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"If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction."
- Frederik Pohl
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| TANSTAAFL | ||
| There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. |
An essential element in the basic Heinlein philosophy; this is (as far as I know) the first appearance of this acronym.
| "Gospodin," he said presently, "you used an odd word earlier--odd to me, I mean..."
 (TANSTAAFL from 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein) "Oh, 'tanstaafl.' Means ~There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.' And isn't," I added, pointing to a FREE LUNCH sign across room, "or these drinks would cost half as much. Was reminding her that anything free costs twice as much in long run or turns out worthless." "An interesting philosophy." "Not philosophy, fact. One way or other, what you get, you pay for." |
| Technovelgy from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,
by Robert Heinlein. Published by GP Putnam in 1966 Additional resources -
|
The basic philosophy probably antedates Heinlein's use. For example, in 'TANSTAAFL: a plan for a new economic world order.' (Dos Utt, Pierre (1949). Cairo Publications, Canton, OH). This document shows that, as early as 1934 NY mayor Fiorello La Guardia said "È finita la cuccagna!", meaning "No more free lunch"
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'Once in the very first weeks of the war, before everyone had been evacuated from the surface...'
'For a while your colonists will have to come up to the [orbital] Hospital...'
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
'The king, an old hand in the running of tyrannies, instantly grasped the directions...'
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
