Friday 22 May 2020

Broomsticks

Operation Luna, 1.

Many people, including Steve and Virginia Matuchek, fly to watch a space launch at Cardinal Point near Mount Taylor. (See image.)

These flying broomsticks really strain my willing suspension of disbelief:

the Matucheks have taken Virginia's "...Jaguar instead of the family Ford..." (p. 2);

they have "...left the windfield off except in front..." (ibid.);

they park it in a rack "...between a chrome-plated Cadillac and an old Honda with a sweep of withered but real straw..." (p. 5);

the Jaguar waggles its shaft because its sprite dislikes close quarters but calms down when Virginia soothes it while stroking its "...spotty-furry rear end..." (ibid.)

? In fact, !

The broomsticks are the magical counterpart of the ubiquitous aircars that we encounter in much of Poul Anderson's futuristic sf. The salient points are that:

like us, the characters have individual door-to-door transportation;
unlike us, they fly.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

You think some kind of CAR traveling on the ground would have been less of a strain? I can see that. All the same, if we are going to assume an alternate universe where "magic" is a practical form of technology, flying broomsticks and carpets are almost inevitable.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

It is a flying stick with these comfortable seats attached to it that is hard to accept.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I know, but I would EXPECT "real" flying broomsticks to have such modern conveniences as seats, windshields, and headlights!

Ad astra! Sean