Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with SF

I need an annual SF parking permit, but my car is registered in LA.

ziggly — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:56:28 -0800

I have somehow managed to live in SF for several years without a parking permit, but I am going to need one shortly. Can I get an annual parking permit without changing my car's registration information? SF's annual parking permit eligibility page specifies that the car must be registered to the permit seeker's SF address. My car is and has always been registered to an LA-based relative - it's on something of a very long-term loan and it would be a pain to change it to my name, though not impossible.

Any way around this? Are the permits registered to a specific license plate? Or can I, say, have my partner register a permit for my partner's car, and just give the sticker to me?

What's missing on our trip to San Francisco?

abbagoochie — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:44:13 -0800

I'm going to SF with my partner for our first wedding anniversary - yay! We've been before and have seen some of the sights (list after the break), but are looking for things we might have missed, awesome places we haven't eaten at, great things we haven't seen, etc, so we can make the most of it. Only limiting factor: neither of us drive. So, stuff we have both seen/done etc:

-Pier 39
-Coit Tower
-Musee Mechanique and Fisherman's Wharf
-Oakland Museum of California
-Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company
-The Clarion Alley Mural Project
-Dolores Park/Bi-Rite Creamery/Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream
-Walked around the Mission, ate burritos at Taquiera Cancun/Walked down the Valencia corridor
-The Exploratorium
-City Lights Bookstore
-Walked around the Castro
-Walked around the Haight
-Seen the Defenestration building
-Been in the SFMoMa
-Walked around Golden Gate Park

Stuff I'm thinking of for us:

-Visiting the Computer History Museum
-Going on an Alcatraz tour
-Maybe going in the Kabuki Hot Springs (will we be allowed in with tattoos?)
-Maybe taking a day trip out to Yosemite (is it worth it for three hours?)

Anything else I'm missing? I feel like there's more but I just don't know about it.

Extra info: We are both early thirties, able bodied and relatively fit, no kids. We have four days.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Cyrus!

Countess Elena — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:51:06 -0800

Can you name yet another short story for me? This humorous SF story appeared in the National Lampoon decades ago; I found it in a Lampoon anthology where it was very out of place. The story was written as a transcription of a tape made by academics who had gone to a small town in Appalachia to take an oral history. The county was named Tempura County or Teriyaki County, or something else that was obviously a Japanese food. The main figure of the story was a friendly but powerful and unpredictable entity called Cyrus. It's been years since I even saw that anthology, and I haven't gotten that story out of my head.

Zeroth Contact

ddbeck — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:35:24 -0800

Where can I get some absentee alien stories? I'm interested in books, short stories, movies, video games, or anything else you can recommend in which Earthlings have found proof of alien life, but the aliens themselves do not appear in the story. I'd like to avoid standard first contact stories.

Some (slightly spoilery) examples include Frederik Pohl's Gateway and Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. Big Dumb Objects are not required, but conclusive evidence of alien life is. Please consider alien liberally; the Myst-series game Uru, would qualify, for instance.

I'd like to stick to works of deliberate fiction, so no "ETs actually built the Egyptian pyramids"-style conspiracy theories, please.

Bonus points for stories that you liked and were good. Thanks!

Sci-Fi Noir?

kittensofthenight — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:16:29 -0800

I recently read Berlin Noir, The City and The City and Chasm City, and was looking for recommendations for sci-fi detective fiction, or detective fiction that reads like sci-fi. The sort of SF I'm thinking of has a strong world building aspect as well as vibrant, detailed urban environments and cultures (ie. not space opera, although I love space opera).

In etective/noir fiction I'm drawn to the strong first person voice, the 'classic' story set-ups, and the middle-aged tough but lovable protagonist. I am much wider read in sci-fi, so feel free to suggest obvious detective/noir novels as I probably haven't thought of them.

Of course I've read quite a bit of PKD and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep is great but not quite what I'm looking for, although Blade Runner is, FWIW.

I thought of Peter Hamilton's Gregory Mandel series but I kinda dislike his writing, esp. the ridiculous sex scenes. Should I read these?

