HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tkogoma@triton.unm.edu (Gym Z. Quirk)
Subject: Re: McCaffrey advice
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 00:57:10 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Aug14.162130.25034@cco.caltech.edu> ojvind@cns.caltech.edu (Ojvind Bernander) writes:
>Never having read a McCaffrey book, I'd like to try one.
>But she seems to write long series and I don't want to
>accidentally pick one up in the middle.  What is a good
>first book to read?

There are two 'intro' books so far as Pern is concerned.  Either
_Dragonflight_ or _Dragonsong_.  (The later may be considered a
'juvenile'.)

As far as Pern's chronology is concerned, _Dragonsdawn_ is the
earliest, but I think it would be better to read the books more or
less in the order published, rather than in strict chronological
progression.

>-- Ojvind  (ojvind@cns.caltech.edu)


-- 
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk  (Known to some as Taki Kogoma)  tkogoma@triton.unm.edu
  I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to
                           what I have now...
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: novak@wri.com (John M. Novak)
Subject: Re: Recommendation on Fantasy Epic Novels
Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 13:46:11 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.065149.17953@neptune.inf.ethz.ch> qvortrup@inf.ethz.ch
(Michael Qvortrup) writes:
>"The Magic of Recluse" (can't remember the author) also seems very promising
>but only the first volume is out.

It's by L.E. Modessit (hope I got the spelling right!)  The second book
(actually something of a prequel) is out in hardback - "The Towers of the
Sunset", as I recall.  I enjoyed these a lot.  He has also written a fair
amount of SF that is quite good as well.
--John N.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
John M. Novak											novak@wri.com
My opinions are mine alone; licensing available at reasonable cost...:-)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: richard@csi.on.ca (Richard Martin)
Subject: Re: Bronte & Seuss
Organization: Carp Systems International, Kanata, ON
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 20:38:19 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.194351.26984@spss.com> markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder) writes:
>In article <1b8527dc.ARN2331@prolix.pub.uu.oz.au> munnari!labtam!eyrie!prolix!dac writes:
>>You may as well juxtapose _The Cat In The Hat_ and _Wuthering
>>Heights_.
>
>OK.  They're both books about the enormous and disturbing impact of
>uncontrollable male figures (Heathcliff; the Cat).  In both, a moralistic
>figure (Catherine's husband; the fish) proves an ineffectual hedge against 
>this primal force.  In both the weather is an important part of the
>book's atmosphere: the stormy weather on the heath; the rain in _Cat_.
>Both authors seem to identify more with their stormy protagonists than
>with conventional mores, and lay stress on the rejection experienced
>by their antiheroes.  Finally, the impact of both books (perhaps due to
>their subversive subtext) has been considerable; these books are read 
>again and again by their readers.
Bravo!
Gee, I wish you were my English teacher!  Excellent! =)
You could get a job at the Globe and Mail, with talent like this!
Richard.

-- 
Richard Martin               	richard@csi.on.ca
If I had anything witty to say, I wouldn't put it here.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse)
Subject: Re: K. Kurtz' Deryni series
Reply-To: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 20:45:10 GMT


In a previous article, tomas_e@LINK.Physchem.KTH.SE (Tomas Eriksson) says:

>Does anyone know if any new books in Katherine Kurtz Deryni series have 
>been published in the last two years? Book 1 of the "Heirs of Saint 
>Camber" trilogy ("The Harrowing of Gwynedd") was published in 1989, and 
>"Deryni Magic" in 1990, but I've found no later books. Anyone know if 
>there's a preliminary publication plan for book 2 & 3, and what it looks 
>like? Any further books planned for those who can wait a decade or more?
>

Javan's Year (book two in the Heirs of St. Camber trilogy) is due
out in November in hardback.  Katherine has been rather busy with
the Adept series (which I highly recommend) and the new place in
Ireland.  She's also working on a book set during the American
Revolution (Crown for Two Kings) that is a lot like Lammas Night.



