GENOL%UCCMVSA.BITNET@uccvma.ucop.edu (Genevieve Engel) (03/08/91)
I was unable to locate a book containing "Shaper" but found several references to "He Who Shapes." A story called "He Who Shapes" is included in The Last Defender of Camelot, by Roger Zelazny, Pocket Books, 1980. The Dream Master, Ace Books 1966, is supposed to be a longer version of a serialized story "He Who Shapes" which appeared in Amazing Stories in 1964. Don't know if this is the same story or not. Genny Engel GENOL@UCCMVSA.BITNET
mg@godzilla.cgl.rmit.OZ.AU (Mike Gigante) (03/08/91)
I think Genny is right - the story is probably called "He who Shapes", but again, I'll confirm in a few days time. Mike
lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri) (03/09/91)
GENOL%UCCMVSA.BITNET@uccvma.ucop.edu (Genevieve Engel) writes: >I was unable to locate a book containing "Shaper" but found several >references to "He Who Shapes." A story called "He Who Shapes" is >included in The Last Defender of Camelot, by Roger Zelazny, Pocket >Books, 1980. > >Don't know if this is the same story or not. It is ... I have read this story in _The_Last_Defender_of_Camelot_. >The Dream Master, Ace Books 1966, is supposed to be >a longer version of a serialized story "He Who Shapes" which >appeared in Amazing Stories in 1964. I have never heard of this, though. I will have to look it up. ---------- Another novel related to Virtual Reality is an excellent story (IMHO) by Philip K. Dick called _The_Maze_of_Death_. Unfortunately, my copy is at home, so I don't have the publication information right now (mail me a message if you would like it). I don't want to go into the VR aspects of the novel for fear of destroying the plot (just telling you about it having VR destroys some of the surprise). Suffice it to say that you *must* read all the way to the end to get to the VR...do not quit in the middle! The book is well worth reading. Philip K. Dick (for those who don't know) was heavily into writing about alternate realities. To my knowledge, most of these did not involve virtual reality, per se, but did explore other simulated realities based on drug use, attempts to rewrite history, and mental illness. Of the many P.K.Dick novels I have read, _The_Maze_of_Death_ is my favorite so far. .oO Chris Oo. -- Christopher Lishka 608-262-4485 It is not safe out here. It is wonderous, Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene with treasures to satiate desires both lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu subtle and gross. But it is not for the uunet!uwvax!uwslh!lishka timid. -- Q
lilj@uunet.UU.NET (Joshua Neil Rubin) (03/11/91)
Re the two prior posts: _The Dream Master_ by Zelazny is a wonderful sci-fi tragedy about Render, a therapist (or "Shaper"), and his dog, Sigmund, who bucks the scientific community and the better judgment of his colleagues by attempting to "shape" a blind doctor, a woman, whose will is somewhat stronger than his own. The device he uses is called a "ro-womb", a large egg-shaped gizmo which he indeed controls by means of a deck. A wonderful story which can be read on several levels. I recently re-read it for the first time in about twenty years and it holds up marvelously. [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Okay, now you all have to go out and find this story and read it yourselves. Last book review of this title, for now. -- Bob]