Comments on: Late Nite FDL: Crichton’s Clumsy Hatchet http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/ Firedoglake weblog Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:49:02 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kathryn from Sunnyvale http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421416 Kathryn from Sunnyvale Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:28:04 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421416 <p>Michael Crichton’s books are nearly all thrillers, not science fiction.</p> <p>Thriller:<br /> how people respond to the *threat* of disruption to their society / surroundings. Monsters, bad guys, swamp creatures, arrogant scientists: by the end of the book the threat is killed and all is returned to normal. Common sense wins over cold-hearted science. Often ends with a chilling warning that “it could happen again.” </p> <p>Example: Crichton’s “Prey.” </p> <p>Science fiction:<br /> How people respond to a changed society or world. Something new has happened, and people learn (or don’t learn) how to deal with the permanent change. A common-sense desire to return to the status quo can get people hurt or killed, because reality isn’t changed by willpower. Often ends with people making the best of the new situation- sometimes the new situation is better than before, sometimes not.</p> <p>Example- what happens when global warming causes new climate patterns? Kim Robinson “40 Signs of Rain” and the followup “50 Degrees Below.” What if being rich meant you could give your kids medical improvements- a better immune system, no need for sleep- not available to everyone else? (And the kids don’t all suddenly die at 18 or turn into zombies, the way they would in a thriller.)Nancy Kress- “Beggars in Spain.”</p> Michael Crichton’s books are nearly all thrillers, not science fiction.

Thriller:
how people respond to the *threat* of disruption to their society / surroundings. Monsters, bad guys, swamp creatures, arrogant scientists: by the end of the book the threat is killed and all is returned to normal. Common sense wins over cold-hearted science. Often ends with a chilling warning that “it could happen again.”

Example: Crichton’s “Prey.”

Science fiction:
How people respond to a changed society or world. Something new has happened, and people learn (or don’t learn) how to deal with the permanent change. A common-sense desire to return to the status quo can get people hurt or killed, because reality isn’t changed by willpower. Often ends with people making the best of the new situation- sometimes the new situation is better than before, sometimes not.

Example- what happens when global warming causes new climate patterns? Kim Robinson “40 Signs of Rain” and the followup “50 Degrees Below.” What if being rich meant you could give your kids medical improvements- a better immune system, no need for sleep- not available to everyone else? (And the kids don’t all suddenly die at 18 or turn into zombies, the way they would in a thriller.)Nancy Kress- “Beggars in Spain.”

]]> By: punaise http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421413 punaise Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:22:05 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421413 <p><a href="#comment-421077"><em>punaise @<br /> 162 </em></a></p> <blockquote><p><a href="#comment-421074"><em>egregious @ 159</em></a></p> <blockquote> <p>ok what AM i doing up at 3am,<br /> waiting for my son to come home on the late nite/early morning train. Mothers….</p></blockquote> <p>e<em>groove</em>gious</p></blockquote> <p>(merrygregious)</p> <p>correction <em>la mere</em> egregious</p> punaise @
162

egregious @ 159

ok what AM i doing up at 3am,
waiting for my son to come home on the late nite/early morning train. Mothers….

egroovegious

(merrygregious)

correction la mere egregious

]]> By: David Ehrenstein http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421174 David Ehrenstein Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:50:12 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421174 <p>Crichton is also a racist. His <em>Rising Sun</em> predicted a complete takeover of the U.S. by the <em>Evil Japanese </em> back in the early 90’s.</p> Crichton is also a racist. His Rising Sun predicted a complete takeover of the U.S. by the Evil Japanese back in the early 90’s.

]]> By: Terry in Maryland http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421168 Terry in Maryland Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:44:53 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421168 <p>Congo. </p> <p>And here I’d just completely purged Congo from my memory. Mutant apes who kill people with stone ping pong paddles. How utterly STUPID is that? I wasted hours of my life reading that thing.</p> Congo.

And here I’d just completely purged Congo from my memory. Mutant apes who kill people with stone ping pong paddles. How utterly STUPID is that? I wasted hours of my life reading that thing.

]]> By: cbl http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421132 cbl Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:16:11 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421132 <p>(((((GrandmaJ))))</p> <p>busy yourself with a postcard while awaiting your appointment</p> <p><a href="http://postsecret.blogspot.com/">http://postsecret.blogspot.com/</a></p> (((((GrandmaJ))))

busy yourself with a postcard while awaiting your appointment

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

]]> By: witchywoman http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421127 witchywoman Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:06:40 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421127 <p>(((GrandmaJ))) Peace to your heart and diversion to your mind. Congrats on your weightloss. I’m a bit plateau’d myself.</p> (((GrandmaJ))) Peace to your heart and diversion to your mind. Congrats on your weightloss. I’m a bit plateau’d myself.

]]> By: GrandmaJ http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421126 GrandmaJ Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:03:39 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421126 <p>Balrog - thanks for the video of the diving. Those ells certainly look comfy in their ‘home’.</p> Balrog – thanks for the video of the diving. Those ells certainly look comfy in their ‘home’.

]]> By: GrandmaJ http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421123 GrandmaJ Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:00:15 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421123 <p>Good morning. Egregious - have a wonderful Christmas. I will try to emulate your happiness, because I am feeling little. Worried. Day and night, with no end in sight. Soon I will have to contact a therapist again. </p> <p>However, on the up side, I continue to lose weight altho it is getting harder and harder and I finished making all 10 pair of mittens for the family. I intend to fill the mittens with some goodies - just like stockings.</p> Good morning. Egregious – have a wonderful Christmas. I will try to emulate your happiness, because I am feeling little. Worried. Day and night, with no end in sight. Soon I will have to contact a therapist again.

However, on the up side, I continue to lose weight altho it is getting harder and harder and I finished making all 10 pair of mittens for the family. I intend to fill the mittens with some goodies – just like stockings.

]]> By: cbl http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421119 cbl Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:54:38 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421119 <p>Mornin’ Firedogs</p> <p>Scarecrow,</p> <p>your ‘Modest Proposal’ was fabulous, hell, even I caught the Swiftian flava - you write purdy</p> <p>FDL’s like the Dodgers Farm System of old - management can simply reach in and pluck golden glove, after golden glove - my, my, my</p> <p>T-Rex !</p> <p>Crichton makes me think of the occasional Perfect Specimen I would take to my bed - only to go running for my life the second he opened his mouth</p> Mornin’ Firedogs

Scarecrow,

your ‘Modest Proposal’ was fabulous, hell, even I caught the Swiftian flava – you write purdy

FDL’s like the Dodgers Farm System of old – management can simply reach in and pluck golden glove, after golden glove – my, my, my

T-Rex !

Crichton makes me think of the occasional Perfect Specimen I would take to my bed – only to go running for my life the second he opened his mouth

]]> By: Balrog http://firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421114 Balrog Sat, 16 Dec 2006 13:49:09 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/12/15/late-nite-fdl-crichtons-clumsy-hatchet/#comment-421114 <p>Morning all,</p> <p>I did my first contributions to YouTube this AM. A short taste of some of Balrog’s Big Underwater Adventure.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY5_VMAfHrk">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqH2QN77xXg">here.</a></p> Morning all,

I did my first contributions to YouTube this AM. A short taste of some of Balrog’s Big Underwater Adventure.

Here and here.

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