Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 18:48:22 +0100 (MET) From: Asgaard <asgaard@Cor.sos.sll.se> To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: re: sci fi

On Thu, 21 Nov 1996, Alan Olsen wrote:

...

For absolute brain candy, I recommend "Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers". EE.Doc Smith meets the Hardy Boys. The ending I had to read twice...

A rather odd book that I found immensely stimulating is 'Venus on a halfshell' by a Nym (allegedly for Kurt Vonnegut, who in most of his books under his own name now and then refers to some hilarious non-existing SF story by this 'author').

Asgaard

"Star Smashers" first appeared under a wierd 'Generic Book' imprint in the late 70s/early 80s. There were a series of them - with plain white covers and black capital titles such as "SCIENCE FICTION", "ROMANCE", "WESTERN", "MYSTERY", etc, all actually by well respected authors in their respective fields. I think "Star Smashers' was by Harry Harrison, but am not sure. VotHS claimed to have been written by Kilgore Trout, an third rate SF author who exists only in the works of Kurt Vonnegut. However, the actual author is Phillip Jose Farmer, whom Kurt granted permission to use the character as a joke at a party. Farmer then wrote and published VotHS, perfectly imitating Vonnegut's style, to Vonnegut's great dismay. Peter Trei trei@process.com