Poll
Question:
Who was the greater visionary?
Option 1: Jules Verne
votes: 25
Option 2: HG Wells
votes: 19
Both 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Time Machine are on cable on different channels. Hence, the reason for the question.
Choose and post your reasons.
Jules Verne. French, not a communist, and was not egotistical enough to lose Rebecca Wells.
Also, better in translation than Wells is in the original.
Wells. Verne was too grounded in actual science.
I thought Verne was really dry. He spent a lot of time talking about damned fish.
HG because he got lot's of chicks and because Verne was just a frog in the end.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 09, 2009, 09:30:56 PM
Wells. Verne was too grounded in actual science.
My first thought was Wells, but in thinking about it, I wasn't sure why. I think you nailed it, though.
Verne, because he actually predicted things that ended up appearing. And because he included my hometown in 20.000 leagues under the sea.
Verne! Plus I like Martha Wells better than H.G.
Wells, because he predicted modern warfare.
See: The Shape of Things to Come
Quickly voted Verne, but now doubt is eating away at me. :(
Quote from: citizen k on October 10, 2009, 12:56:59 AM
Wells, because he predicted modern warfare.
See: The Shape of Things to Come
Is that the one with the air commies?
Pretty close but went for Wells. As others have said I think Verne focussed very much on the science; whereas Wells went deeper into the social consequences.
Two excellent and approachable authors, I read them a lot between 14-18 years old. Is it still the case that the average teenage nerd reads a lot of their output?
Apples and oranges. Most of Verne novels happen in the present or only a few years in the future, most of Wells works either happen in a distant future or include aliens (as far as I know, Verne never used aliens). Voted Verne, because I like his solid scientific base.
Jules Verne.
Voted for Jules Verne. I basically grew up with his books. Great, Great author.
Vernes writing is very dry, boring and hard to read.
HG is the shit.
Wells all the way for me.
His stuff was both more representative of science fiction to come and of real world developments, depending on his mood. (land dreadnoughts).
Quote from: Scipio on October 09, 2009, 09:20:32 PM
Jules Verne. French, not a communist, and was not egotistical enough to lose Rebecca Wells.
Also, better in translation than Wells is in the original.
Wells wasn't communist either, he was a Fabian :bowler:
I'm not sure. I prefer Verne, though, so I voted for him.
Quote from: Tyr on October 10, 2009, 08:04:31 AM
Wells all the way for me.
His stuff was both more representative of science fiction to come and of real world developments, depending on his mood. (land dreadnoughts).
Quote from: Scipio on October 09, 2009, 09:20:32 PM
Jules Verne. French, not a communist, and was not egotistical enough to lose Rebecca Wells.
Also, better in translation than Wells is in the original.
Wells wasn't communist either, he was a Fabian :bowler:
Degrees of potty leftist thinking don't matter. Also, Wells was an egomaniac.
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on October 10, 2009, 05:54:09 AM
Is it still the case that the average teenage nerd reads a lot of their output?
Unfortunately, no. It's all Turtledove now.
Quote from: Alatriste on October 10, 2009, 06:02:15 AM
... Voted Verne, because I like his solid scientific base.
Not exactly "solid" given the hollow earth and temperatures not rising with depth (despite Verne knowing that all scientific data said this was true).
I would agree that Verne ignored more science than Wells ever knew, but his style is so dull it is almost like he was deliberately making his books unreadable (which he wasn't, of course - he wrote exactly like readers of his time expected a writer to write, but still...)
Which one was less gay?
After not very much reflection, I voted HG Wells, as he's considered the father of modern wargaming.
I heard somewhere that the reason that Verne isn't so popular in the english-speaking world is that the translations are atrociously bad.
Any truth to that?
Voted Verne, though I'm entirely under read in both their Canons. Couldn't get into either as a kid, and have never really had an interest in looking back.
Quote from: Threviel on October 10, 2009, 12:02:24 PM
I heard somewhere that the reason that Verne isn't so popular in the english-speaking world is that the translations are atrociously bad.
Any truth to that?
If you mean the translations suck out whatever life was in the words then yes. Yes, there is.
Quote from: Threviel on October 10, 2009, 12:02:24 PM
I heard somewhere that the reason that Verne isn't so popular in the english-speaking world is that the translations are atrociously bad.
Any truth to that?
It's possible. I just know he's really dull. At least the copy of 20,000 leagues under the sea I had was. It's the only one I've read. I've read a few of Welles (Time machine, War of the Worlds, a few short stories.)
Quote from: Razgovory on October 10, 2009, 03:14:47 PM
Quote from: Threviel on October 10, 2009, 12:02:24 PM
I heard somewhere that the reason that Verne isn't so popular in the english-speaking world is that the translations are atrociously bad.
Any truth to that?
It's possible. I just know he's really dull. At least the copy of 20,000 leagues under the sea I had was. It's the only one I've read. I've read a few of Welles (Time machine, War of the Worlds, a few short stories.)
