A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

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K._Vesi

A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

Post by K._Vesi »

Great story. I had to pace myself when reading this story--I was so interested in it that I began to read it too fast. <br><br>You should try to make this into a television pilot. The main character and the family he picks up should roam Earth in search of others, amidst the ruins of Earth's greatest cities, meeting androids and robots along the way (some friendly, while others not so friendly--because damage was done to their robot law programs, intentional or not). <br><br>This story had many parts to it, and all the parts were intriguing. Thanks for the good read.<br><br>
CameronNeilson
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Re: A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

Post by CameronNeilson »

I just finished this one...it was very enjoyable. I am always interested in other writer's visions of the future and what apocalypse will come. I liked the idea of humans bringing in animals from another planet that eventually start breeding and maybe become a threat to the natural ecosystems. <br>
Roy_Gray
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Re: A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

Post by Roy_Gray »

A E van Vogt's "Voyage of the Space Beagle." is a fix up novel incorporating the short stories "The Black Destroyer", "Discord in Scarlet" and several others but they were extensively rewritten for the novel. If Alien was infuenced it was probably via the novel rather than the short fiction. <br>
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

The empty future Earth in this story reminded me of some vintage Arthur C. Clarke (please, nobody say "who's Arthur C. Clarke?"!) -- maybe Against the Fall of Night? -- and even moreso of Larry Niven's A World Out of Time. Stories like this one are fun because (a) it's interesting to see how *alien* old familiar Earth can be, and (b) the reader can't help but wonder "what would *I* do if I was the Last Person on Earth?"<br><br>The technobabble about hypnotol and vitachal didn't quite ring true (although it was less silly than one of those "no, seriously" lecture/conversations in the latter-day Star Trek TV series); the use of honest-to-ouchness hypodermic needles amongst all the super-duper technology seemed odd, for one thing ...<br><br>Kinda odd that this story and Cameron Neilson's "Reconstruction" would both appear in the same issue ... did Cary pick 'em because of the similarities, or in spite of them? For those who haven't read "Reconstruction", it's interesting to compare the relative optimism of "Journey" with the despair of the immortals in "Reconstruction", although in both cases the protagonist awakes in a Strange New World with practically infinite resources at his command.<br><br>(Hmm. Sullivan writing a Nivenesque adventure; Neilson writing something more "New Wave" and moody?)<br><br>Robert M.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: A Journey Too Far by Donald Sullivan

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Thanks to all for the nice comments.
Robert is reminded of Arthur C. Clarke and David Niven.  Wow!  I'm flattered to pieces that Journey is even remotely compared to the works of such SF greats.  Robert, I thought of pills and gas (both with technobabble names) but ended up with needles.  Now that you mention it, that does seem old fashioned.  Should've stuck with gas.
<br><br>... DAVID Niven?? The actor?? Really, Donald, you didn't have to test the gas on yourself ;)
Last edited by Robert_Moriyama on April 23, 2004, 10:57:27 AM, edited 1 time in total.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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