SIGEL%umass-cs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (08/07/85)
From: ANDREW SIGEL <SIGEL%umass-cs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> Another series had stories set in "Gavagan's Bar"; these were written in collaboration by Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague deCamp. The stories were reprinted in paperback a few years back, but I don't know if they have remained in print.
Miller.pasa@Xerox.ARPA (09/10/85)
From: Miller.pasa@Xerox.ARPA Sparked mainly by the discussion of tall tales in bars stories earlier this summer, I have spent some recent time reading Callahan's stories, Draco Tavern stories, and others. They have prompted me to ask the following question (and since you all happen to be sitting out there listening so nicely, I thought I'd ask it of YOU!!-- who knows, maybe you've got an answer.) What makes us think that any other species out there would have any interest at all in a bar? Granted, they seem to be fairly universal earth customs, but why would an alien species have a desire to get inebriated? Or even to hold the sort of social concourse that a tavern provides? When you stand back and look at these quaint earth customs (at least when I stand back and look at them,) they seem to be kind of weird. But then, that's one of the problems with being isolated on some backwater planet in the boondocks of the galaxy-- since your species is the only one you've got to compare you to, everything looks weird-- or everything looks normal. Take your pick. So any way, what do you all think? --Chris Miller.pasa@Xerox.ARPA
arlan@inuxm.UUCP (A Andrews) (09/14/85)
> From: Miller.pasa@Xerox.ARPA > > Sparked mainly by the discussion of tall tales in bars stories earlier > this summer, I have spent some recent time reading Callahan's stories, > Draco Tavern stories, and others. They have prompted me to ask the > following question (and since you all happen to be sitting out there > listening so nicely, I thought I'd ask it of YOU!!-- who knows, maybe > you've got an answer.) > > What makes us think that any other species out there would have any > interest at all in a bar? Granted, they seem to be fairly universal > earth customs, but why would an alien species have a desire to get > inebriated? Or even to hold the sort of social concourse that a tavern > provides? When you stand back and look at these quaint earth customs > (at least when I stand back and look at them,) they seem to be kind of > weird. But then, that's one of the problems with being isolated on some > backwater planet in the boondocks of the galaxy-- since your species is > the only one you've got to compare you to, everything looks weird-- or > everything looks normal. Take your pick. > > So any way, what do you all think? > > > --Chris > Miller.pasa@Xerox.ARPA *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** Dear Chris, et al: For the msot part, those alien creatures seen in Star Wars bars, and those in most stories about SW-type bars, are vaguely humanoid in thought, form, or habit. If they are at the bar, one presumes they would be of the sort that like to be in bars for some reason. The really weird ones probably don't go to bars at all, but spend their time in strange pursuits like golf, racquetball, and other galactic yppie pasttimes... --arlan