ivanlan@ccvaxa.UUCP (12/16/85)
re: way station it's a good book, and bears re-reading. isn't that explanation enough? if you don't remember it that way, try the book again. (as i remember, the original galaxy serialization had jack gaughan illustrations ... nice) not all tv is trash, you know. how would you feel if your spouse talked about your reading sf the way you talk about her watching tv? it seems to me that sf hasnt been out of the ghetto long enough to permit fans free and unlimited sniping at other genres. it seems to me that no field will ever be out of the ghetto long enough to permit that.
bill@sigma.UUCP (Bill Swan) (12/16/85)
In article <710@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> postmaster@CSNET-SH.ARPA writes: >[...]an unusual situation regarding the book "Way Station" by Clifford Simak >in the book club edition. Specifically, this person's spouse who >normally had non-SF tastes in their reading picked up this book and >could not put it down until they had finished. >[...] >Now I recall this book. I thought it wasn't bad, but it also wasn't >spectacular. [...] >Does anyone have any explanation for this? It depends heavily on your tastes (plural intentional) in literature. While Simak's older books, like _Way Station_ treat certain topics (such as alien beings) in ways that look clumsy to readers of the current styles of science fiction, there is an element to his writing in those books that I really enjoy. Sad to say, I have not found quite the same "charm" in his later writings, but the earlier books hold a special place in my permanent collection (if quantity counts, my bookshelves and floors support only some 500 books, but I have given away well over a thousand in the past two decades). I see nothing contradictory in seeing a person who has been stereotyped as to their choice of reading finding enjoyment in a different writing. My wife, who has a Master's in French Literature is currently enjoying Le Guin's _Left Hand of Darkness_. -- William Swan {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!sigma!bill
tomp@copper.UUCP (Tom Pereira) (12/17/85)
In article <710@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> postmaster@CSNET-SH.ARPA writes: >From: Nick Simicich <NJS.YKTVMX%ibm-sj.csnet@CSNET-SH.ARPA> > >...regarding the book "Way Station" by Clifford Simak >...Specifically, this person's spouse who >normally had non-SF tastes in their reading picked up this book and >could not put it down until they had finished. > >Does anyone have any explanation for this? This is a favorite of mine, one that I've had for many years and although I have frequently recommended it to *my* spouse she has never even picked it up! I doubt very much that it has been impregnated with any substances "Way Station" (in my opinion) *is* a good story in its own right! ************************************** * Tom Pereira * * Tektronix Inc. * * P.O. Box 4600, Mail Station 92-635 * * Beaverton, Oregon 97075-4600 * * Phone: 503-629-1232 * * ...!decvax!tektronix!copper!tomp * **************************************
deacon@ihu1g.UUCP (j m deacon) (12/24/85)
> dating back to 1960 or so. Yet when this book arrived, she picked it > up, and eagerly devoured it. It was almost as if it were a book ... > Does anyone have any explanation for this? My explanation is that Simak is a magnetic writer. When I pick up any of his books, I have a very hard time putting it down.