HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: linhart@romulus.rutgers.edu (Mike Threepoint)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Starcross, Stationfall hints needed
Date: 2 Oct 92 05:35:30 GMT
Organization: Frobozz Magic Amulet of Yendor Company

dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu (Daniel Steven Reinker) writes:
> 1) In Starcross, how do you get into the red airlock?
From the Lost Treasures of Infocom hint book:

Have you examined the sculpture on the door?

This is a symbol recognized by space-faring species.

Try drawing it on a piece of paper.

This is a symbolic representation of your solar system.  The bumps are
an indication of the size and orientation of the sun and planets.

You are being tested, Earthling.  What do you think the makers of the
Artifact want to know?

Your home planet, Earth, is the fourth bump.  (The sun is described as
the first, Mercury would be second, Venus third, Earth fourth.)

Try pushing the fourth bump.

Congratulations, you have passed the test.  Take your reward (the
black crystal rod) and enter.

> 2) In Stationfall, I have the detonator, I have everything, I set up the
> bomb in the [appropriate place]....however, when I try to leave, the game
> informs me that I can't leave until I've disarmed the explosive! What
> eventually happens is that it blows up and takes me with it. What do I do?

[Nothing phrased like that in the hint book, so...]
You're missing something to keep the explosive from detonating until
you're safely out of the room.

You'll need a timer.

You can get one from the PX dispenser.
From: ivanski@world.std.com (Ivan M CaveroBelaunde)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Unnkulian I - Questions [spoilers]
Date: 3 Oct 92 22:20:58 GMT
Article-I.D.: world.BvKGqy.AFC
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA

xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen) writes:

>On the subject of the Guardian...

>I've racked my brain against this puzzle.  I have one more hope, which I
>am about to try...  But if it fails, I would appreciate it if someone could
>drop a HINT... (NOT A SOLUTION --- PLEASE)...  I saw the posting saying that
>an alternative light source existed above ground...

There is an alternative light source. It is not above ground. I hate
having to be so explicit, but I couldn't find any other way to prevent
you from searching above ground forever.

>  Since I cannot find such
>a light source, I'm going to try opening my outdoor horizons while destroying
>the Guardian in the hopes that I will be able to find a light source in a
>new area above ground...

>If you know the solution, then you already know if I'm off my rocker or not...
>;)  So please post a hint if I'm way off base.

Look *everywhere* and examine and *search* *everywhere* very carefully.
Remember the Acmid?

--Ivan

PS On another note, has anyone had strange "stack overflow" problems with
Unnkulian, especially after loading saved games? I was planning to register,
but I'm a tad concerned with these bugs, and wondering how common they are.
Twice already I've been left with a "stack overflow err" message and a
totally disabled prompt.

More spoilers (don't read further if you haven't solved the maze [or if you
haven't seen it]):



OK, so I found the rod-recharging machine in the basement. It wants a coin.
It rejects the acmid. The brass plate is too big. The brass disc won't go
in either. And I can't seem to get the coin press to work. Any ideas?
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: ivanski@world.std.com (Ivan M CaveroBelaunde)
Subject: Re: Unnkulian I - Stack Overflow Errors (was Questions-Spoilers)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 18:42:18 GMT

dmb@lf.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett) writes:
>Are you playing version 2?  If not, get version 2 from
>{msdos,mac,atari}.archive.umich.edu.  If so, please report the bugs and
>email me a script that exercises the problem if possible.  We can't fix
>'em unless we know where they are.

I haven't seen version 2.0 of Unnkulian I in the archives, just of
Unnkulian II. I'm running 1.0.1. I'll check again and let you know. If
the problems continue.

Additionally, it'd probably be good if the distribution README file
included email addresses to contact you guys for bug reports and the like.

-Ivan Cavero Belaunde
ivanski@world.std.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: stephan@wam.umd.edu ()
Subject: Re: Unnkulian I - Questions [spoilers]
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 23:58:45 GMT

In article <xeno.718144368@pv34ad.vincent.iastate.edu> xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen) writes:
>On the subject of the Guardian...
>
>I've racked my brain against this puzzle.  I have one more hope, which I
>am about to try...  But if it fails, I would appreciate it if someone could
>drop a HINT... (NOT A SOLUTION --- PLEASE)...  I saw the posting saying that
>an alternative light source existed above ground...  Since I cannot find such

There is an alternative light source, but it is not above ground...

