HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: MAYFLON@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU (Geoff Knobl)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Sharyn McCrumb
Date: 3 Sep 92 19:17:40 GMT

A belated reply from Mrs. McCrumb to all those on the net writing about
Zombies of the Gene Pool.

... it won the Edgar Award...

"Reviews were either laudatory or filled with that sort of anger which
tells an author that he has hit his target."

                         -C. S. Lewis
                          from the preface to the Screwtape Letters

Feel free to reply, but don't overload my mailer please, the net is fine.

Geoff Knobl
Mayflon@VTVM1.cc.vt.edu
"We have normality!  Anything wrong is now your own problem."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,rec.org.sca
From: amlsmith@morgan.ucs.mun.ca (Andrew Smith)
Subject: Re: COVINGTON CROSS
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 18:22:31 GMT

In article <BtLoD5.M1t@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>, aryk@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (A.J.S. Nusbacher) writes:
|> 
|> Now that seems awfully uncharitable.  What did you expect from American tele-
|> vision?  Oh, and you missed the main obvious comparison:  90210.

Naaa, Aryk! It's not 90210, its the updated versoin of the Dukes of
Hazzard! Old, proper (bearded) father figure, Two well meaning, but
dimwitted, lads. A strong young lady, who must be "kept under control"
because she is naught but a girl, etc. The friar, proper Lady etc are
only
to continue the 'mediaeval' humor. (which is actually modern humour)

Now, where did ny old videotapes go?


Sebastian
amlsmith@morgan.ucs.mun.ca
From: IOR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Thomas Hyer)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: AUTHOR POLLS -- Philip Jose Farmer (REPOST)
Date: 26 Aug 92 21:07:58 GMT
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Welcome to the author polls.  This week's author is Philip
Jose Farmer.

INTRO to AUTHOR POLLS  (skip if you've participated before):

   Since no two readers can generally be expected to agree
   about the quality of a given author, an overall poll
   like that used in rec.arts.movies would be useless
   except as an incendiary.  However, there is often good
   agreement about which books by a given author are most
   worthy: thus this poll.

IF YOU MISSED AN EARLIER POLL and want to contribute, please
   feel free to DO SO.

BALLOT FORMAT  (read this once):

   You have four votes, one each at +3, +2, +1, and -1. You
   may vote for a work of any length, though you may wish
   to restrict yourself to the form in which the author was
   most prolific.

SAMPLE BALLOT (just a reminder):

   + 3 <vote for at most one work>
   + 2 <vote for at most one work>
   + 1 <vote for at most one work>
   - 1 <vote for at most one work>

SEND BALLOTS TO THIS ADDRESS.  If you prefer multiple choice,
you can obtain fairly complete bibliographies by anonymous ftp
from gandalf.rutgers.edu, in /pub/sfl/authorlists.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

Gordon R. Dickson
-----------------
 Tactics of Mistake                +  18
 Soldier, Ask Not                  +  14
 Final Encyclopedia                +  10
 Way of the Pilgrim                +   8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 Chantry Guild                     -   3

PREVIOUS AUTHORS (for listings, EMail to this address):
Roger Zelazny
Larry Niven
C.J. Cherryh
Jack Vance
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Silverberg
Isaac Asimov
Poul Anderson
Frederick Pohl
Cordwainer Smith
Philip K. Dick
Samuel R. Delany
John Brunner
Orson Scott Card
Theodore Sturgeon
Stanislaw Lem
Ursula K. Le Guin
Clifford D. Simak
David Brin
Arthur C. Clarke
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,rec.org.sca
From: purp@wixer.cactus.org (Jim Meyer)
Subject: Re: COVINGTON CROSS
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 16:22:41 GMT

In article <9fpyv1+@rpi.edu> habura@vccnorthb.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura) writes:
>I, on the other hand, hope it *doesn't* die, smellily or otherwise. Think of 
>it as indirect PR: if somebody's watching _Covington Cross_, they may be more
>inclined to see us as a hobby group, rather than some sort of Satanistic cult.
>None of us have to watch it to have it help us.

M'lady, I fear you are incorrect there. For the drama's continued
survival, as many of us as possible *must* watch; to applaud where
deserved, and deride where necessary. Mayhap in our derision, we might
improve the content on the whole.

A missive, properly worded, carries more weight than a mundanely changed
channel.