I realize now that I was particular drawn to The City and The City because of the allusion to the Berlin Wall and a divided Germany, so bonus points for working that into suggestions!

(Great answers here, but I am looking for non-SF recommendations as well.)

Finding a job in marketing (digital) in CA (SF/Bay Area, San Jose etc)

pakora1 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:13:11 -0800

What are the best resources/avenues/contract agencies to get hooked up with regarding getting a marketing job (digital/online) within the Bay Area (California). Need some pointers on career sites/resources for finding a marketing (digital) job in California in the Bay Area. The person in question has over 6 years experience with most of it in the online/digital arena with fortune 500 companies. Also he is a US citizen so no issues around visa. Curious what are the best places to look for beside the usual (monster/career builder etc.). Open to direct to hire or contract.

Thank you for all responses.

A Day and a Half in San Francisco

liet — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:47:11 -0800

Mr. Liet and I have a day and a half in San Francisco. What should we do? More specifically, we have a day and two halves: Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. We're staying near the Moscone Center and would prefer not to travel too far -- at least not on our half days. We'll be walking or cabbing it, not renting a car or using public transportation.

We like food, sight-seeing, shopping, aquariums, zoos... and wouldn't mind taking a detour to any particularly trip-worthy yarn stores or game stores.

All I got was his phone number-- how to thank him?

samthemander — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:03:12 -0800

What generic thank-you gift (between $10-20) can I give to someone working in SF when the only contact information I have is their iPhone number? My purse was recently stolen (I'm fine-- it was a kid snatching an unattended bag on impulse) and the thief abandoned my wallet in a construction area. A 45- or 50-y/o-ish construction worker went out of his way to contact me and return it. Due to my own issues, I didn't make it easy for him, but he tracked me down-- woohoo! THANK YOU, KIND SIR!

Aside from paying it forward when I find other people's lost stuff in the future, I'd like to give him a token thank you for all the effort he went through. However, I didn't have any cash when I connected with him, and now the only contact info I have is his iPhone number. Cash would have been awkward anyway-- I'm young enough to be his daughter. I suppose I could do an iTunes card, but that seems fraught with the same issue. But this guy really did go out of his way, so I'd like to do something nice for him.

The only other thing I know about him is that he has an adult son, because he said something like, "Sure, my son is always losing his wallet." I also know that although his current job is in downtown San Francisco near the Powell BART station, he does not live in the city, and I don't know how long this construction project will keep him in SF (he is some type of contractor but I don't know the duration of his gig).

Any good ideas on ways to thank this man for his kindness?

Looking for new SF books hiding in the general fiction section

Dag Maggot — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:03:03 -0800

I like science fiction books that are placed in the general fiction section - but for me they are hard to find on Amazon or in libraries. Examples of these kinds of books are The Sparrow, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Oryx and Crake, Cloud Atlas and The Dog Stars ... but I need more new stuff - any suggestions?

An Awesome Bay Area Plumber

mikoroshi — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:03:53 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations of a good plumber in the Bay Area, ideally SF In an attempt to fix my girlfriends toilet I've done damage I can't repair. I've only dealt with one plumbing company since moving to the bay, the one my employers use, and I have no faith in them, so I'm looking for recommendations to pass along.
Especially interested to hear from lady MeFites as she'll most likely be alone with this person while they do their work.

Best organization for helping the mentally ill homeless in San Francisco

Afroblanco — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:09:02 -0800

I'd like to donate some money to an organization that helps mentally ill homeless people in San Francisco. Which organization would give me the most "bang for my buck"? I would rank my preferences in this order :

1) Efficient, well-run organization with the resources and experience to do the most good for the greatest number of homeless people
2) An organization that specifically helps homeless people in SF
3) An organization that specifically focuses on helping the mentally ill homeless

Also, given a set amount of money, which would make my money go further? One big donation to a single organization, or several smaller donations to a number of organizations?

Interesting scifi / glam rock makeup looks?

lemoncakeisalie — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:55:32 -0800

Can you point me to some (non-prosthetic) scifi/fantasy makeup looks? I've landed a volunteer position as a makeup designer for a production of a beautifully campy show. For a few of the characters, who are aliens, the director wants a glam rock look, something like Alice Cooper meets Ziggy Stardust.

