LEWIN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (11/02/83)
From: DAVID.LEWIN <LEWIN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
The story about a young man given a time belt by his uncle is,
I believe, David Gerrold's "The Man Who Folded Himself", a novel
with ideas similar to some of Heinlein's ("All You Zombies").
In one of Jack Vance's Alastor novels the hero first appears on a planet
without his memory and is sent to a work camp. I can't remember the
title ("Wyst: Alastor ????" ?).
As to Tolkien, I tried reading him in the mid-60s, but found his fanatasy
world unreal. Probably because the names (The Shire, etc.), kept dragging
me into medieval England. After two books of the four, I gave up and switched
to the Epic of Gilgamesh, which I found much more readable.
All of which reminds me, does anyone remember a group of novels (not necessar-
ily related) by Emil Petaja (?) which were science fiction, but drew on
the Kalevala and Irish myths? Are there other authors besides Petaja and
Zelasny who have drawn heavily on folklore for SCIENCE FICTION (not fanatsy)?
-------lat@wbux5.UUCP (11/04/83)
About Tolkein... The first time I read Tolkein was in the 5th grade. I only read "The Hobbit" then, but even that was pretty hard going for a 5th grader (I had a he&& of a time trying to pronounce some of those names...). I never got around to reading the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" until Junior High, and I fell in love with the whole set. I have re-read them many a time, and each time I discover something I missed during the previous reading. I also have read "The Silmarillion" and "The Tolkein Reader", and, thouroughly enjoyed them. His style of writing is very descriptive, and I lose myself in Middle-Earth every time I read them. (It's time for a replacement for my books... they are falling apart from all the reading and re-reading). Laurie [ihnp4, harpo, houxf]!wbux5!lat
twt@uicsl.UUCP (11/15/83)
#R:sri-arpa:-1324800:uicsl:10700055:000:221 uicsl!twt Nov 7 23:20:00 1983 TOLKEIN UNREAL!!! I believe in Middle Earth more than I believe in New York. After all, I've never been to New York, but I have been to Middle Earth, and I rather return to Middle Earth than go to New York. Mary