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From: amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Seeking recommendations on SF Author - (nf)
Message-ID: <489@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Jan-84 12:31:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.489
Posted: Thu Jan 12 12:31:50 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Jan-84 06:58:51 EST
References: <4822@uiucdcs.UUCP>, <2245@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 27

A resounding YES on Cordwainer Smith.  Other great stories by him include
THE BALLAD OF LOST C'MELL; THE LADY WHO SAILED THE SOUL; THE CRIME
AND GLORY OF COMMANDER SUZDAL; GOLDEN THE SHIP WAS, OH, OH, OH
(actually, not such a great story, but a marvelous title);
ALPHA-RALPHA BOULEVARD; MOTHER HITTON'S LITTUL KITTONS; THE MAN WHO
CAME BACK FROM NOTHING AT ALL; and my personal favorite of his, THE
DEAD LADY OF CLOWN TOWN, a retelling of the Joan of Arc story, with
two themes: the power of love and what is a person.  I particularly
like his use of language and his use of Chinese poetic forms as
structures for his stories.

A few of his stories, such as NO, NO, NOT ROGOV; THE BURNING OF THE
BRAIN; AND SCANNERS LIVE IN VAIN I don't really care for, but they
are still better than many stories of other authors.

NORSTRILIA is a very good novel, but it is an abridgement of THE
BOY WHO BOUGHT OLD EARTH (sometimes called THE PLANET BUYER) and
THE UNDERPEOPLE.  If you can get the original two volumes (alas,
out of print for many years), you may prefer them--I know I do.

BTW, many of these stories have to do with cats.

				John Hobson
				AT&T Bell Labs
				Naperville, IL
				(312) 979-7293
				ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2