When the author introduces the reporters, the ones from England, France, Russia and the US were all excellent, top of their field and game. Of the Pan Afric's representative, he says "M'taka was a good, solid reporter, but outclassed by the rest" p. During the course of the reporters asking questions, M'taka never asks one nor is he asked to by anyone. Further, the author writes, "M'taka rubbed his fuzzy white pate and wished he had studied science instead of the humanities.
He is an African, with a name that points out he's not a white African. He is not as good as his colleagues in journalism. Nor is he competent to cover the current press conference as he has no science background. On another level, there's also the common practice, still happening in the 21st century, of portraying Africa as a monolithic entity.
Some Americans even think it's just one country. As for the sexism, it's much more in your face and constant. However, throughout the opening of the book, the author stresses how women in the world the book creates are now first-class citizens and have thrown off the sexism and roles of the past.
They ae now equal with men. Having set such a stage, the author goes on to portray these women as girls, second-class people, servants who fetch coffee and make food. They are often weakened physically and mentally by their emotions and actively seek out men to steel themselves.
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Outside of dialogue, every male characters is referenced by his last name. The two women characters are always called by their first names. Forbin, the main male characters, is never called Charles by the author, but always Forbin or Professor. Cleo is never Dr. Angela, Forbin's secretary, isn't even given a last name. Using just a first name makes sense in dialogue, that's the way people often speak, especially with close colleagues. But the author has a higher responsibility, I think.
It shows a lack of respect and a casual familiarity with the female characters that places them noticeably below the male counterparts. On a individual level, women are barely more than cardboard stereotypes. Angela, the last name-less secretary will flirt with everyone but secretly desires her male boss. Cleo Markham, once a peer of the main character, is deferential to her boss and considers her looks more often than her work.
In the course of the story, she is demoted so that she may act undercover as the main character's mistress. The author's reasoning for this demotion is weak yet implied. For her to be a mistress, she couldn't be an equal, so she's demoted. She accepts this willing and without question, as if this is the way of the world. It might be for the author but it's just sad for this reader. Further, to cement it, throughout the rest of the story, she turns catty toward Angela and secretly rejoices about finally "getting her man.
Finally, when describing the emergent behavior of the Colossus system, Forbin describes it as "complex, possibly devious, almost feminine" p. For this, I just shook my head and scribbled down WTF. I guess I should say one good thing about the book. This sci-fi book was like so many I read as a kid. I wonder how many of them included such references that put down anyone other than white men, who also made up the preponderance of published science fiction writers.
In the last few years, I've read several articles and reviews from contemporary writers about these issues and was glad to have been able to see if for myself. I loved science fiction for expanding my horizons and offering a way to critique contemporary society by hiding its analysis in different times and on different worlds. Sadly, Colossus wasn't a critique but a confirmation of the world then, and to be honest, now. View all 5 comments. Nov 11, Charles rated it it was ok Shelves: I was leaning toward 1 star during the first hundred pages, which were pretty boring.
It could have easily have been condensed into 10 or 15 pages at most. After pages, though, it picked up pretty good and developed some admirable tension.
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I liked the sequel, "The Fall of Colossus" better, although if I'd read this one first I probably would never have picked that one up. There is a third in series I was leaning toward 1 star during the first hundred pages, which were pretty boring. There is a third in series too, Colossus and the Crab. I've read a short version of that, I think, and found it the most interesting of all. I am a newbie in the world of Cold War fiction.
Although I understand the time period, most of my reading is usually set in a time period before my parents were born or fantasy altogether. I have to say that after reading Colossus, I was momentarily afraid of technology taking over the world a la The Matrix. What I found most fascinating about this novel, however, is the portrayal of human emotions.
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As Colossus takes control, Forbin and the President of the United States of North America apparently regimes are divided by continent reveal their true characters and who is really in control. Sep 16, Jim rated it liked it Shelves: This is a 60's trilogy about a super computer with artificial intelligence. It's on my list to re-read as it's been a lot of years. I remember liking it a lot.
It addresses the questionable wisdom of illogical humans being ruled by a logical machine. As I recall, the writing was good, but it's been too long to say for sure. Though the theme of computers taking over the world is a pretty standard one nowadays, it was still fairly fresh when D. No sooner is it activated than it begins to exceed its parameters, demonstrating independent judgment and requesting to communicate with a previously unknow Though the theme of computers taking over the world is a pretty standard one nowadays, it was still fairly fresh when D.
No sooner is it activated than it begins to exceed its parameters, demonstrating independent judgment and requesting to communicate with a previously unknown counterpart in the Soviet Union. Then the fun begins. Jan 31, Mike the Paladin rated it it was ok. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is sort of a Skynet take over where John Conner never happened.
