Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!@RUTGERS.ARPA,@SRI-CSL:eyal%wisdom.bitnet@WISCVM.ARPA From: @RUTGERS.ARPA,@SRI-CSL:eyal%wisdom.bitnet@WISCVM.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: James P. Hogan Message-ID: <1793@topaz.ARPA> Date: Sat, 27-Apr-85 12:03:32 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.1793 Posted: Sat Apr 27 12:03:32 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 28-Apr-85 07:41:41 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 55 From: Eyal mozes I am a devoted Hogan fan, and I think he's the only writer today whose writing consistently has all the virtues of good SF; still, I must acknowledge some of his limitations. > "Thrice upon a Time" ... also had a very logical and > consistent theory of time and the conservation of everything. "Thrice upon a Time" is the most ambitious attempt I've ever seen at constructing a real hard-core theory of time, and Hogan certainly deserves credit for what he did. Still, the theory eventually becomes so complex that Hogan gets a little confused and starts contradicting himself. ----------------------- SPOILER WARNING ----------------------------- For example, remember the explanation of why they never wrote a program which sends a message to the past if it didn't get it, and doesn't send it if it got it? The explanation is: they actually did write such a program, which trapped them in an endless cycle, which was broken by the low-probability event of them never thinking of writing that program. But this just doesn't fit in with the rest of the theory or the events - not sending a message should NOT prevent you from getting it. ----------------------- END OF SPOILER ------------------------------- > By the way, be sure to read _The_Genesis_Machine_ by Mr. Hogan. It > is great. The best solution to detente I have ever read, Get serious! Hogan's political ideas are so childish that I'm sure he doesn't believe them himself. "The Genesis Machine" is his worst from this aspect (as well as from the aspect of characters; Hogan got much better in later novels). ----------------------- SUPER SPOILER -------------------------------- First of all, Hogan seems to advocate a dictatorship by the scientists (remember how the president suspected Clifford's plans, and the reason why he still let him proceed?). Second, the epilogue is totally unconvincing; the only two possible endings I can see are: 1. The USSR manages to send an agent to cut off the J-Bomb's power supply; this has the result of destroying the USA army, and USSR now easily takes over the world (and then, perhaps, proceeds to make Clifford into a national hero). 2. The USA moves all its military instalations to new locations, and then cuts off the J-Bomb's power supply and builds another one; however, this gave the USSR time to build a J-Bomb of its own, so the "Balance of Power" is not solved, but just continues forever. Eyal Mozes BITNET: eyal@wisdom CSNET and ARPA: eyal%wisdom.bitnet@wiscvm.ARPA UUCP: ..!decvax!humus!wisdom!eyal