Article-I.D.: ucbvax.175
Posted: Wed Dec  1 22:23:56 1982
Received: Fri Dec  3 04:54:09 1982

>From SFL@SRI-CSL  Wed Dec  1 21:57:03 1982
Reply-To: SF-LOVERS at SRI-CSL
To: SF-LOVERS@SRI-CSL


SF-LOVERS Digest         Thursday, 2 Dec 1982      Volume 6 : Issue 94

Today's Topics:
    Books  - Asimov's Foundation's Edge, Michener's Space, Chalker's
	     Well World, Wolfe's The Citadel of the Autarch, early reading
	     & book stores
    T.V.   - Battlestar Ponderosa, Star Trek favorites
    Movies - the Other in Star Wars/TESB
    Music  - SF music, filk
    Misc   - bumper sticker
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 30 Nov 82 20:39:42-EST (Tue)
From: J C Patilla 
Subject: Foundation's Edge & Gaia


Did anyone else pick up the connection between the planet Gaia and the
Missa Gaia ("Earth Mass") mentioned in a recent issue ?  Asimov has
played name games before, and this fits interestingly with the 
speculations about the role of Earth and the Pebble in the Sky
connection.

jcpatilla

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

Date: 29 Nov 82 16:40:43-PST (Mon)
From: npois!houxm!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!inuxd!arlan at Ucb-C70
Subject: Review of Michener's SPACE

Just read SPACE during a nice trip to Florida.  I thought it to be
very good, and disagree with comments here a few months ago that
Michener was anti-SF.  True, the stars of the book were not young fen,
but when properly introduced to real SF, they responded commendably.
Dr. Mott, one protagonist, was particularly impressed by Weinbaum;
Randy Claggett, the redneck astronaut, was described as a lifelong
fan; and several references are made, favorably, about Asimov,
Heinlein, and Bradbury.

To top it all off, when one (SPOILER!!) astronaut crashes on the moon,
his last words are "Blessed St. Leibowitz, let them keep on dreamin'
down there..."

Who could possibly top that line?


--arlan andrews  btl/abi, indianapolis
--317-845-6197
--POB 1008, Indianapolis, IN 46206

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

Date: 30 Nov 82 21:26:41 EST  (Tue)
From: Tim Maroney 
Subject: Well World (spoiler)

If you don't know who Nathan Brazil is after reading all five books, 
you must not have paid much attention to the last one. Nathan Brazil 
was a normal human in the last incarnation but three (I think) of the 
Universe. He was approached by the then-current Well World Repairman, 
who did to him whay he tried to do to Mavra Chang: hung the job on him
and died. The repairman is the person who has to take the system down
when some fool rips a hole in it, or otherwise maginifies a bug in the
program. (This is, needless to say, a rather awful responsibility, 
since the beter part of all the sentients in the Universe die when you
do this. This explains the suicidal tendencies of Well World Repair- 
persons.) Because Brazil belonged to an older version of the Universe,
he was not completely compatible with this one, and thus gave Obie a
serious stomachache when he ran through him. Other than that, the only
special thing about Brazil was that the central computer made sure he
didn't get killed and would let him take the system down.  You are the
first person I've ever heard of who read the series and didn't like
it; try rereading it more carefully.

                                                Tim Maroney
                                                tim.unc@udel-relay
                                                (I think...)

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

Date: 1-Dec-82 11:33:12-PST (Wed)
From: INGVAX.kalash@Berkeley (Joe Kalash)
Subject: Wolfe book was NOT postponed


        The Wolfe book Citidal of the Autarch was not really postponed.
Simon and Schuster are claiming it is a Jan. book, but have already 
released it. I am told that they want to make sure Citidal is not up
against Sword of the Lictor at awards time. I'm not sure if this is
going to work or not, Charlie Brown (publisher of Locus) is claiming 
it is an 82 book, and I don't know who is going to be believed.

                        Joe

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

Date: Tuesday, 30 Nov 1982 23:50-PST
Subject: Early reading and book stores
From: gail at RAND-UNIX

I remember quite clearly the first science fiction books I read.  They
were a series by Ruthven Todd (?).  Some of the books were:  Space
Cat, Space Cat Goes to Mars, Space Cat Goes to Venus, Space Cat Has
Kittens...  As you can tell by the titles, they were aimed at an age
group somewhat younger than the Mushroom Planet books (which I don't
remember ever reading).  Anyone remember these books?  I can't even
find them in the local library anymore.

