HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lgs57@cas.org
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Publication Dates (was Robert Jordan's Shadow Rising)
Keywords: publication dates
Date: 30 Sep 92 18:12:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: cas.1992Sep30.181209.25403
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio


Paperback books are usually seen during the month prior to publication date.
Hardcovers may or may not be available before their publication date.  For
example, the following books have October publication dates.
~
Paperbacks
Mageworlds:Price of the Stars-Doyle and MacDonald - seen in the bookstore in
September
Serrated Edge-Lackey + Shepherd - seen in September
LaNague Chronicles-Wilson - seen in September
~
Hardcovers
Sudden Wild Magic-Diana Wynne Jones-not seen as of September 23rd
Cutting Edge-Duncan-seen in September
Yesterday, We Saw Mermaids-Friesner-seen in September
Winds of Change-Lackey-not seen as of September 23rd
~
Bestsellers are often seen before their stated publication date.  I don't
have an explanation.  However, Jordan's book would be considered a bestseller.
~
Books are also received at different times at different bookstores.
Using Borders as an example, their order is shipped to Ann Arbor, Michigan
andthen subsequently shipped to Columbus.  So, as a result, Little Professor
often has new books earlier than Borders.
~
The staff at bookstores seem incredibly ignorant of this disparity between
publication date and actual date available for sale.
~
~
Linda Siemsen
All statements are solely my own and not that of my employer.
~
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: gallim@stsci.edu (Jack Gallimore)
Subject: Re: Next Rama Book
Originator: gallim@gnomon.stsci.edu
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 20:37:45 GMT


In article <1asrq2INNqk0@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, dpn2@po.CWRU.Edu (Damien P. Neil) writes:
|> 
|> In a previous article, dbrod@eng.clemson.edu (Douglas Brod) says:
|> 
|> >Does anyone know when Arthur C. Clarke's next Rama book will be out?
|> 
|> Never, if the ones before are any indication of it. So far as I can tell,
|> all the Rama sequels were written by Gentry Lee, with Clarke's name tacked
|> on. The writing style and plot is not at all like him.
|> -- 
|> +-------------+------------------+---------------------------------+
|> | Damien Neil | dpn2@po.cwru.edu | Case Western Reserve University |
|> +-------------+------------------+---------------------------------+


Smug comments aside, I think Clarke made mention of a fourth and 
final book called "Rama Revealed" or some such in the intro to Rama II.
Release date?  Who knows?


-- 
=================================
   Jack Gallimore, Astronomer
        Academic Affairs
Space Telescope Science Institute
        gallim@stsci.edu
=================================
-- 
=================================
   Jack Gallimore, Astronomer
        Academic Affairs
Space Telescope Science Institute
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: msmith@beta.tricity.wsu.edu (Dragon Lord)
Subject: Re: Nuclear Winter
Organization: Washington State University Tri-Cities, Richland
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 04:11:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.154750.7771@ac.dal.ca> hyde@ac.dal.ca writes:
>In article <1992Sep24.152908.7679@pbhyc.PacBell.COM>, djdaneh@pbhyc.PacBell.COM (Dan'l DanehyOakes) writes:
>> In article <5938@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at> mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at (Markus Stumptner) writes:
>> 
>>>OK, now, who is David Belden?  This makes him look interesting. 
>> 
>> David Belden is a bay area SF writer whose two novels -- CHILDREN OF ARABLE and,
>> uh, the other one -- impressed me a great deal with their smooth writing and 
>> intense layered meanings.  They're commonly set in a future where Earth -- after
>> a now-long-past nuclear war -- has descended into barbarism during the nuclear 
>> winter which, at the time Belden wrote them, was presumed to be the likeliest 
>> scenario. 
>
>
>	By contrast, the carbon dioxide and ozone problems, though
>	not without controversy, are at least attested to by the
>	majority of scientists working *in* atmospheric science, so
>	the writer can have greater confidence in the predictions.
>	(But don't bet the farm just yet.)
>
Ok, Since you mentions the ozone "problem", what is it?  If you're
referring to the ozone "hole" at the north and south poles, IS it a
problem??  As far as I've been able to find out, nobody has monitored
them enough to know if this is directly caused by something mankind has
done, or if it's a naturally occuring cyclical event.  Again, we have
POLITICAL groups jumping up and down screaming their lungs out about
something that's there but is almost completely unkown to us.


