Bleak Vision of Clones Ahead

Robert W. Bliss has always fancied himself a futurist.

It began in second grade in 1944 when he read that the reduced gravity on the moon would allow a man to jump 26 feet.

“I found that fascinating as a 7-year-old, so I developed a real love for science fiction and what the future might hold,” says Bliss, 61, who teaches computer systems at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

As a high school junior in 1953, he recalls, his science-fair project was to give a lecture about a space station and trip to the moon. That, he notes, was four years before the Russians launched Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, into orbit.

Bliss mentions all this by way of explaining why, “when the idea of cloning came along, I found that fascinating in terms of what the future might hold.”

What, he wondered, might be the implications if we do clone human beings?

Bliss provides an answer in his first published novel, “A.N.G.E.L.S. Inc.” (McGraw-Hill; $7.75), which deals with the world’s first genetically engineered humans. (ANGELS is an acronym for American Neuroscientific Genetically Engineered Lifeforms.)

The settings are Orange County and Las Vegas in the not-too-distant future, about 2004.

One of the clones is the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Two are beautiful women who resemble famous movie stars. As the book jacket says: “All three are happily married, successful and secure, but something is terribly wrong.”

The potential for cloning humans made worldwide headlines with the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in March 1997. Last fall, researchers at the University of Hawaii announced they had cloned three generations of mice and, Bliss says, Texas A&M; recently accepted $2.3 million to clone a dog.

Bliss isn’t an advocate of cloning humans. But, he says, “It’s foolish to assume that it will never be done.”

The Lake Forest resident will sign copies of “A.N.G.E.L.S. Inc.” in the not-too-distant future--at 7 p.m. Thursday, to be precise--at Borders Books and Music, 25222 El Paseo, Mission Viejo.

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It’s billed as Sex Kiss ’99.

The third annual Valentine’s weekend erotic poetry contest will be held at 8 p.m. Friday at Alta Coffee House, 506 31st St., Newport Beach.

The contest, sponsored by Lee Mallory’s Moon Man Productions, is open to the first 15 to sign up, beginning at 7 p.m. Chapman University English professor and poet Terri Brint Joseph will judge the contest, in which cash and other prizes will be awarded in the performance category. Each poet, who will be limited to five minutes on stage, must read original romantic or love poems. (During those five minutes, they must declare the single poem they want judged.)

The evening will begin with a short reading by Mallory, once dubbed “the love poet” by Next magazine.

For those shy about performing, Mallory says, a prize will be awarded for the best 30-word printed love soliloquy, to be judged by poet Robert Roden. And, says Mallory, an additional prize will be awarded for “sexiest outfit” (male and female), “in good taste,” of course. The cost to compete is $2; listening’s free.

Coming Up:

* Barbara DeMarco Barrett will interview authors Martin J. Smith and Philip Reed on “Authors on Writing” at 6 p.m. today on KUCI-FM (88.9) in Irvine.

* Theodore Taylor will discuss and sign his book about America’s first black naval aviator, “The Flight of Jesse Leroy Brown,” at 7 p.m. Friday at Borders Books and Music, 1890 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa.

* Author-illustrator Ashley Wolff will read and sign “Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten” at 11 a.m. Saturday at Whale of a Tale Children’s Bookshoppe, 4199 Campus Drive, Irvine.

* Christine Gallagher will discuss and sign “The Woman’s Book of Revenge: When ‘Mr. Right’ Turns Out to Be All Wrong” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Borders Books and Music, 429 Associated Road, Brea.

* Diane Sedo will sign “Taking Tea With Alice” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Metro Pointe, 901 S. Coast Drive, Costa Mesa.

* Poets Laurel Ann Bogen and Michael C. Ford and fiction writer Scott Lindsey will read at Chapman University’s Steel & Ivy poetry series at 8 p.m. Saturday in Room 208 of Argyros Forum at the university, 333 N. Glassell St., Orange. Admission: $4.

* Joey O’Connor will discuss and sign “Women Are Always Right and Men Are Never Wrong” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Fashion Island, 953 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.

* Children’s author Catherine Cowan will discuss and sign “My Friend the Piano” at 11 a.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble in the Huntington Beach Mall, 7777 Edinger Ave.

* Dolley Carlson will sign “Gifts From the Heart” at 11 a.m. Saturday at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar.

* Miriam Lee will sign her Newport Beach-set mystery-romance, “Deadly Probe,” at 11 a.m. Sunday at Colonial Florist and Gifts, 12899 Main St., Garden Grove.

* Alexander Avila will discuss and sign “LoveTypes: Discover Your Romantic Style and Find Your Soul Mate” at 7 p.m. Friday at Borders Books and Music, 25222 El Paseo, Mission Viejo. Avila also will sign at 2 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble in the Huntington Beach Mall, 7777 Edinger Ave.; and at 2 p.m. Sunday at Barnes & Noble in Fashion Island, 953 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.

* Nick Grippo (“Hollywood Dish!”), Barbara Seranella (“No Offense Intended”) and Noelle Sickels (“The Shopkeeper’s Wife”) will discuss their books at the Round Table West literary luncheon Tuesday at the Balboa Bay Club, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $40. For reservations, call (213) 256-7977.

* Linda McCoy-Murray, widow of Los Angeles Times sports columnist Jim Murray, will sign “Jim Murray: The Last of the Best” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Barnes & Noble, 791 S. Main St., Orange.

Send information about book-related events at least 10 days before event to: Dennis McLellan, O.C. Books & Authors, Southern California Living, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.