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#21
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What;s Flying Ace?
Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14*am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: *I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It *might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)- |
#22
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I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small
fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting from square one). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA http://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in message ... What;s Flying Ace? Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)- |
#23
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I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a
college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia, etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the "meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc. And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones. Idiosyncratic. On Aug 8, 9:47*am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting from square one). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... What;s Flying Ace? Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying.. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)-- |
#24
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Perhaps idiosyncratic, but I think that would actually be quite helpful.
While we were in Stratford-upon-Avon a few weeks ago, we saw a RSC performance of "As You Like It." In preparation, I had read the play in a small leatherbound pocket-sized edition (ancient, part of a set passed along to me by a great-aunt along with reams of literature "proving" that Sir Francis Bacon had written the plays) with only a very few notes, all on textual matters (ms variants). My husband borrowed from our daughter a college edition with a few more notes, though mostly on the vocabulary (which I mostly didn't need). But more explanation of the jokes would have been helpful. In the event, I had trouble hearing and understanding the dialog (we were in the gallery, i.e., second balcony) and eventually, inevitably dozed off. g -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA http://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in message ... I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia, etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the "meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc. And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones. Idiosyncratic. On Aug 8, 9:47 am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting from square one). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... What;s Flying Ace? Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)-- |
#25
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How quaint! It's not Bacon, it's the Earl of Oxford.
I suppose the thicker single-play editions available these days have the Asimov-like info. Last month there turned up in the Bargain Books at Borders Hamlet, R & J, and Richard III in a well-done edition (aimed more at actors than at Eng Lit students) that includes a wide variety of production photos and a CD of contrasted performances of selected celebrated passages, including some historic ones. Turns out that the publisher, in Chicago, has over 3 or 4 years done nearly all the plays in that format, but only those three were $2.99. The rest can be ordered at $14.95 - $17.95. My "idiosyncratic" referred only to the arrangement of the plays, which are usually either grouped into comedies/tragedies/histories/ romances, or given in order of creation. On Aug 8, 11:03*am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: Perhaps idiosyncratic, but I think that would actually be quite helpful. While we were in Stratford-upon-Avon a few weeks ago, we saw a RSC performance of "As You Like It." In preparation, I had read the play in a small leatherbound pocket-sized edition (ancient, part of a set passed along to me by a great-aunt along with reams of literature "proving" that Sir Francis Bacon had written the plays) with only a very few notes, all on textual matters (ms variants). My husband borrowed from our daughter a college edition with a few more notes, though mostly on the vocabulary (which I mostly didn't need). But more explanation of the jokes would have been helpful. In the event, I had trouble hearing and understanding the dialog (we were in the gallery, i.e., second balcony) and eventually, inevitably dozed off. g -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia, etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the "meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc. And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones. Idiosyncratic. On Aug 8, 9:47 am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting from square one). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... What;s Flying Ace? Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)--- |
#26
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Ah, yes, I agree that the "chronological" order is odd.
-- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA http://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in message ... How quaint! It's not Bacon, it's the Earl of Oxford. I suppose the thicker single-play editions available these days have the Asimov-like info. Last month there turned up in the Bargain Books at Borders Hamlet, R & J, and Richard III in a well-done edition (aimed more at actors than at Eng Lit students) that includes a wide variety of production photos and a CD of contrasted performances of selected celebrated passages, including some historic ones. Turns out that the publisher, in Chicago, has over 3 or 4 years done nearly all the plays in that format, but only those three were $2.99. The rest can be ordered at $14.95 - $17.95. My "idiosyncratic" referred only to the arrangement of the plays, which are usually either grouped into comedies/tragedies/histories/ romances, or given in order of creation. On Aug 8, 11:03 am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: Perhaps idiosyncratic, but I think that would actually be quite helpful. While we were in Stratford-upon-Avon a few weeks ago, we saw a RSC performance of "As You Like It." In preparation, I had read the play in a small leatherbound pocket-sized edition (ancient, part of a set passed along to me by a great-aunt along with reams of literature "proving" that Sir Francis Bacon had written the plays) with only a very few notes, all on textual matters (ms variants). My husband borrowed from our daughter a college edition with a few more notes, though mostly on the vocabulary (which I mostly didn't need). But more explanation of the jokes would have been helpful. In the event, I had trouble hearing and understanding the dialog (we were in the gallery, i.e., second balcony) and eventually, inevitably dozed off. g -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia, etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the "meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc. And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones. Idiosyncratic. On Aug 8, 9:47 am, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting from square one). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USAhttp://word.mvps.org "Peter T. Daniels" wrote in ... What;s Flying Ace? Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment houses. On Jul 17, 9:14 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: Biggles was a Flying Ace type. Hugh Walters wrote basically the same sort of thig, but set in space, and to be honest I can't remember a single plot, but I loved 'em at the time. The SSR was a Harry Harrison series of novels, since "sequalled" to death andDoc Smith's lensmen is definitley only readable until about the age of 15, tops, even if they're not actually classed as juveniles. Banks is sort of space-opera for adults, galactic in scope but without all the empire and blue-jawed heroics. He's written some good none-genre novels as well, under the same name but minus the middle initial. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Asimov had a near eidic memory and was a very fast reader. Yep! Both were English, Eric Frank Russel, too; another oft passed-over great. It's odd, I can think of English, Scottish and Irish SF writers, but no Welsh. "Peter T. Daniels" wrote: Nothing wrong with incomplete sentences. I don't know who Biggles, Walters, Stainless Steel Rat, or Banks are. I don't think I read (though I did buy) Asimov's last two or three novels. I had already discovered that he is unrereadable -- he provided story, not style -- and his ego and sexism the several times I met him or saw him on TV were awfully offputting. I did ask him why he had never written anything on linguistics (my field), and he did say he had to know something about a topic before he wrote about it ... and I always regretted that I didn't think of asking how he kept up on current research in his fields (since he was notoriously reclusive). He went to P D Q Bach concerts and G & S Society meetings, and to SF conventions if they didn't require flying. Is Lensmen the Doc Smith series? I did try him once, because Asimov said he was so important, but he was more like Agatha Christie: didn't play fair with the reader. Isn't John Brunner English also? And John Wyndham. On Jul 17, 6:46 am, The DixieFlatline wrote: I meant to mention ... If you stopped reading SF when Heinein went odd, you've missed all of Iain M Banks' work. It might tempt you back ... (Incomplete sentences, a habit I picked up from Arthur C Clarke ...)--- |
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