Listening To The Silurians

A Trilogy on CD

While on vacation in Texas, we happened across a store called Half Price Books.  I love used book stores, as I often find books that are no longer offered in new bookstores, as the author didn't publish much, has largely been forgotten, or the title has simply gone out of print. But Half Price Books didn't just have books: they also sold CDs, DVDs, and comic books.  I found six old issues of Marvel Comics' "Conan The Barbarian."  I picked up several books.  And then I happened across something else that was to radically change our vacation.

Included among the CDs were "Doctor Who" soundtracks.  When I first saw them, I thought they contained only the background music from the story.  But when we listened to them, we realized that they contained all the dialogue from each episode of the TV story, and included narration by one of the original actors to link the scenes, and describe what you couldn't see.  We've bought several of the new Doctor Who audio adventures, but always found them difficult to enjoy in the car.  Road noise would dampen the low sounds, and we would have to raise the volume to hear the dialogue.  Then a sound effect or music would kick in, and with our ears throbbing, we would hurriedly lower the volume. We don't usually listen to Audio Books; I guess I'm afraid that I'll get used to the narrator's voice, and then my thoughts will tend to wander.  (For the record, I must state that this never occurs during a pastor's sermon). These CDs are superbly engineered, and as we drove through Texas, whether on winding backroads or on the freeway, we could always hear everything that was going on.  As we know the stories well, we could remember the scenes described, and the miles melted away as we relived these classic stories.  We sometimes wished that our journey had taken longer!

For those unfamiliar with the Silurians, they are an intelligent reptilian species who inhabited the Earth long ago.  Their scientists predicted Earth's destruction, and so they invented hibernation chambers in order to sleep through the crisis in their underground caverns.  Unfortunately, they didn't set their alarm clocks properly, and slept away the eons. When they awaken in the 20th Century, they find that Humans have overrun the planet. The Silurians aren't necessarily evil: they simply assume that it would be easier and more efficient to wipe out Humanity rather than live with us as neighbors.  The Doctor repeatedly tries to convince them that sharing the Earth is possible, and that both species could benefit from interaction.  Unfortunately, misunderstandings always arise, or a few individuals set the two species at each others' throats. Thankfully, this is only Fiction, and in real life, such difficulties never occur between intelligent individuals, religions, ethnic groups, or countries. Isn't that a relief?

Now, if you'll excuse me, all this writing has made me rather tired.  I think I'll take a nap.  

Maybe I'd better set my alarm clock.

Dragon Dave