Anyone else like the book "The Relic"? MUCH better than the movie, IMHO. The authors (Lincoln and Child) have become some of my favorites to read. Didn't care for the sequel as much, but their other work has been pretty enjoyable.

This might be a dumb question, but is that the same "Relic" as the 90's movie with Tom Sizamore and hypothalamus's?

Yes, it is. I remember being disappointed in the movie because I read the book first and enjoyed it so much. The movie, while not too bad for the most part (IIRC), didn't measure up.


*** Warhawk ***

It's not easy being a cast-iron bitch. It takes discipline, years of training... A lot of people don't appreciate that.

Anyone else like the book "The Relic"? MUCH better than the movie, IMHO. The authors (Lincoln and Child) have become some of my favorites to read. Didn't care for the sequel as much, but their other work has been pretty enjoyable.

This might be a dumb question, but is that the same "Relic" as the 90's movie with Tom Sizamore and hypothalamus's?

Really? I didn't think that much of Timeline. I didn't think it was terrible, it just didn't grab me that much. I did like Jurassic Park quite a bit though - which I read before the movie came out.

Ditto. Liked the first Jurassic Park better than the second, and really haven't been "grabbed" by his later stuff. I think he writes books thinking they will be turned into movies now instead of just writing good books.

Anyone else like the book "The Relic"? MUCH better than the movie, IMHO. The authors (Lincoln and Child) have become some of my favorites to read. Didn't care for the sequel as much, but their other work has been pretty enjoyable.

At what point do the rest of you just start ignoring Halsy's rantings? I do, and don't feel that I am really missing anything. I really have no need for wild conspiracy theories and hatemongering.... It gets old after a while.

We traded in the wife's Ford Escape for a Grand Caravan yesterday. Minivans have come a long way from the 84 Caravan my folks owned when I was young....


*** Warhawk ***

It's not easy being a cast-iron bitch. It takes discipline, years of training... A lot of people don't appreciate that.

Religious nuts (including orthodox atheists) I can handle, just get the fuck out of my way while I'm in the car.

No problem. Just because I expect to stand before the Lord one day doesn't mean I want the meeting arranged prematurely!

It sounds like your having road rage outside of your car!

"As I understand it, Sundiver was actually set in a slightly different universe and isn't directly connected. I was referring to The Uplift War."

Nope, while I agree Uplift War rocks, Sundiver is definetly book 1 and in the same universe It's even referenced in Startide if you look really closely...

"Trying to think of some others that you might enjoy... I presume you've read Clark and Asimov"

I've read just about everything by (in no particular order):

Clark
Asimov (I'm such a fucking nerd, I have his books lined-up on my shelf based on internal chronology - from End of Eternity to Foundation's Triumph, looks like about 25 books...)
Heinlein
Brin
Bear
Benford
Simmons
Gibson
Le Guin
Sterling
Pohl
Stephenson
Willis
Cherryh
Bujold
Ellison
Card
Brunner
Dick
Vinge (and wife)
Meiville
Gaiman
Delany
Herbert
Lieber
Reynolds
Morgan
Wilhelm
Nylund

Startide was actually the second book in the series, the first was Sundiver

As I understand it, Sundiver was actually set in a slightly different universe and isn't directly connected. I was referring to The Uplift War.

What of Baxter can you recommend as hit (and which to avoid)?

I liked Manifold:Time, but wasn't as impressed with Manifold:Space. I haven't yet read the third book, and I can't remember which of his other books I have or haven't read. I recall that one book of his that I read was so hardcore high energy physics that it went over my head.

Goddamn him for not putting out more than a book a decade

I think Vinge does mostly TV scripts and short stories... which is why we see so few novel length books from him. I'm perpetually annoyed that I lost my copy of Threats... and Other Promises, since it's long out of print and the "Collected Works" compilation is just a subset of "Threats" and "True Names".

Trying to think of some others that you might enjoy... I presume you've read Clark and Asimov.

I'm going off of what Braga and Berman have said themselves. Of course none of the Star Treks have been militaristic, but TNG was IMO pure sci-fi. Maybe it was because Stewart was playing Picard so sternly, or maybe it was just how Roddenbery wrote the characters, but I just don't see how any of the Star Treks, with the exception of seasons of DS9, can be in any way compared favorably with TNG.

Voyager was a disaster. The captain treated her crew like she had them over for dinner. "Groan, I need coffee...*cheesy smile*"...

Enterprise, which I watched the first few episodes of and tried to re-watch recently, is even worse, IMO.

And regarding "24," its obvious you're not seeing what I'm talking about, so I'll point it out:

1) Chloe and Edgar having petty debates about computer usage. Both of them would be FIRED in a real government organization for that kind of stupid bickering, where neither is actually communicating to each other, but rather, just whining.

2) The disc that had the information regarding the pilot who'd stolen the stealth fighter sat on Edgar's desk for a whole episode. Once again, intolerable. The show actually portrays a lot of the terrorists progress/victory as being the result of poor communication within CTU. Now I don't have a problem with showing some poor communication, because obviously we had some in our own government a few years ago, but its every episode. Its as if they can't discover another plot convention other than bickering and incompetence.

