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page 8
iCI-TI
sex book
'no good'
keith
ondgren
Bros in Orbit, edited by Joseph Elder
The world of publishing is not, in spitt
of what publishers say, full of genius.
.Many books published are garbage. But
somehow the garbage goes unnoticed by
the press.
The reason is simple: no one wants to
waste time reading bad books. It's easy to
tell in a few pages whether a book is
worth reading or not. Skillful bibliophiles
can even make accurate judgments whiie
browsing in a bookstore.
But suppose a reviewer wants to
review a bad book, to publicize the
existence of garbage or to avoid sounding
like an unbearable optimist. Finding a
bad book is hard, but Eros in Orbit
sounded like a sure loser. And it is.
Subtitled "Science Fiction Discovers
Sex," Eros in Orbit is a 95-cent
paperback anthology of short stories. The
authors are relative unknowns. No high
biuwn endorsements soii tha cover, and
the editor raises some of his own doubts
in the preface.
The saddest part is that a book such as
this could be terrific. Science fiction can
be good natured, well reasoned
speculation on the future, and sex will
change as interestingly as everything else
will.
But the authors of these 10 stories, or
at least eight of them, seem to be telling
us sex is slated fci doom or disaster.
These unhappy forecasts are of vicarious,
electronic orgasms, disembodied brains
with 'real, ungratifiable urges, and
confusion. Unless cloning is perfected,
man will vanish due to lack of interest in
procreation.
Even if one shares these authors' bleak
outlooks, the stories fail. They tend to be
unimaginative and sometimes tedious, as
well as pessimistic. "Don Slow and His
Electric Girl Getter," a clumsy satire on
the Tom Swift stories, is just poor fiction,
whiie Robert Silverberg's "In the Group"
is boring to the point of somnolence.
There are soma high spots in Eros in
Orbit, though. Two of them. "Flowering
Narcissus," the story of a Hell's Angel
. who wakes up after a 115 year sleep, is
fun. The author, Thomas N. Scotia, has
the androids the biker finds gratify ail his
needs.
The' other high 'point, "Starcrossed,"
by George Zebrowski, is depressing. But
it's so tightly composed and sensitive it's
n'ce anyway.
Eros in Orbit is a bad book. But it's
inexpensive and a good idea. Buy it, read
it, then sit down and try to write
something better. .
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REMEM&f R . . . THE DUCK TAIL HAIR-DO'S . . . WHEN GUYS WORf
ENGINEER BOOTS. . .AND GALS WORE PEDAL PUSHERS AND PONYTAUS?
WELL, IT'S Ail HERS I?! Till FUM THATPICKS-UP WHERE "AttERICAfl
GRAFFITI" imon . . . with ah those GOLDEN OLDIES!' I '
) J CHUCK BIRRY THE COASIIRS .
.. LCT LITTLE RICHARD FATS DOMINO
7 . . THE SHERELIS CHUBBY CHECKERS
C -W 0 " I . "A AMfl many Mm :
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AJ-yZ-' ClVVW-iLJ,i
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were you born to fly?
college seniors in good physical condition,, get
your feet off the ground and fly for a living, if
you qualify, you'll receive numerous hours of
classroom instruction in various related subjects
including engineering, aeronautics and commun
ication at our expense, you'll receive $10,260
starting salary plus liberal benefits, if you want
to master the skies talk it over with torn wurzbach
or cpry wright by calling collect 402-221-9387
or 9388.
University Singers concert
Sunday at Kimball Hall
The UML School of Music will present the University Singers,
Earl Jenkens conducting, in concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in Kimball
Recital Hall.
t
Choral works to be presented include! "Laudate Dominum"
by Mozart; "Nanie," an infrequently heard work of Johannes
Brahms; two a cappella choruses from "Catulli Carmina" by Carl
Orff ; three Slovak folk songs arranged for piano and mixed voices
by Bela Bartok; and two choral works by Scandinavian composers
Hugo Alfven and Lars-Erik Larsson. Soloists performing are
soprano Jane Mathew and tenor Henry Brandt.
The singers will be assisted by pianists Margaret Emmons and
Susan Fritz in a performance of Ravei's "Mother Goose Suite"
for piano, four hands.
The concert is free and open to the public.
mum
Joyo: "Executive Action". (PG)
7, 9.
Plaza 1: "American Graffiti"
(PG) 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30.
Plaza 2: "Serpico" (R) 2:15,
4:30,7.9:15.
Plaza 3: "The Conversation"
(PG) 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30.
PSaza 4: "Up Pompeii" (R) 1 :45.
3:15.4:45,6:30.9:45.
Starviaw: "M'A'S"" (PG)
8:30; "Man Who Loved Cat
Dancing" (Pd) 10:40.
State: "The Exorcist" (R) 1,
3:03,5:06,7:09,9:16.
Stuart: "Conrack" (PG) 1:30,
3:30,5:30,7:30.9:30.
Howell Theatre: "Rosancrantz
and Guild enstern are
Dead"-Friday and Saturday, 8
p.m.
Sheldon Art Gallery: Concert by
the Sheldon Trio, 8 p.m. Friday.
( hot Ecoi
Cinema 1: "Sugarland Express'
(PG) 1:30, 3:30. 5:30, 7:30, 9:30.
Cinema 2: "Alice in
Wonderland" (G) 1:30, 3:20. 5:10,
7. 8:50.
CooperLincoln: "The Great
Gatsby" (PG) 7, 9:45.
Douglas 1: "The Three
Musketeers" (PG) 1:30, 3:30, 5:30,
7:30 9:30.
Donate 2: "The Sting" (PG) 2,
4:55. 7:09, 9:20.
Douglas 3: "The Soikes Gang"
(PG) 1:30, 3:20, 5:10, 7, 9.
84th & O: "The Way We Were"
(PG) 8:25; "Sumrnar Wishes,
Winter Dreams" (PG) 10:3a
Embassy: "The Cocktail
Hostesses" (X) 11:20, 5. 2:40,
4:20, 6. 7:40,9:20.
Hollywood & Vina 1: "The
Playmates in 3-D" (X) 7, 8:30, 10.
Hollywood & Vina 2: "Let the
Good Times Roll" (PG) 7:30,9:30.
OniGSIT AT THE SHEIDO!! ART GALLERY
ft.
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Sheldon
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playing works by
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r?isirtf!Bl ART flAMRY
to.aateHktla wiiiUs .
Nebraska premiers
daily nebrasksn
.friday, apri! 26, 1974
