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From: duntemann.wbst@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: ConstructedWorlds
Message-ID: <213@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Jul-84 08:27:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.213
Posted: Fri Jul 20 08:27:57 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Jul-84 00:24:22 EDT
Lines: 24

Moonbow wasn't the first torusworld; that belongs to Larry Niven, from
PROTECTOR; it was called Kobold, and it had a miniplanet in the donut
hole if I recall.  I had trouble with Kobold; it didn't seem large
enough to have appreciable gravity.  On the other hand, the Protector who
built it (crazy Jack Brennan) had sufficient gadgetry to provide the
equivalent of artificial gravity, but I don't think Niven stated it
that p[lainly.  The best part of Protector is perhaps the snippet of
dialog I imprecisely quote here, between the man and the woman when
Brennan goes off and leaves them to wander freely on Kobold with the
warning, "Don't open any locked doors.  Remember Bluebeard."

[She]:  "What did he mean, 'Remember Bluebeard?'"
[Truesdale]:  "He meant, 'REALLY don't open any locked doors.'"

Not one person in ten understands the allusion; I myself only heard
the story at a boy scout campout at age 12.  I wonder if the Bluebeard
story is in print somewhere...

--Jeff Duntemann   duntemann.wbst@xerox   RF: KB2JN

PS:  At the risk of sounding wearisome, let me repeat:  Constructed as
in BUILT.  The Smoke Ring from Niven's INTEGRAL TREES
was a natural consequence of a peculiar stellar system.  Nobody went
out and put it together with a wrench.