3) The Vice-president was so blatantly incompetent, a man who'd spent years of his life fully understanding the role of the vice-president couldn't even work at a baskin robbins when the task was thrust on him. Don't tell me he was not ready for it and that we should give him a break. He gets paid a few hundred thousand dollars a year to be the vice-president, and then if something happens to the president, he becomes the president.

Frankly, I think you've just ignored most of the stuff I'm citing, or, you just don't think it demonstrates incompetence. Well there's no question that it DOES, but the argument you could provide, that everyone is being tested under extreme circumstances...I can only buy that to a degree, only tolerate that to the first episodes. Its like no one grows, no one learns from their mistakes.

And I'm sorry, if a bunch of people in the most important counter-terrorism branch of the US all had slept together and all had to constantly pull each other aside to talk about their relationships, the whole building would need to be blown up.

"Startide was amazing, as was the second book in the series. The new trilogys were good, but not great.

Have you read any Vernor Vinge? Love his stuff... he's not a prolific (book) writer though. I've been enjoying reading some Stephen Baxter, although it's pretty hit-or-miss."

Startide was actually the second book in the series, the first was Sundiver (which wasn't very good, so we can let it be forgotten).

Vernor Vinge is one of my all-time favorites, Goddamn him for not putting out more than a book a decade.

What of Baxter can you recommend as hit (and which to avoid)?

Nah, it's just that jesus freaks rationalize it away. If they get hit by a car and die it was god's will. If they survive it's a miracle.

Normal people just realize that there is no god and that due to the laws of physics that several hundred or thousand pounds of metal moving at sufficient velocity can't stop on a dime. And that getting run over by said vehicle is going to either kill you or leave you in an excruciating amount of pain. Thus they endeavor to do their best to avoid playing in traffic.

Yeah Halsy. I'm sure that every single person that goes to church and crosses the middle of the street thinks "God will protect me!".
Instead of thinking "Hey, if I cross the street here, instead of there, I have to walk less."

And yes, I'm sure that EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet who jaywalks, is automatically a jesus freak.

Btw, I hear Robin Williams is free to do his next movie, the World According to Halsy. When is it out?

But hey, keep spewing hatred and bigotry on here pal, then in your next post proclaim to be so democratic and caring about everything. I just love how you've become the poster child of hypocrisy.

Creston

BTW

Thanks to those that suggested getting credit checks on my family members. I'll probably do that soon.


"Space. It seems to go on and on forever. But then you get to the end and a gorilla starts throwing barrels at you."
-Fry, Futurmama

which I'm sure won't be anywhere near as good as Startide, but then again what would be?

Startide was amazing, as was the second book in the series. The new trilogys were good, but not great.

Have you read any Vernor Vinge? Love his stuff... he's not a prolific (book) writer though. I've been enjoying reading some Stephen Baxter, although it's pretty hit-or-miss.

Star Trek: TNG was a masterpiece because it wasn't loaded with a bunch of small talk, shooting the breeze, stupid humor, or otherwise irrelevant dialogue. It was straight-forward sci-fi, serious and to the point. It showed human potential in its efficiency.

What can you say to something like this? In my opinion, you have an extremely flawed view on Star Trek. Every Star Trek, beginning with the original series, at times focused on characters. No Star Trek ever was military-esque, and conversely a military-esque series based on the Trek universe wouldn't truly be a Star Trek series. (Of course, good military-esque series still end up focusing on the characters - see BSG!)
TNG certainly did - what with Picard's trauma from the Borg, Data's struggling with humanity, Wesley's coming of age (which I hate now, but loved as a kid) and oh just about every episode where Troy says more than two words. DS9 and Voyager was the same, I won't mention the many character-driven aspects now. I don't think Enterprise is "worse" in any such regard, if anything there's less of it (mostly just the Tucker-T'pol thing, what else?).

BTW, it's 2005, hit and run isn't supposed to be a felony, it's supposed to be a national sport.

I'm waiting for 2028 - that's when Carmageddon was set

Deities are nothing more than the collective childish beliefs of a species in its infancy

Yes, and artwork is nothing more than the collective childish scribblings of a species in its infancy. That argument is about as ridiculous. Still, nice to see open-minded discussion is alive and well.

Shame post editing is not alive and well - even refreshing about 20 times

Forget about the damn religious nuts, can we get back to the fucking pedestrians.

Walk like you've driven a car. If you are walking in across an intersection, parking lot, where...fucking...ever, pick up the pace if you are holding up traffic. Don't fucking linger walking as slow as fucking possible.

If a long line of people have been crossing in front of a long line of cars, and there is just about to be enough of a break for at least one car to escape, don't start across. ASSHOLES!

When you are waiting at a corner for the light to change look at the cars coming at you, or step the fuck back from the corner. I want to make the fucking light, and if I have to slow down because I'm worried about your stupid oblivious ass walking into the intersection, I'm not going to fucking make it.

