HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: joel@upchrch.UUCP (Joel Upchurch  )
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Asimov biography
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 15:16:48 EST
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL

librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik) writes:

> mab@buphy.bu.edu (Michael Burstein) writes:
> >"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.

Volume three was supposed to be titled "The Scenes of Life".

I enjoyed the first two volumes a great deal also. The remind me of
something H. L. Mencken once said about autobiographys. He said that
if a man can't write an interesting book about himself, then he
probably doesn't have an interesting book in him. His theory was that
people write best about the things that interest them the most and
that the thing that interests people the most is themselves.

(If your mail bounces use the address below.)
Joel Upchurch/Upchurch Computer Consulting/718 Galsworthy/Orlando, FL 32809
joel@peora.ccur.com {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd,ucf-cs}!peora!joel (407) 859-0982
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Comments on Baudino's _Dragon Sword_ *SPOILERS*
From: mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker)
Date: 20 Nov 92 03:11:30 PDT
Organization: Shape Data - a division of EDS Ltd

In article <1992Nov17.204537.3336@netcom.com> dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:
>Baudino has written some very good stuff -- Gossamer Axe is a personal
>favorite -- but the Dragon Sword trilogy is not one of her better efforts.
>Yes, it does pull in too many directions:  She attempts to deal with
>several red-button topics simultaneously.  My subjective reaction to
>those topics which were not personally important to me, was that they
>were getting in the way of the story -- that characters were acting 
>against internal or plot logic in order to demonstrate the author's
>points.

This is going to come over as knee-jerk defence of Gael Baudino, which it 
isn't - I though folk might be interested in a bit of background...

Gael was GOH at a UK con I helped out with last summer (still don't know how 
we managed to get her to say yes), and she gave a very entertaining talk 
about how the books came to be written and what else was coming in the 
pipeline. Dragon sword is a VERY early work of hers, that she dug out and 
reworked, as I recall, (always a bad move) for the publisher (who then went 
bust before publishing parts 2 and 3 - hence the fact that part 1 has 2 
different paperback editions). I think it shows. 

Duel of Dragons and Dragon Death, the sequels, are IMHO MUCH better. However,
from conversations with her at the con, Gael is a VERY politically and socially
aware person with strong opinions, and is not afraid to put her views over in 
her books, sometimes, it has to be said, to their detriment. Interestingly, she
doesn't read ANY SF or fantasy.  

I have a reasonably complete bibliography (not that big) if anyone's 
interested.
-- 
Mike Whitaker +44-223 | mikew@mdcbbs.com, bard@spuddy.uucp | Me: Bards just
Shape Data/EDS 316673 | -or- mwhitaker@cix.compulink.co.uk | KNOW things...
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: sef@kithrup.COM (Sean Eric Fagan)
Subject: Re: Daniel K. Moran (was Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!)
Organization: Kithrup Enterprises, Ltd.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 03:05:29 GMT

In article <1ep3hmINNgri@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU> stong@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU (Simon Tong) writes:
>Moran has been "BBSing since the ancient olden days" and has acquired an
>Internet account since August this year.

He has not "acquired an Internet account."

He does have an account on a machine that receives (and sends out) both
email and usenet news.  This has virtually no connection with the Internet,
except the fact that the addressing scheme used on the machine is a
fully-qualified domain name (e.g., I used to have an email address of
sef@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us; that is a FQDN, but the machine was not on the
Internet, receiving mail and news through UUCP only).

There is a big difference.  If his machine were on the Internet, it would be
possible for other machines on the Internet to finger(1) or talk(1) him.
Since he is accessible only through UUCP, however, email and news are the
only way to get to him.

(Still... he does read and reply to email, and he does, occasionally, read
and post to news groups.  That's more than most authors do.  Then again, I
don't know how much time he spends doing so; I'd rather he write than become
a news.addict :).)

