The Bimbo has a thrilling announcement for y'all, so listen up.
You better get those Hugo Nominating Ballots in before Saturday, the
16th of March. Midnight Friday is the last time your postmark will
be valid. So hurry it up now...
[ See previous post "**!** Hugo Nominations Deadline **!**"
for serious details ]
And *don't forget that "electronic media writing" is perfectly
acceptable when considering someone for nomination as "Best Fan
Writer."
You got five nominations in each category. Use 'em well. As for
"Best Fan Writer," *this* year, I'm going to fill out all *five*
spots. And *this* year, they're *all* gonna be people who (at
least primarily) do their "Fan Writing" on the Internet.
Here are four writers I am considering. I will nominate THREE
of them for sure. < g > (maybe all four ... maybe not...)
1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
2: Nancy Lebovitz - Interesting comments, frequently answers
requests for help, pertinent remarks
3: Rick Cook - Okay, he's a pro. But he *also* writes as a
"fan." And I am always intrigued by what he has to say
** and for those who were wondering just *what* the title of
this article has to do with it's *content*... **
4: "Gharlane of Eddore" - That's right. The Evil One. Sure,
he irritates me sometimes. But he's as informative as anyone
writing in the genre today, he is sometimes *very* funny, and
he, like Nancy, very often promptly and courteously answers
fans' requests for information. I'm sure *considering* him
for a nomination...
[ shhhhhhh.... don't want mr. eddore to *hear* this...
wouldn't it be a *scream* if he got nominated and then **won**?
gharlane *exposed*!!! would the evil one *dare* accept
his hugo??? stay tuned ... and vote ...for further
developments. (film at eleven, after the awards.)
and now I gotta run *real fast* for that Bomb Shelter, folks,
before GoE realizes what's been *done* to him...!!!
See you all there! < chortle >
( and think about who you're gonna nominate, 'kay? )
"'I like a girl with spirit,' he said, incorrectly as it
turned out."
- Terry Pratchett
- 'By For Now -
M.Q.S., "Official Bimbo" for Baltimore; (SCOoF)
p.s. - I want to BE there when they carry in that Disembodied
Brain in a Jar for "The Ceremonies!" <giggle>
--
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
| M.Q.S. c/o T.L.S | "Don't play with that! You have no idea where |
| tls...@netcom.com | it's been..." -- Speaker to Elevators |
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
> Here are four writers I am considering. I will nominate THREE
> of them for sure. < g > (maybe all four ... maybe not...)
>
> 1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
> often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
Goshwowboyohboy, thanks. This is very perceptive of you. :-) You are
clearly a person of keen discrimination, taste, and intelligence. I'll
bet you also have a sensitive fannish face. (I write for fanzines as
well, not to mention for money: practice helps.)
<snip>
> [ shhhhhhh.... don't want mr. eddore to *hear* this...
That's "Mr. *of* Eddore" to *you*. Careful, or he'll throw a mental bolt
at you that will singe your socks off. I think he's been oppressing
Delgonians, but don't tell anyone.
-- Gary Farber Middlemiss gfa...@panix.com
Copyright 1996 for DUFF Brooklyn, NY, USA
> You better get those Hugo Nominating Ballots in before Saturday, the
> 16th of March. Midnight Friday is the last time your postmark will
> be valid. So hurry it up now...
>
>
> And *don't forget that "electronic media writing" is perfectly
> acceptable when considering someone for nomination as "Best Fan
> Writer."
>
> Here are four writers I am considering.
>
> 1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
> often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
>
> 2: Nancy Lebovitz - Interesting comments, frequently answers
> requests for help, pertinent remarks
>
> 3: Rick Cook - Okay, he's a pro. But he *also* writes as a
> "fan." And I am always intrigued by what he has to say
>
> 4: "Gharlane of Eddore" - That's right. The Evil One. Sure,
> he irritates me sometimes. But he's as informative as anyone
> writing in the genre today, he is sometimes *very* funny, and
> he, like Nancy, very often promptly and courteously answers
> fans' requests for information. I'm sure *considering* him
> for a nomination...
