mclure@sri-unix (11/21/82)
#N:sri-unix:1200010:000:13553
sri-unix!mclure Nov 19 16:30:00 1982
Could someone at Berkeley please fix their problem which is aborting
sf-lovers digests to fa.sf-lovers? It hasn't worked for weeks.
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inews: No such newsgroup - aborted.
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>From SFL@SRI-CSL Fri Nov 19 01:15:19 1982
Date: Friday, November 19, 1982 12:50AM
From: SFL at SRI-CSL
Reply-to: SF-LOVERS at SRI-CSL
Subject: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #81
To: SF-LOVERS at SRI-CSL
SF-LOVERS Digest Friday, 19 Nov 1982 Volume 6 : Issue 81
Today's Topics:
Books - Clarke's 2010: ODYSSEY TWO, Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN &
A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE, Watson's THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY
DELIGHTS
Authors - Moorcock's names
Movies - Star Trek coffin & short story
Radio - Dr. Demento
Music - space rock
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 82 19:21-EST (Wed)
From: Michael Aramini <aramini.umass-coins@UDel-Relay>
Subject: 2010: Odyssey Two
Does anyone know if/when the book 2010 will be available in paperback?
------------------------------
Date: Thursday, 18 Nov 1982 08:44-PST
Subject: Moorcock's Names
Corum e Jhalen Irsei, the name of one of the avatars of
the Champion Eternal, is an anagram of Jeremiah Cornelius.
This Moorcock guy is obsessed.
Mike
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 0616-EST
From: Robert W. Kerns <RWK at SCRC-TENEX>
Subject: BOSCH BASH
It's what you can intellectualize but not assimilate on a gut level
that scares you shitless; your cells can turn against you, the IRS
wants you for a random audit, the sound of sniper fire comes from
beyond your peripheral vision. Etc. Dwelling upon it fills you with
quaking awe.
It's the best fear to use for propaganda: Steel yourselves against--
Hieronymous Bosch (c. 1450-1516)
while in the commission of some of the leading Chursters of his day,
reversed this process; he made use of then contemporary theological
thought and symbolism to -- rather than mickymouse fear into obedience
-- depict a universe of infinite sensations, whole, without any
visible avenue of escape. Two writers on Bosch's work, Peter S.
Beagle, in his informat study "The Garden of Earthly Delights
(Viking), and Ian Watson, in his SF novel "The Gardens of Delight"
(Timescap/Pocket Books), have their theories.
Author of "The Last Unicorn" and "A Fine and Private Place", Beagle
has turned his understated yet incisive talents to nonfiction with
splendid effect, examining Bosch's probable influences and output with
a modern sensibility. His book's one drawback is visual; half the
illustrations are useless, reducing Bosch's figures to decorative
freaks; some of the details are cropped so's to belie Beagle's
analytic comments; no dimensions are given for any of the paintings --
and it's the @I(physicality) of vision that art is about. Thankfully,
both Beagle and Watson manage to convey this with words.
And about Watson -- as though aspiring to become the British Phillip
Jose Farmer -- he sets his novel literally on a planet of Boschian
design. Why? That's the plot. With it, Watson has put his finger on
a dangerous but tempting tenet shared by religion and science fiction
at their worst: that suspension of disbelief can save you.
-- Robert Morales.
Reproduced without permission from Heavy Metal, November 1982, and
appears copyrighted (c) 1982 by HM Communications, Inc..
----------------
Since I'm not going to seek written permission before copying this, I
figure I'll give the mag a plug. In addition to its mainstay of a
variety of "comic book" artwork of very high quality (NOT the kind of
thing you see in Marvel Comics, but still usually in the
frame-by-frame story-telling format, but with a much higher emphasis
on visual art of various SF and fantasy themes, from artists both
American and European), they feature monthly reviews:
Books
(primarily SF, recently featuring Phillip K.
Dick's final 3 works, an excellent review,
by the way)
SF Movies
and about two pages of music reviews, of interest to SF lovers.
