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The Barnhouse Effect
"Report on the Barnhouse Effect" is an adaptation of a Kurt Vonnegut short story that was part of the collection Welcome to the Monkey House. It originally appeared in 1950 in Collier's Weekly. It is also the subject of an Alexisonfire song.
The protagonist, Professor Arthur Barnhouse, develops the ability to affect physical objects & events thru the force of his mind. He calls his power 'dynamo-psychism'. He makes the mistake of telling the government about his power. When they try to turn him into a weapon, Barnhouse decides that he is the first weapon with a conscience, & goes into hiding. While in this reclusive state the Professor uses his 'dynamo-psychic' powers to destroy large quantities of weapons, & other things used in states of war. He realizes tho, that he will die eventually & decides to pass down his "powers" to an ex-student. The story is told as a report by this ex-student, hence the title.
The protagonist, Professor Arthur Barnhouse, develops the ability to affect physical objects & events thru the force of his mind. He calls his power 'dynamo-psychism'. He makes the mistake of telling the government about his power. When they try to turn him into a weapon, Barnhouse decides that he is the first weapon with a conscience, & goes into hiding. While in this reclusive state the Professor uses his 'dynamo-psychic' powers to destroy large quantities of weapons, & other things used in states of war. He realizes tho, that he will die eventually & decides to pass down his "powers" to an ex-student. The story is told as a report by this ex-student, hence the title.
29 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 1950
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 4, 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0085hqx
A thought-provoking tale by Kurt Vonnegut about an academic who discovers how to control the forces of nature with his mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2016
Курт Воннегут, без малейшего сомнения, стал для меня писателем года!
И если первые его книги вызывали глубочайший интерес к ним и к самой личности автора, то с каждой книгой я начинал все больше и больше любить этого чудаковатого, не совсем типичного и часто странного в своем творчестве этого чудесного человека и великого неисправимого гуманиста. Но зато какое же это его творчество важное, какое же оно оказалось глубоким и выстраданным...
Работа Воннегута "Эффект Барнхауза" увидела свет в 1950 году, но она до сих пор остается весьма актуальной, хотя может и уже не так остро, как в то время. И все же, я почему то уверен, что данная проблема находится весьма далеко еще от ее разрешения и носит до сих пор некое законсервированное состояние.
Но автор показал не только проблему, но и в лице героя произведения показывает отличный пример, что очень важно, ее разрешения, как же должен себя повести человек, чтобы избежать такой разрушительной человеческой природе проблеме как постоянная и непрерывная гонка оружия и технологий контроля. Гонка, которая так часто царит вокруг нас, и которая еще чаще стремиться разрастаться все больше и больше...
И это, должен признать, работает! Работает идея и замысел книги. Благодаря подобным книгам у нашего мира есть целая плеяда великих, но еще не оцененных по героев человечества таких как Клаус Фукс, Дэниэл Эллсберг, Джулиан Ассанж, Эдвард Сноуден и многие другие люди им подобные.
И если первые его книги вызывали глубочайший интерес к ним и к самой личности автора, то с каждой книгой я начинал все больше и больше любить этого чудаковатого, не совсем типичного и часто странного в своем творчестве этого чудесного человека и великого неисправимого гуманиста. Но зато какое же это его творчество важное, какое же оно оказалось глубоким и выстраданным...
Работа Воннегута "Эффект Барнхауза" увидела свет в 1950 году, но она до сих пор остается весьма актуальной, хотя может и уже не так остро, как в то время. И все же, я почему то уверен, что данная проблема находится весьма далеко еще от ее разрешения и носит до сих пор некое законсервированное состояние.
Но автор показал не только проблему, но и в лице героя произведения показывает отличный пример, что очень важно, ее разрешения, как же должен себя повести человек, чтобы избежать такой разрушительной человеческой природе проблеме как постоянная и непрерывная гонка оружия и технологий контроля. Гонка, которая так часто царит вокруг нас, и которая еще чаще стремиться разрастаться все больше и больше...
И это, должен признать, работает! Работает идея и замысел книги. Благодаря подобным книгам у нашего мира есть целая плеяда великих, но еще не оцененных по героев человечества таких как Клаус Фукс, Дэниэл Эллсберг, Джулиан Ассанж, Эдвард Сноуден и многие другие люди им подобные.
July 28, 2018
From BBC radio 4 Extra:
Professor Barnhouse discovers a way of channelling his mind to control the forces of nature. The phenomenon becomes known as the "Barnhouse Effect". The academic sees his skill as a marvellous opportunity to secure world peace. However, the American government has other ideas...
Read by Stuart Milligan.
Report On The Barnhouse Effect was Kurt Vonnegut's first short story to be published in 1950.
Abridged and produced by Gemma Jenkins.
Made for BBC Radio 7 and first broadcast in 2007.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008...
Professor Barnhouse discovers a way of channelling his mind to control the forces of nature. The phenomenon becomes known as the "Barnhouse Effect". The academic sees his skill as a marvellous opportunity to secure world peace. However, the American government has other ideas...
Read by Stuart Milligan.
Report On The Barnhouse Effect was Kurt Vonnegut's first short story to be published in 1950.
Abridged and produced by Gemma Jenkins.
Made for BBC Radio 7 and first broadcast in 2007.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008...
May 31, 2017
A professor with psychic powers is getting nervous because of his abilities. He can throw dices several times and get the numbers he want but he also can destroy anything with the power of his mind. He tries to get help from a friend but he can't help him so he says that he must talk with someone in the goverment. When the military test him to destroy an incomming missil he escapes because he doesn't want to be another weapon. A chase with other agents from other countries he destroys himself so the knowledge would get to unfriendly hands... But it seems the friend of the professor is getting new powers as well..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2018
Classic Vonnegut. Love this peace-focused guy. Just wish this was nonfiction.
September 1, 2013
Published in 1950 the theme is Cold War politics once more. A man with mental powers capable of blowing up armaments decides to tell the US military about this gift with predictable consequences.
The short story is just that so anything else is pretty much spoiler so no more of that.
These stories just don't work for me anymore. The cold war setting is just so dated, we are not dealing with science fiction the characters would be better off wearing wizard hats and waving wands.
The story does not examine consequences of action or any world view of events. The idea is simply to big for the short story format.
Generally unsatisfactory.
The short story is just that so anything else is pretty much spoiler so no more of that.
These stories just don't work for me anymore. The cold war setting is just so dated, we are not dealing with science fiction the characters would be better off wearing wizard hats and waving wands.
The story does not examine consequences of action or any world view of events. The idea is simply to big for the short story format.
Generally unsatisfactory.
December 30, 2007
my favorite short story. read it, if you can find it (i got mine in tucked in with a 7" from finland)
March 25, 2009
I read this a while ago in the Welcome to the Monkey House collection. It seems like I liked pretty well. (This rating is a bit of a guess.)
July 25, 2011
One of my most favorite pieces of literature I have ever read, hands down.
June 13, 2015
one of my favorite short stories
August 23, 2012
short story, part of welcome to the monkey house… haven't read in quite some time, but fondly memorable in the broad strokes - so i rate it 5 stars
June 5, 2013
A good short story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews