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