From: john grigg (starman125@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Dec 15 1999 - 13:50:38 MST
I found Damien's post very interesting. I remember as a teenager coming
across a copy of Olaf Stapleton's book and being enthralled by it with the
quaint but fascinating approach it took to describing humanities future. I
had thought it was a work that had been simply forgotten and now I learn of
all this!
I have only read one novel of Lem. I forget the title but the main
character was an astronaut who returns to Earth after having been gone for
centuries. He is seen as a dangerous throwback in a world where everyone
has been "treated" to be nonviolent. I remember how the cars had a crash
avoidance system in them and he tore his out. A popular actress wanted to
make love to him because he was such a "savage" even though she experienced
barely controlled terror around him.
I knew of Lem's stature but never got around to reading any more of his
books though I enjoyed the one I did read. I was fascinated to see that Lem
had actually critiqued the book I had thought lost into obscurity when I
found it in a used bookstore years ago.
One of my favorite stories in a somewhat similar vein is "Twilight" by John
W. Campbell. I loved how the visitor from the future catches a ride from a
rather regular guy in a truck and tells him of the histroy of humanity. Few
stories as a young teen caught my imagination like this one did. I need to
go back and reread it.
sincerely,
John Grigg
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