for ; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 19:45:38 -0500 (EST)
From: KRandle993  [Kevin Randle]
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 10:19:57 EST
To: updates@globalserve.net
Subject: Re: UFO UpDate: Science Fiction Writers [was: 'The Threat'...]
> To: UFO UpDates - Toronto 
> From: Mark Cashman 
> Subject: re: UFO UpDate: Re: 'The Threat'...
> Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 22:47:14 -0800
 >>  From: AFSDialog  [Thomas Tulien]
 >>  Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 01:24:22 EST
 >>  To: updates@globalserve.net
 >>  Subject:  Re: 'The Threat'...
 >>  What is most curious to me, is the disdain most Sci Fi writers
 >>  and affectionados have for the UFO phenomenon. Perhaps, somehow,
 >>  finding ETI would threaten the demise of the genre?
 >Both SF authors and fans are a microcosm of society at large.
 >Still, I'm not sure about the general disdain part.
 >Asimov and Clarke both publicly were disdainful of UFOs, but I'm
 >not sure I could think of anyone else who's made a public stand
 >on the subject.
Actually most science fiction writers do have a disdain for the
UFO phenomenon. Frederik Pohl and I have debated the topic at a
couple of science fiction conventions. He also did some UFO
investigations in the 1960s but ran into some of the hoaxes or
misidentifications that convinced him that all sightings would
meet with a similar fate.
At other conventions there have been debates between the SF
writers and the UFO researchers. It is interesting that, many, if
not most of the SF writers believe that UFOs are not real.
On the other hand, when I have lectured at SF conventions, the
lectures are always among the most heavily attended and my time
is expanded from the normal hour to 90 minutes.
In other words, there is interest in UFOs, but the SF fans want
something in the way of solid proof. Any lecture that contains
the physical evidence cases is well received. They don't want to
here uncorroborated tales of alien visitation. They are a
different crowd, many of whom have a solid grounding in science.
KRandle
www.crystalsky.com
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