Subject: Rec.arts.sf groups, an introduction
Summary: Last modified Mar 15, 1996
Supersedes: <groups-intro_826487473@netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 15:13:06 GMT


Changes this version:
  Dec 12: Added rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info
  Dec 28: Added Liaden Universe (Sharon Lee and Steve Miller)
  Feb 11: Added alt.books.moorcock.
  Mar 15: Updated sf-lovers information, added snsf-writers list, also
.  an online writer's workshop/critique group (question 5).

Send questions and updates or comments to: felan@netcom.com.

1. What does the 'sf' in 'rec.arts.sf.*' mean?
2. What rec.arts.sf.* groups are available?
3. What other 'sf' groups are available?
4. What mailing lists are there for similar topics?
5. What other resources are available on the net (WWW, gopher, etc)?
6. What are the current charters for the groups under rec.arts.sf.*?

1. What does the 'sf' in 'rec.arts.sf.*' mean?
  The 'sf' means 'Speculative Fiction'.  According to the call for votes
that created the original hierarchy, this was defined as: Both science
fiction and fantasy, as well as that vast blurred mass of material in
between.

2. What rec.arts.sf.* groups are available?

Here's a short, one-line-per-group listing of the groups:

rec.arts.sf.misc.Replaces rec.arts.sf-lovers as the catch-all
rec.arts.sf.announce .Announcements (moderated: zorch@uunet.uu.net)
rec.arts.sf.fandom.Fannish activities, cons, etc.
rec.arts.sf.marketplace.Personal for-sale notices
rec.arts.sf.movies.SF movies that don't have their own groups
rec.arts.sf.reviews.Reviews of sf/fantasy/horror works (Moderated)
rec.arts.sf.science.Science and theory related to sf
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting Topics relating to Star Wars collecting
rec.arts.sf.starwars.games      SW games: RPG, computer, card, etc.
rec.arts.sf.starwars.info       General information about SW (Moderated)
rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc       Miscellaneous topics about SW
rec.arts.sf.tv..SF tv shows that don't have their own groups
rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.Babylon 5 creators meet Babylon 5 fans.
rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info Info about Babylon 5 (Moderated)
rec.arts.sf.tv.quantum-leap    Quantum Leap TV, comics, cons, etc.
rec.arts.sf.written.Novels, stories, etc.
rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan.Books by Robert Jordan

3. What other 'sf' groups are available?
  rec.arts.books.tolkien
  rec.arts.drwho
.Discussions about the movies, the show, and anything and everything
.related to Dr. Who.
  rec.arts.startrek.info.
.A distillation of news and information about Star Trek, including
.synopses of new episodes, convention reports, station airing times
.around the US and the world, and other tidbits of factual information
.about Trek.

.Moderated: send submissions to trek-info@dweeb.fx.com; questions or
..comments should be sent to trek-info-request@dweeb.fx.com.
  rec.arts.startrek.current
  rec.arts.startrek.fandom
  rec.arts.startrek.misc
  rec.arts.startrek.tech
.Star Trek, all shows, movies, books, etc, related to the original
.show.  There's a monthly informational posting in those groups and
.news.answers and rec.answers which describes the groups in detail.
  alt.books.isaac-asimov
  alt.books.deryni
  alt.books.m-lackey
  alt.books.moorcock
  alt.books.phil-k-dick
  alt.cyberpunk
  alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo
.Virtual reality  via prose interaction.
  alt.fan.douglas-adams
  alt.fan.eddings
  alt.fan.heinlein
 alt.fan.nathan-brazil
.Jack Chalker discussion, especially of the Well World series.
.(Nathan Brazil is the primary character in the Well World stories.)
  alt.fan.pern
.McCaffrey's Pern; also some discussions of her other books.
  alt.fan.piers-anthony
  alt.fan.pratchett
  alt.fan.tolkien
  alt.fandom.cons
  alt.fandom.misc
  alt.galactic-guide
.An attempt to write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, inspired by
.Douglas Adams.  Ongoing for several years.
  alt.music.filk
  alt.tv.red-dwarf

4. What mailing lists are there for similar topics?

  Good question; I don't know, for the most part.  But I'll be adding them
as people tell me about them, and I believe there's a posting that lists
them, that I'll try to get permission to use.

