Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 23:06:30 GMT
Thread to Discuss the first Group Listen of the month, The Rocket Men.
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Sept 4, 2016 4:14:43 GMT
The cliffhanger is something that could only work on audio, but it's a lovely story.
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Post by mark687 on Sept 4, 2016 11:02:07 GMT
Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2016 15:02:32 GMT
Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 I honestly doubt many people's love for the story is based on any of those aspects, so I'd defend the piece against basing too much on them. It's a character play, not so much a plot driven one. Your thoughts and review of it are based on the tension and action wheras that's really not the heart of the piece at all for me at least and I dare say many others. Whenever pretty much anyone talks up The Rocket Men it's seldom anything to do with the antagonists themselves or how they're thwarted and all to do with the blooming Ian and Barbara story. Ian's "When do you know...?" inner monologues that bookmark the story, I think, make it pretty clear that was the intent. Using sci-fi tropes superficially when actually it's a lovely exploration of one man's feelings for his best friend is a wonderful, simple idea that this story manages just perfectly. I'd argue most people could give two figs for whether the space whale being psychic was predictable or if Ian's plan wasn't as tense as it might be in a more thriller-based story. For what it's worth I do enjoy the non-linear aspects of the story and think it's one of the stories that captures the irascible side of Hartnell's Doctor better than most It's entirely your opinion and no-one can take that from you but I think you're looking for something quite different in the story, or are taking something quite different, to me and others who have expressed their love for it. |
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Post by mark687 on Sept 4, 2016 15:13:58 GMT
Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 I honestly doubt many people's love for the story is based on any of those aspects, so I'd defend the piece against basing too much on them. It's a character play, not so much a plot driven one. Your thoughts and review of it are based on the tension and action wheras that's really not the heart of the piece at all for me at least and I dare say many others. Whenever pretty much anyone talks up The Rocket Men it's seldom anything to do with the antagonists themselves or how they're thwarted and all to do with the blooming Ian and Barbara story. Ian's "When do you know...?" inner monologues that bookmark the story, I think, make it pretty clear that was the intent. Using sci-fi tropes superficially when actually it's a lovely exploration of one man's feelings for his best friend is a wonderful, simple idea that this story manages just perfectly. I'd argue most people could give two figs for whether the space whale being psychic was predictable or if Ian's plan wasn't as tense as it might be in a more thriller-based story. For what it's worth I do enjoy the non-linear aspects of the story and think it's one of the stories that captures the irascible side of Hartnell's Doctor better than most It's entirely your opinion and no-one can take that from you but I think you're looking for something quite different in the story, or are taking something quite different, to me and others who have expressed their love for it. Maybe
Because I'd read so many Novels/Short stories that focus on the realization of the relationship I just went "so what I know all this".
Regards
mark687
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Post by Ela on Sept 4, 2016 16:31:46 GMT
This was a good story, but not one of my favorites, in part because I never really bought into the whole Barbara and Ian relationship thing.
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Post by kimalysong on Sept 4, 2016 17:08:44 GMT
I actually love Ian/Barbara but had trouble getting into this one because of the order of the story. I loved Return of the Rocketmen though so I want to give this one another chance.
As far as Ian/Barbara I kind of enjoyed it more in Transit to Venus even though it wasn't specifically about that. But again I need to give this one another chance.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2016 17:15:14 GMT
Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 I have to agree with you. I like it, I do. But there is just something about the relationship between Ian and Barbra that made this release fall flat for me. However I will say that I do enjoy the relationship between them and think it is much more believable in The Library of Alexandria |
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Post by relativetime on Sept 4, 2016 20:57:34 GMT
One of my favorite stories, honestly. I got it to listen to on a plane ride to Kentucky with a couple of close friends of mine, so listening to this story brings back a lot of the fun memories I had with them on our trip. But besides that, William Russell has one of the warmest voices I've heard and it's no problem whatsoever to get absorbed into this story and to feel Ian's emotions.
