Well...I just read about 3 chapters on this book, and i think I was totally caught on it. For what I've read so far, this is an unrealistic science-fiction journey into a human brain. Benes, who kept the secret of Uncertainty Principle which may maintain miniaturization process constantly, was seriously injured in an murder attempt of the Other Side. Then, Grant, who flew Benes back home from the the Other Side, must accompany with some other scientists to get inside Benes's brain to rescue him. Chapter 4: BriefingBenes's blood vessel map has been set up and now its time to team up the rescuers. There are 6 people in the meeting before the unbelievable voyage, but only 5 will get in Benes's brain. General Alan Carter explains the campaign's details as well as every individual's mission. The cruise will begin by injecting a miniaturized submarine named Proteus and is only under a ten-thousandth of an inch in length, into Benes's neck. The submarine will be driven by captain William Owen, he is also the submarine's designer. Dr Michael who is a specialist in blood vessel will be the pilot. Excellent brain surgeon, Dr Duval, accompanies with his beautiful assistant Mss Anderson, are in charged of removing the blood cloth in Benes's brain. Finally, Mr Grant, who considers himself "a muscle man" will take care of emergency situations. The team has only 60 minutes for both finding ways to the cloth, removing it and getting out of there. It is going to very interesting, i guess, in the next chapter when they are inside Benes's brain. Till this far, I've been attracted very much by the way the writer introduced miniaturization process. I don't know how he could have such an abundant imagination plus a wide variety of knowledge. By pushing or discarding atoms of an object altogether, people can reduce everything in the world. It is so interesting to know this and if someday this theory comes true, i should be willing to be a very first volunteer. Chapter 5-8The submarine has been ready, all the cruise members have been ready too. The momment, which i am looking for, is about to come. The interesting thing here is that Grant seemed to like Anterson, the only female member in the group. I can not stand figuring out how he could handle her, because she prefer ignoring him to talking to him. After being miniatuzied, the ship was injected to a very small drop of water. Evrything was ok, but a few shakes. Micheal and Duval have not done much because their main missions did not come yet. Grant was busy with communicating out. he had to keep sending message out, "ALL WELL". Outside, Carter just could not sit at one place, he kept wandering around. I do understand his feelings at this time, I'd better came inside Benes's brain than stood outside and felt so nervous. If i were him, as I used to mention, I would jump in the ship. I think The most amazing part so far is the momment when techcians outside reduced the ship's size and droped it into an extremely tiny "container of water". When the ship dropped, there was not any wave or water shooting up due to super small size of water; Ship's landing is only heavy enough to great some ripples, not waves..They were being moved as closely as possible to Benes's neck Issac's imagination is unbelievable, everyone should be ready for an injection. In this part. I'm looking forward to reading what they will face with inside Benes's body, especially the way of Benes's body's self-defensive system reacts toward such a strange object.. It is getting more and more interesting..Oh Gosh, till this far, i really stuck in troubles with medical vocabulary, I can not predict the word meanings any longer..I have to use my dictionary more frequently than I ever did in my life . After knowing all vital threatens which the cruise has to suffer, I recognized that I should change my mind. It is not interesting to be a member in this cruise. It is too dangerous to do the miniaturization. You know, I wish I could change the procedure of the story. I'd prefer making a surgery to open Benes's brain then remove the clot to getting into his brain. Why do I like to do this? Because all of the cruise members are the talented ones, they might be very useful for a variety of fields in future. Now what are they doing? Reducing sizes and getting into somebody's brain. It ilkes a gamble, i think, what if there is a malfunction in the ship occurs, or the self-defense system of Benes can track and destroy them. The Headquarter will lose not only Benes but the rest of the scientists. For me, it is absolutely not worth to risk in this case. Ahh, I almost forget, in today's reading, I found an interesting event happened. Thanks to a ship's accident, Grant is able to get closer to Anderson. He helped her during the accident. I can guess that these 2 people will be probably a couple in near future. Why? As my case is the same. I met my girlfriend 1 year ago when we were a group doing the same diplomacy survey in my University. At first, just like Anderson does not like Grant, she hated me a lot because I was never serious on doing that boring survey. But day by day, after working together, sharing together(exacly the same as what is happening to Grant and Anderson),she realized that I was a great guy who she could rely on. Then we have been a couple until now. The only different aspect between my stuff and Grant's stuff is the ship accident. I never expect to meet my girlfriend in a situation as poor as his.I continue my journey.. After escaping from heart, the cruise entered the ear which is very close their seeking dstination. Then, they has finally reached the clot which tells me that i am going to finish my book..After reading this book, you can believe it or not, but i want to change my major from computer to medical profession.. but not being a surgeon like Duval or a blood vessel expert like Micheal.. I think i want to be the ones who operate the medical tools like Carter and scientists outside. I fall in love with X-Ray machines or Ultra-sound machines that help Carter lead the way for the cruise inside. I wish i could control those kinds of medical technology someday to help patienrs. Back to Grant and Cora, this could be the last interesting story of this book because i almost know how it will finish. Cora and Duval would be responsible for swimming out the Proteus to remove the clot. Come on Grant, I am still waiting for him to say something to Cora right before she gets out and facces with risks. But he did not say anything. I wish i could be him, if i were him, there is no better chance to show off my thinkings. I would come to Cora, take her hands and say that please come back safely because my life would not be beutiful again without seeing you...you know, some stuff like that. Believe me, i know that absolutely works. She will understand.. However, he only said "three minutes" to announce the time left. What a dissapointed moment!