SF-LOVERS@rutgers.edu (SF-Lovers Digest)
  Moderated, medium-to-high traffic.  This is gatewayed to/from
  some of the newsgroups: .written, .tv, .babylon5(.info), .movies,
  .reviews, .announce, .fandom, and .misc all feed into the Digest,
  while .written, .tv, .babylon5, .movies, and .misc are gatewayed.
  (There are actually a collection of lists.)
  For subscriptions or questions, send mail to: 

..sf-lovers-request@rutgers.edu.  

smofs@gandalf.rutgers.edu
  SMOFS deals with convention-running. A low-traffic list.
  To get on smofs, send mail to smofs-request@sflovers.rutgers.edu.  However,
  you should not join this list unless you have some experience with
  con-running.  It's not a general purpose mailing list.

========
filk_uk@filklore.demon.co.uk    - Filk music in the UK
sf_fandom@filklore.demon.co.uk  - Fandom and conventions in the UK

To subscribe, send an Email to listserv@filklore.demon.co.uk with

SUBSCRIBE FILK_UK or SUBSCRIBE SF_FANDOM

in the text body.

The mail-lists are hosted by a BBS, which serves as a Fidonet/Internet
gateway for UK SF fans, and are themselves gated to related Fidonet echoes.
========
Lois Bujold Discussion List
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Lois McMaster Bujold Mailing List exists to allow discussion of the
works of Lois Bujold. If you wish to join the list send an email to
listproc@herald.co.uk with subject blank and message body of
SUBSCRIBE LOIS-BUJOLD Miles Vorkosigan
(assuming your name is Miles Vorkosigan if it isn't, substitute your own name
instead, not your email address).


Mercedes Lackey Discussion List
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mercedes Lackey Mailing List exists to allow discussion of the
works of Mercedes Lackey. If you wish to join the list send an email to
listproc@herald.co.uk with subject blank and message body of
SUBSCRIBE MERCEDES-LACKEY Vanyel Ashkevron
(assuming your name is Vanyel Ashkevron if it isn't, substitute your own name
instead, not your email address).
========
tolkien-events
and
tolkien-sales,

to subscribe to either, send an email message of the usual form
to listserv@caerlas.demon.co.uk
or for help with subscribing write to
Pat Reynolds - tolksoc@caerlas.demon.co.uk
========
There is an SF-list run at :-

listproc@unicorn.acs.ttu.edu

subscribe sf-list yourname

The list owner (Morgan Bottrell) must add you manually to the list.
========
The Liaden Unverse interest list is at liad@io.com; this is concerned with
the works of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.  (I was not given subscription
information; I suggest trying liad-owner@io.com with questions or
listserv@io.com with 'subscribe liad' in the body, but I don't know if
either of these will work.)
========
There's a mailing list for writers, SFnF-Writers.  To subscribe, send
        subscribe sfnf-writers
to
        majordomo@seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu

5. What other resources are available on the net (WWW, gopher, etc)?

Please feel free to send me any URLs you might have, and a description of
what's available at that URL.

SF-Lovers web pages: http://sflovers.rutgers.edu/
  (Related to the SF-Lovers Digest list described above in 4; archives
   are available through this.  Also available are links to a lot of
   other SF-related sites, including author home pages.)
-----
The SF archive at Lysator:

.WWW:.http://sf.www.lysator.liu.se/sf_archive/sf_main.html
.gopher: gopher.lysator.liu.se
.ftp:.ftp.lysator.liu.se, /pub/sf-texts
-----
WWW sites related to Mercedes Lackey:
http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/lackey_list.html
http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/lackey_faq.html
http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/ism/lackey/lackey.html

WWW sites related to Lois McMasters Bujold:
http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/bujold_list.html
http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/bujold_faq.html
-----
A Science Fiction Resource Guide.  Covers almost everything there is in
the net on Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Includes links to most author
and genre FAQs, movies, TV, creative writings...you name it, it's
probably there!

www: ftp://gandalf.rutgers.edu/pub/sfl/sf-resource.guide.html

-----

gandalf.rutgers.edu is a ftp site with contains SF related stuff.
Includes archives of their SF-Digest, various genre FAQs and a
bibiography of authors' books.

ftp: anonymous ftp to gandalf.rutgers.edu

-----

WWW FAQ on Isaac Asimov.  This is an extensive FAQ on Isaac Asimov.  It
covers both his writing and his personal life.  Contains pointers on
other stuff on Asimov on the net; bibliographies, some reviews and
miscellanous items.  A ASCII-based FAQ is also posted monthly on the
newsgroup alt.books.isaac-asimov.

