Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8922
Posted: Sun Oct 24 01:40:08 1982
Received: Mon Oct 25 02:12:13 1982

>From SFL@SRI-CSL Sat Oct 23 18:59:09 1982

SF-LOVERS Digest          23-Oct-82	       Volume 6 : Issue 65

Today's Topics:

    HHGttG in Washington D.C, Moorcock & music, SF & opera, SF-Lovers as
    APA, SF book club, Wolfe's THE CASTLE OF THE OTTER, Stallman's THE
    BEAST, docking in Podkayne, Ellison/Asimov/Wolfe interview, Trumbull's
    BRAINSTORM

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 20 Oct 1982 1835-PDT
Sender: LEAVITT at USC-ISI
Subject: HHGttG
From:  Mike Leavitt 

Will be on WETA (Channel 26) at 8:30 on Thursdays beginning 11/4
in the Washington DC area.  It will run for 7 weeks.  Each
episode will run 30 minutes, so they can all fit on 1 4 hour
video cassette.  The show is featured in the November issue of
THE DIAL (the national public broadcasting magazine).

Don't Panic
Mike

------------------------------

Date: Wed Oct 20 15:08:55 1982
From: UCBVAX.decvax!cwruecmp!magill@Berkeley

The Heavy Metal soundtrack gives credit to Michael Moorcock as cowriter
of "Veteran of the Psycic Wars".  Does anyone know of other instances of
a popular sf/fant. writer working with a popular group?

				Rich Magill
				decvax!cwruecmp!magill


------------------------------

Date:     21 Oct 82 19:42:06-EDT (Thu)
From:     David Axler 
Subject:  SF & Opera, cont'd

    Recent entries on "Aniara" (including my own) provoked me into checking my
files for more info, and into discovering that some "f(r)iend" has stolen
my copy of the English translation thereof (now out of print, issued in paper
in the Equinox/Avon SF Rediscovery series -- anyone got a spare they want to
sell?).  Anyway, a check of Peter Nicholl's "Science Fiction Encyclopedia"
found the following on p. 383:
 
     Martinson, Harry Edmund (1904-78).  Swedish author and poet, member of
the Swedish Academy, Nobel Prize laureate.  A prolific writer, HM's one
contribution to sf is "Aniara" (1956; trans. Hugh MacDiarmid and E. Harley 
Schubert, 1963), a 103-canto epic poem eloquently defending humane values
against the inhumanity of technology within the story of the irreversible
voyage of a giant spaceship towards outer space.  An opera (1959) based on
the poem, composed by Karl-Birger Blomdahl, has acheived international
success.
 
    In the article on "Music", several other sf operas are noted, including:
1)  Haydn's 1777 opera "Il Mondo della Luna"
2)  Offenbach's adaptation of Verne's "Voyage to the Moon."
3)  The Janacek opera "The Makropolous Secret" (1925), based on a play by
Capek;
4)  Menotti's 1971 opera, "the Globolinks".
     The same article also deals (a bit haphazardly) with sf in rock'n'roll
lyrics.  The author is well-informed on the major stuff (e.g., Jefferson
Starship's tendencies to "borrow" from Heinlein, Wyndham, and others), but
misses a lot of lesser-known sf-related material, such as "A Time Before
This", a sf rock opera by the one-album band Julian's Treatment.  Ah, well....

------------------------------

Date:     21 Oct 82 19:29:50-EDT (Thu)
From:     David Axler 
Subject:  Miscellaneous Comments on Issues 49-63 (which all arrived at once!)

1)  Hoffman (in 6:51) mentions the CoEvolution Quarterly note on APAs.  In some
ways, one could consider SFL as one, with few key differences:  there's no
limit on the membership, no cost, and no requirement that one must contribute
("minac").   However, the continuing flow of discussion and comments on 
comments on ... does make us very APA-like.

2)  On the Science Fiction Book Club:  It's generally a good buy, but you have
to remember a number of things, especially that the production values are not
nearly as good as "store-bought" editions of the same works -- the paper and
the bindings will not last anywhere near as long.  The gent who complained
about having to pay sales tax should simply move to a state where the club
doesn't have one of its mailing depots (PA is especially bad, as SFBC, QPBC,
Book of the Month, and others all have factories here), since mail order sales
can only charge you tax if they have a plant or outlet in your own state.
 
3)  Another delayed Wolfe book:  "The Castle of the Otter"  (no, it's not a
typo), being published by Ziesing Bros., has been delayed due to typographical
problems (they claim that their typesetter just got a new computer...).  Now,
they expect to be mailing it out in mid-to-late November.  For those who are
wondering, this is Gene's book about writing about the world in which The
Book of the New Sun is set; its title comes from Locus' misprint (due to
garble on the phone lines) of the title of the fourth book in the series.
 