Yes - especially Gharlane! You know, I've heard that Harlan Ellison has
complained that usenet is full of misinformation, but Gharlane has
singlehandedly (or whatever) improved the signal to noise ratio. Gharlane
not only gently corrects posters who have not done their homework, but he
does it with style.
As mentioned elsewhere, don't forget these other talented usenet writers:
(copied from previous post - sorry I forget who listed them originally).
Seth Breidbart
"Ahasuerus the Wandering Jew"
Evelyn C. Leeper
Chaz Baden
Jay Denebeim
Arthur D. Hlavaty
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
rich brown a.k.a. DrGafia
Rick Cook
Lawrence Watt-Evans
>
> p.s. - I want to BE there when they carry in that Disembodied
> Brain in a Jar for "The Ceremonies!" (giggle deleted)
Me too!
>
By the way - I have a nominating sheet for the Hugos but I had decided not
to vote since there are so many good works out there and I haven't read
even a small fraction of them. Can anyone suggest the best way to keep
up-to-date on what is being done in the field? Also, could this newsgroup
be considered a fanzine?
--
When did "Sliders" fandom pick *that* name? B-)
Brett
*SLMW 1.0* Do not disturb. Already disturbed.
> On Tue, 12 Mar 1996, Terry L. Smith wrote:
> > 1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
> > often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
>
> Goshwowboyohboy, thanks. This is very perceptive of you. :-) You are
> clearly a person of keen discrimination, taste, and intelligence. I'll
Intelligence:Yes.
Taste: I'll have to get back to you on that. What are you doing Sat
night, Miss Bimbeaux?
[duck]
Sleeping vertically,
DorMouse
Very few people indeed read all the good sf published these days,
whatever your metric for "good sf" is. It makes sense to nominate that
which you think is truly of high quality, and then read the five nominees
in each category when the final ballot is issued. Five works in each
fiction category is not an excessive load to read.
: Can anyone suggest the best way to keep
: up-to-date on what is being done in the field?
Subscribing to "Science Fiction Chronicle" and "Locus" is one good start,
of course, if you have no other sources. Read rec.arts.sf.written if all
else fails. Bring a filter and plenty of patience. Sarcastic wit is
optional.
: Also, could this newsgroup be considered a fanzine?
You are cross-posting to three newsgroups, but in any case, though it
would be up to the Hugo Subcommittee to make a ruling (David Bratman and
Seth Goldberg this year, I believe), I would argue that the answer is
"no." I doubt David and Seth would disagree, though I haven't asked
them. Newsgroups don't meet any of the Constitutional requirements, and
are certainly not edited. Who would you propose accept such a reward,
assuming David and Seth were struck by brain fever and ruled that newsgroups
were eligible?
--
> p.s. - I want to BE there when they carry in that Disembodied
> Brain in a Jar for "The Ceremonies!" <giggle>
Your having way way to much fun with this :-)
Liav
>1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
> often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
After starting the "A Heinlein Anecdote" thread, Faber deserves
something, but don't you think it is "sending the wrong message"
to give him a Hugo? 8-)
Matt Hickman bh...@chevron.com TANSTAAFL!
OS/2 Systems Specialist, Chevron Information Technologies Co.
Thorby, my skinny and retarded brother -- I think you
were dropped on your head. But sorry as your are, I love
you for the fumbling grace with which you wipe the drool
off your chin. (Fritz Krausa)
- Robert A. Heinlein _Citizen of the Galaxy_
[snip]
: ** and for those who were wondering just *what* the title of
:this article has to do with it's *content*... **
:
:4: "Gharlane of Eddore" - That's right. The Evil One. Sure,
: he irritates me sometimes. But he's as informative as anyone
: writing in the genre today, he is sometimes *very* funny, and
: he, like Nancy, very often promptly and courteously answers
: fans' requests for information. I'm sure *considering* him
: for a nomination...
