DAA%MIT-ML@sri-unix.UUCP (02/05/84)
From: David A. Adler <DAA @ MIT-ML> I just finished reading ACROSS THE SEA OF SUNS, by Gregory Benford (Timescape, $15.95), and thought I would talk about it. It has a similar setup to that of TIMESCAPE (written in 1980), in that the chapters alternate between time. Most of the book follows the travel of a scientific space unit searching for planets with intelligent life from the years 2056 to 2064. The rest of the book deals with life on earth in the year 2061. Unlike TIMESCAPE, the two parts are thinly tied together, with earth sending messages about what is happening back home and the scientists making connections between what they see around planets who have of had intelligent life forms. Parts of the book were a little slow going and drawn out, but other sections made the old rocking chair rock a little faster. The book also contains similar scientific knowledge that TIMESCAPE did, intricately describing the passage through a ramscoop or studying the chemical makeup ofanimals. Overall, I'd give the book about a 7 to 7.5 one the 1 to 10 scale. *** SPOILER *** For those more interested in the plot. The space lab is looking for intelligent life and planets that earth can expand to so it is harder for humans to be wiped out. They find that every planet that had technologically advanced life forms, or that could ever develop technologically has a "watcher" that makes sure that no technology is every developed. Meanwhile, back on earth, someone(thing) has seeded the oceans with life forms known as Swarmers and Skimmers. The swarmers attack ships, even supertankers, and sink them, destroying the world economic system. The skimmers are intelligent forms, and sound similar to dolphins (but they aren't). They talk to survivors of shipwrecks who somehow manage to live on the ocean without being eaten by swarmers. The situation gets worse and soon the swarmers start moving onto the land. This causes international tension, finally resulting in a nuclear war. The swarmers take over the land and the skimmers and humans chosen by the skimmers now live on the water. The earth gets its own watcher, and earth is out of the picture. The space lab tries tinkering with a watcher by trying to blow it up with their fusion drive. The watcher lashes out with something similar, but more powerful than, a solar flare. The ramscoop is burned out, and the spaceship is stuck in space. *** End of SPOILER *** ------ In regard to favorite SF movies, I would like to add THE LAST WAVE. Unfortunately, I saw it a while ago and don't remeber details about who directed it, when it was made, etc. The movie is about Australian aborigines who still have full tribal rites in the cities. Through some legal process, someone gets involved with the aborigines, finds out that these tribes stil exist (when they weren't thought to), and gets involved with history of the tribes. He starts dreaming that different things are happening, and when he is brought to a secret temple, finds that these dreams were documented many years ago by the aborigines. All in all a very confusing movie, but worth seeing. Another movie that I have never watched but always come around during Christmas on television is SANTA CLAUSE CONQUERS THE MARTIANS. Anyone ever watch it? DAdler