-- 
Sean Eric Fagan  | "Time and space is a bitch!"
sef@kithrup.COM  |    -- Gooshie (Dennis Wolfberg),
-----------------+       "Quantum Leap:  Killin' Time"
Any opinions expressed are my own, and generally unpopular with others.
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.written:15091 alt.cyberpunk:5995 rec.arts.books:20428
From: curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.cyberpunk,rec.arts.books
Subject: Re: Diamond-hard SF
Date: 21 Nov 1992 04:51:54 GMT
Organization: CS Dept. Snakepit - Do Not Feed.
NNTP-Posting-Host: cobra.cs.berkeley.edu

In article <By0sFF.5pC@techbook.com> szabo@techbook.com (Nick Szabo) writes:
>
>In much of SF the characters could be edited out with no
>significant loss, except for timber workers.

[At this point the translator, due to a technical fault,
lost narrative traction, and was forced to in lieu of text
insert a large question mark:

                ?
]

Although I must admit it reminds me of the D.H. Lawrence
passage in Frederick Crews' _The Pooh Perplex_.  Timber
workers in the Midlands, mayhap?

c
From: cozzlab@garnet.berkeley.edu ()
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Interview with Guy Gavriel Kay
Date: 23 Nov 1992 20:45:57 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.berkeley.edu

In article <By6oBB.5o3@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> nnegandh@descartes.uwaterloo.ca (Neil Negandhi) writes:
>
>Guy Gavriel Kay ....
>
>-is current researching the history of 'very early Spain' and is looking
> for a villa in that country

Gee ... _how_ early?  Ferdinand & Isabella?  El Cid?  Visigoths?  Catullus's
rival with the Early Period mouthwash?  ;)  

I don't have a villa in any case.... just wondering ....


Dorothy J. Heydt
UC Berkeley
Disclaimer: This is the Cozzarelli Lab's account, not mine--but I don't
think anybody else ever reads it.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: rsm58307@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ron)
Subject: Re: What is Deckard (was Re: Are *YOU* Human?)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 22:51:54 GMT

The device pointed at the eye was not to measure some sort of reflective
value (glowing?).  It was to measure subtle, uncontrollable reflex movements
that followed off of the moral questions asked.

	- Ron

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.cyberpunk
From: savoia@sw.stratus.com (Rick Savoia)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: ASH OCK - Christopher Hinz
Date: 23 Nov 92 14:59:05 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: watts.sqa.stratus.com

In article <6sZ0s*Nr0@prolix.apana.org.au>, dac@prolix.apana.org.au (Andrew Clayton) writes:
> I'm almost finished reading _ASH OCK_, Hinz's sequel to _Liege
> Killer_. Triffic book. Is there a sequel out? [I haven't read the
> first book, but that hasn't made for any difficulties with _ASH
> OCK_]
> 
> Oh, and it isn't diamond hard SF either, but it is damned good,
> with some nice surprises [and even nasty ones] in the story, and
> some diverse plot lines.
> 


You should really read Liege-Killer.  It was definately
the best in the series.  There is a sequel to ASH OCK
but for the life of me, I can't remember the name of
it now.  It came in second, IMHO, behind Liege-killer
with Ash Ock being the worst of the three.


-- 
==========================================================
Rick Savoia                     | "I'm just very selective
savoia@watts.sqa.stratus.com    | about the reality 
Rick_Savoia@vos.stratus.com     | I accept" - Calvin
==========================================================
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: agc@bmdhh286.bnr.ca (Alan Carter)
Subject: Re: Ecologies Wanted
Organization: BNR-Europe-Limited, Maidenhead, England
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 19:15:12 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.141235.15238@HAN.Paramax.COM>, 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.
|> 
|> Can anyone recommend another source where a complete
|> ecosystem is described?
|> 
|> What I'm NOT looking for is "this planet had a cool monster"
|> (or whatever), I'm looking for a whole system.

Someone once told me that Frank Herbert had worked out the ecology of
Arrakis in *far* more detail than he published in the Dune books, and
that his notes are contained in a library held by an academic 
institution. It may have been Princeton. Does anyone know more?

   Alan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To arrive at the simplest truth, as Newton knew and practised, requires years
of contemplation. Not activity. Not reasoning. Not calculating. Not busy 
behaviour of any kind. Not reading. Not talking. Not making an effort. Simply 
bearing in mind what it is one needs to know.