-- 
      Beth Hlabse (eah4@po.CWRU.Edu)  Asst. Sysop  SciFi Sig (GO SCIFI)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  To give what we can ..... To take what we must ..... To dance the spiral
         To be one with the magic ..... To live -- and die -- free!
Xref: sparky rec.arts.sf.written:10982 rec.arts.sf.science:2455
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,rec.arts.sf.science
Subject: Re: Are the Moties us?
From: markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder)
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:18:56 GMT
Organization: SPSS Inc.

In article <rwallace.713710067@unix1.tcd.ie> rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie 
(russell wallace) writes:
>Again, this is true - but I think the original poster's point was that
>genes for wanting to have as many children as possible are likely to
>become more and more prevalent as time goes on, simply because people
>who choose to have more children are going to have more surviving
>offspring in the next generation. Now suppose genes for wanting to have
>many children are carried by most of the population - the falling
>birthrate trend would then be reversed. (Of course, this would be only
>in the very long term - at the moment, economic effects far outweigh any
>effect genetics might be having on the birth rate.)
>
>Are there any effects that would counteract the genetic trend towards
>wanting to have more children? (In the very long term.) Or is there some
>flaw in the reasoning?

Yes.  Cultural and economic reasons seem to be much more important than
genetics in determining who has more children; this can be seen in the
rapid changes in strategies that can be seen even in the same population
as conditions change.  And there's no reason for economic factors to stop
being more important, so even in the long run a genetic trend to higher 
birth rates probably wouldn't matter.

Furthermore, I think the evolutionary strategies involved are likely to be
a bit more sophisticated than a simple choice to have more or fewer children.
Marvin Harris suggests that what's programmed into us is the ability to
adapt our reproductive rate to current conditions.  That's a better strategy
than a simple preference for a fixed number of children.

Finally, I think it's worth pointing out that it just doesn't much matter
in human societies who has the most children.  Who has the power is what's
important.  Consider Peru, for instance, where a small white elite has
for five centuries completely dominated a much larger population of mestizos
and Indians.  Genetically, the latter two groups are winning, because there's
more of them.  But in every other way the whites are more successful.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: mesora@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rose Adams)
Subject: Re: Lois McMaster Bujold - recommendations?
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 18:18:29 GMT

Okay, to off on a tangent--I *like* Bujold's work.  I like the humor that
permeates throughout her books, somehow it never seems to over the top.
Can anybody recommend other writers whose works will tide me over until
her next book is published?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!




-- 
Rose M. Adams 				mesora@leland.stanford.edu
---<--<--<{@				A rose is a rose is rose
					(except when it is spelled backwards).
From: curtis@cory.Berkeley.EDU (YARVIN)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Author Polls -- Cordwainer Smith
Date: 22 Aug 92 01:34:42 GMT
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley

In article <5599@transfer.stratus.com> jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com writes:
>> When discussion comes round to the Golden Age, I often find myself
>> wondering if I'm living in the same consensus reality as the
>> rest of you blokes.  I haven't read much by Smith - an anthology
>> or two - but everything I've seen has been, if an improvement on
>> E.E. Doc, mindbogglingly awful.  Without exception.
>
>Yep, I guess you are living in a different reality.  Smith is
>certainly not "Golden Age."  Most of his stuff (with Scanners
>Live in Vain as the major important exception) was published
>in the 1960s.  Which Smith stories did you find so awful?

The only Smith I've read is an old anthology of short stories;
"The Instrumentality Of Mankind" as I believe.  (I'm unsure of this,
as I don't actually own the book; someone tried to give it to
me, but on short order I saw through this nefarious stratagem
and forced a retreat.  Unless he's burned it he has it still.)

