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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7811
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| Posted: 19 June 2016 at 2:11am | IP Logged | 1
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Robbie, no it's not - scary eh?
On another note, I am reading WAR OF THE WORLDS. I really like the George Pal film and also think the Spielberg film is an interesting study on the break down of society. I love the Jeff Wayne version as well (I had thought this was the most accurate but even this makes changes to the story - adding the name Carry, adding a wife and name for the pastor).
However, I've never read the novel prior to now and the differences are striking. The machines aren't slow and mechanical but fast and nimble - moving akin to a milking stool rolling across the ground - I'd never seen that description before.
But the biggest surprise was without doubt the revelation that there was a second, humanoid species on Mars. No version has ever mentioned this and I had no knowledge of this aspect.
I really enjoyed this and was glad I finally read it
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Matthew Chartrand
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1357
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| Posted: 19 June 2016 at 11:04am | IP Logged | 2
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THE INHERITORS by William Golding.
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 22 June 2016 at 10:53am | IP Logged | 3
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THE GOD DELUSION by Professor Richard Dawkins.
Halfway through (my second reading of it).
Dawkins has a real way with words. I *love* the way he can make science accessible. And he makes some great points about how evolution is incremental, utterly debunking Creationism.
I am a bit skeptical of his endorsement of the multiverse theory. It seems almost as barmy to believe in the multiverse as it does to believe in God. Please remember I used the word almost.
However, I could be wrong. I don't know enough about it. Can anyone please recommend books by scientists who endorse and talk about the multiverse theory?
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 26 June 2016 at 1:16pm | IP Logged | 4
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Jack Finney, TIME AND AGAIN. This book, by the same author whose novel was adapted into the film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is cover-blurbed by Stephen King as THE great time-travel story. Hero is sent back to the New York of 1882. I liked it, but not as much as I am apparently supposed to. Closest comparison I can make is the film Somewhere In Time (I say film, because I never read the Richard Matheson book that film was based on).
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Matthew Chartrand
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1357
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| Posted: 26 June 2016 at 1:23pm | IP Logged | 5
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THE CROSSING by Michael Connelly.
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 26 June 2016 at 1:30pm | IP Logged | 6
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Matthew Chartrand, I read The Inheritors some years ago, figuring I'd enjoy something else by the author of Lord of the Flies. As I recall, it's about how the evil homo sapiens wipe out the Neanderthals. It's sort of the ultimate liberal anthropological guilt trip, though wonderfully liberating in a way, since we "all" bear historical guilt. After the neanderthals, what's knocking off a tribe or race or two within the homo sapien family? Sort of a scientific version of original sin. I believe there was some currency to the "gentle Neanderthal" theory about the time Golding wrote the book, but it has since come in for some revision. The latest line I've heard, by the way, is that homo sapiens alliance with the dog may have made the survival contest an unequal one.
Edited by Robert Cosgrove on 26 June 2016 at 5:11pm
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Matthew Chartrand
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1357
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| Posted: 26 June 2016 at 4:00pm | IP Logged | 7
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I read THE INHERITORS because of the author, I enjoyed LORD OF THE FLIES. This one was interesting but I found what was happening a lot of the time hard to understand, it being told in the point of view of the neanderthals and them not understanding The New People and their strange behavior being why, I guess.
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Didier Yvon Paul Fayolle
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 January 2005
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 5251
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| Posted: 26 June 2016 at 8:14pm | IP Logged | 8
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"We don't need roads - The making of the Back To The
Future Trilogy" by Caseen Gaines at A Plume Book.
A very interesting read.
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John Popa
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 March 2008
Posts: 4484
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| Posted: 27 June 2016 at 6:58pm | IP Logged | 9
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"The Fireman" by Joe Hill. Well, I have about 100 pages left but I can say this is the first time I haven't enjoyed something by Hill. His short stories are stellar and his first two novels were my favorite books in recent years. His most recent novel "NOS4A2" wasn't perfect but I enjoyed it overall (although I enjoyed the "Wraith" spinoff comic even more.) "The Fireman" is his attempt at post-apocalyptic fiction and although it starts strong, there's just too much of a middle without any real direction or drive.
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James Best
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 890
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| Posted: 28 June 2016 at 8:45pm | IP Logged | 10
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Now starting:
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 29 June 2016 at 5:05pm | IP Logged | 11
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JUDGE DREDD: TITAN
Titan is the penal colony where corrupt judges are sent. Here, Dredd leads a team to the penal colony when it loses contact with Earth.
Given Dredd's adventures have been going since the late 70s, I wonder if the writers will ever be brave enough to send Dredd to Titan. All corrupt judges go there and are given plastic surgery to enable them to survive the atmosphere of Titan (one of Saturn's moons). Be interesting to see Dredd wrongly accused of corruption and on that penal colony.
Edited by Robbie Parry on 29 June 2016 at 5:05pm
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Don Zomberg
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 November 2005
Posts: 2355
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| Posted: 29 June 2016 at 8:49pm | IP Logged | 12
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20th CENTURY GHOSTS, by Joe Hill.
Based on John's review of THE FIREMAN above--and many similar reactions on Amazon--I think I'll be passing on his latest effort.
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