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From: Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Highlights and Lowlights - August 2024
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:56:20 -0400
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On 9/9/24 1:35 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> In article <vbn8vo$2fr5i$1@dont-email.me>,
> Cryptoengineer  <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 9/8/2024 10:12 PM, Tony Nance wrote:
>>> On 9/7/24 12:10 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>>> In article <vbgh3k$15dv9$1@dont-email.me>, Titus G
>>>> <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
>>>>> On 7/09/24 09:29, Tony Nance wrote:
>>>>>> On 9/5/24 11:25 PM, Titus G wrote:
>>>>>>> On 5/09/24 10:35, Tony Nance wrote:
>>>>>>>> Now Reading:
>>>>>>>> Long work - The Stainless Steel Rat - Harrison
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> January 2014.
>>>>>>> The Stainless Steel Rat    Harry Harrison        e 3
>>>>>>> Futuristic super criminal. A bit over the top. Enjoyable pot boiler.
>>>>>>> March 2014
>>>>>>> The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge Harry Harrison Not Finished.
>>>>>>> A bit over the top. Too similar to its predecessor.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When I first read these last century from the library, I just loved
>>>>>>> them. Are they a first reading for you?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> They are, and I am greatly enjoying this one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> When I started reading this newsgroup in the mid-1990s, it didn't take
>>>>>> long for me to realize I had a pretty non-standard introduction to SF -
>>>>>> at least non-standard compared to almost everyone on the group at the
>>>>>> time. As two examples (of many), I've never read a Heinlein juvie,
>>>>>> nor a
>>>>>> Norton, and when I tried to catch up in my 30s, they simply did not
>>>>>> work
>>>>>> for me. At all.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> But over the many years, I have circled back to read a lot of the works
>>>>>> I missed, and the Harrison just popped up the other night.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Fun stuff so far,
>>>>>> Tony
>>>>>
>>>>> There are many Harry Harrison books available for free at Project
>>>>> Gutenberg. I can't remember the details now but my favourites included
>>>>> The Ethical Engineer and Toyshop. The engineer was also a crook but may
>>>>> have been more serious than the rat.
>>>>> Just looked up Gutenberg. 14 books. Most popular is The stainless steel
>>>>> rat.
>>>>
>>>> He also wrote the ultimate space-opera sendup, _Star Smashers Of
>>>> The Galaxy Rangers_.  I'm kind of scared to see if 63 year old me
>>>> still thinks it's as funny as 13 year old me did.  Probably no --
>>>> it never is.
>>>
>>> I do have that one, and I'm curious how it will go for me (never read it
>>> before).
>>
>> As I recall, it was written ironically, with tongue firmly in cheek, to
>> take all the space opera tropes, put them into the story, and turn them
>> up to 11.
> 
> I came across a radio play of Bill the Galactic Hero. I am in no
> danger of being confused by excess subtlety.
> 

Heh! I also have that one, and I'm also curious how it will go for me 
(never read it before).

Tony