AXLER@Upenn-1100@sri-unix.UUCP (09/28/83)
From: AXLER@Upenn-1100 (David M. Axler - MSCF Applications Mgr.)
1) Back in issue 85, someone was wondering what "FTA" stood for. It's a
piece of military slang with the simple meaning of "F**K the Army".
2) On alternate universes having a limited number of choices resulting in
overlaps. Back at Expo '67 (the 1967 World's Fair in Montreal), the Czech
pavilion had a very intriguing movie show. The film took about 45 minutes,
and about every ten minutes it would stop and the audience would vote, via
buttons on the arms of their seats, as to which choice a protagonist would
take. It was set up in such a way that there were actually only three
endings, because certain reels led to overlaps.
3) Kid's Fiction: The author of The Phantom Tollbooth, and also the noted
book/animated feature The Dot and the Line, is Norton Juster. The movie
version of TPT, by the way, is an abomination, despite excellent animation
by Chuck Jones.
Someone suggested Edward Eager as good children's fantasy. I agree, but
most of his stuff is out of print in both hardback and paperback. If anyone
knows of a good source, I'd like to know, since I'm still missing a few in
my own collection.
The author of the Tycho Bass ("Mushroom Planet" series) books was
Eleanor Estes Cameron, who also wrote The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek.
4) Hiero's Journey: It has, indeed, been re-published, but for a very
specific reason: the sequel, Hiero's Quest, is finally out in hardback.
Lanier's best book, The Exploits of Brigadier Ffellowes, is, alas, out of
print, but many of the stories are to be found in old issues of F&SF.
Dave Axler
(Axler@Upenn-1100@Upenn@Udel-relay)