Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/15/85; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!ucbvax!mwm From: mwm@ucbvax.ARPA (Mike (I'll be mellow when I'm dead) Meyer) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: The Problems With Science Fiction Today - a reply Message-ID: <7982@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Sun, 9-Jun-85 04:47:49 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.7982 Posted: Sun Jun 9 04:47:49 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 10-Jun-85 14:22:35 EDT References: <2139@topaz.ARPA> <194@yetti.UUCP> Reply-To: mwm@ucbvax.UUCP (Mike (I'll be mellow when I'm dead) Meyer) Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica Lines: 41 In article <194@yetti.UUCP> oz@yetti.UUCP writes: > Nonsense !! The often-hazy thing called "QUALITY" does exist, but you > will not know it until it hits you right on the face. (For edification, > refer to ZEN_AND_THE_ART_OF_MOTORCYCLE_MAINTENANCE by R. M. Pirsig) > That is why, Michelangelo is not "just another" sculptor, and that is > why #_OF_THE_BEAST is suitable for any trashcan, whereas THE_SHEEP_ > LOOK_UP is not, whether or not you may believe otherwise. Yup, you're right - I'll know quailty when it hits me in the face. For instance, any book that can (intentionally) keep me laughing as long as NOTB did is definetly QUALITY. Or maybe quality in an artistic field is subjective, not objective? Since you seem to think that it's objective, why don't you let the rest of the world in on your measurement technics. > Very good.. now, which one do you think is closer to the TRUTH ??? > (e.g. calling #OFTB a piece of trash vs. calling it a > literary masterpiece, to be remembered by generations to come!!) I don't know - neither do you. Unless, of course, you have a time machine. Considering the amount of verbiage it's generated on the net, I suspect it'll be remembered by generations to come. > Ah, but perhaps we could do just as well, with just half of what > is published. DOes one have to read a lot of nonsense to have > fun ??? No, but it helps :-). You might consider that if we stop printing half the SF published (or any other genre, for that matter), chances are the stuff you consider "good" is going to get thrown out, as the stuff that sells (like NOTB) will be what the publishers continue printing. > Oz "The idea that the truth has to fight for its life > is a sad discovery" > D. R. Hofstadter -- After 5 years, a quote worthy of Netnews (and it works as disclaimer!): "Truth is variable."