Conference noted::sf

I read it and enjoyed it, though as damon knight said in his analysis of
it, it sidestepped an interesting moral question through the accidental
electrocution...

Gems:

Who Goes There?  Campbess (aka Stuart)
A Martian Odyssey/Valley of Dreams/Dawn of Flame/Circle of Zero/Red
  Peri/(etc) by Weinbaum

Before the Dawn by John Taine (aka E.T. Bell)
The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett (Kuttner)
The Monster by A.E. van Vogt
Judgement Night by C. L. Moore
Farewell to the Master/Alas, All Thinking by Harry Bates
Belief by Isaac Asimov

... in Sf.  These should get you started.  I don't include some of
the more obscure ones such as City of the Singing Flame, by Clark
Ashton Smith, which is almost impossible to findthese days.

However, those should be relatively easy to find.  I think that
somewhere earlier there's a note on this subject, but I can't remember
which ...

Steve Kallis, Jr.

Two of my favorite short stories, both by Harlan Ellison.

 I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

 A Boy and His Dog( actually a novella I believe; they made a pretty wild movie
                    out of it too !)

 I suggest you pick up a copy of the Harlan Ellison edited Anthology 
"Dangerous Visions" it contains some of the best(Hugo and Nebula award winners 
and runners up) short SF written.


P.S.

Does anyone out there know where I can find Thomas Disch's short masterpiece
"Angoulme"(sp?) ? Is it in a collection by Disch or anthologized anywhere ?

 					Thanks,

					John Mc

re:.0

I could spend screenfuls listing good short stories. Instead, I'll point
you to a few general sources.

Short story collections by: Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury,
Fredric Brown, Zenna Henderson, C.M. Kornbluth, Henry Kuttner, Keith Laumer,
Fritz Leiber, George R.R. Martin, Richard Matheson, C.L. Moore, Larry Niven,
Cordwainer Smith, Theodore Sturgeon, John Varley, Kate Wilhlem. You might
also like Heinlein (I don't).
	In a more literary vein, try Thomas Disch, Harlan Ellison, Ursula K.
LeGuin, Robert Silverberg, James Tiptree Jr.

For anthologies, I've found that most edited by Groff Conklin, John W. Camp-
bell, and Robert Silverberg have many worthwhile stories. Again, in a more
literary bent are the DANGEROUS VISIONS series from Ellison, the ORBIT series
from Damon Knight, and the NEW DIMENSIONS series from Silverberg, et al.

	For "Best of" anthologies, I've found Terry Carr's Best of the Year
series to generally be the best. The BEST FROM F&SF is a good series. And
then of course, there are the Hugo and Nebula Award anthologies.
	Other specific antholgies that are worth looking for are: (1) SCIENCE
FICTION HALL OF FAME (in 4 volumes --- #1 edited by Silverberg, #2A & 2B by
Ben Bova, and #3 by Arthur Clarke); (2) ADVENTURES IN TIME AND SPACE (edited
by Raymond Healy & J. Francis McComas); and (3) TRASURY OF GREAT SCIENCE
FICTION (edited by Anthony Boucher).

re:.1

Actually, "City of the Singing Flame" isn't all that hard to find. A few
years ago, a Smith collection with that as the title story was published
by Timescape.

re:.2

Disch's "Angoulme" first appeared in NEW WORLDS QUARTERLY #1 (which was a
paperback from Berkley Books). It was anthologized in Harry Harrison and
Brian Aldiss' BEST SF:1971, and also became part of his "fix-up"(*) novel,
334. The NWQ isn't all that easy to find, but the H&A anthology and 334
are fairly common.

--- jerry

(*) "Fix-up" is a term that means a novel that is made up of a series of
linked short stories. Joe Haldeman's THE FOREVER WAR is a good example.

Roger Zelazny also writes some pretty cranking short stories in

Unicorn variations and The Last Defender of Camelot.

...Rob...

Re .3:

Mea Culpa: I should have thought of *anthology* gems.  _Adventures in Time
And Space_ I consider *the* single-best anthology (so does Modern Library,
which brought out a cheapie-print low-cost version of it).  It also should be
very eye-opening to younger readers who might be surprised to find out how
much high-quality, relevant, and intelligent stuff was written before 1950.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

I really dislike not being able to remember the name of an author...

"Unlike Cortez"   appeared in _F&SF_ in '83 or '84

our magazines are still all packed....can look it all up later

                                              Kathy

re:.-1

"Unlike Cortez" is by Gregg Keizer and appeared in F&SF, January 1984.

--- jerry

<"Read? Who has time to read? I'm too busy indexing it all." :-)>

This a kind of a long note (~40 lines); hope its not too long.

Short Stories, after dropping below the level of the Winner's Circle,
increasingly become a matter of taste, more so than novels, I think.
Most everyone liked "Mirror of Ice" and "The Cold Equations", but there
are those stories that strike a chord way down deep, and if you've a
whole book of 'em--the heck with it; you can survive on 3 hours sleep 
the next day!  So, along with the stuff *everyone* reads, I also mention 
some authors who don't frequent the Hugo & Nebula lists, but can sure spin 
a yarn.  

In the category of those who edit, Conklin is good, especially the older 
ones, like 13 GREAT CLASSICS OF S F and 17 X INFINITY.  Specifically, try
Asimov's HUGO WINNERS (tough to go wrong with winners), Pohl's STAR OF STARS 
(best of STAR 1 thru 6), Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS, Healy & McComas's 
ADVENTURES IN TIME AND SPACE (Yes, Mr. Kallis, I agree), Wollheim's MEN ON 
THE MOON, and WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION by Robert P. Mills.  I think Judith 
Merrill has put together some good anthologies, also.

In the collection dept.:  THE BEST OF FREDERIC BROWN, Jack Finney's THE
THIRD LEVEL, Sturgeon's A WAY HOME and ALIENS 4 (the rest ain't bad, either), 
and Henderson's HOLDING WONDER (likewise with the rest, but I recommend not
reading a whole book of "People" stories at once as they can seem repetitious; 
its kind of like reading SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES in one sitting: your 
head overflows with adverbs & adjectives and you just gotta go join a conver-
sation and get rid of 'em).  In addition, Keith Laumer's THE UNDEFEATED and, 
if you liked the character, the early Retief stories (anyone out there read 
"Diplomat-at-Arms", the 'last' Retief story?), THE BEST OF H. G. WELLS, Larry 
Niven's NEUTRON STAR, and Fred Saberhagen's BERSERKER.  Then there's William 
Tenn, but I can't name a specific book without going through them.  You might 
try J. G. Ballard, who is, I would say, an acquired taste.  

Straying a bit, there's Manly Wade Wellman's WHO FEARS THE DEVIL?, and GREAT 
GHOST STORIES (collected from a literary standpoint--e.g. "The Willows"--by a 
gentleman whose name escapes me at the moment).  

Robert E. Howard needs a mention here.  It's a little difficult to find his
best efforts with all the volumes in print, but there are gems amongst the
chaff, like "Hawks Over Egypt" and some of his original Conan stories.  And, 
when you're feeling *very* moody, his Solomon Kane stories.

     							Don

re:.8

Yes, I've read "Diplomat-at-Arms" (last Retief chronologically, first written).
What's fascinating about it is that it's not a humorous story. Which is perhaps
why it's never been collected (before anyone asks, it appeared in the Jan 1960
issue of FANTASTIC).

--- jerry

Not sure what you mean by "collected".  Assuming you mean not published
in P-back size by a Publishing House (like Ace), O.K.

'Diplomat-...' did appear again in THE MOST THRILLING SCIENCE FICTION EVER
TOLD (a lofty title), issue No. 1, in 1966, published by Ultimate, who got
the rights to the story when it took over Amazing & Fantastic.  (Ultimate
issued a whole bunch of this type around the same time-- I won't bore you
with the titles.)

Interestingly enough, some books (e.g.: TALES OF TIME AND SPACE) are
magazine-sized but are still collections, and SPACEWAY magazine could be 
mistaken, in the dark, for SOAP OPERA DIGEST.  Then there are the ones
like SF YEARBOOK (aka TREASURY..., and etc.) that are pulp size--and so on....
I overlooked these 'mags' when I made my S.S. list.  I wish I were infallible.

