>I for one am pretty shocked that there has been no indignation about
>this. It borders on being libelous.

You cannot libel public figures in general, in particular when it's as science
fictional a context as this.

To the larger question...the story of Rising Stars is set in the real world.
Bush is the president right now, hence he had to be the one in the hot seat.

I'm writing another book currently wherein we see events of this nature
affecting every president from Carter, through Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, and
Bush 2, all of whom are portrayed in the book as being involved in a particular
and wholly fictional conspieracy. I don't apply a political litmus test to
these things.

The whole POINT of Rising Stars is that it's set in the real world, with real
problems, and real historical events, right now. If I made up a fake president
it would totally compromise the book's integrity.

If Al Gore had been certified by the Supremes, it would've been him instead.

jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2002 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)