   George Spencer-Brown, Laws of Form
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: griffin@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Zack Thompson)
Subject: Re: Ecologies Wanted
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 19:56:04 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.141235.15238@HAN.Paramax.COM> 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.
>
>Can anyone recommend another source where a complete
>ecosystem is described?
>
>What I'm NOT looking for is "this planet had a cool monster"
>(or whatever), I'm looking for a whole system.
>
>Thanks in Advance,
>
>Tom Jewell
>tom@han.paramax.com
>
>-- 
>Tom Jewell
>
>tom@han.paramax.com

Howdy-

ZT here.

Try the _Deathworld Trilogy_, I think by Harrison(?).

Just for the Record.

                       The Crystal Griffin
From: rickk@emu.com (Rick Kleffel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Looking for short story; spoilers, I suppose
Summary: Jonathan Carroll
Date: 18 Nov 92 15:39:09 GMT
Organization: E-Mu Systems

In article <1992Nov16.152613.1@acad3.alaska.edu> fscem1@acad3.alaska.edu writes:
>
>
>	I'm looking for a short story for a friend of mine.  I've
>
>	Two children meet a strange little boy who teaches them how
>to fly.  

The story sounds like an excerpt from one of Jonathan Carroll's novels.
Since he often publishes parts of his novels as short stories before
the novels arrive, that's not surprising. The excerpt you described sounds
like the experiences of Veneascu, the "Don Juan/Teacher" figure who appears
in many of Carroll's excellent novels.  I believe the episode you describe
was related in his latest American release, "Outside the Dog Museum", but
it could be that it was in the previous title, "A Child Across the Sky".  

By the way, readers of this group should hurry hurry hurry and look up this
gentleman's novels.  They're best read in order of appearance, as they form
a sort of impromptu series.  Carroll's an incredibly witty writer, sort of
a Woddy Allen figure in supernatural/speculative fiction.  And those who
are so enamored of Tim Powers/Blaylock -- like myself -- may enjoy his 
novels.  

By the way, it's rather amazing how Carroll's short stories seem so strong
on their own, but then integrate quite well into the full blown novel. 

Rick Kleffel
-- 

Rick Kleffel*System Administrator*E-Mu Systems, Scotts Valley, Ca*rickk@emu.com*
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 16:31:00 EST
From: <ROMAN@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Source for Card's original Ender's Game

Could someone please provide me with the source for original
"Ender's Game" story by Orson Scott Card?  I'd like to track
down the original magazine issue(s) and would like the name of
the magazine, year and issue number.  -- Roman Olynyk
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: nnegandh@descartes.uwaterloo.ca (Neil Negandhi)
Subject: Interview with Guy Gavriel Kay
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 19:18:45 GMT


For Guy Gavriel Kay fans - there was an interview with him and Peter
Gzowski last Thursday morning on the CBC (Canada's national radio
network). I will try to summarize the main points.

-'Song for Arbonne' is doing very well; it's #1 on the U.K. charts [not
 sure if this is the SF/F chart] and climbing the Canadian lists

-the U.K. used to be his best market, now it's Canada

-has separate publishers for the U.S. and Canada; this is because the
 U.S. publisher wanted to pay the same 'rate' for the Canadian rights
 despite the fact that Canada has a disproportionate share of the
 market (10% of U.S. pop. with 15-20% of the market)

-is slowly moving away from fantasy to historical fiction with elements of
 fantasy

-coming up with the proper names to fit the milieu is one of the hardest
 parts of writing novels

-finds it easier to write if he actually lives in the country where the
 novel is based

-is current researching the history of 'very early Spain' and is looking
 for a villa in that country


Neil Negandhi
nnegandh@descartes.uwaterloo.ca
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: tsdavies@rodan.syr.EDU (T.S. Davies)
Subject: Re: Blaylock and Powers (Re: Tim Powers)
In-reply-to: qvortrup@inf.ethz.ch's message of Tue, 17 Nov 1992 08:48:26 GMT
Organization: Sam Hill Cabal, DS
	<1992Nov10.073340.21946@neptune.inf.ethz.ch>
	<1992Nov14.185318.22872@eff.org>
	<1992Nov17.084826.12609@neptune.inf.ethz.ch>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 14:41:30 EST

In article <1992Nov17.084826.12609@neptune.inf.ethz.ch> qvortrup@inf.ethz.ch (Michael Qvortrup) writes: 


MQ> This helps explain why I didn't like the book. To be able to
MQ> appreciate this kind of work, you need, if not knowledge about,
MQ> then at least interest in the author as a person.  Which I quite
MQ> simply haven't got - and which the book in question didn't help
MQ> spark, either.

