Science Fiction Trivia

[Smivs]

OK, I think this has been running long enough, so time to declare a winner.
In third place, for being just strange, the Lamvin.
Second place goes to the Qheuens, for being so odd they are hard to picture.
First place, based on the fact they are almost cute, goes to ffutures' Ice Ants.

ffutures, the zipper is yours....

[ffutures]

Glad you like the ice ants - the image is actually made up of a satsuma, some sort of invertebrate legs (possibly crabs, I'm not sure since I did the illo seven or eight years ago), and snail eye stalks.

OK, nice easy one - SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.

[Disembodied]

SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.

Odd John, by Olaf Stapledon. And I still don't know why nobody has marketed these yet: I'd buy them. Pockets that can be replaced when they wear out! What's not to like? I suspect a plot by the trouser manufacturers to suppress this technology …

[ffutures]

SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.

Odd John, by Olaf Stapledon. And I still don't know why nobody has marketed these yet: I'd buy them. Pockets that can be replaced when they wear out! What's not to like? I suspect a plot by the trouser manufacturers to suppress this technology …

That was fast! And the zipper is yours (you'll need it to hold the pockets in place).

[Disembodied]

That was fast! And the zipper is yours (you'll need it to hold the pockets in place).

As someone whose pockets are often full of junk, that specific invention has fascinated me for a long time …

OK, another list: we're looking for seven invented SF swearwords. Each word should not provoke any Scunthorpe Problem, or cause any undue distress to those of a gentle disposition who might read them (so "Dirty %$££@* Klingon *%$£@&^" doesn't count).

[Cody]

Ah yes, the Scunthorpe problem. No problem with Littlehampton - well, not here, there isn't!


Potter Stewart!

[Rxke]

Shazbot!


Mork from Ork

[Malacandra]

Tanj!

("There ain't no justice") -- Niven, again; said by Teela Brown in Ringworld, Louis Wu and others.

[Disembodied]

Shazbot! and Tanj! are both acceptable. Five more to go …

[spud42]

smeghead red dwarf
gorram firefly

[Disembodied]

"Gorram" is fine … "smeghead" is slightly problematic as it's not wholly invented, but what the hey, it's Friday, and I'll let it pass. Four down, three to go!

[Rxke]

Belgium!

HHGTTG

[Disembodied]

Belgium!

*gasp* I knew I was inviting trouble when I asked this question, but I never thought we would sink so low.

Two more required to win the chipper …

[Rxke]

Ironically a significant percentage of Flemish do indeed think 'Belgium' is a very offensive idea or construct....

[spud42]

"Gorram" is fine … "smeghead" is slightly problematic as it's not wholly invented, but what the hey, it's Friday, and I'll let it pass. Four down, three to go!

well you can leave the "head" part off, as dave has been known to use it as smeg, smegging in conjunction with hell.... etc....