HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Author Polls Help Wanted
Reply-To: ior@slacvm.slac.stanford.edu
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:44:03 GMT

Posting on behalf of Thomas Hyer (ior@slacvm.slac.stanford.edu), who has
just lost the ability to post, and hence needs help with the author polls:
---

  My site has just cut my off-site posting priveleges for
non-SLAC newsgroups.  Thus, if anyone wants to see the
author polls continue, he had better volunteer to take
them over.  (A few people earlier expressed interest in
this.  Are you still there?)
     
  Let me briefly describe what is required.  I post twice
a week, working from a template (total 2 mins.), and receive
on average about 20 replies.  Thus it takes me about ten
minutes a week to keep up to date, and maybe ten more each
month when I make an abridged file of results (a more
competent programmer would automate this).   The results
to date occupy about 90 1K blocks; a less primitive file
manager than VM would cut this to 70.
     
  If you're interested in taking over, please EMail me
(IOR@SLACVM).  Do NOT reply-to this posting (see my first
sentence).

[Actually, I set the reply-to for Tom's address, so that
should work -- but check to make sure. -- DZ]
     
Tom Hyer
From: curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!
Date: 9 Nov 1992 22:16:58 GMT
Organization: CS Dept. Snakepit - Do Not Feed.
NNTP-Posting-Host: mamba.cs.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Nov9.195652.5069@ninja.zso.dec.com> rcrowley@donne.zso.dec.com (Rebecca Crowley) writes:
>Eskinder Sahle (sahle@csgrad.cs.vt.edu) wrote:
>
>: computers that talk and communicate like humans.

And, of course, Tom Maddox's monstrous _HALO_.

c
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: jml12@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Jonathan M Lennox)
Subject: A Fire Upon the Deep
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 23:11:17 GMT

  Can anyone tell me what the current publication status of Vernor
Vinge's _A Fire Upon the Deep_ is?  I've been looking for it in
various sf bookstores, but I haven't seen it anyplace.  Is it out in
paperback?

--
Jonathan Lennox
jml12@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
From: ben@vmsa.technion.ac.il
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Brunner (was Re: _Islands_in_the_Net_)
Date: 11 Nov 92 14:55:27 GMT
Organization: Computer Center, Technion IIT

In article <1992Nov4.113626.5687@netcom.com> xtifr@netcom.com (Chris Waters)
writes:
Well, actually, I didn't care much for _Children of the Thunder_, but I
>also thought it was better than _Shockwave Rider_.  However, this is not
>proof that Brunner has gotten "better" with age--in fact, Brunner has
>always been very inconsistent, IMO. But _Stand On Zanzibar_ is still one
>of my all-time favorite SF novels.  It is *much* better than either of
>the aforementioned novels, IMO.
>
Shockwave Rider was actually a mediocre Brunner. Yes, Stand on Zanzibar is much
better, as is The Sheep Look Up.
Go try it.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: paspro@.ic.ac.uk (Mr P.N. Asproulis)
Subject: Rama Revealed 
Organization: Imperial College
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 17:02:18 GMT


Does anybody know when the fifth Rama book : "Rama revealed" by
Arthur C. Clarke is going to be published ?

Thanks.

                                                               _
 --------------------------------------------------           / \
 Department of Aeronautics                                    | |
 Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine   ________| |________
 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AY, U.K.           |________| |________|
 Room E355, Tel. : (071) 589 5111 Ext. 4028                   | |
 E-mail: p.asproulis@uk.ac.ic.ae                           ___| |___
 --------------------------------------------------       |___\_/___|
 P. N. Asproulis
From: burt@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca (Burt Voorhees)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Who Was "The Fisher King"?
Date: 13 Nov 92 00:23:10 GMT


>Isn't the spear that was used to poke at christ on the cross somehow
>involved in this?

>I just finished The Paper Grail, and I'm trying to figure out the
>significance of the cane.  I'm guessing that Howard became the new Fisher
>King.  The cane is the haft of the spear used, and the "grail" was used to
>catch some of the blood?

>Or am I totally off base here?

