Last week we focused a lot on opposites, and the dichotomy between Earth and space is one that we didn’t discuss. The specific passage I want to highlight is the one that Prof. Sample pointed to earlier, the one on page 170. Instead of looking at the relationship between the astronauts and the kosmonauts, I… Continue reading Earth vs Space
Category: Reflections
just sharing a thought.
What attracts us to end of the world…novels/movies, etc? I remembered a quote by Markus Zusak in “The Book Thief” that I think answers this pretty well… “I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate.” -laura kelly.
Gordie Vance
I found it interesting to see Gordie Vance’s reaction to Hammerfall. We have so far seen plenty of pages filled with people acting irrationally or inappropriately because of the idea of the comet hitting Earth, justifying their actions with that “end of the world”-type inevitability. Fred, most obviously, has his (icky) way with Colleen, later… Continue reading Gordie Vance
The Rural Haven in Lucifer’s Hammer
I might be drawing a stretch with this blog, but I’ll do my best to support it so it’s not something abstract and absurd. In crude summary, I feel as though the rural setting is idealized and the city/suburbs as sites for chaos in Lucifer’s Hammer. Before the comet has even begun to be realized… Continue reading The Rural Haven in Lucifer’s Hammer
The Characterization of the Comet and Other Solar Phenomena
If we are just a virus on a rock hurtling through space and there is nothing more, why do we choose to continue to live?
Dr. Malik vs. Maureen, and opposing forces
I’ve noticed that a couple of interesting points have been touched upon already in the earlier posts, but I want to try to link them together in a different way. First of all, for a number of classes, a lot of time has been devoted to inspecting and trying to understand a common theme within… Continue reading Dr. Malik vs. Maureen, and opposing forces
Lucifer’s Sundae
Reading Lucifer’s Hammer, and noting the centrality of media to the plot (first half anyways), I am struck by the fact that the book conducts itself more in the aesthetic of a film than a novel. There is a strong emphasis on spectacle, which a few decades of summer movies has told us is predominantly… Continue reading Lucifer’s Sundae
2012…
So I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the 2012 trailer we watched in class, and how it embodied what I pictured Hammerfall to look and feel like. I know that thus far we have not encountered the actual disaster, but I can’t stop thinking about “the end…is just the beginning”…how would we as… Continue reading 2012…
No Breaks for Politics
It’s interesting that even during the midst of possible human annihilation the issue of politics still keeps it’s firm grip on the characters in the book. We see this with Senator Jellison’s visit to General Bambridge as well as through the interactions between the four astronauts in Hammerlab. Of course, in the case of Senator… Continue reading No Breaks for Politics
The Disaster in Lucifer’s Hammer
“I’ve got a hell of a story, he thought… Not only do millions think the world’s going to end, but millions more hope so. It shows in their attitudes. They hate what they’re doing, and keep looking nostalgically at the ’simple’ life. Of course they won’t voluntarily choose to be farmers or live in communes,… Continue reading The Disaster in Lucifer’s Hammer
Man’s Ingenuity in Lucifer’s Hammer
Adding on to our class discussion of the significance of the scenes in Hammerlab, I think the astronauts’ discussion was important. In the novel, they discuss the fragility of the Earth. Niven and Pournelle even add a quote by Robert Heinlein saying that “The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the… Continue reading Man’s Ingenuity in Lucifer’s Hammer
On Harvey Randall, Narrative and Letting Go
Placing the production of a documentary – run by a well-connected news director and observant filmmaker, no less – at the center of an end-of-the-world novel is a smart move. The plotlines surrounding Harvey Randall’s documentary are intimately connected with the approach of the comet (I know, no kidding! Bear with me!). Follow Harvey, follow… Continue reading On Harvey Randall, Narrative and Letting Go
The attraction of the apocalypse
I’ve been struck by the way that people in Lucifer’s Hammer seem both repelled by and yet somehow attracted to the idea of the apocalypse. At first it’s presented as a ludicrous idea — there’s even doubt as to whether or not the comet would even be visible from Earth — and something worthy of… Continue reading The attraction of the apocalypse
Nature and Civilization
One of the binary oppositions that was listed in class was civilization or culture vs. nature. A classmate brought up in discussion that to them, civilization seems more cyclical than nature and nature is more unpredictable. I take issue with this assessment in both the novel and actual life. In his article, “The Archetypes of… Continue reading Nature and Civilization
Untitled
While reading Lucifer’s Hammer I have felt constantly conflicted about the authors’ portrayal of different social groups at the time the book was created, specifically minorities, women, liberals, and the like. Although there is a decidedly vast array of character types throughout the novel, one cannot help but begin to notice a pattern develop among… Continue reading Untitled