Henry Rifle Forums

I’m writing this post on a tablet, a device many of us greatly enjoy, but also mostly take for granted. Something jogged my memory today, though, and caused me to remember reading Douglas Adams’ hilarious book, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. The title of Adams’ 1978 novel refers to a “book” given to the main character, Arthur Dent, an earthling who is thrust into the role of space traveler, and must somehow survive and safely navigate his way through the universe.

Well, it dawned on me today that Arthur Dent’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” actually exists today, and it’s in my hands now. Looking back to the mid-80’s when I first read Adams’ book (and it’s several sequels), I think I thought Arthur’s “Guide” was pretty cool, but was also nothing more than clever science fiction dreamed up by the author. I’m pretty sure I never dreamed I’d see anything like it happen in my lifetime.

In hindsight, I think it’s actaully pretty amazing how accurately Adams was able to foresee what was to come. I recall that while reading the books, I had a little bit of a hard time visualizing the “Guide” and how it worked. In hindsight, though, it’s very clear: the “Guide” was a tablet computer.

As an avid sci fi fan, I remember the book and the series, well. Looking back, it really is hard to believe there was actually a time when there was no internet or personal computers or forums. How did we survive? Actually, in may ways, it's a world I miss.

I am also an avid sci fi fan . My first sci fi book was "Alas Babylon" by Pat Frank. That was in Jr. High( 13 yrs) and basically that is all I read now. Fantasy also but enough of the romantic/vampire genre. I find it difficult to like new "hard sci fi" now days. I find myself going back to the "masters " like Heinlein, Asimov, etc. and rereading their works. I love a good fantasy story as long as it isn't dragged out more than three books. I get bored and I tend to forget what happen 5 books ago. Like you said so much was foretold the "masters". I also miss the simpler ways but there is no going back is there?

North Country Gal wrote:As an avid sci fi fan, I remember the book and the series, well. Looking back, it really is hard to believe there was actually a time when there was no internet or personal computers or forums. How did we survive? Actually, in may ways, it's a world I miss.

When I was growing up, we thought we lived in “modern times,” and we couldn’t imagine how our grandparents lived without cars, telephones, radio, tv, electricity, indoor plumbing, central heating...

I thought that they had lived through the most rapid and radical change in history.

Now, a little over 20 years into the internet world, I think I was wrong. Those of us who were alive before the 90’s have seen more change in our lifetimes than my grandparents did.

I’m not sure whether I miss the “old days” or not. It sure was different, though.

I miss them for the way they made me feel, at times, and what I learned and experienced, but there so much to do, now, that is new and different that I don't dwell on the old days. Hard to keep up with just all the new discoveries in the science of astronomy.

I'm a big Dr Who fan. I was surprised that a few of the classic Dr Who shows were written by Douglas Adams.

clovishound wrote:I'm a big Dr Who fan. I was surprised that a few of the classic Dr Who shows were written by Douglas Adams.

Wow, I never knew that, but thinking about it- makes sense.

He wrote The Pirate Planet and Shada. He also co-wrote City of Death with Graham Williams under the pseudonym David Agnew. I won't say they were the absolute best Dr Who stories IMO, but they definitely had his mark on them.

Life is simpler in many ways today. But the things that have made it so, have made it much more difficult.
News is instant, immediate, and anyone with a camera can create it. No research, and facts don't matter. If facts prove something false later, too late to matter.

Research can be done at home... library work... is a thing of the past. I loved sitting in the library, stack of books on my table, legal pad in front of me lost in the work... or meeting for a project with friends... as much a social event as an assignment. Now they can meet online to work.

When my friends and I played games, we saw each other. I remember sitting on our covered front porch in Tampa, the rain so loud on the roof we could barely hear on another, four hours into a Monopoly game. Mom brought out lunch and joined us. My grandson plays games with his friends. They are all alone, in their own rooms, miles apart.

I really did grow up in Mayberry.

I grew up there, too. The thing that I miss most before the world went digital is that personal contact, as you describe, actually sitting across the table form another living, breathing human being. We Skype with the kids and it's truly a miracle that we can do that, given that they are a thousand miles plus away, but it is not even close to actually being with them, where I can hug them.

People can't seem to write personal letters any more. Email has taught so many to write in shorthand, abbreviations, and clipped, choppy sentences. Some even talk that way.

My kids quit bringing me homework years ago, because I actually checked it, with a red sharpy in hand. My oldest, the son, was in Governor's School. He brought me a composition, and I wrote "five paragraph order" across the top. He was mad... "I just wanted you to read it. They aren't worried about whatever that is."

The assignment started, "what are your three..."

I explained how that fit right into that format... then left for a midnight shift.

A week later, I came home in the wee hours of the morning to find the paper he had simply re-copied and turned in clipped to the fridge. Miss T had found it cleaning out Frank's bookbag to wash it.

The wife had circled the teacher's comment.

Content: A Structure: C.
Frank- 5 paragraph format next time... we went over this!
The boy was very smart, just bullheaded and a tad lazy.

Miss Tina had drawn a big smiley face on the paper and kept it on the fridge for a month.