From: psperson@old.netcom.invalid   
      
   On Mon, 8 Dec 2025 14:01:07 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James   
   Nicoll) wrote:   
      
   >In article ,   
   >Paul S Person   wrote:   
   >>On Sun, 7 Dec 2025 13:54:35 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James   
   >>Nicoll) wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>Space Skimmer by David Gerrold   
   >>>   
   >>>Who killed the empire? More importantly, what does it take to get    
   >>>men to process their emotions?   
   >>>   
   >>>https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/more   
   >>   
   >>I enjoyed it when I read it. Early Gerrold, even when (as you note) it   
   >>is rather straightforward, is better than Late Gerrold.   
   >>   
   >>And, yes, this is one of the books which are Book One of a One Book   
   >>Series. There are others. How Gerrold feels about this I have no idea.   
   >>   
   >>When reached the end, I found myself wanting more -- more details on   
   >>how the Empire ended. And whether it can be rebuilt, based on Skimmers   
   >>rather than the old slower trading system.   
   >   
   >The book doesn't make a strong case that the empire was much more   
   >than a postal service and a protection racket.    
      
   Fair enough. I thought of the East India Trading Company as a possible   
   real-world model.    
      
   After writing the above, I realized something else: as with /Buzz   
   Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins/, this is about the   
   formation of a team. In the case of Buzz Lightyear, per online info, a   
   two-year TV series then documented the adventures of that team.   
      
   So, when /Space Skimmer/ ended, I was eager, now that the team was   
   assembled, to find out what they did next. But it was not to be, as   
   far as I can tell.    
   --    
   "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,   
   Who evil spoke of everyone but God,   
   Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)