The Official Newsletter of the Washington Science Fiction
Association -- ISSN 0894-5411
Edited by Samuel Lubell lubell@bigfoot.com
Pinky and the Brain Take Over Worldcon
For Some Strange Reason, We Think This Is Fun
Why God Never Received Tenure at a University
The Half Year in Review
Letter from Eric Jablow
Atlanta Goes SF
The Cat in the Hat: Internet Review
Reader's Best Novels
PINKY AND THE BRAIN TAKE OVER WORLDCON
by "Bryan Porter" <bryan.porter@nashville.com>
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[Pinky and the Brain make their entrance on the Masquerade stage]
P: "Gee, Brain, what are we going to do tonight?"
B: "Normally I would have to hurt you for asking that question again, but tonight my plan is different.
"Consider this, my maladjusted friend: we are at a Science Fiction Convention. Not just any SF Con, but *The* SF Con. The World Science Fiction Convention. Now listen carefully: It is a little known fact that the fans of this genre run the gamut of social and financial class, from fast food employees, convenience store clerks and lawyers, all the way to respected professions such as engineers, computer scientists, even NASA directors! Most importantly, the people who run the computer systems of the major corporations of the world are almost without exception fans of science fiction. Why, these people have no idea how much influence they could wield on every level. Once I rule them, I'll use that influence to take over the world. But first, I have to take over Fandom."
P: "Right. And how do you plan to do that?"
B: "Simple. Tonight, we take over WorldCon!"
P: "Great idea Brain! *Narf!* Um, excuse me, Brain, but doesn't fandom already have its share of megalomaniacs?
B: "Yes. They're called con chairs. Amateurs! They're no match for my intellect. They're too busy slandering each other and trying to find the cheapest source for Chee-To's for their con suite. I'll displace them easily."
P: "Right! I can see it now! We'll start our own convention. I'll buy the Chee-To's!"
B: "Shut up before I hurt you. Nobody gets real influence by starting their own convention. Instead, I'll start by writing a series of science fiction masterpieces. With my intellect, it should be child's play. Then, when I have established myself, I will start my own religion. It will be based on alien intervention and higher planes of existence. With my established credibility, they will flock to my banner, and then I will use that influence to take over the world!!"
P: "Brilliant, Brain! *Narf*! Um, pardon me, but doesn't L.Ron Hubbard already own that franchise?"
B: "Who?"
[Enter several lawyers]
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L1: "Stop right there, mouse! We have injunctions, subpoenas and lawsuits. How dare you use our great founder's ideas!??! Hand over all your assets now and sign this non-compete agreement or we'll tie you up in court so long your grandchildren will be testifying as character witnesses."
B: "But, but, but, I had no idea!"
L2: "That's doesn't matter. Now sign here. Use this pen."
B: "Oh, all right." [Stops and looks at the ink on pen tip.] "Hey, this looks like blood!"
L1: "Yes, yes, whatever. Give me that and we'll be going now."
[ He takes the paper and the lawyers exit.]
B: "Oh, Pinky. Sometimes I despair of ever succeeding."
P: "Cheer up, Brain. Let's go down to the huckster room and see if they have any new buttons. And later, I'll nominate you for TAFF."
B: Looks up at Pinky. "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
P: "Gee, I think so, Brain, but how are we going to get Jerry Pournelle into a leather mini and a pair of go-go boots?"
B: Slaps his own head. "You know, I'd ask for an explanation of how you come to some of those conclusions, but I'm afraid you'd answer me. Come along, Pinky. It's time to prepare for tomorrow night."
P: "What are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?"
B: "The same thing we did tonight, Pinky. Try to take over this con!"
For Some Strange Reason, We Think This Is Fun
There was no first Friday meeting in August. The Third Friday meeting took place on 8/21 at the Gillilands. The meeting began at 9:15. Lee Gilliland announced that the club had to be nice to Jim because he'll be hosting the next meeting when the household elders attend Confluence.
"Do we have any money?" $6,490.49. "Let's have a Disclave!" "Let's have a Worldcon" yelled someone who was promptly hushed <by the Narn bat squad, probably.>
Sam Pierce said, "Not that Bucconeer is done, attention turns to Disclave. Elspeth got three responses to her index cards. I want to email questions about whether we can slide forward or back if I can't get this weekend, which looks likely. I will hold a convention, name, place, and date to be announced." Mike Nelson said that he participated on a panel on convention disasters without ever mentioning a Disclave.
