HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sef@kithrup.com (Sean Eric Fagan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: _Oracle_, by Mike Resnick (no spoilers!)
Date: 9 Sep 92 18:08:28 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written
Organization: Kithrup Enterprises, Ltd.

I picked up _Soothsayer_ in Safeway, a couple of months ago.  Frankly, I
didn't expect much.  I mean, a book that I bought at a *supermarket*?  But I
had no other unread books, and I'd just had someone tell me Resnick was
good, so...

_Soothsayer_ shocked me.  It was *good*.  While the story and writing did
have problems, they were small enough that I was quite willing to ignore
them, especially since the *subject*, and how Resnick handled it, as well as
the complications and the like, was so fascinating and well done.

_Oracle_ is, obviously, the sequel to _Soothsayer_.  It's a very different
story, and told very differently, and, for most of the book, was *very*
good.  I was happy to see that it was out, and was not disappointed (much,
at least; see below) after I finished reading it.

I mentioned being somewhat disappointed.  First of all, this is book two of
what seems to be a trilogy (this is hinted at, very strongly, in the
prologue, so I don't feel it's a spoiler).  My second disappointment is
caused by, or related to, the first:  because he wants a third book, the
ending to this story needs to be different from the way it *should* have
ended.  _Soothsayer_ pleased me a lot by not having an ending I would have
predicted; although this has a different ending than I would have predicted,
it is still a predictable ending.

My last, and major, gripe with it is:  THE ENDING SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!
Given the abilities of the title character, what happened at the end is...,
well, almost inconceivable.  I felt cheated when I read that part of it, if,
for no other reason, it was over in a few seconds of story-time (about two
paragraphs or so).

Despite that, I must say that I *liked* reading the book.  I will probably
reread it, as well as _Soothsayer_.  However, I'm more likely to reread
_Oracle_ than _Soothsayer_, because I think the actual story (up until that
ending) is better.

In any event, the book is recommended.  The third book, which I assume will
be called _Prophet_, will probably end up being what this book should have
been, and also will probably be recommended.


%A Mike Resnick
%T Oracle
%I Ace Science Fiction
%C New York
%D October 1992
%G ISBN 0-441-58694-5
%O paperback, US$4.99 ($5.99 CDN)
%P 244 pp.

-- 
Sean Eric Fagan  | "You can't get lost in one room, no matter how
sef@kithrup.COM  |  little effort you make to learn your way around."
-----------------+    -- William E Davidsen (william@crd.GE.COM)
Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others.

Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2887 rec.arts.sf.written:12086
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine
Date: 14 Sep 92 03:55:41 GMT
Distribution: na

In <1992Sep13.211541@IASTATE.EDU> wehumble@IASTATE.EDU (Ed Humble) writes:

>In article <1992Sep13.183750.740@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>, michaelb@cse.fau.edu
>(Michael Rogero Brown) writes:

>> I am trying to put together a list of fictious planets [...]
>> I have so far:
>>
>>     Barsoom     (ERBurrough's Mars)
>>     Yuggoth     (Lovecraft's Pluto)
>>     Vulcan
>>     Nemesis     (the 10th planet)

>		Romulus
>		Klingus  -  Klingon homeworld ??
Klinzai, actually.
>		Tanith   -  Pournelle's CoDominium prison planet
>		Mote Prime - Niven and Pournelle, Mote in God's Eye

Off the top of my head:

Darkover (Marion Zimmer Bradley's works)
Paradise (Joanna Russ' _Picnic on Paradise_
Proton and Phaze (Piers Anthony's Phaze books)
Helliconia (Brian Aldiss' books)
Trantor (from Asimov's Foundation series)
Kalgash (Asimov's _Nightfall_ planet)
Skaith (Liegh Brackett's books)
Krinn (of Dragonlance (dis)repute)
Lusitania, Path, Hegemon (Orson Scott Card's Ender series)
Dorsai, Mara, Kultis, Harmony, Ceta, Freiland, Newton, Cassida (Gordon
Dickson's Childe cycle)
Mordant (Stephen Donaldson's _Mordant's Need_)
Thranx, AAnn, Moth, Alaspin, Repler, Midworld (Alan Dean Foster)
Pern (McCaffrey)
Orthe (Mary Gentle's _Golden Witchbreed_)
...

--Cindy
(forgive any strange typos, the line noise is strong tonight...)
--
Cindy Tittle Moore

Internet: tittle@ics.uci.edu       | BITNET: cltittle@uci.bitnet
UUCP:     ...!ucbvax!ucivax!tittle | Usnail: PO Box 4188, Irvine CA, 92716
From: dmcelroy@bonnie.ics.uci.edu (Denise McElroy)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke - L. Ron Hubbard Bar Bet
Date: 10 Sep 92 22:08:37 GMT
Organization: UC Irvine Department of ICS


>>>I heard, that Scientology is the result of a bar bet between Arthur C
>>>Clarke and L Ron Hubbard about who could create the weirdest religion.
>>>Clarke took it literally and wrote a book, L Ron Hubbard created a real
>>>religion.
>>>
>>>a)	Is this true?
>>>
>>I don't know whether it is true, but somebody told me this story
>>yesterday. He didn't say it was with A.C. Clarke though.

>    Well, this is the story that I heard, and it was supposed to be with
>A. C. Clarke. If you want the real scoup you should ask this question on
>alt.folklore.urban.

I saw a discussion of this supposed "bet" a few months ago on
alt.folklore.urban, only the bet was supposed to be with Robert
Heinlein, not Clarke. In the end, the consensus was that this
was all just another urban myth.

Denise McElroy
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Date: 15 Sep 92 01:47:42 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

If comic books count, there are plenty.  There's Earth-1, Earth-2....
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
From: rkh@ucs.att.com (Bob Halloran)
Subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke -  L. Ron Hubbard  Bar Bet
Organization: AT&T Universal Card Services, Jacksonville FL
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 13:15:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.092047.26446@eng.cam.ac.uk> pjh@eng.cam.ac.uk writes:
>>I heard, that Scientology is the result of a bar bet between Arthur C Clarke
>>and L Ron Hubbard about who could create the weirdest religion. Clarke took it
>>literally and wrote a book, L Ron Hubbard created a real religion.
>>
>>a)	Is this true?

The version I heard was that Campbell, Asimov, Heinlein and Hubbard
were sitting around the Astounding offices talking about how little
money they were making at their trade, and Campbell, I believe, made
the comment, "The fastest way to get rich in this country is to start
a religion"....

What's the copyright date on Dianetics and Heinlein's Sixth Column?
Just wondering....
 :-)

	Bob Halloran
	AT&T Universal Card
	Jacksonville FL

	rkh@ucs.att.com
Any similarity between opinions stated here and AT&T's 
  corporate opinion are purely coincidental.

"How can you tell a politician is lying?  His lips move..."
	-- M-m-max Headroom
"Read my lips - no new taxes" -- George H. W. Bush, 1988
From: pihlab@hhcs.gov.au
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: (?) Blade Runner - Director's Edition
Date: 14 Sep 92 09:07:12 +1000
Organization: Aust. Dept. Health, Housing and Community Services


Anybody heard anything on when the Director's edition of Blade Runner will hit
the streets?

-- 

Bruce...        pihlab@hhcs.gov.au
                 ^^
*******************************************************************
* Bruce Pihlamae  --  Database Administration                     *
* Commonwealth Department of Health, Housing & Community Services *
* Canberra, Australia                             (W) 06-289-7056 *
*******************************************************************
* These are my own thoughts and opinions, few that I have.        *
*******************************************************************
From: max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Schrodingers Cat Author
Date: 12 Sep 92 19:19:16 GMT
Organization: The Dark Side of the Moon +1 408 245 SPAM

Freedom Productions <freedom@igc.apc.org> writes:

> Robert Anton Wilson is his real name. He currently writes articles for 
> Magical Blend magazine.
> He also wrote the Illuminati Trilogy.

Well, co-wrote it with Robert Shea, anyway.

----------
Erik Max Francis   Omnia quia sunt, lumina sunt.  Coming soon:  UNIVERSE _ | _
USmail:  1070 Oakmont Dr. #1 San Jose CA 95117  ICBM:  37 20 N  121 53 W _>|<_
UUCP:  ..!apple!uuwest!max   Usenet:  max@west.darkside.com   464E4F5244   |
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
From: mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Organization: The Friends of Loki Society
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 18:42:43 GMT

In article <1992Sep13.211541@IASTATE.EDU> wehumble@IASTATE.EDU (Ed Humble) writes:
>		Klingus  -  Klingon homeworld ??

