vnend@ukecc.UUCP (D. W. James) (11/25/86)
> There is no way we can prove that >"The Lord of the Rings" is not the actual pre-history of the earth, though >I admit it doesn't seem likely. > >ucbvax!brahms!gsmith Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720 My first reaction when I read this was: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Then I reconsidered. My second reaction was: hahahahaahhahaha. :-) You must be kidding. Besides plate tetonics and the square cube law? That the earth was once flat and now it's not? That one of the stars was(is?) a glowing gem on a ship? LOtR is fantasy written as legend. It is a DAMN good story. But the pre-history of Earth? I think not. As for the serious side of your posting (conserning SF vs. Fantasy), I generally let the author decide. If he/she says it's whatever then it is, else.... Now, if it purports to be SF and violates the square-cube law or does something equally silly then it is an annoyance, but generally I just let it go. Most of the stuff I just file as 'alternate universe' stuff and say that thier physical laws are subtley different than ours. As long as the story is INTERNALLY consistant I don't mind. To that end, J.R.R.T. definately said that he intended it as fantasy, ergo... -- ******************************************************************************* Later y'all, Vnend Ignorance is the Mother of Adventure. **UUCP:cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!vnend; CSNET:vnend@ecc.engr.uky.csnet** ************BITNET:cn0001dj@ukcc.BITNET (but only as a last resort)************
gsmith@brahms (Gene Ward Smith) (11/26/86)
Summary: Expires: Sender: Followup-To: In article <832@ukecc.UUCP> vnend@ukecc.UUCP (D. W. James) writes: >> There is no way we can prove that >>"The Lord of the Rings" is not the actual pre-history of the earth, though >>I admit it doesn't seem likely. [Gene Smith] > My first reaction when I read this was: >HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA > Then I reconsidered. My second reaction was: hahahahaahhahaha. > LOtR is fantasy written as legend. It is a DAMN good story. But the >pre-history of Earth? I think not. Well, reconsider your reconsideration for a moment. What are some of the things that happen in Tolkien's universe? At one point, a flat earth is turned into a round one. Illuvatar is all powerful, and may at a later time have made further changes, so that the Sun is a ball of gas, etc. etc. In the end, enough changes might get made that all that is left are a few legends about gods, elves, dwarves and Atlantis; and a phony past substituted in the rocks of the Earth and the quasars of the newly made cosmos. ucbvax!brahms!gsmith Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720 Imagine what the world would be like if football was a worthy ritual performed in stadiums but mathematics was a misunderstood activity ignored by almost all.