>Alison MacDermot
>(Who will happily take good publicity wherever she can get it.)

--James, the unnamed.


-- 
+---------------+------------------------------+-----------------------+
| Jim Meyer     | If I express an opinion, you | purp@wixer.cactus.org |
| Austin, Tejas | can bet no one else agrees.  | aka jimpurp@pro-lep   |
+---------------+------------------------------+-----------------------+
From: HADCRJAM@admin.uh.edu (MILLER, JIMMY A.)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: _Here Come the Spartans_
Date: 2 Sep 92 16:42:12 GMT
Article-I.D.: menudo.1992Sep2.164212.10495
Organization: University of Houston Administrative Computing
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

In <1992Sep1.113922.58548@cc.usu.edu> slg7m@cc.usu.edu writes:

> Does anyone know if Dave Duncan ever wrote a sequel to _Here Come the Spar
> tans_?  I think that's the author and title.  IT's about a Roman 
> legion that gets sold into slavery to an Alien merchant guild who
> used the legion to battle on low tech worlds.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tanya

  Actually, this sounds more like a David Drake (of Hammer's Slammers fame) 
book that I read.  Exact same plot, but the title escapes me at the moment.
I'll dig it out and post again tomorrow.

semper fi,

Jammer Jim Miller 
Texas A&M University '89 and '91
* Aggie in Cougarland -- I just work here.				       *
* Speak for my employers?  They don't even know I exist!		       *
*"Become one with the Student Billing System. *BE* the Student Billing System."*
* "Power finds its way to those who take a stand.  Stand up, Ordinary Man."    *
*      ---Rik Emmet, Gil Moore, Mark Levine: Triumph 		               *
From: sigel@vsscad.enet.dec.com (Andrew Sigel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: K. Kurtz' Deryni series
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:56:49 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <1992Aug20.131905.1@skcla.monsanto.com>, jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com writes...
>I seem to remember something about Kurtz' agent or editor really really really
>wanting her to write the Childe Morgan series before s/he died, and she was
>supposed to be doing that first.  Any corroboration?

Not really.  Katherine's editor used to be Lester del Rey, and I once heard her
say that the reason Childe Morgan was pushed out was so he could read and edit
continuations to the Camber series.  Since Lester retired last year, I rather
doubt he forms any part of the current considerations.  These, at a guess, have
to do with what she wants to write, what her editors want her to write, and what
she has under contract and is being *paid* to write.
---   
Andrew Sigel (Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton, MA)

UUCP		...!decwrl!vsscad.enet!sigel
Internet	sigel@vsscad.enet.dec.com	
	- or -	sigel%vsscad.enet@decwrl.dec.com
---
From: hyperion@cs.widener.edu (A Kyle Berman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: sorry, looking for a story...
Date: 3 Sep 92 03:12:38 GMT
Organization: Widener University CS Department, Chester PA
NNTP-Posting-Host: ashley.cs.widener.edu

There was a story I remember reading not THAT long ago which I would
like to find again.  Help would be appreciated.

First of all, it was definitely SF.  It involved a member of the
'space scouts' or some such, who through a supposed act of heroism
(which was not just as it was supposed to be) was awarded the title of
Hero (or some other noble title) and given the right to do ANYTHING
without getting in trouble.  He could do no wrong.  At one point,
toward the middle of the story (it was a shortish story, not a full
book) when he is receiving his honors, the 'President'/Leader of the
Human Race says something to the effect of "I am considered the most
powerful human alive today and if I could be anything in the world I
would be you."

I thought it was Gordon R. Dickson, but after checking the books it
would have come from, it seems I was wrong.  Now I don't know the
author or the title.  Any help would be appreciated, but please mail
it if you have a suggestion.

Thanks.

Kyle

-- 
A. Kyle Berman        hyperion@cs.widener.edu        hyperion@cyber.widener.edu
From: sblh@s17.msi.umn.edu (Susan Levy Haskell)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Octavia Butler question
Date: 28 Aug 92 20:06:36 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota

dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann) writes:

>In article <1992Aug27.124214.28448@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov>, puckett@lambda (Jim Puckett) writes:
>>
>>What is the name of the Octavia Butler sequel to _Dawn_?

>_Adulthood Rites_, followed by _Imagio_.

