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"Concepts of religion may now be goals of science and engineering."
- Bart Kosko
 |
| Power-Wagon | ||
| Wagon powered by muscular creature from Etamin 9; uses carbohydrate syrup for fuel. |
In this Hugo award-winning novel, Jack Vance creates a world that combines low-tech organic decadence with technology that is capable of taking humanity to the stars. The aristocrats make use of non-sentient (or barely sentient) creatures from various worlds to support their lifestyle.
| Xanten ... stole up behind the garages, where a half-dozen power-wagons lay dozing. [He] mounted a power-wagon, twisted the awake key, tapped the go button, and pulled a lever which set the wheels into reverse motion. |
| From The Last Castle,
by Jack Vance. Published by Del Rey in 1967 Additional resources -
|
In a helpful footnote, Vance gives us the details on the power-wagons:
Power-wagons, like the Meks, originally swamp-creatures from Etamin 9, were great rectangular slabs of muscle, slung into a rectangular frame and protected from sunlight, insects and rodents by a synthetic pelt. Syrup sacs communicated with their digestive apparatus, wires led to motor nodes in the rudimentary brain. The muscles were clamped to rocker arms which actuated rotors and drive wheels. The power-wagons, economical, long-lived, and docile, were principally used for heavy cartage, earth-moving, heavy tillage and other arduous jobs.
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More Ideas
and Technology from The Last Castle
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and Technology by Jack Vance
Tech news articles related to The Last Castle
Tech news articles related to works by Jack Vance
Power-Wagon-related
news articles:
- Musclebot: Microrobot with a Heart
| Arizona Luddites Attack Self-Driving Vehicles |
| Volvo's Self-Driving Mining Trucks |
| Musk Declares Tesla Supercharger Capacity Will Double By Next Year |
| Ford's Autonomous Cabs 'Transportation As A Service' |
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'The world ... is drenched in unfamiliar information all the way to the horizon.'
'He saw one hiss by him as he rounded the corner, trailing a short whip antenna...'
'It may be organic damage. It may be permanent. Time'll tell, and only after you are off Substance D for a long while.'
It's the polite thing to do, and has been the polite thing to do for about four generations.
