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From: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Request from an SF Diletante
Message-ID: <741@im4u.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 03:23:01 EST
Article-I.D.: im4u.741
Posted: Sun Feb  2 03:23:01 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Feb-86 19:46:12 EST
References: <635@ttidcb.UUCP> <1529@jhunix.UUCP> <732@im4u.UUCP> <143@slu70.UUCP>
Reply-To: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman)
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 44
Summary: City and the Stars != Cities in Flight

In article <143@slu70.UUCP> guy@slu70.UUCP (Guy M. Smith) writes:
>In article <732@im4u.UUCP>, jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) writes:
>> 
>> For Arthur Clarke, try The City and the Stars.
>Wasn't this by James Blish. I'm thinking of the series about the Okie
>cities. It's worth reading in any case.

No.  The Blish series is called Cities in Flight.  I've read it several times.
I still remember the First Freedom:  the Freedom to Hate.  Hardly the best
freedom, but it made me think, at least.

The City and the Stars is about something else altogether.
And something different than most Clarke stories.  Which is
why it is so good.  If you want something like most Clarke
stories which is still good, try the short story ``The Nine
Billion Names of God''.

>Another favorite of mine is "City" written by (I think) Clifford Simak.

Yes.  It was Simak.  I never particularly cared for it (talking dogs
appeal to me no more than talking cats).  However, he recently
(within five years) wrote what I consider absolutely the best story about
immortality ever penned.  I don't remember the title ("Ancient of Days"?)
but it was about a man who had survived for something like ten thousand years
and how he managed it.  The methods were not those of Lazarus Long (which
character I like for other reasons).

The second best story abouut immortality is the novel by Poul Anderson
about (albeit indirectly) Mary O'Meara.  I can never remember the title.
I can never forget the story.

Does anyone remember Cordwainer Smith?  If not, you should....

And Jack Vance.

And of course Gene Wolfe.  People have extolled the virtues of
The Book of the New Sun (deservedly) but does no one remember
The Fifth Head of Cerberus?

As far as classics, if ``The Ugly Chickens'' by Howard Waldrop
doesn't make it into any book of Classics of 80s SF, it's a shame.
-- 
John Quarterman, UUCP:  {gatech,harvard,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo}!ut-sally!im4u!jsq
ARPA Internet and CSNET:  jsq@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU, jsq@sally.UTEXAS.EDU