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  • (tor dot com) Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    From James Nicoll@21:1/5 to All on Wed Apr 12 16:14:56 2023
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/ --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lynn McGuire@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Wed Apr 12 14:01:11 2023
    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here.  I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    The Stainless Steel Rat books are science fiction, not fantasy, so those
    would not qualify.

    Lynn

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  • From Lynn McGuire@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Apr 12 13:55:54 2023
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From James Nicoll@21:1/5 to Scott Lurndal on Wed Apr 12 19:52:14 2023
    In article <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad>,
    Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/ >>
    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read. If I recall correctly,
    that's the one where the protag takes a .45 semi-automatic back to
    the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the legend of Thor's
    hammer returning to his hand.

    I know that story but not the author or title. In Enchanter, devices
    like matches and guns don't work in fantasy realms.
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Wed Apr 12 19:41:01 2023
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read. If I recall correctly,
    that's the one where the protag takes a .45 semi-automatic back to
    the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the legend of Thor's
    hammer returning to his hand.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony Nance@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Apr 12 13:08:19 2023
    On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 12:15:00 PM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/


    I've read and enjoyed the middle 3. Before I clicked on your link,
    I could only think of the Harold Shea stuff plus the parody
    Bored of the Rings. Later, a few more came to me, like most
    of A Lee Martinez' stand-alone novels, and The Princess Bride.

    Tony

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Apr 12 20:22:35 2023
    jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) writes:
    In article <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad>,
    Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read. If I recall correctly,
    that's the one where the protag takes a .45 semi-automatic back to
    the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the legend of Thor's
    hammer returning to his hand.

    I know that story but not the author or title. In Enchanter, devices
    like matches and guns don't work in fantasy realms.

    Perhaps it was _Day of the Giants_ by Lester Del Rey? although IIRC in that one the protag goes to Asgard and arms the gods with nukes when Fimbulwinter arrived.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From smw@21:1/5 to Scott Lurndal on Wed Apr 12 22:04:08 2023
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read.

    It definitely is.


    If I recall correctly, that's the one where the protag takes a .45 >semi-automatic back to the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the >legend of Thor's hammer returning to his hand.

    No, that's /Frost and Thunder/ by Randall Garrett:

    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?46221

    ...which I read in the Timescape anthology /The Best of Randall Garrett/:

    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?35865

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    V pna frr ubj gung vyyhfvba pbhyq pbzr nobhg. V ubyq gur unzzre va zl
    unaq naq gurer vf n guhaqreobyg naq gur sbr snyyf qrnq -- uvf urnq
    fznfurq va. Naq gura gur unzzre vf onpx va zl unaq. Fher.

    Gubfr sbyx unq nyernql fubegrarq zl anzr sebz "Grlqbe" gb "Grl'be"; jul
    abg bar flyynoyr shegure?

    Zl jrncba unf n anzr abj, nf Fgra fhttrfgrq. V ybbxrq hc n zna jub
    xabjf Abefr eharf, naq V unq nabgure zna ratenir gubfr eharf ba zl
    cvfgby, ba gur evtug, whfg nobir gur gevttre.

    Gur ratenivat fnlf: Zwbyave.

    Lnu.

    Gur bevtvany.

    - Steven
    --
    ___________________________________________________________________________ Steven Winikoff |
    Montreal, QC, Canada | "Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum
    smw@smwonline.ca | viditur. (Whatever is said in Latin http://smwonline.ca | sounds profound.)"
    | - fortune(6)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to smw on Wed Apr 12 22:55:04 2023
    smw <smw@mort.smwonline.ca> writes:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read.

    It definitely is.


    If I recall correctly, that's the one where the protag takes a .45 >>semi-automatic back to the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the >>legend of Thor's hammer returning to his hand.

    No, that's /Frost and Thunder/ by Randall Garrett:

    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?46221

    ...which I read in the Timescape anthology /The Best of Randall Garrett/:

    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?35865

    Ah, thank you!

    And yes, I do have /The Best Of/ in a box.

    $ testa garr
    artist title format location
    Garrett, Randall Murder and Magic soft A014
    Garrett, Randall The Best Of soft A014
    Keillor, Garrison Leaving Home Hard BOX A004
    Mattingly, Garrett The Armada Soft BOX A001
    Mattingly, Garrett The Armada Hard A023

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  • From BCFD36@21:1/5 to smw on Wed Apr 12 17:09:15 2023
    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


    Gur bevtvany.

    - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!


    --
    Dave Scruggs
    Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
    Sr. Software Engineer (Retired, mostly)

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  • From Dimensional Traveler@21:1/5 to All on Wed Apr 12 17:18:46 2023
    On 4/12/2023 5:09 PM, BCFD36 wrote:
    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


        Gur bevtvany.

          - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!

    https://rot13.com/

    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From BCFD36@21:1/5 to Dimensional Traveler on Wed Apr 12 18:10:49 2023
    On 4/12/23 17:18, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 5:09 PM, BCFD36 wrote:
    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


        Gur bevtvany.

          - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!

    https://rot13.com/

    Thanks!!
    --
    Dave Scruggs
    Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
    Sr. Software Engineer (Retired, mostly)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Butch Malahide@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Apr 12 18:19:49 2023
    On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 11:15:00 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

    _Space Chantey_, _The Reefs of Earth_, Annals of Klepsis_, _Past Master_
    by R. A. Lafferty. _The Unholy City_, _The Circus of Dr. Lao_ by Charles
    G. Finney. _Jurgen_, _The Silver Stallion_, _Figures of Earth_, _Something About Eve_ by James Branch Cabell. _Alice in Wonderland_ and _Through
    the Looking-Glass_ by Lewis Carroll. _The Lathe of Heaven_ by Ursula K.
    Le Guin. "Von Goom's Gambit" by Victor Contoski. _Mindswap_ and
    _Dimension of Miracles_ by Robert Sheckley.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dimensional Traveler@21:1/5 to All on Wed Apr 12 19:49:04 2023
    On 4/12/2023 6:10 PM, BCFD36 wrote:
    On 4/12/23 17:18, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 5:09 PM, BCFD36 wrote:
    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


        Gur bevtvany.

          - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!

    https://rot13.com/

    Thanks!!

    You're welcome.

    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Robert Woodward@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Wed Apr 12 21:57:44 2023
    In article <u16urs$1005$2@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fant
    asy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.


    I have read 3; btw, you really should find and read _Silverlock_, if
    only to read the Battle of the Alamo as a Norse epic (note that all the defenders died at the Alamo).

    --
    "We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
    Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. —-----------------------------------------------------
    Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Lynn McGuire@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Thu Apr 13 01:13:44 2023
    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here.  I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    Can we extend this to the UK ? How about "The Once and Future King" by
    T. H. White ?

    Lynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lynn McGuire@21:1/5 to Tony Nance on Thu Apr 13 01:08:36 2023
    On 4/12/2023 3:08 PM, Tony Nance wrote:
    On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 12:15:00 PM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/


    I've read and enjoyed the middle 3. Before I clicked on your link,
    I could only think of the Harold Shea stuff plus the parody
    Bored of the Rings. Later, a few more came to me, like most
    of A Lee Martinez' stand-alone novels, and The Princess Bride.

    Tony

    Yes, "The Princess Bride" was what I was thinking of and could not get
    the name out.

    Thanks,
    Lynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Titus G@21:1/5 to Butch Malahide on Thu Apr 13 18:41:46 2023
    On 13/04/23 13:19, Butch Malahide wrote:
    On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 11:15:00 AM UTC-5, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

    _Space Chantey_, _The Reefs of Earth_, Annals of Klepsis_, _Past Master_
    by R. A. Lafferty. _The Unholy City_, _The Circus of Dr. Lao_ by Charles
    G. Finney. _Jurgen_, _The Silver Stallion_, _Figures of Earth_, _Something About Eve_ by James Branch Cabell. _Alice in Wonderland_ and _Through
    the Looking-Glass_ by Lewis Carroll. _The Lathe of Heaven_ by Ursula K.
    Le Guin. "Von Goom's Gambit" by Victor Contoski. _Mindswap_ and
    _Dimension of Miracles_ by Robert Sheckley.

    It is along time since I read Sheckley but wasn't most of his writing
    comedic? My favourite of his would be A Ticket to Tranai.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jack Bohn@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Thu Apr 13 06:16:00 2023
    Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Can we extend this to the UK ? How about "The Once and Future King" by
    T. H. White ?

    Those sceptered isles have an embarrassment of riches, stretching from (if one stretches a point) "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to Sir Saint Terry Prachett.

