Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site iddic.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!iddic!rick From: rick@iddic.UUCP (Rick Coates) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Discrepancies (ftl travel and so on) Message-ID: <2062@iddic.UUCP> Date: Wed, 26-Jun-85 16:38:11 EDT Article-I.D.: iddic.2062 Posted: Wed Jun 26 16:38:11 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 28-Jun-85 01:19:22 EDT References: <2039@iddic.UUCP> <483@gitpyr.UUCP> <389@ttidcb.UUCP> <73@rtp47.UUCP> Reply-To: rick@iddic.UUCP (Rick Coates) Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 17 Summary: The reason that faster-than-light is acceptable is that it is explained, and has rules. This includes reactionless thrusters, for example. The explanation that Niven gives in his 'Known Space' series is that the technology was sold to us (humanity). One of the tenets of 'speculative fiction' is to assume new technology or even laws of physics, and consider how this would affect people. There was no explanation for stillsuits and I was just curious. I believe that a good sci-fi book that uses techology or science that is not part of our current knowledge should establish, and follow, some rules and limitations, not just do whatever that author feels like doing. Larry Niven discussed this in some essay in one of his collections, I don't remember the name. Rick Coates ...!tektronix!iddic!rick