I'll take a look for that Greg Bear.

I loved Sci Fi but these days when I go to the book shops I can never seem to find anything I want to read. I always seem to end up in the history section or photography.

I know what you mean about bleak films. The Clint Eastwood film Million Dollar Baby was very hard to watch.

>Very good point.
>
>If I recall, Childhood's End has been optioned since the 1970's. A similarly bleak novel, The Forge of God, by Greg Bear, has also been optioned with no film.
>
>It's weird because Hollywood can make pictures that don't end happily and enjoy huge success. Look at this year's "No Country for Old Men". Best Picture.
>
>BTW, the original author of that was Cormac McCarthy who also wrote a book last year called "The Road". Also optioned. If you ever want to read the bleakest, most depressing book ever read that one. But it is a beautiful book and could be a beautiful movie.
>
>
>>A long time since I've read that one.
>>
>>I don't think that film could be made. Hollywood could never accept the end.
>>
>>>My favorite story of his was "The Nine Billion Names of God". It creeped me out when I was a teen and first read it.
>>>
>>>Hey, Nick, don't you think that a $100 MM epic could be made of "Chidhood's End"? My alltime favorite Clarke novel (followed closely by Rendezvous with Rama).
>>>
>>>>>Sigh.
>>>>>
>>>>>I guess my Childhood is at an End. Godspeed, Arthur.
>>>>
>>>>Yes
>>>>
>>>>great books and great ideas. I grew up reading those stories.
>>>>I've still got my original very dog eared copy of the sands of mars somewhere. (not a 1st edition but the first one I ever bought)
>>>>
>>>>Nick