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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:35 am
by Smivs
OK, I think this has been running long enough, so time to declare a winner.
In third place, for being just strange, the Lamvin.
Second place goes to the Qheuens, for being so odd they are hard to picture.
First place, based on the fact they are almost cute, goes to ffutures' Ice Ants.

ffutures, the zipper is yours....

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:04 pm
by ffutures
Glad you like the ice ants - the image is actually made up of a satsuma, some sort of invertebrate legs (possibly crabs, I'm not sure since I did the illo seven or eight years ago), and snail eye stalks.

OK, nice easy one - SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:37 pm
by Disembodied
ffutures wrote:
SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.
Odd John, by Olaf Stapledon. And I still don't know why nobody has marketed these yet: I'd buy them. Pockets that can be replaced when they wear out! What's not to like? I suspect a plot by the trouser manufacturers to suppress this technology …

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:52 pm
by ffutures
Disembodied wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:37 pm
ffutures wrote:
SF novel about a genius, one of his less successful inventions is pockets that can be unfastened from one pair of trousers and fastened into another without emptying them. Name the novel and author.
Odd John, by Olaf Stapledon. And I still don't know why nobody has marketed these yet: I'd buy them. Pockets that can be replaced when they wear out! What's not to like? I suspect a plot by the trouser manufacturers to suppress this technology …
That was fast! And the zipper is yours (you'll need it to hold the pockets in place).

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:55 pm
by Disembodied
ffutures wrote:
That was fast! And the zipper is yours (you'll need it to hold the pockets in place).
As someone whose pockets are often full of junk, that specific invention has fascinated me for a long time …

OK, another list: we're looking for seven invented SF swearwords. Each word should not provoke any Scunthorpe Problem, or cause any undue distress to those of a gentle disposition who might read them (so "Dirty %$££@* Klingon *%$£@&^" doesn't count).

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 5:47 pm
by Cody
Ah yes, the Scunthorpe problem. No problem with Littlehampton - well, not here, there isn't!


Potter Stewart!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:02 pm
by Rxke
Shazbot!


Mork from Ork

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 7:02 am
by Malacandra
Tanj!

("There ain't no justice") -- Niven, again; said by Teela Brown in Ringworld, Louis Wu and others.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:45 am
by Disembodied
Shazbot! and Tanj! are both acceptable. Five more to go …

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:42 am
by spud42
smeghead red dwarf
gorram firefly

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:32 am
by Disembodied
"Gorram" is fine … "smeghead" is slightly problematic as it's not wholly invented, but what the hey, it's Friday, and I'll let it pass. Four down, three to go!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:21 am
by Rxke
Belgium!

HHGTTG

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:31 am
by Disembodied
Rxke wrote:
Belgium!
:shock: *gasp* I knew I was inviting trouble when I asked this question, but I never thought we would sink so low.

Two more required to win the chipper …

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:50 am
by Rxke
Ironically a significant percentage of Flemish do indeed think 'Belgium' is a very offensive idea or construct....

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 1:53 pm
by spud42
Disembodied wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:32 am
"Gorram" is fine … "smeghead" is slightly problematic as it's not wholly invented, but what the hey, it's Friday, and I'll let it pass. Four down, three to go!
well you can leave the "head" part off, as dave has been known to use it as smeg, smegging in conjunction with hell.... etc....