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From: doug@escher.UUCP (Douglas J Freyburger)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: What an advanced race would come far to get....
Message-ID: <53@escher.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 20:47:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: escher.53
Posted: Sun Aug 25 20:47:00 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Aug-85 00:48:23 EDT
References: <2763@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: NASA/JPL, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 41

> From: jcr@Mitre-Bedford
> I just tuned in to SF-Lovers yesterday after several weeks away and was
> rather surprised to see the discussion about What an Advanced Race Would
> Come Far to Get still going on, albeit somewhat in a somewhat diluted form.
>
> (proposals that aliens might want humans as slaves)
> 
> An interesting possibility occurs to me. Imagine a race whose evolution has
> been similar to that of Vulcans, from an emotional & violent past to a very
> cold & rational present. But this race has gone even further; they've lost
> emotion to the extent that they are now totally unable to create art. How-
> ever, they can still appreciate it, and works of art from their distant past
> are highly treasured. What would happen if such a race discovered humanity
> as we currently are? Might they take us as slaves, forcing us to create
> artworks for them? Would such a scheme work? Would the kidnapped humans
> create great art? Perhaps so, if suffering contributes to great art. Or
> would they turn out trash? Would the aliens know the difference? Has anyone
> read anything like this?
> 					      Jeff Rogers

The "Skylark of Space" series had an advanced alien race
that had lost the ability to put any emotion into their
music, I think in "Skylark Three", the second of the
series.  They were really impressed listening to our heroes
play the violin, and with their barber-shop quartet
singing.  These aliens were friendly and non-agressive,
though.  They didn't want slaves.  Here is good old E. E.
"Doc" Smith to the rescue with examples.

-- 

Doug Freyburger		DOUG@JPL-VLSI, DOUG@JPL-ROBOTICS,
JPL 171-235		...escher!doug, doug@aerospace,
Pasadena, CA 91109	etc.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are far too
ridiculous to be associated with my employer.

Unix is a trademark of Bell Labs, VMS is a trade mark of
DEC, and there are others that I'm probably forgeting to
mention.