On a different note, I've been seeing mention of several bookstores 
here lately and it brings to mind something I've been meaning to bring
up for a long time.  When I'm in a strange city, one of my favorite 
things to do is find a good book store to browse.  I would like to get
a list of people's favorite stores around the country (or world?).  
Got any you'd like to recommend?  If you send directly to me, I'll
make a list and pass it on.  (Please mention "bookstore" in the
subject line.)  What I'd like are the name, location (address if you
have it handy), whether or not it is just science fiction, whether or
not it has used books, and any general comments you want to make.

I'll start off with a few of my own favorites:
        Mithras Bookstore in La Jolla, Calif. (with Unicorn Theater)
                General bookstore with a small used section and a
                really pleasant atmosphere for browsing (at least
                this was true 10-15 years ago when I lived there)
        Change of Hobbit in Santa Monica, Calif. (Lincoln near Pico)
                Need I say more?  One of the best science fiction,etc.
                bookstores around.  Small used section.
        Dangerous Visions in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
		(Ventura near Woodman)
                Somewhat smaller than CoH, but equally pleasant.  And
                I've found books there not available at CoH. (sold
		out?)
        Wilshire Books in West Los Angeles, Calif.
		(Wilshire near Stanford)
                My favorite used book store around here.  Some
                s.f. but mostly general.
        (name unknown) in Cambridge, Mass.
		(Over a Chinese restaurant near Harvard Square)
		A fairly small bookstore which is devoted to
                s.f. (Actually, they claim to be the biggest around
		(east coast?), so maybe I'm spoiled.)
        Mr. Dickens' Book Store in Sacramento, Calif.
		(5311 Elkhorn Blvd.)
                A good general book store, but at least the day I was
                there, the guy running it was really into s.f.
        Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon (11th and Burnside)
                One of the larest bookstores I've seen. One (very long)
                wall devoted to s.f.  They have books on just about
                anything.  Used books shelved in among new ones.
        MITSFS library at MIT.
                Not a store, but great for browsing.

Anyway, that's the kind of thing I'm looking for.  Thanks for any 
contributions.

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 0331-EST
From: Greg Skinner 
Subject: Why BG failed

        Battlestar Galactica (BG), like so many other SF TV series 
flopped for some similar reasons.  Here are a few.

1) After the episode in which the transmission from Earth was picked
up, they could have started up another season.  (Actually they did --
it was called Galactica 1980) However, considering their original
distance from Earth (Caprica was about 12 light-years away, judging
from the Capricorn constelliation which is also about 12 light years
away, I think), they would have had to come up with about twelve years
in space of episodes.  Perhaps they could have crunched it down to
three or four years of episodes, but they would have run out of ways
for the Galactans to fight Cylons or find markers to their Earth 
journey.

2) They were showing the episodes weekly.  Now, a similar problem 
occurred in the series Wonder Woman (the original and the new) with 
Lynda Carter.  Interest was dying in the show, because they were using
up too many of their good episodes.  What they did was time-share (!!)
Wonder Woman with some other series that aired the same time and night
that Wonder Woman did.  This gave the producers a chance to spring 
surprises on viewers (like the Andros -- alien from outer space 
episode) and kept up interest in the show.  The producers of Galactica
could have done the same, but alack and alas, they didn't.

3) I saw both Apollo and Starbuck on other series (namely the Love
Boat) not too long after BG ended, inclining me to believe that they
had other acting interests other than SF.

4) What with SW in '77, and Close Encounters hot on its heels, and
Superman I on its way in early '79, I think the American television
audience had had their fill of SF on the air for a while.

        Still, BG was a GREAT tv series while it lasted.  I think the 
earlier shows were the best, plus the few where they contacted the 
"gods" and "Terrans".  Two of my favorite quotes came from the same 
episode (Greetings from Earth) -- I can't remember them now, but they 
both had to do with the controversy over the opening of the Terrans' 
life support units (one was by Apollo, the other by Adama).

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 0414-PST
From: Henry W. Miller 
Subject: Re: ST faves

        As was "Assignment: Earth", which was supposed to be a Star
Trek spinnoff, about an advanced alien (of Terran ancestry) and a
scatterbrained but brilliant secretary who were supposed to help Earth
out during it's critical periods.

        How many of you realized that?

-HWM

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 0409-PST
From: Henry W. Miller 
Subject: ST faves

        Thanks for reminding me.  Don't know how I forgot it, but,
yes, "The City on the Edge of Forever" rates in my top picks.

