chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuqui Q. Koala) (12/25/84)
>I can't say I agree with the review of Spider Robinson. After >reading Mindkiller, my impression was, "this guy writes just like >Heinlein - only not as well." Hmm... This may be an infinitely recursive discussion, but I need to disagree with the disagreement about Spider. Spider IS a lot like RAH-- he takes chances, he pushes himself into uncertain territory, he works very hard to make his characters people (many of his stories really aren't SF, but are well enough done that nobody really notices or cares) and sometimes he falls on his face. So does RAH. Spider has Callahans, Stardance, and parts of Mindkiller (especially 'God in an Iron', which is the second chapter and was originally in Omni). RAH has his juveniles, Time Enough for Love, and stories such as 'The Man Who Dealt in Elephants'. Both also have works that fall on their face, mainly because neither is willing to deal in 'safe' stories. I think both fall into a class of writers that simply don't have middle ground. You either love their work, or you hate their work. Ellison is in there, so is Vonnegut. They aren't perfect writers, but they are good writers, and when they are on, they are REALLY on. It isn't really fair to take a good work of one (such as TEFL) and compare it to an average work from the other-- the outcome is biased. Actually, I don't like to compare authors at all, I prefer to compare a work with the authors potential. chuq -- From the ministry of silly talks: Chuq Von Rospach {allegra,cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!chuqui nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA Deadbone erotica is the prickly panic of forgotten milleniums, it is the moldy billion year madness that creeps deep along the spinal behind of my mind.