http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90014997
I listened to the above on NPR, and really enjoyed the show.
I've never really paid much attention to this show called RadioLabs, but after this and other broadcasts, I intend to catch it as much as I can.
This all sounds like science fiction of 30 years ago. Very frightening, I think, although the soothsayers on the program think GMOs will save the world facing our 7 billion population (another sci-fi dystopian horror) combined with climate change (and yet another one).
I have to wonder.
And oh, I am currently reading a sci-fi book from the 70s by Frederick Pohl, titled Gateway. This is the first book to introduce the fictional Heechee alien race. I am enjoying it, and spending far too much time in my apartment these past few days. Ha ha. I bought it, hardback and with the original cover, for really cheap at Goodwill. You have no assistance in your browsing, and no certainty of finding anything, but the price is right. Anyway, real quick, this book appeals to me a lot for a few reasons. The mode of space exploration reminds me of Stargate. The considerations of archeology (instead of tunnel-vision of the future) appeal to me. The description and exploration of human relationships, love, and sexuality is refreshing to some degree (especially among older sci-fi). Lastly, the realistic portrayal of a sparsely populated galaxy appeals to me, in part because it is something I don't see as often. Aliens are cool, and make a good story: I realize that.
One Panel #763: Captain Triumph Premieres!
19 hours ago
i've read Gateway several times, and i like it, too. i have 3 or 4 books by him but haven't read anything by him in a while.
ReplyDeleteI'm coming to the last couple chapters in Gateway. The cover flap says the protagonist is an anti-hero, but I'm not so sure it's that easy. The character has flaws, for sure, but his behavior so far hasn't been villanous. I myself haven't read very many books more than once, and perhaps you do often, or is this an unusually good book? and I am suprised I haven't heard of this author before. Oh, I think I found out why they are called Heechee. The he/she built this, the he/she built that. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteI used to read a lot of books more than once. less so now. i read this one not that long after it came out, then again when i started the heechee series. I didn't finish that series. I reread Gateway when i was looking for sff books for my kids to read. i can't remember if any of them read it.
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