Spoiler

Look in an area that seems like it should contain something, but
says it doesn't

Solution and whine

In the Side Cave, MOVE the debris.

This is a whine, but when I first visited this location, I tried to
LOOK UNDER the debris, and I tried to SEARCH the debris, but neither turned
up anything.
I would think that between searching and looking under this debris, I should
have discovered the sword.  Any comments?
From: drsmith@uts.EDU.AU (-s90064751-d.smith-ele-60-)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Infocom: Mines of Titan?
Date: 6 Oct 92 05:49:45 GMT
Organization: University of Technology, Sydney
NNTP-Posting-Host: acacia.ccsd.uts.edu.au
Organisation: University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

msr@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Michael Rosenberg) writes:

>I've seen in a computer store (Babbages to be precise) a game called "The
>Mines of Titan" that has the infocom label on it.  The game looks like a piece
>of shit.  Some sort of poor arcade style game.  I assume that Activision may
>have come out with this and slapped Infocom's name on it, but I was wondering
>if anyone knows anything more about this.  

All I know that i bourght it in Anaheim for $7 when I was over there and I have
since found it was not really worth the cost...

darryl smith
drsmith@amdahl.ccsd.uts.edu.au
100026.3446@compuserve.com if you dont want others do read my email....
From: darkangl@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Paul)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Journey
Date: 27 Sep 92 21:12:23 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center


Anyone out there played Journey?  I'm stuck on what to say to the elf
after you leave the dwarven caves.  I would prefer a roadmap to the
cluebox instead of a direct spoiler, but I'm stuck.  E-mail me if you have
the solution.  Thanx in advance.

darkangl@sage.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: amead@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Alan Mead)
Subject: hint needed on Deep Space Drifter
Organization: UIUC Department of Psychology
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 21:50:07 GMT

I wonder how many have tried Deep Space Drifter?  Well, I've gotten
the tram to go, but i died because the coordinates were wrong.  I
suspect that...

I have to use the console in the basement to enter new coordinates
onto the red or grey (or maybe orange) squares, but no matter what
I do I cannot.  Or maybe I just need to get the orange square, I
somehow got it last night, but can't recall how (the robot must have
died).  I thought I used the remote, but I could be wrong.

Say, try taking your suit off *after* you go outside the airlock!  also,
had anyone had things disappear?  The grey and red cards got dropped 
after a "rumble" and I couldn't find them until 1/2 an hour later.  I
think its a bug (as opposed to that "disappearance" stuff in the logs).

Thanks.

-alan
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: Leather Goddess of Phobos II (was Re: Invisiclues)
Keywords: invisiclues
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst MA
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 13:36:02 GMT

In article <27378@nntp_server.ems.cdc.com> bblumenf@ems.cdc.com writes:

>In article <1992Sep24.225510.272@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, evans1@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (Dan Evans) writes:
>
>|> You probably like harder games.
>|> 
>|> Have you tried the Monkey Island series?
>
>No, it looked like it was aimed at the younger set (<15), so I never
>even considered it.

Monkey Island is actually very entertaining and, comparatively
speaking, pretty challenging.  I've been playing it off and on for
several months and haven't yet solved it.  It's worth at least a
look-see.  For that matter, the Indiana Jones game, while not as
difficult, is pretty worthwhile.

Monkey Island spoiler hint request follows:

I'd appreciate a *very* *general*, *very* *vague* hint on how to
circumvent either the ghost dog or the drunk pirate on the ghost
pirate ship.  I've tried everything I can think of, in every
combination I can imagine, three times over.  NO SPOILERS OR DIRECT
ANSWERS!  Thanks in advance.

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / "You are just naive and repressed because
\  / twpierce@unix.amherst.edu /  penis envy is here and it's now and it's
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /  all around you." -- Neal C. Wickham
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen)
Subject: Unnkulian I - Questions [spoilers]
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 20:32:48 GMT

On the subject of the Guardian...

I've racked my brain against this puzzle.  I have one more hope, which I
am about to try...  But if it fails, I would appreciate it if someone could
drop a HINT... (NOT A SOLUTION --- PLEASE)...  I saw the posting saying that
an alternative light source existed above ground...  Since I cannot find such
a light source, I'm going to try opening my outdoor horizons while destroying
the Guardian in the hopes that I will be able to find a light source in a
new area above ground...

If you know the solution, then you already know if I'm off my rocker or not...
;)  So please post a hint if I'm way off base.

---Xeno

Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: ralf@vmars.tuwien.ac.at (Ralf Schlatterbeck)
Subject: InfoTaskForce: Where
Reply-To: ralf@vmars.tuwien.ac.at
Organization: Technical University of Vienna
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 20:27:57 GMT
X-Cuse: we apologise for the inconvenience

I already have zmachine and tried to port it to my mac powerbook, but
failed because it seems to be too machine dependant ('byte sex'). I
heard another interpreter for zcode mentioned in this group calle
InfoTaskForce or something like that. I already looked with archie for
infortaskforce and itf with no luck. Isnt it available on the net? Or if
it is, where can I get it?
Thank, Ralf.
-- 
Ralf Schlatterbeck
Treitlstr.3/182/1                            email: ralf@vmars.tuwien.ac.at
A-1040 Wien                                  Phone: +43/222/58801/8177
Austria                                      FAX:   +43/222/569149
From: jswartz@mbunix.mitre.org (Swartz)
Subject: ZORK:  A hollow voice says, "Fool"
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Distribution: rec.games.int-fiction
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 14:43:49 GMT

I have a question about a certain "magic word" in ZORK

POSSIBLE SPOILER TO FOLLOW:







































I once heard that typing the word, "PLUGH" in the mainframe version of ZORK
would do something special.  In the PC versions of the game, typing PLUGH
gives the response, "A hollow voice says, 'Fool'"  Was there some use for
this work in the mainframe version?  Is there some other word?

JOHN

-- 
JOHN A. SWARTZ - The MITRE Corp. Bedford, MA * John_Swartz@iegate.mitre.org
>Kill troll with sword

You don't have that!
From: macauley@bnr.ca (John MacAuley)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Zork/Dungeon (was Re: MDL)
Date: 5 Oct 92 19:52:54 GMT
Reply-To: macauley@bnr.ca (John MacAuley)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.


> (Several of) The Infocom founders were employed by MIT and wrote the
>  original MDL Zork as a response to Adventure and as something of an
>  experiment.  MIT released the rights to Zork, based on its lack of
> commercial value, and a FORTRAN version was hacked together, which
> appears to be the source of the C version.

Where can I find this original Zork?

--------------------
John MacAuley
FiberWorld R&D,             E-mail: John.MacAuley@bnr.ca
Bell-Northern Research,                  macauley@bnr.ca
Ottawa Canada               Phone:  (613) 765-4966
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: Hitchhikers guide -- HELP!
Originator: jmkaraka@c00059-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:41:05 GMT


|>
|>Don't listen to this guy, his memory has dimmed with time.
|>
|>1) You don't need to read the circuit board. Perhaps it is possible, but
|>   it is unnecessary.
|>2) You don't need to interface Eddie with the Nutrimatic per se... once
|>   you get the Nutrimat to understand that you want *real* tea, it'll
|>   hook up with Eddie itself.
|>3) You need to enter the access hatch with the mesh floor once, at the
|>   very end of the game.
|>
|>If you're looking for more complete information rather than vague
|>hints, post or write.
|>
|>-- 
|>__/\__  Jonathan S. Haas         | Jake liked his women the way he liked

	Hey buddy, watch it!  First you flame me, then you don't disagree
with a single point I made.  (I said the FLOOR was useless, not the room
itself.)
	
	-john 'if you're so smart, why aren't you rich' karakash-
From: hess@boi.hp.com (Kevin C. Hess)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: ST25: (SPOILERS) getting past the romulans
Date: 6 Oct 92 20:20:12 GMT
Article-I.D.: mail.Bvpv5p.JwB
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1.3 PL5

There be spoilers below

We're playing the Star Trek 25 anniversary game.  In the 3rd episode, 
we find a space station where the oroborus (sp?) virus has been
accidentally released. 

We have made the vulcan/romulan sleeping gas, released it into the air,
and wait for a long time.  Give Spock the vaccine, and eventually, get to 
the romulans and give it to them (along with some drinking water).

The best score we can get is 87%, good for 2 command points.  What can we
do better?

