Science Fiction Trivia

[marcusrg]

Ok, this is an easy one. Sail crafts in a race, making shadows to its opponents, forcing them to slow down, in space. Title an author, please.

[Rxke]

Aaargh, I know that one quite well, don't know the title in English, though.

So I googled for the translation.

Windjammer, A.C. Clarke

[marcusrg]

Well, in fact, the english title is "The wind from the sun", and was first called "Sunjammer". It was one of the best sci-fi stories I have ever read, and made me a fan of Arthur C. Clarke books. Ok, I will give you a "yes" for that. Over to you.

[Rxke]

nonono... My answer wasn't very correct, now wasn't it?

[Cody]

nonono...

Yesyesyes!!!

[marcusrg]

Go ahead, Rxke. Over to you.

[Rxke]

Dang! I'll have to think about one quickly...

[Rxke]

a professional saboteur can communicate interplanetarily through what can be best described as some kind of plant from another planet. I seem to recall it can even speak in a way, not much more than 'botcha botcha botcha' gibberish though...

Name of that 'plant'

[Disembodied]

The Rangdo of Arg?

[Rxke]

nope.

[Rxke]

these "plants" are probably related to... stars.

[Gimbal Locke]

Pro saboteur, interplanetary comms involving stars...

This sounds very much like Frank Herbert's "Whipping Star", but I don't remember any "plant" in that - but then again it was over 20 years ago that I last read that.

[Rxke]

it is indeed from the ConSentiency Universe...

You're only a Wikipedia entry away from the answer

[Gimbal Locke]

"Taprisiots like needle-covered sawed-off chunks of firewood"

[Rxke]

Gimbal Locke gets ten pointz from ze Belgian jury!