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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Supervolcano: Eruption

Like Yellowstone National Park do you? Ever wonder why all that water is bubbling, boiling and even erupting? Did you drive or hike up to the summit of Mt. Washburne and notice the vast caldera which stretches for miles? It the crater of a giant volcano that erupted some hundreds of thousands of years ago. That boiling water is the product of a molten rock plume which rises very close to the earth surface, just waiting to erupt again. It's not a question of if but only of when?
Harry Turtledove, the master of alternate history has turned his imagination from the past to the future in his new novel Supervolcano: Eruption. There he tells the story of an apocalyptic catastrophe which occurs when Yellowstone erupts once again. Turtledove has a great imagination which he applies once again and always an intriguing storyline. In this case though the premise is better than the execution. The characters are not very interesting and the book focuses on their drab personalities and relationship. Suvival stories, future or present are one of my interests. These people don't grab me. The volcano is vague background. I guess I find some of the headlines in today’s newspapers a lot scarier than the imagined one in this book.

4 comments:

Bill S. said...

Very interesting. I administer a grant, "Teaching American History" and we had a presenter last year on the history of Yellowstone and its future. We have 37 sensors in the Yellowstone area and he said we would know at least a decade before it would blow. Since I live 70 miles from there, it would give even an old man like me to move on!!!!!!

Montanagirl said...

Hmmmm....maybe I won't read this one. I am, however, reading Waiting for White Horses. Haven't gotten very far into it yet.

Rae said...

Ill pass on this book, but that volcano theory is interesting.

Montanagirl said...

TB: You may use the Snowy photos (with credit of course) teehee. However, don't use any of those marked with the copyright symbol and Montanagirlphotos i.e., ©Montanagirlphotos. Thanks!