That's Imago.
-- 
Susan B. Levy Haskell             |||       sblh@msi.umn.edu
Macintosh & Network Administrator |||     voice: (612) 624-8862
Minnesota Supercomputer Institute |||      fax: (612) 624-8861
University of Minnesota           |||        Baby on board!
From: SteveWall@aol.com (Steve Wall)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: COVINGTON CROSS
Date: 31 Aug 92 21:01:08 GMT
Organization: Only weekdays, 9-5

In article <5969@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>, sm@g2.ph.man.ac.uk (Steve Mowbray) writes:
> 
> Why is this crap in rec.arts.sf.written?
> 
Let me try a more diplomatic version of this question.  Could someone in the
Societ for Creative Anachronism (SCA) form a new newsgroup by the name
of rec.history.reenacted (or whatever...)?  This thread has really strayed a 
little far from the 'rec.arts.sf.written' subject matter.

Steve Wall
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: novak@wri.com (John M. Novak)
Subject: Re: Something Nasty in the Human Genome
Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 21:00:19 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.163129.6866@hubcap.clemson.edu>
elwin@gamma.phys.clemson.edu (Lawrence E. Brown) writes:
>If you find this idea intriguing, you should try _Blood Music_
>by Greg Bear.  He takes exactly this idea and runs with it.  I
>can't say more without large spoilers.

For another approach to the idea of storing extra information in the 'unused'
space in genes, see Janet Kagan's _Mirable_.  As with her other works,
excellent and original writing.
--John M. Novak
novak@wri.com
From: mwasson@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Michael Wasson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Vinge's singularity
Keywords: Malthus
Date: 27 Aug 92 01:27:59 GMT
Organization: University of Hawaii

In article <BtLKtx.BI6@helios.physics.utoronto.ca> karls@aurora.physics.utoronto.ca (Karl Schroeder) writes:
>As far as I understand it, Vernor Vinge believes that at the present
>exponential rate of technological change, we will soon reach a
>'singularity' where the rate becomes effectively infinite.  Isn't
>this a bit like Malthus concluding that the human race was inevitably
>going to breed itself to death?  --Not that that won't happen, but

Yeah. Is it RAH who cautions against projecting curves? The curve may look
exponential now but that can change. And in fact maybe it has. The FAX has
been around for decades but only recently entered wide use. Videophones
were first introduced--when, c1960? Nobody wants 'em.

>it's clearly not inevitable; it depends on economic conditions, among
>other things.
>  Technological change only continues as long as the conditions forcing
>it persist.  If one sees science and technology as self-contained and
>self-propelling, then the argument might make sense.

Also it depends what area of technology you mean. The automobile stayed 
basically the same throughout the computer revolution; similarly for,
say, small-arms technology. So one thing accelerated while other things
didn't.
  In fact, I was just reading a [science] book about space travel written
in 1954? 55? A year or so pre-Sputnik. It's full of statements like 
"within our lifetimes--perhaps within 20 years--Mars will have been
colonized" and "the first step will be a permanently manned space station
with ferries to and from Luna." I got depressed reading it! Such optimism
and so little of it has come to pass...

>   I find it more interesting to consider that the singularity is a
>clear symptom of our civilization's blind spot:  we can't imagine what
>culture is going to follow ours, any more than any previous culture
>imagined ours.  The idea that we will dissolve in some kind of technologicaL
>Rapture probably reflects our current anxieties better than it reflects
>(or predicts) the future.

Yes, e.g. the large doses of angst and alienation in most cyberpunk

>   On the other hand, it's sure made for some good stories!  :-)

_______________________________________________________________________________
"There was nothing to be    |  Michael Wasson     | "'Dead-on balls accurate'?"
done; a circumstance that   |  U of Hawaii        | "It's an industry term."
happily suited our disin-   |     and             | (from My Cousin Vinny)
clination to do anything."  |  Fat Messiah Games, |____________________________
--Herman Melville           |  S. Pacific HQ      | [standard disclaimer]
_______________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: ndj20710@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Nathan D. Johnson)
Subject: Re: Continuing Time
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:57:15 GMT
Keywords: Continuing Time Trent Long Run

rod@cats.ucsc.edu (Rodrick Su) writes:
>	Except there is one problem.  Prior to the scene, Trent was heading 
>	up an elevator.  PKF have basically have him, as they knows where he
>	is heading.  Thus the guards were posted outside the shaft to
>	capture him.  Trent himself was astonished at the fact that no guard
>	was outside when he got out of the lift.  He also heard the joyous
>	shouts of PKFs that 'We got him'.  Why not go and see the fun?  That
>	was what the guards outside the lift did, and left their post wide
>	open.  He then proceed onto his less than sane of escape, original
>	plan.  I don't think Trent have enough time for the things you said.
>	also, had it simply been a holographic wall, Trent's act wouldn't have
>	been classified as a mirical.  Remember that there are well over 30 
>	PKF and some 10 Elite.  Someone is bound to try to touch the wall.

You forget, the elevator that Trent was in is found open by Vance(Melissa was
startled to discover it open, since it had been empty just a few moments
before. Trent was NOT in the elevator. The guard that wasn't there was the one
at the airlock. Re-read the section. 
I don't see that it would have taken very much time either.
Finally, It is not impossible that trent glued the wall back in place, but
even if he didn't, the PKF still had work to do trying to find him. If in the
aftermath, the officials explain that trent actually used an easily explained
setup for his supposed miracle, then maybe they would believe it. Then again,
try convincing Christians that christs body was probably removed from the tomb
by his followers, a much more _plausable_ explanation than resurection. Given
a choice between having seen someone who had walked through the PKF spacebase
earlier and who had again managed to elude escape by laumching himself up to
a spaceship and whom YOU had SEEN walk through a wall, and the explanation of
the government, which would you choose? 

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,rec.org.sca
From: schrey@oak.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Timothy M. Schreyer)
Subject: Re: COVINGTON CROSS
Reply-To: schrey@prc.unisys.com
Organization: Paramax Systems
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 18:24:44 GMT

In article <BtLoD5.M1t@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>, aryk@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (A.J.S. Nusbacher) writes:
|> 
|> Now that seems awfully uncharitable.  What did you expect from American tele-
|> vision?  Oh, and you missed the main obvious comparison:  90210.
|> 
   Covington Cross is actually made in Britain, albeit for the American market.

-- 
 Timothy M. Schreyer                         schrey@prc.unisys.com
 Center for Advanced Information Technology  (215) 648-2475 
 Paramax Systems Corporation                 FAX: (215) 648-2288
 PO Box 517, Paoli, PA 19301
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.written:11479 rec.arts.sf.science:2660
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Piers Anthony's Xanth Series
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:50:24 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: savoia@sw.stratus.com (Rick Savoia)

In article <5859@transfer.stratus.com>, savoia@sw (Rick Savoia) writes:
>I'd start with 'A Spell for Chameleon', the first one and 
>read the next four and then STOP.

I'd just look at the covers and then STOP.

>				    After that, they are pretty
>much all down hill

Exactly.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: williams@herky.cs.uiowa.edu (Kent Williams)
Subject: Re: SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:08:16 GMT
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

From article <1992Aug28.051936.21183@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>, by bp494@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Dana Goldblatt):
> 
> In a previous article, williams@herky.cs.uiowa.edu (Kent Williams) says:
> 
>>If you're into the c'punk thing, "SNOW CRASH" slays.  It's a sort of a
>>mystery shoot-em-up in real and virtual reality, and pushes some of
>>the same buttons as Gibson's stuff, but the characters aren't as
>>obsessed with their own coolness.
>>
>>
> Well, I liked Snow Crash, and I am even using stuff from it for
> some rpg stuff, but your comment was way off base.  I have read it
> twice, the second time out loud, and to be honest--there is not a 
> single character in the book who is *not* obsessed with his or
> her "own coolness"
>
> The *author* isn't as obsessed with their coolness.  Or is more
> separated from it as is usual in comedy.  Their obsession with their
> own coolness is laughable, but it's very, very much a part of the book.
> 
That, more accurately reflects what I meant to say. Stephenson's
characters are mushy on the insides, where Gibson's reflect a romantic
infatuation with the image of rock groups like the Velvet Underground
and the Sex Pistols.  Gibson likes the shiny surface, whereas
Stephenson captures the insecurity and bewilderment the characters
face in coping with a world gone nuts.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: ghost@openage.openage.com (Glenn Host)
Subject: Re: Piers Anthony's Xanth Series
Organization: Open Age, Inc.
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 03:55:10 GMT

djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes) writes:

>Go hence to your book store.  Check out the title of the new Xanth book.  Ask 
>yourself if you'd be caught dead carrying around a book called that. . .

Thanks for mentioning the latest Xanth book is out
So long is between them I forget to make a special trip to
the book store to pick it up.

Too bad there aren't too many authors who can have fun with a book now -
too many too serious writers. 


-- 

Very grateful guest of Openage - the best SCO service shop in the area
************* my views represent no one - not even myself. ****************
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: maxson@cerl.uiuc.edu (K R Maxson)
Subject: Re: Books on Magic vs Science
Organization: UIUC Computer-based Education Research Lab
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 04:33:37 GMT

In article <26AUG199217334733@reg.triumf.ca> advax@reg.triumf.ca (A.Daviel) writes:
>Also the Changeling Earth series by Zelazny; Orcus (the demon) vs. Ardneh (a 
>computer). Lawrence Watt-Evans had a couple (the Cyborg and the Sorcerers, 
>and the Wizard and the War Machine), which feature wizardy vs. a computer 
>(the human part of the cyborg just wants to be left alone). An earlier 
>Zelazny  (Shadowjack??) features a tidally locked planet where wizardry 
>works on the dark side and science on the light side, or rather that is the 
>basic paradigm by which the society operates. 

Fred Saberhagen, if I am not mistaken, wrote the "Changeling Earth" books
you are attributing to Zelazny -- although the proper name of the books
escapes me.  _Empire of the East_, I think, with all of the Swords stuff
set in the same creation.

Zelazny did write Shadowjack.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: steyn@cs.rochester.edu (Gavin Steyn)
Subject: Re: Gormenghast
Keywords: Mervyn Peake, Fantasy 
Organization: Computer Science Department University of Rochester
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 18:44:29 GMT


I don't think you can compare the two, which is probably good--comparing
_Gormenghast_ to anything else would be a tough task :-).
  Of course, one nice thing that "Gormenghast" has over LOTR is that
there aren't a million knock-offs by hack writers :-).  Seriously,
"Gormenghast" is certainly one of the great fantasies of this century,
and would have to be listed with LOTR and _The Last Unicorn_ and _Little
Big_.

Gavin Steyn
steyn@cs.rochester.edu
"So he's had the lifelong ambition of reversing the polarity of the earth?"
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: rhiann@milton.u.washington.edu (Sandra Hereld)
Subject: Re: seeking a Bujold story
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 18:08:16 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.193432.12260@enterprise.rdd.lmsc.lockheed.com> baylor@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com writes:
>In article <1992Aug22.024932.11994@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, lhb6v@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Laura Hayes Burchard) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug20.200519.16095@athena.mit.edu> jen@athena.mit.edu (Jennifer Hawthorne) writes:
>>>Ditto. Double ditto.  Excellent space opera.  I heard here on the Net
>>>somewhere a while ago that she's back to working on another book in
>>>this universe after finishing an unconnect fantasy novel. Does anyone
>>>have any more news on when it's expected to be out?
>>
>>Could this possibly be the hostage rescue mission referred to at the end
>>of Brothers in Arms and the Borders of Infinity framing
>>story? The references were specific enough that I had the impression she
>>had already outlined something.
>
>I hope not. I don't think a "straight up, good guys vs bad guys"
>mission would be nearly as interesting as what we've already read.
>(& my impression is that if it'd been more, there would have been 
>more made of it in _Borders of Infinity_, at least by Cordelia)
>
>RB

The next Miles book will follow *Mark* and MIles's further adventures.
Mark is going to take on the gene baddies, and he and Miles will
stumble into each other.  I believe the first few chapters will
alternate between one POV and the other until the meet.

Lois is wonderful, and a great con guest - I recommend her to other
concoms out there.

Sandy
"Not tonight dear, I'm reading..."

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: neufeld@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (Christopher Neufeld)
Subject: Fourth Giants book out
Organization: University of Toronto Physics/Astronomy/CITA
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:09:57 GMT

   A few weeks ago I posted a message that the fourth Giants book,
_Entoverse_, by James P. Hogan was scheduled to be out in paperback in
October, at least in Canada. Well, it's on the shelves now.
   What did I remember seeing just this week about how books are released
a month before they are scheduled?

-- 
 Christopher Neufeld....Just a graduate student  | Confidence is the feeling
 neufeld@helios.physics.utoronto.ca    Ad astra  | you have before you
 utzoo.utoronto.ca!generic!cneufeld              | understand the situation.
 "Don't edit reality for the sake of simplicity" |