Science Fiction Trivia

[ffutures]

Well, we can hitch a lift with Howard de Campo, owner and pilot of the Chili Bird, from Vesta to the Moon (from Larry Niven's "The Patchwork Girl"). We've come a long way to go not very far – but at least there's more destinations available from Luna …

Well played! I don't think I've seen that move since the '07 tournament, but it's perfectly valid, and does open up a lot of possibilities.

[Cody]

We can get from Luna to Earth via Iron Sky (I think).

[ffutures]

OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!

[spud42]

not sure what the rules are for this game... but i can get to the destination in 1 book from earth....
are we trying to make as many hops as poessible?

[Cody]

Rules? No rules! Go for it, spud!


And I can get from Mars to Alpha Centauri in one book!

[RockDoctor]

I do so hope that Humph is somehow watching from above!

Dodging and getting Samantha to give him a rub-down.

[RockDoctor]

not sure what the rules are for this game... but i can get to the destination in 1 book from earth....
are we trying to make as many hops as poessible?

Part of the point of Mornington Crescent is that the rules change to ensure that no listing of the rules can encompass all the moves legally played before the establishment of any particular edition of the rulebook.
Yes, that does mean that the Rule Book must expand (considerably?) faster than the (conceivable or conceived?) Universe.
I would advise not pressing "Print" on the rulebook. Definitely not if you've got an inkjet.

[RockDoctor]

visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!

Don't go into Huff. You wouldn't like it in Huff.

[RockDoctor]

OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!

I'm going to play the "throw the dice where they ricochet at lethal velocity" tesuji with Tau Zero by ... Poul Anderson? As the ship accelerates it gets towards the point where (in a finite and closed universe) it will be passing through all points in the universe (and probably all times too, but that requires a bit more maths. Probably) in a short period of time.
"Bang" - Earth ; "bang" - AlphaCen ; (several more bangs) "bang" - debris of Earth ; "bang" - debris of Alpha Centauri.
Unfortunately, I don't remember if AlphaCen was specifically named. But at one point the "bangs" were the Tau ship trashing galactic superclusters, so I'm pretty sure they'd have "visited" Earth and AlphaCen in any one encounter.

[spud42]

looks like i might have been gazumped but ....

Robert Silverberg. Revolt on Alpha C 1955 his first book.

"The story takes place in the year 2363. The protagonist is Cadet Larry Stark, a 20-year-old, fresh graduate of the Space Patrol Academy who comes from a long line of Space Patrol commanders. As the story begins, he is embarking on the customary final training cruise on the interstellar ship Carden. At the end of this cruise, he will be awarded a commission as officer of the Space Patrol. The ship makes the four and a half light-year journey to the star Alpha Centauri in a span of 15 days using the faster-than-light overdrive. The fourth planet orbiting Alpha C, an earth-like planet inhabited by dinosaurs, has been colonized 125 years earlier."

[Cody]

<chortles> It's a cut-throat game, is Mornington Crescent.

[ffutures]

OK, that gets you back to Earth on the third move after travelling with the Rolling Stones, so I think we're out of the Tribble/Trumble zone, and it opens a lot of possibilities for the next move. But I have to remind everyone that visiting Earth for a third time will lead to quantum instability, and we all know what that means!

I'm going to play the "throw the dice where they ricochet at lethal velocity" tesuji with Tau Zero by ... Poul Anderson? As the ship accelerates it gets towards the point where (in a finite and closed universe) it will be passing through all points in the universe (and probably all times too, but that requires a bit more maths. Probably) in a short period of time.
"Bang" - Earth ; "bang" - AlphaCen ; (several more bangs) "bang" - debris of Earth ; "bang" - debris of Alpha Centauri.
Unfortunately, I don't remember if AlphaCen was specifically named. But at one point the "bangs" were the Tau ship trashing galactic superclusters, so I'm pretty sure they'd have "visited" Earth and AlphaCen in any one encounter.

Tricky... but I'm going to have to go by the plot here - the ship travels in what appears to be a straight line AWAY from our local galactic group, consuming huge amounts of time though the crew don't perceive it due to relativity - eventually, after billions of years, the universe collapses then undergoes another Big Bang. I think it's fair to say that Alpha Centauri is not likely to exist by the time the collapse occurs, because our galaxy would presumably collapse first - and the ship is described as not taking part in the Big Bang, it somehow stays out of it and intact into the next universe, so wouldn't interact with any bits of primordial dust that might once have been Alpha Centauri. It was a good ingenious attempt, but I don't think I can accept it.

looks like i might have been gazumped but ....

Robert Silverberg. Revolt on Alpha C 1955 his first book.

"The story takes place in the year 2363. The protagonist is Cadet Larry Stark, a 20-year-old, fresh graduate of the Space Patrol Academy who comes from a long line of Space Patrol commanders. As the story begins, he is embarking on the customary final training cruise on the interstellar ship Carden. At the end of this cruise, he will be awarded a commission as officer of the Space Patrol. The ship makes the four and a half light-year journey to the star Alpha Centauri in a span of 15 days using the faster-than-light overdrive. The fourth planet orbiting Alpha C, an earth-like planet inhabited by dinosaurs, has been colonized 125 years earlier."

OK, that's a valid move, and you avoided the obvious pitfalls by using an FTL drive. A lot less dramatic than RockDoctor's move, but I think slightly more legal. Your turn!

[spud42]

give me 5 animals like the worms in Dune that spice is harvested from. obviously normal rules. you cant use dune...
5 different authors... yada yada yada...

[Cody]

Samlon?

[cbr]

exogorth, wormish slug