Prehistoric Earth = Middle Earth?

[D. W. James]

> There is no way we can prove that
>"The Lord of the Rings" is not the actual pre-history of the earth, though
>I admit it doesn't seem likely.
>
>ucbvax!brahms!gsmith Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720

My first reaction when I read this was:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Then I reconsidered. My second reaction was: hahahahaahhahaha.
:-)
You must be kidding. Besides plate tetonics and the square cube law?
That the earth was once flat and now it's not? That one of the stars was(is?)
a glowing gem on a ship?
LOtR is fantasy written as legend. It is a DAMN good story. But the
pre-history of Earth? I think not.
As for the serious side of your posting (conserning SF vs. Fantasy),
I generally let the author decide. If he/she says it's whatever then it is,
else.... Now, if it purports to be SF and violates the square-cube law or
does something equally silly then it is an annoyance, but generally I just
let it go. Most of the stuff I just file as 'alternate universe' stuff and
say that thier physical laws are subtley different than ours. As long as
the story is INTERNALLY consistant I don't mind. To that end, J.R.R.T.
definately said that he intended it as fantasy, ergo...

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[Gene Ward Smith]

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In article <8...@ukecc.UUCP> vn...@ukecc.UUCP (D. W. James) writes:

>> There is no way we can prove that
>>"The Lord of the Rings" is not the actual pre-history of the earth, though

>>I admit it doesn't seem likely. [Gene Smith]

> My first reaction when I read this was:
>HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

> Then I reconsidered. My second reaction was: hahahahaahhahaha.

> LOtR is fantasy written as legend. It is a DAMN good story. But the

>pre-history of Earth? I think not.

Well, reconsider your reconsideration for a moment. What are some of
the things that happen in Tolkien's universe? At one point, a flat earth
is turned into a round one. Illuvatar is all powerful, and may at a later
time have made further changes, so that the Sun is a ball of gas, etc.
etc. In the end, enough changes might get made that all that is left are
a few legends about gods, elves, dwarves and Atlantis; and a phony past
substituted in the rocks of the Earth and the quasars of the newly made
cosmos.

ucbvax!brahms!gsmith Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720

Imagine what the world would be like if football was a worthy ritual performed
in stadiums but mathematics was a misunderstood activity ignored by almost all.