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Progfan97402 
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: March 12 2010 Location: Elmira, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 74 |
 Topic: Children's book called Gentle Giant OctopusPosted: October 12 2017 at 22:34 |
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There's a Canadian author named Karen Wallace. She published a children's book amusingly named Gentle Giant Octopus. I kid you not! Either it's a gigantic coincidence, or she happened to be aware of, or even a fan of Gentle Giant! This book is simply a children's book, most copies being bought by parents who never heard of Gentle Giant. There are reviews over at Amazon on the book, but all but one are from people who are completely unaware of the band or album and simply bought it for their children, but one review was joking around about the prog rock band and album, which I found amusing. I'd find it hard to believe Mrs. Wallace didn't name this after the band and album. I wonder how many progheads bought this book simply because of the rather obvious title? But the story had everything to do with a gentle giant octopus and not to do with the Gentle Giant album Octopus. Here's the book:  |
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Matti
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 15 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 1357 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 04:29 |
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Interesting! My guess is that the author at least knew the album.
Illustrated by Mike Bostock. Perhaps a son of one Gerald Bostock, remember him?
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Manuel
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: March 09 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3803 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 04:37 |
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I will definitely buy this book.
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Icarium
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: March 21 2008 Location: Tigerstaden Status: Offline Points: 30785 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 08:13 |
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good it was this and not Aquired the Taste, could produce a wrong image.
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Michael P. Dawson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 22 2016 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 197 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 10:47 |
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But is Mike Bostock related to Gerald?
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Buy this thing!
https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/MichaelPDawson |
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Progfan97402
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 12 2010 Location: Elmira, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 74 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 12:16 |
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A couple of entries up, Matti did state he was perhaps Gerald's son.
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group 
Forum Moderator Joined: April 05 2006 Location: BC, bud. Status: Offline Points: 17973 |
Posted: October 13 2017 at 12:31 |
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The son of the fictitious character invented by Ian Anderson for Thick as a Brick?
 Hmm, the plot thickens (not that I expect much plot in that children's book). Hmm, I sort of see the resemblance of Gerald to Mike Bostock: 
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"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit the views" (Doctor Who - "The Face of Evil" 1977).
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David64T
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 19 2013 Location: South Australia Status: Offline Points: 342 |
Posted: October 16 2017 at 04:16 |
Well, this particular proghead did, after finding it in a secondhand bookshop in Auckland and being gobsmacked by the title, the artwork and the fact there was no apparent link to the band. The book came back with me to Australia from NZ (where obviously in my opinion it had been under-appreciated)...
 Edited by David64T - October 16 2017 at 04:17 |
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Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/
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verslibre
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 01 2004 Location: CA Status: Offline Points: 5881 |
Posted: October 18 2017 at 10:55 |
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Isa
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 26 2009 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 152 |
Posted: October 18 2017 at 15:48 |
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My wife and I just found out we're expecting, this is definitely on my list now!
Hopefully the author comes out with more books... maybe with a giant trapped in a glass house, or about a crimson king 
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The human heart longs for that which is true, good, and beautiful. This is why timeless music is never without these qualities.
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AFlowerKingCrimson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 02 2016 Location: Philly burbs Status: Offline Points: 4544 |
Posted: October 18 2017 at 16:51 |
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It could be a coincidence because the Octopus's nickname is the gentle giant of the sea. I always suspected that could have partly inspired the album title(as well as the fact that the album has eight songs(as in octo meaning 8).
As a sidenote(and an unrelated one at that)Ringo Starr wrote a children's book called "Octopus's garden" based on his song of course. Anyway, it's funny that some of you are going to buy this book just because of the title.
I hope at least some of you buy the Ringo book too.  |
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bucka001
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 16 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 733 |
Posted: October 20 2017 at 11:11 |
I was going to say that it was too much of a coincidence and had to be a sly wink wink from the author, but I also didn't know that the nickname for an octopus is the 'gentle giant' of the sea. In that light, it probably is just a coincidence and the author wouldn't know who Gentle Giant is any more than the kids the book is aimed after. Speaking of childrens books / prog connections, for years my wife worked for the American Library Association editing children's / young adult books and reviews. At one point there was a conference for ALA employees in Seattle my wife attended where a noted visiting YA author named Mal Peet would be honored. I knew I'd heard that name before but couldn't put my finger on it (and I'm hardly an expert on youth literature). Then it hit me (nerd that I am). On the original issue of VdGG's second album, "The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other," a psychedelic poster was included with a write-up on the album from -- you guessed it -- Mal Peet. That album write-up was from '69, this dinner was probably 2007, several decades later. I told my wife she had to go up and introduce herself and let Mal know that I (her boyfriend at the time) wrote a book on VdGG. She didn't (too shy), but I did have it confirmed that it was the same guy (he was lifelong friends with VdGG drummer Guy Evans and wrote for Time Out at the time of writing the notes for The Least...)
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jc
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AFlowerKingCrimson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 02 2016 Location: Philly burbs Status: Offline Points: 4544 |
Posted: October 20 2017 at 12:25 |
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Because I'm tall and not an arrogant jerk some guy referred to me once as a "gentle giant." However, he had never even heard of the band when I mentioned it to him.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - October 20 2017 at 12:26 |
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Matti
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 15 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 1357 |
Posted: October 21 2017 at 00:39 |
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Since the question whether the author knew the album or not is so interesting for us, there's a simple way of finding it out. Someone, preferably her countryman from Canada, could contact her (if possible) and ask. PS. I found out how to contact her; now waiting for her answer!
 Edited by Matti - October 21 2017 at 02:00 |
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Matti
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 15 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 1357 |
Posted: October 21 2017 at 07:38 |
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The mystery solved. Karen Wallace replied to my e-mail. "No, I had no idea there was a prog band called GENTLE GIANT and they made an album called Octopus in 1972. One of those strange coincidences!
all best wishes, Karen"  |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 02 2016 Location: Philly burbs Status: Offline Points: 4544 |
Posted: October 21 2017 at 11:09 |
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Wow. It's interesting that she heard the term prog before though(unless she was just using it because you did).
Anyway, that's kind of what I suspected. I'm sure many people who read the snow goose had no idea there was a prog band called Camel who put out an album out with the same name either.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - October 21 2017 at 11:10 |
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Progfan97402
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 12 2010 Location: Elmira, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 74 |
Posted: October 21 2017 at 20:59 |
Same for Lord of the Rings, be it the book trilogy or the film trilogy. Most of the people reading the books or watching the movies never heard of Bo Hansson who released an album inspired by the trilogy called Lord of the Rings (or Sagan om Ringen if you're in Sweden). Just as I suspected of Karen Wallace, naming her book Gentle Giant Octopus was simply a coincidence. Funny how the book cover looked similar to the Roger Dean UK cover (the US cover to Gentle Giant's Octopus on Columbia featured a totally different cover, an octopus in a jar with shaped cover). |
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Frankh
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 14 2017 Location: Schenectady NY Status: Offline Points: 170 |
Posted: October 21 2017 at 23:41 |
Now you must try the illustrator, Mr. Bostock who could be a huge freakin' Giant freakazoid. |
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Perhaps finding the happy medium is harder than we know.
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peregrino
Forum Newbie 
Joined: November 03 2017 Location: Chile Status: Offline Points: 19 |
Posted: November 03 2017 at 17:15 |
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Just write to this mr. Bostock asking, "hey dude, I heard you're as thick as a brick. Is that true?"
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Children's book called Gentle Giant Octopus
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Progfan97402 wrote: