NP - Childhood's End

[kelber at mindspring.com]

Jeez, Mark. Are you seriously equating sci-fi reading with proclivities towards elitism, child-molesting, rape, kiddie porn-purveying, and (worst of all) a devotion to Ayn Rand??? A…and I just thought it was a cool and fun and thought-provoking pastime.

Laura
-----Original Message-----

From: Mark Thibodeau 

Sent: Sep 9, 2015 9:15 PM

To: "kelber at mindspring.com" 

Cc: David Morris , Ian Livingston , P-list 

Subject: Re: NP - Childhood's End



On the other hand, it might not be the sf itself, but the type of person drawn to it, that is the problem, in these cases. Maybe people who feel superior or "other" seek out a literature that reinforces said beliefs. I really don't know.
J
On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 9:10 PM, Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com> wrote:
Well now.
>From my own personal experiences, some of the kids I grew up with who turned out to be among the "scariest" adults I know (one a convicted child molester, another a well-to-do convicted rapist, and yet another a convicted kiddie porn trafficker) were HUGE sf fans, and part of my sf-loving circle of friends. 
On the other hand, the kids who grew up watching horror movies (which is what I assume you mean by torture porn) and listening to 2LiveCrew and such, all - to a man - grew up to be kind and generous family men.
On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 8:57 PM, kelber at mindspring.com <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
I guess the under 18 crowd should stick to the comforting stuff like first-person shooter games, misogynistic music videos and torture porn.
Childhood's End explores in more depth the basic concept behind 2001:A Space Odyssey. Probably best updated with reference to "the Singularity." Scary and/ or exhilarating, depending on your frame of reference ( personal life vs the infinite universe).
Laura
LK

Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com> wrote:

Having read it and found it incredibly chilling on first read (as did Kubrick, by the way... he did NOT see it as optimistic, and told Clarke as much), I have to wonder what all y'all P-Listers "enjoyed" about it? I mean, the finale, set on (SPOILER) a planet covered in unisynchronously mind-melded sleepwalkers, just swaying in place, waiting... what was "enjoyable" about that? Especially considering said evolution was forced upon them (us)?
Just curious. I do consider it a sf must-read, but I also think it's probably not right for anyone under 18. It could seriously warp one's sense of self and the worth of one's fellow man, if taken seriously (the way some people take Ayn Rand, for instance). And considering Clarke's own sexual peccadildos...
J 
On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 8:30 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
I'm not sure it needs anything more than our standard ongoing political catastrophe. But that's a quibble.

On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Ian Livingston <igrlivingston at gmail.com> wrote:
I personally love that little book and have recommended it steadily to all and sundry for decades. Aside from the science, it is a powerful statement on the evolution of ideas. I steadily wish someone like the Wachowskis would pick up the story and go to town with it. It deserves big treatment and it always seemed to me perfect fare for a serious filmmaker. I'll watch for comment on this production. If Karellin is boshed, the whole thing collapses. It also needs its foundation in imminent geopolitical catastrophe, but that part's easy.

On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 4:52 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
I like old school sci-fi. I was given an anthology sci-fi short stories arranged chronologically, starting in the 19th Century, War with the Robots. It was amazingly prescient.
http://www.amazon.com/War-With-Robots-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0517065045"28 of the best short stories by the greatest names in 20th Century science fiction, including Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Lester Del Rey, Poul Anderson, Philip K Dick, John Brunner and Harry Harrison."
My favorite was "A Logic Named Joe" by Murray Leinster.

The overall scenario of Childhood's End involves some far-reaching speculation which isn't implausible, IMHO. If the mini-series changes the basic premises, it is doomed.  The logic equation of the novel can't be altered for improvement.
Laura, Maybe it was you that recommended it here...

David Morris

On Wednesday, September 9, 2015,  <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
One of my a favorite sci-fi novels when I was a kid. I recently gave it to my son to read, and he enjoyed it, but felt it was a little old-school.



I've seen the trailer for the upcoming SyFy adaptation, and it looks pretty bad. But I'll watch it anyway. I think it comes out in December.



HAs anyone watched The Whispers? The first season just ended. It was poorly written and acted, but it did have some Childhood's End-like elements in it.



Laura



-----Original Message-----



From: David Morris



Sent: Sep 9, 2015 5:52 PM



To: P-list



Subject: NP - Childhood's End







I read this Arthur C. Clark novel on the advice of someone (I forget), and really liked it.  Now it seems SyFy is about to broadcast its 3-Episode mini-series.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood%27s_End



Syfy's Childhood's End HQ | Trailer 2015
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Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l