Name that book?

[Fringecup]

About 10 years ago, or maybe more - at my age the years seem to flow together - I read a paperback SF book written by a Canadian (female, I think) about a future time when North America has degenerated into several separate countries who form various alliances. One of them, I think, was called "Cascadia", and one was Quebec, which had by then seceded from Canada and at the time of the story, is bombarding British Columbia, or at least, Vancouver Island from space. The story revolves around some secret agents who are being chased by somebody else. Sorry, that's all I can remember. Anyone know the title?

This is probably a long shot, but it doesn't hurt to ask. About 20 years ago I was on a trans-Atlantic flight. I had slept all I could, read the background reports for the project that generated the trip too many times, and was sitting there bored. The woman in the adjacent seat offered me one of her books to read, and before I knew it we were landing and I had to give it back. I meant to run down a copy for myself, but I got busy with work and then . . .

So it was a not long book and a satirical farce about what a early 1960's T.V sitcom family would have been like if they were Neanderthals. Think “Leave It To Beaver” in the Stone Age. Trouble is I don't recall anything about the author or book title. I do recall at least a paraphrase of a snippet of dialogue.

Father: “Son you're old enough to be married. Some day soon we nee to raid the next village to steal a wife for you.”

Son: “Ah, Dad. None of the cool guys do that anymore. Everyone's marrying their sisters. It's just the in thing to do.”

[Patricia]

Hamlet, take a look at these and see whether they ring any bells:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neander...opular_culture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...opular_culture

Thanks Patricia but nothing in those pages provides a clue. The book that I'm thinking of was really a satire of what was represented as the ideal model for family life at the time it was written. Moving it back to the Stone Age was just the vehicle for the satire. It was such a quirky little book written who knows how long ago, I didn't hold out much hope.

Not that those pages of links were not useful. I was reminded of several books that I'm fairly sure I once read, but might want to read again; e.g. The Ugly Little Boy by Isaac Asimov

And some I've never read by now think I might. Including one available right here; e.g. Before Adam by Jack London



(Alley Oop) He's the toughest man there is alive
(Alley Oop) Wearin' clothes from a wildcat's hide
(Alley Oop) He's the king of the jungle jive
(Look at that cave man go!!)

[calvin-c]

I'm trying to remember the title and/or author of a book I read a number of years ago-basically SF/Alt. Hist about aliens who crashland on earth (their craft is the Tunguska 'meteorite') and decide that they need to start a war, thus spurring technology to to point where they can build a craft for them to return home. Or something like that.

I actually remember quite a bit of the story but don't want to describe it all-the main part I enjoyed was their naiveness as they met with various world leaders encouraging them to start a war. As they meet each leader they note the various physical problems, e.g. the Kaiser's withered arm, the hemophilia of the Tsar's son, etc. and always ask why the leader puts up with the problem, implying that it's simple to fix it-and they do that, they fix the problems.

I've read it at least twice & something reminded me of it the other day so I thought I'd read it again-except I can't remember the name!

[Shayne Parkinson]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

I'm trying to remember the title and/or author of a book I read a number of years ago-basically SF/Alt. Hist about aliens who crashland on earth (their craft is the Tunguska 'meteorite') and decide that they need to start a war, thus spurring technology to to point where they can build a craft for them to return home. Or something like that.

This one?

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

This one?

Yes. Thank you!

[LCF]

I'm trying to find a book I've never read, but only heard about. It is probably a SF. The plot goes something like:

A planet with 3-4-5-6? suns, where there is never fully night. A good developed civilization inhabits it. They discover something strange - the planet develops a culture for about 10(0) 000 years and then the whole civilization is wiped. This has happened more than once. No one has a clue. The current status of the cycle is nearly at the end. A group of people discover the reason - complete eclipse lasting X hours. They presume the most people get crazy and start burning everything to get light. Mass hysteria and so on. The group of discoverers barricades itself in a library and try to outlive the chaos in order to break the cycle.

Any bells ringing?

[wayrad]

It's a short story: Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall".

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by wayrad

It's a short story: Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall".

It was also later adapted into a novel, in a joint effort by Asimov and Silverberg.

Cheers,
Marc

[LCF]

Originally Posted by wayrad

It's a short story: Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall".

Originally Posted by montsnmags

It was also later adapted into a novel, in a joint effort by Asimov and Silverberg.

Cheers,
Marc

Thanks a lot! I found the short story, now I'm starting the search for the novel.

[pshrynk]

I just finished "Watership Down." now I'd like to get book that was out about the same time. This one was about moles whose warren was overrun by a monster mole. Some of them go off and become mole equivalent of Kung Fu Masters. Any ideas?

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I just finished "Watership Down." now I'd like to get book that was out about the same time. This one was about moles whose warren was overrun by a monster mole. Some of them go off and become mole equivalent of Kung Fu Masters. Any ideas?

Duncton Wood? (<---linky)

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by LCF

Thanks a lot! I found the short story, now I'm starting the search for the novel.

Amazon has it: http://www.amazon.com/s?search-alias...=9780553290998

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Duncton Wood? (<---linky)

That doesn't look like it. There wasn't so much in the way of romance as that one suggests.