Sunday, 31 March 2019

Relativistic And Non-Relativistic Spaces

Relativity precludes FTL - except that the quantum jump hyperspace of Poul Anderson's Technic History and the T machine jumps of his The Avatar are supposed to be compatible with relativistic physics. Usually, I think, "hyperspace" means a non-relativistic space somehow coterminous with the relativistic universe whereas other fictional FTL drives (see here) simply contradict relativity, e.g., James Blish's "spindizzy."

Are T machine jumps FTL? The spaceships are STL and the jumps that they make resemble cosmic versions of the space-time jumps made by the timecycles in Anderson's Time Patrol series.

How much STL intergalactic travel is there in sf? Not a lot.

Into Deepest Space by Fred and Geoffrey Hoyle
Tau Zero by Poul Anderson
Genesis by Poul Anderson
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

There's also the FTL Alderson drive used in Jerry Pournelle's Co-Dominium timeline, which I believe he took some care to give a semi-demi-plausible scientific rationale. As Anderson had done with the the hyperdrive of his Technic series.

Sean

Jim Baerg said...

"The Ethics of Madness", a short story by Larry Niven, includes a pair of Bussard Ramjet ships travelling into intergalactic space.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor,Jim!

Don't think I ever read that Niven story.

Ad astra! Sean