In article <uhc5cb$12j72$1@dont-email.me>,
David Duffy <davidd02@tpg.com.au> wrote:
>Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>> On 10/25/2023 6:50 AM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8:41:35???AM UTC-4, WolfFan wrote:
>>>> On Oct 22, 2023, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan wrote
>>>> (in article <kpl7bk...@mid.individual.net>):
>>>>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
>>>>> titles you've encountered?
>>>>>
>>>>> Offhand, the two that pop to mind for me are:
>>>>>
>>>>> "No, No, Not Rogov!" by Cordwainer Smith
>>>>>
>>>>> and
>>>>> _The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith_ by Saxton.
>>>>>
>>>>> Probably _Galactic Pot Healer_ is up there too.
>>>>>
>>>>> I know Asimov hated _I, Robot_.
>>>>>
>>>>> Others?
>>>> I???m surprised that no-one has mentioned The Moon is a Harsh Mistress yet.
>>>
>>> I always assumed that title was a quotation from an earlier work, but
>apparently not.
>>>
>> "is a harsh mistress" is the female version of "is a harsh master" which
>> is (or was) a common phrase used to describe someone (or something) with
>> exacting standards that are hard, if not impossible, to satisfy.
>>
>Wiki quotes Jimmy Webb
>"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was one of the best titles I've ever
>heard in my life... In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's
>attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, "The Moon is
>a Harsh Mistress". Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?'
>

That would have been a courtesy then, as titles are not copyrightable.

(And in fact off the top of my head, there have been two completely
unrelated #1 singles called "Best Of My Love").
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

Among the things Robert Woodward wrote:

> This might had been inspired by what he did to the first 2 books of
> Asimov's Foundation Trilogy which became _The 1,000 Year Plan_ and _The
> Man Who Upset the Universe_ (he wasn't given the chance to rename
> _Second Foundation_).

Speaking of series, Gene Wolfe revealed the titles in The Book of the New Sun were contractually his decision. He says he emphatically did not want to see:
The Shadow of the Torturer
The Claw of the Conciliator
Planet Breaker
The Citadel of the Autarch.

Which brings up Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls series, each title had something at or for The Well of Souls, except one, titled The Return of <character>, which I suppose may not be a major spoiler, but if you collect all the volumes before reading, will have you watching one character more than the others.

There was a story "The One-Eyed Love Bee Longs to Sum Buddy Else", which I kinda like, which is probably an indication that it is an awful title. Wait, looking it up, I find it is not a Love Bee, but a Moth B, which leaves me saying, "what?"

--
-Jack

On 24/10/2023 18.59, Butch Malahide wrote:
> On Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 1:18:33 PM UTC-5, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
>> titles you've encountered?

> The Gnurrs Come from the Voodvork Out

> Time Considered As a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones

Personally, I think that these are great titles. Not only that,
but each is story-relevant.

What do you dislike about them (if you can even express your
reasons)?

--
Michael F. Stemper
If you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much
more like prunes than rhubarb does.

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:38:10 PM UTC-4, David Duffy wrote:
> Dimensional Traveler <dtr...@sonic.net> wrote:
> > On 10/25/2023 6:50 AM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8:41:35???AM UTC-4, WolfFan wrote:
> >>> On Oct 22, 2023, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan wrote
> >>> (in article <kpl7bk...@mid.individual.net>):
> >>>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
> >>>> titles you've encountered?
> >>>>
> >>>> Offhand, the two that pop to mind for me are:
> >>>>
> >>>> "No, No, Not Rogov!" by Cordwainer Smith
> >>>>
> >>>> and
> >>>> _The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith_ by Saxton.
> >>>>
> >>>> Probably _Galactic Pot Healer_ is up there too.
> >>>>
> >>>> I know Asimov hated _I, Robot_.
> >>>>
> >>>> Others?
> >>> I???m surprised that no-one has mentioned The Moon is a Harsh Mistress yet.
> >>
> >> I always assumed that title was a quotation from an earlier work, but apparently not.
> >>
> > "is a harsh mistress" is the female version of "is a harsh master" which
> > is (or was) a common phrase used to describe someone (or something) with
> > exacting standards that are hard, if not impossible, to satisfy.
> >
> Wiki quotes Jimmy Webb
> "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was one of the best titles I've ever
> heard in my life... In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's
> attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, "The Moon is
> a Harsh Mistress". Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?'

Glen Campbell's cover of the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXhfJdtsl4

pt

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8:33:27 PM UTC-4, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <uhc5cb$12j72$1...@dont-email.me>,
> David Duffy <davi...@tpg.com.au> wrote:
> >Dimensional Traveler <dtr...@sonic.net> wrote:
> >> On 10/25/2023 6:50 AM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8:41:35???AM UTC-4, WolfFan wrote:
> >>>> On Oct 22, 2023, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan wrote
> >>>> (in article <kpl7bk...@mid.individual.net>):
> >>>>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
> >>>>> titles you've encountered?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Offhand, the two that pop to mind for me are:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> "No, No, Not Rogov!" by Cordwainer Smith
> >>>>>
> >>>>> and
> >>>>> _The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith_ by Saxton.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Probably _Galactic Pot Healer_ is up there too.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I know Asimov hated _I, Robot_.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Others?
> >>>> I???m surprised that no-one has mentioned The Moon is a Harsh Mistress yet.
> >>>
> >>> I always assumed that title was a quotation from an earlier work, but
> >apparently not.
> >>>
> >> "is a harsh mistress" is the female version of "is a harsh master" which
> >> is (or was) a common phrase used to describe someone (or something) with
> >> exacting standards that are hard, if not impossible, to satisfy.
> >>
> >Wiki quotes Jimmy Webb
> >"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was one of the best titles I've ever
> >heard in my life... In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's
> >attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, "The Moon is
> >a Harsh Mistress". Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?'
> >
> That would have been a courtesy then, as titles are not copyrightable.

Going in the other direction there is "It is the End of the World as We Know it and We Feel Fine" by Harry Turtledove.

"Michael F. Stemper" <michael.stemper@gmail.com> writes:

> On 24/10/2023 18.59, Butch Malahide wrote:
>
>> On Sunday, October 22, 2023 Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>>
>>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
>>> titles you've encountered?
>
>> The Gnurrs Come from the Voodvork Out
>
>> Time Considered As a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones
>
> Personally, I think that these are great titles. Not only that,
> but each is story-relevant.

I feel much the same about the Gnurrs title.

My own most failed title is "Beyond is the Wub" (I forget the author.)

Missed chance to call it "Aye, There's the Wub", story-relevant and
bonus apropos Shakespearian allusion.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

On 10/26/23 08:19, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:38:10 PM UTC-4, David Duffy wrote:
>> Dimensional Traveler <dtr...@sonic.net> wrote:
>>> On 10/25/2023 6:50 AM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8:41:35???AM UTC-4, WolfFan wrote:
>>>>> On Oct 22, 2023, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan wrote
>>>>> (in article <kpl7bk...@mid.individual.net>):
>>>>>> Spinning off from the multiple title thread, what are the worst SF
>>>>>> titles you've encountered?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Offhand, the two that pop to mind for me are:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "No, No, Not Rogov!" by Cordwainer Smith
>>>>>>
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> _The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith_ by Saxton.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Probably _Galactic Pot Healer_ is up there too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I know Asimov hated _I, Robot_.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Others?
>>>>> I???m surprised that no-one has mentioned The Moon is a Harsh Mistress yet.
>>>>
>>>> I always assumed that title was a quotation from an earlier work, but apparently not.
>>>>
>>> "is a harsh mistress" is the female version of "is a harsh master" which
>>> is (or was) a common phrase used to describe someone (or something) with
>>> exacting standards that are hard, if not impossible, to satisfy.
>>>
>> Wiki quotes Jimmy Webb
>> "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" was one of the best titles I've ever
>> heard in my life... In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's
>> attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, "The Moon is
>> a Harsh Mistress". Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?'
>
> Glen Campbell's cover of the song:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXhfJdtsl4
>
> pt
I have never heard this before. It is stunning. Thanks.

--
Dave Scruggs
Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
Sr. Software Engineer (Retired, mostly)