Page Created: 09/25/10. Last Updated: 11/28/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 05/21/08.
ROBERT KATZ
Genre novels:
Edward Maret
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: November 10, 2001
Meeting Site: Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 35.
Meeting Program: Talk by Science Fiction Writer.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2001 Philip J De Parto:
The November 10, 2001 meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held at the Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pre meeting activities functioned smoothly and had reasonable attendance. Former members Cythia Soroka and Tony Tellado paid a pre meeting visit and found a cozy nook to shoot the breeze with Sharon Archer, James La Barre, Pamela Webber and others. Taras Wolansky had a group watching the anime, and there was a decent sized contingent viewing the TV broadcast with Greg Roman and Eric Soencksen.
Author Robert Katz was the evening's guest speaker. Mr Katz is an anesthesiologist by profession, making him the first guest of the Association to get paid to put people to sleep, as opposed to some of our past guests who have done it gratis.
Mr Katz discovered science fiction at age nine when he spotted a copy of Edgar Rice Burroughs' AT THE EARTH'S CORE in a candy store. This was the first book he ever read voluntarily, and he was soon reading several books a week. At 15 or 16 he "looked up and said, I've gotta get some friends."
Although he chose medicine as a career, he always wanted to be a science fiction writer. He sent his first novel to the Scott Meredith agency who critiqued it for a fee he considers well spent. His second novel was submitted to Berkely/Ace and was championed by editor Peter Heck, but was ultimately rejected. The process took over a year to play out.
He then wrote EDWARD MARET, another science fiction novel. This was also proving a hard sell. His agent urged him to take a crack at mysteries, so he wrote SURGICAL RISK, the first of three medical mysteries featuring a detective and a doctor.
The write up of Mr Katz' talk will continue next issue. Our thanks to everyone who helped with the set up, clean up and food contributions.
to be continued.