 From the novels, it is Klinzhai.

Wassail,
Al Billings

                           mimir@u.washington.edu
    /\  /\       +----------------------------------------+
   /__\/__\      | "I know that I hung on the windy tree  |          |
  /\  /\  /\     |  all of nights nine, wounded by Gar,   |          |
 /__\/__\/__\    |   given to Odhinn, myself to myself,   |          |
    /\  /\       | upon that tree of which none can tell  |          |
   /__\/__\      |      from what root it rises."         |    ______|______
                 +----------------------------------------+

Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2884 rec.arts.sf.written:12078
From: michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Date: 13 Sep 92 18:37:50 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

People of the Net:

I am trying to put together a list of fictious planets for use as
names for some Sparcstations.  Our current set are named for the
planets of the Sol System, and I thought it would be neat to have the
rest be named for other planets.  Unfortunatly I can only think of a
few.  Can any one help.  Please email to cut down on the bandwidth.

I have so far:

    Barsoom     (ERBurrough's Mars)
    Yuggoth     (Lovecraft's Pluto)
    Vulcan
    Nemesis     (the 10th planet)

Any Others?

Thanks in advance

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: WANTED Planet Names from SF
Summary: 
Expires: 
Followup-To: 
Distribution: na
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Keywords: 

-- 
<<                                                               >>
<< Michael R. Brown    CS Graduate Student-Florida Atlantic Univ >>
<< Internet: michaelb@sol.cse.fau.edu                            >>
<< BitNet: m_brown@fauvax                                        >>
From: IBC6HSR@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU ("hari ramachandran")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Yet Another Misleading Cover
Date: 12 Sep 92 00:06:00 GMT


Some good covers and a question:

I thought the cover of Patricia McKillip's "Heir of Sea and Fire"
was excellent. You could feel the tension of that night when
Redearle (sp?) confronts the undead kings of Anuin.

The cover of "The Pig, the Prince and the Unicorn" <by ???> was
quite evocative too. Morrigan with her hairdo with a mind of its
own, the little white pig and the Princely Bard <forget his name>.
Nice story too.

Joy Chant's first book (I should be able to remember the name; it
was one of my very favourites: Red Moon and Black Mountain?).
The scene on the mountain fighting the birds ...

Dave Duncan's "The Reluctant Swordsman" has a cover that sticks to
the story <and _excellent_ series, IMO>.

I thought Diana Wynn Jones's "Howl's Moving Castle" had a good cover.

Believe it or not, "Azure Bonds" (a TSR book) has a silly cover that
_is_ true to the story! Alias <the heroine> is shown in the most
unsuitable chainmail conceivable. The mail is open in the front,
exposing her midriff down to the waist and so forth. Yet, towards
the end of that book, exactly that scene (and dress) does appear.
She does wield the wrong sword though.

Some bad covers:

Tom Holt's "Who's afraid of Beowulf?" ... you see a man (?) hanging
on to the pro of a viking ship. Is there any connection whatsoever
to the book?

And a question:

Regards Caroline Cherryh's latest paperback: Heavy time <I think>.
The credits do not mention the cover artist. Who was it? The art
is intriguing - two men holding a third, near a port. What is
nice is that the racial features of the men are very diverse.
I haven't read the book yet to find out if the cover matches the
plot.

hari
hsr@uclaph.physics.ucla.edu
From: pjh@eng.cam.ac.uk (Philippa Hogben)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke -  L. Ron Hubbard  Bar Bet
Date: 10 Sep 92 09:20:47 GMT
Reply-To: pjh@eng.cam.ac.uk
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.

>I heard, that Scientology is the result of a bar bet between Arthur C Clarke
>and L Ron Hubbard about who could create the weirdest religion. Clarke took it
>literally and wrote a book, L Ron Hubbard created a real religion.
>
>a)	Is this true?
>
I don't know whether it is true, but somebody told me this story yesterday. He didn't
say it was with A.C. Clarke though.

I have just had the misfortune to read the first book of the Mission Earth dekalogy.
The main character is so sickeningly _nice_ and good at everything that he is totally 
unbelievable.

Philippa

---
Philippa Hogben   pjh@eng.cam.ac.uk  (Reverse if mailing from Janet)
Any mistakes are mine, all mnie.

I am not a .sig virus. I am a free bug. 
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2898 rec.arts.sf.written:12128
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:34:28 GMT
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Distribution: na
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine

In <FRANCIS.92Sep14114437@galois.dogwood.atl.ga.us> francis@dogwood.atl.ga.us (John Stracke) writes:

>In article <2AB40D3D.11857@ics.uci.edu> tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore) writes:

>>Thranx, AAnn, Moth, Alaspin, Repler, Midworld (Alan Dean Foster)

>The Thranx homeworld was called Hivehome.  Do we ever get told the
>name of the AAnn world?

Whup...you're right.  I'm *fairly* certain that the Aann also call
their home AAnn, but I've been wrong before *grin*.  Thanks for the
correction.

--Cindy
--
Cindy Tittle Moore

Internet: tittle@ics.uci.edu       | BITNET: cltittle@uci.bitnet
UUCP:     ...!ucbvax!ucivax!tittle | Usnail: PO Box 4188, Irvine CA, 92716
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2869 alt.cyberpunk:4218
From: Laurie Mann
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: Arthur C. Clarke -  L. Ron Hubbard  Bar Bet
Date: 11 Sep 92 12:53:40 GMT
Reply-To: lmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com

Dan Tilque writes
>Mathias.Koerber@ap.mchp.sni.de (Mathias Koerber) writes:
>>
>>I heard, that Scientology is the result of a bar bet between Arthur C Clarke
>>and L Ron Hubbard about who could create the weirdest religion.

Certainly possible, but I remember hearing about the infamous
Hubbard quote from the '50s "Sometime, I'm going to do something
that will make P. T. Barnum look like a piker."  (heard and reported by
either L. Sprague de Camp or Frederik Pohl)

*  NeXT: lmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com * GEnie:  Laurie.Mann  *
**** Vote to can George and Dan! **  Vote for CHANGE in 1992!****
**********    Member of the cultural elite and PROUD!  **********
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk
From: sdr57@cas.org ()
Subject: Re: EMP - long (was Re: 21st Century Soldier)
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 17:00:19 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.135726.3096@cas.org> I wrote:
>                      Unlike conventional explosives, nuclear
>explosives generate a significant EMP - (in atmospheres or on the
>ground, mainly from Compton scattering interactions of gamma) in a
>very short period of time.
>
Just to avoid confusion - weapons detonated in space also
produce EMP - the comment on "in atmospheres or on the ground"
was simply to clarify the tactical nuke situation.
******************************************************************************
Renegade academician. They're a dangerous breed when they go feral,
academics are...a chemist, too.
		    -(James P. Blaylock in "Lord Kelvin's Machine")

My organization hasn't agreed with any of my opinions so far, and
I doubt they'll start now.

Stanley "Ya nee speon" Roberts

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
From: daf31428@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (David A. Fleming)
Subject: Re: Karel Capek (was Re: 'science Fiction' Stage Plays)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 22:54:23 GMT

Kelvin.Hatle@f341.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Kelvin Hatle) writes:

>Just thought you might like to know, vis a vis origin of the word "robot", I 
>remember reading somewhere it's derived from the Czech word for "drudge." 
>Dumb factoid No. 1734827 in a series...  
> 
> * Origin: The Terraboard, Minneapolis MN (1:282/341.0)

	There's also a russian verb, "rabotats" (sorry -- cyrillic doesn't
transcribe very well :-), that means "to work."  This and the czech word
are derived from the same source.

					Dave Fleming
					daf31428@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu


Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
From: gbc@med.unc.edu (Geoff Crooks)
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 06:09:15 GMT

To continue previous lists...

Arrakis, Giedi Prime, Dune, Caladan, Wallach IX, Tupile, Tleilax,
Poritrin. Richese, Ix, Salusa Secundus, Gamont, Ecaz, Chusuk,, Bela
Tegeuse -  all from Herbert's Dune series.

