Past, Present and Future

Everything old is new again

Sorry to say, I STILL haven't finished my new books - so the review will have to wait. However, as promised, here are my thoughts on the US version of Life on Mars as promised. We are now 7 episodes in and I am actually not sure if I will bother watching the rest. The main trouble is that the US traits of prudishness and political correctness are dooming the series to continual blandness. The main things that I liked about the original was the realism that it projected. The speech patterns, slang and general conscious and unconscious racism projected by the characters firmly planted things in the '70's. Although the 'blood and gut's' portion of the series was muted, it was still there and the writers did not shy away from issues such as drugs or homosexuality, but were able to keep away from overt sex and violence that would have been easy to add. The US Version? Many of the stories have been dumbed down and, in some cases, made unintelligible. The growing love story within the series has been allowed to be a more major portion  and, in my opinion, it lowers the quality of things. I suppose, if you hadn't seen the original, it would have been better, but I don't think so. Overall then, a poor copy and a critical failure - like so many US copies of British programmes. Mind you, the BBC doesn't always get things right. Survivors 2008 is a case in point. This may get rather interesting though. It seems that a new production of  The Day of the Triffids is on it's way. Man, I really hope this is done properly. This is a story that has never really dated and becomes more relevant with time. Considering that Triffids are shown as a source of biomass and oil substitute, the comparisons with our current obsession with GM crops and dependence of foreign oil is amazing. Don't watch the skies!  

I have a bad feeling about this

There is always the danger that updating an older TV series can provide for poor reviews when compared to the original. I think that this may be the case with my feelings about the revamped and updated BBC series of Survivors. The first episode was broadcast yesterday with the second to follow tomorrow and, so far, has earned tentative praise from the critics. Here is my 'take' on the new series. I've only just finished watching the original mid-70's series and, although it seemed to lose focus half way through, it was still a profound experience. I felt that the way in which it was filmed and the absence of background music made it almost like a documentary and the whole feeling was one of dark and gritty realism. The new series? Hmmmm. I'm not so sure this time. The use of soft focus around the edge of the screen in many cases annoyed me and I sometimes thought there was something wrong with the picture. There was also the use of multiple shots used to illustrate certain scenes and a definite soundtrack that permeated the program. There were some truly harrowing moments and it really made me think about what would truly happen in such a scenario. I don't think I would make a good survivor. Was it a good show? Yes, I think it was and makes me want to see what's next. The jury is still out however. I just hope they don't get all politically correct and opt for the non realistic approach. The original series seemed to ignore the racial mix and only two indian and one black face was seen in all 38 episodes - the new series is much better balanced and more accurately reflects the British racial mix. I don't know when this will come to Canadian screens, but I do recommend catching it when it does. Next post: Life on Mars US update and maybe (if I get it finished) a book review.

Communications

Just a quick update on my recent purchase. I am about half way though 1634: The Baltic War and enjoying every turn of the page. I won't go into details yet until I've finished, but I can give you the gist of the alternate world it's set in. Before I do, I must state that it's important that you don't rationalize the issue but just  accept it and continue on. In many alternative histories, the causative event can be absolutely silly or completely crazy, but it's wise just to move past that and increase your 'suspension of disbelief' factor. Here we go then. The modern US mining town of Grantville is transported to the middle of Europe and dumped into the past maelstrom that was known as the 30-Years war. So now you have a group of people with strong ideas of democracy and all the modern freedoms we have, dealing with the autocratic and 'blinkered' rulers of one of the most intolerant periods of history. Their adaptation to their new reality and how the surrounding princes and 'movers and shakers' deal with these 'magicians' from another world makes for a major clash of ideologies and personalities. The series of books in this world starting with 1632 are well written (in the main) and make you want to always see 'what's next'. I like that. I recommend going to the dedicated website and exploring the world of this altered time in detail. In other news, remember I found an historical Blackader (not Blackadder) during my reading of Blenheim? Well, I wrote to Rowan Atkinson and received this reply: 'The character of Blackadder was not named after anybody - although many references to people with that surname have been discovered since. Pure coincidence. Kind regards'. Wasn't that nice - thanks Mr. Atkinson.

