SFL Archives Vol 12b readthrough update 03

 100% completion, 92 bookmarks.

-1987 technology level: How booksellers were able to determine what books were in print/what new titles were coming out before the Internet existed, a phonebook sized catalog released every 6 months named BOOKS IN PRINT.

-1987 technology level: a dismissive SPACE HARRIER arcade game reference, also the first mention of arcade games since the constant PAC-MAN puns back in 1980/1981 .

-The first appearance of "Trelane is Q" regarding STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION in SFL Archives history. There will be more statements and reworkings of this initial post.

-SIGN OF CHAOS discussion kicks off. Motivations of Dara, Jurt, Luke, etc. Merlin being extremely dim aka Roger Zelazny's series planning/lack of series planning, etc.

-STAR TREK chat: TransWarp. Why doesn't the Enterprise wrap everything in Vernor Vinge stasis-field bubbles/bobbles? SFLer's that have only read Larry Niven KNOWN SPACE stories and understand only the Nivenian take on stasis technology start to finally interact with SFLers that have read Vernor Vinge stories/ understand the Vingian bobbles/stasis fields.

-Western business have been increasingly importing (translated) Japanese business books (Kaizen and popular fiction in an attempt to replicate the dominance Japan automotive companies have shown vs Western automotive companies. KAIZEN & THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS are mentioned.

-The PRINCESS BRIDE movie comes out, the movie adaptation of George RR Martin's THE NIGHTFLYERS comes out, the MAX HEADROOM tv series gets cancelled after two seasons of poor ratings (ironic),  and the now vastly forgotten BEAUTY AND THE BEAST tv series starring Linda Hamilton & Ron Perlman airs in the fall of 1987.

-THE HIDDEN 1987 movie comes out and lots of SFLer's notice the similarities in it to Hal Clement's Needle series about 2 alien life-forms coming to Earth/living inside bodies/1 of alien lifeforms being evil, and the other alien lifeform being a intergalactic cop hunting them down.

(2020 note: THE HIDDEN 1987 movie aged pretty well.) 

-A few SFLer's are confused by the concept of SPACE ELEVATORS in David Brin's SUNDIVER novel. 

(2020 note: To be fair, space elevators are a rare geeky subject in 2020, especially so circa 1987.)

-The Winter 1987 version of now forgotten weird SF&F themed tv-shows: CAPTAIN POWER the lightgun focused tv series, the Andy Griffith SALVAGE 1 tv-show comes up again, HERCULOIDS, TEEN FORCE, OTHERWORLD, THUNDARR, THE PEOPLE, SHAZAM!, BATMAN AND THE SUPER SEVEN, CLIFFHANGERS, etc.

-One of the first mentions of M John Harrison in the SFL Archives. The VIRICONIUM series and THE CENTAURI DEVICE are discussed. First mention of Brian Herbert(son of Frank Herbert) and his GARBAGE CHRONICLES series

-SPACE EATER (David Langford), DOOMSDAY EFFECT (Thomas Wren), REINDEER MOON (Elisabeth Marshall Thomas),  Change War stories by Fritz Leiber, WORD-BRINGER (Edward Llewellyn), EC Tubb's DUMAREST SAGA, IT: THE TERROR BEYOND SPACE movie, TRAVELLERS REST (David J Mason), URTH OF THE NEW SUN/EMPIRES OF FOLIAGE AND FLOWER (Gene Wolfe).

-SFLer's debate future policing methods of the 2030's in fiction and what they think will happen IRL and the IRL predictions are so far off the target from a 2020 viewpoint it is painful to even mention.

-Upcoming Convention notices in the SFL Archives break out of the moratorium they have been under since 1983. This leads to the first standalone posting of the NECRONOMICON convention in the SFL Archives.

-MORIGU: THE DESECRATION illustrates the differences of opinions SFLer's have on books. One SFLer loves it and recommends it to others because the dwarven behavior in it is such a amusing loutish contrast to the uptight Elves also in it. Another SFLer found it dark and brooding and filled with way too much blood, gore and hyper-violence to enjoy MORIGU or bother reading any sequels to it.