If this was but an early ortpile and Smith did indeed improve
later on, I suppose I should give his other work a try; but one
book as bad as _Imstrumentality_ is usually enough to prejudice
me forever (did you go and check Piers Anthony's latest turd to
see if he's become Great?) and I don't see much reason to give
Smith an exception just because Linebarger is well-beloved & dead.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: lindsay+@cs.cmu.edu (Donald Lindsay)
Subject: Re: Esther Friesner (was Re: Fun & Mindless)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 20:46:47 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

hoahosth@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (ANDREA HOSTH) writes:
>Its far more likely that the use of 'woo woo' here is from the Middle 
>English to Renaissance period

Hmm. No doubt a relative of "Some honourable members: oh oh.", which
appears often in the parliamentary record.



-- 
Don		D.C.Lindsay 	Carnegie Mellon Computer Science
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Robinson: Starseed
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 06:44:57 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

"Starseed", by Spider and Jean Robinson, is out in paperback, but don't
expect a second "Stardance".  The difference between "Starseed" and
"Stardance" is much the same as the difference between the later Callahans
books and the early ones:  It's a wallow, not a story.

Oh, there is the skeleton of a story.  A woman goes to the space habitat
where those who wish to become true space dwellers are trained; we share
a hundred pages of guided tour with her; a menace is revealed and -- as
in most of Spider Robinson's books -- is dealt with semi-miraculously.
It's not much of a plot, but it's not supposed to be.  The main point of
the book is for the authors to convey, and for the readers to wallow in,
a warm fuzzy feeling.

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

   If you're going to write, don't pretend to write down.  It's going to be the
   best you can do, and it's the fact that it's the best you can do that kills
   you! -- Dorothy Parker
From: jc@crosfield.co.uk (jerry cullingford)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Diane Duane-Door into Sunset
Date: 18 Aug 92 08:48:26 GMT
Organization: Crosfield Electronics, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom.

In article <1992Aug17.122230.1@vaxa.strath.ac.uk> ciar04@vaxa.strath.ac.uk writes:
>Does Door into Sunset comes immediately after Door Into Shadow, or are there
>any books between the two?  I noticed that Door Into Shadow was (c) 1983, so
>there must be some books that I missed out.

	Yes, it does follow straight on... and it's a pretty good book.
At a first reading, maybe not quite as good as the second one (DISh), but
good... Liked the dragons, too..


-- 
+------------------------------------------------------------------+     |
| Jerry Cullingford  #include <std.disclaimer> +44 442 230000 x3868|   ,-|--
| jc@crosfield.co.uk (jc@cel.uucp) or jc@selune.demon.co.uk        |   \_|__
+-----(Work)---------------------------------(home)----------------+ \___/
From: hachiman@milton.u.washington.edu (Matt Downer)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: K. Kurtz' Deryni series
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:30:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug20.023010.22655
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Aug19.211521.4958@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> cliff@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Cliff Chen) writes:
>
>	Actually, in an interview with Katherine Kurtz, she said that after
>she finished Javan's Year and the Adept Book 2, the multitude of fan
>letters that she got has made her decide to put everything else on hold and
>start work on The Quest for Saint Camber Book 4!  The whole reason behind
>the book:  To get Kelson married.

	It's about time!!!! :)


 _______________________________
|  Matthew B. Downer       	|
|  hachiman@u.washington.edu	|
|  				|
|  Ore no denwa bango wa 911 da.|
|_______________________________|
From: ciar04@vaxa.strath.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Conspiracy among Book Reviewers?
Date: 17 Aug 92 12:54:42 GMT
Organization: Strathclyde University VAX Cluster

A couple of months ago, there was an article in The Times on
a 'cartel' among reviewers of literature.  Apparently, as the story
goes, there exist 'families' (in the Mafia sense) of authors.  If
an author belongs to a particular 'family', it is highly likely that
his/her book will receive favourble reviews.

Does this occur in SF and Fantasy literature as well?

#----------------------------------#-------------------------------------------#
|  W.H.Watt                        #  JANET:                                   |
|  Dept. of Accounting & Finance   #           w.h.watt@uk.ac.strath.vaxa      |
|  University of Strathclyde       #  Rest of the World:                       |
|  Glasgow                         #           w.h.watt@vaxa.strath.ac.uk      |
|  United Kingdom                  #                                           |
#----------------------------------#-------------------------------------------#
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: willimsa@unix1.tcd.ie (Gavin Williams)
Subject: Re: Recommendation on Fantasy Epic Novels
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 17:07:28 GMT


How about Susan Cooper's, 'The Dark is Rising'.

Although not quite written in an epic style, the issues with which the series
deals are, nevertheless, epic.
From: slg7m@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: _Tigana_
Date: 18 Aug 92 17:43:21 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

I just started following this newsgroup and I've noticed the fpopular Tigana
thread.  Would someone be kind oenough to tell me what the book is,
who the author is, etc?  Thanks.

Tanya Olsen
                

slg7m@CC.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: mcd@ithaca.Eng.Sandy.Novell.COM (Mark Dakins)
Subject: Jay Score
Keywords: robots, androids, zoromes, humanoids, grodnirbs
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 22:17:11 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.064458.9681@csusac.csus.edu> potter@csusac.ecs.csus.edu (Carl Kolchak) writes:
>
>  but my favorite robot-like character in all of SF is Eric
>  Frank Russell's "Jay Score," who was obviously a primary model
>  for the Great Bird's "Spock."

Ahhhh, "... robot-like ..."?  Perhaps I have misinterpreted the above
sentence but, are you aware the Jay Score (aka J-20) IS a robot?  If not,
I suggest you re-read this excellent story keeping in mind EFR's
penchant for writing stories with a twist.  BTW I do not think I agree that
Jay was a model for Spock.  After all, Jay is a robot; you would expect
him to act that way.  You just were not supposed to figure out why he
was acting that way til the end of the story.  Spock, on the otherhand,
was modeled after the super-intelligent, unemotional, alien superhuman,
an SF paradigm from "way back."  Do you have some specific reason for
thinking that Spock was modeled after Jay Score?
						Mark Dakins
From: mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Storm Constantine
Date: 14 Aug 92 06:26:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug14.062616.10632
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle


 What is the general opinion of Storm Constatine's work? I have read the
american edition of her Wraethu trilogy and managed to import a copy of
Hermetech from Canada. I like her style a lot myself.

Wassail,
Al Billings
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Al Billings - Anthropology Undergrad - Admin for the Troth-l Mailing List | 
| SysOp of The Sacred Grove BBS (206)634-1980 -=- mimir@u.washington.edu    |
------------------------------ Cut Here -------------------------------------
begin 644 GRENDEL.PUB
MF58``1%^*@Q":6QL:6YG<RP@06S^`2N`$7JAHA^YG*D:W0:>,_,\N<XL-]7BN
LV+1/'DT4SH3V2$'*(9NAE_,+VB9R.4=@$9R.J1?CL3H!9@HR8+7DD3@%`!$%E
``
end
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: Re: _Tigana_ question
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine
Date: 19 Aug 92 06:13:44 GMT

In <16s5v4INNb21@agate.berkeley.edu> smoot@roger-rabbit.cs.berkeley.edu (Stephen [Steve] R Smoot) writes:

Possible mild spoilers follow



>I think the lands all being very different is part of the
>set supporting plot that cant possiblby all be described in
>one book.  The lands are obviously very different, within
>the Palm as well as without.  The within differences arent
>dwelt on (exactly *why* couldnt they band together in the
>face of a common foe?  Other nations have done it...).  And
>the foreign lands are even more mysterious.  The magics were
>different (approached in different ways, perhaps), but in
>some sense the same, as Palm wizards understood the doings
>of the invading wizards, even if they couldnt copy them.

As for why they couldn't band together, well there is historical
precedent.  I was continually reminded of Italy (and I think that was
an intentional comparison), which has always been rather fragmented.
I don't have the details or dates on hand, but Italy was invaded
several times, and the invasion was completed because of the region's
reluctance to band together.  The Romans were the first but not the
last.

A question, though.  If the magic is tied to the land, then would your
magic change as you travelled?  If the land somehow supplied the
focus?  Obviously not, as Brandin's magic did not change, but *why*
not?  There must be soemthing more than this, but he did not clarify
it.