BTW, a pointer to this FAQ is included in the SF Resource Guide so you
need not include this in your intro.  The reason I'm putting this here
is because I worked on the FAQ...};-)

www: http://www.lightside.com/SpecialInterest/asimov/asimov-faq.html

-----

Del Rey books have a gopher site.  The DRIN (Del Rey Internet
Newsletter) is archived there, as well as FAQs related to Del Rey.
Excerpts of upcoming books can be found here.  

gopher: panix.com (under subdirectory Del Rey Books)
www   : gopher://gopher.panix.com/11/DRB

-----

Tor Books have a gopher and www site.  Includes the On-line Newsletter,
a list of upcoming books and excerpts of upcoming books.  

gopher: panix.com (under subdirectory Tor Books)
www   : http://sunsite.unc.edu/ibic/Tor-homepage.html

-----

Internet Book Information Centre (IBIC).  A information center for
general books, but includes points to genre specific stuff.

www: http://sunsite.unc.edu/ibic/IBIC-homepage.html

-----

The Stilyagi Air Corps Calendar.  It's a listing of SF/F Conventions, and
"Stilyagi Parties" (Gatherings of Michigan fandom at people's homes that
are open to the public.)  The list is maintained by Chad Childers, and
is kept current.  (*MUCH* more so than the convention listing at
Lysator!)
.WWW:  http://grimmy.cnidr.org/con.list.html

-----

Authors of the Liaden Universe homepage: http://www.mint.net/~kinzel/
A faq for the liad@io.com mailing list is maintained at
.http://www.clark.net/pub/ahasuer/www/miller.lee.html

-----

There's an on-line writer's workshop/critique group:
        http://www.cs.du.edu/users/critters

6. What are the current charters for the groups under rec.arts.sf.*?

Here's a list, in the same order as the groups appear in the list in question
2.  I use the word 'current' because, while most of these haven't changed
since the dawn of creation, the rec.arts.sf.reviews one has changed to
include a new submission address.

rec.arts.sf.misc
     Charter: Group rec.arts.sf.misc will be the general-purpose
              and spillover group for science fiction and fantasy
.      discussions that do not find a more specific subgroup 
.      under rec.arts.sf.*, or that would otherwise require 
.      wide crossposting among the other subgroups.

rec.arts.sf.announce (moderated, <sf-announce-request@uunet.uu.net>)
     Charter: (moderated) Announcements of happenings in the
              SF world, such as cons, including calls for con
              participation, readings, deaths, honors, new SF
              mailing lists, periodic postings of rec.arts.sf
              subgroup charters and other administrivia,
              signings, TV specials, meetings, shop openings and
              closings, etc. Not for personal or commercial ads.
     Send submissions to: sf-announce@uunet.uu.net; questions to
.the moderator address above.

rec.arts.sf.fandom
     Charter: Discussions of fannish activities; meant to provide
              a new home for the SF-related part of the traffic
              currently posted to alt.fandom.* and similar
              postings current in rec.arts.sf-lovers.

rec.arts.sf.marketplace
     Charter: A place for personal wanted-to-buy and for-sale ads
              for SF related materials.  Personal ads only;
              commercial ads belong in comp.newprod or commercial
              advertising channels, not elsewhere on USENet.  Do
              NOT crosspost ads; those looking to buy or sell SF
              stuff will be reading this group and just annoyed
              by ads mixed in elsewhere.

rec.arts.sf.movies
     Charter: Discussions of all aspects of SF related movies not
              otherwise covered in more specific groups (such as
              the Star Trek group).  Specifically includes
              screenplays looking for producers, and discussions
              of novelizations as compared to the movie base;
              discussion of novelizations independent of the 
              related movie belong in .written.

rec.arts.sf.reviews (moderated)
.Charter: Reviews and critical discussion of SF/fantasy/horror 
.. works.  Works include novels, short fiction, movies,
.. music, periodicals, art, etc., that are of interest to
.. the SF community.  Reviews are expected to conform to
.. the guidelines in the FAQ "Welcome to rec.arts.sf.reviews"
.. posted to the group periodically and available by
.. anonymous FTP on the host net.bio.net [134.172.2.69]
.. (file: sf-reviews/welcome).  Archives of the group are also
.. available on net.bio.net in the directory misc/sf-reviews.  
.. Submissions should be sent to sf-reviews@presto.ig.com;
.. comments to the moderators should be sent to
.. rasfr-comments@presto.ig.com.

rec.arts.sf.science
     Charter: A home for the spinoff discussion of real and
              speculative science and sometimes about how the
              laws of science could be used in creating new SF
              universes.  

rec.arts.sf.tv
     Charter: A group for discussing general television SF, both
              live acted and cartoons.  Note that some tv shows,
.      (such as Dr. Who and Star Trek) have their own
.      specialized newsgroups as well.

rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5
     Charter: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5 is to be an unmoderated newgroup
.      dedicated to the following topics:

              * The plots and characters of "Babylon 5" episodes.
              * The possible ties between episodes in the 5-year story arc
              * The special-effects techniques and technology
              * Musings and speculations about where the show is going.
              * AND NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT story ideas and/or fan-fiction.

