Comments on: Doc “Skylark” Smith http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/ Frederik Pohl Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:15:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Christian Nau http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-14901 Christian Nau Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:00:12 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-14901 I loved the lensmen series when I was first introduced to them around the age of 15. I actually have an embarrassing memory of me writing up, very earnestly, a description of the physics used in the lensmen universe for a 9th grade physics assignment. For example, some of the ideas I wrote about were: inertial dampers, multiples of the speed of light, teardrop designs because at those speeds even spaceships needed to be aerodynamic. I don't know what my teacher thought of it, but I didn't score very well on the assignment. I loved the lensmen series when I was first introduced to them around the age of 15. I actually have an embarrassing memory of me writing up, very earnestly, a description of the physics used in the lensmen universe for a 9th grade physics assignment. For example, some of the ideas I wrote about were: inertial dampers, multiples of the speed of light, teardrop designs because at those speeds even spaceships needed to be aerodynamic. I don’t know what my teacher thought of it, but I didn’t score very well on the assignment.

]]> By: Stephen Lucchetti http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-13480 Stephen Lucchetti Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:51:11 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-13480 Doc never had anything to do with Spudnuts BUT he did work for Dawn Donuts our of Jackson Michigan for a number of years. Somewhere I've got a FAX copy of at least one of his the recipe cards that he reused when sending book comments to a friend. -- Stephen Lucchetti Ypsilanti, Michigan Doc never had anything to do with Spudnuts BUT he did work for Dawn Donuts our of Jackson Michigan for a number of years. Somewhere I’ve got a FAX copy of at least one of his the recipe cards that he reused when sending book comments to a friend.

– Stephen Lucchetti
Ypsilanti, Michigan

]]> By: Robert Nowall http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-13104 Robert Nowall Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:21:15 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-13104 “Robert A. Heinlein: Volume 1 (1907-1949): Learning Curve.” Great! I've been waiting for a biography of Heinlein for years now. (But I'm suspicious of multi-volume biographies unless they're published all at once---Robert Caro promised the next volume of his Lyndon Johnson sometime in the next century, and the second volume of of Gary Gidding's biography of Bing Crosby apparently crashed in a publishing dispute.) “Robert A. Heinlein: Volume 1 (1907-1949): Learning Curve.”

Great! I’ve been waiting for a biography of Heinlein for years now. (But I’m suspicious of multi-volume biographies unless they’re published all at once—Robert Caro promised the next volume of his Lyndon Johnson sometime in the next century, and the second volume of of Gary Gidding’s biography of Bing Crosby apparently crashed in a publishing dispute.)

]]> By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-13048 Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:27:06 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-13048 Robert Nowall writes: "Very few SF writers will ever have massive doorstopper biographies in every library and bookstore." Speaking of which, William Patterson's biography of Heinlein is due out from Tor this year-- half of it, at least. Amazon gives the title as "Robert A. Heinlein: Volume 1 (1907-1949): Learning Curve." Publication date is listed as 17 August 2010. No word on when the second volume might be published. Robert Nowall writes:

“Very few SF writers will ever have massive doorstopper biographies in every library and bookstore.”

Speaking of which, William Patterson’s biography of Heinlein is due out from Tor this year– half of it, at least. Amazon gives the title as “Robert A. Heinlein: Volume 1 (1907-1949): Learning Curve.”

Publication date is listed as 17 August 2010. No word on when the second volume might be published.

]]> By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-13047 Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:21:59 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-13047 \"His particular specialty was in food chemistry, with particular attention to the chemistry of the doughnut, but wheaten edibles of all kinds were within his purview.\" The late fan who went by the name \"Gharlane of Eddore\" told me that he once heard Doc Smith speak at an SF convention. Someone asked Doc about his favorite achievement in the food-chemistry business. He was proudest of a formula he\'d invented for a doughnut mix made from potato flour. So his purview extended beyond mere wheaten edibles... (I was led to investigate whether Doc had any connection with a chain of potato-doughnut shops named Spudnuts. The answer turned out to be \"no,\" but that\'s a story for another time.) \"His particular specialty was in food chemistry, with particular attention to the chemistry of the doughnut, but wheaten edibles of all kinds were within his purview.\"

The late fan who went by the name \"Gharlane of Eddore\" told me that he once heard Doc Smith speak at an SF convention. Someone asked Doc about his favorite achievement in the food-chemistry business.

He was proudest of a formula he\’d invented for a doughnut mix made from potato flour.

So his purview extended beyond mere wheaten edibles…

(I was led to investigate whether Doc had any connection with a chain of potato-doughnut shops named Spudnuts. The answer turned out to be \"no,\" but that\’s a story for another time.)

]]> By: Jim Meadows http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-12605 Jim Meadows Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:29:15 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-12605 I didn't catch Doc Smith at the right time of life to really enjoy him. But when I read "The Skylark of Space", I saw what he brought to science fiction --- the concept that space travel could be a given, allowing writers and readers to get past the we're-going-to-the-moon business, and get down to some real adventures. I think the key breakthrough point comes in "The Skylark of Space", where Richard Seaton, having gotten his backyard rocket ship off the ground with the help of the radioactive mystery element X, casually looks at the speedometer and is surprised to see that he actually traveling several times the speed of light. "I guess Einstein was wrong", he exclaims, if my memory serves. It's a small step over any complaints about scientific plausibility, but a giant leap to all the space opera we've been enjoying for the last 90 years. I didn’t catch Doc Smith at the right time of life to really enjoy him. But when I read “The Skylark of Space”, I saw what he brought to science fiction — the concept that space travel could be a given, allowing writers and readers to get past the we’re-going-to-the-moon business, and get down to some real adventures.

I think the key breakthrough point comes in “The Skylark of Space”, where Richard Seaton, having gotten his backyard rocket ship off the ground with the help of the radioactive mystery element X, casually looks at the speedometer and is surprised to see that he actually traveling several times the speed of light. “I guess Einstein was wrong”, he exclaims, if my memory serves. It’s a small step over any complaints about scientific plausibility, but a giant leap to all the space opera we’ve been enjoying for the last 90 years.

]]> By: Dr. Psycho http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-12104 Dr. Psycho Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:04:26 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-12104 I enjoyed Doc Smith's novels immensely, and wouldn't mind if there were another one out there for me to discover [Skylark of Arisia, perhaps?], but now I have a real hankering to try his doughnuts, made from recipes that "not only specified what kind of wheat to use and how to grind the flour, but even at what time of year the crop should have been planted." Goodness me, the secrets of the ancient ones which we have allowed to slip through our fingers.... I enjoyed Doc Smith’s novels immensely, and wouldn’t mind if there were another one out there for me to discover [Skylark of Arisia, perhaps?], but now I have a real hankering to try his doughnuts, made from recipes that “not only specified what kind of wheat to use and how to grind the flour, but even at what time of year the crop should have been planted.”

Goodness me, the secrets of the ancient ones which we have allowed to slip through our fingers….

]]> By: Scott Hauger http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2009/12/doc-skylark-smith/#comment-12000 Scott Hauger Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:04:42 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=1749#comment-12000 Fred: Thought you would be interested to know -- I just got back from 2 weeks in China. All of my usual websites that I visit were available there except one. Yep, The Way the Future Blogs is apparently blocked in PRC. Scott Fred:

Thought you would be interested to know — I just got back from 2 weeks in China. All of my usual websites that I visit were available there except one. Yep, The Way the Future Blogs is apparently blocked in PRC.

Scott

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