Classics Illustrated is your friend. I used to read these like candy a a kid.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi13.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa299%2FSlayhem%2FCIJV.jpg&hash=fcd0952f6d29f63e8c0bf40af5d0d7c7601fb2bb)
Verne is not boring at all.
Ok, some novels are. But some are worthy of reading even today. Like "Captain Hatteras", "Hector Servadac", "The Lighthouse at the End of the World", "The Golden Volcano" or "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea".
Unfortunately, many are indeed quite boring for the modern-day reader. In this category are some of his famous works: "In Search of the Castaways", "Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon" etc...
Verne bien sûr
Reading it in the original text helps...
HG all the way.
Jules sucks a big one.
Greater as in "who made the most grandiose speculative prose" or "who was more accurate in their predictions"?
Quote from: Razgovory on October 10, 2009, 03:49:55 AM
Quote from: citizen k on October 10, 2009, 12:56:59 AM
Wells, because he predicted modern warfare.
See: The Shape of Things to Come
Is that the one with the air commies?
Yes, iirc. He predicted air warfare about as well as Douhet did. :lol:
Quote from: Alexandru H. on October 10, 2009, 04:25:38 PM
Verne is not boring at all.
Ok, some novels are. But some are worthy of reading even today. Like "Captain Hatteras", "Hector Servadac", "The Lighthouse at the End of the World", "The Golden Volcano" or "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea".
Unfortunately, many are indeed quite boring for the modern-day reader. In this category are some of his famous works: "In Search of the Castaways", "Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon" etc...
Verne wayyyy over-describes by modern literary standards. His imagination was excellent, but his style didn't have any legs at all.
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on October 10, 2009, 05:01:09 PM
Verne bien sûr
Reading it in the original text helps...
But it's in a dead language...
Quote from: The Larch on October 10, 2009, 12:22:33 AM
Verne, because he actually predicted things that ended up appearing.
Verne for the same reason.
Oh and because he was :frog: so therefore superior in all things.
Also underread in both Verne and Wells, but the style of Verne's derivative works pwns that of Wells'. :contract:
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Can't we just ban all suck puppets?
Ban sugar gliders too while we're at it.
Ban strawmen!
It is a shame how you carry on.
Quote from: The Brain on October 11, 2009, 02:07:12 PM
It is a shame how you carry on.
Who me?
Thanks for noticing.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 09, 2009, 09:12:12 PM
Both 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Time Machine are on cable on different channels. Hence, the reason for the question.
Choose and post your reasons.
The guy who invented dual tuner DVR is the greatest visionary of them all.
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
Farism has a much more solid track record.
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
I daresay its post was tongue in cheek.
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'...
Not when the woman doesn't report it...
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
I wonder. If Atlas shrugged off the sky wouldn't he be crushed along with the rest of world?
Quote from: grumbler on October 11, 2009, 02:27:54 PM
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
I daresay its post was tongue in cheek.
Its?
:cry:
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM...übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women
Polanski isn't an übermensch. :cry:
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 02:43:34 PM
Quote from: grumbler on October 11, 2009, 02:27:54 PM
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
I daresay its post was tongue in cheek.
Its?
:cry:
I daresay Grumbler thinks you are an A.I. That or perhaps an hermaphrodite (does English grammar use 'its' for bisexual organisms? :P )
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 05:35:57 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 02:43:34 PM
Quote from: grumbler on October 11, 2009, 02:27:54 PM
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 02:23:08 PM
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 01:00:43 PM
Null vote: Ayn Rand's visions have come to pass. Wells and Verne were mere ham and eggers when it came to predicting the future.
Really? Mind to give us an example? Because last time I checked Atlas hadn't shrugged and übermenschen still went to jail if they raped women 'à la Fountainhead'... Now, talking seriously, I think the biggest success positivism has reached in recent years is inspiring Bioshock, and that, while worthy, isn't terribly serious.
I daresay its post was tongue in cheek.
Its?
:cry:
I daresay Grumbler thinks you are an A.I. That or perhaps an hermaphrodite (does English grammar use 'its' for bisexual organisms? :P )
A.I.?
No; it takes genuine skill and charisma to be this larger than life, even on the internet. One couldn't stay in character long enough were this one's sock puppet.
Quote from: Alatriste on October 11, 2009, 05:35:57 PM
I daresay Grumbler thinks you are an A.I. That or perhaps an hermaphrodite (does English grammar use 'its' for bisexual organisms? :P )
For some things gender distinctions are unimportant. One doesn't refer to n00bs or insects by gender.
I am pleased with how that turned out.
Quote from: Rasputin on October 11, 2009, 07:35:31 PM
No; it takes genuine skill and charisma to be this larger than life, even on the internet. One couldn't stay in character long enough were this one's sock puppet.
So who are you?
Quote from: citizen k on October 10, 2009, 12:56:59 AM
Wells, because he predicted modern warfare.
See: The Shape of Things to Come
Ditto