Question for those of you from the UK

Any old topic will do, I suppose.
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Omphalos
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Question for those of you from the UK

Post by Omphalos »

Did some newspaper just run an article on a book called "Omphalos," or something? Starting last week my website started getting absolutely bombed by UK internet sites where the users were searching for something like "author of Omphalos," or "book Omphalos author" or something else similar to those. The hits are from England, Wales and Scotland, and there are like 500% more than usual, and they are only slowly dying down. Its a real head scratcher for me, so I wanted to ask if anyone has any insight. Oh, and sorry if this is in the wrong topic. I honestly don't think Ive ever started anything here before.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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inhuien
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Post by inhuien »

I would have certainly brought it to your attention had I seen such a thing. Give me a wee while and I'll have a looksee.
Look, I'm not much good at big speeches, and I know I haven't always been an easy guy to get on with, and I know, that given the choice, I wouldn't have chosen you as friends, but I just want to say, that over the years, I have come to regard you as people I met.

-Rimmer’s farewell speech
inhuien
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Post by inhuien »

A quick search revealed these.

telegraph 09/03/2008 3rd Sept,2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jh ... mur109.xml

guardian 27th May, 2006
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/ma ... stival2006
Look, I'm not much good at big speeches, and I know I haven't always been an easy guy to get on with, and I know, that given the choice, I wouldn't have chosen you as friends, but I just want to say, that over the years, I have come to regard you as people I met.

-Rimmer’s farewell speech
Omphalos
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Post by Omphalos »

Thank you. I dont think either one of those would have done it. Almost all of the searches were for an "author." Hmmmm.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Liege-Killer
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Post by Liege-Killer »

Could it have had anything to do with this author by any chance?

It's a long shot, I know.
"I'm being ironic. Don't interrupt a man in the midst of being ironic, it's not polite." -- Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
Omphalos
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Post by Omphalos »

Liege-Killer wrote:Could it have had anything to do with this author by any chance?

It's a long shot, I know.
Probably not. A bunch of the search terms are along the lines of "Omphalos novel." That looks like a treatise. Anyway, after the hits started I looked around for books called Omphalos. That was the least wacky of the bunch.

I was thinking it was a newspaper article or a documentary or something because the hits came from all over the country. If they had come from one town, I would have said that it was some class or something where that is required reading. It did start after all right after classes resumed. But it was so sudden I was taken aback.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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SpacemanSpiff
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Post by SpacemanSpiff »

I did a search on Fantastic Fiction and all I got was
Pawn of Omphalos writen in 1979 by E C Tubb.
Most of the aliens we have met in our exploration of the galaxy consider humans to be quite tasty. Well I say, If they have no problem with consuming another sentient being then I have no problem with blasting them into a pile of ashes.

(SpacemanSpiff: Testifying before the United Planets subcommittee for the advancement of galactic peace)
Omphalos
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Post by Omphalos »

SpacemanSpiff wrote:I did a search on Fantastic Fiction and all I got was
Pawn of Omphalos writen in 1979 by E C Tubb.
Have you ever read any Tubb, Spiff? I never have but was thinking of getting some stuff.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Crysknife
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Post by Crysknife »

I know, I know! :D

It was on Richard Dawkin's site.(England!) I read that article a little while back and remembered that comment because of your name.

Here's the link:

http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,3 ... hool,Wired

It's in comment 239935 under the article.

Liege-killer had it right.
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Post by Omphalos »

Thanks everyone, for your help. If that is it, its pretty awesome how one little comment like that would start a landslide of web searches, huh?
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



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Crysknife
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Post by Crysknife »

Omphalos wrote:Thanks everyone, for your help. If that is it, its pretty awesome how one little comment like that would start a landslide of web searches, huh?
Well, I guess we can't be sure that was it, but that site gets a TON of traffic. When I read it, I was going to look it up as well. People over there like to know about other books that have been written on the subject of religion. I don't doubt that it was the reason for all the search results.
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