|
|
Post by BertL on Oct 13, 2008 4:25:01 GMT -4
Hello everyone. For literature classes, we need to find three books with a similar theme and genre, so we can compare the three books with each others. A friend of mine and me are going to read Contact by Carl Sagan; however we have no idea about books with a similar theme and genre. Any suggestions? EDIT: The type of book we're looking for would preferably be a recent one. This is so that we can compare the perspectives (on extraterrestial life) from different eras with each other. Thanks in advance!  |
|
|
|
Post by lionking on Oct 13, 2008 5:24:06 GMT -4
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_Civilizations_(book)EDIT: you can tackle it from a scientists' point of view probably and compare it to "laymen's" point of view and what did each one highlight as points for or against.. or do you mean by literature the stories only and not scientific books?
|
|
|
|
Post by lionking on Oct 13, 2008 5:30:37 GMT -4
|
|
|
|
Post by Obviousman on Oct 13, 2008 6:45:09 GMT -4
I'd suggest "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlen.
|
|
|
|
Post by gwiz on Oct 13, 2008 8:06:04 GMT -4
|
|
Jason
Pluto
May all your hits be crits
Posts: 5,579
|
Post by Jason on Oct 13, 2008 11:27:12 GMT -4
Do they have to be British?
|
|
|
|
Post by BertL on Oct 13, 2008 11:28:29 GMT -4
Do they have to be British? Well, Carl Sagan's not British himself. If they're from an American author, they better be good. Our teacher is quite... pro-Britain. |
|
Jason
Pluto
May all your hits be crits
Posts: 5,579
|
Post by Jason on Oct 13, 2008 13:03:18 GMT -4
So, first contact novels? Or religion vs. science novels?
Either way: 2001: A Space Odessey, by Arthur C. Clarke (who is British).
It has the advantage that you can also watch the film version.
|
|
|
|
Post by BertL on Oct 13, 2008 13:17:28 GMT -4
I suspected 2001 was a good choice.
Thing is, my friend and I are not sure where to take it. We could go on the "first contact" road, but we could also have religion vs. science as our main theme. I myself would prefer the latter; the friend probably the former.
|
|
Al Johnston
"Cheer up!" they said, "It could be worse!" So I did, and it was.
Posts: 1,453
|
Post by Al Johnston on Oct 13, 2008 13:54:47 GMT -4
Peter F Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy has elements of both.
On the downside there are 3,000 pages of it...
|
|
|
|
Post by gwiz on Oct 13, 2008 14:24:03 GMT -4
So does Arthur C Clarke's "Childhoods End", and that's only 200 pages.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ginnie on Oct 13, 2008 21:12:14 GMT -4
Water Tevis - The Man Who Fell to Earth
He is an American author. BTW he also wrote "The Hustler".
|
|
Al Johnston
"Cheer up!" they said, "It could be worse!" So I did, and it was.
Posts: 1,453
|
Post by Al Johnston on Oct 14, 2008 8:35:00 GMT -4
Ken MacLeod's Learning the World is well worth a read.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ginnie on Oct 14, 2008 19:45:05 GMT -4
How about "Chocky" by John Wyndham, who is British. It's a short book too. Plot summary
Many children have imaginary friends but one father becomes rather concerned that his son, Matthew, is a bit old to have one. His concerns deepen as his son becomes increasingly distressed and blames it on arguments with this unseen companion. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the friend is far from imaginary, but is an alien consciousness residing inside Matthew's mind—a fact that is of intense interest to shadowy government forces.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocky |
|
|
|
Post by Obviousman on Oct 15, 2008 4:44:23 GMT -4
I thought of Stranger because it is - in some ways - a new take on the traditional contact scenario. This time a human grows up with the aliens (Martians) and is taken back to Earth. We have learn to deal with human who is Martian... and he has to learn to deal with us.
|
|