Religious nuts (including orthodox atheists) I can handle, just get the fuck out of my way while I'm in the car.

BTW, it's 2005, hit and run isn't supposed to be a felony, it's supposed to be a national sport.

IMO, while this season of 24 is nowhere near as good as its first series, it is infinitely better than the last one, and has been quite good fun to watch. The second series was somewhat forgetable too. Of course, by the last four episodes, it has got ridiculous, but every series except the first one does that.

A nuclear device is about to be detonated and people are talking about old relationships and whatnot.

And if you watched the show more than once, you'd know why they are talking about their relationships.

bumbling, incompetent, dysfunctional, and at times incredibly immature

Again, watch the show more than once because they are definitely not "bumbling, or "incompetant". Dysfunctional...I think you'd have to be to a certain extent to work those kind of jobs otherwise you'd go crazy. Immature...who the hell isnt at times? And after all...it is just a TV show.

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Zero Tolerance Games Counter-Strike: Source server.
http://www.ztgames.com

Fricking "Character" episodes. In the future, if human beings are still bitching and moaning about their emotions and having awkwardly adolescent romantic encounters, then hopefully some other species will come and end our misery.

Star Trek: TNG was a masterpiece because it wasn't loaded with a bunch of small talk, shooting the breeze, stupid humor, or otherwise irrelevant dialogue. It was straight-forward sci-fi, serious and to the point. It showed human potential in its efficiency.

I DESPISE how the show is bastardized and simplified to appease a shallow American audience. I just watched the latest "24" on FOX and was AMAZED at how the Counter-Terrorism unit in the US is portrayed as so bumbling, incompetent, dysfunctional, and at times incredibly immature. A nuclear device is about to be detonated and people are talking about old relationships and whatnot.

Stupidest crap ever. I think the next Star Trek series needs to have no Berman or Braga, and needs to be Star Trek Academy, but instead of having teens with hard-ons for one another, it should be almost military-esque in terms of discipline. No more showers with a barely naked hot vulcan female. In fact, I think making women on the show sex objects should be stopped also.

Anyways, my two cents. I luckily can always go watch my ST:TNG whenever I want to, but still, I wish they could reproduce what made that show good...actual STORIES and NOT focusing on the CHARACTERS...their petty emotions and minor quabbles. That's not humanity...that's us at our worst.

Niven hasn't been able to write his way out of a paper bag since (and he had plenty of help from Jerry Pournelle, who can write but can't think) The Mote in God's Eye. Ringworld had 1 (one!) cute engineering idea (not even the authors) decently extrapolated and then horribly ruined by Niven's terrible characters and plot. His entire "known space" universe should be chucked off into an abyss.

Haven't been able to get into Bova, tried a few times with his older stuff but never seemed well written to me either (I should try his more recent stuff, what I've tried in the past has generally involved the Soviet Union still being a power in the Solar System and that kinda dampens any suspension of disbelief right off the bat)

Critchon's best days are WAY behind him, he wrote some really really good stuff but he's had a string of utter stinkers that should never have been published (JP2, Timeline, Airframe, the current anti-global warming one whose name escapes me at present). Where is the man who wrote The Andromeda Strain or Sphere? The best he can up with is an idea that was better executed by Tom Clancy?!

I have enjoyed Morgan's stuff even if its sometimes too lurid for its own good (Altered Carbon and Broken Angels, the second one of which got undeserved bad press). His latest was godawful though, I think he must have signed a three book contract or something because it was atrocious. Its sitting on my bookself and right now I'm thinking of burning it instead of giving it to the library. Orson Scott Card's latest Ender book was fine (if only because the man cannot write a story that isn't emotionally compelling) but hardly sci-fi (or thematically interesting in any way).

Finished Douglas Adams first Dirk Gently book last night, very wierd stuff, took me 3 hours after I was finished reading it to put the pieces together as to what had actually happened (Thank god someone bothered to post the complete works of Coleridge with footnotes on the net!). Guess I will try the second (and last) of those tonight, which will mean I've read everything the poor dead bastard wrote (novel-wise anyway). And I'll be completely out of books to read until the last two 2nd Uplift Trilogy books by Brin I've been saving for vacation (and which I'm sure won't be anywhere near as good as Startide, but then again what would be?)

Wow this conversation is really depressing me...

Timeline by Crichton was awesome, better than Jurassic Park, I thought...

Really? I didn't think that much of Timeline. I didn't think it was terrible, it just didn't grab me that much. I did like Jurassic Park quite a bit though - which I read before the movie came out.

Was great to see Family Guy back last night. American Dad was lame.

How you can feel one is great and one is ‘lame’ without being ludicrously fickle?

Because American Dad feels like a lame rip-off of Family Guy. Btw, I thought last night's episode was great. I wonder if any of the new episodes were actually written a few years ago before they knew the series was canceled.



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"We're innocent critters squashed on the highway of life!"
This comment was edited on May 3, 00:38.