-HWM

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 0406-PST
From: Henry W. Miller 
Subject: ST: More planet skewage

        Yesterday, I saw the first episode of the third season of Star
Trek.  One of my least favorites, "Spock's Brain".  It did have it's
moments, but...

        First, the planet skewage.  Throughout the first half of the
episode, they make it clear that they are going to the sixth planet of
the system.  Yet, later on, Sulu, who has the conn, records in the
log, "We are currently in orbit around Sigma Draconis XII..."

        Why would they be in orbit around the 7th planet, when the 6th
was clearly the target???

        Scotty states that the underground power source is powerful
enough to move the planet out of orbit.  Either it's a nuclear pile a
hundred miles across, or, advanced ion power.

        OK, fine.  If the ancients had that type of power at their
command, they could either A) move the planet into a more temporate
orbit to alleviate the ice age, or, B) used the energy to expunge the
empending ice age.

        If they had that power at their command, why would they exile
the males to the colder upper levels?  Why not keep both sexes below?

        And, if they had that technology, why did they require a
humanoid brain as a controller?  Why not a computer system, that could
have surely outlasted the 10K span of the/a controller?

        The episode did have good acting: the scenes between Shatner
and Kelley were among the best.  But, the rest of the episode
suffered.

        I'll have to list this as one of my five least favorites.

-HWM

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

Date: 30 Nov 82 21:41:24 EST  (Tue)
From: Tim Maroney 
Subject: Worst Star Trek episode

The one about the Yangs and the Komms was indeed one of the worst; its
dumbest part was when Kirk recognized the (gasp!) Pledge of Allegiance
and charmed everyone by reciting it. This was explained by "parallel 
evolution". Right. Another really pathetic one was where Kirk, Spock, 
Abraham Lincoln, and Sarek of Vulcan fight Genghis Khan and crew in a
purposeless and unexplained "battle of good vs. evil" which is of
course won by Kirk and Spock's combat skills. The absolute worst has 
to be the first movie, of course, which I assume everyone is familiar 
with. All three of these were written by Gene Roddenberry, the show's 
producer. Strangely enough, after he left the show (third season), all
the episodes were like that, including such beauties as the season
opener, "Spock's Brain"; the one about the space hippies with lettuce
ears; and "Day of the Dove", in which the Klingons, who had been
previously established to treat women as subhuman pleasure machines,
have female officers. (I get the feeling this was a misplaced attempt
to be non-sexist.) This may have more to do with the fact that Dorothy
Fontana, the story editor, left, since I doubt Roddenberry knows sf
from his right nostril.

"City on the Edge of Forever" was definiteley the best; who knows what
the other Star Trek episode to win a Hugo was?

                                                Tim Maroney
                                                tim.unc@udel-relay

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 1916-PST
From: Henry W. Miller 
Subject: Star Trek Plotlines

        One nice thing about being sick is being able to watch Star
Trek in the afternoon.  Today I saw a double header with amazingly
similar plot lines:  "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the
Sky", and "Paradise Syndrome".

        In both cases, Kirk and company discover civilizations that
stem from ancient origins, both faced with eminent extinction due to
cosmic calamities.  Both civilizations are being watched over by
mechanical caretakers who have malfunctioned, and the knowledge to
effect repairs had been lost.

        In one case, Kirk falls in love and marries the Chief's
daughter, in the other, McCoy marries the high priestess.

        In the end, the lost knowledge is regained, and Spock
reactivates.

        It is interesting that the Third Season produced two episodes
that were so similar.  While neither of the episodes were my
favorites, they were by far not the ones I dislike the most.

        Maybe that was a symptom of dry-rot: lack of creativity.

-HWM

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

Date: 30 Nov 82 16:27:30-PST (Tue)
From: decvax!cwruecmp!honton at Ucb-C70
Subject: Re: The Other

  Concerening the "other", my favorite is Darth Vader himself.  He
really isn't that bad of guy.  Consider: In Star Wars IV "A New Hope",
he prevents Princess Leia from being executed.  He makes a martyr out
of Obi Wan, (elevating him to a higher plane.)  He doesn't even stop
the rebels from destroying the Death Star.

  Other considerations would be to take into account that he may be
able to fight the empire from within and this bad guy image is a
disguise. (If Darth really did hunt down all the Jedi, he did a pretty
poor job) He may also be won back to the good side of the force. (When
Yoda talks of another hope, doeas he make it seem like a new person,
or maybe one who will change sides?)

