What's your kryptonite

I'm not afraid to divulge this secret. Just afraid of the secret. Call me chicken all you like. Chickens don't frighten me. I'll tell you what frightens me - the most. What frightens you?

What, chicken? 'Fraid I'll use it against you?

Spiders! That's my kryptonite. I loathe spiders. Many eyes. Many legs. Many sizes. Many webs. Many spiders.

AND WHAT'S WITH LEAVING DAMN WEB EVERYWHERE!

I run into a web and I can feel a spider crawling on me. Even if it isn't.

The movie, Arachnophobia. A movie that makes me caaaringe.

I quickly devoured a sci-fi book I found, while stranded at an airport once. I suppose someone had left it. It was missing the cover, so the title didn't stick. I wish I knew the author, I'd like a reread.

It featured humans living under a canopy. Deep under a thick jungle canopy where rain barely reached, and where the temperature remained constant, humid, and hot.

The few humans lived in bands. The only pastime was survival. The insects had grown to be so large you could miss them, then it was too late. The humans weren't at the bottom of the food chain deep under the canopy. They weren't even on it. If you found yourself ensnared in a spider's web, it was like being tied by sticky rope. And death came true.

One minute you were stealthily hunting food, the next you realize that you've walked into the strike zone of a praying mantis that towers a couple stories above you.

They ate dismembered insects' legs, etc., from lost battles with other creatures, for food.

They had never traveled to the highlands before. It was a long trip, fraught with many dangers. Dangerous exploding mushrooms were very common, with a variety of nasty effects. Most deadly, but none pleasant.

One hero, had had enough of generation after generation of life under the canopy and decided to take a chance and venture to the highlands - the high grounds. Only a few had the courage to follow. His lover reluctantly tagged along, of course. They made it. They discovered. Earth! Many people. Civilized people, for they themselves were not - having lived as they had for so many generations.

The first thing they noticed above the canopy was a funny looking creature which made them cautious, but it didn't seem to be dangerous - much to their surprise. In their world, everything ate you. It walked up to them and licked them. They later came to know that it was called a dog.

A huge spider had been staking them and had followed them above the canopy. They were frightened, realizing that they were out in the open without cover in this strange land. But then the pack of dogs attacked and killed the huge spider. It seems the cold was too much for it. Made it lethargic and slow.

Anyone know the name of that book?


****** *



Now, your kryptonite please.

No fair, I showed you mine!

cthia wrote:I'm not afraid to divulge this secret. Just afraid of the secret. Call me chicken all you like. Chickens don't frighten me. I'll tell you what frightens me - the most. What frightens you?

What, chicken? 'Fraid I'll use it against you?

Spiders! That's my kryptonite. I loathe spiders. Many eyes. Many legs. Many sizes. Many webs. Many spiders.

AND WHAT'S WITH LEAVING DAMN WEB EVERYWHERE!

I run into a web and I can feel a spider crawling on me. Even if it isn't.

The movie, Arachnophobia. A movie that makes me caaaringe.

I quickly devoured a sci-fi book I found, while stranded at an airport once. I suppose someone had left it. It was missing the cover, so the title didn't stick. I wish I knew the author, I'd like a reread.

It featured humans living under a canopy. Deep under a thick jungle canopy where rain barely reached, and where the temperature remained constant, humid, and hot.

The few humans lived in bands. The only pastime was survival. The insects had grown to be so large you could miss them, then it was too late. The humans weren't at the bottom of the food chain deep under the canopy. They weren't even on it. If you found yourself ensnared in a spider's web, it was like being tied by sticky rope. And death came true.

One minute you were stealthily hunting food, the next you realize that you've walked into the strike zone of a praying mantis that towers a couple stories above you.

They ate dismembered insects' legs, etc., from lost battles with other creatures, for food.

They had never traveled to the highlands before. It was a long trip, fraught with many dangers. Dangerous exploding mushrooms were very common, with a variety of nasty effects. Most deadly, but none pleasant.

One hero, had had enough of generation after generation of life under the canopy and decided to take a chance and venture to the highlands - the high grounds. Only a few had the courage to follow. His lover reluctantly tagged along, of course. They made it. They discovered. Earth! Many people. Civilized people, for they themselves were not - having lived as they had for so many generations.

The first thing they noticed above the canopy was a funny looking creature which made them cautious, but it didn't seem to be dangerous - much to their surprise. In their world, everything ate you. It walked up to them and licked them. They later came to know that it was called a dog.

A huge spider had been staking them and had followed them above the canopy. They were frightened, realizing that they were out in the open without cover in this strange land. But then the pack of dogs attacked and killed the huge spider. It seems the cold was too much for it. Made it lethargic and slow.

Anyone know the name of that book?


****** *



Now, your kryptonite please.

No fair, I showed you mine!

Sounds like a scene from The Seedling Stars by James Blish, but I don't remember that particular scene from the book.

cthia wrote:I'm not afraid to divulge this secret. Just afraid of the secret. Call me chicken all you like. Chickens don't frighten me. I'll tell you what frightens me - the most. What frightens you?

