Leviathan 99
Ray Bradbury’s streamlined retelling of Moby Dick is set on an
outer space research vessel in the year 2099. (Bradbury also wrote the
screenplay for the 1954 Moby Dick movie.) With a longing to see distant
galaxies, the youthful Ishmael signs on as a crew member for the
spaceship Cetus 7. So does Quell, a green-skinned alien with the
ability to read minds. (“You will soon meet a tall, green-skinned
stranger.”) The mission starts off with promise, but the crew grows
increasingly frustrated with their mysterious leader, who refuses to
leave his cabin. When the Captain finally emerges and addresses the
crew, it’s clear that nothing good will come from his obsession with
the great comet (Leviathan) that blinded him many years ago. [from an LA Times review]
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