Pynchon mentions in recent books

[Chris Sweet]

About a week ago someone mentioned how it seems that a lot of new
fiction is being compared to Pynchon. I see this all the time - (I
run the fiction section of a Barnes & Noble superstore) - He seems to
be one of the big three influences today along with Eco and Byatt...
that is if one is to judge by the blurbs....this got me thinking
about books that actually mention Pynchon and I thought of a couple I
have read in the past year:
   "Emma who Saved My Life" by Wilton Barnhardt - a hilarious book which
mentions GR a couple of times in passing.
   "View from the Oldest House" by Charles Grant - ditto
   A novel by Robert Sawyer whose name I forget, probably because it
wasn't very good. In the novel the protagonist makes 3 computer models 
of his brain. One of them becomes more devious/smart than then others
because of the controls put upon it. It is mentioned a couple of times
that this 'brain' is devouring GR.

Well....today I was flipping through Timothy Leary's new graphic novel,
"Surfing the Conscious Nets" and on pages 68 and 69 I came across
the following:

"By the way, my wet-dreams, both day and
night, are haunted by my need to meet Thomas
Pynchon and Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe in
the flesh or on the net.

William Gibson agrees.

How can Thomas Pynchon, the most important
writer of our time, yours truly & present compant
excluded, disappear from public view?

They should have this weather-type announcer come
on television every night and say "It's midnight,
September 1, 1999. Fair and warmer. When is the last
time you heard from your Nation's Greatest Author,
Thomas Pynchon?'

Speaking of whom, my faithful cyberpunk allies out
there in Cyberland, just south of the Oregon border,
have just located Thomas Pynchon's residence. So as
soon as I graduate from this funny-farm and take care
of Andy Warhol's cryonic paperwork, guess what! I'll be
heading west like Dr. Livingstone to track down the
elusive novelist. 'Mr Pynchon, I presume?'

Yeah bo!

It is crucially important that we acquaint Thomas
Pynchon with the Hibernation/Reanimation (HibRan)
Option.

Here's this guy Pynchon, owner-operator of one of
the most advanced brains (souls) in history and we are
expected to sit around on our hands and knees, letting
worms devour the universe of data stored under Wanda
Tinasky's bridge?"



Accompanying this is a picture of what I first thought to be
Groucho Marx but now think might be the famous yearbook picture
of TRP doctored to look like Groucho. It has a small post-horn in
the corner. The text with the picture reads:
		"WANTED
               for desertion
               & child support




		PICTURE HERE





		 WANDA
                TINASKY

		Last seen:
              Gravity's Rainbow bar
 		If found:
	      Contact the Tristero"






On an unrelated note....Paul DiF - I read in Publishers Weekly that a
book of your stories will be published soon. Will this include the
TRP story you mentioned a week or so ago?


chris s