Science Fiction Trivia

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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

Gary Seven is the correct character, but I think you forgot the bit about adding then subtracting, to give a number which can be used to explain the HHG equation...

I'll give the answer to this tomorrow evening if nobody gets it, and set something a little easier instead. But the answer is fairly well known and has appeared on T-shirts, badges, etc., I'm very surprised nobody knows it.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

<swoops in> Thirteen? As in base 13?
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

Absolutely right! We have a winner! "what do you get if you multiply six by nine? " comes out at 42 (4x13+2) in base 13!

Over to you!
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

Apart from helping to solve the ultimate question, does base 13 have any practical use? Anyway...


What links Robert Heinlein to an uprising in what was then a British colony?
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And any survivors, their debts I will certainly pay. There's always a way!
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

His politics, I'd imagine, extreme America-first right-wing. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress was fairly obviously inspired by the American War of Independence, which I'd guess may be what you're looking for.

Re the usefulness of base 13; possibly for calculations based on playing cards? And there are probably a few currencies in fantasy with 13 coins in one of the denominations.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

ffutures wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2019 10:03 pm
... which I'd guess may be what you're looking for.
Nope!

Clue the first: It's a musical link, and the former British colony is in Africa.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

the former British colony is in Africa.
Doesn't narrow it down much...
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

<grins> Would the ear narrow it down a bit?

Clue the second: the musical link is a song title, which leads to an album, which in turn leads to one of Heinlein's classics.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

OK... the only thing I can see related to Heinlein in the War of Jenkin's Ear is the Anson expedition - Anson MacDonald was one of Heinlein's aliases. Is this the answer, with the song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm?"
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

Perhaps I should capitalise the EAR - that should put you in the right part of Africa.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

East Africa?

Is this the song you had in mind?
https://youtu.be/5Xx2Fo9vkjI
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

East Africa, yes. As for Hot Gossip, I saw them live once - and they were hot!

But that ain't the song I'm looking for. The key is the name of the uprising.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

I'm drawing a complete blank unless you mean the East African Rift, where the fossil hominid Lucy was found.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Rift

I'm not sure what uprising might be involved, apart from possibly something geological.

Also drew a complete blank on a list of African conflicts. And the only musical connection I can find is the band EAR who also seem to be missing any Heinlein connection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EAR_(band)
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by Cody »

Uprising as in rebellion (which in this case lasted eight years) - and the aforementioned album was nominated for a Hugo Award.
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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Post by ffutures »

Ok, then it's the Mau-Mau rebellion in Kenya, which makes the album Jefferson Starship's Blows Against the Empire, which has a track by that name and was a Hugo nominee, and according to Wikipedia was based on concepts from Heinlein's stories. And if it isn't that, for the love of Cthulhu please tell us, because I obviously haven't a clue.
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