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May. 16th, 2011 20:35Sunday May 15, 2011 Someone asked in rec.arts.sf.composition (Usenet group devoted to writing sf):
"A long time ago, some smart person on this group posted an idea about a book printed on phoenix skin, that would have to be burned every 100 years. The poster said the idea was free for use, so now I've used it - and would like to acknowledge the original source in the book. But my rasfc archives are six computers and four platforms ago, on floppies I don't have any way of reading. Does anyone remember who I should credit for that cool idea?" [Note: More when the story is published.]
Ryk E. Spoor, AKA Sea Wasp, responded:
"Dan Goodman, May 21, 2002:
"'It's made of phoenix skin. It decays, but at certain intervals it's supposed to be thrown into a fire. Renews itself in this process.
After that custom is forgotten (it's explained at the beginning of the book, but when no one has read it lately that doesn't help), it continues decaying till the building it's in burns down. Which is, conveniently, in time for your characters to find it among the ashes.'"
The poster who had originally asked for ideas went with something else entirely.
***Shopping at Aldi was more exciting than usual. The man behind me in line at the cash register wanted the woman behind him arrested for hitting him with her cell phone. When the security guard was unresponsive, he called 911 to talk to the police.
"A long time ago, some smart person on this group posted an idea about a book printed on phoenix skin, that would have to be burned every 100 years. The poster said the idea was free for use, so now I've used it - and would like to acknowledge the original source in the book. But my rasfc archives are six computers and four platforms ago, on floppies I don't have any way of reading. Does anyone remember who I should credit for that cool idea?" [Note: More when the story is published.]
Ryk E. Spoor, AKA Sea Wasp, responded:
"Dan Goodman, May 21, 2002:
"'It's made of phoenix skin. It decays, but at certain intervals it's supposed to be thrown into a fire. Renews itself in this process.
After that custom is forgotten (it's explained at the beginning of the book, but when no one has read it lately that doesn't help), it continues decaying till the building it's in burns down. Which is, conveniently, in time for your characters to find it among the ashes.'"
The poster who had originally asked for ideas went with something else entirely.
***Shopping at Aldi was more exciting than usual. The man behind me in line at the cash register wanted the woman behind him arrested for hitting him with her cell phone. When the security guard was unresponsive, he called 911 to talk to the police.