"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.
Kaor, Paul!
ReplyDeleteI 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