>Jeff Tang
>jefft@athena.mit.edu

In Christian versions the Grail was the cup used at the last supper, I
think, and the spear in the side might be connected in the sense of giving
a link between the Fisher King and Christ.  In pagan terms the Grail is
the cauldron of the Goddess which was a source of plenty (as in horn of
plenty).
Other links: the wound was in the Fisher King's thigh, and because it gave
him continual pain and would not heal the land was barren.  Connects to
the idea that the potency of the king was related to the fertility of the
land.  The Grzil also stands for the heart, access to which was barred to
the Fisher King because of his sexual fixations.  (See the Page of Cups
in the Waite Tarot deck - the fish is a symbol of sex)  Or, in mundane
everyday terms, the lady isn't going to invite you to bed if all you're
out for is a quick one--you've got to have some real heart contact. I
guess that holds true for the earth goddess as well.
bv
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: jwright@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu (Ceridwyn)
Subject: Re: Sharon Green
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 07:23:30 GMT

msb@samson.bnr.ca (Morris Bernstein) writes:

>I don't know about Norman (I've only seen the movie), but I think
>Green's books have slightly more depth.  They're not so much about
>(women's) place in society as about individuals (male and female)
>learning to overcome obstacles.  Besides, I found them entertaining.

I wouldn't go that far...I've read two 6-book series<Jalav and Terrillian>
by Sharon Green + most of her other books<I think>...
Basic Plot Summary of all Sharon Green books:
1)strong, female main character...independent
2)strong female in barbaric system<any system technically less advanced
  than her own world>
3)great female char. meets barbaric male that thinks women should serve him
  because he's so great
4)woman doesn't like this at all...
5)man probably rapes or, or at least practices some serious bondage with
  her...in other words: she doesn't want it but he assumes that she does.
6)woman HATES man
7)woman starts to like it, though
8)woman loves man
9)woman ends up doing what man wants...and they all live happily ever after.

>I was killing some time in a library this week and I looked her up in
>_Contemporary_Authors_.  It's amazing how much 6 column-inches can say
>about a person.  She sounds like a person worth knowing.

I haven't met her...she was scheduled to go to a convention that I went to,
but she didn't show<snyff>

>What I *would* like to know is why she has (apparently) stopped
>writing.  I've read one of her series that went to a logical
>conclusion, but her last two books (_Lady_Blade,_Lord_Fighter_ and
>_Mists_of_the_Ages_) were written several years ago and ended on cliff
>hangers.  I'ld really like to find out how the stories end.  Does
>anyone know?

Understatement!!!....One of her books<i won't give away which> ends:
"Until then-"
I don't think that was fair!  You finally begin to respect said female
again and the book just ENDS!  Aaaarrrrghhhhhh...!!
I do like her books for some reason, though.  I think it is because she
has talent with creating different worlds and other perspectives and planes.
The setting of her books just drew me in...I still don't know about the 
rape, though...
man rapes woman
woman begins to like it...or 
man rapes woman
woman enjoys the rape because man is so experienced sexually 
  a woman can't help enjoying it...<he's too good...aaaack>


-- 
       Ceridwyn                         "If I wanted your opinion
jwright@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu                    I'd give it to you."
filker/pagan/lesbian/Misty fan                   -Dianne- 
/Indigo Girls worshiper/MCC fan
From: REBECCA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (Rebecca Drayer)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!
Date: 11 Nov 92 01:41:18 GMT
Organization: Yale University

In article <3741@creatures.cs.vt.edu>
sahle@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Eskinder Sahle) writes:
 
>I need some help....  I'm looking for examples in fiction literature
>of super sophisticated communicative computers a la HAL. That is,
>computers that talk and communicate like humans.  I'm not so much
>interested in those instances where it's a robot that cannot be
>distinguished from a human being as in computers sounding human without
>being almost totally human-like....  So far I got these suggestions.
>If you can add to the list or comment on the works in it I would very
>much appreciate it....
>
How about _Memory Blank_, by John Stith.  Vincent was the main character's
wristcomp, and he said the most hilarious things.  (He stole the show, IMHO.)
 
