Leonard Nimoy Does Science Fiction
Leonard Nimoy Science Fiction:
The Gold Collection
A two-volume CD, The Gold Collection archives and presents the classic works of 44 classic science fiction tales by the best science fiction authors history has given us.
In Vol I, we visit the works of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Edgar Allen Poe. In Vol II, we travel further in time to Poul Anderson, Murray Leinster and Robert Silverberg.
To add perspective and commentary on these literary works, about 70 Quicktime video clips totaling about one hour are included.
The electronic visage of five experts whose specialities reside in different corners of the genre are on the CD. Making appearances are Frank Kelly Freas, a renowned and award-winning fantasy artist; James Gunn, a leading scholar, critic, author and editor; George Slusser, another leading critic; Jean-Pierre Wolfe, a cyberspace gamester; plus Nimoy, actor, producer and film director.
As the CD begins with a fanfare, you are presented with host Nimoy who's tapping away at a futuristic computer console and he turns and speaks directly to the viewer and provides introductory comments. From here, you are taken to a futuristic Myst-like library, where four books lay on wooden podiums and futuristic screen displays are the backdrop.
"Science fiction is the search for an understanding of what it means to be human and a definition of our place in the universe," says Nimoy. "It allows the concerns of our world to be viewed from a distance. By doing so, we gain new insights and perspectives into our humanity."
Clicking on a book takes you to the cover of a pulp magazine such as Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And clicking on the book cover reveals the actual text of the novel. With the full texts of 23 novels on the CD, you may `scroll' stories at your leisure and `bookmark' your location for return later. To get around copyright infringement, the user cannot print the entire novel as one file but only as chapters.
Extensive images of the old-age pulp magazines are part of the collection.
To access all the Quicktime clips, a main menu calls up an index, so the user can locate a particular topic of interest. The video clips are discussions of seminal and important moments in the beginnings of literary Science Fiction. For example, in the first volume, George Slusser discusses the early days of H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and the origins of their classic novels. Jean-Pierre Wolfe talks about Edgar Allen Poe's `The Fall of the House of Usher', Verne's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' and James Gunn talks further about Verne, Wells and aspects of their famous novels. And finally, Nimoy discusses fascinating biographical information about the assorted authors.
This CD is a fascinating glimpse into the historical arena of literary SF that's frequently ignored by today's readers. It's a great tool for high school or college students who might want to write about the authors or book reviews. The CD format is excellent for a collection of this sort as it allows the computer user to select the sections they are interested in. The works are certainly less sophisticated than today's authors, but it is a good argument to say, we owe the very existence of the genre to those featured on this CD.