd expect the book (if it exists) might be  
interesting. Does anyone know what the pseudonym is, or what the book is?

--
Jim Horne                 jhh@waldzell.physics.yale.edu

        "We Americans, we're a simple people... but piss us off,
	 and we'll bomb your cities."  -- Robin Williams
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.written:15030 alt.cyberpunk:5937
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 17:30:31 -0500 
From: "David M. Bartlett" <db0s+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: First 5 Gor Books okay


I have to agree with several folks on the board:  the first five Gor
books are good thud and blunder material, with enough novelty of
approach to keep them from being direct pastiches of Burroughs, Howard,
or some other "lost worlds" writers.  But that Sixth book and the
S&M/B&D trend that followed, and the platently anti-feminist garbage he
sticks in latter on . . . . the man needs either some serious help or
was involved in a (failed) attempt to make people STOP reading his
books:  I stopped buying them after #5, inherited 6 thru 10 from a
friend when he took off from school for good, and was sorely
dissappointed.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.cyberpunk
From: apace@mta.ca
Subject: Re: Diamond-hard SF
Reply-To: apace@mta.ca
Organization: Mount Allison U, Sackville, N.B. Canada 
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 20:01:08 GMT

In article <1elvteINNg50@agate.berkeley.edu>, curtis@cs.berkeley.edu
(Curtis Yarvin) writes:
>Maybe Gibsonism _is_ useful.  For something besides wrapping fish.
>But do I give the proverbial fuck?  I do not.  All I care is what
>kind of fiction it makes.  And if it don't measure up, bag it.
>
All I can say is that if entertainment is all you are capable of getting out 
of fiction, then I feel sorry for you.

							-Tony Pace
							apace@mta.ca
From: pomerant@BRACHOT.JCT.AC.IL (ami pomerantz 23-126)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Foundation and Nemesis
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:59:07 GMT

> I've just reread Nemesis.
> Are there any other Asimov fans out there who have any idea whether he
> intended to link Nemesis with the Foundation/Robot/Empire/just about
> everything else series? The Ethyro people look as if they were going to
> evolve into the Spacers, and the line at the end of the book, "who could
> make sense of a galaxy of chaos" (or something) sounds like he had ol' Hari
> Seldon in mind when he wrote this...
> Ideas, anyone...?
> Paul Neve

I`v heard people saying that Nemesis was writen as an individual novel 
not connected to any of the other series.
Some tryed to say this was to be one more of the Foundation books.
The first thought is the right though (at least as I think it to be)
If you want any deeper information there is an ASIMOV-L list. I think its 
at ASIMOV-L@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU but I`m not quite shure.
Ami Pomerantz
    __
   /  |
  /___|___                                AAAAAAAA
 /    |   \       Ami Pomerantz           AAA  AAA                  \/
/     |   |       39 Yavniely st.         AAA  AAA                 (00)       
      |__/        Givatayim Zip 53603     AAAAAAAA   mm             --        
      |           Tel: 03- 571 8927       AAAAAAAA   mmmmmmmmmmm    ii         
      |                                   AAA  AAA   mm   mm   mm   ii
      |     Pomerant@Brachot.jct.ac.il    AAA  AAA   mm   mm   mm   ii
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Title of the story/book
From: agapow@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Paul Michael Agapow)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 22:49:26 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia

curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:
> (David Gutierrez) writes:
>>
>>The story is "Peaches for Mad Molly". I think Bruce Sterling wrote it.
>
>I think Steven Gould wrote it.

Curtis is indeed correct. "Farewell Horizontal" by KW Jeter has a similar
setting but different plot. (And IMHO, doesn't hold a candle to his "The
Glass Hammer".)

p-m

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
paul-michael agapow (agapow@latcs1.oz.au) Machine Intelligence Lab, LaTrobe Uni

        "Teenage sex, nuclear winter, Junior Miss fashion 
               & the mechanics of emotional capitalism ..."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: fong_jh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Julian H Fong)
Subject: Edward E. Smith, Ph.D?
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 16:29:22 GMT

	A quick question: In what subject did E. E. "Doc" Smith get his
doctorate?



-- 
           ____  "Okay, the situation is totally under control as of
     |____|____   this moment in time." -- Zaphod Beeblebrox
 ____|    |
                  Julian Fong: fong_jh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
From: nicolas@stam.nl (Nico Veenkamp)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Ecologies Wanted
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 10:19:57 CET
Organization: Stam Tijdschriften bv, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

tom@HAN.Paramax.COM (Tom Jewell) writes:

> I'm looking for titles of books that have detailed non-Earth
> ecologies. David Gerrold's "War Against the Chthor" series
> has quite a detailed one, including bugs, scavengers,
> herbivores, carnivores, etc.
> 
check out James P. Hogan's Code of the Lifemaker. Complete ecology based 
on silicium. Room temperature there is way below zero (either C or F)


      *================================================================*
      |  Nico Veenkamp	        | You write, we publish                |
      |  Stam Tijdschriften bv  | -------------------------------------|
      |  P.O. Box 235           | Internet : nicolas@stam.nl           |
      |  2280 AE  Rijswijk      | FidoNet  : 2:281/1.7                 |
      |  The Netherlands        | BIX      : nicolas                   |
      *================================================================*
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: jefft@athena.mit.edu (Jeff Tang)
Subject: Re: To Reign In Hell (Was Stephen Brust's Best)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
	<allan.49.722551011@slab.unt.edu>
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 04:15:22 GMT


Odd.   I've really liked Brust's Jhereg books, and I like almost all of
Zelazny (esp. Lord of Light), but To Reign in Hell just left me could.
Didn't even finish it. Just returned it....
--
Jeff Tang
jefft@athena.mit.edu