Saturday, 17 October 2026

Giro

"Kings Who Die." 

After mentioning aircars, we find a different means of transport:

two spacemen, Diaz and Bailey, catch a giro outside their hotel;

Diaz punches the name of a cantina;

the autopilot searches its directory and swings the cab onto a skyrail;

the great view through the bubble comprises blazing city, glowing ocean and full moon with a glittering Unasian (United Asian) (enemy) base;

the giro descends to the street and rolls three blocks to the cantina whose interior is then described vividly.

A one-off story but a densely realized Andersonian future.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

That "giro" feels more like another kind of aircar, a type which can both fly and travel on the ground.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

But it travels along a "skyrail" before returning to the street.

Paul.

Anonymous said...

Kaor, Paul!\

I noticed that, but I don't know how literally that should be interpreted.

Ad astra! Sean

Jim Baerg said...

'Giro' sounds like something that can run on one or two wheels on one rail and is stabilized by a gyroscope. So it sometimes runs on a 'skyrail' to take it over ground traffic. Whether that might be a practical vehicle is another question.

Anonymous said...

Kaor, Jim!

I still think a "giro" being a type of aircar which can also travel on the ground makes a bit more sense.

Ad astra! Sean