The Greatest Science Fiction Masterpiece Of All Time
POSTED BY: peacekeeper
UPDATED: Thursday, October 1, 2009 23:48
VIEWED: 3558
PAGE 2 of 2
Quote:Fair point Rallem.Maybe "forerunner" is the wrong choice of word.I see it as a forerunner to Firefly,if you will.Humans seek other worlds to further the species,big corporation tries to centralise it all.Marginers rebel and contribute to an interplanetary war.Ring any bells?
Originally posted by rallem:
Is it really a forerunner if it was written in 1981? Didn't Isaac Asimov cover a story like this with the Foundation Series even though that series had robots and empires in it?
http://www.swyzzlestyx.com/index.html
Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!
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Quote:
Originally posted by peacekeeper:
Would be nice for a quick synopsis of these other works guys.
Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!
Ask and ye shall receive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God's_Eye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_rama
Mike
The percentage you're paying is too high-priced
While you're living beyond all your means;
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
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Of all time? That would be The Forever War (Joe Haldeman) & Serenity (Joss Whedon).
The laughing Chrisisall
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Quote:Fair enough, I suppose I could have done that myself.Just thought a review in one's own words would be a little more personal.
Originally posted by Kwicko:Quote:
Originally posted by peacekeeper:
Would be nice for a quick synopsis of these other works guys.
Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!
Ask and ye shall receive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God's_Eye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_rama
Mike
The percentage you're paying is too high-priced
While you're living beyond all your means;
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!
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I have stated quite a few times that I think it possible that Olaf Stapledon's Star Maker is the best book I have ever read. That is not to say it is the most entertaining, in fact I am sure it would not appeal to the majority of readers, even avid readers of serious SF. There is very little narrative involved, it's more like a documentary look at the entire universe, almost like a thought experiment. It essentially is what all serious SF should be about - ideas. Here's how I described it in my essay on Stapledon.
http://templetongate.net/stapledon.htm
Quote:
Star Maker can in some ways be considered a sequel to Last and First Men (or vice-versa), in that it takes the perspective of history away from the narrow scope of humanity and focuses it on the grander scale of the entire cosmos. The tale is related by an English gentleman who inexplicably begins an "astral" (out-of-body) journey which takes him high above the Earth's surface. At first fearful of his plight, he slowly becomes aware that he can will his movement through space by mere thought. After an immeasurable amount of time he encounters another spirit such as himself, and they discover they can combine the powers of their minds to travel faster through the infinities of space. Eventually they are joined by countless others as they observe many forms of civilizations on other planets in far-flung solar systems, some quite human-like, others so alien as to defy comprehension. Each of the travelers must also face the fact of their own race's pitifulness when they encounter the Star Maker itself, "the supreme moment of the cosmos."
The trade paperback copy that I currently have is approximately 250 pages. I think you could tear out each of those pages, give them to 250 different writers, and there would be enough ideas to sustain at least 250 new books.
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Just to maybe follow Kwicko's lead (because wiki does give a pretty good account of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downbelow_Station
Peacekeeper---keeping order in every verse!!!
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Quote:
Just thought a review in one's own words would be a little more personal.
Oh, you're right, of course; I just don't think I have the words adequate to describe reading either of those for the first time. Or even to describe reading them for the fourth time. :)
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