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From: leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Pet Peeve with SF Titles
Message-ID: <762@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-May-85 15:13:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.762
Posted: Sat May 18 15:13:27 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 19-May-85 00:34:51 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 25

This is one of my pet peeves with some science fiction writers.  Back
in the days of the Saturday afternoon serials they would give them
flambouyant names line KING OF THE ROCKET MEN.  This would conjure up
in kiddees' minds some society of rocket scientists somewhere and some
super-scientist ruling over it.  Actually it was about one man with a
rocket suit named Jeff King.  So the "rocket men" are all one man named
King.  This title promises one sort of story and the film delivers
something fairly different with the implicit statement "Oh, sorry if
you misunderstood our title."

In fact, we see the same game played by respected science fiction
authors.  A prime example just came to my attention.  Orsen Scott Card
titled a recent novel ENDER'S GAME.  That title conjures up interesting
ideas.  In fact many games can be turned over in the end-game.  Players
in various games can "shoot-the-moon" as they see some sort of game
coming to an end.  Particularly since they have nothing to lose.
Somebody with a good endgame plan can make any sort of game
interesting.  This is just the principle that might make Card's
alien invasion story interesting.  It may even be there.  But I just
read a review of the story that said the story took its name from the
main character named Ender.  "Oh, sorry if you misunderstood the
title."

				Mark Leeper
				...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper