Aphelion

In an interesting coincidence reported today, "Norway is starting construction on a 'doomsday vault' in the Arctic which is designed to house all known varieties of the world's crops [to] safeguard crop diversity in the event of a global catastrophe":<br><br>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/50944...

Dubya has on occasion claimed to be acting on divine guidance (as did Koresh, Khomeini, and as does Bin Ladin). <br><br>My own Mr Blair too. :-[<br><br>But if it was magnetism affecting what these people thought and did.... A device could be built to manipulate the magnetosphere so that peace and l...

That's the spirit chaps, anyway  ;D Thanks for all the posts so far.<br><br>I guess if/when it does happen, it's going to be like nothing we ever could imagine -- the mother of all discontinuities.<br><br>Realistically, like aircrashes, an unlikely combination of events will be the cause, as taophoe...

What a topic. I don't think the Earth's magnetosphere can be randomly defeated, can it? <br><br>Well, as I understand it, polarity changes have already occurred in the Earth's history, without any external factor being the cause. And that there's been a finite transition period between those change...

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," [Professor Stephen] Hawking said. "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other danger...

Congratulations there, Lee.<br><br>If Lee will excuse me, there's a direct link to his sprightly tale Joe at the Helm here:<br><br>http://www.creativeisland.co.uk/joe.htm<br><br>Some may be interested to know that Creative Island is a direct descendant of the Steel Caves e-zine, which unfortunately ...

Interzone #202 is here, and it looks great. Just seeing my name on the cover is an ambition fulfilled. And the illustrations that accompany my story - THE LAST REEF - are superb. <br><br>That is indeed a stupendous result, Gareth -- congratulations! I think my envyometer has just gone off the scale...

70 years for books, as far as I can ascertain.<br><br>I think it's also the same for other forms, but I'm not certain.

Am I correct to assume that if the copyright in a certain work has lapsed (HG Wells' novels springs to mind), then we as writers have leave to develop new stories using the characters and settings contained in that book?

(* Spandex cut-offs:  an idea whose time will NEVER come.)

<br><br>You've not met my wife, have you, Robert? ;)<br>

... what we [Danes] learn in school is British English, but most of what we subsequently read, hear and see (in books, TV, movies, computergames, webpages, etc.) is mostly American English....

<br><br>Hey, that's what happens here in England too!<br>

I have been Americanizing spelling and occasionally substituting North American equivalents for Britishisms in some stories -- particularly those that were SET in North American locales. Now, however, I'm leaning toward leaving things alone if the British flavor is appropriate to the story.  Hence ...

.. I didn't want to sound like a jerk, but then I thought that maybe it's a language barrier from across the pond, in which case, Gareth would want to know about it--you know, like how taking the lift or opening the boot won't sound right to an American audience. Maybe over there when a kitten has ...

books are probably better since they don't sell so much for their visual properties, so it doesn't matter what characters look like. also, it depends on who's supposed to be reading said novels. mainstream entries i think are just as likely to be formulaic, to wit harry potter. isn't he just a nerd...

As usual, I'm reading more novels than I probably should all at once.  Fortunately, all these books are great.   For any who are looking for a summer read, I recommend all these titles: FICTION: Harry Potter 6 by Rowling (of course) Sundiver by David Brin A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Prachet Rocket S...

Pratchett has a dig at Rowling:<br><br>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 732385.stm

I can't watch Maggie Smith in Harry Potter without thinking of her brilliant, cutting performance in THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064840/).<br><br>That film had a profound effect on me when it was shown on UK TV in the mid-70s. I was 12 or 13 at the time, and I remembe...

Dan, I appreciate your thoughts ...<br><br>An e-mail will be on its way soon!<br><br>All the best,<br><br>Stuart

My overriding thought watching this film was, why bother with piddling ray guns when you can just nuke or poison the planet out of existence in a matter of minutes? <br><br>But of course Wells' book has the Martians gassing London, forgotten about that.<br><br>I see where Dan's coming from now, wit...

My overriding thought watching this film was, why bother with piddling ray guns when you can just nuke or poison the planet out of existence in a matter of minutes? Targetting individual people and buildings just seems so ... tiresome ;D<br><br>But despite its profound logical flaws, I enjoyed this ...