tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.comments2023-05-19T00:57:13.384-07:00Wiki FictionJohn Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-80202574540782802582022-05-07T08:43:12.700-07:002022-05-07T08:43:12.700-07:00At the start of the story, Earth has for many year...At the start of the story, Earth has for many years been on the verge of nuclear catastrophe and everyone expects a Mutually Assured Destruction by nuclear war in the near future. India had mediated a truce and a cooperative international mission to Mars. As told in "The Sickness", when the crew of the first human mission to Mars is infected by the Martian bacterium, they get very sick and they have no way of communicating with Earth. For this story, William Tenn assumed that Mars was too far from Earth for a portable radio transmitter inside a spaceship to be able to send signals to Earth. The crew members are half Americans and half Russians. As they sicken, they believe that their mission to Mars is doomed and when they fail to return to Earth, that will trigger a nuclear war that will put an end to all human life on Earth. Each "side" on Earth will assume that the other "side" hijacked the international Mars spaceship and is now secretly using its advanced rocketry technology towards the goal of defeating the other "side" in the nuclear standoff. At that point in the story, it looks like this could be a "negative account of space travel" because the failed Mars exploration mission seems destined to lead to human extinction by nuclear war. However, right at the end of the story, it is revealed that after a few days of illness, the Martian bacteria successfully integrate into human brains as helpful endosymbionts that tremendously boost human abilities including morality. This will save Humanity as soon as the Martian "disease" is spread to the people of Earth. So at the end of the story, readers see that it is space travel to Mars that saves Earth from destruction.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-51648022063825292592022-05-07T07:16:30.019-07:002022-05-07T07:16:30.019-07:00Is the Tenn story deeply ironic in its implication...Is the Tenn story deeply ironic in its implication that normal humans will kill themselves and alien tech (bacteria) are needed to preserve the species? I am tempted to include this in my negative accounts of space travel sequence... Joachim Boazhttps://sciencefictionruminations.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-69516673952875778802022-04-30T11:58:39.849-07:002022-04-30T11:58:39.849-07:00Apparently the popularity of stories about nuclear...Apparently the popularity of stories about nuclear war has been a topic for scholarly analysis... "Nuclear War in Science Fiction, 1945-59" by Paul Brians in Science Fiction Studies Vol. 11, No. 3 (Nov., 1984).John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-78631307574747549162022-04-30T08:11:06.670-07:002022-04-30T08:11:06.670-07:00I like to joke that is was an official regulation ...I like to joke that is was an official regulation that any SF magazine published in the 1950s had to have at least one story about Nuclear War. And, indeed, I have read many many issues of 1950s SF magazines, and so far as I can recall, that regulation was strictly adhered to.Rich Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659613066689174738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-42756667785236404542021-11-09T12:42:51.056-08:002021-11-09T12:42:51.056-08:00I suspect that Asimov would have agreed with every...I suspect that Asimov would have agreed with everything in the above comment. Here is what Asimov wrote when, after 30 years, in 1981 he went back and read the Foundations Trilogy: "I kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever did." With not much action in the stories and mostly just a bunch of thoughts and conversations he had to wonder: "Why did everyone want more of that stuff?" However, James Gunn had observed: "...the stories provide detective-story fascination with the permutations and reversal of ideas." Asimov went on to write additional Foundation novels with his usual lack of concern for "style" and what I would call a logical progression of ideas all of which originated with the Psychohistory plot gimmick back in 1941 and fascinated readers regardless of the style of writing.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-30381955693557825722021-11-09T02:03:11.428-08:002021-11-09T02:03:11.428-08:00Let's be clear what Dr. Elkins said:
"(P...Let's be clear what Dr. Elkins said:<br /><br />"(Point)1. It is difficult to put one’s finger on precisely what element or elements so fascinate readers. From just about any formal perspective, THE FOUNDATION TRILOGY the foundation trilogy is seriously flawed. The characters are undifferentiated and one-dimensional. Stylistically, the novels are disasters, and Asimov’s ear for dialogue is simply atrocious. The characters speak with a monotonous rhythm and impoverished vocabulary characteristic"<br /><br />Asimov was a hack.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-67225225242528123202021-01-05T12:55:47.960-08:002021-01-05T12:55:47.960-08:00If anyone is in the mood for a shorter novel than ...If anyone is in the mood for a shorter novel than 'The Sparrow', you might try "Star King" by Jack Vance. Vance's story features an alien species that has altered its physical structure so as to closely mimic the human body plan, allowing them to live undetected among humans.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-1423262669635410712021-01-05T09:14:59.069-08:002021-01-05T09:14:59.069-08:00I see #VintageSciFi is off to a great start! I esp...I see #VintageSciFi is off to a great start! I especially loved the parallels for the embryo evolution (which I remember from my high school biology books). <br /><br />I'm no expert on science-fiction, esp. *classic* scifi, but in all alien-meets-human stories, the first thing that captures my attention is the language barrier. How do they communicate, with no prior interpreter being available? A subject which Mary Russell explores at some length in The Sparrow, I think. I'll probably re-read that book this month.<br /><br />Look forward to reading more of your Vintage Science Fiction reviews!Lex @ Lexlinguahttp://lexlingua.conoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-35480975255153864032021-01-03T18:44:45.160-08:002021-01-03T18:44:45.160-08:00My favorite part of this novella is the "simp...My favorite part of this novella is the "simple" fact that the aliens are so nice. I really get tired of stories about evil aliens. I don't want to read the longer, full-novel version of the story that Blish later published because it apparently has an ending that sounds far too horrible for me and my practiced naiveté.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-10333926982684716102021-01-03T17:21:08.033-08:002021-01-03T17:21:08.033-08:00A Case of Conscience does sound interesting! I'...A Case of Conscience does sound interesting! I'd never heard of it before. Lydiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14241300876630582609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-38704274549435264072021-01-01T07:52:59.414-08:002021-01-01T07:52:59.414-08:00Some information about the university studies of B...Some information about the university studies of Blish is provided here: (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/big-ideas-james-blish/).John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-47525788836127175112021-01-01T07:01:00.649-08:002021-01-01T07:01:00.649-08:00I really enjoyed this review! I'm fascinated ...I really enjoyed this review! I'm fascinated by the idea of religious people being obsessed with "do these aliens have religion? are they good/evil?", to me, it's a rather silly question but it always makes for a great story. And Blish was a biologist? I had no idea! I need to read this story because biology and i want to know all about this iron thing you mentioned.Andrea Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07289862046162890751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-81050570087122412312020-01-31T07:10:30.552-08:002020-01-31T07:10:30.552-08:00I've read some of Asimov's stuff before bu...I've read some of Asimov's stuff before but wasn't aware of The End of Eternity. It sounds like a good read.<br /><br />Nice post. Lydiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14241300876630582609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-66035396400865152022018-02-02T17:54:02.222-08:002018-02-02T17:54:02.222-08:00I like the idea of using advanced technology to ma...I like the idea of using advanced technology to make miniaturized artificial lifeforms that could be more efficiently sent on long trips through outer space.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-29582878271576586372018-02-01T23:27:17.031-08:002018-02-01T23:27:17.031-08:00Could you ever imagine the Home Planet...Could you ever imagine the Home Planet from where Korab and Sylvia came from? must had used a teenie tiny space shipSwifty the Spacebirdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-79937826288915796232017-11-16T01:24:18.076-08:002017-11-16T01:24:18.076-08:00Really nice post..filled with photos and research....Really nice post..filled with photos and research.<a href="http://superfunbaby.com/lyrics/jack-be-nimble-nursery-rhyme-lyrics/" rel="nofollow"> <br /> Jack Be Nimble </a><br />Thanks for sharing.<br />dsdsdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15739504289612174173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-20529846987114747622017-10-19T16:51:52.086-07:002017-10-19T16:51:52.086-07:00I hope someone will make a film or a television se...I hope someone will make a film or a television series based on Vance's stories. It would be fun to see who might be cast in roles such as Jerdian.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-58893165837095847032017-10-19T10:56:57.582-07:002017-10-19T10:56:57.582-07:00I'm a Vance devotee. You really captured the V...I'm a Vance devotee. You really captured the Vance spirit with that photo of "Jerdian Chanseth" in the green dress.Rick Gaugerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061898393887786360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-88164252894592666632017-07-08T13:40:16.900-07:002017-07-08T13:40:16.900-07:00I often find nice images on the internet that can ...I often find nice images on the internet that can illustrate a point that I want to discuss. If the owner of an image does not want such images re-used, I'm happy to remove them from this blog.John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-70691384901608908682017-07-08T10:30:39.067-07:002017-07-08T10:30:39.067-07:00The Excuse is who upload KT.jpg?The Excuse is who upload KT.jpg?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-85538966884672304842017-05-19T00:09:49.467-07:002017-05-19T00:09:49.467-07:00Thank you for sharing the link to that blog post!Thank you for sharing the link to that blog post!John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-35444937174051081452017-05-18T03:22:20.356-07:002017-05-18T03:22:20.356-07:00I would like to my own effort to trace all the ali...I would like to my own effort to trace all the aliens mentioned in Asimov's writings. It is in Spanish (in two parts, the second will appear soon in the same link), but you surely can follow the titles:<br /><br />http://grupolipo.blogspot.com.es/2017/05/los-alienigenas-de-isaac-asimov-parte.htmlLuis R. Gonzálezhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014915464697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-53950064391643785622016-11-30T14:32:24.776-08:002016-11-30T14:32:24.776-08:00I liked your post.I liked your post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14007590905629114411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-36424736905941866182016-10-29T13:34:36.652-07:002016-10-29T13:34:36.652-07:00I enjoyed your recent review (http://tinyurl.com/h...I enjoyed your recent review (http://tinyurl.com/h9ecu45) and I have also learned much from other posts at your site (http://rrhorton.blogspot.com). Thank you for sharing all of your many investigations into the past history of science fiction story telling. Your review was so good that it deserved to be cleaned of a few minor typos. I often find annoying errors in my blog posts that are still there years after I wrote them. Ug!John Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557999612244024954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1187627900258846757.post-82134411454866112102016-10-29T08:11:21.017-07:002016-10-29T08:11:21.017-07:00Thanks for your comment on my review ... I could m...Thanks for your comment on my review ... I could make an excuse, a true one, that the review was posted after a hectic week and all that, but it should have been cleaner, and I do appreciate the copyediting. Comment deleted as requested.Rich Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659613066689174738noreply@blogger.com