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From: jeanne@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Spider Robinson
Message-ID: <2882@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 20-Dec-84 13:20:16 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.2882
Posted: Thu Dec 20 13:20:16 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Dec-84 01:21:48 EST
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 57

This is going to be a rapturous rave for Robinson's
work.  I've loved it for several years, but that was
mostly based on the Callahan Crosstime Salooon
stories--I have a weakness for puns and Spider has
some really "vile" ones in his stories.  However, in
the last couple of months I have read a couple of his
more serious works and have been unbelievably
impressed.  The man writes beautifully.  

I am normally the type who tears through books as
fast as I can because there is just so much to read
and so little time to read it all.  When I notice
the writing (as opposed to the story itself) on the
first read through a book, there has to be something
very special about it.  I've never read descriptive
passages in anything to compare with those in
Spider's works; I've actually stopped to savor the
descriptions and my reactions to them--it takes
something special to stop my headlong flight through
my reading.

I finished reading "Mindkiller" last night.
Needless to say, I recommend it extremely highly.
It has two parallel plots (alternating chapters),
both of which involve people you care about, in
situations that challenge their minds, emotions, and
lives.  Some of the things that happen can be
anticipated (or at least speculated about as
possible), but there are some real surprises.
(Chapter 2 appeared in Omni as a story called "God
Is An Iron.)

The other book I read (a couple of months ago) was a
collection of Spider's short stories, called
"Melancholy Elephants" (the title story won the Hugo
Award for short story in 1983).  Unfortunately, the
book is only available in Canada at the moment.  If
you live there, get the book as quickly as possible.
If you are here in the States, you either have
to wait until the book comes out late in 1985 here,
or get hold of friends or relatives in Canada and
get them to send it to you.  The book is worth the
trouble to find it.  The depth of human feeling in
the stories is 

I met Spider and his wife, Jeanne, at Worldcon, and
fell instantly in love with both of them.  For those
of you who are caught up on Spider's work, here's
the word on what he has coming up. There is going to
be a third Callahan book (in March) (hooray!).  He is also
finishing up his new novel (working title is "Time
Pressure).  He read the first chapter at the
convention and it is an awesome beginning.

So, for those of you who have yet to discover Spider
Robinson, find his books wherever you can. It will
be well worth the effort.