The entertainment committee went to Bucconeer. "I was a presenter," said Alexis. "But my mind dried up and I couldn't think of what to say, but immediately afterwards my mind came back and I worked up a script for the gig, took it to the script review committee. And they said it was too vulgar, and I said so, then they said it was too long so I said so. But if it was funnier I would have said it anyway."
Judy thanked Eric Jablow for his work on the WSFA table at Bucconeer. The club applauded his efforts. He thanked Judy, Keith Lynch, George, and Chuck. "Not only did other people not help," said Eric. "They didn't stop to say hello. That I can't forgive. The computer id not come with a browser. Only Steve Smith, who downloaded Opera, saved me from carrying a ten pound paperweight. I can understand those who had to work in offices, but you couldn't have been so busy as not to say hi. If you want to have a convention you have to care. It was pretty lonely sitting there. If you want to have me do things for WSFA, you have to make it worth my while. Some good things came of this. A couple of people expressed interest in us. A Chicago fan club picked up our fanzines and gave us some of theirs.""
Joe said it was a bad idea. Elspeth had no idea about a worldcon. It would have been better to have a visible T-shirt and make friends by talking."
Sam Pierce said, "Don't judge WSFA by this. The people who would have volunteered were all busy doing things for Bucconeer." Mike Nelson said he stopped by on Monday and the table wasn't there. Joe said there are some people who will never do things. Judy said that some good came of it, people did stop by.
Eric said, "I have problems in my life. Elspeth said Dan considers me a negative person and was surprised to hear I volunteered. But it's things like this that make me negative."
Sam Lubell said, "We can't depend on the same people all the time." Judy replied that "This is a volunteer club. We all are doing this because for some strange reason we think this is fun." Eric said that Elspeth didn't help even though this was her idea. Joe said, "You were suckered."
There was some new business. Joe said that Mike asked him to design a T-shirt like his SMOF design. "I didn't know that he wanted it for Worldcon. When I found out, I did it quickly. I did it on fancy paper and it betrayed me and smudged. I propose we make a list of those who want a T-shirt and then we'll find out the price. Is there any interest?" Lots of hands went up. "I'll redraw it. And then you guys can buy them. I don't think a vote is necessary since I'm not spending WSFA money."
Keith Marshall asked if the issue of our soda machine being obsolete has come up. The soda machine industry is going to the bag in the box design. I was hard to find soda for Bucconeer. It doesn't cost that much to convert." Judy asked if he could research it. Keith said yes. Sam Pierce asked if we could get BSFS to pay for part of it." Bob Macintosh objected to that idea, "No, they already think they own it." Joe said that our contract with BSFS says they will store it and do maintenance. Maybe we could have them do the conversion in lieu of the maintenance." Judy said we should wait to see what it costs.
Mike Nelson took 400 pictures at Bucconeer <and do their owners want them back?>. Joe thanked the voters and Mike Nelson who gave him the Hugo for the excellent way he presented Joe's art. "If I had a sense of justice, I'd give it to him, but you'll have to pry it out of my hands." The Lynches brought cake to celebrate their Hugos. Joe has a story in the new Aboriginal bought two years ago. Chuck announced his party the next day and a red dress run at Lulu's. "Be afraid, be very afraid." The meeting was adjourned at 9:47.
Attendance: Samuel Lubell, Colleen Stumbough, Robert Heinlein, Michael Nelson, Winston Matthews, Sam Pierce, Richard and Nicki Lynch, Bob MacIntosh, Lee and Alexis Gilliland, Judy Kindell, George Shaner, Lance Osko, Eric Jablow, Mike Taylor, Madeline Yah, Bernard Bell, Luciana Lopez, Dick Roepke, Chuck Divine, Geoffrey Drumheller, Kathei Overton, Jon Pomeranz.
Back to School Dept.
WHY GOD NEVER RECEIVED TENURE AT ANY UNIVERSITY
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1. He had only one major publication.
2. It had no references.
3. It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
4. Some even doubt he wrote it himself.
5. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
6. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
7. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
8. He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
9. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
10. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the Book.
11. He expelled the first two students for learning.
12. Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed his tests.
13. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountaintop.
14. He kept creating new holidays.
15. He insisted that students worship him.
Eric Jablow
July 3, 1998
A is for Asteroid,
The movies' new plot.
The physicists annoyed
Want the writers shot.
B is for Black Hole,
Destroying all matter.
A giant one is the whole,
Of our galactic center.
C is for Cancer,
The eternal scourge.
Drugs are no answer,
'Less the causes we purge.
D is Destruction,
Of rain-forests burned.
Of species' extinction,
Our lessons not learned.
E is for Estrogen,
Which keeps women strong.
With a milk regimen,
Their bones remain long.
F is for Fission,
The bombs nations make.
Proliferation,
Our safety's at stake.
G is for Genome,
The DNA mob.
Should State Farm read my tome,
Will I lose my job?
H is for Hubble,
Now cured of its squint.
Despite all the trouble,
It is worth a mint.
I is for Internet,
Its circuits we cram.
It might be useful, yet
It's surrounded by spam.
J is for Judgment,
Our doctors have lost.
HMO management
Only considers the cost.
K is for knowledge,
Our students won't get.
Legislators hedge,
Their priorities bent.
L is for Linux,
Your PC's best friend.
It costs almost no bucks,
Bill's empire might end.
M is for Martian,
Do we have the money?
For one more mission,
To send a dune buggy?
N is for Neutrino,
The lepton quiet.
They seem to have mass so,
Do they need a diet?
O is for Ocean,
Where fish and sharks swim.
Too-active fishermen
Make their prospects dim.
P is Pfisteria,
That pollutes each stream.
It's not hysteria,
Though pig farmers scream.
Q is for Quantum,
Mechanics so queer.
Consider Bell's Theorem,
And go have a beer.
R is for Risky
Unprotected sex.
Leaving many to be
AIDS-ridden wrecks.
S, the Space Station,
Now deserves a mention.
Hyper-inflation,
In Russia causes tension.
T is for Tobacco,
Which destroys our lungs.
RJR-Nabisco,
Those damn greedy slugs.
U is for Universe,
Always expanding.
There will be no reverse
Of the Big Banging.
V is for Viagra,
The drug some men take.
Just ask Bob Dole. He's a
Republican rake.
W is for Windows.
This year's revision.
Despite Janet Reno's
Anti-trust mission.
X is for Xeno-
Biology.
Europa or Io,
Is where life might be.
Y is for Y2K,
The millennium's done.
No one should fly away,
That January 1.
Z is for Zero,
What Congress has done.
To fight 'gainst tobacco,
'Till the war is won.
Letter from Eric Jablow to WSFA
Dear Judy Kindell and the members of WSFA,
I am sending this letter to you and to Sam Lubell because many WSFA members did not attend the August 21st meeting, because I may not left my position clear, and because I do not care to have my words distorted by those with poor memories or who have their own axes to grind. I wish this could have been a pleasant letter; unfortunately, it is a protest letter.
I believe that, on the whole, that the members of WSFA have taken advantage of me and have abused my hospitality. WSFA asked me to perform a task for them, which I did to the best of my ability. WSFA gave me minimal support; worse, they ostracized me. I was betrayed.
When you expressed your thanks toward me at the meeting, I felt it hypocritical. I seek neither your praise or your apologies. Now, I would like to thank the six people who helped me with the WSFA table, Michael Taylor, Steven Smith, Keith Lynch, George Shaner, Charles Divine, and you yourself. Some good things happened. We may get some new members from this. We have made some contacts with the new Atlanta Science Fiction Association. {Sam, please send them a copy of the last WSFA Journal.} We had Joe Mayhew's marvelous art to display.
However, we had no support from the rest of WSFA. First of all, Elspeth Kovar, who had asked me to do this task, had told me to mirror the WSFA web site so I could load it onto a laptop computer she would lend me. Unfortunately, she gave me a laptop without a browser, and no reasonable way to install one. I would have been left with a fifteen-pound paperweight to care for had not Steve Smith been able to download Opera, a small and fast web browser that fits onto a single floppy disk.
