doorstoppers

[Michael Bailey]

 David Casseres  wrote:
> Snow Crash needs to have all the "Sumerian" stuff replaced by something a
> lot more interesting, and then it would be brilliant.
>

Snappy reply: Linear B?

Thoughtful reply: I kinda felt that way about the Drumz part of _Diamond Age_


But Sumerian also figures in 2 other stories I really liked.

a) DR's Trip - it was in little text boxes on alternate pages of The
Last Whole Earth Catalog
DR picked up a hitchhiker who talked about the ancient Sumerians who
lived hundreds of years, ate only walnuts, and only had sex once a
year.

b) John Gardner's _The Sunlight Dialogues_ a brilliant doorstopper if
ever there was one and one which I've almost completely reread (read
in 1974 and then recently bought a copy and thumbed through, looking
at my favorite bits again with 2008-eyes, finding more and more of the
favorites and re-enjoying them) has some cool stuff in it about the
Sumerians.  Gardner, of course, did a translation of Gilgamesh as
well.