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From: jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.tv
Subject: Re: Invasion of the Space Nazis, the final battle
Message-ID: <65@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-May-84 01:58:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.65
Posted: Tue May 15 01:58:41 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 12-May-84 09:24:38 EDT
References: <7673@watmath.UUCP> <241@ames-lm.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
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Xref: 516 339

There's a story called ``Proxima Centauri'' by Murray Leinster that has
huge, self contained star ships, and invading, ravenous, people-eating
aliens.  It is at least representative of that sort of thing, and can
be found in The Road to Science Fiction #2, edited by James Gunn.  The
story was originally published in 1935, from which we can infer that
popular sf on television has advanced to the state of pulp stf of the
30s.  That's at least as good as the movies, I suppose, seeing as the
Star Wars saga is equivalent to E.E. "Doc" Smith space opera of the
same vintage.  (2001 and The Lathe of Heaven are not representative,
and neither had the same kind of popularity.)

But, then, Leinster was more creative even back then (his aliens were
carnivorous plants), knew something about science (he used relativity
correctly), and went on to better things (``First Contact,'' written in
1945, is still the classic story of its kind).  I doubt we can expect
the same of the perpretrators of V.

What really annoyed me was the blatant lift of the beginning of ``Space
Nazis'' from Childhood's End.  In service of the drivel that followed.
I hope Arthur C. Clark sues them for plagiarism, not to mention fraud.
-- 
John Quarterman, CS Dept., University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 USA
jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, jsq@ut-sally.UUCP, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsq