Posted on 03/12/2002 4:08:25 PM PST by metacognate
Asimov book reveals he died from AIDS By JAM! Books A forthcoming posthumous autobiography of Isaac Asimov reveals that the science fiction legend's death 10 years ago was due to AIDS, according to the New York Post.
Asimov, whose works include "I, Robot," reveals in "It's Been A Good Life" that he contracted the disease via tainted blood while undergoing a 1983 heart bypass operation.
The Post said Asimov's wife, Jane, compiled the new book from essays and notes her husband left behind when he died at 72.
Is there an echo in here?
in here?
in here?
QED. The signature of humanistic elitists is they always attract groupies who see intelligence as a good in itself and who become emotionally upset and engage in vicious personal attacks when someone points out that their idol is average at best.
The first one wasn't so bad. Many series are OK at the start and degrade over time. Examples: Jack Chalker's Well of Souls novels, Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld, and Piers Anthony's Cluster series.
Dune #1 wasn't bad. If you want an absolutely horrible series, try Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast which is completely unreadable, IMO.
--Boris
Go back and read it again. Or watch the movie; both clearly include telepathic skills among the Bene Geseret and the Spacing Guild.
--Boris
I liked the story of that treaty - but thought neither of the participants had any right to assign the title of 'best science fiction writer of all time', since that's Heinlein's title - as perhaps (guessing from your screen name) you'd agree?
I'm amazed how many sci-fi buffs there are at this site! Does anyone know anything about the upcoming movie based on one of Philip K. Dick's stories, something about a world where crimes are predicted, prevented, and punished beforehand? It looks interesting but I think Tom Cruise is staring, and I can't remember the name. Also, why is it that every other sci-fi movie is based on one of Dick's stories?
Ann Dermatol Venereol 1984;111(1):11-23
[Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Kaposi's disease and cerebral toxoplasmosis in a young man. Review of the literature apropos of a case]
[Article in French] Janier M, Perroud AM, Revuz J, Wechsler J, Feuilhade M, Poirier J, Caron JP, Touraine R.
The immunological profile of patients presenting AIDS in Europe doesn't seem to differ from the american profile: serious cellular immunodeficiency and marked increase in the suppressor/cytotoxic cell population. As in the United States, one may suspect, among several hypotheses, that it is caused by one or several transmissible agents now present in France. The nature of these agents, transmissible by sexual contacts and blood, is not yet known: the role of the CMV is now less probable and most of the studies look for the role of other factors such as the HTLV.
I just found Heinlein's later work to strange, cute, and boring to bother finishing any of those books.
I don't give a hoot how Asimov died. We all die someday, and we have a degree of lack of control as to how that will occur, as he did. At least he lives on in his work.
There's been over 15 direct replies to the poster, and not one response. Looks like a student of the MurrayMom hit-and-run school of posting.
Not quite, sorry. The Bene Gesserit often (probably, only the Reverend Mothers) have the "truthsaying" ability, but the implication is that they are able to pick up on very subtle body language/verbal cues to determine whether someone is telling the truth (due to their "prana-bindu" training, perhaps? It's been a while.) They can't even use telepathy with each other; instead, they've developed a subtle sign language and, probably, lip reading ability; why would they have needed sign language if they were telepathic? When they need to communicate with someone more directly/urgently and/or brainwash/control them, they use The Voice. But that's obviously vocal, not telepathic.
The Navigators of the Spacing Guild are mutated spice addicts, barely even human, whose use of the drug allows them to see through the fabric of space-time.
Neither ability can be accurately described as "telepathy".
In particular, if you got this impression from the film, it could be because David Lynch took the weird approach of having us hear all (or lots, anyway) of the characters' internal monologues from the book, overdubbed by all the actors in faux British accented whispers. But these were just internal monologues meant for the audience, not telepathy meant for the other characters.
On the other hand, later in the series (God Emperor) I do believe that Paul's son, Leto II "The Tyrant", has an ability more approaching telepathy. I forget what it was called, something like "second sight" or "other vision". He can "see" where people are and what they are doing, which helps him maintain control over his empire (and, which is the reason that, even later in the series, the invention of "no-ships" and "no-rooms" was necessary).
On the other hand I still don't think even Leto II could read minds or communicate telepathically. He had all those Duncan Idahos after all, half of whom would try to kill him, but he never knew exactly when....
(I should probably stop before I let loose some actual spoilers. Or reveal what a nerd I am :)
To each his own. I consider it one of the great literary achievements of the 20th century.
The crumbs blow free down the pointless sea
And are thrown to the hake above,
And the tropical air vibrates the the drone
Of a cake in the throes of love.
Wall Street Journal article on movie adaptations of PKD's work:
After the Nav's departure, the Emperor asks her what he was thinking of and she replies something like, "his thoughts are unclear; they think in different ways," or words to that effect.
Later, facing Alia, she hisses, "Get out of my mind!"
There are numerous other allusions to telepathy throughout.
--Boris
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.