h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, first time I have come here, tho' I like your postings in the 'Americans' threads.. I was reading "Broken God' by David Zindel last night, and suddenly realised where I had come across the term 'autist'. Is that your nickname because of Zindel's characters, or does the word have some established meaning of which I am not aware? Thing is, i am not wholly sure what Zindel means by it (yet) - in 1998 I read his book 'War In Heaven' (AWESOME!!!) and am reading the rest of his series (out of order). I work with special needs people, many of them people with autism, which as you know has a very specialised meaning. Can you (and would you) tell me about the origin of yr nickname? Ta, Della.

Autist is derived from Autism,, a behavioural / psychological condition characterised by an inability to communicate, often coupled with an inability to control frustration, and is often mistaken for retardation but occurs in very bright individuals. That's probibly not what it is at all, but as a layman i don't know the dictonary definition. It's often the root cause of behavoural problems in children. The Dustin Hoffman character in "Rain Man" was supposed to have autism.

I remember my Sister reading Someone Zindel books when she was a teenager, i read them but don't remember them, something about a Hamburger, teenage rights-of-passage fiction. Is this your feller? If not what's he like?

Oops, didn't mean to post that yet... i'm always doing that.

War in Heaven and Broken God don't really sound like teenage fiction titles to me. More like Death Metal album titles! Tell me more.

So how close am i on autism? Is that fairly accurate? They were my first thoughts response on the word. It's awful really, i've got the name because it's a slightly self mocking moniker, which mirrors a number of my "ideosyncracies", yet i've never bothered to look the term up. I could be really offending somebody.

As for the flinch bit if you'd ever moved quickly or unexpectedly in the same room you'd know where this comes from. One of a bunch of nicknames from school which were ment maliciously but i keep alive because i hate myself far more than my school mates ever did.

So why the cat woman?

Oops, didn't mean to post that yet... i'm always doing that.

War in Heaven and Broken God don't really sound like teenage fiction titles to me. More like Death Metal album titles! Tell me more.

So how close am i on autism? Is that fairly accurate? They were my first thoughts response on the word. It's awful really, i've got the name because it's a slightly self mocking moniker, which mirrors a number of my "ideosyncracies", yet i've never bothered to look the term up. I could be really offending somebody.

As for the flinch bit if you'd ever moved quickly or unexpectedly in the same room you'd know where this comes from. One of a bunch of nicknames from school which were ment maliciously but i keep alive because i hate myself far more than my school mates ever did.

So why the cat woman?

Can you see how really very bad i am at this!!!

Actually, you're pretty spot on with your definition of autism. It is first and most importantly, a communication disorder - and I am thinking now of one guy who *does* flinch - people with autism have thin skins, and often feel very troubled by contact with people - most will not make eye contact with anyone.. They're quite fragile. They usually fixate on a subject or subjects of conversation as well - with one guy I know, it's computers, another, bus timetables - people with autism are of varying ability, most are quite or even very intelligent. Many do see themselves as aliens. One, a woman called Temple Grandin has written some very interesting books about how the world looks to her.
Re david Zindel, he is doing/has done a massive linked sf saga, about a far future culture of humans and others. Broken God and War In Heaven are two of his books - they are superb!!! (But deep and complicated). Re my nickname, Ilove cats, which are the only animals I actually like at all. I have a bird-phobia, and a low opinion of dogs. My name here used to be my real one with my last initial, and then I realised it was unutterably boring!

So Della is your real name? Or is that a Della Cat / Delicate pun?

I like your pun.. I hadn't thought of that.. No, Della is made up of the first two letters of my name Debbie and a tweaking of my middle name, Loraine. It would work better if i had the same name as a woman I work with, Laraine with an 'a'. I am sad that you referred to 'hating' yourself.. in one of yr previous postings. No one should hate themselves, although I know why - I feel that about myself sometimes..
My mother had a theory that everyone hates their own name - probably because the only time most people hear their *full* name is when an angry parent is calling it from the back porch! I don't like mine one bit, so I gave my son 6 names, so he can choose. He hates his first name, Leon and chose the most boring of his middle names, and became Jim. I can talk about names for hours! Boring, hey?

