JMS an Asimov fan?

[Talathanar]

Today I am currently reading David Starr, Space Ranger by Issac Asimov a book written in 1952. I've gotten to a part where Starr is dealing with beings of energy and saw something that parallels a quote in an episode of B5, sadly I don't remember the title.

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>
Under the best circumstances a million revolutions of your planet.
<hr></blockquote>

The above is reguarding the time that it'll take for humans to get to be energy beings. The quote from B5 was Lyta saying that the Vorlon homeworld will be open for humans to explore in 1 million years.

Is this coincidence or is JMS an Asimov fan?

 

[LightNZ]

of course he is an Asmiov fav (lol, okays I"m guessing he is)

Asimov wrote great sci-fi, and jms would probably agree /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Nukemall]

Also note that there is a space liner in Soul Hunter named Asimov, and Bester claims to have 'Asimov'ed Mr Garibaldi - a reference to the four laws of robotics in Asimov's Robot novels.

 

[Loadhan]

Did Asimov invent the terms - or SF concept - of hyperspace? I know he used it in his early books - at least by the Foundation and Galatic Empire books - if not earlier. I don't recall seeing such a concept in any early SF. Of course the B5 hyperspace is not like that - not pulling yourself out of the normal three spatial dimensions - which make them akin to a point - and returning where ever you want - and hope you're close to where you wanted to be - can't really map a point, heh. The B5 hyperspace though does seem the closest to this concept in a major SF production - to transverse the galaxy, just go into a different / higher realm of dimensions. Hyperspace in Star Wars just seemed to be going really fast - but not quite plaid! /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[Nukemall]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Loadhan:
<font color=yellow>Hyperspace in Star Wars just seemed to be going really fast - but not quite plaid! /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
Hyperspace in Star Wars is a set of dimensions where it is possible to travel at lightspeed.

 

[solaris5]

Everyone that likes sci-fi is, why not JMS too? /ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif
Okay, a bit presumptuous on my part, but Asimov is that good. I was completely enthralled by the 3 Foundation books. I would've read the prequels and sequels too, but I lead a very busy life you see... I spend atleast 2-3 hours a day of it on this board /ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[Kaleb]

Three laws old chap, the Zeroth law doesn't count as it isn't in all robots, only certain advanced ones.

http://members.evansville.net/bob/robots/laws.html

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Asimov, yeah good old Asimov.

I've read pretty much everything Asimov has written in the Sci Fi genre, and some other stuff as well. Did you know that he wrote an interesting book about the blood circulation system, among many other things. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

The idéa of mankind turning into beings of energy is an idéa he uses in many of his short novels. So it is nothing new to SF. There was probably someone who used that idéa before Asimov as well. But he is the earliest one I know of.
/Com

 

[Talathanar]

Can't say I've read any other stories of his involving humans becomming or already are energy beings. What I found interesting was the amount of time givin until we are energy rather than matter.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Is this coincidence or is JMS an Asimov fan?
<hr></blockquote>

Both, I suspect. The David Starr books are fairly obscure little space operas, and periodically go out of print, so it is very possible that JMS has never read them. Also the notion of energy beings, humans eventually evolving into same, and some prediction of this or other things happening "in a million years" are hoary old SF cliches. I doubt they originated with Asimov, or that JMS picked them up from him. Those are just ideas that are "in the air" if you've been exposed to any SF at all.

OTOH JMS has cited the original Foundation trilogy as the kind of epic story he wanted B5 to be, so he's clearly read his Asimov.

Regards,

Joe