skeoch@troa01.DEC (07/17/85)
I have a couple of thoughts: Arthur C. Clarke wrote a short story (possibly found in "Tales from the White Hart") in which a guy uses a computer to analyze the most successful advertising jingles, and then design the perfect one. The perfect tune drives him insane... Somebody wrote about a spacehand who was blinded in an engine-room accident, and becomes a hobo-minstrel whose songs become famous throughout the system. Could it have been "Green Hills of Earth" ? In a related area, Spider Robinson's "Stardance" is an unusual combination of dance and science fiction. Some of his Callahan's Saloon stories have music- related plots, too. I'd like to know if anybody can confirm the hobo-minstrel story - was I even close? Ian Skeoch ...decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-troa01!skeoch "There are those in whom the spark of intelligence is of a somewhat lower voltage..."
freeman@spar.UUCP (Jay Freeman) (07/17/85)
[] In article <3140@decwrl.UUCP> you write: >Somebody wrote about a spacehand who was blinded in an engine-room accident, >and becomes a hobo-minstrel whose songs become famous throughout the system. >Could it have been "Green Hills of Earth" ? Yes -- the author was Heinlein. An interesting point in fact following fiction: Selections of Heinlein's poetry from that story have frequently flown on space missions. We didn't have a poet of the spaceways when the story was written, but because of it, we do now ... -- Jay Reynolds Freeman (Schlumberger Palo Alto Research)(canonical disclaimer)
jeand@ihlpg.UUCP (AMBAR) (07/25/85)
How about the story that was in F&SF, sometime during the past year,
in which the narrator had a friend who was a musician--but music which
affected people's minds...
Doesn't sound too original, the way I stated it, but I thought it was
really well done.
I believe the title was "Sunflower".
--
AMBAR
{the known universe}!ihnp4!ihlpg!jeand
"To those who love it is given to hear
Music too high for the human ear." --Bruce Cockburn