A Fred Hoyle Moment !!
The Black Cloud is a 1957 science fiction novel by British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. It details the arrival of an enormous cloud of gas that enters the Solar System and appears about to destroy most of the life on Earth by blocking the Sun's radiation.
In 1964, astrophysicists on Earth became aware of a cloud of gas and dust, initially thought to be a Bok globule, that is heading for the Solar System. The cloud, if interposed between the Sun and the Earth, could wipe out most of the life on Earth by blocking solar radiation, thus the name "The Black Cloud". A cadre of astronomers and other scientists is drawn together in Nortonstowe, England, to study the cloud and report to the British government about the consequences of its presence.
The cloud unexpectedly decelerates as it approaches and comes to rest around the Sun, causing disastrous climatic changes on Earth and immense mortality and suffering for the human race. As the behaviour of the cloud proves to be impossible to predict scientifically, the team at Nortonstowe eventually come to the conclusion that it might be a life-form with a degree of intelligence. The scientists try to communicate with the cloud, and succeed. The cloud is revealed to be an alien gaseous superorganism, many times more intelligent than humans, which is surprised to find intelligent life-forms on a solid planet. It reconfigures itself to allow sunlight to return to the Earth and humanity is saved.
A book I shall always remember , at school the teacher came in and announced we will be doing a Shakespeare book only to be bombarded by many moans and groans . She about turned and came back with a pile of the The Black Cloud books by Fred Hoyle --- That is the closest I ever came to reading any Shakespeare !!
A Fred Hoyle Moment !!
The Black Cloud is a 1957 science fiction novel by British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. It details the arrival of an enormous cloud of gas that enters the Solar System and appears about to destroy most of the life on Earth by blocking the Sun's radiation.
In 1964, astrophysicists on Earth became aware of a cloud of gas and dust, initially thought to be a Bok globule, that is heading for the Solar System. The cloud, if interposed between the Sun and the Earth, could wipe out most of the life on Earth by blocking solar radiation, thus the name "The Black Cloud". A cadre of astronomers and other scientists is drawn together in Nortonstowe, England, to study the cloud and report to the British government about the consequences of its presence.
The cloud unexpectedly decelerates as it approaches and comes to rest around the Sun, causing disastrous climatic changes on Earth and immense mortality and suffering for the human race. As the behaviour of the cloud proves to be impossible to predict scientifically, the team at Nortonstowe eventually come to the conclusion that it might be a life-form with a degree of intelligence. The scientists try to communicate with the cloud, and succeed. The cloud is revealed to be an alien gaseous superorganism, many times more intelligent than humans, which is surprised to find intelligent life-forms on a solid planet. It reconfigures itself to allow sunlight to return to the Earth and humanity is saved.
A book I shall always remember , at school the teacher came in and announced we will be doing a Shakespeare book only to be bombarded by many moans and groans . She about turned and came back with a pile of the The Black Cloud books by Fred Hoyle --- That is the closest I ever came to reading any Shakespeare !!