Science Fiction and Coming Of Age

Journal of a UFO Investigator by David Halperin

Journal of a UFO Investigator is the best coming-of-age book, using the Cold War UFO Phenomenon to look at the lives of Baby Boomers and to tell the story of one teen that studied UFO sightings from 1963 – 1967. while figuring out his life.  The author did this himself as well, going on to become a professor of Jewish history, Heavenly Ascent and Biblical languages.

Extraterrestrials and Men In Black keep teen Danny Shapiro busy, while he processes his community’s prejudices and survives the bullies at school. This story could help many of our youth to treasure their differences, stand up to bullying, and release their thoughts of suicide.    

This is one of the most innovative sci-fi book of the year. For a full review, see:

Journal of a UFO Investigator

Moby Dick, the Great White Whale and Captain Ahab’s obsession with his obliteration is complex, heavy with symbolism nd l-o-n-g.  Themes include politics, racism, and religion as well as class disparity. The remake with Patrick Stewart as Ahab is excellent and reminds me of Ahab’s last words spit from the mouth of Kahn Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) in Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn. This led to The Voyage Home and a pair of endangered whales that saved the world in 1986 and the 23rd Century.   For videos of the great comedy moments of the film, back story, and bloopers, see:

Classics – Whales in Science Fiction and Literature

>>Today, Star Trek’s William Shatner helps new actors, writers, artists, singers, musicians, directors and others to achieve their dreams at http://www.myouterspace.com/.

Disaster Park – A Dark Ride

Smoke, plaster dust, falling chunks of concrete, ceiling cave-ins, alarms, water, blood, the screeching of twisting I-beams. In slow-mo – the shrieking, then breaking of safety glass…People on the sidewalk below screaming into the sky, “WTF?!”  You stand in one of those shattering windows and look into the nose of the jet of a new kind of terrorist kamikaze. It stabs clear through you into your office, carbonizing workers standing around telling dirty jokes, flaming through a conference room full of executives… You’re in the middle of a high-rise disaster, but it’s an adventure ride at DelaneyLand.

Would you pay to go on that ride? How many times? —

Disaster Park by Mark J. Konkel; A Dark Ride.

Jules Verne Predicted the Future

Paris In the 20th Century

Jules Verne is mentioned with awe by Quorra in Tron Legacy, and with good reason. In his popular works, but also in his obscure writings, he predicted the future.

In Paris in the 20th Century, Verne set Paris in its future year of 1960 with uncanny accuracy from his position of the middle 19th Century.  Our 1960 was an early year of the US and Soviet Space Programs, the Cold War, nuclear power, and Civil Rights.  You can see parallels to Verne’s historical drams films The Right Stuff and K-19.

Take a look at the predictions of Jules Verne that came to life, in the link above. Science fiction and futurist writers are often our way to future scientific developments that help the world.  See what Verne did.

Amazon.com: Your Profile: Reviews

Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke

Id been searching for this book across the world for a couple of years and finally found one on Amazon.com. I rceived it quickly and in Good shape for readability. Since then, I have enjoyed reading it more than once.  The book seems to be one of a few in a set of sci-fi classics by diffefrent authors of the Golden Age, all dealing with “space bars.” It’s fun and very entertaining.    

Takes From the White Hart has given me additional insight into the world of the the Star Trek novels’ The Captains Table series. Of the Trek series, my favorite is Fire Ship, set in the ST:Voyager time line, for its story, new universe, and characterizations. Clarke’s White Hart would be a good book to enjoy before reading the Trek Series.  

Visit Amazon.com for more of My Reviews.

Religious Implications of “Tron Legacy”

Religious Implications of “Tron Legacy”.

Tron Legacy addresses the nature and creation of life and considers: by what or by whom can life be created? Science fiction and fantasy literature and film have considered these questions since the 19th Century at least and may never be satisfied with the answers available to date. Tron Legacy raises more questions about these concepts at the end of its film than do many others in 2010.  While some viewers and critics see Legacy as much-awaited entertainment and others think it fails to live up to expections, I see parallels with the possible future of Humankind very close to the surface of this work. They are startling. 

Having believed since the Internet became popular that like patterns present themselves incyberspace, Earthly life, and outer space via fractal equations, Tron Legacy raised the hair on the back of my neck.  it is not just an entertaining film with a return of Jeff Bridges. It could be prophetic.

Anti-Matter!

U of C researchers part of historic antimatter capture.

The University of Calgary in Albert Province, Canada; lays claim to the astonishing feat of capturing 38 atoms for 1/10 second as anti-matter. Star Trek® lives!

Paris Capitalism

In 1863 during the American Civil War, futurist author Jules Verne wrote about the France he envisioned in 1960 and he was correct on almost all points. Exceptionally far-sighted in this regard, he was regarded as a mad man by his publisher and advised to forget his tale of the future. Verne locked it away in a safe, in which it was not found for about 120 years.

Verne’s great-grandson opened the safe, had the manuscript authenticated, and published in 1994.

Paris in the 20th Century

is a cautionary tale about industry, technology, and capitalism at their full combined reach, to the detriment of the humanities.

Read along with great books and films of from 1960 itself, we can be doubly cautioned in 2010.

Online Fanzine Up

The HubNuggets Online Fanzine for 5-21-2010 is up and ready to read. 

This one is really a hoot, because it successfully combines elements of science fiction, mystery, and action series of film and TV fame into one storyline with a cliffhanger – just like real TV right now! And this one will make you laugh instead of cringe and cry so much.

HubNuggets Wannabes are 18 nominated individuals from among new writers vying for the title of Hubnugget (Winner). The 9 Winners after a week, by reader vote, will receive media recognition in an online newsletter reaching over 70,000 each month and all those that receive it as a “share”, directed increase in web traffic, and other benefits.

As a reader and voter, you share in the fun and if you join the site, you can make money writing in the community.  

IT’S THE MYSTERY NUGGETS!