.      J. Michael Straczynski, Babylon 5's creator, (hereafter: JMS)
.      has stated flatly that for legal reasons that if any story
.      ideas appear on a "B5" newsgroup he will be forced to leave the
.      electronic forum. This would be, to our reckoning, a
.      net.tragedy, and is to be avoided at all costs.

.      Solutions such as forfeiture of copyrights to JMS with all
.      postings, etc, have been considered, but ultimately rejected.
.      This forum can only survive through the good will of its users,
.      PLEASE do not destroy it for the rest of us.

.      In the event of legal action in the future resulting from
.      someone's disregard of this rule, I offer myself, Brian Badger,
.      to be subpoenaed to testify as to the nature of this charter,
.      and its prohibition.  It's an ugly job...

rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info
.Charter: The purpose of this group is to provide an uncluttered
.      resource of information and news pertaining to the television
.      program _Babylon 5_. rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info is a
.      moderated newsgroup, which means that all articles must be
.      submitted to the moderator for approval before they will be
.      posted.  Articles appearing in this newsgroup should generally
.      fall into one of the following categories:

.      1) Official press releases and notices pointing to coverage
.      of _Babylon 5_ in the media (but copies of copyrighted
.      material *only* with expressed permission), and announcements
.      of B5-related events such as conventions and star appearances.

.      2) Episode schedules, guides and summaries, and announcements
.      of airing time changes.

.      3) Announcements, commentary and background material on
.      _Babylon 5_ from J. Michael Straczynski, the show's
.      executive producer.  This will include compilations of
.      his writings from online services such as GEnie and
.      CompuServe and very selective repostings of substantial
.      commentary from rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.  The latter
.      category will specifically *not* include his short answers
.      about details of past episodes.

.      4) Other material believed by the moderators to be of interest
.      to a broad base of B5 fans.

.      Volume should not exceed a few messages a day.

.      Submit proposed articles to:
.  .     b5-info@callisto.pas.rochester.edu

rec.arts.sf.tv.quantum-leap
     Charter: rec.arts.sf.tv.quantum-leap will be designed to create a specific
.      forum for discussing the many aspects of the Quantum Leap
.      television series, which is now in syndication on two cable
.      networks.  The aspects that can be talked about are (but are
.      not limited to) the television program, the comic book, QL
.      conventions, the video releases, and whatever else can be found
.      to talk about between the "Leapers."  Now, the group will be
.      unmoderated to allow more freedom on what can be talked about.
.      There has, as of late, been a considerable amount of QL traffic on
.      rec.arts.sf.tv.  Perhaps the new newsgroup would allow more
.      space for other discussion on rec.arts.sf.tv, and
.      rec.arts.sf.tv.quantum-leap would be an exclusive place for
.      Leapers to talk.  Also, many Usenet sites do not have Alt.ql
.      creative as a group choice and, therefore, do not know of the
.      existance of QL discussion.


rec.arts.sf.written
     Charter: A group for discussing the general SF which is seen
              by its audience in written form, whether printed or
              online.  Note that many more specific groups in
              rec.arts.sf.* exist to pull some traffic from this
              group, but in general, this is where new releases
              are discussed, informal reviews given, continuity
              topics discussed, authors compared, and is the
              starting point for many threads which should
              eventually be moved to more appropriate groups.
              (Please cooperate when the call is put forward to
              move a discussion to a more specific group.)


rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan
     Charter: This newsgroup, rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan, was
              created in July 1994 for the discussion of books written
              by contemporary author Robert Jordan.  In particular, this
              newsgroup is concerned with his ongoing "Wheel of Time"
              series, but also covers past and future works by him.
              Fandom is specifically included within the purview of this
              charter.  The group is unmoderated.


Leanne Phillips
"Do not meddle with the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick
to anger."  (I don't want to hear other versions.  I've heard them all before.)
Words to live by: "Violence is the refuge of the incompetent."
.(Yes, I know it isn't right; it's deliberate.)