Members of WSFA were quite obnoxious about not helping. Some didn't think the table would work, and so they made every effort to keep it from working. Others were simply selfish. These were not the most painful aspects of the situation to me, however. What hurt the most was that few of you ever bothered to stop by and say hello. You may have thought the table was a bad idea; this did not mean that you needed to repudiate me as your representative. I cannot believe that any of you, even those with heavy duties in the Con Offices or the Con Suite, could not have taken fifteen minutes to stop by and chat. If your duties were so onerous, the Con would have been much less organized than it had been. And so, I was left to be in solitary confinement while in the midst of thousands of people.
Lee Gilliland told me that WSFAns are typical SF fans; they know what they want to do, and if they need help, they ask for it. Otherwise, they are just independent. I don't see it that way. No organization can survive if the people therein have no respect for each other and no responsibility to each other. Well, the people who could have helped and didn't, who could have visited and didn't, did not feel any responsibility to me although I was acting on their behalf. They were quite willing to put me on display and to leave me hanging. They were honor-bound to show some interest in me, or at least in WSFA. Instead, they chose to be dishonorable.
I am not the only member of WSFA to feel abused by WSFA's SMOFs. Other members have told me that they do not feel appreciated, that their work is taken for granted, that people assume that they will do the same tasks year after year after year. Meanwhile, the officials who asked them to do these tasks just go off and abandon them, often leaving messes behind. I think it appalling. Other people will not work for WSFA again because one of the Con officials has snapped at them one time too many. I have no intention of doing anything for Disclave or for WSFA again.
Since WSFAns have been selfish toward me, I will have to be selfish in return. One thing that saddens me about WSFA is that the relationships between its members are so shallow. There are people who would consider me their friend, but only within the context of a WSFA event. Were I to pass one of them on the street, he'd just keep walking. It's quite clear to me that, except for Mike Taylor, Madeline Yeh, and Erica Ginter too the idea of my calling any other WSFA member and suggesting a visit to a museum, or an outdoor concert, or a dinner, is simply absurd. No one would ever or could ever be interested.
For me to remain a member of WSFA, this must change. If you wish to treat me as a resource, not as a human being, than I shall find some other organization to join. I will not attend the September 4th meeting; you can discuss the contents of this letter there. I suggest that you do some soul-searching; I am not the only member with reason to be angry.
I seek neither your praise nor your apologies. Your conduct toward me during the Con render your praise meaningless, and your words cannot repair the damage; only your actions can.
"Words without deeds never to heaven go." - Claudius
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
The Atlanta Science Fiction Society was kind enough to share their newsletters with us. They had their first official meeting February 1, 1998 with 12 fans present. They put out a 5 page newsletter in March with three contributors. Since then they have:
run videos at meetings, held a barbecue con, organized get-togethers to see Godzilla and X-Files, made club t-shirts, purchased chocolate snacks for Bucconeer staff, helped a breakfast social at Dragoncon. Their last newsletter had 7 pages and contributions from four people. All of their artwork and articles are original. Eric said they picked up a few copies of our newsletters from his table.
by Dr. Seuss, 61 pages. Beginner Books, $3.95
Review from the Internet
The Cat in the Hat is a hard-hitting novel of prose and poetry in which the author re-examines the dynamic rhyming schemes and bold imagery of some of his earlier works, most notably Green Eggs and Ham, If I Ran the Zoo, and Why Can't I Shower With Mommy? In this novel, Theodore Geisel, writing under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, pays homage to the great Dr. Sigmund Freud in a nightmarish fantasy of a renegade feline helping two young children understand their own frustrated sexuality.
The story opens with two youngsters, a brother and a sister, abandoned by their mother, staring mournfully through the window of their single-family dwelling. In the foreground, a large tree/phallic symbol dances wildly in the wind, taunting the children and encouraging them to succumb to the sexual yearnings they undoubtedly feel for each other. Even to the most unlearned reader, the blatant references to the incestuous relationship the two share set the tone for Seuss' probing examination of the satisfaction of primitive needs. The Cat proceeds to charm the wary youths into engaging in what he so innocently refers to as "tricks." At this point, the fish, an obvious Christ figure who represents the prevailing Christian morality, attempts to warn the children, and thus, in effect, warns all of humanity of the dangers associated with the unleashing of the primal urges. In response to this, the cat proceeds to balance the aquatic naysayer on the end of his umbrella, essentially saying, "Down with morality; down with God!"