What, chicken? 'Fraid I'll use it against you?

Spiders! That's my kryptonite. I loathe spiders. Many eyes. Many legs. Many sizes. Many webs. Many spiders.

AND WHAT'S WITH LEAVING DAMN WEB EVERYWHERE!

I run into a web and I can feel a spider crawling on me. Even if it isn't.

The movie, Arachnophobia. A movie that makes me caaaringe.

I quickly devoured a sci-fi book I found, while stranded at an airport once. I suppose someone had left it. It was missing the cover, so the title didn't stick. I wish I knew the author, I'd like a reread.

=== SNIP ===

Anyone know the name of that book?


****** *



Now, your kryptonite please.

No fair, I showed you mine!

Boy, it took me a bit and I went through some "Golden Era of SF" names but I do believe I have your book! Murray Leinster's "Forgotten Planet" (1954).

The Wikipedia entry on this gives this synopsis; The "forgotten" planet had been seeded for life, first with microbes and later with plants and insects. A third expedition, intended to complete the seeding with animals, never occurred. Over the millennia the insects and plants grew to gigantic sizes. The action of the novel describes the fight for survival by descendants of a crashed spaceship as they battle wolf-sized ants, flies the size of chickens, and gigantic flying wasps.

Whew, I'm kinda impressed with meself but it took the internet as well as my memory of probable authors to get this results! The book is available from Amazon Kindle at $0.99, so at least you can reread it to your heart's content!

Charybdis wrote:

cthia wrote:
I'm not afraid to divulge this secret. Just afraid of the secret. Call me chicken all you like. Chickens don't frighten me. I'll tell you what frightens me - the most. What frightens you?

What, chicken? 'Fraid I'll use it against you?

Spiders! That's my kryptonite. I loathe spiders. Many eyes. Many legs. Many sizes. Many webs. Many spiders.

AND WHAT'S WITH LEAVING DAMN WEB EVERYWHERE!

I run into a web and I can feel a spider crawling on me. Even if it isn't.

The movie, Arachnophobia. A movie that makes me caaaringe.

I quickly devoured a sci-fi book I found, while stranded at an airport once. I suppose someone had left it. It was missing the cover, so the title didn't stick. I wish I knew the author, I'd like a reread.

=== SNIP ===

Anyone know the name of that book?


****** *



Now, your kryptonite please.

No fair, I showed you mine!

Boy, it took me a bit and I went through some "Golden Era of SF" names but I do believe I have your book! Murray Leinster's "Forgotten Planet" (1954).

The Wikipedia entry on this gives this synopsis; The "forgotten" planet had been seeded for life, first with microbes and later with plants and insects. A third expedition, intended to complete the seeding with animals, never occurred. Over the millennia the insects and plants grew to gigantic sizes. The action of the novel describes the fight for survival by descendants of a crashed spaceship as they battle wolf-sized ants, flies the size of chickens, and gigantic flying wasps.

Whew, I'm kinda impressed with meself but it took the internet as well as my memory of probable authors to get this results! The book is available from Amazon Kindle at $0.99, so at least you can reread it to your heart's content!

Oh my God! That's the one! It's been almost two decades, my search for the title of that book, and I always took my internet sleuthing skills to be second to none. But you ... to you, I'd doff my hat, if I wore one.

Thanks aplenty Charybdis! Thanks aplenty!

My niece and other family members, and friends are going to be so happy. I had everyone searching for it, and everyone wants to read it, since I've talked about it for almost twenty years. My niece is only thirteen.

I feel like it's Christmas. Wait, it almost is!

Thanks again!

You've been promoted to honorary tac-witch.

cthia wrote:

Charybdis wrote:Boy, it took me a bit and I went through some "Golden Era of SF" names but I do believe I have your book! Murray Leinster's "Forgotten Planet" (1954).

The Wikipedia entry on this gives this synopsis; The "forgotten" planet had been seeded for life, first with microbes and later with plants and insects. A third expedition, intended to complete the seeding with animals, never occurred. Over the millennia the insects and plants grew to gigantic sizes. The action of the novel describes the fight for survival by descendants of a crashed spaceship as they battle wolf-sized ants, flies the size of chickens, and gigantic flying wasps.

Whew, I'm kinda impressed with meself but it took the internet as well as my memory of probable authors to get this results! The book is available from Amazon Kindle at $0.99, so at least you can reread it to your heart's content!

Oh my God! That's the one! It's been almost two decades, my search for the title of that book, and I always took my internet sleuthing skills to be second to none. But you ... to you, I'd doff my hat, if I wore one.

Thanks aplenty Charybdis! Thanks aplenty!

My niece and other family members, and friends are going to be so happy. I had everyone searching for it, and everyone wants to read it, since I've talked about it for almost twenty years. My niece is only thirteen.

I feel like it's Christmas. Wait, it almost is!

Thanks again!