 
 
 
*************************************************************************
Rebecca A. Drayer, EMT        |    Rebecca@Yalevm.YCC.Yale.edu
P.O. Box 6349 Yale Station    |    Computing Assistant
New Haven, CT 06520           |    Silliman College, Yale University
 
Otto: "Don't EVER call me stupid."
Wanda: "No, that would be an insult to stupid people!!"
                                         -A Fish Called Wanda
*************************************************************************
From: wixer!cactus.org!wixer!pro-smof.cts.com!shiva@cactus.org (System Smof)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: _Islands_in_the_Net_ (was Re: Cyberpunk request)
Date: 5 Nov 1992 13:21:46 -0600
Organization: The SMOF-BBS: Science Fiction Online Since 1985 [512-467-7317]
NNTP-Posting-Host: im4u.cs.utexas.edu

Hmph. I liked "The Artificial Kid" just fine. I had more trouble with
"Involution Ocean", though, because I had trouble liking the characters.
 ____________________________________________________________________
/                                |                            |      \
|SMOF-BBS 512-467-7317 PCP=TXAUS |"The World's First Online   | __|__ |
|    Proline:  shiva@pro-smof    | Science Fiction Convention"| \_|_/ |
|    Internet: wixer!pro-lep!pro-smof!shiva@cs.utexas.edu     |   |   |
\________________________________|____________________________|______/

From: S.S.B.Glover@bradford.ac.uk (SSB GLOVER)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Michael Scott Rohan books
Date: 10 Nov 92 11:29:18 GMT
Organization: University of Bradford, UK
Originator: 92909131@ccw312
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

christian gadeken (chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) wrote:
: To Tim Powers fans - especially fans of "On Stranger Tides" I heartily
: recommend "Chase the Morning" by Michael Scott Rohan.  It has a lot of
: the same "sense of wonder" to it, and shares the theme of an ordinary
: (contemporary, in this case) man pulled into magical surrounds.

I'm not quite sure how it happens, but Mike seems to end up covering similar
themes at similar times to Tim Powers... (No, Mike doesn't know either, and 
he wishes it didn't happen)

The follow ons from "Chase the Morning" -- a lovely book IMHO, even if the
redhead WASN'T based on Mary Gentle (honest!!) -- are "The Gates of Noon"
which is sort of Far Eastern/Balinese in flavour, and "Cloudcastles" whose
appearance may well be delayed by Mike's acquisition of a SERIOUSLY nice
multimedia PC (he also reviews Opera for a number of UK/International
periodicals)

Cheers,

Steve

PS has anyone seen an electronic copy of Flecker's Hassan? (I've been after
the poem for years, but its OOP here). If you have a text copy, I'd even be
interested in a photocopy 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: mimir@stein.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Subject: Re: Who Was "The Fisher King"?
Organization: The Friends of Loki Society
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 06:44:46 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.182412.10036@vax.oxford.ac.uk> warda@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:
>Something that's been nagging at the back of my mind for while now:  
>Briefly, what is the "Fisher King" myth?  I read Powers' "Drawing Of 
>Of The Dark", and I have vague recollections of the Fisher King from 
>European mythology, but nothing concrete.  Can somebody fill the gap 
>in my knowledge, please?
>I should add, to anyone unsure about trying DOD, that it didn't in any
>way spoil my enjoyment of the book.

 The man struck down and whose wounds caused the Wasted Land. He was
healed by the Holy Grail.
From: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Nebula and Hugo winners ....
Date: 13 Nov 92 13:36:01 GMT
Reply-To: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: gondolin.pubs.stratus.com

In article <1992Nov12.203204.15198@math.ucla.edu>  
dstein@oak.math.ucla.edu (David Stein) writes:
> 
> 
>    Nebula and Hugo winners that made me go "YUCK!"
>    ===============================================
>    [an essay by Debil]
> 
> "Eye for Eye"  by Orson Scott Card
> 
>   Utterly and thoroughly average story without a trace of  
original/engaging 
>   sf.  Boring and predictable.

Very good characterization as well as a chilling look at ethics and
power. 

> 
> "Twenty-four Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai" by Roger Zelazny
> 
>   Novella out of a thin air.  This should have been a short story.
>   Instead, it became a more and more predictible bore.

I thought this at first, but on rereading it I liked it a lot
more. I think it's one of the best things Zelazny's done in the
last 10 years or so.

> 
> "Tower of Babylon" by Ted Chiang
> 
>   Hey, I can tolerate sophomoric games with elementary ideas on the
>   pages of the Analog, but this got a Nebula!  The slush piles must 
>   contain tens of similar stories.  Hundreds if you start counting 
>   since the pulp days.  Geee, people get away with this...

But it's very nicely done, and rather interesting.