    Let's see...
    Looking to our foundational documents, the fantasies about Rip Van W. and Ichabod C., I read them as a kid, but don't remember them being a giggle-fest. Possibly one of those cases where the fantastical happenings are supposed to be silly enough to be
    funny.

    E.A. Poe is said to have no humor. I recommend "The Devil in the Belfry" if anyone asks for proof, with "The Angel of the Odd" as a followup blow. "Never Bet the Devil Your Head" -- is this what they call "sardonic"?

    James Thurber, "The Unicorn in the Garden"

    In thinking through 1930s-type writers, I recall a strange sidestream, _How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes_ by Will Cuppy a mix of scientific facts about our primate cousins with personal jabs against them such as Groucho Marx might make. Oh, wait,
    that's a sidestream to science fiction, not fantasy. Richard Armour is more history and literature, but that is better for humorous fantasy as literature sometimes encounters it, and history shades into myth, these would be fragments from many of his
    books. Ogden Nash wrote a poem, "The Adventures of Isabel," which include her encounters with a talking bear and a witch.

    The Myth Adventures series began before the 1980s.

    --
    -Jack

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  • From petertrei@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Scott Lurndal on Thu Apr 13 07:59:02 2023
    On Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 10:22:49 AM UTC-4, Scott Lurndal wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    Can we extend this to the UK ? How about "The Once and Future King" by
    T. H. White ?
    Personally, I destested that one, since my introduction to arthurian
    legend was _The Crystal Cave_, which is hardly comedic.

    Aside from The Sword in the Stone, I don't recall most of it being comedic. Even TSitS had lots of non-humor stretches - the geese, the ants, the encounter with the pike, etc.

    pt

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to Lynn McGuire on Thu Apr 13 14:22:45 2023
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here.  I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    Can we extend this to the UK ? How about "The Once and Future King" by
    T. H. White ?

    Personally, I destested that one, since my introduction to arthurian
    legend was _The Crystal Cave_, which is hardly comedic.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Robert Carnegie@21:1/5 to Jack Bohn on Thu Apr 13 10:54:26 2023
    On Thursday, 13 April 2023 at 14:16:03 UTC+1, Jack Bohn wrote:
    Looking to our foundational documents, the fantasies about Rip Van W. and Ichabod C., I read them as a kid, but don't remember them being a giggle-fest. Possibly one of those cases where the fantastical happenings are supposed to be silly enough to be
    funny.

    Maybe a young reader doesn't see Ichabod Crane as ridiculous,
    or creepy. Or wonder why a spectral horserider threatens Crane
    with a very ordinary pumpkin. "Rip van Winkle" can be judged
    as you say, a tale that is entertaining by its strangeness, along
    with Rip being an anti-hero, and falling to the temptation to
    drink alcohol, which has given us funny stories since Noah
    invented the stuff. Unless you'd like to imagine that God and
    Adam were drinking one night, and Adam woke up next to a
    woman he didn't remember meeting... Obviously that isn't
    the same story as Rip van Winkle, but it's another oldie.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dorothy J Heydt@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Fri Apr 14 01:34:34 2023
    In article <u1725e$k8d$1@reader2.panix.com>,
    James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
    In article <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad>,
    Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here. I ain't got nothing to add today.

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read. If I recall correctly,
    that's the one where the protag takes a .45 semi-automatic back to
    the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the legend of Thor's
    hammer returning to his hand.

    I know that story but not the author or title. In Enchanter, devices
    like matches and guns don't work in fantasy realms.

    (Hal Heydt)
    I'm blanking on the author's name as well. It was one of the
    ex-spooks that hung around with Randall Garrett at his
    house--"Hightower"--in San Francisco. Sven, maybe?

    Anyway, in the end, he returns to the present and has the gun
    engraved with the name "Mjollnir".

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Paul S Person@21:1/5 to rja.carnegie@excite.com on Fri Apr 14 08:53:03 2023
    On Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:54:26 -0700 (PDT), Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@excite.com> wrote:

    On Thursday, 13 April 2023 at 14:16:03 UTC+1, Jack Bohn wrote:
    Looking to our foundational documents, the fantasies about Rip Van W. and Ichabod C., I read them as a kid, but don't remember them being a giggle-fest. Possibly one of those cases where the fantastical happenings are supposed to be silly enough to be
    funny.