You've been promoted to honorary tac-witch.

VERY happy to have been of service, as you travel down the corridor of experience, you too can be a link to someone's desire. I have a mind that excels at this 'Trivial Pursuit' type of facts. Just to let you know, I first thought of L Sprague de Camp and then to Eric Frank Russell before I got to Murray Leinster - these were giants far too unappreciated today. Fact is, AMAZON should be given kudos for restoring older books as well as the Gold Star 'Project Guttenberg'. We do live in a golden age!

As pay forward, perhaps you can put a vote into Amazon for Kindle edition for the following;
The Silent Stars Go By - James White (Hibernia civilizes ahead of everyone else - first starship)

Thunder and lightning. I was about eight years old. The place was Grandmother and Grandfathers mountain cabin. The attic had been framed in and made into an open loft type sleeping space.

An extremely close big lightning strike hit the oak tree next to the cabin and a huge branch smashed right through the roof and ended up on the floor right next to all of our bunks. BLAM!

I STILL have nightmares. Just like the scene in Poltergeist The Movie where the monster evil tree almost gets the kids. In my case, it really happened. Thunder and Lightning today? ... YIKES!

HB of CJ (old coot)

cthia;
You notice the new guy in town.
Name's Peter Parker.

And I wouldn't rent Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, if I were you.

My problem is worrying about falling off high objects.
Put up a small railing of posts and rope, and I haven't a problem.
No security barrier and I'm on my stomach looking over the edge.

TN4994 wrote:cthia;
You notice the new guy in town.
Name's Peter Parker.

Very funny you.

And I wouldn't rent Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, if I were you.

My problem is worrying about falling off high objects.
Put up a small railing of posts and rope, and I haven't a problem.
No security barrier and I'm on my stomach looking over the edge.

Well, I for one, will never balk at another man's kryptonite. But you couldn't do my job at all. I spend lots of time at the very top of the world's tallest bridges, inspecting. And on the outside of some very tall structures. You ever been on any ski lifts? These are some of the most incredible, and startling views all over the world - unless you're leery of that sort of thing.

As miscreant kids we used to climb to the top of those huge city water towers, and even swam inside! Kids!

I got the whipping of my life when I climbed atop one of the old fire lookout towers built on my grandfather's property as a kid. Scary. But fun. I was around nine I suppose.

HB of CJ wrote:
Thunder and lightning. I was about eight years old. The place was Grandmother and Grandfathers mountain cabin. The attic had been framed in and made into an open loft type sleeping space.

An extremely close big lightning strike hit the oak tree next to the cabin and a huge branch smashed right through the roof and ended up on the floor right next to all of our bunks. BLAM!

I STILL have nightmares. Just like the scene in Poltergeist The Movie where the monster evil tree almost gets the kids. In my case, it really happened. Thunder and Lightning today? ... YIKES!

HB of CJ (old coot)

HB, if you and a certain sister of mine were together alone during a severe thunderstorm, you'd be absolutely useless to each other. She's gotten better, but only by a hair. When we were young she thought lightning was out to get her.

We were playing pong on a huge, old-fashioned floor model television when we were kids. The kind with the old vacuum tubes. It was a particularly nasty thunderstorm that came out of nowhere. Back in those days at least, parents would turn off all electronics and preach silence. I guess lightning can hear you. But my mom would go a step further and have us unplug all of our electronics. This particular day I reluctantly unplugged the TV. I was winning at pong. I was standing near the TV when all of a sudden, USS battleship sounding depth charges went off that made my sister soak her pants. What A Boom. Sis was looking out a picture window when lightning struck a huge transformer near our home. KAAAAABOOOOM. Piss. Piss. Piss.

But that's not all. I was standing near the TV when it happened, and BOOM, our TV exploded and blew me on my ass. The surge from the transformer ran through our home and JUMPED THE GAP between the outlet and the unplugged cord lying on the floor.

That same week she was riding her favorite horse when a storm came up. She had about two hundred acres to cover at a flat out run. Lighting struck a tree near her. When we saw her that horse was hauling two frightened asses.

For the longest, if a storm arose, sis was in bed with the closest body.

Good therapy. T & L plus mega tsunamis and the most non plausible high speed head on freight train wreck NIGHTMARES. Good days physically and bad days physically cause these.

The massive body pain from years of battle damage, bullet wounds, broke bones, burns, and the usual stuff regarding Old Coots results in too much pain medication taken at bedtime.

The resulting conflicts result in some very vivid, in color with sound effects, odors and pain, NIGHTMARES. I am about due for another. A very fun shopping day with much fatigue.

Sometimes I live through the dreams, usually not. Sometimes I can change or manipulate the dreams. Usually not. Rarely. Interesting that the fear of nightmares brings them on.

But ... I usually die gallantly. But ... I usually die horribly. Zapped, smashed, crunched, blown up, burned, drowned, crushed, impaled, squished, shredded, blasted, busted, etc..

Yikes again. HB of CJ (old coot) Ought to be fun tonight!