@RUTGERS.ARPA:Shiffman@WHITE.SWW.Symbolics.COM (02/14/85)
From: Hank Shiffman <Shiffman@SWW-WHITE>
Date: 10 Feb 85 23:31:46 PST (Sun)
From: Jerry Sweet <jsweet@uci-750a>
Read this many many years ago, but can't remember the author or
title. A truly demented SF novel. Ranks right up there with Age of
the Pussyfoot. Here goes.
A mad scientist invents a STD that eliminates aggression and warlike
tendencies in humans. His two idealistic lab assistants happily
spread it, targeting politicians in particular. Humanity, it seems,
has a rosy future. However, not long after the start of a major
undiscovered epidemic of this disease, packs of killer rabbits start
roaming the English countryside, tearing up whoever they find. Far
from being rabid, it turns out, these rabbits have this new disease.
(I refuse to speculate on how they got it.) Yes, it seems that the
mad scientist was really certifiable, and this disease of his merely
represses aggression for a while, then brings it out all at once.
Humanity, it seems, has a very short, nasty future ahead of it.
Anyone recognize it?
The title is "Kronk". I read it a bunch of years ago in a British
edition. Someone did a synopsis of this story here a few months ago.@RUTGERS.ARPA:keesan@bbncca (04/30/85)
From: "Morris M. Keesan" <keesan@bbncca.ARPA>
While we're on the subject of forgotten children's literature, here's
another one I vaguely remember. It was two books in a single volume, sort
of "Alice In Wonderland"ish, but with a boy as the main character. I'm fairly
sure it was an English book, and I just remember bits and pieces. I know that
there was a character called "Thingumbob", and that he collected sealing wax
by walking up and down the beach teasing the seals and making them cry, for of
course everyone knows that seals cry sealing wax. As I recall, the different
kinds of seals (i.e., different ages and genders) cried different colours of
wax. There was another character called "The Dumbwaiter", who couldn't talk,
and who ran up and down the beach carrying trays of food for people. He was
called the Dumbwaiter not because of the food, nor because of being unable to
talk, but because he ran up and down. I think both of these characters are
from the first half of the book (i.e. the first dream), and I think the second
half involved Father Time and some pirates. The only thing I remember other
than that is a riddle asked by the pirates, which the boy was tempted to answer
"shoes". He saved himself at the last moment by saying "slippers" instead.
Any leads at all on this will be greatly appreciated.
---------------------------------------------------------
Morris M. Keesan
{decvax,linus,ihnp4,wanginst,wjh12,ima}!bbncca!keesan
keesan @ BBN-UNIX.ARPA