X-Message-Number: 936 Date: 29 Jun 92 18:10:42 EDT From: Charles Platt <> For dissemination via Cryonet ----------------------------- I have read Kevin's recent news item re the possibility of "another book about cryonics." First let me explain the way in which books are written and sold. A writer has a choice: 1) He can write the whole book and then try to find a publisher, or 2) He can write an outline of the book plus a couple of sample chapters, and try to get a deal on the basis of that. The advantage of 2) is that the writer can receive some money up front which will finance the subsequent job of finishing the book. The advantage of 1) is that a publisher may be willing to pay more money for a finished book, since there are fewer uncertainties involved, and what you see is what you get. I make a living, more or less, as a freelance writer. For many months I have been working on a nonfiction book about cryonics, following plan 1). I decided I wanted my book to be nothing less than the definitive work describing all the history, all the science, and all the people who have ever played a major part in the development of cryonics. I decided to take my time, gather as much material as possible, then figure out how to organize it, and then write a large chunk of the book so that publishers could see precisely how I was planning to treat the subject. In other words I took a long- term gamble, spending money on travel to Florida, California, and elsewhere, without any guarantee that my work would subsequently find a publisher. The only precaution I took was to ask around before I began work, to make sure that no other writer had already started on a similar project. So far, so good. But now it turns out that a writer named Patrick Huyghe called Alcor a month or so ago, asked for some information, and told Ralph Whelan that he was planning to write a book of his own about cryonics. Unfortunately, Ralph did not take the statement very seriously, and did not tell Huyghe that I was already working on a similar book. Nor did Ralph tell me about Huyghe. Consequently, Huyghe went ahead and quickly put together an outline of his book, plus a short sample chapter. The outline and chapter have already been submitted to more than one publisher in New York, with a request for them to bid on it. I have seen the outline. It contains a fairly accurate, comprehensive historical overview of cryonics. Its tone is basically sympathetic but takes a detached viewpoint, and the author makes it clear that he will draw whatever conclusions he feels are appropriate. Thus, as Kevin's email stated, there are no guarantees that this will be a favorable book overall. Also, so far as I can tell, the writer seems not to be a suspension member of any organization, and seems not to have talked to many people in the field. This does not mean he will write a negative book, or a sloppy book; it merely means that we don't know exactly what he will do. I am now in the uncomfortable position of playing catch-up. I think I have done a lot more research than Huyghe (whose outline seems to be based on a few printed sources). Also, as a suspension member, I have made no secret of my belief in cryonics. Plus, I have an obvious motivation to portray cryonics in such a way that it will continue to flourish. Frankly I think I am writing a more ambitious and impassioned book, covering the subject from an insider's perspective, with vivid character sketches of the personalities involved. However, there have been many instances where the first book on a subject tends to eclipse the second book, regardless of other factors. Huyghe is certainly first to try to sell his book, and if he finds a publisher, his book may also be the first into print, because (based on his outline) I think he can write his book faster than I can write mine. Mine is perhaps too ambitious, requiring a very large investment of time. And I am still only half-way through doing the interviews that I want to do, with twenty completed but at least another twenty still to go. Of course, there may be room for two books on this subject. At this point, however, I can't say exactly how this will work out. --Charles Platt Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=936