:
: [ shhhhhhh.... don't want mr. eddore to *hear* this...
: wouldn't it be a *scream* if he got nominated and then **won**?
: gharlane *exposed*!!! would the evil one *dare* accept
: his hugo??? stay tuned ... and vote ...for further
: developments. (film at eleven, after the awards.)
:
:and now I gotta run *real fast* for that Bomb Shelter, folks,
:before GoE realizes what's been *done* to him...!!!
:
Having played the "Gharlane identity game", I hold out what may be your
only hope of survival - adopt a cat.
--
this signature being renovated ... excuse the mess
> By the way - I have a nominating sheet for the Hugos but I had decided not
> to vote since there are so many good works out there and I haven't read
> even a small fraction of them. Can anyone suggest the best way to keep
> up-to-date on what is being done in the field?
Quit your job, lock your doors, rip out your phones, don't eat, sleep or do anything
else but read sf :) If you follow my advice you'll probally be able to read a good
percent of the stuff out there. Of course it's not the greatest thing for your health.
Liav.
: > On Tue, 12 Mar 1996, Terry L. Smith wrote:
: > > 1: Gary Farber - always popping up over on rec.arts.sf.fandom.
: > > often funny, sometimes informative, usually interesting
: >
: > Goshwowboyohboy, thanks. This is very perceptive of you. :-) You are
: > clearly a person of keen discrimination, taste, and intelligence. I'll
: Intelligence:Yes.
: Taste: I'll have to get back to you on that. What are you doing Sat
: night, Miss Bimbeaux?
Why do you ask?
What did you have in mind?
I'll probably go to an SF gathering... Where I may acquire a new
Fiance. I think I may have time for one before it's *my* turn
to re-decorate Roger's House. I'll have to check my Fiance Log
and see.
And BTW, it's never too late for a Blond to start acquiring
Fiancees. You should escort a different Fiancee to every Con
you attend, Mickers. This will either Greatly Enhance or
Ruin Completely your Reputation. Or both.
: [duck]
Canard.
.
: Sleeping vertically,
: DorMouse
Huh? Did I miss something there? I thought those Mimbari beds were
just *tilted*...
"You must _not_ forget the suspenders, Best Beloved."
- Rudyard Kipling
- 'By For Now -
- M.Q.S., "Official Bimbo" for Baltimore; (SCOoF)
--
Really, can *"Mr. *of* Eddore"* do that through a phone line? I thought you
have to have a transblaster sighted on the person &/or a toe nail cliping :)
Liav.
MFinn
(Somebody, anybody...get Cook do finish the damn series? :} )
> Raymond Francis Fitzpatrick (fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu) wrote:
> : Intelligence:Yes.
> : Taste: I'll have to get back to you on that. What are you doing Sat
> : night, Miss Bimbeaux?
>
> Why do you ask?
>
> What did you have in mind?
*slurp*
>
> I'll probably go to an SF gathering... Where I may acquire a new
> Fiance. I think I may have time for one before it's *my* turn
> to re-decorate Roger's House. I'll have to check my Fiance Log
> and see.
>
Marry me.
*there*
> And BTW, it's never too late for a Blond to start acquiring
> Fiancees. You should escort a different Fiancee to every Con
> you attend, Mickers. This will either Greatly Enhance or
> Ruin Completely your Reputation. Or both.
>
Fiancee? Well, I have been known to propose. Of course, I was being
massaged or fed chocolate at the time.
(Hmmm. Just noticed how closely related fiancee & finances were realted,
spelling wise)
>
> : [duck]
>
> Canard.
>
Cantard.
> .
> : Sleeping vertically,
> : DorMouse
>
>
> Huh? Did I miss something there? I thought those Mimbari beds were
> just *tilted*...
>
And what do the Minbari believe sleeping vertically does?
*adjusts her glasses*
>
> "You must _not_ forget the suspenders, Best Beloved."
