Conference noted::sf

    How can you forget a character with a name like Jorj X. McKie??
    
    There's also a short story floating around somewhere that's in
    the same universe.
    
    --- jerry

    
    I've seen a couple more stories about Jorj in some collection
    of Herbert's stories--not _EYE_, maybe _The Worlds Of_(?) I'll
    dig around the back stacks and see if I can find the title.
    (Ever hear of _The Green Brain_, speaking of obscure Herbert 
    novels? It is immeasurably better than the title indicates.)

    
    Yes, I've heard of THE GREEN BRAIN, and it did seem sorta
    goofy.  I mean, intelligent insects rise up and cause havoc?
    Sounds like it's been done before.  But every time I see the
    book on the bookstore shelf, I think "But it's Herbert..."
    I can't imagine him writing a book and doing NOTHING original
    in it.
    
    Another, just for kicks...Anyone read THE WHITE PLAGUE?  I understand
    it's about a DNA scientist who goes bananas (from jealousy or
    somesuch) and makes a disease that only kills women.  Any
    comments?
    
    
    Tom
    

>>< Note 779.0 by MCIS2::TKELLEHER "Need moral fiber? Try Zen Flakes" >
>>    The Calebans are noncorporeal entities that can create "jumpdoors,"
>>    for people to travel across space through.  The Calebans are
>>    invisible in a sense -- they're easier to see with peripheral
>>    vision, as I recall, and they're voices sound more like a voice
>>    *remembered* than one immediately present.


	I have read both WS & TDE, and if memory serves me right, I got
the _distinct_ impression that Calebans were stars.  In one passage 
Daisy Mae points herself out to Jorj as a star.  Twas a while since I read
it.


				err thats Baron.

    I've read White Plague.  It's been awhile since I did, but I did
    enjoy it.  The premise is, while vacationing in Ireland, a man's
    family is killed by terrorists.  He then sets about manufacturing
    a virus which kills women to get revenge.  He unleashes it on Ireland,
    but the way people move around these days, it becomes a world wide
    problem.  The rest of the book is somewhat reminiscent of Andromeda
    Strain - a group of scientists now have to go about finding the
    cure for the plague.  He also goes into the effects on the people
    of Ireland.

    Re: .5
    
    Thanks, I've *thought* it looked like a good one.  Hope it isn't
    TOO reminiscent of ANDROMEDA STRAIN.
    
    
    Re: .4
    
    Yes, the Calebans *are* stars (or manifest as stars, given their
    other-dimensional origins)...but I didn't want to say so here. 
    It's one of the Startling Discoveries about half-way through the
    book, so I was considering that a spoiler.  
    
    No problem, though, Potential Readers!  There's PLENTY in that
    book to keep you jumping...
    
    Tom
    
    
    

    Another vote for The White Plague.  I read both it and Andromeda
    Strain (albeit far apart) and didn't notice much similarity.
    Herbert spends far more time on the characters and social
    implications;  Crichton's book is more technology oriented.
    Do read White Plague; it's worth it.  I bought it in hardbound
    edition.
    
    len.
    

    Yes, what len said.  My allusion to Andromeda Strain was in the
    suspense that gets built up while trying to find a cure.
    Character (and world) development is definitely Hebert's strong
    suit.

    
    ref. _The Green Brain_
    
    (God, I *hate* that title!)
    
    Like in _The White Plague_, it's the characters rather than the
    situation that makes the book interesting. 
    
    E. (needs coffee...)

    	I read this book quite some time ago, but really liked it.  I
    thought it was very different from a lot of other stuff I've read, and
    that's always nice for a change of pace.


    	I highly recommend this book!  I think I still have it, too; hmm,
    maybe I'll go reread it now that you've got me thinking about it...  ;-)


    Brian

    I have to second most of the comments so far.  I enjoyed both WS and TDE,
    but my favorite of the two was "The Dosadi Experiment".  Herbert's
    forte is definitely the development of his characters and worlds, which
    make them so very vivid, even when so foreign.  Both were very
    enjoyable.
    
    I also read and enjoyed "The White Plague".  It was intriguing to me to
    see Earth after The Plague, and how Herbert handled his main character.
    
    But for the creation of a world (or galaxy), Herbert's best is that of
    "Dune" (IMHO!).  The first volume, and even the entire original trilogy,
     was some of the most remarkable description I have ever read. Its just a 
    pity that he came down with the run-on disease that has affected so 
    many of the current SF authors.  Even though I enjoyed all the volumes 
    of his expanded "trilogy", it got to the point where the padding was 
    becoming noticeable in the last volumes. 
       
    Overall, I have to rank Herbert as one of my favorite authors.  Any of
    his books provide a memorable sojourn outside of "normalcy".

    
    What about THE DRAGON IN THE SEA (my favourite!) and HELLSTROM'S
    HIVE? (actually both would make pretty good films ;-))
    
    HELLSTROM'S HIVE seems to me to pull together bits from 
    THE GREEN BRAIN with a  character similar to Jorj X. Mckie.

    THE DRAGON IS THE SEA is even better - with only a cast of 
    four(?) people Herbert gives us a psychological thriller,
    set in the depths of the ocean. And with the usual religious
    aspects! 
    
    Regards.
    
    Reggie.
    -------

    "Hellstrom's Hive" was sort of made into a film, "The Hellstrom 
    Chronicles", although the movie is mainly a documentary about
    insects.   I think the book actually came after the movie.
    Was "Dragon in the Sea" ever filmed?  I agree that it
    would make  a good one, but we've been (ahem) flooded with movies
    set beneath  the sea this year.  There doesn't seem to be any
    reason for it, either; there haven't been any recent news events
    or technological developments regarding the ocean floor. Last year
    it was body-switching and this year deep sea horror.  Some of 
    the resulting films have been pretty good, but it's as if
    Hollywood trends were being set by some bored twelve  year-old. 

    /jlr

    re:.12
    
    THE DRAGON IN THE SEA (a.k.a. 21ST CENTURY SUB a.k.a. UNDER PRESSURE)
    is the only one of Herbert's novels other than DUNE that I think
    is exceptional. The rest of them, I think, are "good" at best. I
    didn't think a whole lot of HELLSTROM'S HIVE when I read it as a
    serial in GALAXY (or was it IF?) back in the early 70's.
    
    re:.13
    
    Yes, the (Hellstrom) movie came first, and no, UNDER PRESSURE
    (Herbert's preferred title) was never filmed.
    
    Generally, the reason for such trends is random synchronicity
    (i.e. coincidence). The second most common reason is industrial
    espionage. Word gets around that J. Major Director is doing a
    film about "X", so other folks try to zip out a quicky with the
    same basic idea. That's the reason that Lucas and Spielberg
    would play with their cards close to the chest and film movies
    with closed sets and as much secrecy as they can get away with --
    so no one can "scoop" them with a quicky movie on the same theme.
    
    --- jerry

    I believe there was a TV movie version of "Hellstrom's Hive" some
    years back. Nothing outstanding, as I recall, but it wasn't totally
    ridiculous as so many TV stabs at science fiction are.
    
    - Richard

    re:.15
    
    You're mind's gone. :-)
    
    There was no tv film version of HELLSTROM'S HIVE.
    
    You might have seen the original film THE HELLSTROM CHRONICLE on
    tv, though, and that might be what you're thinking of.
    
    --- jerry