Nicholas van Rijn & Dominic Flandery (aka "Flandry of Terra").
On 3/9/2018 12:33, Igor PDML-StR wrote:
That's quite a story!
But I should admit, despite having swallowed tons of sci-fi books as
a teenager and post-teenager, I had to look up Poul Anderson.
I am not sure if I just missed the name or his books as well...
However, The Snows of Ganymede and Virgin Planet sound familiar...
Being a kid, I always felt that all great writers lived long time
ago. That feeling continued for a while into adulthood. Around
1995-96, I was surprised to meet Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite
sci-fi writers (and writers in general) during his visit to
Urbana-Champaign, IL. I thought he had been long gone by that time.
Igor
Larry Colen Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:04:16 -0800 wrote:
I don't remember what I was reading specifically, but I think it
was the
Tom Swift, Jr series. My older brother loved The Hardy Boys, but I
was more into science fiction. The first books I took out from the
Public Library at age seven were "Two for the Stars" and "Have Space
Suit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein. I've not returned yet... ;-)
Heh! In first grade I went through all of the spaceship under the
apple tree books, and when they were exhausted asked Dad to point me
to more stuff like that. The public library had Rocket Ship Galileo,
and when I finished that I found Have spacesuit will travel in the
school library. It didn't take me long to go through all the Heinlein
juveniles and start in on Asimov, Heinlein etc. in the adult
section.
I will say that I sure missed a lot reading Stranger in a Strange
Land when I was ten years old.
I've heard this story, told pretty much the same from two people who
know the girl involved ...
In the late 1960's Astrid, a young girl 13 or 14 years old, who lived
in the East Bay had chosen SiaSL for a book report assignment. The
teacher also asked a bunch of other questions for the students to
answer. When the teacher handed back the reports he asked Astrid to
talk to him after class.
After class, he commented that he noticed her answer to "why did the
author write this book?" was "To make money". "I'm sure you realize
that a lot of people find this book really inspirational, and your
answer seems rather cynical for someone your age. I'm curious why you
chose that answer"
"Oh, that's what he told me."
Knowing how reclusive Heinlein was the teacher was a bit surprised by
this answer and asked how she had asked him.
"On the phone" she replied matter of factly.
Certain that she was making things up he asked her how she had gotten
his number, waiting for the inevitable confession that she was making
things up.
"My dad's phone book", as if it was the obvious answer.
The teacher had had enough of her spinning her yarn further and
further finally started to get hot under the collar and angrily
started to launch into a tirade. "Astrid Anderson!" he started. Then
he stopped, thought for a second and asked "What's your father's
first name?".
--
Science - Questions we may never find answers for.
Religion - Answers we must never question.
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