THREAD REVIVAL ( after 7 years iv'e blown off the dust )
About a year ago i bought from a charity book sale a box of sci fi books and am working my way down into the box, i just got started on this book .
They Shall Have Stars - James Blish
They Shall Have Stars (1956) (also published under the title Year 2018!) describes the political and social conditions in the near future when several major technologies are developed which change society radically. These are 'anti-agathic' drugs, which defer or prevent aging, and the development of gravity manipulation, which leads to 'faster-than-light' spaceship drives. During this period the Western democratic government model becomes ever more intolerant, eventually resembling the Soviet model very closely. A principal protagonist of this book, Alaska's US Senator Bliss Wagoner, is eventually executed by an oppressive regime, but not before he has made the technologies which allow mankind to escape their home planet available to all. The book is notable for the detailed way in which it handles technology, providing a mathematical explanation of the principles behind the anti-gravity drive, and illustrations of chemical bonding for reactions in the Ice IV material which is used to build a fixed point 'bridge' on the surface of Jupiter during the drive testing. Politically, the book clearly expresses a strong opposition to McCarthyism, at its peak during the time of writing.
Interesting sci fi story set on earth in 2018 ( which seemed along way away back in the 50's ) . More interesting is a radical group of religious nutjobs called "The Witnesses" who have indoctrinated 1 in 8 adults in America. because of violence against them they have robots programmed to go to peoples homes preaching "Millions now living will never die!" .LOL or what! James Blish certainly overestimated the effectiveness of "the Witnesses" but he got the radical nutjobs part right!
Has anyone else come across JW in fiction of any genre?
Regards
Az