Looking for a holiday present for the scientifically-minded spouse/friend/co-worker/sibling/relative/acquaintance/secret admirer? Here’s something a little different.
Astronomer and author Craig Wheeler wrote a book in 1988 called The Krone Experiment. It’s a scientifically-based potboiler thriller, and pretty enjoyable. I won’t give away what the science is (since it’s critical — some might say integral, har har– to the plot), but it’s pretty accurate, as you might expect from a professional astronomical theorist.
I worked with Craig years ago on a big astronomical project involving supernovae when I discovered he’d written a book. And now it turns out the book has been made into a movie! Here’s the website for the DVD. I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan to. Even though I know how it ends, it’ll be interesting to see it through someone else’s eyes. I’ll drop a hint to Mrs. BA about getting it for me… I’ll have some time over the holidays to snuggle up in front of a good sci-fi thriller.
December 9th, 2005 at 4:38 am
The link to the website for the DVD appears to be broken. Great 404 page though
December 9th, 2005 at 4:48 am
Shouldn’t that “secret admirer” logically be a “secret admiree”?
December 9th, 2005 at 6:54 am
Here is the correct URL for the DVD
http://www.thekroneexperiment.com/index.html
December 9th, 2005 at 9:55 am
Oops, fixed it. There was an extra “a href” in the URL link.
December 9th, 2005 at 11:04 am
Hey, I wanted to see the great 404 page
Rob
December 9th, 2005 at 3:00 pm
I just checked my local library database. The book is under “teen fiction”.
Was the book really juvenile?
database
December 9th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
No, it’s an adult thriller. I mean, not adult, but complex and with quite a bit of depth. It’s fine for teens.
December 9th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
Okay, I put the book on hold. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.
December 10th, 2005 at 7:15 am
# hale_bopp Says:
December 9th, 2005 at 11:04 am
Hey, I wanted to see the great 404 page
Rob
Here you go: http://www.badastronomy.com/104
Get out of the black hole
December 11th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
I don’t know…
Direct to DVD seems like a bad omen to me.
December 12th, 2005 at 1:30 pm
I wrote the director asking about an online trailer. He pointed me to to this page on his site:
http://thekroneexperiment.com/trailer/krone_preview.html
He says it’s an old trailer that he put together ages ago, and that he wants to edit together a newer, better one.
And as long as we’re on the subject of low budget indie cinema, let’s not forget Primer:
http://www.primermovie.com/
December 13th, 2005 at 8:19 pm
no way! when i was in high school (1988 sounds about right), i picked up a copy of that book and read the first chapter or two. then i lost it. forgot the name. wondered about it occasionally ever since. never knew how it ended, and still don’t, but i can tell you i was smart enough to know the most likely conclusion based on physics, if not necessarily good fiction practices.
i thought i’d never hear about it again, despite the concept of the story being burned in my brain – and no i won’t spoil it in this comment. yet here, on one of the few blogs i actually bother to read, is the long forgotten name of that damned book that terrified a poor, easily terrified fifteen-year-old back in ’88.
April 23rd, 2006 at 12:52 pm
So, Dre,
Did you get the right answer?
And what was so terrifying in the first couple of chapters?
By the way, the third chapter was the best…
We also have a forum on The Krone Experiment web site if anyone would like to pick up this thread there and/or converse with the author and filmmaker.