"NuVinyl", which is penned by the controversial Lou Stathis, is always
coming up with very interesting sfuff very much of an SF flavor. He's
also very entertaining, even when you don't agree with him. This
month, he says he started paying (minimal) attention to disco in 1977,
after an addiction to Kraftwerk "Trans-Europe Express" LP (! Disco?
Kraftwerk?) and Donna Summer/Geiorgio Moroder's "I Feel Love". Why?
Because of its trance-inducing power.... (He dosn't usually talk
about disco though, but I sure wish his text came with sample
sounds...)
In addition to Lou Strathis, they generally have a second page of
music reviews. If you're interested in SF in Music, I know of no
better source.
--------------------------------
There, fair trade, review for review. About Bosch: I think it's fair
to say that SF art was invented in the 15th century. If you've never
seen any of his work, by all means, seek it out. It is truely
ASTOUNDING that such visions could be conceived in his day.
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 0712-EST
From: Robert W. Kerns <RWK at SCRC-TENEX>
Subject: Addendum to previous msg.
I forgot to mention two points about Heavy Metal that deserve mention:
Sex and Violence. I hope this doesn't provoke an overly long
discussion about Sex and Violence in SF, but it is a problem with the
mag for some people. I do not like violence, and I especially don't
like it mixed with sex (sex is a powerful motivator, and the idea of
ties between sex and violence is something I find very frightening).
Some stories, particularly by some artists combine nudity and
violence. I know of some women who object to the magazine because it
seems exploitive. I don't believe it is deliberately so, and the
nudity is of both sexes, but there are certainly biases and stereo-
types present. I don't consider this a reason to not buy and
appreciate the artists, however. Almost all the artists are men (this
is still true in SF writing, but not that much progress seems to have
been made in SF art...), and the biases are theirs, and a reflection
of their interests and emotions. Somehow what I find disturbing is
not the violence and sex in the mag, but that it seems to slip right
in unnoticed in so many novels... Printed words are even more subtle
than TV in some ways. I react much more strongly to violence I see in
Heavy Metal than either TV or books. Heinlein and Charley's Angels
come to mind...
However, the only cases of actual SEXUAL violence that I can recall
have been directed against Den, Richard Corben's male hero. (Yes, men
fantasize about being raped...but don't have to fear it). The stories
and artists range from punk-rock/neo-nazi rock fantasies to surrealism
to peace-and-love fantasies. Sex is PART of the stories and artwork,
as it is part of each of our own internal fantasy life and as violence
is part of each of our own stock of hidden fears (sometimes faced and
overcome in our fantasies). The stories reflect these according to
the artists psyches. But people fantasize about everything under the
sun, and I think a suitable balance is usually struck.
Does anyone know of women SF artists? I knew a very fine one once,
but noone could convince her to submit her work...
BTW, the editor of Heavy Metal is a woman.
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 82 17:44:39 EST (Wed)
From: speaker.umcp-cs at UDel-Relay
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #68
Date: 14 Nov 1982 2336-EST
From: Stephen R Balzac <LS.SRB at MIT-EECS at MIT-MC>
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #68
On ST:TWOK-
Spock was not entombed in a photon torpedo, but in a coffin of some
sort. Thus, although the coffin may be expected to vaporize, the
planet certainly wouldn't.
The photon torpedos used earlier in the film, and Spock's coffin were
identical. Also, his coffin was loaded into the same firing tube. It
is thus reasonable to assume that he was entombed in a photon torpedo
casing. Obviously, they would take the inards of the photon torpedo
out first. But this isn't the point that was trying to be made.
The point is that the coffin, Spock's body, and a hell of a lot of
dirt (not the whole planet as implied) are going to be consumed by the
impact. In the movie, all survived intact.
- Speaker
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 0852-PST
From: Mike Achenbach <ACHENBACH at SRI-AI>
Subject: Re: Spock's coffin
An empty photon-torpedo casing? I thought Spock was in it.
/Mike
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 1004-PST
From: Henry W. Miller <Miller at SRI-NIC>
Subject: Worlds Shortest Star Trek Story
A friend passed this along to me some years back. Enjoy.
