quandam phone makes me roam

[juldea]

My sister-in-law bought me Michael Crichton's Timeline last Christmas, and I just started reading it. There was a movie made but, well, book first. I think that even if I didn't know it was a Crichton book when I started it, I'd know it just by the style. It feels just like Jurassic Park (the only other book of his I've read). But this isn't bad; I'm just unsure of how that kind of terrory-suspense will mesh with a story that is, as far as I can tell, not that much about terror. Action and excitement and suspense, yes, but no Velociraptors. Heh.

I forgot to pack my skirt in my backpack this morning. I've spent all day wearing my green fleece pants with my nice black blouse. It's kind of amusing. But very comfortable.

I've joined a Yahoo group for Massachusetts bellydancers. I might have a class to attend as early as next Tuesday. This makes me very, very happy.

I don't want to do work. I want to continue reading Timeline!

Comments

[karlean7.livejournal.com]

Do I have to write you a song again?

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Did you write me a first one?

[karlean7.livejournal.com]

Yeah!

Though it was more of a poem, really.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Aha, the song/poem you mentioned yesterday. I see. Feel free to write another at any time, yes. :)

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

Ack! Michael Chrichton is evil!

Well, perhaps I exaggerate. But it pisses me off that he keeps selling so many books with, essentially, the same classic Frankensteinian "science is EVIL!" plot. So I just call him evil in response.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I don't necessarily see a "science is EVIL!" theme... more of a "keep an eye on science, it's dangerous when used stupidly" theme. Which is a good theme, I think.

[ian-goodknight.livejournal.com]

Well, I enjoy Michael Crichton's book. Eaters Of The Dead (or as you may know its movie version: The 13th Warrior) wasn't heavily into science.

I think he just tries to raise moral questions about the advances we make into science with our eyes shut and our dicks out in the wind.

I bought Timeline last summer. I still haven't gotten the chance to read it because I was in the middle of the Lord of the Rings series and then Dark Tower V: The Wolves of Calla came out. Obviously, that being my favorite series, I put off Timeline even longer. Then there's school to contend with. *le sigh* So, I just pansied out and watched the movie.

It was pretty good, there's a definite "wow, that's cool" in the middle and end.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Interesting imagery there... ;)

You put off Timeline for two of the best series out there ever, so you're totally justified. ;) I hope the book gives me, "Wow, that's cool!" moments. Man, I want to leave work early now so I can go read it sooner.

[reyjadan.livejournal.com]

Both of you should look at reading Crichton's The Great Train Robbery. I read it after reading Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Disclosure (egad, a 13 year old me should never have read that book), and just about all of this other works at the time. I would never have believed that this was the same author. The book should make for a quick but very entertaining read, and I will try to find it to read again myself.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Hmm. If I see it in the library or something, I'll check it out. I ended up not being very impressed at all with Timeline.

What's Disclosure about that a 13-year-old reyjadan was disturbed by it?

Re: Timeline

[etherial.livejournal.com]

Timeline is the first Michael Crichton book I didn't read. I had gotten bored of him by then, and really pissed off at the horrible botchery that was each of the the Michael Crichton movies (except Jurassic Park, which was too Disney but not awful).

Re: Timeline

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Answer your email, bitch (I sent one to the email address listed in your LJ user info).

I saw The Lost World, I think. I must've managed to forget about it. I completely ignored the third one. Therefore I'm not jaded as you are... (yet)

Re: Jurassic Park

[etherial.livejournal.com]

JP3 was actually better than JP2, though The Lost World was one of my favorite Michael Crichton books.

And according to imdb.com, JP4 is in the works.

[withlyn.livejournal.com]

I read Timeline about a year and a half ago, and found it entirely forgettable, except the vague feeling if unease I get from poorly researched sci-fi.

Certainly, it pales to greasy nothing in light of the time-travel masterpiece that is To Say Nothing of the Dog.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't think I'll be remembering Timeline as anything more than a book that I could've enjoyed (if done right) but didn't. Well, I might also remember the problems with characterization since they were extremely obvious to me.

Tell me more about this To Say Nothing of the Dog... :)

[withlyn.livejournal.com]

Well, all I can say without giving spoilers is that it's by Connie Willis. Perhaps the title also gives away (if you've heard of the other book, which I hadn't) that it is inspired by the Victorian novel about leisurely boating on the Thames, Three Men in a Boat: to Say Nothing of the Dog! by Jerome K. Jerome.

I can go on to give vague spoilers, but I won't unless asked.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I have not heard of the other book, or the author. Are there other books by the same author that I should recognize?

Also, I don't want spoilers really, but rather an idea of the feel of the book. Is it humorous? Satirical? Political? Action-oriented? There are many directions a time-travel plot can be taken... (not just past and future, har har!)

[withlyn.livejournal.com]

It is fucking clever, for one. Humorous, but in a sophisticated way. Not action oriented. Like a very well-done sci-fi romantic comedy.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Sounds awesome. I'll put it on my list. :)

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

I thought Timeline was okay for Crichton. I definitely didn't want to see the movie afterward since I think it would take away from what I liked about the book. I'm a big fan of time travel and alternate history in my SF, so it was interesting to see what Crichton did with the genre--I actually read very little of his work. There are certainly worse authors to write a SF time travel thriller.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I didn't get much "thriller" from the book. I thought that a lot of the time he was attempting to create a nerve-wracking, thrilling plot, but the story elements just weren't there. Maybe I'm just too familiar with the way life was in the 1400s to consider the situation to be overly scary? ;)

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess I'm confusing the movie (from its trailer) and the book now when I said "thriller". I take it back. However, much of the enjoyment I got out of it was the portrayal of 15th century life.

[zenandtheart.livejournal.com]

I like his books but wouldn't recommend reading a whole bunch at once.. as you say, he has a certain style. I liked the book.. I'm yet to see the movie too.

[ailanah.livejournal.com]

I read Timeline after seeing the movie, and it made me wonder why I used to like his writing so much. After Jurassic park, I read almost all of his books, but that was a long time ago, back in middle school. When I read Timeline, I didn't feel like any of the characters were developed at all, they felt so flat. But, I guess his books are meant to be read for the action and quasi-science, not the characters. That's probably why I liked the movie better than the book, though it would have been nice to incorporate more of the action in the book into the movie.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Heh, you said it before I could write my big rant... I finished the book yesterday and I think it was pretty horrible, mostly due to the lame characterization. I'll write more about it later, but I totally agree.

[sammid.livejournal.com]

Go you.
I'm still jealous as ever :(
I've always wanted to belly-dance

[juldea.livejournal.com]

There are beginner's classes all over! If you look, I bet you can find one. Then you just go!