RED AND GOLD FOR DAN DARE FROM TERRANOVA47

There was of course only one really good spacesuit figure in a suit that predates 2001. 

These are from the web as mine is mint in box in garage!

Have you got a Dan Dare?

Terranova47

NYC

USA

THUNDERCOP 2 TOY

I enjoyed watching this about the Thundercop knockoff Thunderbird 2.

I bought a couple of loose ones from Car Boots years ago but never a brand new boxed one.

Have you got a Thundercop readers?

DAN DARE IN GARDEN PERIL

A couple of old photos I've dug out showing a Crescent Dan Dare figure which was kindly given to me a while back by fellow blogger, Bill . Here's Dan seeing off a Mighty Max bug-eyed monster at the bottom of the garden...

INSIGHT INTO MARS

On the 5th May NASA sent InSight to Mars. It will land in November and start drilling.

NASA hopes the robotic InSight will reveal the inner geology of the red planet.

Exciting stuff!

I didn't see much about this in the news. Did you? Are today's generation not that bothered about space missions?

OLD NASA LUNAR ANIMATION

Here's a superb old NASA film on You Tube.

There's some wonderful animation in it.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY SPACE SUIT FIGURE FROM MAFEX

As we’re coming up to the fiftieth anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey going on general release in the UK, (May 15th 1968) here’s another  piece of recently released 2001 merchandise, the Space Suit Action Figure from Mafex which appeared towards the end of 2017.

This is the orange version, representing David Bowman, there’s also a yellow version available, representing Frank Poole.

I  know Bowman doesn't appear in the  'Dawn of Man' , but I've always liked the scene of that first encounter with the alien monolith, so why not... 

The figure is obviously fully poseable, apart from the helmet, and has a clear display stand. 

It comes with three pairs of interchangeable hands – normal, pointing and fist.

The detail and lettering on the suit, chest pack and back pack is excellent.

As you can see the visor is blacked out, as it does at one point in the movie, which actually looks pretty cool to me, and gives the figure a mysterious otherworldly look.

I think I can hear Also sprach Zarathustra...

Will Robots Walk the Streets?

While breakawaying Ive just read Richard  Matheson's short story Brother of the Machine.

Its an excellent portrait of a rogue malfunctioning robot stumbling through a human town.

I really enjoyed it. I've always been fascinated by humans meeting different 'species' such as dinosaurs, other hominids and especially robots.

I'm also reading HG Wells' The Time  Machine, a much longer story and one which is well known now. His story of a man alone in a future society of Eloi and Morlocks has echoes of Matheson's robot tale written much later.

Both deal with the plight of an individual at odds with the world around them and a sense of not fitting in. This is something that many people can relate to as we all struggle with the same puzzle of existence.

Many early sci-fi writers were able to predict future technologies and  the associated trouble with almost uncanny clarity.

I wonder if my Grandson or his children will ever see a rogue robot shambling through the streets as its programming falters?

With Siri and Alexa already talking to today's children, will robots walk with tomorrow's?

What do you think readers?

AIRFIX ORION SPACE PLANE

I'm still filled with the spirit of 2001, so here's a couple of photo composites  I've cobbled together using my Airfix Orion and a couple of holiday snaps I took last year over and at Venice airport.