Politics, TTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHPPPPPPPPPPPPTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

Bill the Cat for President!!

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: hirai@cc.swarthmore.edu (Eiji Hirai)
Subject: Re: Any comments on ENTOVERSE by James Hogan?
Organization: Information Services, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 23:57:29 GMT

I've read most of Hogan's books and found that the later-written books tend
to be bad.

His first book, _Inherit the Stars_ is a gem and is worth reading,
especially for getting into the mindset of an excited scientist.

The books I liked were:

Inherit the Stars	- simply wonderful
Thrice Upon a Time	- another great one
The Genesis Machine	- pretty good
Voyage of Yesteryear	- fun reading, tho thick with unsubtle Libertarianism

Don't know about:

- a political thriller book in which Russia is a comic-book evil empire
- a science fiction book in which someone prevents Hitler from developing
  the atomic bomb.
- Entoverse

The later books which shows Hogan slipping into simply bad writing:

Code of the Lifemaker	- short story idea interminably stretched to a novel
Two Faces of Tomorrow	- only for hard-core military buffs, ick
Gentle Giants of Ganymede	- somewhat Space Opera-ish, so-so
Giant's Star		- pure Space Opera, bleh

I kept reading him because I read his better books interspersed with his bad
books and thus kept expecting good books.  However, there's a general tend
toward bad and uninspired writing in his more recent works.

Does anyone know whether the WWII time-travel story is any good?  I think
I'll stay away from Entoverse and the political thriller one.

--
hirai@cc.swarthmore.edu (Eiji Hirai)    :     :    :   :  : :: ::: :::: :::::
Unix Geek for Swarthmore College        :     :    :   :  : :: ::: :::: :::::
Information Services, Swarthmore, PA, US.       Copyright 1992 by Eiji Hirai.
I don't speak for Swarthmore College.                    All Rights Reserved.
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Co-Dominium Universe
Date: 27 Sep 92 15:42:20 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@pmax1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Sep27.150837.25375@unixland.natick.ma.us> eclipse@unixland.natick.ma.us (Mark Urbin) writes:
>In article <5947@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at> mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at (Markus Stumptner) writes:
>>From article <6722@transfer.stratus.com>, by dswartz@sw.stratus.com (Dan Swartzendruber):
>>> I disagree.  Most of the Pournelle-bashing I've seen has criticized him for
>>> being a right-wing warmonger.  They might not use those exact words, but that
>>> seems to be the gist.

	That certainly does appear to be the gist of most of the Pournelle
slams I've seen. However, if the stuff I've seen of his (tempered by 
Niven) is at all representative, "right-wing" is a misinterpretation.
I don't consider, for example, Heinlein to have been right-wing -- that's
a one-dimensional thinking error, analagous to asking an atheist if he
worships God or the Devil. Libertarianism and some other philosophies
tend to be at right angles to the established system and can't be judged
on that dimension.

>   If you want to find out where Pournelle picked up his style and subject for
>writing, read H. Beam Piper.  Pournelle writes fairly decent military based

	Er, depends on WHICH HBP, eh? I don't think Pournelle's style
and subject were derived from _Little Fuzzy_...

>  As being a warmonger, that's a bit harsh.  He reminds the reader that there
>are barbarians at the gate throwing stones.  In order to keep the barbarians 
>from buring the library, make sure you can throw stones farther and straighter.

	And that part, at least, of Pournelle's philosophy is basically
on target...


				Sea Wasp
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.written:13111 sci.lang:7389
From: kate@cactus.org (Katherine M. Catmull)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction books with linguistic content
Organization: Capital Area Central Texas UNIX Society, Austin, Tx
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 17:02:38 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.082618.7487@nevada.edu> wwhitman@nevada.edu (MICHAEL WISE) writes:
>Best Book in this category:
>Samuel Delaney's Babel 17
>
>Michael Wise
>Fearing and Loathing at UNLV
>


Oh _man_, I struggle all the way through this thread and the SubG/CY
debate, only to find that wwhitman has made my point already.

Hell.