Anyway, since this is an S.S. file I can recommend "Donor", by James E. Gunn, 
which also appears in TMTSFET No. 1.  Its a 'Marshall Cartwright' story.  J.F. 
Bone's "Fireman" is good, also, so if you stumble across this volume in the 
Musty Dusties I'd say the coupla-3 bucks is worth it (not to mention a first 
volume of almost anything is worth it, even if you're not a Collector, since 
their first shot is usually their best shot).

     							Don

re:.10

Son of a bitch! You're right. I didn't think to look up to see if it appeared
in one of Sol Cohen's reprint magazines. Which is really what all of those
guys are, rather than anthologies. Many of them started out as numbered
volumes, but shortly became dated periodicals. In the case of MOST THRILLING
SCIENCE FICTION EVER TOLD, it became a dated quarterly with its seventh issue.

Perhaps I should point out that when I said "collected", I was referring to
collections of Laumer's short stories --- the Retief collections specificly
in this case. A fine point, perhaps, but the general terminology is that a
"collection" refers to a book with stories by a single author, most often
(though there are exceptions) assembled by that author, while "anthology"
refers to a book of stories of mixed authorship, usually (though not always)
assembled by a separate individual.

--- jerry

Hey, it's tough to keep track of all of 'em.  (I have trouble with just what
I've got.)  "It's a dirty job, but ...."

I like the definitions and I've been using them in your context. 

I was gonna let this lay but, in going through some anthologies & colections 
I noticed phrases like "brilliantly collected anthologies" and "a thrilling
anthology of his stories", etc.  How can we get the writers & publishers to 
get together on this?  ("Keep those cards & letters rollin' in!")  Or do we 
chalk it up to poetic liscense?

And, yeah, I did expect to find 'Diplomat-' in a collection (see?) called 
DIPLOMAT AT ARMS but I guess the publishers are waiting for Keith to ahh ...
er ... cease writing.  (I bought it anyway, because I have the rest of the 
collections & I missed a few from Galaxy.)

So what do you call a book having stories that a single author collaborates
with a differrent author on each one?  A "collalogy"?


     						Don

re:.12

You mean such as PARTNERS IN WONDER? Good question. I think of it as a
collection of Ellison stories, but the point is certainly debatable.

--- jerry

re .12, .13:

One author and several collaborators -- how about:

		Etalogy

as in "Ellison et al."

					(-: andrew :-)

I read a short story or maybe it was even a novella many years ago that goes
sort of like this.

A probe is sent to a neutron star, black hole, quasar or some kind of object.
The probe has a crew of people and aliens coming from many planets. It is
a suicide mission, none of the crew are expected to come back. This is 
because the radiation emitted by this object is deadly and the object is
located in the far reaches of the galaxy and takes a long time to get there.
The probe will study this object and transmit the data via a tachyon beam or 
transmitter.  The story centers around the only Earth human aboard.  He is 
not really himself.  Apparently because of the rigors of space travel, many
people don't go into space themselves, they make copies of themselves to go 
into space.  These copies are clones who share similar memories or feelings.
I forget whether or not they also have a psychic or telepathic connection. I
don't really remember.  Also I don't exactly remember how the clones or copies
of themselves are made.  I think it might be some kind of matter transfer 
beam similar to the transporter device of "Star Trek" fame.  Instead of beaming
the person from one location to another, the beam creates a copy of the person
in another location.  I'm not totally sure of this I may be confusing another
story.  Any I'm trying to recall the title and author of this story that
I read so long ago.  Does anyone recognise this?

ktlam...

   Sounds like a book by (Poul Anderson?) called "Farthest Star", except
that there wasn't any linkage between the clone/copy and the original,
who just walked out of the booth on Earth and went about his business.

   It's been a while since I've read it though.

					-mjg

    re .16 - wasn't that a two volume set by Poul Anderson and Jack
    Williamson?   The one I recall was set on an anomalous planet that
    proved to be hollow.  One of the principal characters was an
    intelligent chimp.
    
    len (of the faulty memory).
    

    I second Len's memory - it was Jack Williamson, allright. More of the
    plot:
    
    There seems to be some scheming going on among groups of species,
    the Andromedians and the Polarins against... and so on.
    
