Comments on: Some Comments on the Comments: Selective Service

By: Tina Black

Tina Black — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 16:05:12 +0000

Fred, you definitely need to look into digital editions of books like this. I’ve moved to almost all e-books since I already have two book rooms. I really like them. Betty told me she has e-readers, though she doesn’t seem to use them as much as I do.

I hope you’ll consider it.

By: Tom Swirly

Tom Swirly — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:36:41 +0000

You have a blog?! Finally the various inner dialogs I’ve had with you since I started reading you can be fulfilled!

“The Years of the City” is one of my all-time favorite novels of any type – partly because it’s about the future history of New York City, my decades-long love (though I’m sitting in Berlin right now and seriously contemplating a move…), partly because it’s about politics and yet it’s thrilling and makes me actually have hope for the future, but mainly it’s a book that’s made me cry on at least two occasions (that first story in particular).

I like the selective service congress a heck of a lot – but I like all the ideas. After the Impending Collapse(tm) perhaps we’ll get to try these. (Or perhaps I can convince the Berliners to try them…)

By: John Kavanagh

John Kavanagh — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:52:18 +0000

Mr. Pohl, I assume you’re following these comments, so I’d like to suggest a topic for a future blog. How about doing something about your years at GALAXY and its companions. You were agent, author, ghost editor, and editor. I keep hoping you’ll get around to it.

By: Larry Kollar

Larry Kollar — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:27:40 +0000

One of the problems with authors not actively participating in comments can be shown in the extreme case of James Howard Kunstler’s blog. When I stopped visiting, it was pretty much an unmoderated open thread where the discussions had little or no bearing on the topic at hand. Seeing that each weekly post was nothing but a variant of his “we’re all %$&!ed” theme, I guess that’s not surprising. Then again, I suppose classic scifi fandom is a little more intelligent & respectful as a whole.

Funny that you mention Lovecraft, +Don Sakers. I just finished the “Complete Works” spanning 1917-1935 — it was huge. But on the whole, while I’d rather see authors writing, if they have something to say on their own blog? They shouldn’t feel constrained.

By: Gerry Quinn

Gerry Quinn — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:31:10 +0000

Subrata Sircar wrote: “One thing that intrigued me in Starship Troopers was the citizenship system, specifically the idea that a sacrifice or commitment was required in order to get a say in how things would work.”

I seem to recall a story by R.A.Lafferty in which a legislator passing a law would have to cut off one of his own fingers…

By: Don Sakers

Don Sakers — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:18:54 +0000

Much as everyone likes getting individual responses to comments, remember that Mr. Pohl’s time and energy are finite. I’d rather have him spend it working on his next book, instead of discussions in the comments.

As I recall, H.P. Lovecraft wrote an unimaginable number letters to fans, spending at least half his work time on correspondence. Think of the additional books we’d have if he’d devoted that time & effort to fiction.