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Question: Have you read TSODE? :: Total Votes:76
Poll choices Votes Statistics
Listened to TSODE album AND read Clarke's TSODE book/story 39  [51.32%]
Not listened to TSODE album, but did read Clarke's TSODE book/story 1  [1.32%]
Listened to TSODE album, never read Clarke's TSODE. 35  [46.05%]
Never heard TSODE or read the book/story. 1  [1.32%]
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Jan. 17 2005, 14:41

How many of the "Songs of Distant Earth" listeners have actually read Clarke's story, either as the earlier novella or the later full-length novel?

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"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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Holger Offline




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Posted: Jan. 17 2005, 16:23

Nope, I've read 2001 but nothing else by Clarke. Can't really see myself ever reading it either (I'm sure it's alright but there's so much other stuff I want to get done :)). But then, as always, who knows. I suppose it could give a new perspective on the album... not sure I need one though.
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Ugo Offline




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Posted: Jan. 17 2005, 17:10

Option three. :) I tend to like science fiction on TV and films, but I find it boring in printed form. :)

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
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Alan D Offline




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Posted: Jan. 17 2005, 17:30

I found that reading the novel significantly enhanced the experience of listening to the album, even though I already thought the album was wonderful.
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raven4x4x Offline




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Posted: Jan. 18 2005, 01:27

I don't think it really enhanced my appreciation of the album, but I did enjoy the book quite a lot. One of the things I enjoy most about the album is the brilliant sci-fi imagery I get from it, and I suppose that basing the album on the book allowed Mike to draw on Arthur C. Clarke's imagery.

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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Jan. 19 2005, 23:36

I'm not sure the novel enhanced my appreciation of the music either--I was already totally in love with it. I read the book aloud to the kids during summer vacation several years ago; in fact, my oldest must have been about 12 at the time, and just this past year wanted to re-read it for a book report(when she came looking for TSODE, I initially thought she meant the CD, and reached for that instead of the book, hehe).

There were some pretty humorous aspects of the book and memorable moments, and it was good and sound in overall concept. I didn't like TSODE quite as much as 2001 or Childhood's End but it appealed to me more than Rendezvous with Rama.


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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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dbruce Offline




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Posted: Mar. 13 2005, 17:34

Well I'm just finished reading the book yesterday.

The strangest thing about it was that some of the visuals were things I'd already had in my head from hearing the album - Lament for Atlantis and The Sunken Forest for example.

I've not listened to the album since finishing the book - my CD is scratched so I'll need to revert to MP3s :(, but I'm sure some other images will come from having now read the book.

I did enjoy the book - the first ACC I've read. Anything else I'd maybe like of his?

David
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raven4x4x Offline




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Posted: Mar. 14 2005, 05:52

Quote (dbruce @ Mar. 13 2005, 05:34)
I did enjoy the book - the first ACC I've read. Anything else I'd maybe like of his?


Pretty much all of the stuff I've read of him is pretty good: 2001 A Space Odyssey and the sequels, the Rama series, A Fall of Moondust, Childhood's End, The Light of Other Days, all of it enjoyable. My favourite though would have to be 'The Collected Stories'. It is literally every one of the short stories he's ever written, almost 1000 pages worth. These stories date from 1937 to 1999, and there are a LOT of really cool ones. Probably the best SF book I've ever read. I'm sure you'll like it.


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dawidi Offline




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Posted: June 30 2005, 05:22

when I first listened to the Mike's TSODE, I was reading a different book, don't remember the title but it was by C.S.Lewis and the story was set on Venus. I still "see" the scenery described there when I listen to the album, even though I got curious and have read Clarke's book now.
But then, I think of the Stargate SG-1 episode "The Light" when listening to Tubular Bells III, so you shouldn't take me too seriously on that   :p
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Sir Mustapha Offline




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Posted: June 30 2005, 10:32

I haven't read the book yet, and I'm not sure how high it is on my to-read list. I'll give the book a try if I have the chance, though I'm not sure if I ever want to listen to the album again. And I only wish that Sigur Rós would make an album based on Pratchett's Discworld stories, or that the Flaming Lips would make a rock opera based on "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" someday...