    How about "Wall Around A Star" as a title?  Rings a faint bell...
    

    re: last few
    
    Thanx guys... I'll check out Poul Anderson and Jack Williamson.  Aren't
    most of their books out of print?  This story I mentioned is kind of
    old so it might be difficult to track down.
    
    ktlam...

    
       I checked it out.  The authors are Frederick Pohl (not Poul
    Anderson, I'm embarrassed that I always mess them up,) and Jack
    Williamson, and the name of the book I have it definitely Farthest
    Star.  There are multiple parts to the book, I don't recall the names
    of them, and I definitely don't recall the bit about the world being
    hollow (I'd remember that because of "The World is Round", another book
    from the days when I borrowed from my brother's SF collection...)
    
    					-mjg
    

    You're embarrassed?  I was the one who confused Pohl and Anderson.
    But I'm sure there are two books (I have them in paperback).  One is
    called Farthest Star.  And the world involved ("Cuckoo"?) is definitely
    hollow.  I'd try to find the books but my "library" has degenerated to
    piles of books stacked on the floor, and "random access" is a thing of
    the past.
    
    len.
    

    
    On the subject of identifying stories:  There is a story which has been
    haunting me for 25 (?!!!!!? where did the time go?) years, which I read
    in an anthology in the school library.  
    
    A rather fat and unpreposessing man faints at the sight of a dangerous
    animal which turns out to be occupied by an intelligent parasite.  The
    parasite needs a new host, and assuming that the man is dead it moves
    in.  The mistake is discovered, and the parasite offers to move out,
    but the man invites it to stay, as it consumes his excess calories and
    gives various other advantages which i remember less clearly.  The
    parasite needs another host (is about to fission?) so the man finds a
    rather fat and unpreposessing woman to share the fun.
    
    Anybody recognize this one?
    
    Elizabeth, with no clever pseudonym 

           <<< Note 257.22 by OSLVS1::ELIZABETHA "Elizabeth Allen" >>>
                       -< Can anyone identify THIS one? >-

    
>    Anybody recognize this one?


Yes I remember it!!!.. i'll see if its still in my collection

    Sounds delightful - please post name and author if found.
    
    K
    

    
    OK--I've been wracking my brain on this for a week...and I know
    that once I hear the answer, I'll scream, "OF COURSE!"
    
    Who wrote "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank?"
    
    I ask because the movie version was on TV last week. Basic plot:
    a man watches "Cassablanca" so many times that he becomes Bogart.
    Stars Raol Julia; from the few minutes I've seen, he does a great
    Bogie--he doesn't imitate Bogie, he just picks up Bogie's style...
    (And on the same tape I've got _Candy_ with Brando playing 8 roles,
    including an ancient Indian guru...but that's another story...)
    
    Ed E.

    re .25 - John Varley; he was credited at the beginning.  The movie
    version takes some liberties with the original.
    
    len.
    

    
    
    OF COURSE!
    
    (um...why is everyone staring...?)
    
    Thanks!

    
    			Poly Water Doodle
    
    I want to say it appeared in an Analog in the mid-sixties, and I don't
    guarantee the spelling of the title, and I can't recall who wrote it,
    and although I have it, its packed away and won't be unpacked for a
    long time.
    
    							Don

    
    re .28
    
    Are you sure?   I just got back from the States, and my SF mag-reading
    sister claims that Poly Water Doodle is one of Asimov's delightfully
    awful shaggy dog stories, and more recent than mid-sixties.  I didn't get 
    the time to check this, but I am inclined to trust my sister's memory.  
    
    I may never see the answer to this, as my contract ends on Friday (Oct.
    29), but the last thing I'll do before logging out for good is check to
    see if Poly Water Doodle has any more votes for correct title.  If so,
    I will strongly suggest to my sister that she check out the short story
    indexes at the library.  
    
    If anyone should ever feel inspired to supply the definitive answer
    at a later date, my address is Skogbrynet 39 B, 0283 Oslo, Norway.
    
    Thank you all for your help, and for lots of inspiring ideas for new 
    authors to check out when I have gotten into a reading rut.  
    
    Elizabeth Allen