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As I recall, Gerrold presented some mumbo-jumbo that said the storage capacity of such an arrangement - a billions-of-miles-long laser beam - was truly enormous. Sounded like a pretty good idea. Anybody think it would really work - and better yet, be practical?

I like David Gerrold, and I've enjoyed some of his recent "lighter" SF books including his Dingilliad trilogy, but c'mon, the guy needs to get a move on and finish the next installment of his masterwork, A Method For Madness. I'm still trapped in the Amazon, wondering what happens next in the War Against The Chtorr.

I like David Gerrold, and I've enjoyed some of his recent "lighter" SF books including his Dingilliad trilogy, but c'mon, the guy needs to get a move on and finish the next installment of his masterwork, A Method For Madness. I'm still trapped in the Amazon, wondering what happens next in the War Against The Chtorr.

Let the Chtorran War begin! Just when IS he coming out with that Goddamned book, already?!?!?

Those are excellent points.

I want to see more about a military training program that includes the Kobayashi Maru, where the candidate's character is tested in an unwinnable (cheating aside) situation. How do you nurture excellence in a standardized program? I want to see the debates that instructors would have with each other over a cadet like Kirk. I can see it now: "With or without us, either he'll be the greatest captain of our era or he'll bring the Federation down in flames. Let's try to ensure the former."

Someone should get David Gerrold to do a write-up. He did the original Star Trek: The Next Generation series bible as well as the old series episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles" and the excellent B5 episode, "Believers" and is otherwise a well established, excellent SF writer. He'd have to be paid by Paramount, though, and I'd rather he finishes the Chtorr War series first.

My understanding of the matter is that this is probably the man to ask. I've certainly heard him quoted as having written the screenplay of the first episode of ST:TNG to feature the Ferengi, although for the life of me I can't remember where I got this information from.

I cut my teeth on heinlein. My most vivid reading memory was reading _have spacesuit, will travel_ in the 5th grade.

Required heinlein is spacesuit (sentimental), time enough for love (lazarus long is my favorite character in all of SF), Job: A comedy of justice (possibly his best), and the moon is a harsh mistress. Skip stranger unless you like his style, and skip the later stuff (the cat who walks through walls, # of the beast, etc.) unless you really like his style.

One of my favorites that I've not seen mentioned is david gerrold (infamous for the "tribbles" episode of star trek). His "war against the chtorr" series is amazing. Irritating at times, but huge, epic, thought-provoking, and sometimes downrigiht amazing.

I just wish he'd get off his proverbial ass and finish the 5th book. I read the first two, waited a year for #3, then waited about 4 years for #4. It's been about 6 since that one. His website says Real Soon Now, but he's been saying that fora while.

I'm curious about the statement that "It's the first AI to be a principal character in a book." Perhaps I'm not understanding the meaning of this, but according to David Gerrold's web site , the book was published in 1972. 2001 was published in 1968, not to mention one of my favorite Heinlein novels, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which I believe was published late 50's or so. In those novels, HAL and Mike respectively were major characters. Or am I misunderstanding this post?

Heinlein also mentions in ST that there were plenty of non-combatant jobs in the Service. If someone wanted to do their bit, but couldn't fight, then there was a job for them.

You might also want to check out David Gerrold's "War against the Chtorr" series (if you can find it) for exploration of similar themes.

dave