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46th out of 80 books
—
187 voters
Supertoys Last All Summer Long and Other Stories of Future Time
David is just a little boy, a little boy who loves his mother, and his teddy bear. David wants to make his mummy happy, and tell her he loves her, but can't quite seem to find the words.
His verbal communication center is giving him trouble again. He may have to go back to the factory.
For more than four decades Brian Aldiss has been confounding the limits of satire, poetry,...more
His verbal communication center is giving him trouble again. He may have to go back to the factory.
For more than four decades Brian Aldiss has been confounding the limits of satire, poetry,...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
June 27th 2001
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published January 1st 2001)
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Recuerdo que me hice de este ejemplar en los libros usados que vendía un tipo en la Facultad, cuando estudiaba Letras.
Era Aldiss, un nombre que había visto algunas veces en la biblioteca de papá. Una biblioteca donde impera un buen número de libros de Martínez Roca, de Minotauro y de otras editoriales enfocadas en publicar ciencia ficción.
Papá respondía siempre algo similar ante mi pregunta de por qué le interesaba la ciencia ficción. ¿Por qué la lees? ¿Qué ves en ella?
Años después, sin nunca ha...more
Era Aldiss, un nombre que había visto algunas veces en la biblioteca de papá. Una biblioteca donde impera un buen número de libros de Martínez Roca, de Minotauro y de otras editoriales enfocadas en publicar ciencia ficción.
Papá respondía siempre algo similar ante mi pregunta de por qué le interesaba la ciencia ficción. ¿Por qué la lees? ¿Qué ves en ella?
Años después, sin nunca ha...more
Brian Aldiss has always been one of the more un-bounded authors. By that I mean he strays outside particular definitions of genre or sub-genre. You could say "creative", but all authors are creative.
This collection contains a fair sampling of the range of work that he has written over the years. Here there are science fiction "futures" with the near or far extrapolation of science, technology and culture, as one might expect. But many of the stories have an almost surreal, subtle flavoring of vi...more
This collection contains a fair sampling of the range of work that he has written over the years. Here there are science fiction "futures" with the near or far extrapolation of science, technology and culture, as one might expect. But many of the stories have an almost surreal, subtle flavoring of vi...more
Like many other people, I picked this book for the first 3 stories, the ones that were the basis for AI. I think I hardly ever read anything this bleak. The story of the little robot boy who wants to be human so his "mother" loves him is particularly disturbing. What made it particularly efficient was the attention given to details: the absent "father", the boredom of the mother, and the picture of society at large (just one example: it is a society in which the developing countries are as starv...more
This collection of short stories includes the famous Supertoys Last All Summer Long as well as the two sequels that Aldiss wrote and which form the basis of the film A.I. I've never managed to read Supertoys until now and I found it a moving story of a boy whose mother doesn't love him. The sequels were interesting, but they felt much more bitter than the original story and, to my mind, jarred slightly.
I didn't find most of the other stories in the collection hugely memorable, really. Most of th...more
I didn't find most of the other stories in the collection hugely memorable, really. Most of th...more
Hitting a story in which the tragic ending was that some college-age dude didn't get to stay with the girl he'd been dating - who just turned *thirteen* - has cooled my interest in Aldiss's books considerably. Trying to stick this one out, just so I can mark it "read", but am in the middle of another story in which some guy with a wife who is blind starts cheating on her with another woman, and thinks it is great fun to get this new lady to walk around the house naked in front of his wife? And t...more
Like many here, I found this book because of the connection to the film A.I. However, even though the film itself had it's own flaws, the story it was based on was lacking itself: no obstacles, albeit potentially interesting characters, and not a very satisfying conclusion...having me asking "And...?"
"Supertoys Last All Summer Long," the lead story, was followed by two other sequels in the same book, but they also don't really have anything to say, no characters to latch onto, and no satisfying...more
"Supertoys Last All Summer Long," the lead story, was followed by two other sequels in the same book, but they also don't really have anything to say, no characters to latch onto, and no satisfying...more
Some of the stories get into territory a little abstract for my taste, but the first three, if nothing else, are worth it for the simple, emotional, tight focus, which compares starkly to the grandeur Kubrick and Spielberg brought to it.
Plus, in his introduction, Aldiss discusses the process of trying to write a screenplay with Kubrick, and other aspects of the film's creation, with frank but not rancorous disapproval, a hint of pride, and some interesting insights into the working habits of a l...more
Plus, in his introduction, Aldiss discusses the process of trying to write a screenplay with Kubrick, and other aspects of the film's creation, with frank but not rancorous disapproval, a hint of pride, and some interesting insights into the working habits of a l...more
Brian Aldiss is a masterful and literate storyteller. Supertoys Last All Summer Long and Other Stories of Future Time contains short stories that how human creation, both through myth, love and technology, and the implications of these acts of creation. I wanted to rate this collection of short stories higher, but I found the collection to be uneven in quality. Some of Aldiss stories were poetic and tragic, but others seemed to meander and were hard to follow.