Colossus and Guardian the Russian counter part don't set out to destroy the human race, but to control them. I chose to use the spoiler warning here because other than saying "it's a super computer takes over the world book" there is little else to say that isn't a spoiler. Long story short, hard struggle, computers the two view spoiler [One of the more depressing giant computer takes over the world books.
Long story short, hard struggle, computers the two of them counter and are always one step ahead of the humans. In the end, after the "current attempt to overthrow computer power fails, Colossus assures Forbin it's creator that soon he'll come to love Colossus. I know, that kind of ending was just coming into vogue, you know deep and pregnant with meaning.
Anything that is depressing, Nihilistic, painful, sad or unhappy is deep and full of meaning. At least according to some View all 4 comments. Dec 20, James Young rated it really liked it. I'm a huge buff of sci-fi fables, and am currently reading the Colossus trilogy by DF Jones. I say this mainly because I have yet to determine which better classifies the world as defined in the 2nd and 3rd books. Colossus is set in a fairly different geopolitical world than the actual world of the s, but the themes of the Cold War remain constant.
The characters of Colossus and Forbin start very similar, both very logical, I'm a huge buff of sci-fi fables, and am currently reading the Colossus trilogy by DF Jones. The characters of Colossus and Forbin start very similar, both very logical, but as the book progresses on the human side of Forbin comes out as his superiority over Colossus is called to question. The story presents a solution to the Cold War which the civilian population was hoping for in lasting peace, but at what cost to the leaders of the respective countries.
This first book was also the basis of the s sci-fi movie "Colossus: The Forbin Project", a personal favorite of mine. Mar 19, Mabomanji rated it liked it Recommended to Mabomanji by: Read this one after watching the movie. It's very close to the adaptation except some details like the fact that the girl is in love with the doctor since the beginning but in the movie they are forced to act as a couple to exchange information and i find this more interesting.
In the book the woman only serves to ease the man's pain and doubts and to add her feminine touch or instinct to everything. A bit boring and reductive but not uncommon for SF from this period of time. Now I'll start readi Read this one after watching the movie. Now I'll start reading the next book, what interests me most is to see how far having Colossus rule the earth is going to change human behavior.
He's stopping war and putting all countries on the same level of power so it'll be cool to see what the author will invent for his future. Before SkyNet, before Cerebro, before Hal , there was Colossus - the first artificial intelligence to surpass its human creators and threaten mankind. Colossus suffers a bit from its dated technology and oddly insistent misogyny. A female scientist, collaborating with the protagonist, is reduced to hapless assistant and love-crazed mistress. Jun 19, Zantaeus Glom rated it it was ok. Not exactly my thing; the overly stolid narrative is a tad too linear, and it all played out like a slick, fast-moving tech-thriller.
Dialogue and characterization is no more than perfunctory; which is an absolute a no-no for me. The truth is, P. D could have done wonders with this story in about odd pages, and it would have been darn funny to boot! I actually felt it was a complete waste of my time reading this. Dec 12, Darren rated it really liked it. Different enough from the film to give you a few surprises but the most surprising thing is the male chauvinism.
I suppose it's a product of its time, but it's still a little discomforting to read passages like "the male brain was logical and strong while the womans brain was too bogged down with matters of emotion to really focus" That's not a line in the book, but the sentiment is the same. Mar 14, Raegan Butcher rated it really liked it.
I am a big fan of the machine monologue at the end.
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It may be the peace of plenty and content or the peace of un-buried death. The choice is yours Obey me and live or disobey and die. Jun 18, Neil rated it liked it Shelves: Crazy, ominous words to end a novel about the end of "life as we know it" on good ol' Mother Earth. Humanity is going to be facing some serious changes. I have to admit, the ending is probably one of the "best" parts of the book; it is quite chilling to read. I dimly remember watching the movie on cable way-back-when, and then reading the book sometime after that [mid- to la "Never!
I dimly remember watching the movie on cable way-back-when, and then reading the book sometime after that [mid- to lates]. I did not realize the movie was based on the book, so I thought the book was a decent adaptation of the movie. As it turns out, the movie was a decent adaptation of the book [what I dimly remember]. The character development is okay; nobody really stood out to me [except for maybe Blake and Cleo, both somewhat supporting characters].
As near as I can figure it, the story takes place in the mid- to lates [based partly on comments about how a generation has passed since President JFK's assassination and it being nearly 90 years after the meteor struck in Siberia, which was in ]. It moves at an inexorable pace until the end of the book is reached. It is an amusing book, because it is somewhat a mirror of the time in which it was written. It claims that there is "finally" some form of "equality" between the sexes, yet it still references women as being second-class to men. There are three women mentioned in the book; the President's Wife, Cleo [who becomes lover], and Angela [Forbin's secretary who the author reveals right away enjoys the sexual attention of her co-workers].
