Tuesday 15 January 2013

"The Metal Man" by Jack Williamson (1928)

So the first thing I want to talk about is the short story "The Metal Man"  "The Metal Man" is a sci fi short story written by Jack Williamson in 1928.  It appeared in the magazine "Amazing Stories" in 1928 (I'm reading it from the Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories, which is my textbook for the science fiction course I'm taking).  This is typical early years stuff, where the stories were more concerned with the impact of technology and more about the possibility of other forms of life.

The story is pretty much told through a manuscript left for the narrator Russell by the professor Thomas Kelvin and it tells of Kelvin's expedition to the River of Blood for radium.  While on this expedition he finds a great site for radium but there's some kind of life there and tissue is being converted into metal unless if a special juice from a berry is in contact with it. 

I found it to be a great read and I found that there was an idea of people pushing development too far.  Sometimes it was dry (but this is 1928...no offense).  Anyways I have a picture of the cover of the magazine this story originally appeared in. 

Monday 14 January 2013

A note about Sci-fi Underground

Hi everyone! Biotrekie here! (if you read my Adventures in Biotech blog then you'll understand) I just wanted to make a quick note on the title.  While it is Sci-fi Undergound it is really Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror Underground, but that is a too long title for a blog and a url so it's just sci-fi.  This blog is about various things that fit the real title, whether it be short stories, novels, anime/manga, movies, etc.  I'm hoping you guys all enjoy this blog!