From: Alan Olsen <alan@ctrl-alt-del.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 10:09:48 -0800 (PST)
To: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Subject: Re: Why I Don't Read SF Much Anymore
Message-ID: <3.0b36.32.19961121100706.0100acac@mail.teleport.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 12:14 AM 11/21/96 -0800, Timothy C. May wrote:
>
>On the issue of why many of us don't read as much SF as we once did...
>
>Speaking for myself,
[Reasons snipped]

I have found my reasons for not reading as much Science Fiction are:

1) Time.

2) The huge pile of technical manuals/books that I need to read.  (I have
been measuring them, not in number of books, but in linear feet.)

3) Many of the bookstores locally (especially the chains) have a HUGE
percentage of their books being "franchise SF".  It is hard to find
something good when you have to wade through the Star Trek, Star Wars,
Doom, Myst, Story set in the world of <famous name> by written by
<unknown>, and assorted Pern-ography.  (The last chain bookstore I went to
had *NOTHING* that I had not read or was willing to read.)  I guess that is
what i get for going to malls...

ObCrypto:  It is ironic that the 2nd edition of The Codebreakers is out.  I
had just done a book search on it and was going to get a local bookstore to
order me a copy.  (The prices on the used market ran anywhere from $20 to
$80!  That is copied that actually sold, not just asking price.)

I guess I will have to do a book search on _The Puzzle Palace_ and maybe it
will get released. (In kind of a strange quantum bookbuying action at a
distance sort of thing...)


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