Micheal Critchon

[xXxAuroraxXx]

Thorne shrugged, "They're still just fantasies, They're not real. Have you ever seen a self-esteem? Can you bring me one on a plate? How about a photon? Can you bring me one of those?"

Kelly shook her head. "No, but. . ."

"And you never will, because those things don't exist. No matter how seriously people take them," Thorne said. "A hundred years from now people will look back at us and laugh. They'll say, 'You know what people used to belive? They belived in photons and electrons. Can you imagine anything so silly?' They'll have a good laugh, because by then there will be newer and better fantasies." Thorne shook his head. "And meanwhile, you feel the way the boat moves? That's the sea. That's real. You smell the salt in the air? You feel the sunlight on your skin? That's all real. You see all of us together? That's real. Life is wonderful. It's a gift to be alive, to see the sun and breathe the air. And there isn't really anything else."

 

 

 

That's a little exerpt from Micheal Crichton's "The Lost World" I though I would share it with people. Get some feedback. I found it compelling and interesting. I've gotten into a debate with one of my friends and they say that they base there life on depending on things like Self-Esteem and faith. But I say you should base your life on something solid and real, not belifes, because if they're not real...then they are going to dissapoint you. That's what I got out of it. Hope you enjoy it.

[Aegir]

I'm agree 100%, although photons, electrons, etc are great and interesting the Greeks, Romans, Phonecians, Chinese, and dozens of other civilisations got along just fine wihtout them, and chances are there is some alian civilisation that gets along fine without any faith in a higher being, or self esteem or any of that... I guess its kind of similar to "Ignorance is bliss", it's just more precise and therefore more true

[Crash]

Just as science cant be proven they (extratersstrial life) could have divesed a way just as successful, but a different way of interpreting the way in which nature behaves.........

[Sayonara]

How did such a passable novel get turned into such a mediocre film?

[Dave]

They always do.

[atinymonkey]

'Timeline'. Jesus.

[mooeypoo]

Speaking of Crichton in the context of wonderful scientific theories and screwed up movies - the amazing book SPHERE.

 

I adored "The Andromeda Strain."

 

AMAZING book, wonderful, brilliant theories in science.

 

He's a genious imo.

 

~moo

[Dave]

The Andromeda Strain was an absoloutely fantastic read. I must have read it at least 5 times from the school library.

[mooeypoo]

I loved the way it shattered the common beliefs about viruses and biological organizms. Their adaptions to heat, climates and so on.. anyone knows if Crichton has any kind of science degree? or phylosophical one, at least..? it sounds like it with his books.

 

He has amazing phylosophical theories..

 

~moo

[Dave]

From his own webpage (http://www.crichton-official.com/aboutmc/biography.html), he did his medical degree at Harvard, and is a medical doctor.

[atinymonkey]

So, nobody else has the opinion that his stories are kind of linear?

 

Scientists perform experiment > dubious outsider appears and is all clever and foreboding > something goes wrong > panic > outsider survives mayhem.

 

Not that I don't think the guys smart, he's just a little unoriginal. Unlike, say, Uberto Eco’s crazy overeducated head.

[xXxAuroraxXx]

Sphere, oh man. Absolutely incredible. I've read it several times. I love that book. I;ve read most of his books...Airframe, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Timeline, Prey, Sphere, Congo, Eaters of the dead, Andromeda Strain...maybe more...heh. He's a good writer, I think.

 

If you throw a Donnie Darko twist into Sphere, just think about it...wow. Deciding to forget about it = Sending the artifact back to it's original universe thus saving the world. Heh.

[mooeypoo]

atiny: it's true that the form of the story is a bit "obvious" but I am talking more of the THEORIES inside the book. Those are the reason why I concider him to be a genious.

[xXxAuroraxXx]

Yes, he takes a theory and builds a story around it. Makes reading about science interesting. Theses long 2-page explanations dont just pop up in the book for no reason.

[NSX]

Unlike, say, Uberto Eco’s crazy overeducated head.

 

 

that's interesting

 

any recommended reads?