Kate


-- 
- - - - - - - -
kate@cactus.org
Be the voice of night and Florida in my ear.
From: cozzlab@garnet.berkeley.edu ()
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Heinlein reference in Sturgeons "The Golden Helix"
Date: 7 Oct 1992 00:44:11 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.berkeley.edu

In article <ROWE.92Oct6173451@soda.glorantha.berkeley.edu> rowe@soda.glorantha.berkeley.edu (Eric Rowe) writes:
>Well, unless Anson MacDonald is a pseudonym of Heinlein's  ....

Which it is.


Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: clc@kepler.unh.edu (Llamist Lliason)
Subject: Re: author'n'title...
Organization: Holy Church of the Llama
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:32:42 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.183203.14991@kth.se> TordM@VanA.PhySto.SE writes:
>
> hello! I remember reading a book a long time ago about some dude going to
>another planet keeping contact with earth. during his going over the surface
>he heard a voice saying something like "my brains for yours!", and this slime
>mold thing did something to him. back on earth he was able to transform to
>some kind of wolf-like creature, and he was hunted. this is all I remember.
> does any of this ring a bell? does anybody know what book this is??
>any replies appreciated!

Yeah.  It was called _Foundation._  I think Piers Anthony wrote it.


					Christian

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \ Christian Longshore Claiborn, Resident Soothsayer, NASA Special Division /
  \ Friend of the Great, Roommate of the Mediocre, Blood-brother to Cher   /
   \    clc@kepler.unh.edu, C_CLAIBORN@unhh.unh.edu, Christian@unh.edu    /
    \  Proud, charter member of the "Friends of Pame Smart" support club /
     \     Supporting Woody Allen in his time of great personal need    /
      \       And a proud, politically incorrect liberal Democrat.     /
       ----------------------------------------------------------------
From: rod@cats.ucsc.edu (Rodrick Su)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Enders Trilogy by Orson Scott Card
Date: 7 Oct 1992 01:02:09 GMT
Organization: Tigana Restoration Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


In article <1at5v2INN624@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> ca572@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mark L. Stackpole) writes:
>
>The name of the final (yes, final) book of the Ender series is
>called _Ender's Children_. It is set for late summer/early fall
>of 1993.
>Could the children in the title be the Bugs or the Piggies, or
>could it be litl' Ender and older brother II that were created
>when Ender went into that magic spacecraft. It's been over a year
>since I read _Xenocide_ so I'm not too clear what the Sam Hill
>happened at the end.


	Well, I'd put forward this theory.  It is about how the young Peter
	takes over the known human worlds again.  And young Val's search for
	hospitable planets and Ender's death.

-- 
	"I've matured, Colonel. Before I fought purely for money. Now I have
higher ideals.  I fight for democracy and money." 	Victor O'Reilly,
							Games of the Hangman.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Re: author'n'title...
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 03:06:30 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

TordM@VanA.PhySto.SE:
>>>he heard a voice saying something like "my brains for yours!", and this 
>>>slime mold thing did something to him. back on earth he was able to 
>>>transform to some kind of wolf-like creature, and he was hunted. 

clc@kepler.unh.edu (Llamist Lliason):
>>Yeah.  It was called _Foundation._  I think Piers Anthony wrote it.

<Chuckle>

greyfire@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tom Talley):
>No it definatly was not.  This actually sounds like two Clifford D. Simak
>novels.  The one with the man turning into the wolf creature and being hunted
>is 'The Werewolf Principle'.  The other whose title escapes me is...

..."Time is the Simplest Thing" -- one of the great classics.

-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com

   God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endless traine  -- Edmund Spenser
From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Female writers Re: Science Fiction Age
Date: 27 Sep 92 07:24:44 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA

agapow@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Paul Michael Agapow) writes:

>i would have difficulty referring to "12 of 23" as a majority.

I don't understand this statement. A majority is 50% of the votes +1.
12 of 23 is about 52%, therefore it's greater than 50%, therefore it's a
majority. Unless, of course, someone redefined math when I wasn't looking.

Now, if you want to make statements like "it's not an overwhelming majority"
or "barely got the minimum number of votes to win" or some other objected
opinion on the quality of the results, great. But let's not confuse
editorializing on the result with getting the facts wrong and pretending the
results are different than they are.

