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G0TEZ > TREK 21.02.04 07:57l 80 Lines 4087 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Re: Asimov and Sci-Fi.
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Dick,VK3ABK. Gives an interesting slant on SF.
Like a lot of people, I prefer 'SF' to 'Sci Fi' because it also stands for
'Soeculative Fiction', a term which allows it to encompass stories about
possible historical events like Fred Pohl's Life of Shakespeare, as well
as theSword and Sorcery genre, which I have never liked but which appeals
to a lot of people. Tolkien for example. I won't ever read any of his
stuff but
a lot of people like it.
As for Isaac Asimov. b 1920, wrote his first SF story at 19, got his PhD
at the end of WW II , having paid for most of his tuition by his writings.
His PhD is in Chemistry BTW. He tells the story in the postscript to 'The
Endochronic properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline.' a spoof chemistry
thesis which he published as a story about a chemical which didn't
strictly obey the laws of time.
He tells the story of how, when he went before a board of scientists to
discuss his real thesis. The questioned him normally then, as he got up to
go, one of them said "Does this all fit in with the observed properties of
resublimated Thiotimoline, Dr Asimov?".
They all laughed but, it dawned on him that they had addressed him as
'Doctor'. He knew he had made it.
I have quite a collection of the Asimov stories, the first three
'Foundation' and the three books of 'The Early Asimov' as well as three
collections of his 'Robot' stories. I used to have a lot more but they
were whittled away.
I've already mentioned A.E. van Vogt. The first writer I ever read in
paperback. I still have Slan. It was that book which helped make me want
to be an engineer. His other stories like, The Weapon Shops of Isher,
would make an excellent film or TV series even now. Asimov's Satisfaction
Guaranteed, where the robot is left alone with the bored housewife, was
quite weak in the book which was 1940s and subject to the censorship of
the time. A film was made of it in the early 70s which was much stronger
as
censorship was abolished for a few years. Another version was made around
1990, when censorship had come back and wasn't as good.
As for Arthur .C. Clark, I found his stories quite readable as long as he
co - wrote them with a good writer. he is a pretty good scientist,
resposible for the Clark belt where all the geostationary artificial
satellites are, as well as a number of other good ideas. Hi solo writing
efforts left a lot to be desired.
My very first SF was by Jules Verne, though Hollywood's various versions
of his stories have rather spoiled the originals. H.G. came next. a good
scientist with books on archeology published as well as SF.
It isn't well known that, when various people were writing a bout
television, the coined that word. The people who were trying to make it a
reality wanted different names. Distant Electric Vision was one. The
trouble was, that the general public insisted on calling it 'Television'.
so that became the name for it.
As I write this, I have just watched Leonard Nimoy's 1998 version of
Brave New World. As I expected. It left out the 'garden' scene. The sects
scenes, of course, were left in, as they probably weren't in the earlier,
B&W version. A few things puzzled me. The main one was that, in the book,
Huxley had all the women dressed like the men, in a sort of one piece
boiler suit. Far more 1990s than Nimoy portrayed, with women wearing
skirts. I missed the 'Malthusian belts' which all women wore in the book.
Not too bad, but it is 40 years since I last read the book. Time flies.
As for Feynman, Sagan et al. I just lump them in with Brian Aldiss, and
other average writers. We have had a few screen versions of The Day of the
Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos, made into a film first as 'The Village
of the Damned' so John Wyndham did quite well.
It's nice to see SF being discussed when, prior to the 60s, people used to
keep quiet about reading it. Then the students discovered it and it became
the in thing. After that we got Gene Roddenberry which is all most people
associate with science fiction now. CUL. 73. Ian.
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