Talk:Encounter in the Dawn

Novels: Short story / Sci-fi Mid‑importance

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neutrality

Um, there is no discussion on the talk page. How is one supposed to get rid of the "neutrality" warning? -- 76.202.198.213 22:03, 20 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I removed it, along with some original research. Given the length of the article, a merger may be in order, though I don't see a good page to merge to. Perhaps a List of short stories by Arthur C. Clark could be created. -Chunky Rice 22:09, 20 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

merge it to Dog, rocks. Luscious coal. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Petchboo (talk • contribs) 15:33, 15 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Plot synopsis

So what is the book about? An oblique reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey is no good; the article should stand on its own. Hairy Dude (talk) 00:47, 12 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Rewrite

Wrote a better plot synopsis as the previous one was a mess.
The "comparison with 2001" section is pretty irrelevant, this story is not much to do with 2001. Different characters, setting, plot, action... basically a whole different work apart from the broadest premise. Definitely shouldn't have a long essay which analyses the themes etc, with no sources.

Section about 2001 etc (mostly cut from article)

Comparison with 2001: A Space Odyssey

Although the concept of advanced aliens interacting with low-level civilisation is a common theme, there are key differences between this story and the opening of 2001.

In 2001, the indigenous man-apes are at an even lower level, being essentially gatherers who have yet to discover hunting and are on the verge of extinction despite being surrounded by a rich ecosystem which they cannot exploit. The monolith is a remote tool by means of which an undisclosed alien intelligence can, by a form of telepathy, interact directly to force the man-apes into various acts they would not naturally do, such as attempting to tie knots. It can also implant images directly into their brains, such as an image of satiated well-fed man-apes. Finally, it can implant the idea of developing tools, such as the use of a simple club, by which means the man-apes are able to both defeat the predatory big cats and also gain a new supply of food. The undisclosed intelligence using the tool is clearly testing and influencing the development of the species, but, having planted the seeds, they are left to their own devices to succeed or fail, as the case may be.

By contrast in "Encounter in the Dawn", the high-intelligence aliens are present in person and have the apparent intent of guiding the new civilisation to an advanced level, until affairs render this impossible. There is a level of irony here in that while they strive to advance this new civilisation, their own is failing, the reader is led to believe, through mistakes they themselves have made rather than through some external force. twl_corinthian (talk) 11:33, 16 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]