Europe in the balance

While I am still slogging though my latest alternate history tome, I still found time to re-read this rather excellent book. 'Blenheim' by Charles Spencer was published in 2004 and, last time I looked, is going for about $5 in Chapters' bargain area. This pivotal battle in August 1704 made a profound change in the fortunes of both France and England. This well researched and very readable book traces both the path to victory and the rise of the Duke of Marlborough - the ancestor of Winston Churchill. It always amazes me that people say that war and violence doesn't change things or is counter-productive to society. Unfortunately, violent conflict has shaped and continues to shape our world for better or worse. The old saying that war is an extension of politics is still very true today. What are the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan other that a more vicious game of politics. The sad thing is, that this 'game' causes the death of many a brave soldier and innocent civilian. Mankind is very good at killing, I'm afraid. Whew! That was a rant, wasn't it? Back to the book in question. I always enjoy books that include a lot of personal details and anecdotes to bring a lost period to life and this is no exception. It's also fun to learn new things and get a few surprises. I wasn't all that knowledgeable about the period or the details of the campaign and was quite entertained and educated. One fun surprise was the name of one of John Churchill's soldiers and sources used within the book. A certain Scottish low-lander named Captain Blackader! Yes, it would appear that Rowan Atkinson's creation had an actual namesake. Now, did Atkinson know this to find his character's name - hmmmm. I'll have to write and ask him. If I get a reply, I'll pass it on.

Remember!

The lost generation

Tomorrow may be Remembrance Day, but today is worth remembering too. On this day in 1918 the guns were still firing, the aircraft still dueled in the air and the soldiers continued to die in the trenches. A Lieutenant Colonel Patton was destined for the heights of glory and a certain Italian socialist named Benito dreamed of a new Roman Empire. Phillipe Petain, the savior of Verdun, would ultimately be reviled as a traitor and collaborator and, in a small hospital behind the German lines recovering from a gas attack, lay a young, brave and proud soldier. Young Adolph, who had received the Iron Cross for bravery under fire, was willing to lay his life down for his adopted homeland (he was Austrian) and would take his country to the edge of hell. The legacy of the First World War and the disastrous Treaty that ended the fighting had a ripple effect that changed our world profoundly. The 'what if's' that surround the end of the war can make for sobering thought. What if President Wilson's 14 points were accepted? What if the US had been part of the League of Nations? What if the allies insisted that Germany surrender? Because they never signed a surrender, the Nazi party could contend that the German army never lost but was 'stabbed in the back'. Maybe someone could have given Adolf an overdose of something. Tomorrow, when we sit quietly and remember all of those fallen in war since the end of that butchery called the First World War, please remember the lost opportunities to improve our world. There was, in the UK, a phrase that represented the thanks of a nation - 'homes fit for heroes'. I've heard it differently - 'heroes fit for homes'. Remember them!

A poorer World

Just a quick cry of 'why'? Michael Crichton has passed away today. He leaves behind a body of work that has influenced many other writers of books and screenplays. From 'The Andromeda Strain' to the last released book 'Next' via 'Jurassic Park', he has made his mark on the World. He will be missed. Thanks for sharing your imagination with us Michael.

The waters of Venus

As promised, here is the review of one of my latest acquisitions from the book store. I must admit, I quite like S. M. Stirling's style and he creates very believable worlds and crafts stories that keep you engrossed and entertained. This one, 'The Sky People', is no exception. In the bad old days of planetary science, it was thought that our 'sister' planet of Venus was at an earlier stage of development and was much like Earth during the last age of the dinosaurs and that the clouds shrouding the planet were composed of water vapor. Boy, were we ever wrong about that! Venus is probably the nearest to Hell that we can imagine with it's heat high enough to melt lead, sulfuric acid atmosphere and pressures to crush us into little puddles of goo in an instant. Obviously not a place to visit and very unlikely that man will ever set foot there. But....what if? In this book, Venus is just as we imagined and it is a lush water-heavy world with a complex ecosystem including dinosaurs, mammals and humanoids. This discovery creates a renewed space race between the US and the Soviets resulting in colonies by the 1980's and a more peaceful Earth. The story is very much a homage to all those wonderful pulp writers and is a great romp though a richly detailed environment. Here we have heroes and quests and Indiana Jones style discoveries that keep you turning the pages just to see what's next. The sequel to this book, 'In the Court of the Crimson King', takes us to Mars, where the same idea of making the imagined world real is continued. Here, Mars is a place with a more advanced civilization than ours but in severe decline. I must get  a copy - when it's cheap of course. This book only cost me $6.99 for the hardback!