> - Rudyard Kipling
>
I'm helping this girl I'm sorta dating move this weekend. I find some
repelling gear under the bed. I made SURE it was repelling gear,
considering where she stashed it. Checked the ceiling for hooks, too.
Pining away but keep meeting lumberjacks,
Mickers
For Ghreat Ghrotty Ghu's sake, the word is "rappelle."
"Rappelling."
I know that the loons and retards who like to climb up hard rock faces
and fall back down didn't graduate from sixth grade and don't know the
difference between "repel" and "rappelle," but you MIGHT want to find
out what the two different words mean before you go out in public
with a computer terminal again.
I *presumed* you were discussing "repelling" things under her bed
until you started talking about hooks in the ceiling, and realized
that the imputed absence of hooks implied that you were probably talking
about "rappelling gear" instead.
In other words, your lack of attention to spelling communicated something
far different than you'd intended, because you didn't know what words
you were trying to use.
Good luck on achieving some familiarity with English before you attempt
to post again.....
> (Somebody, anybody...get Cook do finish the damn series? :} )
He is, he is. One sentence at a time between bolt tightenings, I understand.
---
Frank Ney WV/EMT-B VA/EMT-A N4ZHG LPWV NRA(L) GOA CCRKBA JPFO
Sponsor, BATF Abuse page http://www.access.digex.net/~croaker/batfabus.html
West Virginia Coordinator, Libertarian Second Amendment Caucus
"[E]lections amount to no more than choosing between the scum that floats to
the top of the barrel and the dregs that settle to the bottom."
- L. Neil Smith
> I'm helping this girl I'm sorta dating move this weekend. I find some
> repelling gear under the bed. I made SURE it was repelling gear,
> considering where she stashed it. Checked the ceiling for hooks, too.
ROTFLMAO!
> In <Pine.SOL.3.91.960318...@jove.acs.unt.edu>
> Raymond Francis Fitzpatrick <fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu> writes:
> >
> ....<deletia>
> >
> > I'm helping this girl I'm sorta dating move this weekend. I find some
> > repelling gear under the bed. I made SURE it was repelling gear,
> > considering where she stashed it. Checked the ceiling for hooks, too.
>
> For Ghreat Ghrotty Ghu's sake, the word is "rappelle."
> "Rappelling."
>
> I know that the loons and retards who like to climb up hard rock faces
> and fall back down didn't graduate from sixth grade and don't know the
> difference between "repel" and "rappelle," but you MIGHT want to find
> out what the two different words mean before you go out in public
> with a computer terminal again.
>
> I *presumed* you were discussing "repelling" things under her bed
> until you started talking about hooks in the ceiling, and realized
> that the imputed absence of hooks implied that you were probably talking
> about "rappelling gear" instead.
Actually, you hit the nail on the head. It was a pun.
The fact that you didn't get it may mean either I was way too obtuse (that
happens), it's a regional colloquialism, or simply a term that falls
outside your scope of experience (in this case, it's not a bad thing. I'm
not into bondage myself, just have friends that are).
If you don't know what hardcore bondage goths call Repelling Gear, don't
ask. You don't want to know. I'll give you a hint, though...it was given
a boost by Hellraiser.
Now, what PROBABLY happened is that, quite simply, I DID screw up. The
pun makes no sense as it stands anyway. The irony is that GoE had every
right (well, far as I'm concerned) to light into me; he just didn't catch
the right place to do it.
Change "SURE it was" to "SURE it wasn't".
Note that I'm neither trying to weasle my way out (I called myself down
on the carpet on the typo, and even thought I was being a tad obtuse),
nor trying to make GoE look like an idgit. Frankly, I'm suprised he
hasn't beat my fingers to a bloody pulp by now; as stated before, I toss
these notes out on the fly between minor emergencies at work. My notes
for storylines look more professional than these posts ;}
MFinn
Attend, all ye who lurketh here:
The Bimbo's News-Editor-with-a-mind-of-its-own deleted a
couple of lines from a follow-up that the Bimbo made to Mr.