Blodgett, Kakalak 2, Kekkonshiki,Burada, Nevenkebla, Geshtunken -
  Harry Harrison's Rat books.

  More L8R.

  Geoff.

From: Kelvin.Hatle@f341.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Kelvin Hatle)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Karel Capek (was Re: 'science Fiction' Stage Plays)
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1992 22:27:36 -0600

Just thought you might like to know, vis a vis origin of the word "robot", I 
remember reading somewhere it's derived from the Czech word for "drudge." 
Dumb factoid No. 1734827 in a series...  
 
 * Origin: The Terraboard, Minneapolis MN (1:282/341.0)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc
From: jerrett@iastate.edu (Gregory A Jerrett)
Subject: Petition for the SF Channel
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 22:36:15 GMT

for those of you interested in getting the Science Fiction Channel the best
way to get your cable company to subscribe is to present them with a
simple, handwritten petition with a couple of hundred signatures.
Your local comic book store or science fiction bookseller shoiuld be the 
best place rto start or find a petition to sign.

For those of you here in Ames, Mayhem comics has started a petition.  They
have about 100 signatures already but they are looking for 250 before they
turn it in to heritage cablevision.  I urger(urge) you to sign it if you haven't already.

Greg Jerrett

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
From: puckett@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (Jim Puckett)
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:48:02 GMT

michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown) writes:

>People of the Net:

>I am trying to put together a list of fictious planets for use as
>names for some Sparcstations.  Our current set are named for the
>planets of the Sol System, and I thought it would be neat to have the
>rest be named for other planets.  Unfortunatly I can only think of a
>few.  Can any one help.  Please email to cut down on the bandwidth.

>I have so far:

>    Barsoom     (ERBurrough's Mars)
>    Yuggoth     (Lovecraft's Pluto)
>    Vulcan
>    Nemesis     (the 10th planet)

i've been watching, and nobody else likes these, so:

NIVEN
Jinx
Home
WeMadeIt
Plateau (Mt Lookitthat?)
Wunderland
Canyon
Kzin
Persephone (the Other tenth planet)
Pak


HEINLEIN
Secundus
Tertius
New Beginnings
Blessings

I didn't see Trantor mentioned either, but could be reading too fast...8-)

jim p.

-- 
Jim Puckett    NTI    puckett@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov     
Huntsville,AL (205)461-4922  
i need to ask myself.....
***********         Would I rather be right, or happy?         ***********
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2886 rec.arts.sf.written:12084
From: ks336514@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Keith Schwols)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
Date: 14 Sep 92 03:19:14 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Colorado State U. Engineering College

~(Michael Rogero Brown) writes:
~> People of the Net:
~> 
~> I am trying to put together a list of fictious planets for use as
~> names for some Sparcstations.  Our current set are named for the
~> planets of the Sol System, and I thought it would be neat to have the
~> rest be named for other planets.  Unfortunatly I can only think of a
~> few.  Can any one help.  Please email to cut down on the bandwidth.
~> 
~> I have so far:
You could use the planets from Battlestar Galactica - The Zodiac signs,
but people probably wouldn't understand the relation.  That gives you 12.

]<eith
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.misc:2905 rec.arts.sf.written:12153
From: chrisb@lynx.ps.uci.edu (Chris Barrus)
Subject: Re: WANTED- Planet Names from SF
In-reply-to: muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu's message of 13 Sep 92 23:26:39
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,rec.arts.sf.written
Organization: Dept. of Physics, Univ. of California, Irvine
Distribution: na
	<MUFFY.92Sep13232639@remarque.berkeley.edu>
Date: 14 Sep 92 18:46:51 GMT


   In article <1992Sep13.183750.740@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown) writes:
   > I am trying to put together a list of fictious planets for use as

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

OK, here are some more...

From Niven's Known Space: Jinx, Down, We Made It, Mt. Lookatthat, Ringworld
     (not technically a planet, but it should count)

From Hitchhiker's Guide: Magrathea

From Star Wars:  Tattooine, Dagobah, Hoth, Bespin, Yavin, Alderaan

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Barrus - P.O. Box 5115 - Irvine - CA - 92714 - chrisb@lynx.ps.uci.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk