SF-LOVERS Digest V3 #141
JPM@mit-ai
SF-LOVERS AM Digest Friday, 5 Jun 1981 Volume 3 : Issue 141
Today's Topics:
SF Poll - Favorite Rare SF, SF News - Locus,
SF Books - Fantasticats & The Right Stuff,
SF Movies - Capsule Movie Reviews & Script query answered,
SF TV - Sex in Star Trek, Digest Correction - Wording Error,
SF Topics - Children's stories (Mushroom Planet and Mr. Bass) &
Children's TV (Super President), Spoiler - Star Trek (Sex)
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Date: 4 Jun 81 16:00-PDT
From: mclure at Sri-Unix
Subject: Locus blurbs
The June issue mentions that 1) Asimov has signed a contract for a new
novel in the Foundation series, called Lightning Rod. 2) A new Star
Trek movie is in the works, but with a $6 million dollar budget
instead of $40 million+ for the last one, and reportedly Spock is
killed in the preliminary script (since Nimoy apparently wants out of
the entire thing), 3) Omni's successful science fiction anthologies
may coalesce into a new magazine called Omni Science Fiction (the
first anthology sold 350,000 copies in 3 months, the best for any SF
anthology).
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Date: 27 May 1981 at 0120-CDT
From: hjjh at UTEXAS-11
To: sf-lovers at mit-ai
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ FANTASTICATS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I've been invited down to San Antonio to give a talk to a cat club on
cats in SF, and would like to give them a "recommended reading" list
of books which feature felines prominently and IN A FAVORABLE LIGHT.
The books should be fairly readily come by-- if not in the public
library, in paperbacks preferably not too long out of print.
Here's what I've come up with, and would welcome further suggestions.
For instance, I remember seeing a SF/F cat anthology I lack data on.
Poul Anderson: OPERATION CHAOS <witch's cat>
A. Bertram Chandler: THE INHERITORS <feline-homo cross-breed>
Cynthia Felice: GODSFIRE <feline alien culture>
Robert Heinlien: THE DOOR INTO SUMMER <realest SF cat>
Fritz Leiber: THE GREEN MILLENIUM <cat aliens on Terra>
Clive S. Lewis: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA <Deity as cat>
Anne McCaffrey: DECISION AT DOONA <cat aliens vs. human colonists>
Patricia McKillip: FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD <magical cats>
Andre Norton: BREED TO COME <sapient cats inherit Earth>
CATSEYE <telepathic cats>
EYE OF THE MONSTER <feline alien as trek partner>
JARGOON PARD <were-cat hero>
ORDEAL IN OTHERWHERE <cat-like alien pet>
STAR MAN'S SON/DAYBREAK-2250 A.D. <mutated super-cat>
UNCHARTED STARS and THE ZERO STONE <alien in cat body>
YEAR OF THE UNICORN <"Beauty and the Were-Cat">
------------------------------
Date: 4 Jun 1981 0832-PDT (Thursday)
From: Heath at UCLA-ATS (Frank Heath)
Subject: The Right Stuff
I have just completed Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff", and I
highly recommend it. It is about the X-1, X15 rocket planes and the
original Mercury astronauts. The title and the theme of the book
relate to a quality supposedly possessed by all the hot military and
test pilots. It seems to be a combination of macho, bravery, massive
ego and superior flying skills.
It is good reading and very humorous in parts. It fills in the
background for events which I remember growing up with, i.e. the first
satellite and manned launches and the space race. Also you can see
why NASA got so fanatical about all astronauts being pilots for so
long. No one else could possibly have had the "Right Stuff" to handle
it otherwise, despite the fact that in most of the early missions the
astronauts couldn't have flown the thing if they wanted to.
Wolfe's style of writing is exaggerated to say the least and could
easily have distorted the reality of the situation. Does anybody know
of any other good references or experiences to give more opinions on
the topic?
Frank S. Heath
------------------------------
Date: 22 May 1981 1737-PDT
From: Jim McGrath <JPM at SU-AI>
Subject: Capsule Movie Reviews
(c) 1981 Chicago Sun-Times (Field News Service)
''Excalibur''-John Boorman directed this version of the Camelot
legend. It's wonderful to look at, but the characters are maddeningly
arbitrary and unexplained. Nicol Williamson (witty and fun as Merlin),
Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay and Cherie Lunghi star. Rated
R. 2 1/2 stars.
''The Hand''-Science-fiction thriller stars Michael Caine as a
cartoonist whose hand transplant goes awry. It's silly enough not to
be frightening, but notobe enjoyable. With Andrea Marcovicci. Rated R.