I don't mind my name, any of it, Phillip Martin Smith - both my first names are ones which people seem to expect me to dislike, but i'm not bothered really. Smith can be a bit tedious as i'm always one of eight Phill Smith's anyone has on their books. I do usually spell my name Phyll though, as in Phyllis, this is something which people would call me as a put down or somekind of afront to my masculinity, so i just adopted it, which took the wind out of their sails somewhat.

I am constantly self depreciating, i know that, and it is based in a genuine self loathing, but ultimately i know i'm alright, it's just that i can't forgive myself for not being better. The one thing i cannot forgive people for, is being like me. Fortunately their aren't too many like me out there, so it's not much of a problem.

Humans eh? Who'd have 'em?

Phillip, well, I like that name... I feel sympathy about the Smith, though. Women are used to the idea of changing their surnames, many if not most girls grow up with the idea of marrying 'Prince Charming' and a name change.. men identify with their surnames more than women do. My surname is a married name, although the guy was 'Prince Dreck' instead and is no longer in my life. Thing is, my 'maiden name' was constantly mispronounced and misspelt, so I went back to it, then went back to the married one, much less easy to misuse!
I am sad (about a lot of things, the bombing of Afghanistan mainly) but I am sad that you have a large degree of self loathing. From what you say, it seems you are *continually* down on yourself, which is muy bad. I suffer a lot from depression and anxiety, so I an identify. I know, too, that saying "pull yourself together, get a grip" aside from being potentially rude (read Mick Foley's latest book)is no help whatsoever.
Kurt Vonnegut says that the problem is that people don't actually want to live, though they say they do. Freaky! I've been thinking about that since I read it. He also said that the thing people crave most is *family* - hence nationalism and chauvinism.
May I ask, do you have a family? (Excuse me being personal) A few months ago, I was writing a Dr Who story for the BBC message boards and the characters I created as hero and heroine were a pair of teens, Phillip and Filippa, known as Pip and Flip. Silly, or what?

Here I am again, autist.. Two things I have just remembered to include. Thing one: last night I remembered that the author you were getting David Zindel confused with is Paul Zindel, who writes for teens, like Judy Blume only better.
Thing 2: reincarnation. I am a Christian, a *former* fundamentalist and I now believe in reincarnation - in addition to, not instead of Christianity. A belief in reincarnation is taking the long view - you have no idea (unless you're a believer) how calming it is.. to know that the 'you' you are now has been other than what it now is, and will be again - if making yourself other and maybe better in this life just seems impossible.
I am not trying to press Christianity or reincarnation on you - just FYI.

I think i'd rather be a bit down on myself than be self satisfied though - that's why i think ultimately i'm probibly an ok person - my selfcritisism is my best feature.

Two of the more pleasant nicknames i have (at work mainly) are Pip and Flip!

I love Vonnegut - Bluebeard is my favorate, i think. Freud said that all emotional conflict was a desire to return from the present troubled state, to the previous untroubled one, which if you follow right back to birth means a desire to be 'unborn'.

I'm afraid Christianity and i don't get on - or rather the church and i don't, Christ was obviously a top guy, a socialist revolutionary for whom i have nothing but admiration - St Paul on the other hand was Stalin.

Yes i have a family - am i'm quite close to them, though we're as dysfunctional a bunch as most.

I popped into a local bookshop and looked up David Zindel - andquickly realised he wasn't the same guy as i remembered. I can't imagine i'll ever really read any more "Fantasy Fiction", having done a fgreat deal of it as a youngster. I still rate what i read (or some of it (Raymond Fiest, Tolkein - and particularly John Christophers 'Prince in Waiting' trilogy are books i would still recommend) but it's too restrictive and formulaic a genre for me. There don't seem to be an awful lot of ideas in it for me. So many books, so little time...

