Sent to me by mistake; please reply to Jitka.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:39:07
From: Sani <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Welcome
At 22:06 8.5.1998 -0700, you wrote:
>I, for one, would like to welcome our new member from the Czech Republic
>to the forum. He is from a country with a rich SF heritage ( a Czech
>having coined the word "ROBOT" if I am not mistaken). Not surprising,
>then, that Jitka would be fond of the writings of Isaac Asimov, the
>master of robot fiction.
>
>I would be appreciative of Jitka telling us about some Czech SF writers
>and stories. I think the variety would add some life to our
>discussions.
>
>Richard Brookes
>
Hi!
Many thanks for welcoming!=20
Yes, the word "ROBOT" was created by our writer Capek. "Robota" was
the words for the forced work (in the middle). Capek wrote the theatre
drama "R.U.R." (in Czech - if I remember well - the meaning was Rozum's
universal robots). I've read and I've seen this drama several times.
Unfortunatelly robots were taken here like something negative, but=20
my impression was that they weren't described like totally negative
machines. In the end they've were more near human being (they wanted
to be imortal, they wanted to rule the world, they were near afraid
of stopping to exist. As for me this is similar to the human behaviour.
However I must say that reading books about robots by Asimov I've
admitted that robots of Capek (compared to the ones of Asimov) are
seen... how to say... one can't easily to have sympathy with them
like with thouse of Asimov. I remember how I was admired the robot
named Daneel. It was so perfectly created personage that one can
remember it forever. By the way the same I could say about Trevize
from the serious "Foundations". In fact my favorite novels by Asimov
are "Foundations and Earth" (I was sorry very much that he didn't=20
continue in this chain. I'd curious who or what could be danger for
our galaxy).
Well, what about Czech sci-fi? :-) Now there was an article that the
film "Face Off" with N.Cage and J.Travolta was based upon one of the
Chzech sci-fi stories. Something changed but the base of the
story (the change of the faces and the trouble with it) were from
our country. I've tried to search for it, but I did'nt find it and
so I gave up as I'm busy very much in this period. But I must say that
in our country is very popular fantasy right now. I thing it is because
of very popular games one played with cards, stones etc. I confess
I don't like to play games too much and so I don't know details.=20
I like very much fantasy. Right now I=B4m reading a book by Terry Prachett,=
=20
that I enjoy very much.
Several times Czech sci-fi stories are made with
traces of humor. A machine that tried to put together two people with
perfect combinations of genes for to create genial people. The experiments
are successful (even they are sometimes troubles like for example when
two people hates one each other, but they must have children together),
but in the end a creatures without feelings and without any other interests
than studying. It was made in way one had to laught in the center part.
I've used a little humor in a story written a couple months ago.
As I admired the NASA's experiments on Mars I've written how=20
on the Mars is found a biological bank with Martian creatures living there=
=20
long time ago - before Mars became the dry planet,
they weren't any green ugly bad "dworfs" but they were... well, we know
them very well as they were brought on Earth and some of live on the Earth
nowadays
and even we eat them. :-) Try to guess who they are. It's easy saying
you that they eatable. Just imagine the Mars surface and then imagine,
what you like to eat. My main hero liked it to eat till the moment when
he has seen the biological bank of Mars.=20
There was another qustion I wanted to discuss. I've made a research
about extraterristrials. I wonder why they are are described so many=20
times with ugly skin,
even so many times like reptiles or slugs? And why we supposed that where
isn't
water and air there can't be life. I can imagine that many form of
life needs water as water is the basic elements for life. But what
about if there is a form of life that doesn't need nor water nor
air. It seems to me that biologist are opposited at once.=20
Well, surely I have no problem to speak (and to write) and I could go
on with Asimov and other topics, but I don't want to scare you! :-)
So have a nice time, soon with another part of discussion.
Jitka
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