1 star.
''Knightriders''-George (''Dawn of the Dead'') Romero's new movie
is the Camelot story on motorcycles.
''The Legend of the Lone Ranger''-The masked man's life story
stars Klinton Spilsbury and, as Tonto, Michael Horse. Rated PG.
''Outland''-Sea Conery stars in this science-fiction thriller, set
in a mining colory on Jupiter's moon, Io. With Peter Boyle, Frances
Sternhagen, Kiki Markham. Rated PG.
------------------------------
Date: 4 Jun 1981 12:10:09-EDT
From: deryl at CCA-UNIX (Deryl Humphrey)
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V3 #139
In response to your message of Thu Jun 4 11:10:11 1981:
One can usually find copies of scripts in a number of places.
1) Fan clubs
2) nostalgia stores or husters at conventions
3) The Drama bookstore in NYC
4) The film studio
The price will range greatly and availability is scarce.
-deryl@cca-unix
------------------------------
Date: Wednesday, 3 Jun 1981 21:26-PDT
Subject: More on Mr. Bass
From: obrien at RAND-UNIX
Like everyone else, I've been vastly enjoying the nostalgia
discussion, and like everyone else, it's been reminding me of things I
enjoyed more than any reasonable person should.
It now occurs to me that Margaret Cameron's Mushroom Planet
series was the first SF I ever read, back in second grade. Well, I
decided to do everyone one better by not just remembering how great it
was, but by going out and trying it again at the age of 32. I was
very pleasantly surprised! I just read "A Mystery for Mr. Bass",
which, to be fair, I had never read before, and found it quite
acceptable. Ms. Cameron obviously is a fan of Welsh mythology and
people, which I had not remembered, and this lends the book a very
pleasant air. The series is dated, sexist, and strictly for the
childish of mind, but I still have to say I enjoyed it. A much better
experience than one has any right to, in re-reading childhood
favorites.
------------------------------
Date: 4 Jun 1981 0737-PDT
Sender: GEOFF at SRI-CSL
Subject: Another Saturday Cartoon.
From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow
When I read Lauren's message about drugs in cartoons, it reminded me
of another one: Super President. (he could change himself into any
substance), Perhaps with the aid of a drug?
------------------------------
Date: Thursday, 4 Jun 1981 10:13-PDT
Subject: Correction
From: obrien at RAND-UNIX
To correct my message yesterday to the digest:
"Margaret" -> "Eleanor"
How embarrassing.
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jun 1981 1545-PDT
From: OR.TOVEY at SU-SCORE
Subject: favorite rare sf poll
****************** FAVORITE RARE SF POLL PART 2 ******************
At last! (sorry for the delay) here is the second part of the poll of
your favorite obscure science fiction and fantasy.
How to vote: all the works are labelled below as Ax or Bx, x integer,
A for book length entries and B for shorter works. For each entry you
can vote on obscurity and quality.
Obscurity: 0 -- never heard of it (except on the sfl rare sf
discussion).
1 -- heard of it.
2 -- read it.
3 -- many of my friends have read it, too.
Quality: Use a scale of 1 (terrible) to 5 (excellent).
Important: the default for Obscurity is 0, so you don't have to vote
A2 0 if you've never heard of A2. A vote of "A4 0,5" means you saw A4
mentioned on sfl, read it, and thought it excellent. People who
submitted entries \should/ vote for them, but do not need to repeat
their comments, (e.g. "Shook my belief in reality"), which will appear
in the poll results. Additional comments are welcome . We do have
publishing information on almost all the entries and will include it
in the poll results.
******* SEND YOUR VOTES TO SF-RARE@MIT-AI WITHIN ONE WEEK *******
A1) Chester Anderson // The Butterfly Kid (forms a trilogy with A74, A126)
A3) Baker // The Garden of the Plynck
A5) J. G. Ballard // The Crystal World
A6) " " // The Overloaded Man
A10) T.J.Bass // Half Past Human
A11) T.J. Bass // The Godwhale
A15) Alfred Bester // Starburst (especially the story Oddy and Id).
A17) Fredric Brown // "Angels and Spaceships"
A20) John Brunner // A Planet of your Own
A22) Anthony Burgess // The Wanting Seed
A24) G.K. Chesterton // The Ball and the Cross
A25) " " // Tales of the White Horse
A26) " " // The Club of Queer Trades
A28) M. Collins // Lukan War
A30) Michael Coney // Syzygy
A31) Michael Coney // Brontomek!