--
Jim Mann            
Stratus Computer   jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com  
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: kortink@cs.utwente.nl (John Kortink)
Subject: Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!
Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 00:33:40 GMT

sahle@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Eskinder Sahle) writes :

>I need some help....  I'm looking for examples in fiction literature
>of super sophisticated communicative computers a la HAL. That is,
>computers that talk and communicate like humans.  I'm not so much
>interested in those instances where it's a robot that cannot be
>distinguished from a human being as in computers sounding human without
>being almost totally human-like....  So far I got these suggestions.
>If you can add to the list or comment on the works in it I would very
>much appreciate it....
>[...]

Add :

Keith Laumer - The great time machine hoax

Is a very funny story of a computer with human voice and communications
capabilities which has been expanding itself for decades and has become
something of a gigantic know-it-all (controlling half the country on the
side). Two 'ordinary clods' try to cash in on the thing's abilities.

John Kortink

Student of Informatics at the University of Twente, The Netherlands
(God, will I ever stop doing things 'on the side' and get it done?)
NETMAIL : kortink@cs.utwente.nl              DISCLAIMER : the usual
From: blum@medici.ils.nwu.edu (Daniel Blum)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Stephen Brust and Alexandre Dumas
Date: 7 Nov 92 22:18:15 GMT
Reply-To: blum@ils.nwu.edu
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

BTW, is it just me, or was _Phoenix Guards_ badly edited?  People
switching names and lines, two different Dragon Heirs, etc.

--
______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum           Institute for the Learning Sciences   Room 327
blum@ils.nwu.edu   1890 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL 60201   708-467-2306

"The only actual `Socratic' was Socrates, who may or may not have 
 actually existed, as he himself would doubtless be the first to admit
 if he were alive today."
______________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: dstein@vesta.math.ucla.edu (David Stein)
Subject: Re: Brunner (was Re: _Islands_in_the_Net_)
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 16:13:42 GMT

Curtis Yarvin writes:
 
|> I'm having trouble parsing this one, but my Czech is a little rusty so
|> I won't complain.  But if I ever admitted to liking much about Brunner
|> I was drunk - something you can usually tell from the style of my
|> posts, and hedge your bets accordingly.  Caveat lector.

   My fault.  Occasionally I suffer from mental dyslexia, whereupon
   I reverse boolean values.  I blame the lack of sleep 36 hours
   prior to my post. (And caffine, so I can blame drugs.) 
 
|> Ah - yes.  This is where we differ.  You find ideas an interesting
|> ingredient in fiction; I do not.

   Yes, and I like ideas especially in SF.  Not that good SF _must_
   have new cool ideas, but it helps.
 
|> Well, that's not exactly true.  I confess that if I ever saw an
|> interesting idea in a piece of fiction, I might be seduced by it.
|> The usual run of the mill being pidgin physics, salon sociology,
|> or jumbled Jung (if not wild blends, that would set any bartender's
|> heart pounding with envy - some of these punks can do the most amazing
|> things with recycled bullshit), this has not happened yet.  And
|> I do not expect it any time soon.

   Have you read "Universe" by RAH?  Give it a try and tell me if the 
   idea behind the story had nothing to do with the story being
   (presumably) a good read.
 
 - David

p.s.  Given that you declared Ian McDonald the new James Joyce,
      I wonder if you ever read anything by Lucius Shepard.  
      His prose is hardly minimalistic, yet he seldom suffers
      from the excess and silliness shown by McDonald in that
      rotten "Fragments ...." story.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm not a native speaker of English, so I'm not sure what I wrote.
Flames will be ignored unless you post them in perfect Czech.
================================ - David (the metamathician) - ===
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: tsdavies@rodan.syr.EDU (T.S. Davies)
Subject: Re: Harlan Ellison
In-reply-to: 4224_5304@uwovax.uwo.ca's message of Tue, 10 Nov 1992 20:59:12 GMT
Organization: Sam Hill Cabal, DS
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 22:09:21 EST

In article <1992Nov10.165912.1@uwovax.uwo.ca> 4224_5304@uwovax.uwo.ca writes:

>  To pick up the Ellison thread, I figured I would post
> some information of use to those of us who would O.D. on his stuff,
> could we only get our meaty little hands on it.
>  I tried in vain for months to find a copy of _The Harlan Ellison 
> Hornbook_, because it went out of print before it was printed. (Okay,
> maybe not *that* fast, but pretty damn quick.)

This book has been remaindered -- I picked up a copy for something
like $6.00 at a small bookstore in an outlet mall in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania.  Chances are it can be found elsewhere, too.

--
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
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: howsonj@woods.ulowell.edu
Subject: Shai'Hulud
Organization: University of Lowell
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 22:32:06 GMT

To all who answered my first call, thank you. Keep writing to me.I will let you
know of any happenings. If any of you know how to create a newsgroup please
tell me. I was hoping that I wasn't the only who was moved deply by these
books. As our first motion I think we should try and get rid of these arrogant, 
racist, skinhead cyberpunks. I don't know about you but they are starting to
get on my nerves. THANX.

Jason "Muad'Dib" Howson
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: rafem@gvlf7-e.gvl.unisys.com (Ralph Marrone)
Subject: Re: UNKNOWN LYRICS
Organization: Unisys Defense Systems, Great Valley Labs, Paoli, Pa
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 12:41:38 GMT

In article <1d69jeINNbas@agate.berkeley.edu> curtis@cs.berkeley.edu (Curtis Yarvin) writes:
>In article <9211031205.9284@holly.bnr.co.uk> S.L.Fagg@bnr.co.uk writes:
>>
>>Lyrics curtesy of the "Two Rooms" compilation of various artists
>>performing Elton John/Bernie Taupin songs, withy varying degrees of
>>success. Kate Bush sang "Rocket Man".
>
>Raketemensch?  Der Schwarzgerat?
>
>Could it be?
>
>c

Only Blicero knows for sure.

rm
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Subject: Re: SF Book Stores?
Organization: Yale University
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 16:00:29 EST

In article <1689BCC10.YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu>
YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu writes:
 
>   There is also Science Fiction Bookstore on 163 Bleecker Street.  The
>entrance is shared with "Village Comics", and door is easy to miss.  The
>store is located on the second floor of a building.  As far as floor space
>goes, Forbidden Planet is larger, but I think SFBS has (usually) a better
>selection.
 
   After looking at further posting and checking my catalogue, I find that
I made an error.  The correct name of the store is "Science Fiction Shop",
NOT "Science Fiction Bookstore".
    Sorry.
 
    Let's see if this fancy new sig. works.
 
*****************************************************************************
 
   "INSANITY IS A VIRTUALLY IMPREGNABLE GAMBIT...
BUT YOU HAVE TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK EARLY IN THE GAME..."
 
    JUNSOK YANG (YANJUNA@YALEVM.YCC.EDU)
 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: tomscud@ruf.rice.edu (Thomas Reid Scudder)
Subject: Re: Blaylock and Powers (Re: Tim Powers)
Organization: Rice University
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 23:46:16 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.114617.6220@neptune.inf.ethz.ch>, qvortrup@inf.ethz.ch (Michael Qvortrup) writes:
|> In article <1992Nov5.140437.1@eagle.wesleyan.edu> rwilley@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Hrothgar) writes:
|> >From memory i can recall the following books by Powers
|> >[...]
|> >                                                       For those of you
|> >who really like his work, i would also recommend the follwong authors
|> >James Blaylock - "The Last Coin"
|> >	(Power's college roomie, btw)
|> 
|> I've just made up a list of Powers' books to order next I go around to
|> the local bookshop, and then he is compared to Blaylock's _The Last Coin_.
|> I seriously hope that they aren't that similar! So far I've read _The Stress
|> of Her Regard_ and _The Last Coin_, and then decided not to waste any more
|> money on Blaylock. 
|> 
|> Is the comparison justified? Should I read _The Last Coin_ again? I might
|> have missed something important on the first way through, although I doubt
|> it. The pathetic null of a main characted seriously annoyed me.
|> 
No, _The Last Coin_ is NOT very similar to any of Powers' stuff.  I liked
it, as well as all of the Powers I read, but they are very different styles.
_The Last Coin_ is written in a much more leisurely style, full of little
asides and diversions, and not in any rush to get to the point, while Powers'
stuff is very tightly plotted and has very few "null" spots.
|> Greetings,
|> --Mike

-- 
Tom Scudder                    tomscud@ruf.rice.edu
"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, a half pack of
cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Hit it."
-John Stuart Mill

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Re: Human Computers in SF--Help!
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 17:19:12 GMT

Human computers, hm?  Has anyone mentioned E.E. Smith's "Spacehounds of IPC"? 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written