Couldn't let this topic pass by without making a post. One of the most fantastic books in my library is "Hector Servadac" by Jules Verne. In it a comet is picking up part of the Earth (with some inhabitants) and brings it along on a fantastic journey. The interesting thing isn't the journey in it self, but the description of the different people that went along. All from the great french officers, stubborn brittish and a crooked jew. I gives a nice view of what the mindset was among the people in Europe late in the 19:th century.
Full text in French : http://jv.gilead.org.il/zydorczak/ser00.htm ... or in English from Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1353 ... kind of explains the many wars we have had in Europe... to connect on another topic discussed here. :-) /Göran MexicoDoug wrote: > Hello Listees, again, > > ...today, I imagine several cheering their Cheshire grins and feeding their > fattened guts...sitting on the sofa and still smacking the lips like the cat > that swallowed little Tweety... > > Right or wrong, it's said there's something fulfilling for the man that can > do three things before he dies: Have a Son, Write a book, and Plant a > tree...(wheew - lot of work left to do) I'm sure I've missed more books > than I've listed which are fictional novels relating somehow to meteorites, > but here are two more (the second one is an online ditty) written by list > member which have special reasons not to be left out, > > ADVENTURES OF DIANA: THE UNDERWORLD by Jim Balister > Popular Action book off the presses recently which follows a plain-Jane girl > named Diana loses her job, and while looking for a new one meets the love of > her life, David, who happens to be a meteorite collector, among other > things. At one point they spot a fireball and try to recover it. One day, > in this sweet midwestern American boredom, the Earth takes a turn > unexpectedly and quake hits, followed by every extraterrestrial, > governmental plague and monsterous vermin that can be thrown at its > inhabitants, including Diana. With the help of a geologist, Diana goes down > a pit where they find a flying saucer that kidnaps them, one mishap and > incredible recovery takes place after another, the upper and lower worlds, > with almost all their monsters and creatures facing destruction. But then > Diana meets someone important and she yearns to reestablish her life and > settle down with David... > > STAR MONEY by the Bros. Altmann (jeje) > A short fable summarized by our very favorite Germans, based on the original > which was probably much older than the 1803 L'Aigle fall itself. Gives > great insight to cultural fantasies of the significance of meteorites in the > deep recesses of human thought. Interestingly, in an odd twist, it > personifies what we all yearn in meteorite hunting in one form or > another...READ THE ENGLISH translation free here, no need to buy the book, > compiled by the namsake of Chladni's heirs: Story featured in Nation > Geographic: > > http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/star_money2.html > > Best wishes, Doug > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "MexicoDoug" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> > Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 4:30 AM > Subject: [meteorite-list] List of Meteorite novels for gifts > > > >> Hola Listees, >> >> Thanks very kindly for the meteorite fictional book ideas many of you >> kindly >> sent in response to my post the other day. >> >> I thought I would post a summary in case anyone else was looking for gift >> ideas for friends family or loved ones. >> >> First, I'll tell you the book I decided to get for a special person (just >> received today!!!), followed by a list of other books (for which I owe >> thanks to everyone who helped me out on and off list): >> >> Winner: STARDUST, (Spanish Title: Lluvia de Estrellas = Meteor Shower-) >> by >> Neil Gaiman >> This is a romantic fantasy about the faeries and struck ones in the nicest >> sense. While it seems like it is written for children, the naughty author >> has the meteorite curse after her painful atmospheric entry, and there is >> a >> bit of steamy sex to whet some folks appetites... Two cultures somewhere >> in >> the English countryside are divided by a wall every day except one in 9 >> years. An adventurous young man with an interesting birthright is with >> the >> prettiest girl in the nondescript human village inside the stone wall. >> Victoria owns his heart, but, she doesn't care much for Tristran. They >> gaze >> into the sky when witnessing the ground shaking and thunder accompanying a >> shooting star. It