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Post by mark687 on Sept 4, 2016 22:11:39 GMT
Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 I have to agree with you. I like it, I do. But there is just something about the relationship between Ian and Barbra that made this release fall flat for me. However I will say that I do enjoy the relationship between them and think it is much more believable in The Library of Alexandria Exactly that's a great little scene in Alexandria:
where Ian and Barbra both realize Barbra's jealous of Hypatia but Barbra won't give Ian the satisfaction of letting him know
Regards
mark687
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Post by dastari on Nov 12, 2016 22:10:00 GMT
When do you know? When do you know that you've found the greatest Companion Chronicle ever? Is it when you see the wonderful cover? Is it after you understand the crazy retro concept of the story? Is it after you hear the wonderful characterization? Or do you know when the Companion Chronicles have been yanked from you and you realize that you'll never get anything as sublimey perfect as this again? When do you know? In all seriousness, I absolutely adore this one. Everything is spot on from the concept to the plot to the script to the characterization to the sound design. The cliffhanger is something that could only work on audio, but it's a lovely story. That's true, but I love how the entire story pivots on that one reveal, and it allows you to re-evaluate everything about the story up until then. Ducking for Cover (apologies to Dorney) {Spoiler} I Do like this but I think its overrated. As soon as I heard Space Whale I knew they'd be telepathic/empathic so that would be key to defeating the Rocketmen. the jumping around narrative works in Part1 and I did go ah when I worked out what Ian was doing, however the format backfired very early in Part 2 and all the tension meant for the episode is removed. Please be gentle Kind Regards mark687 See, I don't think that the jumping around hurts so much because the stuff that happens "in the present" of the story is told in 2nd-person giving it an immediacy and energy that many CC's lack. I mean, we already know that Ian and Barbara live. We've seen The Chase, so when the story jumps forward it isn't that much of a spoiler. But the listener is still left with the question of how Ian saved Barbara, and that's what's interesting. One of my favorite stories, honestly. I got it to listen to on a plane ride to Kentucky with a couple of close friends of mine, so listening to this story brings back a lot of the fun memories I had with them on our trip. But besides that, William Russell has one of the warmest voices I've heard and it's no problem whatsoever to get absorbed into this story and to feel Ian's emotions. Agreed here. It's amazing that the man was 86 when he recorded this and was still at the height of his powers. I have to agree with you. I like it, I do. But there is just something about the relationship between Ian and Barbra that made this release fall flat for me. However I will say that I do enjoy the relationship between them and think it is much more believable in The Library of Alexandria Exactly that's a great little scene in Alexandria:
{Spoiler} where Ian and Barbra both realize Barbra's jealous of Hypatia but Barbra won't give Ian the satisfaction of letting him know
Regards
mark687
I do like The Library of Alexandria, but felt like it was a little to...obvious with the relationship. Ian's just beginning to realize his feelings for Barbara in The Rocket Men. Barbara seems a bit to jealous and a bit to obvious about it in Alexandria. Besides, with a story that takes place just after The Reign of Terror it seemed odd that no one brought up the fact that Barbara had been way to happy with Leon Colbert's attention, so she had no right to get that upset with Ian. On the subject of The Rocket Men, though, I've posted a few more thoughts here. |
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aztec
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Post by aztec on Nov 13, 2016 15:01:03 GMT
I listened to this a few weeks ago, agree with the points above, excellent story really felt authentic to the 60's. At the risk of sounding a little mean, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Peter Purves was in this, I had no strong opinion on Steven either way in the TV series, and I couldn't remember the performance that well, I knew Purves more for interviews and presenting work than acting, but he was excellent in both this and Mother Russia, Steven was much more well defined in these stories (Purves voice has barely aged a day since the 60's and he does a pretty good Hartnell impression) than I remember him being on TV and I'm planning on buying more Steven CC's eventually.
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Post by mark687 on Nov 13, 2016 15:06:49 GMT
I listened to this a few weeks ago, agree with the points above, excellent story really felt authentic to the 60's. At the risk of sounding a little mean, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Peter Purves was in this, I had no strong opinion on Steven either way in the TV series, and I couldn't remember the performance that well, I knew Purves more for interviews and presenting work than acting, but he was excellent in both this and Mother Russia, Steven was much more well defined in these stories (Purves voice has barely aged a day since the 60's and he does a pretty good Hartnell impression) than I remember him being on TV and I'm planning on buying more Steven CC's eventually. Wrong thread should be in CC Return of the Rocket Men Thread (actualy there isn't one), but I agree with the sentiments.
Regards
mark687
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aztec
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 2,849
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Post by aztec on Nov 13, 2016 15:14:51 GMT
I listened to this a few weeks ago, agree with the points above, excellent story really felt authentic to the 60's. At the risk of sounding a little mean, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Peter Purves was in this, I had no strong opinion on Steven either way in the TV series, and I couldn't remember the performance that well, I knew Purves more for interviews and presenting work than acting, but he was excellent in both this and Mother Russia, Steven was much more well defined in these stories (Purves voice has barely aged a day since the 60's and he does a pretty good Hartnell impression) than I remember him being on TV and I'm planning on buying more Steven CC's eventually. Wrong thread should be in CC Return of the Rocket Men Thread (actualy there isn't one), but I agree with the sentiments.
Regards
mark687
...whoops. I've heard The Rocket Men as well and it was excellent. |
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