Science Fiction Trivia

[spud42]

You know what -- do I like though, I like killer.
A real dyed in the wool killer. Cold-blooded.
Clean. Methodical. Thorough. A killer, when
he picked up the ZF1, would've immediately
asked about the little red button on the bottom of
the gun.
Zorg : The Fifth Element

77 INT. HALLWAY ZORG'S WAREHOUSE - DAY

The warriors have all taken a weapon. One of them inspects his ZF1. He
turns it over and notices the little red button. He presses it.

78 EXT. OUTSIDE ZORG'S WAREHOUSE - DAY

Behind Zorg, an ear-shattering explosion levels the warehouse.

[ffutures]

Well, in that case, "The dilithium crystals canna' take it!" seems pretty doomy. Montgomery Scott, fae Torry, of course.

Well, that is in part due to Scotty being a bit of a drama queen, since his predictions of engineering doom usually seem to be avoidable, but I'll accept it since people do occasionally get badly hurt in Engineering.

That's three!

You know what -- do I like though, I like killer.
A real dyed in the wool killer. Cold-blooded.
Clean. Methodical. Thorough. A killer, when
he picked up the ZF1, would've immediately
asked about the little red button on the bottom of
the gun.

Definitely - and that's four!

Nite Owl 1
Wildebloode 1
RockDoctor 1
Spud42 1

6 to go, and no more Star Wars, Trek, Fifth Element or Doctor Who.

[RockDoctor]

If the subject is "threatening but not terribly explicit" pronouncements, then from stories passim (SF, some dude in the US Civil war ; wars of RedCoats against spear-armed natives ad nauseam; Trafalgar against Nelson ; Richard on the battlements of some French or German castle ; 'Arold on the 'ill on 'is 'orse with 'is 'awk in 'is 'and (Harold Godwinson at the Battle of 'Astings); I can't think of an example from the Romans, Greeks, or Babylonians - but I'd be surprised if the story wasn't at least as old as the bow. Or the sling shot.

Lots of variations in detail, but they all boil down to the very ominous "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."

(Edit : the Romans had a lot of trouble with Hannibal's war elephants, but it wasn't the first time they'd met them. That dubious honour goes to Pyrrus, something like 2 centuries earlier. Yep, the guy who introduced the concept of a Pyrrhic victory : "We could not survive another victory like that." I'd be surprised if the Romans legionaries Marcus and Spencurius didn't exchange such a comment on seeing their first elephant. The artillery (archers) never got a lot of respect from the Poor Bloody Infantry of their day.)

[ffutures]

If the subject is "threatening but not terribly explicit" pronouncements, then from stories passim (SF, some dude in the US Civil war ; wars of RedCoats against spear-armed natives ad nauseam; Trafalgar against Nelson ; Richard on the battlements of some French or German castle ; 'Arold on the 'ill on 'is 'orse with 'is 'awk in 'is 'and (Harold Godwinson at the Battle of 'Astings); I can't think of an example from the Romans, Greeks, or Babylonians - but I'd be surprised if the story wasn't at least as old as the bow. Or the sling shot.

Lots of variations in detail, but they all boil down to the very ominous "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."

(Edit : the Romans had a lot of trouble with Hannibal's war elephants, but it wasn't the first time they'd met them. That dubious honour goes to Pyrrus, something like 2 centuries earlier. Yep, the guy who introduced the concept of a Pyrrhic victory : "We could not survive another victory like that." I'd be surprised if the Romans legionaries Marcus and Spencurius didn't exchange such a comment on seeing their first elephant. The artillery (archers) never got a lot of respect from the Poor Bloody Infantry of their day.)

Can you give an actual SF example?

[RockDoctor]

Off the top of my head, no. Snipers and "defending the walls" not really being a SF trope. There's something lurking in the back of my head, but it doesn't want to come out to play. Yet.

[Nite Owl]

6 to go, and no more Star Wars, Trek, Fifth Element or Doctor Who.

Doctor Who should still be available. My original Doctor Who answer was not applicable as it did not have an element of Doom to it. My next attempt of "Is that a Black Hole in your Pocket or are you just happy to see me" was non specific Science Fiction that was just made up by my crazed mind on the spur of the moment.

That being the case let us go back to Doctor Who. Specifically the very first Matt Smith episode where he ends up on a rooftop facing down a Giant Eye Thing. He defeats it by simply saying "I'm the Doctor, search your Database." At which point Said Thingy does a quick data search leading to panic, with a great sense of eminent Doom, and apologetic active fleeing.

[ffutures]

6 to go, and no more Star Wars, Trek, Fifth Element or Doctor Who.

