Highs And Lows While Reading Ansible
Sometimes I can skim through Ansible, pausing at a couple highlights here and there. Not this month. There's a lot there, and it's a peculiar roller-coaster ride.
On the one hand, Howard Waldrop is now well enough to go fishing. Go Howard.
On the other hand, James Killus died. He had a presence on Compuserve back in the day, and I recall one day him asking about the size and shape of Mars's moon Phobos, because of conflicting references (obviously this was long before web searches). I don't know if the story he was researching it for ever got written. He was also an atmospheric scientist, and before I gave up on C'serve I recall him mentioning a trip down to Mexico City to discuss with city planners how their air pollution problem might be tackled.
And then there's "John Norman plugs his new Gor novel: 'What man, in his deepest heart, does not want to own a female, to have her for his own, ...'" First of all, "new Gor novel". Sigh. Second of all, sure, there are men and women who desire this (in either position, let's be fair), but the implicit "I like this, therefore everyone must like this" assumption just makes me shake my head. I like broccoli. Who, in their deepest heart, does not want to eat broccoli? You're obviously in denial if you answer no.
Oh, and the Christian Children's Fund turned down $17,398 raised at GenCon in honor of the late Gary Gygax, because Dungeon and Dragons material was involved. Honestly. What does one say to that?
On the one hand, Howard Waldrop is now well enough to go fishing. Go Howard.
On the other hand, James Killus died. He had a presence on Compuserve back in the day, and I recall one day him asking about the size and shape of Mars's moon Phobos, because of conflicting references (obviously this was long before web searches). I don't know if the story he was researching it for ever got written. He was also an atmospheric scientist, and before I gave up on C'serve I recall him mentioning a trip down to Mexico City to discuss with city planners how their air pollution problem might be tackled.
And then there's "John Norman plugs his new Gor novel: 'What man, in his deepest heart, does not want to own a female, to have her for his own, ...'" First of all, "new Gor novel". Sigh. Second of all, sure, there are men and women who desire this (in either position, let's be fair), but the implicit "I like this, therefore everyone must like this" assumption just makes me shake my head. I like broccoli. Who, in their deepest heart, does not want to eat broccoli? You're obviously in denial if you answer no.
Oh, and the Christian Children's Fund turned down $17,398 raised at GenCon in honor of the late Gary Gygax, because Dungeon and Dragons material was involved. Honestly. What does one say to that?