    Maybe a young reader doesn't see Ichabod Crane as ridiculous,
    or creepy. Or wonder why a spectral horserider threatens Crane
    with a very ordinary pumpkin. "Rip van Winkle" can be judged
    as you say, a tale that is entertaining by its strangeness, along
    with Rip being an anti-hero, and falling to the temptation to
    drink alcohol, which has given us funny stories since Noah
    invented the stuff. Unless you'd like to imagine that God and
    Adam were drinking one night, and Adam woke up next to a
    woman he didn't remember meeting... Obviously that isn't
    the same story as Rip van Winkle, but it's another oldie.

    I'm not sure I've ever read the story. The Disney animated version
    plays him as ridiculous, and that might have made it the main
    interpretation of his character.

    Ridiculous but still ends up eating well!

    The amazing contraptions in /Sleepy Hollow/, in a way, carry on this
    tradition. Sort of.
    --
    "In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
    development was the disintegration, under Christian
    influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
    of family right."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Kevrob@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Sat Apr 15 06:21:59 2023
    On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 12:15:00 PM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!

    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/
    --

    We USAmericans don't do humour. We have humor instead. I imagine that's
    why we import so many funny Canadians. :)

    I am a big Thorn Smith fan. Besides the Topper books, I enjoyed
    _Night Life of the Gods_ quite a bit.

    --
    Kevin R

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  • From Mike Spencer@21:1/5 to smw on Mon Apr 17 02:45:52 2023
    smw <smw@mort.smwonline.ca> writes:

    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read.

    It definitely is.

    Are we talking about The Incomplete Enchanter here? L. Sprague deCamp
    & Fletcher Pratt?

    If I recall correctly, that's the one where the protag takes a .45
    semi-automatic back to the time of the Norse gods and its use spawned the >> legend of Thor's hammer returning to his hand.

    Guns and matches don't work in Incomplete Enchanter's Norse
    myth-land. The characters make a second foray into Myth in the
    world of the Faery Queen.

    Equally overlooked is John D. MacDonald's The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything which is totally hilarious!


    --
    Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

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  • From Robert Woodward@21:1/5 to Mike Spencer on Mon Apr 17 10:09:26 2023
    In article <87edoj6oz3.fsf@enoch.nodomain.nowhere>,
    Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:

    smw <smw@mort.smwonline.ca> writes:

    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read.

    It definitely is.

    Are we talking about The Incomplete Enchanter here? L. Sprague deCamp
    & Fletcher Pratt?


    Scott might had been referring to a collection that included "The Castle
    of Iron" as well as "The Roaring Trumpet" and "The Mathematics of Magic"
    (that were in _The Incomplete Enchanter_). On the other hand, he might
    had been referring to an edition of a omnibus that included all 5 Herald
    Shea novellas (usually, seen as _The Complete Compleat Enchanter__.

    --
    "We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
    Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. ‹-----------------------------------------------------
    Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

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  • From smw@21:1/5 to Robert Woodward on Mon Apr 17 18:16:25 2023
    In <robertaw-B2BEEA.10092617042023@news.individual.net>
    Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> writes:

    In article <87edoj6oz3.fsf@enoch.nodomain.nowhere>,
    Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:

    Are we talking about The Incomplete Enchanter here? L. Sprague deCamp
    & Fletcher Pratt?

    Scott might had been referring to a collection that included "The Castle
    of Iron" as well as "The Roaring Trumpet" and "The Mathematics of Magic" >(that were in _The Incomplete Enchanter_). On the other hand, he might
    had been referring to an edition of a omnibus that included all 5 Herald
    Shea novellas (usually, seen as _The Complete Compleat Enchanter__.

    Exactly. I have both, in these editions:

    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?37410
    https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?301384

    - Steven
    --
    ___________________________________________________________________________ Steven Winikoff | "Algebra? [...] But that's far too
    Montreal, QC, Canada | difficult for seven-year-olds!"
    smw@smwonline.ca | "Yes, but I didn't tell them that
    http://smwonline.ca | and so far they haven't found out"
    |
    | - Terry Pratchett (Thief of Time)

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  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to Robert Woodward on Mon Apr 17 18:17:00 2023
    Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> writes:
    In article <87edoj6oz3.fsf@enoch.nodomain.nowhere>,
    Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:

    smw <smw@mort.smwonline.ca> writes:

    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott
    Lurndal) writes:

    The Compleat Enchanter is an enjoyable read.

