is babylonian 5 any good

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by tmosler, May 23, 2013.

  1. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    God that book was awful.
     
  2. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Context for the cheap seats madam.
     
  3. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

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    I think there are levels. The shift from TNG Trek to the new opened by JJ Trek, folks never so enamored by Trek at all, and those for whom Trek is just another show. Over the years, I've grown quite weary of the Trek as the 'Non Plus Utra of Sci Fi' crowd. There is a lot to like in Trek, but there's a lot to like elsewhere, too.
     
  4. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Stranger in a Strange Land.

    Awful.
     
  5. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    What does "non plus ultra" mean?
     
  6. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I liked the bit were they compared curing sexual dysfunction to reducing the water pressure on a garden hose by extensively puncturing it's length.

    Strangers form the Sky was better.

    Kirk and Spock having a phaser duel with assholes while time lorn through the historic signing of the Federation Charter.

    Aces!
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2013
  7. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Well it depends on where you put the breaks.

    Nonplus Ultra is different from Non plusultra.

    Remember how Roman numerals work?

    Historically... This sounds like Orwellian newspeak.

    In the book they were trying to control the shape of language, reducing the size of the dictionary, so that heresy against Big Brother was impossible to put into words or thought.

    In the movie, they thought that by gradually reducing the language and the size of the dictionary, that mankind would eventually have no language and become telepathic.

    Which is what they based goodfacts and truefacts on in the final episode of season 4, deconstruction of falling stars, where the hologram Garibaldi ignited the nuclear apocalypse 500 years in the future.
     
  8. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

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    Better than anything else.. nothing could surpass this. No further more, Seven is the Non Plus Ultra of Trek pulchritude.
     
  9. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Don't you think it's weird that pulchritude means beauty when it is such an ugly word?
     
  10. Asbo Zaprudder

    Asbo Zaprudder Admiral Admiral

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    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- presumably a Roman would approve (pulcher = beautiful in Latin)
     
  11. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It reminds me of pilchards which I usually see in cat food. With gelatine.
     
  12. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    This thread has gotten kinda surreal.

    I like it.
     
  13. Lt. LaForge

    Lt. LaForge Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    There's something about your posting style that gets me stiff ;)
     
  14. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I pity the poor startled proctologist inspecting her wazoo.
     
  15. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Still with the body cavity searches.. well I suppose you're of an age where the annual butt exam draws closer so it must be on your mind.
     
  16. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So when a lady says that things are living in her wazoo, a gentleman is suppose to pretend that she only burped?
     
  17. Lt. LaForge

    Lt. LaForge Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I submit the motion to change this threads title to "Rumble In The Jungle (Part II)" in honour of Miss Teacups and her Guy.
    You two make this thread lively tbh.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2013
  18. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    To tell the truth, I haven't read that one yet. :rommie:
     
  19. stj

    stj Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^^^Charles Manson disapproves.

    Stranger in a Strange Land is a lot livelier than something like Time Enough for Love or I Will Fear No Evil or even Number of the Beast. But in the end it's all about imagining yourself with superpowers because you're so much better than other people. It's quite a mind-blowing experience if you're thirteen years old (as I was when it read it,) particularly if you come from a strongly evangelical home.

    As an adult? Don't see how it could be worth much. Despite my sentimental regard for childhood reading of other Heinlein books, I can't say the world would have lost much if everything after The Moon is a Harsh Mistress had been lost. I've learned how derivative of Twain, Mencken, London, Shaw Heinlein's style was, but when it's your first exposure, it was enthralling.
     
  20. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I dutifully read a lot of Heinlein when I was a teenager because that is what science fiction fans did. I despised everything other than Podkayne of Mars which I loved and read several times. I bought a copy of it in a garage sale several years ago and found it was utterly dreadful, unreadable.

    I hope this doesn't happen should I ever try and reread A Princess of Mars which I loved much much more..