I'd like to mix it up a bit further by looking at designs from science fiction / fantasy TV and film, glam rock, fashion / modeling / photo shoots, and theatre of all sorts.

I'd especially like to see campy designs for aliens, like from Star Trek: The Original Series or from old scifi films. I don't have access to prosthetics, and I don't want to, say, paint someone completely green or something.

I've already looked through all of www.themakeupgallery.info and gathered some inspiration from the scifi series Farscape. Can people offer further resources, photos, links, or suggestions?

Thank you!

Name that book

batikrose — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:43:08 -0800

Asking for a friend: Name that book ... SF "I'm trying to find a book I read in the early 90's about a group of people who have moved to a new planet with a less hospitable climate. The leaders have decided that technology was the downfall of earth and forbid it, reverting their community to per-technology times. The main character, a youth, meets someone who lives in the mountains nearby who has been damaged by the planted uv rays. They tell him about a time where technology was common, a generation or two back and inform him there's a ship at the bottom of the lake. He manages to release the water via a flood gate or something, exposing the ship to the community. I think it may have been part of a series or trilogy. "

What is a realistic path to becoming a published SF author?

deathpanels — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:35:44 -0800

What is a realistic path to becoming a published SF author? I recently saw someone who was trying to become an comedian/actor and had just started out. Her method of daily motivation was to chart a set of steps that had to be accomplished before she would have a shot at her ultimate goal, acting in a movie. So this chart looked sort of like:

Move to L.A.
Get work as an extra
Get in an improv group at ____ theater (I can't remember the name)
Find a talent agent
Go to auditions
Speaking role in a feature-length film

...but obviously with more detail that I am failing to remember. Each item on this list gets checked off on the way from top to bottom, showing her progress toward her ultimate goal.

Perhaps it seems a bit silly, but I like this a lot, so I started thinking about my own creative goals, and how to apply this model to publishing SF fiction. Here my information gets fuzzy. Although I've often fantasized about having a book published, I am embarrassed to report that I don't quite understand the intermediary steps that must be met before one is likely to be published. I know I'd need a literary agent to submit to publishing houses, but what "scut work" is typical before agents will take an author seriously enough to take them on as a client? Is publishing short fiction in magazines – Asimov's et al – still regarded as an entry point? Is attending Clarion a big stepping stone worth working toward?

I know we have a few resident SF writers on MeFi. Perhaps some of you could help. The more details the better. Thanks in advance.

(Note: Self-publishing, while perfectly fine and wonderful, is not something I am interested in pursuing at this time.)

But when that open ro-oad starts to callin me/ Theres somethin oer the hill that I gotta see

andromache — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:28:32 -0800

You have wanderlust, a little money, and unexpectedly, a free month or two. What do you do? Snowflake details:

For the past few years, I've keenly felt the lack of adventure in my life. I have a great gal, dog, and apartment (rental). I live in Brooklyn, where there's lots to do and plenty of opportunity in new media, which is what I do to make money. But at the end of the day, I'm always missing the freedom and excitement of having longish, uncommitted blocks of time. I get up to the Catskills and the Delaware Water Gap often -- more or less every weekend this Summer -- but it never feels like enough. The process of renting a car, dealing with traffic and the drive, hiking in to a campsite, and then turning around 36 hours later is always such a compromise. I appreciate it and the various good things in my life, but I am itching for something more substantial.

I just gave my notice at work, without having anything else lined up. I know, I know. Rule #1 in job-hunting: it's easier to find a job if you currently have one. But I've saved 6 grand in the past year, and I have a standing offer to do some freelance work, as well as a decent number of contacts that will help in finding employment a month or two from now. It's a risk, but I wasn't happy at work and hadn't been for a while, so I took the plunge. And besides, whenever I've changed jobs I've always felt rushed -- maybe I take a week off between the old gig and the new one, but not enough time to really TCB (whether that's simple stuff like chores at home that I put off because work is so much WORK, or something exciting like a multi-day hike).