Hmm.  I don't agree.  My knowledge about Blaylock's life at the time I
read _The Last Coin_ was limited to the information I picked up from
an interview with Blaylock and Powers that appeared in Richard Geis'
_Science Fiction Review_.  As far as I can recall, he never mentioned
anything about wanting to smash up glasses or chop up garden hoses in
that interview.

But I know real people who remind me of characters (or at least
aspects of characters) in _The Last Coin_ (including myself).  [There
are some glasses I've had a eye on for some time now.  ;-) ]

MQ> When all is said and done, I might go back later and read _The
MQ> Last Coin_ with the autobiographical aspect in mind. It might
MQ> change my perception of the book.

Do.  You never know, you may find something you can appreciate there.
In the meantime, maybe you need some wackier friends.  ;-)

--
I'm enthralled by combine harvesters. In fact, I yearn to have one -- as a pet.
	From _The Day of the Jackal_
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    T.S. Davies		tsdavies@mailbox.syr.edu		SHC, DS
From: todd@reed.edu (Todd Ellner)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Ecologies Wanted
Date: 19 Nov 92 22:44:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Nov19.224448.15190
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon

I'm not sure if they are quite as detailed as you might like, but the
sensitivity to ecological and evolutionary _thought_ in "The Helix and
the Sword" and "Toolmaker's Koan" (both by John McLoughlin) are superb.
Even better is "Courtship Rite" by Donald Kingsbury which also asks the
question "How would humans live on a world not perfectly suited to them?"


-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Ellner  todd@reed.edu 
"What has the study of biology taught you about the Creator Dr. Haldane?"
JBS Haldane:"I'm not sure, but He seems to be inordinately fond of beetles."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: jrrl+@CS.CMU.EDU (John R R Leavitt)
Subject: New Author Poll Coordinator
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 16:09:25 GMT

Greetings folks.  Since Tom Hyer no longer has posting privileges, I will be taking over the coordination of the author polls.  I hope things run as smoothly as they did before.  The format will be the same and the past results will be available via email, anonymous ftp, and afs.  I will be posting the first new poll in a few minutes.  Before I do so, I think we owe no small amount of thanks to Tom for starting these polls and for running them as well as he did.

-John.



Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: root@ciss.DaytonOH.NCR.COM
Subject: Re: DRACULA
Organization: NCR Corporation - Dayton, OH
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 17:48:55 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.095030.24446@netcom.com> garyg@netcom.com (Gary Greene) writes:
>hunt@dodo.cis.ohio-state.edu (kevin hunt) writes:
>
>
>
>>     For those who havent yet seen DRACULA, I strongly suggest that you
>>read the book first.  This way you will know what to expect, and will
>>understand why the Count can do what he does and why he does it.  The
>>movie can be confusing at times without this information.
>
>>     And for all those people who like the vampire type genre, I strongly
>>suggest the book "DRACULA UNBOUND" by Brian Aldiss.  A good read dispite
>>the fact that I guessed the ending perfectly when I still had 70 pages to
>>go.
>
>This isn't really the place for it, but unless you're into special effects
>I'd give FFC's version of the legend a pass.  Wait for the tape if you
>must.  The movie has little to recommend it as film except the strong visuals
>Copala is famous for.  Gary Oldfeld's portrayal is interesting, but development
>of plot and characters are weak.  The movie seems to pass from one scene to
>another in a dream, like disconnected trailers for a film advertisment.  And
>Van Helsing is either under or over written ...he's either an unredeaming nut
>as displayed in the final cut (underwritten) or pork sausage (over written or
>at least over played for what makes it to the screen); its hard to decide which.
>This is not a literate film.  In the end, it was boring in the last half.
>
>Respects,
>
>Gary Greene
>Santa Clara, California				garyg@netcom.com