--
Kevin C. Hess                 The Hewlett-Packard Company
Network Printer Division      11311 Chinden Boulevard
Mail Stop 524                 Boise,, Idaho  83714-0015  USA
hess@hpbs907.boi.hp.com       (208) 323-3384

"There can be only one!" - Conner McLeod of the clan McLeod
"I will not be pushed, filed stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or
numbered - I am not a number, I am a free man!" - Number 6
From: dmb@lf.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Unnkulian Unventure II
Date: 28 Sep 92 05:10:10 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

In article <92271.194056MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu (Norman St. John Polevaulter) writes:
>Okay... I'm stuck. I made my way into the Acme Prototypes Lab and got all
>the neato keen things there are there, but beyond that, it's hopeless! The
>puzzles I'm stuck on:
>
> [...]

>- What to do with the transmogrifier

First of all, if you haven't been reading your daily Calvin and Hobbes,
look up "transmogrify" in the dictionary.  (Yes, it actaully is a
real word.)  This in itself should be a good hint.

>- Moving the anchor so I can drop it on the dragon

What does the game tell you when you try to pick it up?  How might you
rectify the situation?

>Geez, and only 150 points into the thing yet... what a game.

You're closer to the brink than you think.

Dave Baggett
--
dmb@ai.mit.edu           MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory                  
ADVENTIONS: interactive fiction (text adventures) for the 90's!
dmb@ai.mit.edu *** Compu$erve: 76440,2671 *** GEnie: ADVENTIONS
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: adam@owlnet.rice.edu (Adam Justin Thornton)
Subject: Shamefacedly, I request _Trinity_ assistance.
Organization: Milo's Meadow
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 05:11:02 GMT

I played this--and solved it--back in '87.  But I seem to have forgotten 
something.  Spoiler follows:

Right at the end.  How do I get into the padlocked box, which I think helps
me get some info about which wire I need to cut?  I seem to recall it involves
looking at Oppenheimer through the binoculars but I can't remember.

Adam
-- 
"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the
 stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud.  There is _always_
 something." -- Robert Penn Warren | Vote Cthulhu in '92! | adam@rice.edu
If Rice shared my opinions I wouldn't have this disclaimer | 64,928
From: uerics@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eric D. Shepherd)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: Guild of T. and other games
Date: 27 Sep 92 09:55:01 GMT

Um... actually, I think that the first adventure game was "Adventure", written
by some scientists at MIT (or some such nonsense).  That's the same as
Apple Adventure, Microsoft Adventure... etc.

Scott Adams' "Adventureland" is a totally different (but enjoyable) game.

- Eric S.

--
Eric Shepherd  |  Internet: uerics@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu  |  AOL: Sheppy
-------- ACM Member ----- Apple II Alliance Charter Member --------
Erroneous statements and inappropriate opinions stated herein are
caused by network glitches and are not attributable to the author.
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: librik@cory.Berkeley.EDU (David Librik)
Subject: Re: Unnkulian hint needed
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 09:22:15 GMT

simon@shiva.trl.OZ.AU (Simon Michnowicz - A Free Spirit) writes:

>Dear Unkoolians,
>		I know I have to hide the axe in a bucket and
>cover it with the skin to cross the chasm.

That was a bug in the early version of Unnkulian, it's been fixed.
You DON'T hide the axe and sneak it over the bridge.  (Yes, I realize
the walk-through is wrong.)

>I wonder if someone can tell me the exact words to use, as I
>am sure I am using the wrong verb, or something like that.

You can't carry the axe over to the other side.  You'll need to find
another way to ensure it ends up on the far side of the river.  Do a
lot of careful studying of descriptions in the river area.  This is
one of the nastiest puzzles in that game, but the solution is pretty
simple.

- David Librik
librik@cory.Berkeley.edu
fflamau fflamau fflamau'n codi yng ngoleuni'r nos
From: xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: The trend in adventure games
Date: 29 Sep 92 05:38:22 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA

In <28441@life.ai.mit.edu> dmb@lf.ai.mit.edu (David Baggett) writes:


>in the interactive fiction genre.  (For example, there isn't even a
>single work of interactive fiction with a tragic hero in it.)


Hey now!  What about Floyd?  ;)

---Xeno
From: toma@sail.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: The trend in adventure games
Date: 29 Sep 92 15:15:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: sail.12631
Reply-To: toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

In article <xeno.717659759@pv34ad.vincent.iastate.edu> xeno@iastate.edu (Gary L Snethen) writes:

>But these graphic adventures have their place...  Few six year-olds will
>sit and play text adventures, and fewer yet will be patient enough to deal
>with difficult english parsers that won't tolerate flawed English such as
>"Give the troll the axe."  (This isn't to say that they SHOULD...  God forbid
>the parsers forgive too many grammatical errors, "l at alumin key" is JUST
>right... ;)

>I pray we aren't forgotten in this new age of computers...  Where common
>computer illiterate high school students have humming 486/50s and Quadras
>sitting on their desks so that they can 'type a paper once in a while.'