-- 
Chuq "IMHO" Von Rospach, ESD Support & Training (DAL/AUX) =+= Member, SFWA
  chuq@apple.com | GEnie: MAC.BIGOT | ALink:CHUQ =+= Editor, OtherRealms
From: blum@news.ils.nwu.edu (Daniel Blum)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Barrayar
Date: 29 Sep 92 15:28:51 GMT
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

>Any Bujold fans beside me mildly upset at that one? It felt so much like a
>paler rehash of Shards of Honor. It wasn't a *bad* book, she hasn't written a
>bad book yet, and it isn't as subpar as Anthan of Anthos(or whatever that title
>was) or Falling Free, but still, I was waiting for something better. Has she
>written any novellas lately? Her novellas seem to be much more fleshed out than
> the books. Weird, because her stuff isn't the kind that would translate well
>into a visual medium, like animation or film. People are always citing novellas
>as the media that should translate into film. Funny, the only novella I can
>think of that was filmed was Barry Longyear's Enemy Mine, and GAwd, that was
>one rotten movie. I ought ta know, I had to show the #$@! thing six times on a
>cruddy 16mm projector. I was ready to trash the print.

>Eliptically,
>Mitch Hagmaier         Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare;
>Quest Laboratories     To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Dispair:
>Terraforming Division   Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why:
>State College, Pa      Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.
>cmh114@psuvm.psu.edu


Well, it was originally just the second part of Shards of Honor - the
first several chapters were written at the same time (see the excerpt
in the Philcon '89 program book - the soltoxin scene).  The early
chapters could have used _slightly_ more editing than they seem to
have gotten, but I enjoyed it a great deal anyway.  In general, I
think that her writing has improved over the last few years, but it
was very good to begin with.

--
_____________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum           Institute for the Learning Sciences   Room 327
blum@ils.nwu.edu   1890 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL 60201   708-491-3207

"By the power vested in me by my own over-inflated ego, I now 
 declare this bridge officially open."
_____________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: martin@sec.dom.uab.edu (Martin K. Jones)
Subject: Alan Garner
Reply-To: martin@sec.dom.uab.edu (Martin K. Jones)
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 15:49:18 GMT


I have really enjoyed the fantasy books by Alan Garner _Red Shift_,
_The Owl Service_, _Elidor_, _The Weirdstone of ???_. I remember hearing 
that he has since written non-fantasy novels. Has anyone read these and 
did you enjoy them as much as his fantasy works?


				Martin K. Jones
	   			University of Alabama at Birmingham
	   			MARTIN@ARU.DOM.UAB.EDU
From: adrian@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Adrian Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Robert Jordan's "Shadow Rising"
Date: 28 Sep 92 21:29:38 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA

amigaman+@pitt.edu (Russell A Howard) writes:
> 
>   I just picked up the fourth book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series
> entitled "The Shadow Rising".  It costs $24.95 and I picked it up at my local 
> Waldenbooks store.  Just thought I'd let everyone know that this book is out.
> 


Yeah, I just picked it up too.  Does anyone know how many books are supposed
to be in the series??
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: craig@ariel.earth.nwu.edu (Craig R. Bina)
Subject: ubiquitous Arthurian mythos
Originator: craig@ariel.earth.nwu.edu
Organization: Geological Sciences Department, Northwestern University
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 20:23:11 GMT


After reading Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar books and Robert Jordan's
Wheel of Time books, I am left with one burning question.  Is anyone
else sick of seeing the Arthurian legends rear their heads in all
these works of creative fantasy?  Why the constant Arthurian rehash?
       Craig.....
-- 
_______
Craig R. Bina, Asst. Prof.
Dept. of Geological Sci., Northwestern Univ.
Evanston, Illinois, craig@earth.nwu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: yshah@lucpul.it.luc.edu (Guessing)
Subject: Re: The Dragon Reborn
Organization: Loyola University Chicago
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 21:27:52 GMT

In <rw7n5bf.dani@netcom.com> dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:

>chaojira@fraser.sfu.ca (Viboon Chaojirapant):
>>...Thirdly, I do not think that much of the things in the books have 
>>appeared anywhere else before (ie. the True Source, the Ajahs, the concept 
>>of heros reborn and ta'verens etc.).