"The Logical Thing to do."
SAREK:
"You're what?"
AMANDA:
"You heard me."
-HWM
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 82 19:17-EST (Wed)
From: Michael Aramini <aramini.umass-coins@UDel-Relay>
Subject: Dr. Demento
Can anyone tell me information about radio stations that carry the Dr.
Demento show that can be heard in Western Massachusetts or Northern
New Jersey?
------------------------------
Date: 17 Nov 1982 2201-PST
From: Henry W. Miller <Miller at SRI-NIC>
Subject: Space Rock, continued
Not really sure if this one fits, but how about "Eye in the
Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project?
-HWM
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 1002-PST
From: Henry W. Miller <Miller at SRI-NIC>
Subject: Still more Space Rock
Neil Diamond's new hit, "Heartline", is based on "E.T."
-HWM
------------------------------
Date: 18 November 1982 19:13-EST (Thursday)
From: Robert P. Krajewski <RPK at MIT-MC>
Subject: SF Music
The B52s are one group that have an interest in the trashy aspects of
science fiction, in keeping with their early 60's trash aesthetic.
This is especially evident in the classic ``Planet Claire'' (``she
drove a Plymouth Satellite faster than the speed of light). Don't
forget ``There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)'' and ``53 Miles
West Of Venus.''
Back when the Human League were scruffy college-student-looking types
(no Joanne Catherall or ``Don't You Want Me''), they were very
influenced by SF. (Somebody may correct me on this, the Human League
were some alliance in the Flash Gordon serials.) Their album before
``Dare,'' called ``Travelogue,'' had a song entitled ``The Black Hit
Of Space,'' which told the story of a song so popular it engulfed the
Universe. Kinda ironic, isn't it ?
``Bob''
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 2322-EST
From: W. Scott Meeks <LS.WSCOTT at MIT-EECS at MIT-MC>
Subject: more space music
Rather than just the Pachelbel from Cosmos, why not considerthe
whole Cosmos album (supposedly all of the music used in the TV show)
to be examples of clasical sf oriented music.
------------------------------
Date: 19 Nov 1982 0013-EST
From: JHENDLER at BBNA
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest V6 #80
On the subject of an SF/AI reading list:
Excuse my biased views, but any AI reading list that doesn't contain
"2001" or "When HARLIE was One" is incomplete. As a matter of fact
the MIT list looked to be lacking a lot of good stuff.
-Jim Hendler
Brown University - AI
------------------------------
Date: 18 Nov 1982 2204-PST
From: Bob Knight <ADMIN.KNIGHT at SU-SCORE>
Subject: Computer rock/space rock...
Two examples of computer rock quickly come to mind:
Misex - Computer Games (from the album of the same name).
Ultravox - All Stood Still (from Vienna, mentioned earlier).
This song could be a user's lament, from what I can make of
the lyrics: "Please remember me, in tapes you might have made"
...as the system comes to a screeching halt...
The 2001 album I was thinking of is "Ormandy/Bernstein perform
selections from 2001 A Space Odyssey, with the Gregg Smith singers.
Added electronic effects by Morton Subotnik." Along with "Music from
Blomdahl's opera Aniara, an epic of space flight in 2038 A.D."
The entire second side is devoted to a suite from Aniara. I
quote from the liner notes: 'Like "2001", "Aniara" is a story of man
at the mercy of an electronic brain and of humanity tested in the
crucible of the infinite [the liner notes are a bit dramatic - RMK].
Karl-Birger Blohmdahl, (October 19, 1916 - June 17, 1968) created his
prophetic opera from the story of a voyage through space in the year
2038. On a ship speeding to Mars are 8,000 people fleeing a dying
Earth. The computer fails, and the ship is diverted by a swarm of
shooting stars, thus dooming its inhabitants to eternal flight through
the universe in a ship of death.'
This album was released as Columbia Masterworks MS7176. I doubt
that it's still in print, though you never know.
Bob
------------------------------
End of SF-LOVERS Digest
***********************