From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!sf-lovers Newsgroups: fa.sf-lovers Title: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #31 Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8209 Posted: Thu Aug 5 06:22:42 1982 Received: Sun Aug 8 01:18:20 1982 >From JPM@MIT-AI Thu Aug 5 06:11:01 1982 SF-LOVERS Digest Monday, 2 Aug 1982 Volume 6 : Issue 31 Today's Topics: SF Lovers - WorldCon Party, SF Magazines - Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction, SF Books - Alongside Night & Lensmen Series, SF TV - HHGttG, SF Movies - Destination Moon & ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, SF Topics - Brain Use & Holographic Memory, Humor - Genderless Video Games, Spoiler - ET: The Extra-Terrestrial ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 Jul 1982 2150-CDT From: ZELLICH at OFFICE-3 Subject: SFL WorldCon party The time has come, boys and girls, to think of the timing and logistics for an SFL party at the biggie: Chicon IV. We have a quad at the Hyatt, and are hereby volunteering to host the get-together; anybody wanting to attend, please respond directly to me (ZELLICH@OFFICE-3) and not to the list. We need to know preferences for party time (\not/ during the masquerade or GoH speeches/awards ceremony) and preferably how many plan to attend (gotta provide the right number of plastic cups, napkins, etc.). If people want us to provide food and drink for them, we're willing to do it within reasonable volumes (very limited car space driving up from St. Louis) and with reasonable guarantees that those people will remember to reimburse us for their fair share; mainly, though, it's gotta be a BYOB & Munchies party. Anyone having prior experience at putting such a conclave together, and knowing of other considerations (do we need to bother with who is bringing what munchies, liquids, etc.?), please speak up. After a reasonable amount of time, I'll get back to the subgroup that responds to this message. Cheers, Rich ------------------------------ Date: 31 Jul 82 20:12-PDT From: mclure at SRI-UNIX Subject: Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction In Nicholls' Science Fiction Encyclopedia in the section describing the Foundation magazine published in Britain, he mentions that the first eight issues were projected for publication in 1978. Anyone know if such a compilation exists or how to subscribe to the magazine? Stuart ------------------------------ Date: 29 Jul 1982 1748-EDT From: JoSHSubject: new "hard" sf Is there some law that libertarian science-fiction writers have to have the middle name "Neil"? Believe it or not, that's what first caught my eye on the cover of "Alongside Night", by J. Neil Schulman. I bought it on the recommendation of Jerry Pournelle (to "anyone interested in freedom") on the cover, and then realized what it was. What it is is a good first novel. Although I was unable to read it with an unbiased eye, I believe it stands quite well on its own as an adventure novel. Indeed, though one would expect any awkwardnesses to stem from forced references to his libertarian-inspired background scheme, they don't: about the worst writing I can find is where he describes the Weaver stance twice, making it somewhat distracting the second time around. Indeed, libertarian references can be marvelously subtle: at one point the protagonist is given a sample cigarette by the proprietor of a cannabis shop--on the cigarette is embossed a small gold dollar sign. And it is entirely believable that the proprietor would have done that with full knowledge of his antecedents, when you do catch the reference. So even taken straight at face value, this is better than average fare. Though not as spellbinding as Heinlein, it would be enjoyed by anyone who liked early Heinlein. But, like J.P., I would especially recommend this one to "anyone interested in freedom". Its working out of the principles of an "anarcho-propertarian" organization which is still surrounded by a hostile State is more firmly grounded in reality than some libertarian writing, which seems to assume that the State has to vanish for any of this stuff to work. This is the best book I've read this year. --JoSH ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 1982 1448-EDT From: DD-B Reply-to: "DD-B c/o" Subject: SFL submission ( Subject: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #22 ) (Henry W. Miller ) For Lensman sticklers, or people who only buy parts of series, the chronological order of the books is \Triplanetary/, \First Lensman/, \Galactic Patrol/, \Gray Lensman/, \Second Stage Lensmen/, \Children of the Lens/. \The Vortex Blaster/ takes place sometime after \Galactic Patrol/, and probably before the end of \Children of the Lens/, but the exact sequence isn't important since it's a totally unconnected story set in the same universe, with just enough overlapping background to make some sort of stab at placing its date. ------------------------------ Date: Wed Aug 4 01:27:04 1982 From: decvax!watmath!bstempleton at Berkeley Subject: More on the Hitch-Hiker's guide BBC-TV version Well, I have now seen 4 episodes of the Guide, and I must admit that the quality of the fourth was a bit above that of the second and third. It is still not that great. I think I would still suggest to anybody that they hear the radio series first. The people making this show are just not making use of the visual medium for comedy. This is too bad, because the guide IS comedy. Essentially we get radio actors delivering radio lines with some special effects in the background. We get Mark Wing-Davy, who blatantly cannot act on television, doing the role of Zephod. I get the impression that many of his lines required multiple takes, for