sf-lovers (08/10/82)
>From JPM@MIT-AI Tue Aug 10 10:11:01 1982 SF-LOVERS Digest Thursday, 5 Aug 1982 Volume 6 : Issue 33 Today's Topics: SF Fandom - CHICON IV, SF TV - HHGttG & Dr Who & Dark Star, SF Movies - Lifepod, SF Books - Here's the Plot...What's the Title & Pride of Chandur & Windhaven & Lensman Series & Stanislaw Lem, Humor - Genderless Video Games ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 August 1982 01:11 edt From: Schauble.Multics at MIT-MULTICS Subject: Worldcon query Anyone here from the Chicago worldcon who can answer a question about site selection? Please respond directly to me. Thanks, Paul ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 1982 15:24:55-PDT From: ihuxl!ignatz at Berkeley Subject: Chicagoans on CHICON IV Hi there. I'm Dave Ihnat; this fellow next to me is Doug Price. How you doing ,eh? As we're sure you're all aware, CHICON IV is fast approaching. Specifically, Sept. 2-6. It has occurred to the two of us that the net would be a good way to accept queries, gripes, etc.; answer questions, disseminate the latest & greatest, etc. concerning the con. In fact, Doug is on the official publications editorial staff, and we both know & have access to the Powers That Be for Chicon. Not necessarily always have influence, but access. So, perhaps some information. If you already know all this, be patient; there are still some poor souls who don't. CHICON IV is the World Science Fiction Convention for 1982. It will be at the Hyatt-Regency Chicago, Thursday, Sept. 2 thru Monday, Sept. 6, 1982--essentially the Labor day weekend. Hotel room rates are somewhat variable, depending upon which hotel you get. Double-doubles are hard to come by at the Hyatt, but otherwise there's still a lot of room left at the Hyatt and others. You can't apply through the Convention bureau anymore, however--our reserved blocks are no longer being held. Thus, contact your hotel of choice directly. (This shouldn't be a problem; we suggest trying the Hyatt first, since all functions of the convention are being held there, and you'll find most parties there, as well. Of course, if you're not particularly a party animal, then...but then, why did you come...eh? Enuf.) Room rates depend on which hotel and what you get, but in general run *about* $70.00 for a double- double, $50.00 for a double, and $40.00 for a single. (These are *excellent* rates for downtown Chicago, by the way--Magnificent Mile, don't you know. For instance, a single at the Hyatt is normally $98.00/nite. If you've any questions--other hotels, exact rates, etc.--feel free to MAIL either one of us a message; we'll answer pronto. Really. As for the convention, I hope you all planned ahead. The rates just recently took their last jump-- to $70.00 dollars for the whole thing. And, sadly, there are *no* one-days. *sigh*. However, all is not bleak; they're pro-rating the cost on a day-by-day basis, such that if you show up a day or two late, you only pay for the remaining days. What? Oh...ok. Here's Doug...eh? That's not peanuts for membership. But you're not getting peanuts, either. For instance, over three tracks of programming will be running every day of the convention. That's three (or more) possible topics, discussions, interviews, etc. running at once for you to choose from! There will be scads of professional writers and editors to sign your first-editions and to do readings from their own works. They'll even answer your questions. ("Gee, Mr. Ellison, do you *really* throw fans down elevator shaf--aaaaaughh.....")("Geee, Ike--er, Mr. Asimov--where do you get all your ideas??") There's also an Art Show (note the capitals) in which you can bid on pieces ranging from Foglio to Sternbach. The Huckster Room will have 250 tables of booksellers, media material, photographs, gamer's materials, etc. etc. The Film Rooms will have two tracks of the newest and the oldest, the best and the worst films you have ever seen! An additional track of video programming will be presented as well. This doesn't even cover the Masquerade, the Hugo awards ceremony, and on and on (and on). And, if you're really crazy, you can help us pull this whole thing off...as a gopher. There are certain advantages; you get to rub elbows with the Pros, meet the Doers and Shakers (Shakers? I thought they died out!?)(shaddup Dave!) Anyway. Dave back. Enuf, already. If you have anything we can help with, just mail to either one of us--electronic addresses follow. If you need detailed stuff--from flyers to progress reports--and it's too much to send over the net, or you like the feel of wood pulp, send a SASE (Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope) to the Committee, and they'll get it out to you *fast*. (Probably even if it isn't stamped, but then don't hold your breath...) So, in closing, come on in and let us show you our town! Trust me! Dave Ihnat or Doug Price ihuxl!ignatz ihuxl!ihima!dhp OR CHICON IV P.O. Box A3120 Chicago, IL 60690 ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 1982 1931-EDT From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO> Subject: HhGttG not planned in Boston It seems WGBH has no plans to show HhGttG. I called today and spoke to someone in "programming" who apparently had only heard of the radio show. Obviously the people who answer the phone are not the ones who make the decision, but she did say that she had noted my comments and that they would see if they got many more calls. The number is 492-2777. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 1982 1304-PDT From: Douglas Galbraith <ICL.GALBRAITH at SU-SCORE> Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #30 Is Dr. Who being shown on any San Francisco TV stations? It sounds interesting. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 82 13:54:39-EDT (Thu) From: Richard G Turner <rturner.xls-onyx02@UDel-Relay> Subject: Dark Star According to my local tv guide, DARK STAR, will be shown on WDCA, in the Washington, DC area, at 1:30 PM, this Saturday, Aug 7, 1982. -rick ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 1982 02:19:54-PDT From: decvax!duke!uok!uokvax!mwm at Berkeley Reply-to: decvax!duke!uok!uokvax!mwm@ucb Subject: Micros in the Movies I just finished watching a rather interesting film called `Lifepod,' all about a manic organic computer controlling a Jupiter-bound ship, and the responses of various people to it taking over the ship (does that make sense?). Lifepod is apparently running on independent stations, and is worth seeing if you get the chance. The interesting part was the computer control system for the lifepod. The display was rather obviously an Apple II. They used a jittery display of a BASIC program as `information,' and were running the SubLogic A2-FS1 flight simulator for a landing sequence. Also of note was the HLTA light on the Imsai going on as an indicator for an impending landing. I'm just curious as to why I hadn't heard of the thing before now, seeing as how it was made in 1980. mike ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 1982 at 1023-CDT From: ables at UTEXAS-11 (King Ables) Subject: here's the plot... >From a friend of mine: Here's the plot what's the title - A group of scientists searching for life on other worlds via radio communication picks up some signals and decodes them. In the message are instructions for building a machine of unknown properties.The rest of the book (I think) deals with whether they should actually build the thing and what will happen if they do. I seem to remember that this book was discussed on SF-LOVERS about six months ago but I couldn't locate the article. Any hints? Steve Alexander c/o ables@utexas-11 ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 1982 0318-PDT From: Dolata at SUMEX-AIM Subject: Pride of Chandur C.J. Cherryh (how does one pronounce that???) has done it again! Robbed me of sleep, and set my household to buzzing. I bought 'Pride of Chandur' shortly before a deadline, and ended up sitting up 2 hours past my bedtime to finish it. My wife came home late to dinner because she was reading the book in her office and lost track of the time, and our house-mate lost it on the bus in mid-read and went right out and plunked down $3+ to get another copy. I felt the ending was a little weak, but all in all the book is gripping enough that I would recommend it to somebody who wants an exciting read. The plot is nice, a here-to-fore unknown alien species (human) is found slinking around the docks on a space station. He is adopted by a buncha cats ( the chandur) who flit across space to keep him out of the hands of aliens that have the lovable attributes of wharf-rats. Lots of chases, shoot-em-ups and close calls. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 1982 1650-EDT From: Joseph M. Newcomer <NEWCOMER at CMU-20C> Subject: Windhaven Windhaven: "The Fall" was actually published in Amazing about a year or so ago. I had mostly given up reading Amazing because of the generally low quality of the stories (and the typorgraphy/layout was annoying too), but I was stuck in an airport and had read everything else I had brought along. Most of the filler was new for the book, but the material subsequent to "The Fall" might also have been published in Amazing or some other place. Has anyone else possibly seen some? joe [ The section entitled "Storms" was originally published as "The Storms of Windhaven" in the May 1975 issue of Analog. The section entitled "One-Wing" was originally published under that title in the January and February 1980 issues of Analog. -- Jim ] ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 82 00:36:42 EDT (Fri) From: Steve Bellovin <smb.unc@UDel-Relay> Subject: news "Lensman" covers Well, they're all right -- but the cover of "Second Stage Lensman" shows Our Heroine wearing a space-suit with cleavage... ------------------------------ Date: 28 Jul 1982 1717-PDT From: KRIEGER <KRIEGER at USC-ECLC at USC-ECL> Subject: HELLO! I have just found the SF-LOVERS Digest in the process of writing documentation on MM. From a quick read-through of the contents of the various issues, it seems that not many Stanislaw Lem fans are out there. For those of you who are unknowing of Lem, he is the author of SOLARIS, FUTUROLOGICAL CONGRESS, MEMOIRS FOUND IN A BATHTUB, THE INVESTIGATION, THE STAR DIARIES, TALES OF PIRX THE PILOT, THE CYBERIAD, MORTAL ENGINES, and RETURN FROM THE STARS. And these are just the few of his works which have been translated into english (he hails from Poland). I would be interested in hearing from other people who have read Lem's books and would like to discuss them. Though I saw some references to Hofstadter's GODEL, ESCHER, BACH, I didn't catch any to THE MIND'S I. What do you people say about this book? I will suspend further comments until I see some kind of response, but rest assured I will continue to read the Digest. ------------------------------ Date: 6-Jul-82 15:06:27 PDT (Tuesday) From: Reed.ES at PARC-MAXC Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #5 PacPack. Really! I read that one in a book of Pacman jokes. Are we about to be treated to a page-by-page repeat of this long-since-published compendium of 'pacpuns'? Pac to the drawing board.... -- Larry -- ------------------------------ End of SF-LOVERS Digest ***********************