I’ve always been an Asimov’s fan. His novels inspired me in a unique and rather fascinating way. I’ve read quite a lot of his works: the Robot’s saga, the Foundation’s saga, Nemesis, I, Robot, The End of Eternity and other less known works. In my opinion Fantastic Voyage is not his best craft ever, but it’s nonetheless an enjoyable reading.What workedAsimov’s crafting skills have few equals in the science fiction universe. His vision drives readers’ imagination as few authors do (or can, for that matter). In this book the plot per se is very simple but well built, linear and straightforward in a way, but still engaging and enjoyable. I’ve personally liked different thoughts expressed in the book through characters’ points of view, hopes and judgments. Sentences as “Man’s mind is getting away from man” or “An efficient fear mechanism is good basic material for heroism,” are simple, straightforward and yet memorable lines that I’ll take with me in the future and that I’ll remember as stimulating moments.What didn’t workIf Asimov has a weak spot it’s his characters and their complexity. Their “roundness”, as Jack Smith would call it. More times than not they appear as stereotype, plain, rather predictable man or woman that simple serve the author’s requirements. I didn’t relate very well with any of them, even though they had strong dialogues, differences of perspective and some of them were entertaining, when not funny. I just couldn’t feel them. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the plot is quite simple and linear. It was not a problem for me, but if you’re looking for a dense, action packed book with many (unpredictable) twists this might not be the book for you. Another thing might be useful to notice. I personally found the descriptions of the inner body very appealing, but sometimes the particularly well written description of some organs or tissues might bother a not committed reader.ConclusionFantastic Voyage did not disappoint me. Still, I’m aware there are better book out there created by Asimov. Also, keep in mind that this story is not entirely Asimov’s work, as in the process of the story-making (and beyond), different personalities have participated, contribute and influenced its development. If you’re looking for a simple, enjoyable and short novel, written with the unmistakable Asimov’s style, this book is for you. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for action, flourished description and memorable characters you might want to keep looking.
Do You like book Fantastic Voyage (1988)?
Asimov non sbaglia mai... ho trascurato colpevolmente questo superclassico della SF per troppi anni ed ora che mi sono deciso a leggerlo (in poche ore peraltro) non posso che ripetere a me stesso ed al mondo che qualsiasi cosa abbia scritto il Maestro, dal più striminzito saggiucolo di 2 pagine al Ciclo della Fondazione, non è MAI tempo sprecato.A quasi 50 anni di distanza "Viaggio allucinante" è ancora credibilissimo, e con pochi piccoli ritocchi potrebbe essere spacciato ai più giovani come opera nuova di zecca... un misto di hard SF, avventura e "giallo" dall'ambientazione quantomeno originale (assurdamente originale, negli anni '60) che non solo diverte e fa riflettere, ma insegna pure un bel pò di anatomia e biologia.Magistrale.
—Andrea Bampi
Credo che sia uno dei miei primi libri che ho letto di Asimov, libro del 1966, l'incontro con l'autore che ha plasmato sicuramente la mia mente avida di fantascienza di ragazzino sognatore che aspirava a quel "senso di meraviglioso", che solo la fantascienza classica poteva offrirgli.Questo per me è una pietra miliare della letteratura di fantascienza e non solo. Perchè Asimov era anche un grande saggista oltre che un bravissimo scrittore di romanzi e in molti punti sembra di leggere un libro di biologia e di anatomia.La storia è piuttosto semplice: una picoola capsula viene indrodotta nelle vene di un uomo, al suo interno contiene un gruppo di medici miniaturizzati che devono guarirlo da una malattia. L'idea è senza dubbio molto affascinante, e la realizzazione anche di più, oltretutto c'è sempre lo stile dell'autore sempre curato e ben riuscito. Un gran libro, anche se in alcuni punti traspare che si tratta della trasposizione in romanzo, di una sceneggiatura cinematografica. Devo dire "Destinazione Cervello", anche se molto simile, è in tutto e per tutto un vero romanzo Asimoviano.Ritmi serrati, suspense, nozioni di biologia e anatonomia, una storia d'amore. C'è proprio tutto per fare di questo romanzo, un'altra pietra miliare della fantascienza e poi è targato Asimov.Non ve ne pentirete.
—Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt
For those who came in late, Fantastic Voyage was a 1960’s science fiction movie about five people in a submarine shrunk to the size of a bacterium and injected into a man’s living body to perform brain surgery from the inside. The operation is dangerous, because objects can only be miniaturized temporarily. The patient, Benes, a scientist and defector from the Other Side, wants to share the secret of miniaturizing objects indefinitely, but the Other Side arranged for his limousine to crash, leaving Benes comatose and afflicted with a potentially lethal blood clot in his brain. The miniaturized crew of the submarine, Proteus, has only sixty minutes to travel through Bene’s body to the clot where a miniaturized Dr. Duval, world renowned neurosurgeon, can destroy dangerous lesion with a laser. But the saboteur among the crew has other plans. Science fiction great Isaac Asimov novelized the movie and greatly improved upon it. He made the hero more likable and intelligent, all of the submarine crew more human, and certain key scenes much more exciting. He also eliminated many of the movie’s scientific inconsistencies. For example, in a scene when the sub’s shrunken crew must replace its lost air supply with air from the lungs, the movie ignores the fact that the miniaturized people would be unable to breathe the huge molecules of unminiaturized air. Asimov’s book equips the sub with its own miniaturization gear, which shrinks the air molecules that the ship’s snorkel draws from the lungs. (The scene in which the hero struggles to get the snorkel into the lung and gets lost in the darkness of one of the lungs’ alveola is pretty hair-raising besides.) What is more, Asimov’s depiction of the inside of the body seems more realistic and wondrous than the movie’s, owing partly to the limitations of even the best special effects of the 1960’s, and partly to Asimov’s years of science-writing and his Ph.D. in biochemistry.
—James
