"Leaning back in a lounger...softness changing beneath her at every slight motion to fit every contour..."
-Poul Anderson, The Byworlder (London, 1974), VI, p. 68.
"Avery lowered himself into a chair. Thornton sat stiffly on the edge of his, obviously disliking the idea of furniture which molded itself to his contours."
-Poul Anderson, Planet Of No Return (London, 1971), Chapter 2, p. 14.
One more comment on each of these novels:
the end of The Byworlder demonstrates how ideology can transform a scientist and family man into a murdering moron;
although Planet Of No Return has the futuristic sf cliche of "...an aircab..." (p. 13), this turns out to be not a flying car but a "copter" which -
hovers by Lorenzen's hotel balcony;
extrudes a gangway;
states the fare in a mechanical voice;
accepts payment in a slot and gives change;
flies above Quito;
sets its passenger off at another hotel where a door opens for Lorenzen when he states his name.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I prefer the "aircars" of the Technic stories! Helicopters of any kind simply doesn't seem that FUTURISTIC to me any longer. I suspect practical air cars will use some kind of VTOL technology.
Sean
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