[net.sf-lovers] literature=

tfl (03/24/83)

Oh, come now wdr, there are any number of reasons why discussions of SF books
qua literature belongs in net.sf-lovers, and not in some net.books:
1) What would be left to discuss in net.sf? movies? (send to net.movies)
ideas? (send to net.religion or net.philosophy) I think that net.sf-lovers
should be (and presently is) the repository for discussing anything that has
to do with science fiction, whether it be literature, movies, ideas,
engineering, conventions, or whatever.
2) Having a net category is no assurance that all articles will be in any one
person's area of interest.  I get tired, myself, of reading all THE
OTHER speculation.  My response is merely to be a little more selective in
reading articles.(ohhhh, wooza woooza. your little finger gets tired of
pressing the 'n' key, huh?)
3) If we are tightening the sf-lovers category, shouldn't your letter be
relegated to net.flame?  What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
4) Why shouldn't sf be criticized as literature?  If we can't discuss plot,
characterization, symbolism, etc., the we're playing into the hands of those
who claim that sf is juvenile trash.  There's more to sf than blasters and
tractor beams.
5) Criticizing anything requires that one be familiar with the genre to which
it belongs.  Therefore, criticizing sf as literature requires someone well
versed both in sf and literature.  Unfortunately, due to the impression of sf
as non-literature, most people in net.books are not qualified to discuss sf.
How many more articles like that in Harpers do you want, anyway?!
6) Why not get rid of net.sf-lovers all together?  We can spread out the
articles into net.religion, net.space, net.physics, net.religion,
net.philosophy, etc. (said with extreme sarcasm)

Keep net.sf-lovers the way it is.

			  -not afraid or too weak to use the 'n' key

tim (03/25/83)

Who cares where the articles appear? Is there anyone who gets one group
but not the other? Why are people so hung up on this "Well, I think that
this discussion should go to net.foo instead of net.bar"? Get over it.
It doesn't really matter.

Tim Maroney