-First mention of a Net interview occurring with crowd-sourced questions for the interviewee in the SFL Archives. Vonda McIntyre is the interviewee and the SFLer requesting unique questions lays out the now standard ground rules of "don't be an asshole/don't doxx their personal life/don't be sexist". 

-A slight uptick in why F&SF books get published over others leads to mentions of Judy-Lynn Del Rey's (rip) efforts to get some older iconic fantasy and science fiction stories republished, which lead to SFLer Chuq Von Rospach establishing themselves as the 1987 SFLer who knows everything book publisher/author/SFWA related.

-I find myself agreeing with Mark R. Leeper on certain books/movies (LIFEFORCE). Turns out that Evelyn & Mark Leeper are capable of delivering good critiques and reviews on things F&SF related, if they take the time to do so. Unfortunately, Evelyn & Mark Leeper prefer posting extremely rushed "First Impression" 60 second reviews of everything Fantasy & Science Fiction they come across. 

-Vampire stories/Dracula focused stories suddenly becomes a thing for 3 or 4 dedicated SFL Digests. Dracula backstory/future history after resurrecting, with Anne Rice's LESTAT series and her earlier under a pen-name vampire stories coming up.

-A SFLer wants to know the rules to the PYRAMIDS poker game variant in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 1978 tv-series. 

-SFLer Tim Iverson establishes themselves as the SFLer willing to throw down 24/7/366 over William Gibson/NEUROMANCER criticism.

-Raymond Feist RIFTWAR series discussion. Feist has come up a few times before but nothing serious that lasted beyond 2 posts until now. Raymond Feist writing his novels for audiences pre-conditioned to understand the references and monsters that Feist brings up, but never describe in detail. Feist's RIFTWAR series being based on a real RPG setting, with Feist working at a few RPG development companies while planning out/writing the RIFTWAR books.

-7th Doctor DOCTOR WHO series feedback trickles in as 1987 closes out. SFLer's who post about the 7th Doctor episodes really cannot stand Bonnie Langford, with the final Doctor Who related post in SFL Vol 12b being about a new female Companion called Ace replacing Bonnie Langford. 

-The 2nd thrugh 5th episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION come out in the fall/winter of 1987. SFLer's initial to the 2nd episode are still mostly complaints/nitpickings, with mild hopes Q was/is a one-off character. Proto-Incels start referring to Troi as BETAMAX. Mild complaints about Data and Wesley being over-powered in the 2nd episode. Hating on Tasha Yar tapers off,  SFler's note Troi not really having a function on the bridge. The infamous flower-hippies episode airs, and then the mildly racist Ferengi episode, then the creepy Traveller -that-has-grooming-plans-for-Wesley airs. By the time the 5th TNG episode airs gradual acceptance of most of the TNG cast except for Wesley Crusher has sent in. A vocal subset of the SFLer's who watch ST: TNG start  theory-crafting ways Wesley Crusher could be killed/aged up and sent to StarFleet Academy ASAP, etc.  

-A SFLer reposts an infamous circa 1987 open-letter to Gene Roddenberry about STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION and the canned response it got.

------------------------------

Date: Fri,  6 Nov 87  11:56:59 EST

From: NCC1701%UMASS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu

Subject: The letter...

                                                Linda Peterson

Mr. Gene Roddenberry

"Star Trek"

ABC

Dear Sir:

  Although I am not a confirmed "Trekie", I looked forward to the

new Star Trek television series.  My overwhelming disappointment

caused me to write this letter.

  My concerns:

       Do you really believe in white male supremacy?  Surely the

       future will be more equitable - such as...

          An "Asian type" captain (we are outnumbered now by Asian

          peoples).  Also, baldness in the future?  I doubt it.

          Jonathan Frakes just does not have the face of a strong,

          aggressive "Number One" - perhaps a Latino, or a Jimmy

          Smits type.

          Do you really see "Miss Emotion" going into battle in a

          mini-skirt?!  The costumes in general lack imagination.

          Mr. Data looks like PeeWee Herman with his off-white skin

          and slicked back hair.  All the hairstyles seem to some

          from yuppie America.

          Do we really need another TV show with the young wiz-kid,

          who will obviously save the day.  Heck, why not add Lassie

          to the cast.

