February 2016

Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan (Italian edition)

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The novel “Inherit the Stars” by James P. Hogan was published for the first time in 1977. It’s the first book of the Giants series. It won the Japanese Seiun Award for Best Foreign Language Novel of the Year.

The skeleton of a human being in a space suit is discovered on the Moon. No member of the staff working there is missing and the suit is not of any of the types used. An initial examination also shows that the suit’s instruments are of unknown type and show the use of an unknown alphabet.

The skeleton, nicknamed Charlie, is apparently of a human being but it dates back to about 50,000 years ago. The scientific world receives another surprise after a short time with another sensational discovery. Scientists Victor Hunt and Christian Danchekker direct the research but they’re faced with apparently contradicting data.

A sea sponge of the species Aplysina aerophoba

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An article published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” describes a research that provides evidence that ancient sea sponges were the first animals existed on Earth. A study led by Dr. David Gold of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) reached this conclusion by analyzing an unusual molecule found in 640 million years old rocks.

Doctor Who - Image of the Fendahl

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“Image of the Fendahl” is an adventure of the fifteenth season of “Doctor Who” classic series, which aired in 1977 featuring the Fourth Doctor and Leela. It follows “The Invisible Enemy” and it’s a four parts adventure written by Chris Boucher and directed by George Spenton-Foster.

A group of scientists is carrying out tests on a human skull found in Kenya. According to the dating the skull is twelve million years old, defying all knowledge about human evolution. During a test, the skull appears to emit some kind of energy that connects to Thea Ransome, a scientist in the group.

The Tardis is attracted to Earth by the energy emission and the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), concerned about the possible consequences, goes to investigate together with Leela (Louise Jameson) to prevent possible disasters. To achieve this he’ll have to face the Fendahl and the Fendahleen.

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On February 22 in the USA “The X-Files” 10th season (or if you prefer event mini-series) ended. It marked the revival of one of the TV shows that marked the ’90s. David Duchovny reprized his role as Fox Mulder, Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully and Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner.

Buckyball by Fabien Roy

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The novel “Buckyball” by Fabien Roy was published for the first time in 2010. It was released in a second edition in 2016.

James Pesola and some friends go to spend a night of highs at Miamillennium, a nightclub in Miami. A drug dealer gives them the tablets of a new drug called Buckyball and initially they seem to experience the effect of a prolonged deja-vu but quickly the people who took some realize that something strange is happening.

The effect of the drug is not hallucinatory but takes those who ingested it back in time to that night at Miamillennium. James and the others, who remember everything that happened, have to understand what triggers that return but also other rules because after several “turns” they understand that the situation is really complex.

Initially, “Buckyball” may seem like a classic time loop tale made famous by the movie “Groundhog Day” and adapted into many science fiction TV shows. It’s an impression that lasts little because the reader soon realizes that the protagonist, who tells the story in first person, goes back to the starting point in different circumstances so each “turn” can have a very different duration.