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Subject:Re: Famous tech. communicators in literature? From:Joe Chew <jtchew -at- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 27 Jan 1995 19:16:01 GMT
> If you want real tech writers turned fiction writers, then
> how about Thomas Pynchon (author of V., Gravity's Rainbow, etc.)."
Robert Pirsig, best known for _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance_, was at one time a tech writer. I suspect that
the public is about as familiar with his appearance as with
that of Pynchon, though, and that the only writers of any kind
even remotely likely to be recognized by the general public
are Steven King, Tom Clancy, and perhaps a couple of the more
flamboyant authors of paperback bosom-heavers.
It's a notoriously anonymous profession at the intersection of
two other endeavors -- engineering and writing -- in which one
tends to be distinguished for ideas and achievements rather than
appearance. You've set a tough task for yourself!
Me, I once went as a nerd -- calculator on belt, incredibly tacky
polyester leisure suit (pardon my redundancy) with a gator clip
standing in for a missing button, pocket protector full of any
color of pen I might need -- but I'm not sure anyone noticed I
was in costume.