Thursday, August 04, 2005

Todays Curiousity

While I have been mostly learning technical mechanics today, because the exam is coming closer, I still managed to complete a SF novel-saga, I had omitted for long.

The Hyperion-Saga by Dan Simmons (or at least the first two novels: Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion) is very elaborate and used many scientific theories of today as a means of practical devices in future (for example, the Hawking drive that was designed upon the Hawking Effect). Mr. Simmons certainly is an environmentally conscious men (as one can see from his books) and perhaps even likes the idea of god, nonetheless his books are wonderfull.
The scope of his writing is amazing and his obsession with Death and Love is truly interesting (and heartbreaking from time to time). He obviously is a fan of John Keats (an Italian poet of the late 18th century) and other famous writers. Also, his little references to other mainstream literature and culture of the last centuries is very charming (like "Somewhere over the Rainbow" from Wizard of Oz or Dying Earth by Jack Vance).

The reason for my entry is this little item by Roderick T. Long about the political system in Iceland :

"Legislative power was vested in the General Assembly (althingi); "

As every reader of Hyperion could tell you, the All Thing is the Democratic Web version of this General Assembly and is it only a coincidence that they sound so much alike?
I don't know, because even the definition is similiar.

Nontheless, have good night out there and I am back to learning TM.

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