Micker's post. The Bimbo, being in Nitwit Mode, did not
*notice* this, until the dam thing was posted. Follows
the section in question, as it should have been...
[BTW, speaking of dam thngs, weren't the *original* "Troll
Dolls" called "Dam Things?" And weren't they from Denmark, or
somewhere??? AKICiF! Back to the correction, now...]
Raymond Francis Fitzpatrick (fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu) wrote:
: On Fri, 15 Mar 1996, Terry L. Smith wrote:
: > Raymond Francis Fitzpatrick (fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu) wrote:
: > : Intelligence:Yes.
: > : Taste: I'll have to get back to you on that. What are you doing Sat
----------> snip <----------
: Fiancee? Well, I have been known to propose. Of course, I was being
: massaged or fed chocolate at the time.
: (Hmmm. Just noticed how closely related fiancee & finances were realted,
: spelling wise)
: >
: > : [duck]
: >
: > Canard.
: >
: Cantard.
?
Okay ... if you say so... Since I've not the slightest what
you are implying here, I'll give you two choices...
Cantharides
...
------> major snip of rest of post <------
Apologies from the Bimbo.
He seems to have gotten off into doing a different series. He does that
occasionally.
I want to find out what happens to the little jerks with the scarves.
They ticked off the WRONG woman.
Both Cook and Straczynski seem to like strong female characters.
I mean, Mist from the Dread Empire, the Lady, and Soulcatcher are such
shy and forgiving types :-).
Seriously, does anyone know if he has any plans on when he might write the
next one?
Maybe someone can get him a winning lottery ticket, so he can take a break
from the assembly line.
Kyle L. Webb Dept. of Physics + Astronomy
kw...@astro.phys.unm.edu University of New Mexico
> : >
> : > : [duck]
> : >
> : > Canard.
> : >
> : Cantard.
>
> ?
>
Check out Glen Cook's Garrett Files, right next to Rick Cook.
Or check out a really good dictionary. Not like the one we have in the
lab (It still amazes me that at a high profile college lab, where people
write their papers, we have a 150 page dictionary.)
> Okay ... if you say so... Since I've not the slightest what
> you are implying here, I'll give you two choices...
>
> Cantharides
Cantankerous.
>
> In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.960318...@jove.acs.unt.edu> fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu writes:
>
> > (Somebody, anybody...get Cook do finish the damn series? :} )
>
> He is, he is. One sentence at a time between bolt tightenings, I understand.
And Garret books.
3, I think, since his new job has seriously cut into his time for writing.
(Gotta love GM cutbacks). I LIKE the Garret books, and wouldnt mind so
much if he hadn't left us on a cliff with the last BC novel.
Owie. Stingy.
You think waiting a month for the 3rd part of this mini-arc was
anticipation? Sheesh ;}
MFinn
(Like I should talk. I'm so far behind I pass myself on the stairs every
morning. "Night Ralph.")
> In <Pine.SOL.3.91.960318...@jove.acs.unt.edu>
> Raymond Francis Fitzpatrick <fi...@jove.acs.unt.edu> writes:
> >
> ....<deletia>
> >
> > I'm helping this girl I'm sorta dating move this weekend. I find some
> > repelling gear under the bed. I made SURE it was repelling gear,
> > considering where she stashed it. Checked the ceiling for hooks, too.
> >
>
>
> For Ghreat Ghrotty Ghu's sake, the word is "rappelle."
> "Rappelling."
I have been rappelling... I thought the verb form was rappel...
(unfortunately I don't have my dictionary handy--Murphy was an
optimist.)
------
scott jeter
bje...@odin.cbu.edu
------
In <3146f586...@hobbes.cc.uga.edu>
BRE...@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (Brett Middleton) writes:
>
> When did "Sliders" fandom pick *that* name? B-)
>
Actually, most "Slidies" seem to display the phenotypical markers
peculiar to the more common varieties of the creatures Garrett
christened "Cadeligian rateagles." (a.k.a. raptor felis Cadelixus.)