Ah.. indeed, so many books... I actually stress out if I have too much I have to read, even though I graduated nearly a year ago, and don't *have* to read anything now, but what I want. .Re Christianity, I think Paul has got what Americans call (or used to, I thik it is an old-fashioned expression) a "bum rap" - he wasn't really as harsh as many people think. My son Jimmy a.k.a., Adric, wanted me to ask where it is that you work? He also wants me to say that Adric is a good pseudonym, which brings me to ask, why doesn't *he* change his h2g2 name to Adric? I agree with yr previous one, about the unattractiveness of smug self satisfaction.

Adric, as in Star for mathemeatical excellence, wiped out the dinosaurs trying to defeat the cybermen right? (See i'm not just a petty farce - i have a memory too!) it's a pretty cool moniker.

I work for my local council, i teach Photography, evening clases for kids, and daytime classes for adults. I'm also regonal Camp Stores Manager. Which either means i issue stock in a mildy effeminate fashion, or i run the outdoor pursuits equipment for the county -it depends how sarcastic i'm feeling - today you can decide.

St Paul said many fine things, but at the end of the day, he's not the patron saint of mysogenists for nothing is he? He did introduce that whole anti-women thing, pretty much on his own, and the massively inhuman sexual repression / denial / abstinance angle was largely his too. The later church comitted bigger crimes in the name of Christ but they were building on his foundations. (And of course, his church, which Chrst din't really seem keen on as far as i could see).

Okay, I admit you have a point about the misogyny, and I wish you didn't, of course... You're camp equipment manager .. you're very punny, but I suppose you know that. My brother used to teach photography - heavy! Jim will be wrapt about your knowledge of Adric..
What I meant about Paul - is that in some of more lyrical and mystical writing, he's *above* his usual rulebound thinking.. my fave books are 1,2 and 3 John, Gospel of John (definitely *not* Revelation, though that's supposedly written by a John!)..
I suppose I prefer the more mystical things.. not the mundane housekeeping stuff.

Okay, I admit you have a point about the misogyny, and I wish you didn't, of course... You're camp equipment manager .. you're very punny, but I suppose you know that. My brother used to teach photography - heavy! Jim will be wrapt about your knowledge of Adric..
What I meant about Paul - is that in some of more lyrical and mystical writing, he's *above* his usual rulebound thinking.. my fave books are 1,2 and 3 John, Gospel of John (definitely *not* Revelation, though that's supposedly written by a John!)..
I suppose I prefer the more mystical things.. not the mundane housekeeping stuff.

As far as being a manual for life is suppose Acts is the obvous place to start, but i love the idea:


All the believers together held everything in common; they sold their possessions and their goods, and distributed among all in accordance with each one's need (Acts 2:44-45)

The heart of the multitude of believers was one and their soul was one, and not a single one said anything of what he has was his, but all things were in common...there was no poor person among them, since whoever possessed fields or houses sold them, and bore the proceeds of the sale at the feet of the apostles;a redistribution was made to each one in acordance with his needs (Acts 4:32, 34-5)


Go Luke!

You are right! I put the verse from Acts into an sf story series I was doing once. Communism is biblical, I wonder how many people realise that? Jimmy declares himself a communist, but as he's 14, I think scandalising teachers is more his motive than really understanding. (BTW, that's my son, a.k.a., Jimmy Nugget (here) and sometimes Adric. Or he will be...
Have you heard of Dorothy Day? Christian woman, founded the Catholic Worker Movemenbt in the 1930s, died in the 1980s, there are moves afoot to 'saint' her - she's one of my heroes. Read all about her! (Sorry, I love to recommend books. Have you read any David Zindel yet?)

Have you read any of the Liberation Theologists? Oscar Ramirez or Jose Miranda are the only ones that spring to mind but there's quite a lot of them. A lot of the leading thinkers were murdered by the CIA in the '80's when the movement was really getting a hold in Central America, and the thriving movement now in South AMerica is a royal pain in the catholic church's arse. More Marxist Bishops, that's what we need to see.