4)  Stallman's "The Beast" is, indeed, excellent, but shouldn't be read until
you've first read the two that precede it in the series ("The Orphan" and
"The Captive").  They're going out of print rapidly, and since Stallman's
death a few months back, they may not return to print.
 
Enough for now,
Dave

------------------------------

Date:      22 Oct 82 16:37:43-EDT (Fri)
From:      Ndd.duke at UDel-Relay
Subject:   docking in Podkayne

	I don't understand the objection to taking the spin off the ship
before docking; how do you unload the ship when it's spinning? Even if
you come out along the axis of rotation, the passengers will be spinning
wrt the station. Or do you spin up the port to match with the ship and
then spin it back down to unload the folks? Seems to me that Heinlein's
method is the simplest.

					Ned

------------------------------

Date: 22-Oct-82 17:25:56-PDT (Fri)
From: ucbvax!decvax!minow@ucb-c70

Last night (Thursday, Oct 21), ARTS cable ran an interview program
with Studs Terkel and Calvin Trillan talking with Isaac Asimov,
Harlan Ellison, and Gene Wolfe.

An interesting conversation.  Two quotes:

"For the first time we have a weapon that nobody has used for thirty
years.  This gives me great hope for the human race"
		-- Harlan Ellison

Ghandi is dandy,
but liquoir is quicker.
		-- Isaac Asimov.

These programs tend to circulate around the clock and country.  You
might consider looking for it when it comes around again.

Martin Minow
decvax!minow @ berkeley

------------------------------

Date: 22 Oct 82 13:04-PDT
From: mclure at SRI-UNIX
Subject: Brainstorm

a004  2129  21 Oct 82
PM-Brainstorm,350
Natalie Wood Film Release Reported
    DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - The movie ''Brainstorm,'' whose completion was
delayed by the death of actress Natalie Wood, may be completed and
released by next summer, a state official says.
    A settlement is expected ''very shortly'' in a dispute involving the
movie's producer, director and insurance company, Bill Arnold,
director of the North Carolina Film Office, said Thursday. The film
was shot largely in North Carolina.
    Arnol said he had been in touch with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the
movie's producer, and director Douglas Trumbull.
    Trumbull believes the studio will settle its dispute with Lloyd's of
London, the movie's principal insurer, and complete filming, Arnold
said, adding that an announcement might come within two weeks.
    Principal photography was done in several North Carolina locations
last fall. The movie was to be completed on sound stages in California
last winter, but was delayed when Miss Wood died in November .
    MGM, thinking the movie could not be completed without Miss Wood,
ceased production and sought to collect $12 million in insurance from
Lloyd's.
    However, the insurer gave Trumbull $3 million to finish the picture,
with the scenes rewritten in which Miss Wood would have appeared,
officials said. Production resumed in February.
    A dispute arose between MGM and Trumbull over whether the parties
had fulfilled their obligations for the film's completion and MGM took
possession of the incomplete film, Arnold said.
    Twentieth Century Fox and ''several others'' had offered to buy the
incomplete film, and because of that interest ''MGM thinks it can
make money at the box office,'' he said.
    ''People were just so impressed with the basic footage,'' Arnold
said. ''Everybody said if they ever finished the doggone thing it
would be some kind of a classic.''
    Arnold said that if the movie is completed, it would probably be
released by next summer.
    The movie is a science-fiction thriller involving a scientist who
develops an instrument for reading minds.
    
ap-ny-10-22 0018EDT
**********

Date: 20 Oct 1982 1835-PDT
Sender: LEAVITT at USC-ISI
Subject: HHGttG
From:  Mike Leavitt 

Will be on WETA (Channel 26) at 8:30 on Thursdays beginning 11/4
in the Washington DC area.  It will run for 7 weeks.  Each
episode will run 30 minutes, so they can all fit on 1 4 hour
video cassette.  The show is featured in the November issue of
THE DIAL (the national public broadcasting magazine).

Don't Panic
Mike
Date: Wed Oct 20 15:08:55 1982
From: UCBVAX.decvax!cwruecmp!magill@Berkeley
	id A05547; 20-Oct-82 17:17:11-PDT (Wed)

The Heavy Metal soundtrack gives credit to Michael Moorcock as cowriter
of "Veteran of the Psycic Wars".  Does anyone know of other instances of
a popular sf/fant. writer working with a popular group?

				Rich Magill
				decvax!cwruecmp!magill


Date:     21 Oct 82 19:42:06-EDT (Thu)
From:     David Axler 
Subject:  SF & Opera, cont'd

    Recent entries on "Aniara" (including my own) provoked me into checking my
files for more info, and into discovering that some "f(r)iend" has stolen
my copy of the English translation thereof (now out of print, issued in paper
in the Equinox/Avon SF Rediscovery series -- anyone got a spare they want to
sell?).  Anyway, a check of Peter Nicholl's "Science Fiction Encyclopedia"
found the following on p. 383:
 
     Martinson, Harry Edmund (1904-78).  Swedish author and poet, member of
the Swedish Academy, Nobel Prize laureate.  A prolific writer, HM's one
contribution to sf is "Aniara" (1956; trans. Hugh MacDiarmid and E. Harley 
Schubert, 1963), a 103-canto epic poem eloquently defending humane values
against the inhumanity of technology within the story of the irreversible
voyage of a giant spaceship towards outer space.  An opera (1959) based on
the poem, composed by Karl-Birger Blomdahl, has acheived international
success.
 
    In the article on "Music", several other sf operas are noted, including:
1)  Haydn's 1777 opera "Il Mondo della Luna"
2)  Offenbach's adaptation of Verne's "Voyage to the Moon."
3)  The Janacek opera "The Makropolous Secret" (1925), based on a play by
Capek;
4)  Menotti's 1971 opera, "the Globolinks".
     The same article also deals (a bit haphazardly) with sf in rock'n'roll
lyrics.  The author is well-informed on the major stuff (e.g., Jefferson
Starship's tendencies to "borrow" from Heinlein, Wyndham, and others), but
misses a lot of lesser-known sf-related material, such as "A Time Before
This", a sf rock opera by the one-album band Julian's Treatment.  Ah, well....

Date:     21 Oct 82 19:29:50-EDT (Thu)
From:     David Axler 
Subject:  Miscellaneous Comments on Issues 49-63 (which all arrived at once!)

1)  Hoffman (in 6:51) mentions the CoEvolution Quarterly note on APAs.  In some
ways, one could consider SFL as one, with few key differences:  there's no
limit on the membership, no cost, and no requirement that one must contribute
("minac").   However, the continuing flow of discussion and comments on 
comments on ... does make us very APA-like.

2)  On the Science Fiction Book Club:  It's generally a good buy, but you have
to remember a number of things, especially that the production values are not
nearly as good as "store-bought" editions of the same works -- the paper and
the bindings will not last anywhere near as long.  The gent who complained
about having to pay sales tax should simply move to a state where the club
doesn't have one of its mailing depots (PA is especially bad, as SFBC, QPBC,
Book of the Month, and others all have factories here), since mail order sales
can only charge you tax if they have a plant or outlet in your own state.
 
3)  Another delayed Wolfe book:  "The Castle of the Otter"  (no, it's not a
typo), being published by Ziesing Bros., has been delayed due to typographical
problems (they claim that their typesetter just got a new computer...).  Now,
they expect to be mailing it out in mid-to-late November.  For those who are
wondering, this is Gene's book about writing about the world in which The
Book of the New Sun is set; its title comes from Locus' misprint (due to
garble on the phone lines) of the title of the fourth book in the series.
 
4)  Stallman's "The Beast" is, indeed, excellent, but shouldn't be read until
you've first read the two that precede it in the series ("The Orphan" and
"The Captive").  They're going out of print rapidly, and since Stallman's
death a few months back, they may not return to print.
 
Enough for now,
Dave

Date: 22 Oct 82 13:04-PDT
From: mclure at SRI-UNIX
Subject: Brainstorm

a004  2129  21 Oct 82
PM-Brainstorm,350
Natalie Wood Film Release Reported
    DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - The movie ''Brainstorm,'' whose completion was
delayed by the death of actress Natalie Wood, may be completed and
released by next summer, a state official says.
    A settlement is expected ''very shortly'' in a dispute involving the
movie's producer, director and insurance company, Bill Arnold,
director of the North Carolina Film Office, said Thursday. The film
was shot largely in North Carolina.
    Arnol said he had been in touch with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the
movie's producer, and director Douglas Trumbull.
    Trumbull believes the studio will settle its dispute with Lloyd's of
London, the movie's principal insurer, and complete filming, Arnold
said, adding that an announcement might come within two weeks.
    Principal photography was done in several North Carolina locations
last fall. The movie was to be completed on sound stages in California
last winter, but was delayed when Miss Wood died in November .
    MGM, thinking the movie could not be completed without Miss Wood,
ceased production and sought to collect $12 million in insurance from
Lloyd's.
    However, the insurer gave Trumbull $3 million to finish the picture,
with the scenes rewritten in which Miss Wood would have appeared,
officials said. Production resumed in February.
    A dispute arose between MGM and Trumbull over whether the parties
had fulfilled their obligations for the film's completion and MGM took
possession of the incomplete film, Arnold said.
    Twentieth Century Fox and ''several others'' had offered to buy the
incomplete film, and because of that interest ''MGM thinks it can
make money at the box office,'' he said.
    ''People were just so impressed with the basic footage,'' Arnold
said. ''Everybody said if they ever finished the doggone thing it
would be some kind of a classic.''
    Arnold said that if the movie is completed, it would probably be
released by next summer.
    The movie is a science-fiction thriller involving a scientist who
develops an instrument for reading minds.
    
------------------------------

End of SF-LOVERS Digest
***********************