Just been listening to Elton John's Rocket Man. I like the realistic lines about space in it, especially the line 'In fact its cold as hell."
I suppose its part of the same pool of space-race pop from which the earlier Space Oddity and Starman sprang. Bowie's line 'Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows' always tugs the heartstrings as I expect space will be a lonely place once we get back up there and yes, cold as hell.
Speaking of cold, I heard one of my favourite lines in all science fiction again this week, "intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."
This is of course the last line of the blood-chilling opening to HG Wells's War of the Worlds. The BBC are airing their new grand Victorian tripod-fest this winter and it strode into view on Sunday night. I myself was blown away. I thought the whole thing was superb and I'm already looking forward to episode 2 next Sunday.
There was another reminder of the cold vast cosmos on TV this week when I caught the re-run of Wonders of the Solar System with the ultra-hip Prof Brian Cox. Infectiously enthusiastic about space, Prof Cox, gave us a fabulous glimpse of what sunrise would be like on Sedna.
Sedna is one of the farthest dwarf planets from our sun, a distant neighbour at the brink of our system where its vast and cool. Exotic, remote and unfathomably far away, Sedna is still in the grip of the sun's gravity, despite our star being just a pin-prick of light rising and setting on its horizon. Sedna will be at Perihelion in 2075 and even though I will not be around to see this mysterious world come its closest to the sun and its inner solar family my Grandson will. He'll be 58, the age I am now! Sedna won't be back for another 11,000 years!
What are your thoughts on being in space or being visited from space readers?
Re. being visited form Space, I absolutely hated "War of the Worlds"- I could accept a female character being thrown in, but less impressed by the additional storyline attached -and the many liberties taken with the Martians and their machinery -such as the levitating ball vapourising people, means I won't be watching any more...
ReplyDeleteSorry you don't like it Andy. I suppose the BBC were trying to make it even more interesting.
DeleteI really didn't like the first episode. Unconvincing characters, iffy dialogue and somehow they managed to make an alien invasion a bit dull!
ReplyDeleteOh no. You as well Kev. I wonder if the BBC have misfired with this one. I actually liked it!
DeleteSeems to be a bit of a devider this one.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was OK, but a close mate of mine thought it was naff.
Mish.
Yep Mish, I think its a love or hate it series by the looks of it!
DeleteYou ain't seen nothing yet, fellas. There is also another recent take on WotW currently on Finnish telly. In the story, the aliens kill the majority of mankind by sending radio waves at a certain frequency.
ReplyDeleteThe tv series seems to be designed to do exactly the same
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9686194/
Wow, Arto! More Wars, more worlds! Marvellous! I shall have a closer look at that link! But I shall not be turning on the radio!
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