Oolite Bulletins

Vogon poetry, I think, is a necessary response.

Kerro Panille (poet), in The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom.

The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Cantos ... a work of sci-fi based on poetry that contains poets writing poetry about it. But still, plot relevance could be debated, I suppose.

Milo wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:54 pm

Vogon poetry, I think, is a necessary response.

Indeed - the Guide wouldn't be the same without it. That's one!

Commander_X wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:08 am

Kerro Panille (poet), in The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom.

Yes - he's a poet and he's important to the plot. That's two.

Milo wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:48 am

The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Cantos ... a work of sci-fi based on poetry that contains poets writing poetry about it. But still, plot relevance could be debated, I suppose.

I think it counts - it drives a lot of the plot for one major character. That's three, only one of which I expected.

Two to go!

The mad poet Navarth plays a key role in Jack Vance's The Palace of Love.

Disembodied wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:13 am

The mad poet Navarth plays a key role in Jack Vance's The Palace of Love.

Indeed he does - one to go.

Let's try a hint - a Hugo nominated and Nebula award winning novel in which a beautiful poet who discovers that an apparent code isn't what it seems to be.

Another hint - a short story in which a time-travelling poet fails a course on his own work.

Another hint - a poet who often seems to get caught up in strange steampunk plots, used in works by two authors.

Really? Nobody has any ideas for one last poet?

OK, let's call this a win for Disembodied, who gave the fourth answer.

Answers to the clues I gave (and I suspect some of you will be kicking yourselves):

A Hugo nominated and Nebula award winning novel in which a beautiful poet who discovers that an apparent code isn't what it seems to be.
Ryda Wong, in Samuel R. Delaney's Babel 17

A short story in which a time-travelling poet fails a course on his own work:
William Shakespeare in The Immortal Bard by Isaac Asimov.

A poet who often seems to get caught up in strange steampunk plots, used in works by two authors.
William Ashbless in novels by Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock.

I considered Anubis Rising but I haven't read it and I got the impression that the poet Ashbless was not actually an active character.

Since I only gave one answer, and Milo gave two - and since I asked the previous question as well - I'll hand the Ceremonial Question Fish over to Milo.

OK, let's go with that theme. Name five different sci-fi settings where underwater or aquatic (floating, not land-connected) cities exist and the majority of the narrative occurs within them.

City Under the Sea (1957) by Ken Bulmer

Looks like an interesting read. Initially when I searched for it, I found a 1965 film of the same name, which seems like a case study in why it is important to be considered trustworthy (else you may be sacrificed to a volcano).