So I'm flying to SF to visit family for the holidays from 12/22 through New Year's and after that... nothing! My wonderful girlfriend has said if I want to do some kind of travel that would take more than a week, we could sublet my bedroom for a month or two (we've got two between the two of us), so that would take care of my biggest financial commitment. Oh, and she recently got a new job and isn't in the position to take a bunch of time off right now, so whatever I do it's going to be solo.

My question is this: if you were me, how would you spend this unspecified amount of time to maximize fun and adventure? I have no intention on spending all of my savings on a luxury hotel in Europe -- I know I need to set some money aside for when the trip ends and I need to find work. But I am OK spending some money, maybe 2 or 3k, on memorable travel experiences. It's a weird time of year to be doing this, given my interest in the outdoors, because there is snow in lots of places I'd like to go hiking.

Thoughts that come to mind:

-Stay at Mom's place in the Bay Area for a while, rather than coming straight back to New York after New Year's. There's a car I can use and she'll be away for most of January so I can either just hang out in the area, or use her place as a base from which to take a trip or two (Marin County is a piece of cake; the Sierras are appealing but I'm not sure about a 5-day solo trip if in the snow. Not totally against camping in the cold but I'm not experienced enough to make this a smart idea). Any other places within a day's drive of the East Bay? I've heard good things about the John Muir Trail -- anyone have experience with that? What's a good amount of time or miles to budget for a stretch of it? Oregon? Washington? Joshua Tree?

- In an AskMe about 6 months ago, someone asked for suggestions of physically demanding and selfless work they could do. One answer, which I thought was great, was trail maintenance. I don't have experience with a chainsaw or anything more heavy duty than my hatchet, but I really do like this idea: it'd be outdoors (key!) and new (yes!) and also would be a contribution to a thing I love (love it!). Ideas for either Bay Area organizations that do this kind of thing? I'm aware of NYNJTC, but I don't know that they're too active this time of year.

- Change my return flight to New York and plan an extended layover at some unnamed place in between the coasts. Again, I fear weather may be against me for things like, say, Yellowstone. But I'm sure there are good places to hike, sleep outside, make a camp fire, etc., even in January. Right?

-Come back to NYC after New Year's as planned and find adventure on the East Coast. I'd have to rent a car or use public transit to get places though... and part of my restlessness stems from NYC itself. So I'd probably want to be outside the city.

-Wild Card! When I told my mom about my (non-)plans, she mentioned that one of her friends needed someone to cat-sit in her Paris apartment for a couple weeks in January. I'm not sure this one is actually an option -- I might be too late to take advantage of it -- but something like this could be perfect. Free lodging, a new city to explore, a rare chance to make use of the old Art History degree, etc. Things outside of a city are generally more appealing to me, but if there was some opportunity like a free place to crash in Paris, you better believe I'd jump at the chance.

-Central/South America. I speak Spanish, love Ecuador, and recently read another AskMe with interesting specific recommendations for places to go in Nicaragua. If I could get a $700 flight and stay in a hotel/hostel for under $50/day, I could get a few solid weeks on my arbitrary budget. Good idea? More fun with friends? How about the weather this time of year? Eco-lodges are probably outside of my price range and I didn't have the foresight to say, book one of the rare tickets to Maachu Pichu. In general I'm not nuts about lying around on the beach -- I mean I like it and all but those trips that are supposed to be relaxing are kind of boring to me. More forest, less beach, is I guess what I'm saying.

-Cancel my return ticket and take Amtrak back to the East Coast after New Year's.

-Find someone who needs their car driven across the country and take my time traveling back East, and maybe make a little money besides (is this even a real thing? I believe it exists, but I know nothing about it in practice).

-Learn a skill/take a class etc. Doesn't really scratch the travel itch, but I do like learning and I think if I found the right class, it would be different enough from office drudgery that I'd get fulfillment out of it. Things I want to learn: intro to computer science. Banjo (or "better banjo"). Woodworking. Baking. Some kind of skill where I use my hands or brains, and something that produces a tangible result. Doesn't have to be marketable (though that'd be nice), just "useful". Playing the banjo well would be useful to me. Knowing more about computer programming would be useful to me, even if a month or two isn't nearly enough time to learn the nuances, maybe I could take a crash course where I'd learn fundamental skills necessary to pursue it further on my own.