After poohpoohing the righteous rantings of the waterlogged Christ figure, the Cat begins to juggle several icons of Western culture, most notably two books, representing the Old and New Testaments, and a saucer of lactal fluid, an ironic reference to maternal loss the two children experienced when their mother abandoned them "for the afternoon." Our heroic Id adds to this bold gesture a rake and a toy man, and thus completes the Oedipal triangle.
Later in the novel, Seuss introduces the proverbial Pandora's box, a large red crate out of which the Id releases Thing One, or Freud's concept of Ego, the division of the psyche that serves as the conscious mediator between the person and reality, and Thing Two, the Superego which functions to reward and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and guilt. Referring to this box, the Cat says, "Now look at this trick. Take a look!" In this, Dr. Seuss uses the children as a brilliant metaphor for the reader, and asks the reader to re-examine his own inner self.
The children, unable to control the Id, Ego, and Superego allow these creatures to run free and mess up the house, or more symbolically, control their lives. This rampage continues until the fish, or Christ symbol, warns that the mother is returning to reinstate the Oedipal triangle that existed before her abandonment of the children. At this point, Seuss introduces a many-armed cleaning device which represents the psychoanalytic couch, which proceeds to put the two youngsters' lives back in order.
With powerful simplicity, clarity, and drama, Seuss reduces Freud's concepts on the dynamics of the human psyche to an easily understood gesture. Mr. Seuss' poetry and choice of words is equally impressive and serves as a splendid counterpart to his bold symbolism. In all, his writing style is quick and fluid, making _The Cat in the Hat_ impossible to put down. While this novel is 61 pages in length, and one can read it in five minutes or less, it is not until after multiple readings that the genius of this modern day master becomes apparent.
Recently Modern Library created quite a stir when it created a list of the 100 best novels of the century. They received lots of coverage even after they admitted that their selectors didn't really rank the books but rather chose a set number and the rankings were determined by the overlap. Their list did feature some science fiction and fantasy including #5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley, #13 1984 by George Orwell, 18. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut, 31. ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell, 41. LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding, 65. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess, 90. MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie, 93. THE MAGUS by John Fowles. Eight books sf or borderline. Only one, the Vonnegut, by a science fiction writer.
In response to the outcry they created a web site (http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/ 100best/) where people could cast their votes for the best books. I don't think they were quite prepared for the number of science fiction and fantasy (and Ayn Rand) that people supported.
Title Author Number of votes
1. ATLAS SHRUGGED by AYN RAND 2414
2. THE FOUNTAINHEAD by AYN RAND 2024
3. WE THE LIVING by AYN RAND 1452
4. ANTHEM by AYN RAND 1450
5. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J. R. R. TOLKIEN 778
6. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by HARPER LEE 728
7. BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. RON HUBBARD 703
8. THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS by ROBERT HEINLEIN 662
9. ULYSSES by JAMES JOYCE 658
10. 1984 by GEORGE ORWELL 656
11. TOWN LIKE ALICE by NEVIL SHUTE 604
12. GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by THOMAS PYNCHON 587
13. MISSION EARTH by L. RON HUBBARD 561
14. ABSALOM, ABSALOM! by WILLIAM FAULKNER 506
15. THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN by JOHN FOWLES 460
16. WISE BLOOD by FLANNERY O'CONNOR 448
17. CATCH-22 by JOSEPH HELLER 448
18. SHANE by JACK SCHAEFER448
19. FEAR by L. RON HUBBARD 412
20. UNDER THE VOLCANO by MALCOLM LOWRY 365
21. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by ROBERT HEINLEIN 352
22. AS I LAY DYING by WILLIAM FAULKNER 349
23. THE SOUND AND THE FURY by WILLIAM FAULKNER 344
24. THE STAND by STEPHEN KING 339
25. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by JOHN IRVING 336
26. MOONHEART by CHARLES DE LINT 315
27. ONE LONELY NIGHT by MICKEY SPILLANE 301
28. ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
by ROBERT PIRSIG 291
29. GONE WITH THE WIND by MARGARET MITCHELL 282
30. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. SCOTT FITZGERALD 280
31. SOMEPLACE TO BE FLYING by CHARLES DE LINT 279
32. ANIMAL FARM by GEORGE ORWELL 268
33. STARSHIP TROOPERS by ROBERT HEINLEIN 263
34. THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by JOHN IRVING 263
35. SALEM'S LOT by STEPHEN KING 261
36. DUNE by FRANK HERBERT 261
37. TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM by NEVIL SHUTE 252
38. IT by STEPHEN KING 249
39. YARROW by CHARLES DE LINT 241
40. THE THORN BIRDS by COLLEEN MCCULLOUGH 240
41. CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY by ROBERT HEINLEIN 233
42. BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by EVELYN WAUGH 232
43. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by SHIRLEY JACKSON 231
44. THE CUNNING MAN by ROBERTSON DAVIES 223
45. DOUBLE STAR by ROBERT HEINLEIN 221
46. ILLUSIONS: ADVENTURES OF A RELUCTANT MESSIAH by RICHARD BACH 220
47. THE DOOR INTO SUMMER by ROBERT HEINLEIN 219
48. ON THE BEACH by NEVIL SHUTE 212
49. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by CARSON MCCULLERS 212
50. THE HANDMAID'S TALE by MARGARET ATWOOD 210
51. TUNNEL IN THE SKY by ROBERT HEINLEIN 210
52. LIGHT IN AUGUST by WILLIAM FAULKNER 210
53. TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE by ROBERT HEINLEIN 209
54. RULE OF THE BONE by RUSSELL BANKS 209
55. LORD OF THE FLIES by WILLIAM GOLDING 209
56. FOOL ON THE HILL by MATT RUFF 204
57. THE BROTHERS K by DAVID JAMES DUNCAN 202
58. GALACTIC PATROL by E E SMITH 197
59. THE PUPPET MASTERS by ROBERT HEINLEIN 196
60. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by KURT VONNEGUT 193
61. NOT WANTED ON THE VOYAGE by TIMOTHY FINDLEY 189
62. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by JOHN STEINBECK 188
63. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. SALINGER 184
64. INHERIT THE STARS by JAMES P. HOGAN 183
65. THE MOVIEGOER by WALKER PERCY 183
66. MEMORY AND DREAM by CHARLES DE LINT 183
67. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by RAY BRADBURY 179
68. FIFTH BUSINESS by ROBERTSON DAVIES 178
69. BLOOD MERIDIAN by CORMAC MCCARTHY 177
70. LEST DARKNESS FALL by L SPRAGUE DE CAMP 175
71. THE QUINCUNX by CHARLES PALLISER 175
72. PNIN by VLADIMIR NABOKOV 175
73. WAY STATION by CLIFFORD SIMAK 174
74. THE RAZOR'S EDGE by W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM 174
75. TRUE GRIT by CHARLES PORTIS 174
76. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by TOM CLANCY 173
77. COURTSHIP RITE by DONALD KINGSBURY 173
78. OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM 173
79. V. by THOMAS PYNCHON 172
80. SEWER GAS & ELECTRIC by MATT RUFF 172
81. HAVE SPACE SUIT -- WILL TRAVEL by ROBERT HEINLEIN 172
82. CASH MCCALL by CAMERON HAWLEY 171
83. WHISPERING SMITH by FRANK SPEARMAN 170
84. COLD COMFORT FARM by STELLA GIBBONS 170
85. ELMER GANTRY by SINCLAIR LEWIS 169
86. TRADER by CHARLES DE LINT 168
87. THE STARS, MY DESTINATION by ALFRED BESTER 167
88. ARROWSMITH by SINCLAIR LEWIS 166
89. ENDER'S GAME by ORSON SCOTT CARD 165
90. SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION by KEN KESEY 165
91. BRAVE NEW WORLD by ALDOUS HUXLEY 164
92. AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS by FLANN O'BRIEN 163
93. HEART OF DARKNESS by JOSEPH CONRAD 161
94. AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H. P. LOVECRAFT 160
95. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS by HUNTER S. THOMPSON 159
96. SUTTREE by CORMAC MCCARTHY 158
97. THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS by JOHN BUCHAN 158
98. THE WOMAN WARRIOR by MAXINE HONG KINGSTON 157
99. TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by VIRGINIA WOOLF 156
100. THE RECOGNITIONS by WILLIAM GADDIS 156
By my count 42% of these books are science fiction. Cult authors Rand and Hubbard placed high. Heinlein probably had the most (10) and DeLint with four and Matt Ruff with both his books did surprisingly well.