eyal%wisdom.bitnet@WISCVM.ARPA (05/13/85)
From: Eyal mozes <eyal%wisdom.bitnet@WISCVM.ARPA> > So, what does it matter if Hogan gets a bit caught up in his theory > of time travel? He is doing what he enjoys, which is making > increadible ideas sound plausible. If the reader has to sit there > and disbelive, then it makes me wonder why the person is reading > fiction. After all, isn't this supposed to be fun? Creating a theory based on genuine science, which is both exciting and plausible, is a very demanding task. Hogan is the only writer I know who consistently achieves this in every book of his that I've read (which is all except tha Giants' Trilogy). Now when a writer achieves this, the readers can add a lot to their enjoyment of his book if they think seriously about the theory, evaluate its plausibility, and note any flaws or inconsistencies. If you get angry whenever anyone does that, you're missing most of the value that hard-core SF can give you. By the way, I highly recommend the anthology "Where do We Go From Here?", edited by Isaac Asimov. It contains short SF stories, of varying quality, but each with some hard-code element, and each followed by a postscript by Asimov with specific suggestions for this sort of thinking. > Wouldn't you be willing, given a genesis machine (Love that wave > theory of matter!), to try and save this planet from the fanatic > little loonies that overrun it's surface? I would. Unfortunately, > there is no super-being that has morals harder than adamantium, no > genesis machine, and no time travel. So does it matter that Hogan > has a simplistic view of politics? His emphasis was that science > can be used for good, given the motivation behind it is good. There's a name for someone who enforces on others, by force or threats, his idea of "good". The name is: dictator. I'm not sure that Hogan seriously believes that "message" you're talking about, but there certainly exist scientists who do. If you want historical examples, look at the German scientists who cooperated with the Nazis, or at the American scientists who gave the secrets of the Atom Bomb to the Russians. Eyal Mozes BITNET: eyal@wisdom CSNET and ARPA: eyal%wisdom.bitnet@wiscvm.ARPA UUCP: ..!decvax!humus!wisdom!eyal
plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson) (05/30/85)
>Creating a theory based on genuine science, which is both exciting and >plausible, is a very demanding task. Hogan is the only writer I know >who consistently achieves this in every book of his that I've read >(which is all except tha Giants' Trilogy). I have said this before but I'll be happy to repeat it: In my opinion, James P. Hogan is one of the very best SF authors that I've ever read. Principally, I think, because of his genuine knowledge of computers, science, and technologies. Plus he spins a marvelous yarn at the same time. Can't wait for his next. -- Pete Williamson "By hook or by crook, we will !!" ... #2