A34) Authur byron Cover // Autumn Angels
A35) " " Cover // An East Wind Coming
A40) Samuel R. Delaney, ed. // Quark 1,2,3,4
A42) Thomas M. Disch // Camp Concentration
A44) Finney // Circus of Dr. Lao
A45) Finney // The Unholy City (includes The Magician out of Manchuria).
A46) Finney // The Ghosts of Manacle
A48) Randall Garrett (pub as Darrel Langert) // ANYTHING YOU CAN DO.
A50) Mark Geston // Out of the Mouth of the Dragon
A51) " " // The Lords of the Starship
A52) " " // The Siege of Wonder
A54) Philip E. High, in general
A60) Hubbard // Return to Tomorrow
A64) William Johnston // Get Smart books: `And Loving It',
A65) Sorry Chief,
A66) Missed it by That Much'.
A68) M.K.Joseph // The Hole in the Zero
A70) Walter Karig // Zotz
A72) Damon Knight // Hell's Pavement
A74) Michael Kurland // The Unicorn Girl
A76) R A Lafferty // Space Chantey
A78) Keith Laumer // The Great Time Machine Hoax
A80) Harold Livingston // The Climacticon
A82) Angus MacVicar // SUPER NOVA AND THE ROGUE SATELLITE
A84) Ellen K. McKenzie // Taash and the Jesters
A86) Hope Mirrlees // Lud-In-The-Mist
A88) Ward Moore // Bring the Jubilee
A89) Ward Moore // Greener Than You Think
A90) H. Warner Munn // Merlin's Ring
A91) " " // Merlin's Godson
A92) John Myers Myerson // Silverlock
A94) Elizabeth Pope // PERILOUS GARD
A96) John Rackham // The Double Invaders
A98) Eric Frank Russel // The Great Explosion
A100) Arthur Sellings // THE POWER OF X
A101) Arthur Sellings // THE UNCENSORED MAN
A102) Sellings, in general
A105) Olaf Stapledon // The Flames
A110) Leon Stover and Harry Harrison, eds. // Apeman, Spaceman:
Anthropological Science Fiction
A112) Theodore Sturgeon // Some of Your Blood
A114) Dan Thomas // The Seed
A116) Ruth Plumly Thompson // Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
A118) Jack Vance // The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph
A120) VerCours // And Ye Shall Know Them
A122) Alexander Volkov // The Wooden Soldiers of Oz
A124) Per Wahloo // Murder on the 31st Floor
A126) T.A. Waters // The Probability Pad
A128) A.T. Wright. // Islandia
B1) A.C. Clarke //'The Transit of Earth'
B2) Larry Niven // "The Magic Goes Away" in its original novella-length
version. (\Not/ the version published in paperback)
B3) Theodore Sturgeon // "The Man Who Lost the Sea"
B4) Sturgeon // "Maturity"
again, send your votes to SF-RARE @ MIT-AI.
--cat
------------------------------
JPM@MIT-AI 6/5/81 00:00:00 Re: SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!
The following message is the last in the digest. While concentrating
on the topic of Sex in Star Trek, it reveals details about the plot
development in the episode entitled "The Doomsday Machine." Those
unfamilar with this episode may not wish to read any further.
------------------------------
Date: 21 May 1981 11:27:31-PDT
From: C.dasilva at Berkeley
Subject: Sex in star trek
Forwarded from Dan'l Oakes. Re: Sex in stpek
The \UNQUESTIONABLE/ dirtiest strek episode of them all is Norman
Spinrad's "The Doomsday Machine" -- the perfect blend of sex and
violence. Norman deliberately infused this apparently-innocent episode
with every bit of Freudian psychosexual symbolism imaginable.
Consider: The planet eater itself, viewed sidelong, is the
ultimate phallic symbol; viewed head on, it is a classic \vagina
dentata/.
The other captain (the lesser male) attempts to ram his ship
down the thing's maw (fuck the thing) and dies trying.
Kirk (the dominant male) succeeds, with the following
resultant event-chain:
-- The people on the Enterprise are trying to beam
him back on board.
-- The shuttlecraft rams into the thing's maw.
-- In a side view that looks remarkably like a male
orgasm, the thing ejaculates white stuff which we
assume to be flames (In a vacuum ???).
-- The Enterprise crew \finally/ succeeds in beaming
kirk aboard: his hair is disshevelled, he's
sweating hard. No doubt if he turned around (he
doesn't), we'd see fingernail-scratches on his back.
Is this or is this not the dirtiest strek ?
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End of SF-LOVERS Digest
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