Text 24252, 53 rader
Skriven 2008-11-29 23:36:59 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: The door to the summer
==============================
Hello Robert,

On Thursday November 27 2008 09:12, you wrote to me:

 MV>> I love Heinlein, but the problem I have with time travel stories
 MV>> is, that I have yet to see one where the author finds a plausible
 MV>> way arounde the grandfather paradox. This one was no exception.
 MV>> IIRC it end in a half hearthed attempt to twist into an alternate
 MV>> history.

 RB> Oh, I didn't think it was that half-hearted... and anyway, you don't
 RB> read science fiction to learn science, but to enjoy yourself. The old
 RB> "What would happen IF...?" question.

Of course, it is amusement. But for me to properly enjoy it, the story must
have some credibility. It must be possible in the sense that it does not
blatantly violate what we already know or knew when the story was written. So i
can ,ive with faster than light travel, as there is enough that we do not know
yet to leave room for it. Barely, but just enough. But as an exemple I have
serious problems with Jule Verne's "Journey to the moon". Firing a manned
spacecraft to the moon like a bullet from a canon? Oh. c'mon, the accelaration
would smash the passengers to mince meat. That is simple newtonian mechanics.
He got the part about the dead dog that was ditched into space and that floated
along with the craft right. Nut he forgot that the paasengers inside also were
weightless.

Ok, about the half hearthed, IIRC he mentioned the alternate history thing only
every near the end of the story. As if it were an afterthought.

Of course, if this alternate history thing reaaly holds water there is no point
to go back to the past to "correct" mistakes in the first place is there? All
that will be acomplished is that you end up in another time line, but the
original line with the mistake is still there, albeit without you.

 RB> I recently re-read "The Demolished Man" by Alfrd Bester...

I read that too. *long* time ago. Forgot most about it...

 RB> story of how a man commits a murder in a society where telepathy is
 RB> used by the police to prevent such things. Beautiful work. I've now
 RB> bought a German translation so that my son can read it too (his
 RB> English isn't up to reading books yet, although he's taking English
 RB> classes at the local adult education center).

He can not read English?  Oh boy. Isn't reading English part of the standard
education in Germany? Here "everyone" can read English. I can't remember not
being able to read English.


Cheers, Michiel

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