Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!boyajian%akov68.DEC From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: re: SF Bar Tales Message-ID: <3201@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 08:34:21 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3201 Posted: Fri Aug 9 08:34:21 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 04:23:58 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 40 From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (JERRY BOYAJIAN) > From: marotta%lezah.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (MARY MAROTTA) > A few recent messages briefly mentioned the "tall tales in a bar" subgenre. > I assume this is sub- to SF, but I have trouble characterizing the > subgenre. Would anyone care to describe their idea of what a "bar" tale > is? Perhaps a few more references to authors would help: Clarke, Cabell, > and Lord Dunsany have already been mentioned. Is this strictly a type > of short story? Well, we're discussing this in the context of sf, but the roots of the sub-genre are quite old. The idea of a story in which a character tells a tale goes back at least as far as AN ARABIAN NIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT. There are also numerous stories of people telling stories around a campfire. The idea of setting this type of story in a bar or club (a la Dunsany) is not restricted, I'm sure, to sf, but I don't know any mainstream examples off-hand. In discussing such stories that take place in bars (such as Arthur Clarke's "White Hart", Spider Robinson's "Callahan's Place", deCamp & Pratt's "Gavagan's Bar", etc., I tend to also include those that take place in clubs, such as my earlier posting about Dunsany's "Billiard Club". As for other examples, there's Niven's "Draco Tavern" series, in CONVERGENT SERIES and LIMITS, plus an individual story in A HOLE IN SPACE ("The Fourth Profession") taking place in "the Long Spoon". There's also Stephen King's "The Breathing Method" (in DIFFERENT SEASONS). Even Peter Straub's GHOST STORY features a small club called, if I can remember correctly, the Chowder Society, the four members of which told ghost stories to each other. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA