From: "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL>
To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Got Milk?
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 08:35:49 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

	Ted, Please have a glass of milk on me.  I have not actually read
Shaver's original printed materials but I have read digests or recaps of his
theories.  I speculate that his theories of underground civilizations
populated by dehumanized robots may have been influenced by 1950s ideas of
nuclear warfare and survival in underground bunkers-forts-cities, and, in
turn, may have influenced the development of the 1960 movie _The Time
Machine_ which went considerably beyond Wells in this direction.
	More generally, I read this very weird borderline stuff for two
reasons.  First, I treat it as a form of science fiction, altho
pseudo-science fiction might be a better term.  As long as you keep your
head in the right place, it can be very entertaining.  Mr. Smith jovially
commented that everything can be related to the numbers 5, 17, and 23 if you
try hard enough.  The authors of this borderline stuff would not only agree
with that, they would set out to prove it.  Stephen Hawking remarked that he
receives a comprehensive theory of the universe in the mail at least once or
twice every week.  And, who knows, there may be a diamond concealed among
all the broken glass.  Second, this stuff generates ideas for possible
science fiction and fantasy stories.  L. Sprague de Camp recounted a number
of weird ideas generated by pyramidiots and religious profits, and I had a
lot of fun constructing an alternate history in which a number of these
ideas were all true simultaneously without violating the distinction between
sf and fantasy.  I am currently working on several novels set in this
timeline.  When I get one published, remind me, and I'll give you one.  If
you would like to discuss this concept further, I still manage to attend
most First Friday meetings.
	For well written general weirdness, I recommend _The Dictionary of
Occultism and Parapsychology (5th edition)_ available in the Fairfax County
Public Library.
	So, while I have not read Mr. Shaver yet, I plan to peruse the
website provided by Mr. Walsh and enjoy myself immensely.  /s/ Lee Who Is
Amused by Life, the Universe, Everything

-----Original Message-----
From: Ted White [mailto:tedwhite at compusnet.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 6:25 PM
To: WSFA members
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Talking SF, oh my; was: time travel

"Strong, Lee" wrote:

>         The Shaver Mystery was an allegory for nuclear warfare and the
> dangers of radiation.  It might also be one of the sources of the 1960
movie
> _The Time Machine_... which neatly closes the loop on this thread.

Are you *serious*?   Have you *read* any of Shaver's stuff?  Do you know
about
the rocks he broke open to display the designs of alien space suits?

--Ted White