  Yes, the show did have some strong points.  The storyline fit the

mold.  The Klingon and "Blind" crew member are interesting.  Surely

the show will progress.  Maybe there will be an accident and some of

the crew will have to be replaced.  I won't change the channel yet.

  Thanks for listenning.

                                   Sincerely,

                                   /s/ Linda Peterson

10/5/87

------------------------------

Date: Fri,  6 Nov 87  11:57:40 EST

From: NCC1701%UMASS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu

Subject: The Reply...

Paramount Pictures Corporation

October 27, 1987

Ms. Linda Peterson

Dear Ms. Peterson,

Thank you for your recent letter to Gene Roddenberry.  Although his

schedule doesn't permit him to respond to you personally, he has

taken the time to read your comments.  He is glad you felt strongly

enough about STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION to let him know your

thoughts about it.

Many of the suggestions we received in letters such as yours have

merit and may influence future episodes.  We hope you will continue

to watch STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION to see these developements.

Sincerely,

/s/Susan Sackett

Susan Sackett

Assistant to Gene Roddenberry

SS:akd

------------------------------

SFL Archives Vol 12a readthrough update 01

16% completion, 26 bookmarks

-Forest J Ackerman is the very first topic of discussion in SFL Vol 12a, with some SFLer's considering Ackerman a annoying dinosaur of SF fen-dom, others enjoying Ackerman's presence at SF conventions, and a smaller set of others lusting after Ackerman's massive collection of SF memorabilia.

-Norman Spinrad takes out a full-page in the SFWA BULLETIN to withdraw all of his future work from Nebula Award nomination, in reaction to his latest book not getting a Nebula Award nomination.

-SFLer's try to figure out all the thinly disguised SF author references & in-jokes from James Blish's BLACK EASTER. 

 -The Alderson (space) Drive in a recent Jerry Pournelle novel annoys a SFLer enough to post about it. Other SFLer's mention a future JPL employee, Dan Alderson, came up with the concept for it while attending CalTech.

-STAR TREK 4's change of tone and abandonment of standard STAR TREK-ian events/plotting frustrates some SFLers who wanted a Khan/Trelane/Balance of Terror stand-off situation in Star Trek 4 vs the save-the-whales eco-conservation that really happened. George Takei starts his hobby of low-key hating on bigger-name/better paid co-actors (this time it's Christopher Lloyd from ST3).

-CJ Cherryh's CHANUR'S HOMECOMING comes out and gets discussed for a few days, while SFLer's solidly ignore Stephen Donaldson's recent book, THE MIRROR OF HER DREAMS, to rehash THOMAS COVENANT being terrible.

-John Varley's BLUE CHAMPAGNE comes out, and most SFLers think it is a massive drop-off in quality compared to John Varley's earlier work. 

-Andy Griffith, SF actor? SFLers remember SALVAGE 1, a lesser know TV show Andy Griffith starred/worked on.

-Douglas Adams DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY is due out May 1987 with a 100k first printing run. 

-Steven Brust's TECKLA comes out, and SFLer's note the drastic tone change in it vs earlier Taltos books, then start to debate Taltos series lore. SKZB chimes in clarify a plot point about the love-interest SFLers got really hung up on about (a murder for hire offer vs actual character intent).

-First mention of Tad Williams, SF&F author in the SFL Archives.

-An SFLer claims that Roger Zelazny's initial plan for the AMBER series was to write one novel from each of the royal sibling's viewpoints, but got bored or frustrated whiteboarding out nine different POV scenarios. Another SFLer puts together a adjusted chronology of AMBER series events now that Merlin appears to be sticking around.  

-Marion Zimmer Bradley DARKOVER series discussion makes a serious return, with 2nd hand anecdotes of how controlling MZB is regarding DARKOVER Live Action RolePlay efforts.

-A Heinlein Defense Squad member says that Robert Heinlein wrote the first "generation ship" story and that everyone else has been copying Heinlein. When presented with evidence that multiple authors had written "generation ship" stories BEFORE Heinlein, the HDS person says that doesn't matter, Heinlein's version was superior and everyone writing AFTER Heinlein published his "generation ship" story used Heinlein as a source, and not those (filthy) non-Heinlein authors.

