Re: What I learned rereading _Before the Golden Age_
- From: throopw@xxxxxxxxx (Wayne Throop)
- Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 20:43:11 GMT
: tmcd@xxxxxxxxx (Tim McDaniel)
: Cosmic rays are an inexhaustible and unlimited power source, which you
: can tap for all sorts of mechanical uses: very handy for hyperluminal
: spaceship propulsion, for example.
Indeed. Nowdays called "zero point energy", per McAndrews Chronicles,
and Songs of Distant Earth among others. In the '60s and '70s we had
Galactus and similar critters who used "cosmic power" (or "the power
cosmic") instead of cosmic rays, but the principle is much the same.
I suppose you could argue that Waldo taps zpe also.
: Cosmic rays are the sole cause of mutation and of evolution. They are
: the prime mover of life itself -- if you insulate yourself from cosmic
: rays (and take a mysterious elixir), you will lapse into suspended
: animation.
See also "The Fantastic Four". And note that in the '60s-70s
"gamma rays" had the same sort of properties, vaguely.
: Human evolution is an inexorable rise in brain power and size, and
: since the future is on rails, it will continue without limit in the
: future, and since brain power is in opposition to physical power, a
: growing brain means a weakening and shrinking body.
As in X-men. Well. Sort of. You get a perternaturally buff body if
you're a marvel universe mutant. Note that Galactus and the Watchers and
the Beyonder (I think) and suchlike are a sort of twist to this trend;
evolution inexorably increases brain power and size... and gives you a
giant body.
: If you ever find yourself in a pulp SF story, know that it's important
: to distinguish the three species of giant brains: - giant brains that
: are decadent and weak, both mentally and physically ("Twilight" by
: Campbell, I think) - giant brains that are eeevil - giant brains that
: are loftily above the concerns of mere humans It's true that,
: regardless of type, few of those survive to the end of the story, but
: you still have to adjust your behavior appropriately.
Consider Futurama, which has exemplars of all these.
No, wait... do they have weak ones? Maybe not.
But for the "above it all" consider
God: Bender, being God isn't easy. If you do too much, people get
dependent on you. And if you do nothing, they lose hope. You have
to use a light touch, like a safecracker or a pickpocket.
Bender: Or a guy who burns down a bar for the insurance money.
God: Yes, if he makes it look like an electrical thing. If you do
things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
Well, that's sort of meddling, like the Watcher assigned to earth.
But then... isn't Arisia from the appropriate time period?
: Amazing what one genius-level recluse can invent on his own.
Indeed.
Anyways, my point is... BtGA memes are alive and well, and were
subsumed into superhero mythology in the '60s or so. I think. Sort of.
So, in "The Incredibles", we have both zero point energy,
and a reclusive inventor decades ahead of his time,
inherited from BtGA via superhero comics.
Wayne Throop throopw@xxxxxxxxx http://sheol.org/throopw
.
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