PM>> Hey, come on. Even I have some standards. While a PD science

 PM>> fiction book might have some novelty value, the rantings of a

 PM>> senile old man are hardly likely to make good reading. Hmmmm,

 PM>> come to think of it, this didn't stop Heinlein from making a

 PM>> bundle on some of the crappiest books I've ever seen. Go for it

 PM>> Bob!



 BL> Hi Paul,

 BL>            how dare you speak ill of the dead! Robert A. Heinlein was

 BL> the greatest man who ever lived, and the only thing that keeps me from

 BL> bursting into tears at the thought of his passing is my belief in

 BL> reincarnation. Crappy? I'll show you crappy!



Being dead is no way to get out of being criticized. A real man would have
hung around and stood up for himself!



While I admit that RAH's early stuff was quite good (although dated by the
time I read it), the stuff he wrote in his last few years is crap. The poor
man must have been senile.



 BL>   No, no... I'm confused, That was quoting Miss Piggy to Kermit when

 BL> he said that into each life some pain had to fall.



 BL>   "Pain?" she screamed. "I'll show you pain!"
and karate-chopped the

 BL> frog.



Now, now calm down. Just sit here and I'll tuck this blanket in around your
legs. Now take a deep breath from this oxygen mask. Isn't that better? I'll
just toddle off and get you a nice cup of tea, shall I?



 BL>   But I digress. What's the subject? Ah, yes... senility and Science

 BL> Fiction,  and public domain... and Paul Edwards tempting me to try

 BL> for immortality like Lazarus Long AKA Bob Heinlein.



Personally, I don't think PD science fiction will ever take off. If the
books were any good, the author would be making money out of them. Besides,
having a hard disk full of books just isn't the same as having a shelf full
of books.



The Lazarus Long books were the ones I was talking about when I said that
his stuff is crappy. The world certainly doesn't need more books like that.



 PM>> If Bob is really as over the hill as you guys say, maybe he

 PM>> should call it quits now, and stop being a burden on his loved

 PM>> ones. Or his family for that matter. If he wants to do

 PM>> something useful, he can contribute his body to science.

 PM>> Scientists generally lead a dull life and could use a good

 PM>> laugh.



 BL>   Who the hell are you to be so insulting on your first message to

 BL> me?



Well, actually the message was to Paul, not you. It just happended to be
*about* you. This is my first message *to* you.



 BL> You must think I am easy, like they used to say about girls in the

 BL> fifties.



Sorry, the fifties were way before my time.



 BL> I don't usually get insulted until the third message.



I find that hard to believe.



 BL> And anyway, I'm not that old. I am perfectly preserved.



In a jar of formaldehyde?



 BL> I feel like an

 BL> eighteen-year-old, but I refuse to stoop to using that awful old joke.

 BL> One must keep one's standards (as Prince Charlie said when he took up

 BL> the flag).



And do pennants for one's sins.



 BL>   But I have been writing SF on the BBS for a long time now. Just read

 BL> GTnet-Science and see if I'm right... or read any of my arguments with

 BL> Rod Speed - Science Fiction, all of them!



I have read some of your messages around the place, and I must admit,
they're very... creative.





Paul



--- GoldED/2 2.42.G1114