 Also if you like the vampire type books with a slight twist, try F. Saberhagen's
 series.  Three titles that come to mind are -Friend of the Family-, -The
 Holmems/Dracula File-, and -Thorn-.
From: jice@luth.chorus.fr (Jean-Christophe Hugly)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: What is Deckard (was Re: Are *YOU* Human?)
Date: 19 Nov 92 11:59:20 GMT
Reply-To: jice@chorus.fr
Organization: Chorus systemes, Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France

In article <1992Nov17.223534.22029@fnbc.com>, frank@fnbc.com (Frank Mitchell) writes:
...
%% over a forest, and an extra few seconds spent on Rachel's photograph that
%% showed its subjects moving slightly (indications that it's a hologram?). 

The subject of the photograph is not moving slightly, it temporarily becomes
a live scene. I think this is to point out how intensly realistic are Rachel's
implented memories. (To the point that she feels this past scene when looking
at the picture and that the picture matches very exactly her memories.)

J-C
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.cyberpunk
From: zgilbert@titan.ucc.umass.edu (Zvi Gilbert)
Subject: Re: Diamond-hard SF
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 17:08:39 GMT

curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:
>apace@mta.ca writes:
>>curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:
>>>Me I like my world complex.  Juicy.  Alive.  And that takes
>>>more than ideology - that takes _imagination_.
>>>
>>You know, a metaphor doesn't have to be 100% accurate to be useful.
>
>Useful? [...]
>Now, dogma is not entertaining.  Dogma has never been entertaining.
>Dogma never will be entertaining.  
>And the purpose of fiction is to - one way or another - entertain.

Whoa there, Curtis!

I appreciate your point of view, and the way that you have been expressin'
it.  But those last two sentences there have made me join the fray, and
so, I herewith bop you with the rubber mallet of Overstated Arguementation.

Let's define our terms:

Dogma: something held as an established position, esp. a definite authoritative
tenet. b. a code of such tenets. c. a point of view or tenet put forth as
authoratative without adequate grounds. 

"Dogma is not entertaining"?  Nonsense.

All good fiction contains elements of dogma, even with respect to definition
c.  The best of it doesn't throw it in your face, but instead gently leads you
down the garden path. I mean, it isn't just words on a page! (Lukas' quote 
about the aesthetics of the novel being THE moral problem is relevant here.)
Everyone has something that they believe in, especially writers.

In support of this notion, look at Russ' _The Female Man_, Le Guin's _Always
Coming Home_.  These books are nothing BUT dogma (excellently written, etc.);
the former a depiction of a feminist utopia, the latter of a humanist/ native
american type utopia.  

Even in something as understated and non-strident as say, Crowley's _Little,
Big_, I daresay we could find some dogma there if we cared to.

Now REDUCTIVE dogma is bad.  And I completely agree with you (and John Lennon)
about the dangers of "-isms."  Still, I think that your point of view as stated
is... well... henious.

Fiction has moral consequences.  (Witness the extended debate about Card's _The
Lost Boys_.)  It isn't JUST words on a page; there's other stuff there, like
ideas, morals, plot, characters, etc.  I think that ignoring the "dogma" or
sweeping it under the rug is doubleplusungood.

And I think that you said something similar before you leapt off into
unbounded word-space: "Not just ideology."

Agreed.

But "ideology" is necessary; and yes, even strong ideology; even dogma.

--Zvi
From: curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Ecologies Wanted
Date: 19 Nov 1992 17:12:13 GMT
Organization: CS Dept. Snakepit - Do Not Feed.
NNTP-Posting-Host: cobra.cs.berkeley.edu

In article <1eg7jgINN9u0@hal.com> howard@hal.com (Howard Gayle) writes:
>In article <Bxxn5G.MHL@ansoft.com>, ott@ansoft (nancy ott) writes:
>>
>>another ecology-oriented book about Quakers adapting to a new planet,
>>but I can't remember its name.
>
>Still Forms on Foxfield.

Oh, my god.

The ultimate expression of the subgenre.  Quakers!  Mein gott.  The
lady is a genius.  How can anyone write another "Arabs-in-Space" novel
after reading _that_?  

All we have to do is spread the word.

c
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written