his stuff seems to be delivered in edited-in clips. Slartibartfarst (sp?) was fairly good in episode 4, and the two philosophers who come to complain about Deep Thought were quite good. Deep thought itself was visually pretty boring and actually bothersome to look at. I would be interested in comments from people who see the TV version first, and then hear the radio one or read the book. I told my brother to see it, and he watched the second and third episodes. His comments were that the material was great, but what was behind it was useless. One might as well turn off the video and listen, but even then the timing was not great. He has yet to hear the radio series, so I can't get any comment. One thing that was interesting: I took a copy of the first episode recorded in 6 hour mode on my VTR over for him to watch. We played it on his VTR which is old and only has a 4 hour mode. It was thus played with a speedup of around 25-50%. (hard to judge). Anyway, he thought the timing was much better this way. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Jul 1982 1448-EDT From: Bob Krovetz Subject: HHGttG in Washington D.C. The program manager for the PBS station in Washington says the Hitchhikers Guide will be aired sometime in the Fall. -bob ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 1982 13:39 EDT From: Birnbaum.HENR at PARC-MAXC Subject: Destination Moon Sources In response to Nathaniel Borenstein's query from SFL #26, Destination Moon was largely due to R.A.Heinlein; the movie was a loosely adapted takeoff from Rocket Ship Galileo. DaveB ------------------------------ Date: Wednesday, 28 July 1982 14:08-PDT From: KDO at SRI-KL Subject: Brain Use / Holographic Memory There is a common misconception that making a hologram smaller (by cutting it) gives you a smaller hologram which is blurry. No! Cutting a hologram just reduces the window through which the image can be seen. As I understand a hologram has information for the view of the object from each direction. If you cut out part of it you lose information. Checking how much of the brain is used by seeing which neurons fire is like seeing how much of your computer memory is used by counting the set bits! Ken ------------------------------ Date: 22-Jul-82 20:29:48 PDT (Thursday) From: Newman.es at PARC-MAXC Subject: Genderless video games When a city council tries to ban video games, will arcade operators organize a Pac-Man Political Action Committee (Pac-PAC) ? /Ron ------------------------------ Date: Thursday, August 5, 1982 12:53AM From: Jim McGrath (The Moderator) Subject: SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING! The last message in this digest discuss some plot details in the movie ET: The Extra-Terrestrial. Some readers may not wish to read on. ------------------------------ Date: Sun Aug 1 01:43:23 1982 From: decvax!watmath!bstempleton at Berkeley Subject: ET SPOILER I was surprised by the scene in ET where the scientists attempt to revive ET by human methods. I was not surprised from a standpoint of disappointment with the movie, however. I was so involved with the scene at the time that my reaction was "Oh no, they're not going to try THAT are they!" It seemed like something a team in panic might do. After all, the ET was known to have DNA and other similarities to our life forms. When the heart stopped, they were (mistakenly) convinced that the ET had had the biscuit, and any further moves could do no harm although they might do some good. ------------------------------ Date: 08/02/82 0954-EDT From: KG Heinemann (SORCEROR at LL) Subject: Medical Sequences in "E.T."; Reply to Michael First While agreeing with Michael First's arguments concerning the futility of applying our medical technology to treat E.T. (SFL Digest V.6, #25), I wish to present a different interpretation of the role which those sequences play in the film. To anyone familiar with Carl Sagan's statements that real extraterrestrial organisms probably will be stranger than any of our speculations, it should be obvious that the medical efforts depicted in the film probably will fail. I believe that Mr. Speilberg shares this perception of the situation, and that these scenes are a deliberate vehicle for the film's attitude, rather than inept plotting. The futile medical procedures symbolize and demonstrate the arrogance, pomposity, and insensitivity of the adult culture. Eliot protests so stridently because he knows that this treatment won't work, and is only causing pain and possibly making E.T.'s condition worse. The adults are oblivious to the pointless suffering which the medics inflict, because they are concerned only with the importance of the scientific discovery and the tangible benefits which might result from contact with an alien civilization. Mr. Speilberg even alludes to the Crucifixion and Resurrection, through the imagery of E.T.'s revival ("Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do"). I am reminded of similar developments which occur in "The Man Who Fell to Earth". In fact, "The Man Who Fell to Earth", and "E.T." tell very similar stories, except that the emotional intimacy between human and alien occurs on an adult level, in the former. Yes, this interpretation takes a pessimistic view of the ethical abilities of scientists and technicians, when confronted with truly significant events. It represents my interpretation of Mr. Speilberg's position, not my own. I would like to believe that we will approach extrat-terrestrial life with a proper measure of humility in the face of our possible ignorance, and respect for the individuality and independence of all sentient organisms. Enjoy, Karl Heinemann ------------------------------ End of SF-LOVERS Digest ***********************