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Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds.
Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com
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Locutus Offline




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Posted: July 02 2005, 06:53

ive read the book and then later on got the album, because of the book.i might say i was inclined by Clarke himself:in his earlier works, in epilogues, he always gave a brief thanx to Oldfields,J-M Jarres and Vangelis' music for inspiration.
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George89 Offline




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Posted: July 25 2005, 19:25

I want to read it, can anyone tell me if theres a difference between these two?

http://www.play.com/play247....=427091

and

http://www.play.com/play247....=427092

:)
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raven4x4x Offline




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Posted: July 25 2005, 20:15

No, they're the same book, just different publishers. The newer one with the blue cover is the version I have, and it doesn't have any special introductions that wouldn't be in the older version.

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George89 Offline




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Posted: July 25 2005, 20:42

Thanks. If there's no luck in the book shop tomorrow i'll get it from there.
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TubularBelle Offline




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Posted: July 26 2005, 03:18

Quote (Sir Mustapha @ June 30 2005, 10:32)
or that the Flaming Lips would make a rock opera based on "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" someday...

Why the Flaming Lips in particular?, have heard of them but don't know their music.

Have you seen the movie 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'? It is excellent and tries hard to recreate the feeling of the original series. I couldn't really remember the love interest in the series and then figured out that she must have been kidnapped for most of the time, hence perhaps Arthur Dents reason for travelling all over the universe in the first place, to look for her (and find his way home). In the movie, she is kidnapped in one scene and rescued in the next. Hard to fit an entire series in one movie but all the favourites were there, Ford Prefect, Trillion, Marvin the depressed robot (played by Alan Rickman, a connection to Mike and TB), the brilliant genius white mice, Zaphod Beeblebrox, the sperm whale, Slartibartfast, and of course those very attractive Vogons!!

Gosh George, you must be running out of pocket money by now?!

Tracy.


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I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day!
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Aug. 18 2005, 11:42

The "Flaming Lips" are a novelty band that did a scifi song "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots".

Sample lyrics:

Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me


I saw it performed live on TV once (Austin City Limits?). "Flaming Lips" are the perfect band to write rock opera based on "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" or "Transformers" anyway. Music to trade pokemon by.


--------------
"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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tanis573 Offline




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Posted: Aug. 31 2005, 23:08

I read The Songs of Distant Earth back in 8th grade, but I hardly remember any of it.  I might try re-reading it soon.

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http://www.soundclick.com/mindbridge
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Harmono Offline




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Posted: Sep. 15 2005, 08:57

Very good book indeed!
I will read it again.
They say that Clarke is a pedofile.That is bad
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AlexS Offline




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Posted: Nov. 03 2005, 12:23

I adore this album. Maybe more than any other Oldfield album, this one really appeals to me. I love everything about it, right down to the album cover. It's up there with Tubular Bells, for sure!

The album inspired me to read the book, to which it became the perfect soundtrack (well, obviously).

I'm a fan of science fiction - I read several Arthur C Clarke books a few years ago, including TSODE - though had I never heard the album, I would have probably not read the book!


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http://thelightdreams.bandcamp.com/
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Sysiyo Offline




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Posted: Nov. 22 2005, 17:19

I recently (finally) acquired the book and read it (obviously). I have to say it was probably the most enjoyable of Clarke's books I've read thus far (with the possible exception of The City And The Stars... then again, those two are the only ones I've read in english, the others were finnish translations), but I didn't find Mike's music to be fitting at all to the book. I didn't listen to the album while reading, though.

Still, both the book and the album are good, but the album is (to me) kind of a dark, technical-kind of an album (more akin to, say, 2001 or 2010 than TSODE), whereas the book is very light, tropical-kind of a book, dealing more with the human condition than space.
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