>
>Actually, most "Slidies" seem to display the phenotypical markers
>peculiar to the more common varieties of the creatures Garrett
>christened "Cadeligian rateagles." (a.k.a. raptor felis Cadelixus.)
>
I don't know much about Latin, but I *do* know that "felis" describes
cats, not rats. Unless there's a subtext that I'm missing... (I must
also confess a shocking lack of knowledge about Garrett's work outside
his "LORD DARCY" books.)
---
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
<BRAG>Creator and maintainer of the Legions of Steel Web Page!</BRAG>
http://www.hookup.net/~losglobl
"Rappel" is standard modern form, yes; but since, in classical
pronunciation, it's prounounced "rappelle," I prefer the formally
correct spelling.
YMMV. Since it's French, it doesn't really matter.
"The French don't care what they DO, actually, so long as they
prounounce it properly." -- Prof. H. Higgins
I wonder how many people are going to ask which episode of Magnum PI this
was in.....
Finn
In <4iu8n3$h...@obelix.helix.net> spatt...@wwdc.com (Steve Patterson) writes:
>
> I don't know much about Latin, but I *do* know that "felis" describes
> cats, not rats. Unless there's a subtext that I'm missing... (I must
> also confess a shocking lack of knowledge about Garrett's work outside
> his "LORD DARCY" books.)
>
It's a joke derived from a joke.... Read Garrett's "BACKSTAGE LENSMAN."
But it'll only really be funny if you've read the four "LENSMAN" novels
first.
In <1996Mar2...@vax.wittenberg.edu>
lcra...@wittenberg.edu (Crawf) writes:
>
> ...except, perhaps, stand up. :-) :-) :-)
>
> ...and before you fire up that flame-thrower, let me point out that
> I could give you some serious competition in the Harlan Ellison
> stand-alike contest. :-)
>
Please don't be ridiculous; you know perfectly well that from *MY*
viewpoint, you and Ellison are BOTH victims of pituitary giantism.
*mutter* Srizonified tall people... always making "short" jokes....
: Finn
'ere na' yew boit yer tongue, you cheeky devil.
--
Beth (but you can call me Eliza) ;)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Write your senators and urge them to support Senator Leahy's Bill (Senate
Bill 1567 to repeal section 502 of the CDA). You can get your senators'
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According to the Communications Decency Act, these are the words you may
no longer use in your Internet correspondence: Shit, piss, fuck, cunt,
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Bill into law. Please refrain from using shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cock-
sucker, mother-fucker and tits, to protect your children as well as
others, from their evil influence, thus keeping America "ideologically
pure".
spatt...@wwdc.com (Steve Patterson) replied:
:*Sigh.* Another book on my hunt list. Especially since I'm missing two
:of the four LENSMAN novels. (Silly me; I bought "FIRST LENSMAN" 'cause,
:like, it'll be first, right? And then "GRAY LENSMAN" (spelling Yankeefied
:out of courtesy to "Doc"), and I'm afraid to read on.)
Good luck! "Backstage Lensman was a story in Analog, back in the '70s. It
also can be found in the Randall Garrett collection _Takeoff_ ... Haunt
the used bookstores until you've found this book, and grab it!
I'll just go to the local university library (which has bound every Analog
since 1971) and read until my eyes bleed...
*GRIN* Reminds me of the "MAGNUM, P.I." script I had rejected, because
of my comedic climax scene, which hinged on Higgins' Webley .455 turning
out to *actually* be one of the Webley .45's that were built to run on U.S.
.45 ACP ammo, so that he was able to use ammo from one of Thomas Magnum's
spare magazines... (Since Hillerman is a native Texan, I figured he'd
enjoy getting to do a scene as the Sundance Kid.)
The folks who evaluated the script were apparently Not Amused by Higgins
proving to be a competent Texas-style gunslinger, and they also insisted
that no Webley revolver could use .45 ACP ammo, which told me how much
they actually knew about their own series format....
I stopped watching the show quite so religiously after that.
In <4ivbou$e...@obelix.helix.net>
spatt...@wwdc.com (Steve Patterson) writes:
>
> *Sigh.* Another book on my hunt list. Especially since I'm missing two
> of the four LENSMAN novels. (Silly me; I bought "FIRST LENSMAN" 'cause,
> like, it'll be first, right? And then "GRAY LENSMAN" (spelling Yankeefied
> out of courtesy to "Doc"), and I'm afraid to read on.)
>
Not at all. The "Lensman" saga was conceived and outlined as one long
400,000-word novel, broken into four 100,000-word sections. In 1937,
E.E. Smith made his deal to serialize those four books in "ASTOUNDING"
magazine; they were printed over the next ten years. In order, they
are:
#1: "GALACTIC PATROL."
#2: "GRAY LENSMAN." (*)
#3: "SECOND-STAGE LENSMAN."
#4: "CHILDREN OF THE LENS."
These four books *are* the "Lensman Series."
(So you're missing three of the four important ones.)
Later, when Dr. Smith made his deal to sell them for hardback book
publication, the publisher, Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, had a stroke of
inspiration. He conned Smith into RE-writing an earlier, unrelated,
serial, so that it could be used as a "prequel" to the four; and
then got Smith to write a "bridge" novel, "FIRST LENSMAN," to
connect it to the main body of the series.
That's where "TRIPLANETARY" and "FIRST LENSMAN" came from; while
they're interesting work, part of the history of the field, they're
effectively just afterthought add-ons.
*THEN*, around 1960, Smith finally finished his "VORTEX BLASTER"
yarn, which is merely *set* in the "Lensman" universe, and that
somehow got hooked onto the series as well.
For a whole slew of detail information on these and other books,
my "LENSMAN" Web Page / FAQ is available at:
http://168.150.253.1/~zlensman/lensfaq.html
This storage site should be stable for at least a year, if anyone
wants to put up links to it in other pages.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lastly, Randall Garrett's short piece, "BACKSTAGE LENSMAN,"
is a put-on/pastiche/parody/bad joke about the "Lensman" books,
and got its first major publication in "ANALOG" in 1978,
although Garrett was working on earlier versions prior to 1950.
You can find it in numerous collections, but it won't be
entirely funny until after you've read the "Lensmen" yarns.
Incidentally, by all reports, E.E. Smith Ph.D. *loved*
Garrett's early version of "BACKSTAGE LENSMAN," nearly
half a century ago. It's a real pity Smith didn't live
to see the final version, which was printed a decade
after his death.
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(*) Concerning your dig about the "Yankeefication" of spelling;
since E.E. Smith, PhD, got all his basic reading and writing
education prior to the turn of the century, he *knew* the
difference between "grey" and "gray," and used them appropriately.
The title of the book Smith wrote is "GRAY LENSMAN." Despite
this, the title given on the cover of the magazine containing
the first installment of the serialization gave the title as
"GREY LENSMAN." The spelling inside the magazine was correct,
of course, and the cover title was corrected by the second
installment.
This same idiocy occurred with the first hardbound edition
from Fantasy Press; the dust jacket said "GREY LENSMAN," but
the binding, and the book itself, used the correct spelling.
To the best of my knowledge, all subsequent editions have
employed the correct spelling, i.e. "GRAY."
(These two abberations of cover art merely prove that
the average graphic artist is heavily into affectation, and
only borderline literate.)
Due to this history, REAL SF people know the difference between
"gray" and "grey," and don't employ tediously affective variant
spellings, with the possible exception of the historical fennish
preoccupation with the letter "H," as in "BHEER IS THE ONLY TRUE GHOD."
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| __ __ |
| We are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. / | / \ |
| We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, -|---+----+- |
| Crystal and scanner, holographic demons, | | | |
| And invocations of equations. |_/ \__/ |
| |
| These are the tools we employ. And we know... many things. |
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