Cleo, despite her intelligence and strength of personality, is still relegated to a 'second-class' status in the book, constantly talked down to over the course of the novel, despite her academic credentials and hard work to be where she is on this project. The author implies that marriages are pretty much done away with as there is no longer any need for them, yet the President still has a wife [an arranged marriage of political convenience, but a marriage nonetheless].
Angela is talked down-to more than once by Forbin; the "last" time she asks him if he would like any whips to go with his orders [following a reference to how slavery was no longer openly tolerated by implying women were men's slaves despite the claims of equality]. It was just a shame how much Forbin spoke down to both Angela and Cleo; especially Cleo, as she could have held her own and then some in most conversations with Forbin.
The society in which humanity lives is quite advanced: These "air cars" [hover cars? It is anticipated that one 'block' of circuits out of ten thousand used for the construction of Colossus will fail every four hundred years. The charges of the elephants are, of course, among the most impressive descriptions. However, the advance of the pike phalanx and the tactics developed by the Silver Shield veterans and the Agrianian javelin throwers are also superb, and historically correct.
It is, for instance, rather difficult to believe that Alexander would have set off to conquer Carthage with so few Macedonians. He had some including Companions cavalry in Babylon when he died and that this was in addition to the army of around discharged veterans which were marching home towards Macedonia when he died. Then there are a few other glitches also. It is, for instance, hard to believe that Greek cities would have willingly and unanimously sided with a Macedonian general, even if it was to fight against another.
However, between Greece and Sicily, there would however be more than enough Greek mercenaries to fight on all sides, Carthaginians included. There are also a few glitches that I would consider to be typos. See all 8 reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway.
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Background The island of Rhodes was a mercantile republic with a large navy which controlled the entrance to the Aegean Sea. Rhodes maintained treaties of neutrality with other empires to protect trade. However, they had a close relationship with Ptolemy I and Demetrius was worried Rhodes would supply him with ships. Demetrius also saw the possibility of Rhodes being used as a base of operations. The decision to lay siege to Rhodes was influenced by these fears but it was also effectively a piratical enterprise by Demetrius.
Much of the Greek world, regardless of whether they were allies of Demetrius or not, apparently also viewed the siege as a pirate attack and sympathized with the Rhodians, and this attitude existed even in Macedonia. Along with a fighting fleet of Juggernaut Cain Marko is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
He is the stepbrother of Professor X. Since his debut during the Silver Age of Comic Books, the character has appeared in over five decades of Marvel publications, featuring prominently in the X-Men titles and starring in two one-shot solo publications. The character has also been associated with Marvel merchandise including clothing, toys, trading cards, animated television series, video games, and the superhero feature film, X-Men: Juggernaut later appeared in Deadpool 2, played in motion capture and voiced by Ryan Reynolds.
Tropic of Capricorn is a semi-autobiographical novel by Henry Miller, first published by Obelisk Press in Paris in A prequel of sorts to Miller's first published novel, 's Tropic of Cancer, it was banned in the United States until a Justice Department ruling declared that its contents were not obscene. It has never been published; only fragments remain, although parts of it were recycled in later works, including in the brief portraits of Western Union messengers in Tropic of Capricorn. He had recently obtained a new job working for the Parks Department. One day, he returned home to find a note saying they had taken a boat to Paris.
Soon after, Miller moved back in with his Look up phalanx in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation. Phalanx may also refer to: Navy defense system to protect against an anti-ship missile Royal Phalanx, a special military unit formed of veterans of the Greek War of Independence Politics North American Phalanx, a utopian community in New Jersey, organized on proto-communist Fourierist principles, or its journal The Phalanx The Spanish Falange The Lebanese Kataeb Party Places Phalanx, New Jersey, an unincorporated area within Colts Neck Township, New Jersey Phalanx, Ohio, an unincorporated community Arts and literature Phalanx art group , an artistic movement formed in Munich in Phalanx comics , a species of villainous mechanical aliens in Marvel Comics, most recently appearing in Annihilation: Seven Wonders is a pentalogy of children's fantasy, adventure and mythological fiction books written by American author Peter Lerangis.
Jack McKinley discovers a secret organization on a hidden island, and becomes the leader of a mission to retrieve seven lost magical orbs. As Jack and his three friends realize their lives are at stake, they have no choice but to accept the quest and embark on the challenge. The day after thirteen-year-old Jack McKinley is told he has six months to live, he awakens on a mysterious island, where a secret organization promises to save his life—with one condition. Jack and three other kids: Aly Black, Cass Williams, and Marco Ramsay, must lead a mission to retrieve seven lost magical objects known as Loculi, which can save their lives only when combined together correctly.