-St. Martin's Press buys TOR Books. St. Martin's Press also commits to adding two dedicated SciFi & Horror paperback lines effective Spring 1987. 

-SFLer's make a convincing case for the 1958 movie THE LOST MISSILE having a near perfect blend of stock military film footage and SciFi plot. 

-SFL perennial topic of discussion "matter transportation" has a Larry Niven KNOWN SPACE "stepping disks/transfer booths" fixation in late 1986/early 1987. It kicks off with a "why not use those stepping disks/transfer booths to travel across the galaxy?" And the complications that would ensue from the "beyond-complex 300+ digit" dial in codes needed to transfer-skip from your front door to the Lake BoilingHot Resort at Wolf 359. 

Then GODEL NUMBERING numbering(first mentioned in SFL Vol 02's version of "matter transportation chat") gets brought up as a solution to managing those "beyond-complex 300+ digit" codes. Then "what about: having to take account of rotational spin and gravity effect differences at the origin points/destination points" gets brought up, etc.

(2020 note: At the accounting for rotational spins/gravity effects point of this discussion thread, I started thinking of the 1994 movie STARGATE, and how the Stargate did all that via "quantum wormhole" magic. Then I realized the Stargate symbols on the Stargates are actually symbolic beyond-massive Godel Numbers, and everything started clicking together in Stargate SG-1 series lore for me.)  

-1987 SFLer's nitpicking/defending the 1983 movie WARGAMES leads to the first mention of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster in the SFL Archives.

-Polly Freas death notice. Polly Freas was involved in SF&F from the 1940's onward, and edited a few SF&F books along with her husband, SF artist Frank Kelly Freas.

-Anime chat. Lots and lots of anime series chat. The original series vs dubs/adaptions by HARMONY GOLD and whatever Macek is. All the favorite iconic anime series are mentioned. Serious confusion results over protoculture being the dub-word used to tie 3 different anime series together for ROBOTECH.

Special note goes to whoever said: "Of greater interest are other Japanese Series which probably will never make it to the American scene. Mobile-suit Gundam, Zeta-Gundam, Heavy Metal L'Giam, Aura Battler Dunbine and the list goes on."

  (2020 note: The varied usage and definitions of "protoculture" powering everything, being a food source, etc in the ROBOTECH series has September 2020 me ready to offer this fresh take: Protoculture in the ROBOTECH series is THE STUFF. Tagline: "Are you eating it or is it eating you?")  

-The revival of the SF vs SCI-FI vs SKIFFY fandom uh fendom debate from SFL Archives Volume 08.

-James P Hogan is noted as complaining in a interview about how little research most writers do on the subject on which they are writing.  (2020 note: James P Hogan suffered from the opposite of this...he did too much research on made up scientific theories, while comparatively spending minutes at best on the plots/characters/conflicts in his stories.)

-Belated notice of BLUEJAY PRESS going out of business crops up in discussion of Diane Duane's upcoming books/the massive amount of projects Diane Duane is already committed to working on in 1987.  

-A SFLer lists the 4 methods of time-travel that existed in STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES. (2020 note: I only remembered 3 of them, good catch 1987 SFLer.) 

-First mention of George RR Martin's beloved WILD CARDS series in the SFL Archives.

-A SFLer (Steve Chapin) writes an mini-essay about the "disturbing trend in writers of SF these days of writing for the sake of a fast buck". And it gets stupider the longer the mini-essay goes on.

-CYBERNETIC SAMURAI by Victor Milan is one of those "5th generation of computers/Japanophobia" themed post-apocalypse novel I mentioned earlier.

-The optioned movie rights for the STAINLESS STEEL RAT come up again, and which actors/actresses would be perfect fits for a Stainless Steel Rat movie. 

(2020 note: What's the most smug IRL actor/actress you can think of? Good, now double and triple that IRLsmugness factor, and you've barely reached James Bolivar DiGriz on the worst day of his life. This is why any Stainless Steel Rat movie adaption will be terrible.)  

-The two infamous GOR movies, GOR and OUTLAW OF GOR, are in production/pre-production at Cannon Films.

-First mention of Kevin Siembieda and PALLADIUM BOOKS in the SFL Archives. (2020 note: Palladium's major contribution to gaming was the introduction of the MEGAdamage system,)