-Something else I'm not even considering.

I know this was a long one and not especially focused. But heck, I am excited at all the possibilities and I genuinely value the input of this community. Happy to give any clarification if necessary but I think you get what I'm saying here: Please hope me have an adventure. All suggestions welcome.

Scalp massage in San Francisco?

phoenixy — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:19:24 -0800

Does anyone know where I can get a good scalp massage in San Francisco? Does anyone know where I can get a good, preferably reasonably-priced scalp massage in San Francisco? (Specific establishments, not neighborhoods, I've tried neighborhood-based searches and got nowhere.) I thought this would be way easier to find than it's turning out to be. Not really interested in places where it's only available as an add-on for a traditional massage. Hair salons that do good and lengthy massages are fine as suggestions, if they can do OK with curly hair.

What's this humorous SF mystery?

exceptinsects — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:30:38 -0800

What's this humorous SF mystery? A library patron is looking for a novel she read a few years ago. She says it was a darkly humorous murder mystery about a detective in space, possibly a mining colony. The victim was a very tall, very ugly woman (possibly a prostitute?), and the killers kept having to move the body to different places outside the space station, hilarity ensuing.

Ring any bells? She thinks it was probably a male author.

Gene W. Banks

monocultured — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 07:35:32 -0800

What interesting writing has been done on the overlaps between Gene Wolfes "Book of the new sun and Iain M. Banks Culture novels? I'm re-reading the second volume of Wolfes New sun" books, Claw of the conciliator, and can't shake the image that there are Special Circumstance folks and droids hiding in the corners. I'm certainly not the first to make the connection —the pre-search reveals this comment — but a cursory google didn't turn up any longer text on the subject.

I've still to read the rest of the series, so it's spoilers territory, but I'm curious and already plan for my post-Wolfe withdrawal.

It's on the tip of my tongue!

sonic meat machine — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:51:10 -0800

What (probably 70s or 80s-era) science fiction novel involved colonizing an alien world which was inherently hostile to the human protagonists but which had a native population of vampire-like creatures who were similar enough to humans to "pass?" (Possibly shapeshifters.) I thought it was C.J. Cherryh's Faded Sun books, but it isn't – although I think I read it around the same time that I read those books in omnibus.

Why is George Jean Nathan the only person in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five whose death does not merit a "So it goes"?

straight — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:57:46 -0800

Why is George Jean Nathan the only person in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five whose death does not merit a "So it goes"? Every single death in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is commemorated by the phrase "So it goes" immediately after it is mentioned except for one:

"He by chance was given a room which had once been the home of George Jean Nathan, the critic and editor. Nathan, according to the Earthling concept of time, had died back in 1958. According to the Tralfamadorian concept, of course, Nathan was still alive somewhere and always would be."

I have several possible theories why, but none seems very convincing or satisfying. Was it because:

1. Vonnegut hated Nathan and was purposely disrespecting him?
2. Vonnegut loved Nathan and couldn't bring himself to admit he was dead?
3. Vonnegut made an error?
4. He's following the Tralfamadorian conception that Nathan isn't really dead? (Even though that concept is mentioned lots of places and doesn't cancel the "So it goes" for any other mention of death? And still, why Nathan?)
5. The "So it goes," three paragraphs later refers to Nathan rather than the just the "silliness and murder" on TV at 8:00?

What should we explore around the SF Bay area on short notice?

schmod — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:51:00 -0800

A few months ago, I booked an incredible deal on a flight to spend 4 days next week in or around San Francisco. Life got busy, and I still haven't made any actual plans for what we're going to do, or where we're going to stay. We've been to SF a few times before, and want to rent a car and explore the area surrounding the city this time around -- particularly to the North. Any budget-friendly suggestions? I'll have one other person with me, and we'll be in the area from the 26th to 29th. We're from DC, if that matters at all...