>Some of them are more common than others, but these are the gimmicks.
>It's the story that's primarily formula.

>>Put it simply, if a book is 300 pages long and the Big Bad Guy is killed at 
>>the 10th page, then the book will simply be cut short...

>Start at the beginning.  The hero is a farm boy, unaware of his destiny.
>Trouble comes looking for him, and he sets out into the wide world
>accompanied by a few companions... Starting to sound familiar?  It goes on.

>>IMHO, what makes a novel good/great is whether after reading, the
>>readers will feel that it is worth the time and money spent in it...

>I don't know about 'great', but this is certainly the definition of
>a worth-while novel -- and "The Dragon Reborn" is certainly a worth-
>while novel.  As I said, it's formula, but it's good formula.  You
>won't come away from it with anything more to show for your time than
>five or six hours pleasantly spent -- hence the phrase 'mind candy' --
>but there's nothing wrong with that, and much that's right.

    The Dragon Reborn is like a Bad Kung-Fu, where you know all the 
scenarios, your just watching it cause you need a good laugh. I'm sorry
to say this but DR was boring beyond belief.  I'm simply aghast to find out
that there maybe 4 more books to read before the end.  I could do without
all the "details" as some put it....there simply just too much of it.  I got
tired of "Rand does better with girls..." constantly throughout the book.

  The problem as I see it is that there is no overall story you can get a hold 
of; things seemed be thrown randomly in for no reason at all except to get from
point A to point B.  It seems that Jordan started out the formula properly but
couldn't wait to tell things.  There is too much filler throughout the book and 
the characters constantly whining about this or that. Usually there are reasons
for calling someone a dragon(where are the dragons?) or a lion (where are the 
lions?)....too many discrepancies....and really don't want to wade thru 4 more
books to find out.
From: rmcgover@phakt.usc.edu (Rob McGovern)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: The Dragon Reborn
Date: 28 Sep 1992 23:27:10 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: phakt.usc.edu



Just thought you all might want to know that I've seen both the 
paperback of The Dragon Reborn and the hardback of The Shadow
Rising in bookstores around here (Southern California) and I know
for certian that both are out in New Mexico.  My father has 
already acquired The Shadow Rising, but sadly, he is going to 
read it BEFORE he gives it too me as a LATE birthday present
(major negative smily face here).  He has said that it is better
than The Dragon Reborn (so far) and continues an excellent
series, In His Humble Opinion (IHHO?)  I personally can't wait
untill he finishes!!!

Rob McGovern                  rmcgover@aludra.usc.edu
From: tombrady@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu (Tom Brady)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Recommendations??
Date: 29 Sep 92 19:51:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Sep29.171520.15007@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, cpeckham@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chris Peckham) writes...
>Can anyone out there recommend some good sf/f stories and authors
>which investigate any of the following:
>1) Unusual/questioning relationships between _good_ and _evil_
Two suggestions: "To Reign in Hell" by Steven Brust is a 
fascinating retelling of the fall of Lucifer & co. - sympathetic
to Lucifer? I don't know, but it will make you think.
The other one comes from, of all people, Christopher Stasheff.
"Her Majesty's Wizard" has an intriguing argument of good vs.
evil in everday life intwined with its lightweight plot.
-Tom
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA      So what IS a Hokie, anyway?  
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: lairdb@crash.cts.com (Laird P. Broadfield)
Subject: Need help finding short story/novelette....
Date: 5 Oct 92 23:43:14 GMT

Here's the clue:  In the society (which, as I recall was either the US,
or some sort of US-outgrowth, e.g. "North American Federation") when
a child got to be 18 (or whatever the age of majority was) they were 
required to sign (literally, as in you go down to the post office or
some such) an "Articles of Citizenship" (something like that) that spelled
out the rights and obligations.  Rather as if we were to sign the 
Constitution when we turned 18.

Vague recollection that this might have been a Heinlein juvenile, but
I can't think of one that it would make sense in.  Help?

-- 
Laird P. Broadfield     lairdb@crash.cts.com    ...{ucsd, nosc}!crash!lairdb
Hi!  I'm a shareware signature!  Send $5 if you use me, send $10 for manual!