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pratikshyamishra's review
5.0
The book reads like a newspaper column you look forward to every weekend, fragments from the director’s life chronicled coherently through his essays, interview pieces, newspaper cuttings from the 1960s to 1980s, and several letters exchanged with personalities from Hollywood. It was interesting to note the science fiction enthusiast’s passion for stories.
Satyajit Ray, along with a friend of his had revived the children’s magazine Sandesh, after years of it going out of print. His grandfather had started the magazine, which he published again with fresh ideas, sci-fi stories and facts suitable for teens, complete with his own illustrations. He was also actively involved with the Bengali science fiction magazine Aschorjo as its chief patron, and became the president of the Science Fiction Cine Club, which showed movies of the genre from around the world every week for members- one of the first of its kind in India and abroad.
The book is divided into four parts- thoughts on science fiction, the springboard Bonkubabur Bandhu, The Alien, and other notable essays by Satyajit Ray. The very first chapter is an essay that first appeared in Now magazine, on 21st October 1966, and is curiously titled ‘SF’. “Heaven knows the initials are not as widely familiar as one would wish.” begins Ray going on to discuss his personal inspirations, and the woks and contributions of two pioneers of science fiction writing- Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. More interesting essays follow which discuss works of Conan Doyle, films like A Trip To Moon, Fahrenheit 451, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Forbidden Planet, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.
I have loved sci-fi movies as long as I can remember, but this book has presented an entire new world, which dates back to decades before my birth! So, I had reason to gush over the contents and search for more snippets of interviews online. My favorite among the essays was the All India Radio Interview with Satyajit Ray. The essence of the conversations has been maintained throughout the translated piece. I laughed till it hurt reading about Professor Shonku’s first invention, Nasyastra, a snuff gun, that makes one sneeze 56 times non-stop. I was awed by how science lags behind imagination- Leonardo Da Vinci had sketched the helicopter, gramophone and many more devices which were invented much later. It was one of the most enjoyable interviews I have read.
Read the complete review at : https://www.magic-moments.in/2018/05/travails-with-alien.html
Satyajit Ray, along with a friend of his had revived the children’s magazine Sandesh, after years of it going out of print. His grandfather had started the magazine, which he published again with fresh ideas, sci-fi stories and facts suitable for teens, complete with his own illustrations. He was also actively involved with the Bengali science fiction magazine Aschorjo as its chief patron, and became the president of the Science Fiction Cine Club, which showed movies of the genre from around the world every week for members- one of the first of its kind in India and abroad.
The book is divided into four parts- thoughts on science fiction, the springboard Bonkubabur Bandhu, The Alien, and other notable essays by Satyajit Ray. The very first chapter is an essay that first appeared in Now magazine, on 21st October 1966, and is curiously titled ‘SF’. “Heaven knows the initials are not as widely familiar as one would wish.” begins Ray going on to discuss his personal inspirations, and the woks and contributions of two pioneers of science fiction writing- Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. More interesting essays follow which discuss works of Conan Doyle, films like A Trip To Moon, Fahrenheit 451, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Forbidden Planet, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.
I have loved sci-fi movies as long as I can remember, but this book has presented an entire new world, which dates back to decades before my birth! So, I had reason to gush over the contents and search for more snippets of interviews online. My favorite among the essays was the All India Radio Interview with Satyajit Ray. The essence of the conversations has been maintained throughout the translated piece. I laughed till it hurt reading about Professor Shonku’s first invention, Nasyastra, a snuff gun, that makes one sneeze 56 times non-stop. I was awed by how science lags behind imagination- Leonardo Da Vinci had sketched the helicopter, gramophone and many more devices which were invented much later. It was one of the most enjoyable interviews I have read.
Read the complete review at : https://www.magic-moments.in/2018/05/travails-with-alien.html
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