did anyone read NIGHTFALL?
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<br>what did you think?
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<br>i'm almost done but i think that the book is way to long and drawn out when it could have and probably should have ended a long time ago.
<br>
<br>what did you think?
<br>
<br>i'm almost done but i think that the book is way to long and drawn out when it could have and probably should have ended a long time ago.
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Atlanta
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There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Tue, April 20, 2004 - 11:15 AMBen,
You may have figured out by now that "Nightfall" was a short story Asimov wrote in the 1940s. The expansion into a novel happened decades later.
The original story was superb.
I did enjoy the novel. But I was probably more engaged by the issues of writerly craft than by plot or characters. What was done to lengthen the story? Would the novel keep its pulp or "Golden Age" feeling, or would it read like a contemporary work? That sort of thing.
--Francesca -
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Re: There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Wed, April 21, 2004 - 4:03 PMshort stories have always been my favorites. The short version of nightfall does make you wish there was a longer version however....its a shame that extensions and movies never quite hit the mark. -
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Re: There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Wed, April 21, 2004 - 9:24 PM<<its a shame that extensions and movies never quite hit the mark>>
I can think of exceptions.
*Ender's Game* by OSC was a great story and a great novel and a great series.
*The Wizard of Oz* was a great movie from a fair-to-good book.
Most of the time, it's the true gems that get expanded. Then there's nowhere to go but down.
Getting back to Asimov, *The Positronic Man* and *The Ugly Little Boy* were also expanded to book-length. Oh! And those expansions were with Silverberg, too! [she says, after confirming titles]. Makes sense; they all expand and dilute to similar effect. -
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Re: There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Wed, April 21, 2004 - 9:42 PMi must disagree on one specific point. most of the sequels to Ender's Game where philosophic babble, carrying to no end and with no point in sight. or rather the same point made over and over and over again. the Shadow books are better but they lack that OSC charm... -
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Re: There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Thu, April 22, 2004 - 1:35 PMDo you feel similarly about the Dune series? -
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Re: There's "Nightfall" and then there's _Nightfall_
Thu, April 22, 2004 - 1:52 PMgood call. i do have some issues with Dune but not nearly as bad. Herbert had an actual plot, a pretty good one too, it's just that he got so obfuscated and complex at some points it was just too hard for my feeble mind to follow. it really only got good with the last 2-3 books. the middle ones were kinda so so...
i feel like such a heretic saying those things... :)
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Re: nightfall
Tue, May 18, 2004 - 12:43 AMI don't think I've ever read the short story, but I really enjoyed the book. Of course, I'm Way more tolerant of long, draw-out books than many people, so that could certainly be a factor! -
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Re: nightfall
Tue, May 25, 2004 - 2:53 PMOoh, and try "I, Robot." Full of some great short stories by Asimov. I liked the extended version of "Bicentennial Man". But that's just me.
There's a movie version of "Nightfall" that isn't too bad, an independent, I think. The book's still better though. ;) -
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Re: nightfall
Sat, August 28, 2004 - 9:55 AMDon't think it was a movie, but a tv drama.
And just so ya'll know, Nightfall was voted the Greatest SF story of all time by the SF writers of America in 1966 or so.
If you can find it, the SF Hall of Fame book of short stories (based on that voting)should be mandantory for all SF fans. Great, great, great, stuff.
www.amazon.com/exec/obido...934-1773722
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