We've both been to SF a few times, and were looking to spend a low-key long weekend in the area; preferably outside of the city itself (although we're not opposed to spending a night or two in SF proper if there's something exciting happening next weekend).

We've done most of the "usual" stuff in SF proper, and I've spent a bit of time in the South Bay. It was alright, but my gut is that we'll have a better time up North (or East?). You're free to talk me out of this though.

Both of us enjoy hiking, biking, scenery, art, good coffeehouses, indie rock, geeky/tech stuff, etc. Generally speaking, MetaFilter's recommendations are usually pretty spot-on for us. If it's any indication, we loved the Mission District, and visiting Twin Peaks and Lands End were the highlights of our last SF trip.

What's good outside of San Francisco, and more importantly, where should we stay? We're not opposed to hopping around from place to place.

Finding your people in SF

un petit cadeau — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 18:47:04 -0800

Just moved to SF. What can I do to meet like-minded people and make friends around here? Well, uh, like the title says, I just moved to San Francisco -- Cole Valley, to be specific. I don't really know anyone in the city and have loads of free time thanks to my job. As a result I'm admittedly feeling a bit lonely at the moment and prove me wrong, but most people around here don't seem that warm compared to LA, where I moved up here from. How does a single 24-year-old guy find his bearings and (for the lack of a better turn of phrase) "his people" around here?

Things I like (or would like) to do or get involved with:
• hiking and generally being outside
• sitting in coffee shops and reading the afternoon away
• playing board games (e.g. Settlers of Catan, etc.) but I'm not really very good at them (nor am I your stereotypical board-gamer, if that counts for anything)
• I'd like to get into sailing, and while I had my sights set on OCSC in Berkeley, I'm wondering if there'd be any options that are just as good but in the city
• I'd also like to get into volunteering, maybe at an animal shelter somewhere in the city. I've also thought about tutoring underprivileged kids in math or something like that, but I'd have no idea where to even start on there.
• ... I'm open to pretty much anything!

Things I'm not really a fan of:
• loud places, like bars or clubs or live music shows, unless I'm with people I know pretty well, as I'm kinda hard of hearing

With these things in mind, are there specific meetup groups or clubs or scheduled activities that I should seek out? Also, any tips on finding dates in my age range would be helpful too -- is OKC the way to go around here? Anyway, with that said, do your worst, Green! TIA.

MIRANDA

roboton666 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 01:33:00 -0800

What's the best SF series broadcasting right now? I missed Firefly by ten years, Serenity by 7, BSG by 8.

What am I missing now? What have I missed? CATCH ME UP PLEASE OMFG.

SF that starts out as realism/historical fiction and ends up somewhere else?

RogerB — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:44:24 -0800

Speculative fiction about historical gradualism: I'm looking for SF stories which begin in the real historical world (past or present) and then gradually diverge from it, without any single decisive turning point. After reading Samuel Delany's Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, which begins in the present and follows its characters in their everyday lives eightyish years into the SF future, and Terry Bisson's Any Day Now, which begins as a strictly realistic historical novel set in the Fifties and slowly, sneakily shades into an alternate-history version of the Sixties, I'm getting interested in the idea that there might be a niche or two I haven't previously thought much about within SF, that narratively represents gradual historical change. So I'm looking for other book suggestions that share this characteristic.

Criteria: The story must start in a purely realistic present or historical setting and diverge from it only gradually, without any clear single moment of transition, turning point, etc. I'm NOT interested in anything that just jumps into the future via a narrative break/flash-forward/prolepsis; also NOT interested in the more common kind of alternate history that's about the consequences of a single or a small number of decisive "what if" changes. Ideally I'm looking for things that might read like pure realism for quite a long time, until eventually the reader pauses, surprised, and realizes that they haven't been reading about the actually existing world for some time.

give me your tired, your poor, your huddled Swamp Things yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore

gerryblog — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 10:06:33 -0800

Looking for your favorite works of environmentally conscious and ecologically focused science fiction and fantasy. Obscurities preferred! I'm preparing a lightly annotated bibliography for a critical text on the subject, and while my list is already much too long I'd love to bring some neglected texts into the light if you have something you love that springs to mind. Thanks folks.