henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (06/28/85)
From: Henry Vogel <henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> Josh Susser (susser.pasa@xerox.arpa) writes >Mike Parsons(ukc!msp@topaz.arpa) asks: >>Along the same lines, does anybody know any good SF about >>CONTROLLING time (everybody elses), as opposed to time travel >>(controlling your local time)? > >I remember a book from a few years back called "Planet of Treason" >that dealt with time control. In this book, a tribe of >super-philosophers developed the ability to control one's rate of >flow through time. Using this ability, one could live a day in an >hour, or vice versa, but couldn't jump through time, or go backwards >either. This control could also be extended to other objects, >including other people. > >By the way, has anybody else read "Planet of Treason"? Anybody >remember who it's by? I read this quite a few years ago. At that >time, I thought it was quite good. I'd like to read it again if I >could find it. The book is by Orson Scott Card. It came out about five years ago (I think) and I also thought it was very good. I felt the premise was stretching credibility somewhat, but the story was more than good enough to make me forget about that. Jim Garnner writes >One of the oddest premises for a novel I've ever read is Fred >Hoyle's "October the First is Too Late" (possibly "October the >Second is Too Late" -- it's been years since I read it). It's October First is Too Late. Rich Strebent writes >A classic along these lines is "The Girl, the Gold Watch, and >Everything" or something close to this (my library is at home, >though there are days I wish I kept it at my office !!!). There was >a movie by the same name that was a fairly decent rendition of the >book. Another good book. It's by John D. MacDonald (of Travis Mcgee (sp?) fame). moreau%speedy.DEC@decwrl.ARPA writes: > To me, knowing every line of a book, every plot twist, knowing who > lives, who dies, which people manage to get together (if anyone > manages to), is the only way that I can enjoy it. Otherwise the > nervous tension of simply *NOT KNOWING* what is going to happen > seriously detracts from any pleasure that I might have gotten out > of it. > In fiction you never know if the next paragraph will not have > the aliens landing and blowing away ever character you know about > so far. . . . the tension of watching (waiting) for that almost > ruins my enjoyment of any book the first time through. One is forced to wonder how you can stand life? Last time I checked, most people have no idea what will happen next in their life or the lives of their friends. Admittedly, more people will have a tendancy to get blown away (or have some other aweful thing happen to them) in fiction than in real life, but aweful things do happen in real life. I'm not flaming you for your opinion, but it does raise some interesting questions... Henry Vogel henry%clemson.csnet@csnet-relay