Dave O’Neal (that's me) says you may quote this on http://www.simegen.com/writers/simegen/ in whole or in part.
1. What was the first S~G novel you read, and how did you encounter it? What did you think of the a)cover, b)novel inside. Why did you buy it, or pick it off the library shelf? When did you read your second one? Which one hooked you? Which is your favorite? Your least favorite? (and why)
House of Zeor was the first, when the Playboy edition of the paperback came out. I bought it from the rack at a local K-Mart because I recognized Jacqueline’s name from Star Trek Lives! It was actually one of the first sf books I bought, having been up to that time mainly a reader of Star Trek (Blish and Foster novelizations and various Bantam (ugh!) novels). By the time I’d read a few chapters, I was hooked, and wanted more. I ordered Unto from Jacqueline (or, rather, had Dad order it since I was still a youngling), then bought the others as they were published in paperback.
I thought the cover of House of Zeor was a bit odd, but I have almost never either bought or not bought a book because of the cover. The words inside matter too much to me to be overly influenced by the artwork.
First Channel is my favorite. I think that’s because I love to read the origins of whatever it is I’m involved in at the time. My least favorite is Mahogany Trinrose, because it seems to focus more on the esoterica than on the characters themselves.
2. When did you first find S~G fandom, and how and why? Have you introduced anyone else to this fandom? How long have you been involved and why so long?
While I am a S~G fan and have been for a long, long time, I am not very active in fandom, for a variety of reasons. Shortly after I read House of Zeor, I wrote to the P.O. Box listed in the preface to get information on the other books in the series. Since that time, I’ve been peripherally involved in the fandom, reading and occasionally commenting on the paper fanzines, reading and enjoying the mailing list for years, and so on.
3. If you've read any of the fan fiction, where did you first discover that, and why did you read it (I mean FAN FICTION - UGH WHO WANTS TO READ THAT STUFF -- oh, but oooooooohhhhhh this is different.)
After I read several of the novels, I began to order issues of Ambrov Zeor, simply so I could read more S~G than was professionally published. I eventually made my way through nearly all the AZ's and a few of the others. My all-time favorite fanfic, one that gets reread frequently, is not S~G, it's Jean's Sarek and Amanda stories.
4. Have you recommended S~G to any of your friends (and are they still friends after that?) (did they steal your books and disappear?) What kind of people do you recommend these books to? (Only sf fans? Romance readers? Mystery fans? Star Trek fans? People who like certain TV shows? Which shows?)
Of the people I have recommended S~G to, only a small percentage have asked for more than the one novel I loaned them. In my experience, few people merely *like* S~G, either they love it or they can’t stand it. I can’t find a correlation between other fandoms and S~G, either. For instance, a friend of mine whose tastes in entertainment (books, movies, music, etc) closely mirror my own disliked House of Zeor and First Channel, but his wife, who *never* reads sf, loved them and asked for more.
5. Do you keep a second set of books for loaners? Why?
I tend to buy copies of the books whenever I see them at used book stores or library book sales. Then I put together complete sets of the books and donate them to local school libraries. By now, most of the middle schools around here have the books. Who knows how many might get involved that way?
6. Who is your favorite character in the books? Your favorite fan-writer and character?
I believe Risa Tigue is my favorite character. I’m not sure why, but she is. I’m hesitant to name a favorite fan writer, because I’ve read many of the paper zines and almost all of what’s online and can see something good in everything. If pressed, though, I’d name Andrea Alton as my favorite author.
7. What other writers are on your favorites list? Whose books do you shelve beside Sime~Gen? Are you in touch with any other author-fandoms? Which?
My other current favorite writers are Lois McMaster Bujold, whose books I read as soon as they are published; Catherine Asaro, in whose books the mathematics is almost as beautiful as the characterization; and Harry Turtledove, because I am a student of history and he produces remarkably interesting twists on our own historical timeline. My all-time favorites are Heinlein and Tolkien, because I can pick up their books anytime, anywhere, open them to any page, and enjoy them. By the way, I began to read Heinlein because of Jacqueline’s dedication in House of Zeor.
My books are shelved alphabetically. Jacqueline is between C. S. Lewis and Brad Linaweaver, and Jean is between Barry Longyear and H. P. Lovecraft. As you can see from those names, I read a wide variety of fiction.
The only other author fandom I am semi-active in is Peter David’s online bulletin board. He’s written bunches of comics and some of the best Star Trek pro novels.