# Alan Dean Foster is a class act (edited title) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880 "2011-12-12T04:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/1 "2011-12-12T04:52:16Z")
And I love his books. But, he answers email with the subject “fan letter” very quickly and gives a personal response. My sick friend mentioned that she knew him personally, so of course I did name drop. When I asked him to send Lolli an ebook and that she didn’t like SF, his response was very fast. Here it is: I have the perfect book of mine to send Lolli…PREDATORS I HAVE KNOWN. It came out in March and it’s non-fiction…all about animals. I was wondering how to get her an ecopy…now I know. I just need to know how to get it to her Kindle, since it would be coming from me and not Amazon. Alan How cool is that? Does anyone want to touch my hand and brush against the greatness? ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/2 "2011-12-12T11:06:51Z")
I will since he is the originator of my screen name.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/3 "2011-12-12T11:08:53Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I will since he is the originator of my screen name.🙂 :smack: How did I not catch that sooner… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/4 "2011-12-12T11:35:57Z")
_Spellsinger_ was one of my favourite series I read in the 90s. Or late 80s. Or whenever it was. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/5 "2011-12-12T16:45:59Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I will since he is the originator of my screen name.🙂 And mine as well!! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/6 "2011-12-12T21:59:26Z")
I have enjoyed many of his books - it is always nice to hear good things like this. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/7 "2011-12-13T00:31:25Z")
_Nor Crystal Tears_ was one of my favorite books as a teen. I’ve read a ton of his stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/8 "2011-12-13T03:31:41Z")
Always one of my favorites. The icerigger series really put you there in the world. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/9 "2011-12-13T04:47:28Z")
Holds arm out for people to touch 🙂 Lolli told me that Alan’s wife is a cat lady, well, I’m a cat lady, so there is another connection to greatness. I emailed him back and told him that I had just ordered the Kindle and that I should have it for her on Friday and promised the info. His reply was fast and kind. I’ve written to authors in the past and always got a reply, but usually the reply was so generic that I thought it was a form letter or from a staff member. Its OK with me, I just figure they are busy writing books. (well, there was that one time when I scolded an author because his hero was picking up the brass after target practice with a revolver…that was a personal and almost instant reply) I’m seriously impressed with Alan as a person who cares about his fans. I get to call him Alan because that’s how he signs his emails to me 😃 **Miller** , would it be OK with you if I sent Mr. Foster a link to this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/10 "2011-12-13T05:01:40Z")
I don’t know who that person is, but I got an email from Judy Blume once. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/11 "2011-12-13T05:11:20Z")
I knew a lady that was a personnel manager for a large department store. One of her employees was retiring, and she when to their house to do some of the paper work for the retirement. Anyway she noticed some books by ADF on the shelf, and as she was an avid SF reader she commented on them. Turns out this couple was ADF’s parents. :eek: She got a personally autographed book from ADF a couple of weeks later. So besides being a great author, he is a class act. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/12 "2011-12-13T05:26:26Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > I don’t know who that person is, but I got an email from Judy Blume once. 🙂 What grades do you teach? I was thinking that you were a high school teacher? If so, suggesting ADF might be a good thing for them. Anything to get them to read. He’s got a huge section in the local library. This could also be a lesson on how to get a library card. Maybe that wouldn’t work so well, because of the problems with getting rides to return books. Does the school library have fiction? I have never read a Judy Blume book. And now that I’ve googled her, I understand why not. I didn’t learn to love to read until middle school. > [@Rick](#): > > So besides being a great author, he is a class act. Can someone please change my title to say that Alan Dean Foster is a class act? That’s really what I wanted to say, but the words failed me. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/13 "2011-12-13T10:00:14Z")
I’ve written to a few authors, and one gave me a generic reply, but most replied with very thoughtful letters. Now, perhaps someone else wrote the letters, but they certainly seemed to be from the authors themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/14 "2011-12-13T10:02:13Z")
\ OK, I changed the title. I thought it was a good title as it was, but it’s changed now. \ ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/15 "2011-12-13T11:12:53Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Always one of my favorites. The icerigger series really put you there in the world. :D:D:D > [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Nor Crystal Tears was one of my favorite books as a teen. I’ve read a ton of his stuff. Yeah an entire movie from the Thranx point of view how cool would that be, of course the entire dialog would have to be in subtitles! I loved his novelization of Alien, a great book as well. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/16 "2011-12-13T14:20:32Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Always one of my favorites. The icerigger series really put you there in the world. He has a talent for that. I loved _[Midworld](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midworld)_ and \*[Sentenced to Prism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentenced_to_Prism) \*more for the unique settings than the actual plots. But the first book of his I ever read was _[Splinter of the Minds Eye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind's_Eye)_. I didn’t know or care anything about him. I was just a total Star Wars freak of a kid and the softback had some awesome artwork. It wasn’t until later I realized that he had written it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/17 "2011-12-13T15:10:22Z")
He’s always good for a read. I loved the **Icerigger** trilogy, and most of the **Spellsinger** books. For a once-off light read, I recommend **Glory Lane** , **Quozl** and **Cyber Way**. Glad to hear he’s a nice person as well as a decent author. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alan-dean-foster-is-a-class-act-edited-title/605880/18 "2011-12-14T02:19:39Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > But the first book of his I ever read was _[Splinter of the Minds Eye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind's_Eye)_. I didn’t know or care anything about him. I was just a total Star Wars freak of a kid and the softback had some awesome artwork. It wasn’t until later I realized that he had written it. He also wrote the Star Wars novelization (even though it was credited to Lucas). Probably the oddest thing I’ve ever read of his is WWE’s Hulk Hogan biography. Of course, it’s credited to Hogan and ADF only gets the “with” credit, but you know that’s usually a crock and he must have done most of the actual writing.