From: Eric Jablow <erjablow at netacc.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Fwd: Writer with a question . . .
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 21:04:58 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

> From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at keithlynch.net>
> To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 12:22 AM
> Subject: [WSFA] Fwd: Writer with a question . . .
>
> >   Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2003 23:17:27 -0500
> >   Subject: [WSFA] Writer with a question . . .
> >   From: Ronald Jones <rejones at fcc.net>
> >   To: <wsfa at keithlynch.net>
> >
> >   I am planning to write a sci-fi story involving cloning. I've been
> >   collecting material to read and I was wondering if members at
> >  WSFA have any suggestions on what articles or books to use
> >  in this project --

I suggest that you write the various professional societies.  Every one
of them has a public relations department; the staffers there know whom
to ask for help.  And, each society would far prefer to have an author
provide a realistic vision of their subject than an ill-informed one.

Now, make sure that you don't give the impression of being a crank.
Saying that you're writing a novel about circle-squaring is a bad idea.
If you say that you are writing a novel about clones being telepathic wit=
h
each other, they will not be impressed; after all, identical twins are
clones.  If you intend to write a science fiction novel instead of an
anti-science fiction novel, they will help.  After all, many of them read=
 sf
too.  Some have even written it.  Read Isaac Asimov's account of his thes=
is
defence, for example.  The last question was "What can you tell me about
the thermodynamic properties of thiotimochlorine?"

Respectfully,
Eric Jablow

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