Message-ID: <13282@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Sep-84 21:54:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13282
Posted: Fri Sep  7 21:54:16 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Sep-84 04:44:00 EDT
Lines: 18

That fellow's German aunt was reading GATEWAY by Frederick Pohl...but
it boggles the mind to think that she (or anybody!) could think of it
as a humorous work.  It remains one of the grimmest tales I have ever
read.  Makes you wonder what those English-German translators smoke
while they do their thing.

Nonetheless, it is good readiing, and the two sequels are
tolerable, as sequels go.
BEYOND THE BLUE EVENT HORIZON & HEECHEE RONDEZVOUS

I cannot, however, read the word "kugelblitz" without thinking of a
German pastry.  (It's actually a thoroughly nasty thing; black hole
containing horrible monsters, from HEECHEE RONDEZVOUS.)  Sort of adds
fuel to my contention that translation is impossible without
numerous unintentional giggles.

--Jeff Duntemann
  duntemann.wbst@xerox