science fiction

Detours of the Mind

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Today has been a little strange.

Stresses have been building up. Money worries, over work, trying to get the kids up and to school on time, family illnesses, friends in turmoil.

All the normal stuff, just got to me a bit more today for some reason, and has done all week.

So when I left work and saw a long traffic jam I surprised myself with my reaction. Instead of letting it rile me I shrugged and said to myself – OK let’s use the opportunity. So I turned off down a country lane to try to find a short cut across country.

A short cut it was not – a pleasant drive it was. Over some rolling hills with stunning views and down through winding valleys and dark, magical woods. I even got surprised by a juvenile deer jumping out into the road and running, for quite some time, in front of me.

It wasn’t just the pleasantness of the drive that made it such a nice change though – it was the change itself. The fact it was out of routine. So I am carrying on with it by taking time out from study and housework tonight to read something purely trivial.

Gladiator by Philip Wylie

This is nothing to do with the film. Let me explain. I have developed a passion for vintage – even ancient science fiction. I can’t explain why – there is something about it. Maybe the less cynical outlook – though some are still quite dark. Maybe the fact that they were not so aware of the physical limits of the universe so their imaginations were freer. They always seem to me more human than some more modern attempts. I think also I like to see where things have come from.

This one appeals to me on two levels though. It describes the story of a man – who as a result of experiments done by his father – is imbued with great power. His skin is invulnerable and he can leap over buildings, run faster than a train. At one point he asks “is he a man of iron rather than flesh”. In another scene, as a young boy, he lifts a wagon off a man who has been trapped under the axle. His father guides him to be good and responsible with his power but to keep them hidden. All sounding a bit familiar?

Published originally in 1930 – many see this as a huge influence on Superman. I will let you know my own thoughts when I have finished it.

The other delight with this book was it was free. You can get it from Project Gutenberg. Click here is you are interested.

And that was another nice surprise – Last time I looked on the Gutenberg site they had plenty but it was all in plain text form. Now they offer it in all kinds of e-book formats. And furthermore – you can get it delivered direct to your favoured cloud storage – Google Drive, SkyDrive etc.

I can foresee a lot of time browsing their site.

By the way. If anyone else is interested in old Sci-Fi here are a few I have enjoyed – most are free on Amazon.

The Coming Race – by Edward Bulwer

Trips to the Moon – Lucian of Samosata (very ancient – contemporary with Homer).

A bit more modern and not free – but I cannot recommend enough is

Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon. A very original book – with not a single character in it.

Maybe my taste is just weird.

Giants

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pacific_rim

It was one of those days. But work was over, the kids were in bed at last, the carnage they had caused was fixed – for now. Dinner was cooked and on the table, wife was in the bath. All I wanted was to watch something mindless on TV while I ate. But the kids had one last piece of chaos to deliver – the remote was nowhere to be seen. The TV was stuck on the children s channel.

So in desperation I flicked on the NowTv box and chose the first film to catch my eye.

Pacific Rim.

I was pleasantly surprised.  I have been trying to figure out why I liked it.

The film is completely formulaic, totally predictable, has stock characters and relies totally on special effect. Not things that endear me at all. It has everything an action/sci-fi film is ‘supposed’ to have. A hero grieving over a tragic loss called back into service reluctantly. Two partners who are unlike and don’t like each other thrust together and made to work as a team. Characters with father and child issues to resolve. Alpha males squaring up and fighting to get the pecking order correct. Comedy geeky scientists who dislike each other but end up working together to save the day. You get the idea. You barely need to actually watch the film.

Yet.

It’s like someone said let’s make a film by the book  – but – let’s do it bloody well.

But that’s still not quite it. That’s not what made it for me. What was it that did it? Oh yes.

SOD OFF BIG ROBOTS KICKING THE ARSES OF GIANT ALIEN DINOSAURS!

That’s it. If that’s doesn’t do it for you – don’t bother watching it. Otherwise, kick back, lay down your pretensions and let the child in you revel in a monster fest!

Review – Frank Herbert: The Works by

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I was asked – some time ago to be honest – to review this book –Frank Herbert: The Works by Bob R Bogle – who spotted me as a keen Frank Herbert fan – i.e. someone who has read more than just Dune. Anyway, I have finally got around to it and posted it on Amazon and Goodreads. It’s the first review I have ever tried so I thought I put it out on here as well.

For many, the name Frank Herbert is associated only with the sci-fi masterpiece that is Dune. Indeed for many, their appreciation doesn’t go beyond Children of Dune – a mistake in my view as God Emperor is the best!

There is, of course, a whole body of work left by Herbert outside of the Dune series, both before and after. Bogle presents an extremely comprehensive and in depth look at Herbert’s literary legacy.

From the early, faltering beginnings he takes us on a journey of development and we can witness the growth of Herbert’s, style and talent. This is is enhanced by the colour of the times he was writing in. Bogle gives a flavour of the politics and culture surrounding Herbert and therefore, on some level influencing his writing. Even the drugs he was dabbling in are given space. But he goes further, he looks at the very philosophies and science that Herbert was reading and digesting at each stage. And it is here that Bogle really shows real deep understanding. Whether it be the science of genetics or the concepts of higher consciousness Bogle has an astoundingly broad and detailed knowledge to back up his critiques of the works discussed.

If you are an ardent fan of Herbert’s then be prepared. Bogle does not pull his punches and is harsh in some of his appraisals – especially of the early books. It is not though like many critics, just bellyaching – he has good arguments for being hard on some of the works – though in some cases I find I can’t quite agree – in most I do.

In short, this book is a valuable addition to any sci-fi library. It will greatly enhance understanding and enjoyment of Herbert’s work but give a fascinating insight into the influences that work upon a writer and how they manifest themselves into plots, characters and good fiction.  If you are anything like me it will also leave you with a long list of books to get and subjects to read up on. Next up – researching Karl Jasper’s crises.

2001 A Space Odyssey

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I watched this film again – the first time in many years – having just found it on DVD.

It is still one of the best science fiction films ever made. A mastery of understated special effects. And I was struck that – the title aside – it has dated extremely well. In fact better than a lot a later films.

English: The famous red eye of HAL 9000
English: The famous red eye of HAL 9000 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And of course HAL is still one of the most menacing screen presence’s ever.

Give yourself a treat and give it another viewing. (It comes over particularly well on the remastered version when on a HD TV)

RIP Frederik Pohl

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Frederik Pohl died this week – another great loss to science fiction that has largely gone unnoticed by the rest of the world.

Frederick Pohl

Début Novel – Now Available

Scott Andrew Bailey3 Comments

So here’s my announcement!

[Insert fanfare of your choice here]

And some shameless self promotion.

[Scratch the fanfare]

But seriously. After lounging in a drawer for fifteen years or so I have finally dusted it off, edited and now self published my first début novel – available now on Amazon Kindle.

Mankind Limited

Please feel free to re-blog and let the world know!