The story Supertoys Last All Summer...more
The story Supertoys Last All Summer...more
Another short story collection, this time the work of a single author. "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" was the inspiration for Kubrick's/Spielberg's film "Artificial Intelligence: AI". The author worked with Kubrick on the screenplay, but was eventually fired, more or less. During that time, he wrote two sequels to "Supertoys" that were not really incorporated into the film, but they are included here. Aldiss also uses several stories to explore an optimistic transhumanism that pleased me - if...more
I began reading this book to try and further understand the undertones present in Spielberg/Kubrick's film "A.I." What I found was the first three short stories rich with excellent writing and unexpected nuances. Yet, I was surprised to find the rest of the novel being comprised of seemingly unrelated short stories when it came to plot but tied together through three strong metaphors present throughout. Overall an interesting read.
Excelente obra, digna de ser recordada.
La manera en que lo que llamamos inerte o simplemente programado puede evolucionar se refleja de manera magistral en esta obra, poniendo en la mesa del lector un montón de emociones inexplicables desde la concepción natural-conocida y conmovedoras por el drama vivido y SENTIDO por un pequeño robot.
La manera en que lo que llamamos inerte o simplemente programado puede evolucionar se refleja de manera magistral en esta obra, poniendo en la mesa del lector un montón de emociones inexplicables desde la concepción natural-conocida y conmovedoras por el drama vivido y SENTIDO por un pequeño robot.
Aldiss is a disturbing writer. I find the majority of stories in this book to follow similar themes of hate, cruelty and perversion. From the dreadful mother in SomerToys, to the bizarre Apogee Again to the charisma-challenged The Old Mythology; I can't see what all the fuss is about
Only read the first 3 chapters as wanted to read the basis for the Spielburg film, AI. Although there are differences the atmosphere and emotion is evident. Spielburg did a fantastic job on this one.
Regarding the other stories I will read another time but only bought the book for the Supertoys story.
Regarding the other stories I will read another time but only bought the book for the Supertoys story.
I picked this up after seeing Kubrick's A.I., but found it a bit dry, especially after the vivid sentimentality of the film. There was a long foreword from the author describing the differences between his and Kubrick/Spielberg's approaches, which was interesting.
No sólo contiene los relatos que dieron pie a la famosa película Inteligencia Artificial; también otros relatos cortos inquietantes e imaginativos sobre el futuro de la Tierra y de la humanidad. Ahonda, asimismo, en la naturaleza humana y su paradójica falta de humanidad en estos últimos tiempos.
Ero a casa del mio ex a Milano, ove m'ero recato per un colloquio di lavoro. Terminato questo aspettavo ora di cena e cominciai a leggere, terminandolo, il libro sul comodino. Le storie del volume sono abbastanza insignificanti, la migliore e' quella che ha ispirato Spielberg... Ma anche quella non e' poi un granche'.
I'd read some Aldiss, being a fan of British SF writers, and I'd seen and been underwhelmed by the film A.I., so I picked up this anthology and thoroughly loved it! Do youself a favour. His stories have such wit and humour, yet also humanity.
I didn't read every story, but I have been an Aldiss fan for years but until now I had always read his novels. The shorts have a more sarcastic tone than his longer works. Very high quality, the title stories and the one called beef were my favorites.
i liked this at the time cuz it was like a page long and i got to imagine what kubrick would do (wish i still could... fuck you yet again spielberg)
Steven Spielberg's film, " A.I.- Artificial Intelligence." was based off this book, by Brian W. Aldiss. Superb read.
Interesting stories, but too many moments along the lines of "what the fuck did I just read?" for my liking.
i didn't like the book much. the only story i really liked and the reason for 3-star rating is the first one, the title story.
The basis for the Kubrick/Spielberg film "A.I." Very good for what it is.
Contains the short story that inspired the Spielberg film AI
One of the most disturbing things I've ever read. . .
The story behind the movie Artificial Intelligence, SUPERTOYS LAST ALL SUMMER LONG is a fantastic short story glance into what is a truly advanced yet frightening world. I recommend this for anyone who's ever read any Phillip K. Dick books, or even seen the movie Artificial Intelligence. Bravo, Brian Aldiss.
I was underwhelmed by this book. The short stories that come from AI are pretty good. The rest of them are just not outstanding. They miss the punch I expect. At times he has some interesting ideas, but they never play out. I would pass on this.
در صورت تمایل، جهت مشخصات فیلمی که بر اساس این کتاب ساخته شده است؛ میتوانید از لینک زیر استفاده بفرمایید
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720
The first three Supertoys stories are brilliant and were the basis for Steven Spielberg's 2001 film A.I.; other stories are very uneven in quality.
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Amazing! A must read. People who think they like science fiction have to read this book to understand how deep this type can be.
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Pseudonyms: Jael Cracken, Peter Pica, John Runciman, C. C. Shackleton, Arch Mendicant, "Doc" Peristyle.
Brian Wilson Aldiss is one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary t...more
More about Brian W. Aldiss...
Brian Wilson Aldiss is one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary t...more
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