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From: dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Re: What should be your FIRST sf book ???
Message-ID: <545@edison.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 11:22:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: edison.545
Posted: Fri Sep 13 11:22:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 17:18:33 EDT
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Organization: General Electric Company, Charlottesville, VA
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> I would opt for a good collection of short stories by a variety of authors.
> This is how I got my father (long time science fiction hater) hooked.
> 
I have often found short stories to be much more innovative and experimental.
One could speculate as to why this is so.  Since there is a smaller time
investment in a short story it is easier to try things that may not work,
explore ideas, and develop concepts that are interesting for a short time
but not worth large scale exploration.
Earl Tubb who writes the Dumarest series (and seems to write essentially
the same book over and over) had some really excellent short stories
in an Ace double while his novels are at best mediocre.  I really enjoyed
the story where a modern man on a lark tries a formula to summon a demon
and it works.  Rather humorous.
I'm not in general a big fan of short stories but some I have read have
definitely been excellent.
> Okay, question time. Of the people out there who have read both Lord of
> Light and Creatures of Light and Darkness -- how many of you liked the first
> one you read (whatever that was, unless you read them at the same time)
> better? So far every single person I know who has read both of them likes
> the first one they read better. I don't know why.......
> 
I like Lord of Light better and I read Creatures of Light and Darkness
first.  Or did I read Lord of Light first?  Heck, I don't know it's been
a long time.

David Albrecht