Conference noted::sf

    Rubbish. 
    
    It rambles, little direction, boring.

    I had the impression from the cover that it was an attempt to copy
    _Thieves'_World_.
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    

re .1:
My sentiments exactly. Blech. Yecko. Garbage.  One of the few books I have 
encountered that I do _not_ intend to keep.

re .2:
It seems to be all the style lately to emulate Thieve's World with continuation
story collections. Don't know what you'd call them; common theme stories or
something.  Thieve's world started out nicely and then went down-hill; this
particular one never started out well.

Also a copy of P.J. Farmer's works.

Be careful; I think I have seen a reference to this with a different title.
Possibly a sequel has been released.

    re .3:
    
    There are three (count'em 3) books that I know of. Sorry but I cannot
    remember the other two titles. One is a novel (Janet Morris, I
    believe). The other a collection of shorts.
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    

    re:.3
    
    The term that has been generated for this type of book is
    "shared-world anthology". There are a number of them now,
    in addition to THIEVES WORLD and HEROES IN HELL. It isn't
    exactly a new idea. Harlan Ellison was behind the creation
    of Medusa more than 10 years ago, and though the anthology
    for this "shared world" was only published a year or so
    ago, the individual stories were being published in the
    sf magazines starting in the mid-70's. And, of course, the
    Cthulhu Mythos is a "shared-world" series, too!
    
    Without attempting to be an apologist for the "Heroes in
    Hell" books, I also contest that it is a "copy of P.J.
    Farmer's works". The idea of various historical characters
    being brought together in one place and time did not orig-
    inate with Farmer. The idea goes at least as far back as
    the turn of the century with two books by John Kendrick
    Bangs:
    
    A HOUSE-BOAT ON THE STYX; BEING SOME ACCOUNT OF THE DIVERS
    DOINGS OF THE ASSOCIATED SHADES (1895) and THE PURSUIT OF THE
    HOUSE-BOAT; BEING SOME FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE DIVERS DOINGS
    OF THE ASSOCIATED SHADES, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SHERLOCK
    HOLMES, ESQ. (1897).
    
    --- jerry

    Bringing the notables of history together in one place is a very
    ancient literary tradition indeed.  Dante does it in his Divine
    Comedy, and he is just copying Virgil, who is copying Homer.  Of
    course, in those examples, the famous dead do not interact with
    each other much, but merely get interviewed by the living hero.
    
    Earl Wajenberg

re .5:    
>    Without attempting to be an apologist for the "Heroes in
>    Hell" books, I also contest that it is a "copy of P.J.
>    Farmer's works". The idea of various historical characters
>    being brought together in one place and time did not orig-
>    inate with Farmer. The idea goes at least as far back as
>    the turn of the century with two books by John Kendrick
>    Bangs:
    
>    --- jerry

The claim that it is a copy of the Riverworld series and other books is not
a strong one. However, I do not feel that the titles you mentioned would have
had a major influence on Janet Morris and other modern authors. I feel that
this current example of overblown recycling of historical personalities is 
due to influence from Farmer. I _would_ be interested in hearing any theories
about who influenced _Farmer_.
kevin

    Re:.7
    
    Gee, I'd be fairly sure that Janet Morris, if influenced by Farmer
    and the Aspirin series, is also influenced by the earlier works Jerry
    mentioned. I know Janet and she is very close to a renaissance
    woman--she really does seem to know everything about everything.
    She's absolutely fascinating to talk to on just about any subject
    from horses to antique firearms to holistic medicine to comparative
    religion to...
    
    
    Tamzen
    

    The plot may not be a copy of Riverworld's, but let's face it, the
    basic premise is.
    
    Dante was the first with this idea, that I know of.
    
    "Heros in hell" raised the artistic level of this precept to the
    height of prone dung.
    
    My trouble is, once I've started a book, I *have* to finish it!
    

    I got half way through, skipping stories as I went.  I few weren't
    too bad, but I was glad I got the copy free from Boskone last year.
    (They had a DISCO party!  Giving out T shirts and books!)
    
    As previously said, its kinda like the last dozen or so Theives
    World books (what number are they up to now???).  I wouldn't bother
    reading it.

    I narrowly avoided acquiring a copy of one of the HiH collections
    the other day.  What REALLY turned me off was the cover blurb referring
    to HiH as "A BRAIDED MEGANOVEL" (wow)
    
    Although nobody has as yet brought it up, I seem to remember than
    Niven & Pournelle committed a similar atrocity recently.  Theirs
    was a straight pastiche of Dante's _Inferno_ with people like Benito
    Mousolini cropping up.
    
    Is it getting harder to create new characters or are some of our
    authors getting just a tad lazy in their old age?  If they really
    feel compelled to recycle characters, why don't they just start
    writing further adventures of Tom Swift?

    Well, yes, Niven and Pournelle wrote a novel called "Inferno," based
    on Dante's "Inferno."  But I didn't think it was an atrocity.  Just
    like the original "Inferno," it was a vehicle for social comment
    and satire.  They used Mussolini because Dante used historical figures
    in his great allegory -- many more than they used.  Whether or not
    they intended it, they also got the same use out of using historical
    figures -- the reader gets a figure who can "stand for" a particular
    moral quality or position, as in a normal allegory (the dominant
    literary form of Dante's time), but who still has a human personality
    of its own.
    
    Earl Wajenberg

    Also, Niven and Pournelle's INFERNO isn't "recent" --- it's
    about 10 years old at this point. It's also very enjoyable.
    
    --- jerry

    Niven and Pournelle's INFERNO.......Readable, good style, couldn't
    put it down until I'd finished it.
    
    But then again, to be expected from N & P!
    
    Ray,