Mmmzzzz-mmzzz-zzzmm (smile: you're on 'candid flyer')

[John Dailey]

~ Dan Brown's latest book (no, this is not a 'book review', it's a news-item; stay with me) DECEPTION POINT was interesting, though it had a plot question flaw that bugged me (how'd they get that multi-ton meteor to stay up at the top of the ice tunnel?) That aside, he stressed in the book that all technology (and, he is up on this almost as much as Clancy) portrayed therein is existing...and, he implied, is used. There is a 'dragonfly' camera used therein, as a weapon (of sorts) also. I thought, "Oh, we're talking hyperbole here." --- Nope. Check out...

Even Orwell didn't think of this

~ If the mosquito ignores your anti-bug chem/tech stuff, keep that fly-swatter handy...especially in your bedroom.

LLAP

J:D

Edited October 10, 2007 by John Dailey

[Dragonfly]

Even Orwell didn't think of this

But Ernst Jünger (born in 1895) did, in his short novel Gläserne Bienen ("Glass bees"), published in 1957.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Actually I have read Deception Point and two other of Dan Brown's books (The Da Vince Code and Angels and Demons). I have no complaints. His stuff is like a highly interesting puzzle with murder mysteries and chase scenes thrown in. Good adrenaline rushes while keeping the old noggin active.

An interesting novel with insect-small (and even smaller) flying robots is Prey by Michael Crichton. He adds swarming science to the mix so you have lots of 'em, all swarming together and even learning as a group. I don't think this book did as well as other Crichton novels because his male hero saves the day but takes on the role of Super-Mom for the kids while he is at it. It's weird seeing the highly-competent hero with pristine integrity worrying about changing diapers and being on time to pick the kids up from school.

Michael

[John Dailey]

Mike:

~ Hey, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, ya know? Soccer-Dads can be just as busy as Soccer-Moms...PLUS...they gotta save the world too. Yes, I read MC's PREY also, but, there, as in his original FRANKENSTEIN-type stories, the prob was ostensibly a 'man-made' one operating independently/'naturally' which was inherently inimical to humans.

~ In this case (as in my ref'ing [and the author's point in] DECEPTION POINT) my point is how such are manipulable/controllable by 'secret' humans upon others. --- Shades of govt-conspiracy paranoiacs wet-dreams! Who needs X-FILESish MIBs or Black Helicopters with this existing? (Wonder where I can get one? Boy, could I make some money with a camera in those!)

Dragonfly :alien: :

~ Leave it to you to be up on this.

LLAP

J:D

PS: Like I said...keep a 'manual' fly-swatter handy at all times.

Edited October 11, 2007 by John Dailey

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

John,

I forgot to mention, how they got the "multi-ton meteor to stay up at the top of the ice tunnel" was have a big honking iceberg and a small diameter tunnel, if I remember correctly.

Michael

[John Dailey]

MSK:

~ Uh, yeah, I got that part, but, questions still stayed bothersome. Consider: There's this gigantimongous 'iceberg' the 'meteor's ostensibly buried down within. It was sneakily put there via a vertical tunneling UP from underneath. Now, apart from the undescribed feat of hauling (pushing?) the thing UP that tunnel, given the tunnel's existence...what KEPT it up there? You know, think of the tunnel UNDER IT!

~ Apart from that, interesting story.

LLAP

J:D