rickc@iddic.UUCP (03/08/84)
Good to see the defenses of Heinlein and Friday. I enjoyed Friday, and my wife who rarely reads sf also read and enjoyed it. Heinlein is no god, but he can write a very readable yarn. On to other matters... with all the discussion on the net of favorite and famous authors, I am surprised that Olaf Stapeldon has never been mentioned. His books Odd John (1935) and Sirius (1944) are readable and philosophically interesting. Together with his other books (Last and First Men (1930), Last Men in London (1932), and Star Maker (1937), all of which are less accesible than the first two) his work touches on almost all modern science fiction themes, from interplanetary travel to genetic engineering. If you're looking for sf with a different slant (heavily philosopical), or are interested in the history of sf, look into these books. Odd John and Sirius are available in one volume from Dover books, and the others are availble from Penguin. Rick Coates tektronix!iddic!rickc