David Merrill > Recent Status Updates

Air travel was only 10 years old, so most people traveled by ship to reach another continent. So, by our standards, for most people, going to China really was like going to Mars. And it really isn't that long ago, only about 100 years. From this perspective, it's surprising we've come as far as we have with our prejudices or maybe just not so surprising how backward we still are.

From our perspective today, this seems ridiculous and foolish since we're so much more advanced (are we?) and we can understand the cultural differences made the Chinese people of the day seem like aliens from space, something unknown and to be feared. It's important to remember how isolated populations were back then by comparison to today.

Sometimes it's a good idea to put books like this into context while you're reading them. Insidious was first published in 1913 just a year before the beginning of World War 1. The book comes from a context of the Chinese being the "yellow menace." Petrie often approaches his subject from the perspective that the Chinese are a danger to the "white race" and sees them as barbarians, not as advanced as his race.

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Already this book is so much different than the first. It's an post-apocalyptic history of an earth conquered and ruled by the moon men from the first book. This book takes place 100 years after the first in the series and the first couple of chapters relate some of the events from the previous 100 years to fill in the gap. Amazing stuff.

I've been reading the version I downloaded from Project Gutenberg Australia. Fortunately, I have a paper copy because I've been disappointed with some problems with the transcription. When they're bad eough (1/2 a sentence missing, "air cock" instead of "air lock," I've been going into my file and correcting it.

I've been reading the version I downloaded from Project Gutenberg. Fortunately, I have a paper copy because I've been disappointed with some problems with the transcription. When they're bad eough (1/2 a sentence missing, "air cock" instead of "air lock," I've been going into my file and correcting it.

Ahhh. . . much better.

Dang, it gives you this lame cover.

Picked this up at a library book sale over the weekend.It's one of those must-read SF classics. Dhalgren could not have been published without this book breaking the ground for it. Right now it's reminding me a lot of PKD.

I forgot I had this book. It's what grabbed me when The Map That Changed The World got dull. It's partially about Roger Bacon, so it may lead me to finally read Dr. Mirabilis by James Blish, a book that's been on my to read list for years. The beginning of this book really grabbed me. The discovery of a 13th century book written in code that has thwarted its solution for decades is fascinating.

I forgot I had this book. It's what grabbed me when The Map That Changed The World got dull. It's partially about Roger Bacon, so it may lead me to finally read Dr. Mirabilis by James Blish, a book that's been on my to read list for years. The beginning of this book really grabbed me. The discovery of a 13th century book written in code that has thwarted it's solution for decades is fascinating.

Stopped reading it.

While I'm appreciating Winchester's set up to give the reader context of the world's lack of understanding of geology previous to Smith's map, I think we're a bit overboard on it now and it's beyond creating an, I want to know more feel. It's beginning to drag and I'm flailing around for something else to grab me. Only a matter of time before I find it. Liked The Professor & The Madman more.

This one is moving slowly. While I'm appreciating Winchester's set up to give the reader context of the world's lack of understanding of geology previous to Smith's map, I think we're a bit overboard on it now and it's beyond creating an, I want to know more feel. It's beginning to drag and I'm flailing around for something else to grab me. Only a matter of time before I find it. Liked The Professor & The Madman more