Conrad, as you may recall, went banging on about the film "Edge of Tomorrow" yesterday, whilst today (not jumping around in time too much, am I?) he did some research on a novel entitled "Rogue Moon", by that famous Lithuanian-American author Algis Budrys.
Why, Conrad, why? I hear you cry*, why do that?
O I thought you'd never ask. "Rogue Moon" deals with the exploration of a lethal alien artefact on the Moon, by sending duplicates of people there via matter transmitter. These duplicates are invariably killed, but they manage to get a bit further into the artefact each time, thus advancing slowly.
Does this sound familiar?
HERE A SHORT DIGRESSION ABOUT MATTER TRANSMITTERS IN SCIENCE FICTION
Fictional ones, of course, as feeble human technology has not invented a real one yet.
"Echo Round His Bones", a novel by Thomas Disch. You may only know Tom by that
seminal work on anthropomorphic kitchen hardware, "The Brave Little Toaster", but
he'd made his name by publishing several very depressing science fiction novels, like
this one. In this novel, whenever anything is transmitted, it creates an intangible
"ghost" version of what's being sent - water, food - human beings - that remains on
planet Earth.
"Doctor Who: The Seeds Of Death", a Patrick Troughton adventure featuring "T-Mat",
a matter transmission system that instantaneously sends anything from one T-Mat
booth to another T-Mat booth, the whole system being controlled from the Moon.
The only way to get to the Moon is via T-Mat. Now, I'm sure you're already ahead
of me here - what if something goes wrong on the Moon? Like an invasion by evil
Ice Warriors from Mars? Earth is basically screwed since all forms of transport have
long since vanished, and one of the head honchos here on Earth boldly states that
Miss Whosit is the only person who understands the system and can control it.
Excuse me? A world population of billions and - only one person can fix T-Mat? What
if she goes on holiday?
| T-Mat booth or telephone kiosk? Easily confused |
adventure but time, space and idleness prevent Conrad from finding out.
Star Trek: Pick any series from this obscure cult television programme and you will
see matter transmitters in action, except they're called "transporters" and only
really feature if the scriptwriters were feeling a bit lazy.
"One Step From Earth" by Harry Harrison. This is a set of short stories set in
chronological order that explore the issues created by having working matter
transmitter technology. It's not nearly as dry as Conrad's terse description implies,
but he is shocked to see the paperback he bought in 1974 sells for £100 on Amazon!
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| It's good, but not £10000 good! |
THE BRIEF BUT FASCINATING GLIMPSE** AT MATTER TRANSMITTERS ENDS. NORMAL SERVICE RESUMES***
- as Conrad was saying, did that constantly dying day after to solve a problem sound familiar? He did actually start to read "Rogue Moon" once but found the characters so
intensely hateable that he gave up early on.
Day-resetting Films
Okay, ten seconds up. Conrad refers you, gentle reader, to the film "12:01", which also features a protagonist fated to relive the same day over and over again, having witnessed a murder and then trying to prevent it.
Also, "12:01" is pretty close to Conrad's suggested alternate title for "Edge of Tomorrow" - "11:59:59" - because that's about as close to tomorrow as you can get, ergo it's the edge.
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| The Edge |
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Cause and Effect: It's a television series not a film, but this episode does feature the Enterprise unwittingly re-living the same day, day after day, until the last syllable of recorded time - whoops, sorry, quoting Shakespeare there. They get stuck in a time loop, until that brave little toaster Data**** comes up with a cunning plan.
Victoria Railway Station
As you must surely know by now, dear audience, Conrad likes to nosey at the construction work going on at Victoria Station for the trams. Every so often a change large enough to be noticeable occurs, as with today and the Mystery Blue Infill
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| You can tell your grandchildren - "I remember when the Blue Stuff got put upon" |
Crank up your intellect, this is a rather tenuous theme and it won't do to be paying less than 100% attention.
Okay. Conrad
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| Proof! |
- features sharks, prominently.
Is this relevant?
YES! For lo, did not Conrad introduce Alison to "Grooveshark", the free streaming music website with no limit on how often you can play a track, no limit on how many hours per month you can access it, and no annoying interrupting aural adverts. Conrad has no official connection with their groovysharknesses, so he ain't getting paid to shill for them. If any of their directors happen to read the blog and decide compensation is due, why, Conrad would not complain ...
As you also know, gentle reader, it has long been Conrad's aim to enhance the profile and raise the standing of unloved or unlovely creatures beginning with the letter "W", and what, to his great delight, did he discover tonight?
The Australian Weasel Shark!
Where the "weasel" connotation comes in Conrad has no idea, perhaps it is only there as a casual, cruel Australian term of abuse for this humble species of shark. Bad Australians! Naughty Australians! Weasels are our friends, and the Weasel Shark is entirely harmless to humans. Not to octopii. Oooh no. It's a bloody scourge on the octopus as the eight-legged wrigglers are it's main diet.
Finally
Conrad never refrains from exploiting small cute animals in order to generate blog traffic, and tonight is no exception. Here we have Edna:
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| Uncharacteristically still |
* Only metaphorically. Even Conrad's cybernetically-enhanced ears aren't that good.
** It IS fascinating!! It IS!!
*** As normal as it gets here.
**** Data is indeed, threatened with being classified as a toaster in one episode. Honest.
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