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"In WWII, they had a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. I think the modern equivalent of that is that there are no jaded, bored people in the high-tech industry, in the land of really good hardcore geeks."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Flitter | ||
| A small craft used for short-range journeys. |
| Then all three went out to the flitter. A tiny speedster, really; a torpedo bearing the stubby wings and the ludicrous tail-surfaces, the multifarious driving-, braking-, side-, top- and under-jets so characteristic of the tricky, cranky, but ultra-maneuverable breed. |
| Technovelgy from Vortex Blaster,
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith. Published by Comet in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the skimmer from Roger Zelazny's 1966 novel This Immortal, the skitter from Frank Herbert's 1977 novel The Dosadi Experiment and the single seat scooter from Jack Vance's 1964 novel The Star King.
And, of course, the landspeeder from George Lucas' 1978 novel Star Wars.
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and Technology from Vortex Blaster
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'Space-sickness is one of the most unpleasant sensations that a human being can experience. Not all are subject to it...'
'...I saw a nice black heavy-looking cloud sailing by just now, and I can get the electrical machine out in five minutes to draw it down.'
'From a distance it could resolve the cosmic rays reflected from various substances.'
'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
