October 20, 2006     

NOTE FROM DAVE:

As many of you know, most SF universes
have some kind of “bible” for writers
so their script or story will fit into
that particular universe. Here are some
lesser known samples.

The Top 10 Excerpts From
the SF Writers’ Guidebook

10> Surprisingly, chainmail lingerie provides your buxom heroine
with just as much protection as a full suit of armor, at a
fraction of the price.

9> We’re running out of Doctors, and we’re running out of
Daleks… plan accordingly.

8> Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: One “beedee” means yes, two
“beedee beedees” means no.

7> No matter what you do, never, *ever*, kill off the T&A.

6> Babylon 5: All cute children must die by the end of the
episode.

5> You can write yourself out of any plot corner with the proper
application of heretofore unknown capabilities of a
transporter array.

4> Babylon 5: While the number three is sacred to the Minbari,
this does *not* carry over to their sexual practices.

3> ST:V guideline #18: Seven of Nine’s neckline is inversely
proportional to last week’s ratings.

2> Pay no attention to that Einstein guy, the speed of light is
the *lower* limit on spaceship travel.

and the Number 1 Excerpt From the SF Writers’ Guidebook…

1> The most battle-hardened, well-trained and feared warriors of
any species can never shoot straight when confronted by a
naive, clueless neophyte from a backwater planet.

.

Credits:

Selected from 24 submissions from 8 contributors.
This week’s list authors are:

Donald Johnson, Cincinnati, OH — 1, 5
Mark David, Sunnyvale, CA — 2, 7
Doug Crews, Oceanside, CA — 3
Dan Thompson, Austin, TX — 4, 6
Barry Wallace, Knoxville, TN — 8
RW Lipp, Lenexa, KS — 9
Chris von Seggern, Cibolo, TX — 10
James Knowles, Bellingham, WA — Topic
Dave Oberhart, Durham, NC — SF List Moderator