begins as a small light, but quickly outshines the Moon >> and brilliantly falls somewhere on the other side of the wall, where there >> are enchanted meadows, trees and their inhabitants. The young man >> Tristran >> is so blinded by love that he somehow becomes obsessed with the labor to >> recover the fallen star and bring it to her to win her heart and live >> happily ever after. >> >> Only, he has lots of competition hunting on the other side of the wall ... >> where meteorites have more voluptuous properties than a few quartzy >> chondrules. Tristran learns that recovering a shooting star is very >> arduous >> task which forces one to meet and deal with all sorts of challenging >> characters during the quest. Finally he learns that the fallen star is >> nothing his imagination contemplated, but that the knowledge he has >> accumulated in his quest for it has changed his life and taught him more >> about himself than he dreamed were possible to know. >> >> The tale is fairly short in medium print, and I've skimmed it enough to >> highly recommend it to the Romantics, hopeless, and hopeful. >> >> Runner ups, >> >> THE ICE LIMIT (Mas Alla del Hielo) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child >> Popular novel, A rich meteorite collector decides to pillage Chile by >> hiring >> a crew to recover the world's biggest meteorite discovered in difficult >> conditions off Chile and deals with logistics, politics and suspense. >> Darren doesn't recommend the author's based on a newer book of theirs, >> Tyrannosaurus Canyon, and there are some factual problems though somewhat >> entertaining according to Chris, but the book manages some decent >> suspense. >> >> DECEPTION POINT (La Conspiracion) Dan Brown >> Popular novel, A huge meteorite is discovered under the Arctic and NASA is >> in chaos due to overall failure and beaurocracy which have characterized >> its >> devolution. This meteorite is thought to be a strategic asset to the >> nation >> (USA), and apparently holds secrets to develop and unlock great power. >> The >> race is on to recover it and the government is secretive, greedy, and >> falling all over itself.! >> >> LA PIEL DEL CIELO (The Skin of the Sky) by Elena Poniatowska >> Mexican literary work, a talented Mexican man is fascinated by astronomy >> and >> would have a promising future if he could only learn how to overcome the >> inequality, corruption and beaurocracy in his country. "A novel, which >> like >> the telescope, brings us closer to the challenges furthest from our reach: >> the stars and love. >> >> METEORITE SPOON (La Cuchara de Meteorito) >> Childrens book available mainly from England. The kids' parents are >> fighting all the time and the kids get a magic spoon coated with >> mneteorite >> to dig a hole each time they can't bear it and bury their problems in the >> hole. Then they escape a disaster by going into the hole and emerging to >> the other side into a fantasy world. >> >> THE HAMMER OF GOD (El Martillo de Dios) by Arthur C. Clarke >> An amateur astronomer in the year 2110 chances upon an asteroid on a >> collision course with earth. The asteroid, named Kali, gives little time >> to >> avoid complete annihilation of humans on Earth and the technically ok >> novel >> in the hands of master sci-fi writer Clarke is better than most, but now a >> less novel theme. Space Guard is discussed in parts of this book when it >> was still the domain of science fiction writers. >> >> LUCIFER'S HAMMER (El Martillo de Lucifer) by Larry Niven and Jerry >> Pournelle >> An early chaotic and interesting book about a comet's impending impact >> with >> Earth discovered by a wealthy amateur astronomer. First NASA scientists >> discount the possibility of a collision, but then, the crazies get hold of >> the idea that it is the end. The irony is that the NASA estimates provd >> wrong and then the comet does fragment and demolish most of the coastal >> cities on Earth. The spoiled astronomer who discovered it gets part of >> the >> storyline contrasting his sheltered prior existance with the tenacity he >> has >> for survival among the tsunamis and ensuing chaos. >> >> If anyone can give me a hand with the Spanish edition of "The Ice Limit", >> Spanish language edition, i.e., "MASS ALLA DEL HIELO", I'd appreciate >> that. >> >> Thanks for the other fine book recommendations, if they weren't listed it >> is >> because they are out of print, difficult to find and I am hoping to get a >> reasonably priced used copy. I hope this is helpful with Christmas at our >> footstep... >> >> Happy Thanksgiving, >> Doug >> >> ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list