Science Fiction
Dictionary Latest By
"Cyberspace is a metaphor that allows us to grasp this place where since about the time of the second world war we've increasingly done so many of the things that we think of as civilization."
|
The word can be used as a verb ("I've been pooned") and as a noun ("I hitched a ride with a poon"). This interesting piece of technovelgy occurs during the epic pizza delivery scene in Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson's debut science fiction novel. While Hiro, the protagonist of the novel, is engaged in trying to deliver a pizza that is already twenty minutes late, his vehicle is harpooned by a bonded courier on a skateboard.
Some reviewers call this scene "the greatest pizza delivery scene in world literature." I won't argue that point. The device is described in some detail in several different places in the book; I also liked the stickers that harpooners use when vehicle owners try to shake them loose with various maneuvers.
Compare to the helix gun from Salvage in Space (1933) by Jack Williamson. Comment/Join this discussion ( 2 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
resources: MagnaPoon-related
news articles:
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
SpaceX Intros Extravehicular Activity Suit
'Provision had been made to meet the terrific cold which we knew would be encountered the moment we had passed beyond the atmosphere.'
Athena Smart Security Guard Robot With Face Recognition
'You are who we say you are, Dr. Dakin,' Turner said.'
The FLUTE Project - A Huge Liquid Mirror In Space
'It's area, and its consequent light-gathering capacity, was many times greater than any rigid mirror...'
Robot Preachers Found To Undermine Religious Commitment
'Tell me your torments,' the Padre said, in an elderly voice marked with compassion.
SpaceHopper Microgravity Robot Lands On Its Feet
'...a slender-legged tripod surmounted by a spherical body no larger than a football.'
Brin's 1990 Novel Earth Still Full Of Predictions
'... making the point that their likenesses, every move they made, were being transmitted.'
Gaia - Why Stop With Just The Earth?
'But the stars are only atoms in larger space, and in that larger space the star-atoms could combine to form living matter, thinking matter, couldn't they?'
Microsoft VASA-1 Creates Personal Video From A Photo
'...to build up a video picture would require, say, ten million decisions every second. Mike, you're so fast I can't even think about it. But you aren't that fast.'
|
Home | Glossary
| Science Fiction Timeline | Category | New | Contact
Us | FAQ | Advertise | Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™ Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved. |
||