That's OK, I don't mind speculating.  I don't want another Tigana
book, this was great by itself (though I had the nagging feeling that
the last scene was there to provide for another book following
_Tigana_).

--Cindy
--
Cindy Tittle Moore

Internet: tittle@ics.uci.edu       | BITNET: cltittle@uci.bitnet
UUCP:     ...!ucbvax!ucivax!tittle | Usnail: PO Box 4188, Irvine CA, 92716
From: smoot@roger-rabbit.cs.berkeley.edu (Stephen [Steve] R Smoot)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: _Tigana_ question
Date: 19 Aug 1992 00:51:48 GMT
Organization: UC Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: roger-rabbit.cs.berkeley.edu

In article <darknite.714179743@camelot>, darknite@camelot.bradley.edu (John S. Novak III) writes:
> >>>Possible mild spoilers follow

 ...

I'd say almost definately.
> >> (Does it
> >>ruin the sense of wonder if I ask whether Alessan could have
> >>bound Alberico or Brandin to him in that fashion?)

> >Good question; this hadn't occurred to me. I believe the answer is that
> >this proviso applies only to wizards of the Palm; foreign wizards are not
> >affected. (There seems to be something special about Palm wizards--remember
> >that the cutting of the fingers is said to "bind" the wizard to the Palm.)

> Yeah, but it is an interesting question.  A better answer might
> be, 'It would _ruin_ the plot...!'  The same answer as you've
> given occurred to me after I thought about it a bit.  Indeed,
> there seems to be something special about _every_ type of magic;
> Palmer magic differs from Ygrathen magic differs from Khardun
> magic, and so forth.  I really liked that about the book, even
> though the differences are never really explained.

A big deal is made (in my mind at least) about how the
different magics are different, so I'd say no.  In addition,
they could easily be so far above Palm wizards that they
could shake it off even if affected.  I.e. They have "get
out of service free" cards.... ;-)

I think the lands all being very different is part of the
set supporting plot that cant possiblby all be described in
one book.  The lands are obviously very different, within
the Palm as well as without.  The within differences arent
dwelt on (exactly *why* couldnt they band together in the
face of a common foe?  Other nations have done it...).  And
the foreign lands are even more mysterious.  The magics were
different (approached in different ways, perhaps), but in
some sense the same, as Palm wizards understood the doings
of the invading wizards, even if they couldnt copy them.

-s
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,misc.writing,rec.arts.books
From: elf@halcyon.com (Elf Sternberg)
Subject: Request: James P. Hogan's net.address...
Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written
Summary: Just looking for...
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 10:59:35 GMT


   This is a pathetic attempt to get my hands on the net address of
James P. Hogan, writer of The Genesis Machine and The Past Through
Tomorrow.  Please?

         Elf !!!
-- 
Elf Sternberg    __   |     I have looked into the abyss, and the abyss
elf@halcyon.com  \/   | has looked into me.  Neither liked what we saw.
elf@polari.online.com |                              - Brother Theodore
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
From: willimsa@unix1.tcd.ie (Gavin Williams)
Subject: Re: Orson Scott Card
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 17:09:30 GMT

(Joshua M. Sabloff) writes:

>Excerpts from netnews.rec.arts.sf.written: 11-Aug-92 Orson Scott Card
>Gavin Williams@unix1.tcd (200)

>Ah, but he gave it up for the "Memory of Earth" series (wait, that's the
>title of the first book -- what's the *series* called again?).  If you
>haven't read it yet, give it a try.  It's not "Ender's Game", but it's
>still a heck of a lot better than some of the other drivel that others
>pass off as sci-fi.

I haven't read any of that series.  When an author gets that religious,
I give up trying to wade through his stuff.

Pity.
Example, Ender's game was only brilliant, Speaker for the dead started to 
lose it.



>-Josh Sabloff (jsa5@andrew.cmu.edu)
>"Research physicists need Porsches too!" -- Oliver Wendell Jones
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written