    It definitely is.

    Are we talking about The Incomplete Enchanter here? L. Sprague deCamp
    & Fletcher Pratt?


    Scott might had been referring to a collection that included "The Castle
    of Iron" as well as "The Roaring Trumpet" and "The Mathematics of Magic" >(that were in _The Incomplete Enchanter_). On the other hand, he might
    had been referring to an edition of a omnibus that included all 5 Herald
    Shea novellas (usually, seen as _The Complete Compleat Enchanter__.

    $ lookup_title compleat
    artist title
    de Camp, L. Sprague and Pratt, Fletcher The Compleat Enchanter

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Mike Spencer@21:1/5 to Robert Woodward on Mon Apr 17 16:54:43 2023
    Robert Woodward <robertaw@drizzle.com> writes:

    In article <87edoj6oz3.fsf@enoch.nodomain.nowhere>,
    Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:

    Are we talking about The Incomplete Enchanter here? L. Sprague deCamp
    & Fletcher Pratt?

    Scott might had been referring to a collection that included "The Castle
    of Iron" as well as "The Roaring Trumpet" and "The Mathematics of Magic" (that were in _The Incomplete Enchanter_). On the other hand, he might
    had been referring to an edition of a omnibus that included all 5 Herald
    Shea novellas (usually, seen as _The Complete Compleat Enchanter__.

    Ah, update, however belated. Never saw that omnibus. Tnx.


    --
    Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to lynnmcguire5@gmail.com on Sat Apr 22 13:56:05 2023
    On Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:01:11 -0500, Lynn McGuire
    <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here.  I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    The Stainless Steel Rat books are science fiction, not fantasy, so those >would not qualify.

    Lynn
    A big chunk of Spider Robinson's work would fall into that category
    despite his claim to be strictly science fiction...

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to bcfd36@cruzio.com on Sat Apr 22 13:57:36 2023
    On Wed, 12 Apr 2023 17:09:15 -0700, BCFD36 <bcfd36@cruzio.com> wrote:

    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


    Gur bevtvany.

    - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!

    Admittedly copying and pasting the text into rot13.com is a LITTLE
    harder but surely not an incredible feat?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lynn McGuire@21:1/5 to The Horny Goat on Sat Apr 22 15:58:37 2023
    On 4/22/2023 3:56 PM, The Horny Goat wrote:
    On Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:01:11 -0500, Lynn McGuire
    <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    On 4/12/2023 1:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    On 4/12/2023 11:14 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Vintage Works of American Comedic Fantasy

    Thrill at Archaic-Americans' forays into funny fantasy!


    https://www.tor.com/2023/04/12/five-vintage-works-of-american-comedic-fantasy/

    Zero for five here.  I ain't got nothing to add today.

    Lynn

    The Stainless Steel Rat books are science fiction, not fantasy, so those
    would not qualify.

    Lynn
    A big chunk of Spider Robinson's work would fall into that category
    despite his claim to be strictly science fiction...

    "Time Travelers Strictly Cash" seems to be on the boundary between
    Science Fiction and Fantasy from what I remember, I read it several
    decades ago.

    https://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Strictly-Spider-Robinson/dp/0441807135/

    Lynn

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  • From Paul S Person@21:1/5 to All on Sun Apr 23 08:30:53 2023
    On Sat, 22 Apr 2023 13:57:36 -0700, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca>
    wrote:

    On Wed, 12 Apr 2023 17:09:15 -0700, BCFD36 <bcfd36@cruzio.com> wrote:

    On 4/12/23 15:04, smw wrote:
    In <hPDZL.1152305$t5W7.1144444@fx13.iad> scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) writes:
    [stuff deleted]

    The story ends as follows (rot13'd to avoid spoilers):

    [stuff deleted


    Gur bevtvany.

    - Steven
    I am SO annoyed. Not at you for doing the ROT-13, at Mozilla for
    removing it from Thunderbird!!

    Admittedly copying and pasting the text into rot13.com is a LITTLE
    harder but surely not an incredible feat?

    I often don't bother, even though Agent will do in place, under the
    slogan "rot13 is for wimps!".
    --
    "In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
    development was the disintegration, under Christian
    influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
    of family right."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)