All the talk of this book prompted me to re-reread it, and I was surprised to find that I was still stumped by a few of the God’s names (for those not familiar with this forgotten classic, a space traveller comes to a world who’s moon has shattered and has hundreds of moonlets. Each of the moonlets is considered a God, and for fun Niven and Gerrold name the Gods after thinly disguised SF authors. There’s also a huge pun in the space-traveller’s name, which I shan’t reveal here, lest I ruin the joke).
Anyway, most of 'em are easy (El’cin, diminutive God of Thunder, quick to anger=Ellison), some of 'em are obscure (Musk-watz, God of Wind=Stanley Moskowitz(sp), apparently known for being long winded)
But a few have left me stumped or at least unsure. Anyone know (or have guesses) on these?
Eecar the Man (He was a man but was elevated to Godhood) Terry Carr because he was a Fan who became a writer? I’ve also heard the theory that it’s Forrey Ackerman, for the same reason.
Sp’nee God of Slime? Not a clue. I mean, obviously Sp’nee=Norman Spinrad, but “God of Slime”? Why?
Pull’nissin God of Duels? No idea. Poul Anderson, maybe? Why?
Fol, God of Distortion? I can’t even figure out which author is being referenced.
One other clue: There are (for story reasons) no female SF authors who were given Godhood status by Niven and Gerrold, so we can ignore all the female SF authors.
Any help (RealityChuck? CalMeachum? Polycarp? Fiver?) would be appreciated
I think Eecar the Man is Forrey Ackerman. Niven and Pournelle poked fun at him in “Inferno”, as well.
I don’t know about the other examples you give. There shouldn’t be any female gods, as you note, but the names of female SF writers are given to the women by Purple.
I have to admit that I hasdn’t picked up on Musk-watz being Sam (not Stanley) Moscowitz. Moscowitz has been accused of inaccuracy (although I never picked up on any cases), but I’vew never heard of him being called long-winded.
Other names I’ve picked up, but as you didn’t mention them, I gather you have, too. Ouells are Virn = Wells and Verne. Nil’son = Neilsen (the ratings system), Rot’'n’ber = Gene Roddenberry. The bit about Purple =- As a Shade of Purple Grey = Asimov having a name that’s a bilingual pun refers, I think, to one of the stories in “Asimov’s Mysteries” about Clavius/Clavus = “key”.
Was he portrayed in Inferno as the collector who’s stuff got ruined because he wouldn’t sell a bit of it to keep the rest of it safe? I never knew who they were talking about before.
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When we had a SF Specialty shop in town, that’s what I was told by the owner who said he’d met Moscowitz…the guy was facinating, but never shut up.
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Yeah, as God of Sheep…I loved that one!
Another good one was Fineline, God of Engineers (I think) (aka Heinlein)
I dug out my copy last night, with the sheet of notes I’ve been keeping with it. A few additions (page numbers are for the second, 1977 edition):
p. 58 : “Po, who cases decay” – Edgar Allen Poe.
p. 59 – “N’veen” = Larry Niven
p. 59 “Eccar the Man” = Forrest J. Ackerman. And yes, he has refused to sell any of his collection yo help repair his “ackermansion” and save the rest of his collection housed within.
“Block, god of violence” = Roberrt Bloch, author of “Psycho”, among others.
“Fineline, god of engineers” = Heinlein, of course. Niven worships him.
p. 60 – “Hitch, god of birds” = Alfred Hitchcock, of course, director of “The Birds”
p. 172 “Caff, god of dragons” – violates the idea that only men can be gods. This can only be Anne McCaffery, of course.
Yake – John Jakes, I expect.
“Furman of FASF” = Edwin Ferman, editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (FASF)
179 – the women’s names are allthose of prominent female sf authors.