[Phsstpok]

I thought Deep Impact was a pretty good movie. Even their dramatic license for plot purposes were relatively tolerable. I particularly liked them using a Project Orion nulear explosion pulse rocket for the ship. Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle used one in their 1970s novel Footfall.

This is the description of launch (it took off from the ground in their novel) from folks hiding in a bomb shelter:

The sound of the end of the world slammed against the ceiling, For a moment that incredible crowd was totally silent. Then it came again:
SLAM.
Commander Kennedy whooped. "They made it! They're up! It's—"
SLAM
"—first bomb fails you just start over."
SLAM
"If the second bomb fails, you're already—"
SLAM
"—already in the air. You'll fall. They're on their—"
SLAM
"—way, by God! You can give me that drink now."
SLAM

And the folks riding on top of the ship

God was knocking, and he wanted in bad.
WHAM
WHAM
WHAM
quiet
"The respite will be brief," Gillespie bellowed. Harry barely heard him in the silence after the bombs. How many were there? Twenty? Thirty?

I love the first line in the second bit.

[SunkenCiv]

I saw both of them, I guess that was the same year of release? Anyway, “Armageddon” had IMHO a stronger plot, but the trappings were all completely screwed up — the trip around behind the Moon wouldn’t have worked and was stupid; there was no way to refuel at Mir; the “just in time” explosion was ludicrously transparently overdramatic. “Deep Impact” was better in the setup than it was in the denouement (again, IMHO), but also had Tea Leoni. Unfortunately, it had a sappy Spielberg ending.

[roaddog727]

Foot-fall - Another one of my favorite’s rom Niven and Steve Barnes.