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Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:51 pm
by Disembodied
If anyone is struggling, think little digital "ammo remaining" readouts and/or steadycam mounts … or, alternatively, a handgun which can fire six different types of bullets on demand, as the situation requires.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:23 pm
by Smivs
<Stirs from his slumber......>
Judge Dredd's Lawgiver
<....dozes off again>

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:26 pm
by Smivs
<Can't get back to sleep - it's too hot!>
The UA 571-C Automated Sentry Gun from 'Aliens'
<Rolls over and closes his eyes, hopefully.......>

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:41 pm
by Disembodied
That's two more, courtesy of the restless pumpkin … Next one wins it!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:34 pm
by ffutures
Stark Industries Jericho Missile from Iron Man - a missile that goes MIRV and comes down as a lot of bomblets.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:30 am
by Disembodied
That'll do it! Over to you …

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 7:06 pm
by ffutures
OK... I'm feeling lazy today, so I'll let you do all the work.

Let's have titles and authors for FIVE novels or stories featuring interstellar travel by matter transmission, NOT starships - I'll allow stories in which a matter transmission portal, receiver, or whatever is transported by space ship prior to use, provided that matter transmission is the main transport system.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:45 pm
by Disembodied
Newton's Wake, by Ken MacLeod. Although FTL starships exist, there is also a network of planet-based wormholes known as the Skein, under the control of the Bloody Carlyles.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 7:46 am
by ffutures
That's one. Four to go!

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:16 am
by montana05
Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:53 am
by Disembodied
You could make a case for Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey … the monoliths - or some of them, at least - can act as interstellar portals.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:16 pm
by ffutures
I'll accept both of those - two to go.

If it helps, a few SF authors who have experimented with this trope:

Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Robert Heinlein, Dave Langford, Larry Niven, Dan Simmons, etc. etc.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 1:58 am
by montana05
ffutures wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:16 pm
Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Robert Heinlein, Dave Langford, Larry Niven, Dan Simmons, etc. etc.
Thanks for the hints:

Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:39 pm
by ffutures
Yup. One to go.

Re: Science Fiction Trivia

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:36 pm
by ffutures
Clue time, I suppose:

One of the authors I named has written about a form of matter transmission that could potentially blow up the galaxy (and may have already done so)
One has matter transmitters limited by conservation of energy and momentum, which gets interesting over interstellar distances
One has cities built across multiple worlds joined by matter transmission.
One has matter transmission that creates a duplicate of the original.

Hope this helps.