klotz@ihuxo.UUCP (Dave Klotzbach) (06/05/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading "Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" fame. This simularity included the apperance, their effect on humans, metabolism and reproduction. In fact they both pose the same problem on a space ship. Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star Trek show was started.
john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) (06/06/85)
>From: klotz@ihuxo.UUCP (Dave Klotzbach) >Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories >Message-ID: <481@ihuxo.UUCP> > >I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading >"Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity >between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" >fame. This simularity included the apperance, their effect on humans, >metabolism and reproduction. In fact they both pose the same problem >on a space ship. > >Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star >Trek show was started. Hiding in my desk is a copy of David Gerrold's book on the making of "The Trouble With Tribbles" (in case you don't know, he is the author of the episode"). In the book, he denies that there was a deliberate attempt to borrow from the Heinlein work. I quote a couple of passages: "Many of Star Trek's fans are also Heinlein fans. And one of the most frequent questions that crops up among them is: 'Were you influenced by Heinlein's Flat Cats when you wrote the Tribbles? Is that where you got the idea?' "In all honesty, I must that if I was, it was a subconscious influence. Had I realized what I was doing, I either would not have done the story or would have worked to minimize the similarities." [...] "Heinlein was very gracious about the whole thing. (I suppose he could have asked for money or credit. He didn't.) He simply said that he didn't see that there was any knid of a problem at all. But he would appreciate a copy of the script." *************************************************************************** -- Name: John Ruschmeyer US Mail: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Phone: (201) 222-6600 x366 UUCP: ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john ...!princeton!moncol!john ...!pesnta!moncol!john Silly Quote: I never wanted to be a barber. I wanted to be... a LUMBERJACK!
quint@topaz.ARPA (Amqueue) (06/07/85)
In article <481@ihuxo.UUCP> klotz@ihuxo.UUCP (Dave Klotzbach) writes: >*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** >I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading >"Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity >between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" >fame. This simularity included the apperance, their effect on humans, >metabolism and reproduction. In fact they both pose the same problem >on a space ship. > >Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star >Trek show was started. I dont have my copy around, but in The Trouble With Tribbles, by David Gerrold (which is a book about the filming of the episode), he mentions that someone connected with the show noticed the similarity. Heinlein was written to, and he said go ahead, teh idea wasnt new with him, they both owed something to gerbils (or something like that). Could someone with a copy of the book available please correct me if I am wrong? Maybe even post the relevant paragraphs... losing addresses, /amqueue
ccs020@ucdavis.UUCP (Kevin Chu) (06/07/85)
> *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** > I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading > "Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity > between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" > fame. This simularity included the apperance, their effect on humans, > metabolism and reproduction. In fact they both pose the same problem > on a space ship. > > Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star > Trek show was started. OK, I'm ignorant, but what is the "flat cat"? --Kevin Chu ..ucbvax!ucdavis!vega!ccs020 /ex
ccrdave@ucdavis.UUCP (Lord Kahless) (06/07/85)
> I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading > "Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity > between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" > fame. > > Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star > Trek show was started. David Gerrold, the author of "tribbles" claimed that he had forgotten all about the Rolling Stones. Read all about the details in pages 250 through 254 of Gerrold's book "The Trouble With Tribbles", which explains the creative process behind the show. Lord Kahless
ron@wjvax.UUCP (Ron Christian) (06/07/85)
>>I don't know if this is new or not, but I just finished reading >>"Rolling Stone" for the umpteenth time and noticed the simularity >>between the "flat cat" and the "tribble" of "Trouble with Tribbles" >>fame. This simularity included the apperance, their effect on humans, >>metabolism and reproduction. In fact they both pose the same problem >>on a space ship. >> >>Who stole from Who? I do think Heinlein wrote the book before the Star >>Trek show was started. > >Hiding in my desk is a copy of David Gerrold's book on the making of "The >Trouble With Tribbles" (in case you don't know, he is the author of the >episode"). In the book, he denies that there was a deliberate attempt to >borrow from the Heinlein work. I quote a couple of passages: > > "Many of Star Trek's fans are also Heinlein fans. And one of the most >>frequent questions that crops up among them is: 'Were you influenced by >Heinlein's Flat Cats when you wrote the Tribbles? Is that where you got the >idea?' > > "In all honesty, I must that if I was, it was a subconscious influence. >Had I realized what I was doing, I either would not have done the story or >would have worked to minimize the similarities." > > "Heinlein was very gracious about the whole thing. (I suppose he could >have asked for money or credit. He didn't.) He simply said that he didn't >see that there was any knid of a problem at all. But he would appreciate a >copy of the script." **** The way I heard it, Heinlein asked Gerrold for an *autographed* copy of the script, to which Gerrold responded something like "*He* wants *my* autograph??" -- __ Ron Christian (Watkins-Johnson Co. San Jose, Calif.) {pesnta,twg,ios,qubix,turtlevax,tymix,vecpyr,certes}!wjvax!ron
tli@oberon.UUCP (Tony Li) (06/10/85)
In article <2231@topaz.ARPA> quint@topaz.UUCP (Amqueue) writes:
I dont have my copy around, but in The Trouble With Tribbles, by David
Gerrold (which is a book about the filming of the episode), he mentions
that someone connected with the show noticed the similarity. Heinlein
was written to, and he said go ahead, teh idea wasnt new with him, they
both owed something to gerbils (or something like that).
Actually, it was the rabbits in Australia
ps. Hi amqueue!
--
Tony Li ;-) Usc Computer Science
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