Ray Bradbury 1920-2012 RIP

I was shocked and saddened to read yesterday of the death of the fantasy and science fiction author Ray Bradbury. This in itself was surprising as I was not a great fan of his work, his strong fantasy bent was not mine, however, many of his works, even though I had not read them for many years, affected me strongly. His "Martian Chronicles", vastly entertaining, yet rather silly accounts of the human settlement of Mars. The story of a boy and a circus "Something Wicked this Way Comes". "R is for Rocket" and "S is for Space", his collection of entertainingly vivid stories.

He had a long and successful life, respected by all. His longevity led me to believe that he would always be there. Sady, very sadly, this is not the case. You are remembered and are missed. You brought happiness, entertainment, and imagination to generations of children and adults. Ray Douglas Bradbury RIP.

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Pattani — the ‘deep’ south of Thailand

First, some advisories: A. ADVISORY: For the last few years and decades there has been an ongoing insurgency in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat (the 'deep south' of Thailand). An average of 600 people have been killed per year between 2004-9. The Australian government strongly urges its citizens not to visit these provinces: "do not travel". Having said this there is no blood on the streets, and life goes on normally for the vast majority of people. In comparison approximately 400 people die every year from traffic accidents in the same region. You have been advised. B. Getting there. There seems to be a scam carried out by the local tour operators to persuade travellers to take mini-buses on journeys between the towns in southern Thailand. These mini-buses cost several times as much as a normal bus. For example, I was quoted 1000 baht (~$35) between Trang and Pattani ~250kms, as compared to 200 baht for a VIP bus. A clear difference. Take the l...

Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers—A Critical Critique

The late science fiction author Robert Heinlein was noted for many things, and one of these is controversy. During his life he never shied away from contentious issues, rather he seems to have actively sought them out, both on and off the page. His writing was always provocative, and the most provocative example of this was his 1959 novel "Starship Troopers". The novel was written in a few weeks, prompted by left-wing lobbying for a ban on USA nuclear weapon testing. Heinlein, a strident conservative, vehemently disagreed with this proposal. While the meaning and import of the novel has been debated (it won the 1960 Hugo and is still in print), the story conveys the author's conservative anguish on the perceived flaws of contemporary political and social life. The novel depicts and praises a future government with a sharply limited voting franchise, lauds an authoritarian military, and strongly criticises popular democracy. Essentially, the novel endorses conservative,...

Harry Harrison—sorry to hear of your passing

Harry Harrison, an amusing name. I can remember the first time I saw the name on the shelves of my High School library, when I first came across the Deathworld series. This fascinating read began a long friendship, his books, my reading. I met Harrison when he came to Perth for a Swancon. An interesting and witty man, always ready with a story. Mr Harrison, you have left a long and lasting legacy, which will entertain many generations to come. RIP (1925-2012).

The Journey(s) of Ian

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