Science Fiction Trivia

[ffutures]

Continuing the BIG! theme - five different constructed objects larger than planets from five different authors / sources.

[Disembodied]

Bob Shaw, Orbitsville: Dyson sphere
Iain M. Banks, Consider Phlebas: Vavatch (orbital)
Stephen Baxter, Ring: the Xeelee Ring/Great Attractor
Charles Stross, "Missile Gap": Alderson disk
Larry Niven, Ringworld (what it says on the tin)

[ffutures]

And you have exactly the five I was thinking of, congrats! the big dumb object is in your court. Other ones that might have been used include the Dyson sphere (with people living on the outside) in Pohl and Williamson's Cuckoo books, the apparently derelict one in an episode of Star Trek next gen, and various time machines built using long neutronium cylinders which as I recall have to be bigger than planets.

[Disembodied]

Let's go the other way … three SF stories, from different authors, which involve (or at least mention) very small intelligent lifeforms. Four-foot-tall Little Green Men won't cut it here, though - these need to be really tiny: so small that one (or more - or many, many more) could wander about on the palm of a human hand. For the avoidance of doubt we'll rule out any sort of AI or machine life, too.

[montana05]

"Planet der Mock" (planet of the Mock) / Clark Darlton / Perry Rhodan

https://www.perrypedia.proc.org/wiki/Planet_der_Mock

actually an interesting paperback from 1964, the series still exist, the catch is that, as much as I know, its only in German.

[Disembodied]

A few inches tall, and spacefaring: the Mock definitely fit the bill!

[Norby]

There is one mentioned at the end of the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy movie, in the small bonus story after the "for Douglas" screen.
They tried to invade the Earth but the whole fleet was swallowed by a little dog.

[ffutures]

The neutronium guys in Robert Forward's Dragons Egg - they're the size of a sesame seed. Only snag, if they were in your hand it would be ripped apart by tidal forces, followed by the rest of your body...

[Disembodied]

Norby's mention of the G'Gugvuntt and the Vl'hurgs from THHGTTG makes two … and ffutures takes the prize with the Cheela from Dragon's Egg.

Back to you!

[ffutures]

Okay...

Let's have three intelligent alien species which have no direct method of manipulating their environment (including telekinesis etc. as a form of direct manipulation here). E.g. the intelligent planet that's a Green Lantern in the comics isn't acceptable because it can use its ring to manipulate its environment.

[Disembodied]

Hmm … I was going to say the Qax, but they are "capable of using their cells as molecular factories, for producing microscale technology".

[Cody]

I was thinking Solaris, but it could kinda manipulate its environment.

[montana05]

Okay...

Let's have three intelligent alien species which have no direct method of manipulating their environment (including telekinesis etc. as a form of direct manipulation here). E.g. the intelligent planet that's a Green Lantern in the comics isn't acceptable because it can use its ring to manipulate its environment.

This one I pass, the closest coming to my mind at least control another species to manipulate for them.

[ffutures]

Controlling another species would be acceptable - that's indirect, not direct.

[montana05]

I will give it a try with another example from Perry Rhodan:

BARDIOC

The symbiosis with the plants kept Bardioc alive and slowly he began to gain control of the plants. He developed psi abilities and started to expand. Over the course of five thousand years, the brain covered an area of ​​ten square meters, and it grew faster and faster. When a cerebrum accidentally fell on a small animal and controlled it, Bardioc learned to control the animals of the planet . He used them to transport brain parts and soon the brain covered the whole continent.

Now BARDIOC began to expand his influence. First he captured a single Hulkoos spaceship that happened to be near Parföx-Par . Finally, he brought the entire Hulkoos people under his control and made them his auxiliaries . Bardioc made offshoots, the Little Majesties spread by the Hulkoos, each of which could mentally dominate an entire planet .

This whole development was driven by Bardioc's dream, in which Bardioc still felt threatened by his brothers. In order to gain mobility, BARDIOC developed his incarnations : CLERMAC , SHERNOC and VERNOC . These had much stronger mental abilities than the Little Majesties and were absolutely obedient to him.

(translation by google so not all the time accurate)

https://www.perrypedia.proc.org/wiki/Ba ... r)#BARDIOC