Oolite Bulletins

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.

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

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.

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

Rxke wrote:

nonono...

Yesyesyes!!!

Go ahead, Rxke. Over to you.

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

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'

The Rangdo of Arg?

nope.

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

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.

it is indeed from the ConSentiency Universe...

You're only a Wikipedia entry away from the answer

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

Gimbal Locke gets ten pointz from ze Belgian jury!