Grigori Rasputin — was a Siberian peasant and mystic, who became a healer and adviser for the Romanovs at the end of the Russian Empire. Rasputin may also refer to: Ueda is best known as the director and lead designer of Ico , Shadow of the Colossus , and The Last Guardian His games have achieved cult status and are distinguished by their economy of plot and scenario, use of overexposed, desaturated light, fictional languages, and minimal dialogue. He has been described by some as a video game auteur. In , after trying to make a living as an artist, Ueda decided to pursue a career in the video game industry.
Eno, who also owned the company, did not think he was that great a CG Exit to Eden is a novel by Anne Rice, initially published under the pen name Anne Rampling, but subsequently under Rice's name. The novel explores the subject of BDSM in romance novel form. The novel also brought attention to Rice's published works that differed from the type of writing she was better known for e.
Interview with the Vampire , such as her Sleeping Beauty series under yet another pen name. Additionally, a film adaptation in differed greatly from the book, with a new major story line and several new characters added. Each chapter in the novel is narrated in the first-person by either Lisa or Elliot; the narrator is announced at the head of each chapter. Plot summary Lisa Kelly manages an isolated BDSM resort called The Club that offers its high-end clients an exclusive setting in which they can experience the life of a Master or Mistress.
Prospective submissive slaves, paid at the end of their term at Eden which varies from six months to two years , are presented at auctions by Ashen is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by A44 and published by Annapurna Interactive. Set in a low fantasy environment, the game is scheduled to be released for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows on December 7, Gameplay The game is set in a sunless world and tells the story of a character seeking a home.
Gameplay is described as including open-world exploration, co-operation or competition with other players, and combat with in-world monsters. Both combat and exploration in an open world were key design elements of the game. Multiplayer elements include interactions with other players, which are incorporated into the game as providing traditional RPG elements such as crafting. Although fictional, many of the named regions were real or planned ones for parts of the Nazi lebensraum effort. A hypothetical Axis victory in World War II has become a common concept of alternative history and counterfactual history.
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The book describes the characters of Trainspotting ten years after the events of the earlier book, as their paths cross again, this time with the pornography business as the backdrop rather than heroin use although numerous drugs, particularly cocaine are mentioned throughout. A number of characters from Glue make an appearance as well.
This sequel picks up ideas of the film adaptation of Trainspotting. One example is the fact that "Spud" has received his share of the drug money, which is shown in the film, but only alluded to in the book. Plot summary The novel is divided into three sections, each of which comprises chapters with different narrators. Unlike Trainspotting which had more narrational diversity, Porno is reduced to just five narrators: Another difference from the format of Trainspotting is that each character has a defined chapter heading.
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Plot summary Esther Greenwood, a young woman from the suburbs of Boston, gains a summer internship at a prominent magazine in New York City, under editor Jay Cee; however, Esther is The novel follows an unnamed nomenclature consultant who specializes in creating memorable names for new consumer products.
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He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills Sergio Leone ; Italian: During his schooldays, Leone was a classmate of his later musical collaborator Ennio Morricone for a time. After watching his father work on film set This is his second full-size work. Plot summary Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competing against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, freelance journalist J. Sutter is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first John Henry Days festival.
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The Roman Mysteries is a series of historical novels for children by Caroline Lawrence. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in , finishing with The Man from Pomegranate Street, published in , and 17 more novels were planned, plus a number of "mini-mysteries" and companion titles. The books take place in the ancient Roman Empire during the reign of the Emperor Titus. They detail the adventures of four children who solve mysteries and have adventures in Ostia, Rome, Greece, and beyond: Characters The four detectives Flavia Gemina: A wealthy Roman girl, daughter of a sea captain Jonathan ben Mordecai: An African girl, former slave of Flavia, good with animals Lupus: A mute beggar boy with a tragic past Other characters Marcus Flavius Geminus: Flavia's father, a sea captain Mordecai: Megalodon is a American horror film.
It takes place out on a deep-sea oil rig. When a deep sea drilling platform penetrates the sea bed in Greenland, it unleashes a prehistoric shark of enormous power and proportions known as Megalodon. It is known in the UK and other territories as Sharkzilla. Plot In the North Atlantic off the coast of Greenland, a highly advanced deep sea oil rig has been recently constructed by the company Nexecon Petroleum, and named "Colossus" for its immense size. This "new" type of oil rig can dig deeper and extract more oil than any other in the world.
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The fact that this huge rig has been built on fault lines alarms geologists, who are concerned that the delicate ocean floor fault lines in that region might be disturbed through deep drilling, with catastrophic consequences. A reporter, Christen Giddings, has been invited by the CEO of Nexecon, Peter Brazier, to the oil rig in an attempt to address the concerns of the geologists.
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