Doctor Who should still be available. My original Doctor Who answer was not applicable as it did not have an element of Doom to it. My next attempt of "Is that a Black Hole in your Pocket or are you just happy to see me" was non specific Science Fiction that was just made up by my crazed mind on the spur of the moment.

That being the case let us go back to Doctor Who. Specifically the very first Matt Smith episode where he ends up on a rooftop facing down a Giant Eye Thing. He defeats it by simply saying "I'm the Doctor, search your Database." At which point Said Thingy does a quick data search leading to panic, with a great sense of eminent Doom, and apologetic active fleeing.

Yes, that's a good one, and yes I did exclude Dr. Who erroneously. Have an MBP!

This makes the current scores

Nite Owl 2
Wildebloode 1
RockDoctor 1
Spud42 1

OK, at this stage we have managed five answers in exactly a month, which is possibly a little on the slow side. I know I said 10, but I expected things to go quickly and they really haven't. So unless anyone objects I'd suggest that we hand victory (and the poisoned chalice) to Nite Owl.

BTW, whatever happened to "I'll be back!" and the other really obvious ones? Everyone too busy getting ready for the holidays?

[Nite Owl]

Single answer question Time once again. Preferably without the Google Machine unless things drag on for too long a Time. Very good Novel which most of you have probably read at one Time or another. Ignore the waste of Time movie adaptation.

At the end of the Novel Time and Again how does the protagonist, Simon Morley, manage to remain in the past. Be as specific as possible.

[RockDoctor]

BTW, whatever happened to "I'll be back!" and the other really obvious ones? Everyone too busy getting ready for the holidays?

"Preparing for the family get-together" and "thinking of doom-laden but not quite explicit comments". Nope, no crossover there at all.

A propos, raising the dead, last night "Alien Resurrections" was on - the only (?) Alien franchise film I hadn't seen previously. Naturally it clashed (mostly) with "Scarface", and I chose to find out what "Say hello to my little friend" meant. But "The cargo bay door won't close!" would also have been a contender in the non-explicit ominosity steaks.
Did "Alien Resurrections" costume and animatronics designer have a mental breakdown on that film? The way they modified the Ripley-alien cross-breed to give it a baby face and raise "maternal instincts" in half the audience ... that was deserving of an anti-Oscar for "Most Hilarious Horror SFX, evah!" And thinking of it, I need to check the dates to see if this was inspirational-to, or inspired-by Weaver's seminal performance in "Galaxy Quest", which had nothing to do with Alien* what-so-ever.

[Nite Owl]

Apparently the novel Time and Again is not as popular as previously thought. Perhaps it goes too far back in Time itself, all the way back to 1970. Therefore it is Time to unleash the Google machine. The first one to do the research and get the right answer will win the Chalice this Time.

[ffutures]

Apparently the novel Time and Again is not as popular as previously thought. Perhaps it goes too far back in Time itself, all the way back to 1970. Therefore it is Time to unleash the Google machine. The first one to do the research and get the right answer will win the Chalice this Time.

Briefly, on his last journey into the past he deliberately changes history so that the parents of the person who started the time travel research program never met, which somehow means that he stays in the past rather than never having travelled to the past (this doesn't make a huge amount of sense without re-reading the book but never mind); my guess is that doing this eliminates him from the future and leaves him with whatever history he has in the past. And in big legal trouble going by the plot summary, but since he's in love and his girlfriend is in the past I assume that they all live happily ever after.

OK, assuming that this is the right answer, I'd better set another question... let's have some derivative works based on H.G. Wells, SF books, films, or whatever in which the events of one or another novel by H.G. Wells occurred as described, with consequences affecting subsequent history. By this I do NOT mean alternative takes on Wells plots (such as the film versions of The Food of the Gods) - the original story must have happened first. This one is a little tricky, so let's try for three answers. I WILL allow stories which draw on more than one Wells source.

[Cholmondely]

Unsure if this one counts: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels include Triffid invasions. Not read HG Wells (his History of Mr Polly was the first book I ever failed to finish) so am unsure about faithfullness to source…

[ffutures]

Unsure if this one counts: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels include Triffid invasions. Not read HG Wells (his History of Mr Polly was the first book I ever failed to finish) so am unsure about faithfullness to source…

Yes, that counts - the Martian invasion from The War of the Worlds is an important part of the second LoEG book. That's one, and a bonus point for thinking of one of the works I had in mind when I set the question.

[spud42]

triffids is John Wyndham not HG Wells???????
"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels include Triffid invasions"

[ffutures]

triffids is John Wyndham not HG Wells???????
"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels include Triffid invasions"

I think this may be a typo, Triffid for Tripod, or some over-indulgence in strange alien intoxicants, rather than ignorance - be that as it may, the League definitely qualifies since a big part of the second series was the WotW invasion.