I run a BBS which specializes in "text" and has text games online for callers
to play. I've got "mainframe" Zork, a text adventure I wrote, and the Eliza
program. It is incredible to watch people play these -- if you can't spell
you can't get far, and far too many people are lacking in these skills. 
Yes, it is easy to see why menu driven games (or any programs for that 
matter) are so popular. Why suffer and type when you can just push a button?

-- 
Tom Almy
toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: The trend in adventure games
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst MA
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 19:43:37 GMT

In article <12631@sail.LABS.TEK.COM> toma@sail.labs.tek.com writes:

>I've got "mainframe" Zork, a text adventure I wrote, and the Eliza
>program. It is incredible to watch people play these -- if you can't spell
>you can't get far,

I have a LOT of trouble believing that.  Zork will accept a lot of
abbreviations for common verbs and nouns.  Most of the things that you
want to type will typically already be displayed on the screen.  We're
talking carelessness here.

>Yes, it is easy to see why menu driven games (or any programs for that 
>matter) are so popular. Why suffer and type when you can just push a button?

Heaven preserve us.

Get a dictionary and leave it next to your computer.  Why encourage
*illiteracy*, for God's sake?

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / "You are just naive and repressed because
\  / twpierce@unix.amherst.edu /  penis envy is here and it's now and it's
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /  all around you." -- Neal C. Wickham
From: fxmlk@acad3.alaska.edu (KIENENBERGER MIKE L)
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
Subject: Re: LTOI Lurking Horror Userid
Date: 2 Oct 92 15:42:00 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska - Fairbanks
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41.UAC

In article <jmap70p@lynx.unm.edu>, kbos@carina.unm.edu (Kurt "Some Guy" Bose)
writes...
>In article <2OCT199202293677@acad3.alaska.edu> [I] wrote,
>> Am I just stupid, or did Activision forget to suppy the Login userid for
>>Lurking Horror?  It's the first thing you need (the password is supplied in
>>the docs), and the clues say that the userid is supplied in the docs as well.
>>Could someone either tell me what it is or tell me where it's at in the LTOI
>>manual?
> 
>You're just stupid.
>Well, okay, you're not (I had a little trouble, too), but you only gave me two
>choices, and the ID is in the package.
>Clues to follow:
>Everyone's UserID is personal.  Nobody else can use yours unless they know it.
>Not all schools use someone's name to assign login names.
>Not all schools have login names at all...
>Have you ever been in a class where they listed students by something other than
>their names?
>You need to find some other method to distunguish yourself from other students.
>I doubt anyone else has the same ID card as you...
>Or the same ID number.
>Use the ID number as on the ID card in the package.
>You'll find it on page 151 of the LTOI manual.

Great.
The problem is that page 151 is blank in my manual.
As [now that I go and look carefully] are pages 131, 132, 135, 136, 139, 140,
143, 144, 147, 148, and 152 (I already meantioned 151), ie, about half of
my Suspect and Lurking Horror pages.

Anyone else have this problem, or am I just a special case?

Luckily, I have the compuserve address for Activision....
=============================================================================
-Mike Kienenberger                       FXMLK@ALASKA           (BITNet)
 Academic Computing                      FXMLK@acad3.alaska.edu (Internet)
 University of Alaska-Fairbanks
 "I'm a computer programmer....<link><link><kludge><kludge> say-no-more!"
Newsgroups: rec.games.int-fiction
From: dmatiske@bernstein.helios.nd.edu (david matiskella)
Subject: Fredrick Pohl's Gateway
Reply-To: dmatiske@bernstein.helios.nd.edu (david matiskella)
Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 19:47:25 GMT


Has anyone played this game? It looks relativly good even though it is a graphical adventure? 
Xref: sparky rec.games.int-fiction:293 rec.games.misc:17608 comp.sys.mac.games:9566 comp.sys.ibm.pc.games:14921 comp.sys.atari.st:14402 rec.games.programmer:3990 rec.arts.int-fiction:721