  Another thing, remember that the Jedi fought together in the clone
wars?  Perhaps Darth really is the clone of Luke's father.

  My final thought, If Darth does not go through some sort of change,
why is there a partial "unveiling" in the Empire Strikes Back?

                                Just trying out some thoughts,
                                        chas
(..!decvax!cwruecmp!honton)

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

Date: 1 December 1982 11:21-EST
From: Christopher C. Stacy 

Lucas claims consistantly that the "other" is a character who has not 
been in the SW movies we have seen.

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 13:47:20 EST (Wednesday)
From: Winston Edmond 
Subject: Yoda

   Reply to krm at Ucb-C70

   Belief in "the Force" and training in its use has often been
referred to as an old religion.  Luke was sent to Yoda to learn the
ways of the force as a part of learning to become a Jedi knight, but
probably there are other parts to becoming a Jedi.  We are told that
Yoda is a Jedi Master, but he doesn't seem to have ever been a Jedi
knight.  If the Jedi are a religious order similar to some in the
middle ages, Yoda is simply a religious authority/instructor and the
knights are a military arm of the religion.

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 1637-EST
From: Stephen R Balzac 
Subject: Sharra

        Somehow I doubt that even Luke, Leia and Boba Fet could
control Sharra, although I'd bet that Vader would like to try.

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 1814-PST
From: Henry W. Miller 
Subject: The Other, etc.

        The image of the Emperor was ideed Alec Guiness' face, 
although the voice belonged to someone else (Cyril Ritchard?), and the
eyes were those of a chimpanzee.  (It seems at the time Sir Guiness's
eyes were suffering some disorder that made them extremely sensitive
to light.  Besides, it added an air of mystery)

        Bobba Fett wanted Solo for the bounty offered by Jabba the
Hut.  Helping Vader was just a stroke of mutual luck.  (Then again,
was it?  The points put forth are very enticing, and cannot be totally
discounted.  There may be much more to Bobba Fett than meets the
eye...)

-HWM

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

Date: 1 Dec 82 2:27:21-EST (Wed)
From: Ron Natalie 
Subject: More SF Music...Sort of..

About two years ago I picked up an album with a very cute cover 
showing C3PO on drums, an imperial storm trouper playing sax, and 
Chewbacca on the piano, with Vader at a table in the audience.  The
album is called "EMPIRE JAZZ" and has prog. jazz versions of things
like Vader's March.  Not too bad, I picked it up since it did have a
rather impressive list of performers on it.

-Ron

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

Date: 29 Nov 82 21:59:27-PST (Mon)
From: harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!lime!we13!otuxa!ll1!ihldt!ihnp4!i
From: xn5c!inuxc!inuxd!arlan at Ucb-C70
Subject: More Andrews Filk!!



To the New Jersey SF Society and others who have so graciously asked
for more, here are more filk from the musical comedies presented at
Inconjunctions I & II by the Circle of Janus SF Club of Indianapolis,
the players known as the "It's Not Our Fault" players [who have the
motto NO EST NOS CULPA.]

Both plays will eventually be available from Roger Reynolds in FUTURE
FOCUS fanzine, should he ever get it published again.

In the meantime, [adv.] I'll be happy to allow any SF group to present
the plays for the modest remuneration of a roundtrip airticket to see
it...or at least a videotape of the producution.

Filk:

"You're Copyrighted"

from ELFTREK: A TWO-PINI OPERA

copyright 1982 by Dr. Arlan Keith Andrews, Sr.  all rights reservedl
(including net!!)

[sung by Richman and Wednesday Dollar to their creations, the elves of
ELFTREK.]  (melody: "Good Morning Starshine")

You're copyrighted
We thought you should know
We own your adventure
Whereever you go
Yes, little elf folk
We're counting on you
Keep on with your elf trekking
We've got a lot more volumes due!

I am Richman Dollar
This is my wife, Wednesday
We created you!
We made up the Elftrek
We cash all of your checks
[omit last line--terminal error!;
She does all the artwork
And I the other smartwork
And that's how we knew
We made up the Elftrek
We cash all of your checks
And that 's why we love you!


Note: Janus believe that some photos of this play might be in the
current issue of Elfquest.

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

Date: 1 Dec 1982 11:51:37-EST
From: csin!cjh at CCA-UNIX
Subject: Obscure bumper sticker:net.jokes


        Ankh if you like LOGAN'S RUN

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

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