STL = slower than light;
FTL = faster than light.
(I think that Ursula Le Guin has NAFAL = nearly as fast as light, which would be useful.)
Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization has one STL story, added later, and 42 FTL installments whereas his earlier Psychotechnic History has eleven STL and nine FTL.
In the incomplete TOR collection of the Psychotechnic History, STL corresponds to Volumes I-II and FTL is Vol III.
The STL period is from the aftermath of World War III to the beginning of the slide into the Second Dark Ages whereas the FTL period is from the founding of the Nomads to the evacuation of Earth in the Galactic period.
Starward!
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I don't think I could agree with Ursula LeGuin's "NAFAL." Even a STL drive approaching .9 of c is still STL, after all.
Sean
Sean:
All LeGuin did with NAFAL was come up with an alternate way of expressing STL. I've used "subcee" and "supercee" for STL and FTL respectively, and one of C.J. Cherryh's collections is titled *Superluminal* which is yet another way of saying FTL.
Kaor, DAVID!
Well, true, once you pointed that out, that does make sense. I'm simply USED to either STL or FTL. And I think I've seen PA also using "superluminal" in some of his stories.
And your "subcee" and "supercee" also makes sense!
Sean
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