What's your favorite science fiction device (that isn't a weapon)?

[Celticbear]

Yeah, but it also explicitly is magic.

Magic through the lens of scientific study and application, but still magic. Magic which can choose to stop working because it, as a person, does not feel like playing nice with human beings demystifying it.

Yeah. Example: Star Wars, though seen as science fiction, is definitely fantasy. Before any of you say anything, I have two words to say to you: Space Wizards. You can call them Jedi and Sith, but that doesn't change that they are Space Wizards.

[goto124]

But do lightsabers count as an SF device?

[Lentrax]

Fellas, fellas you are all missing the greatest invention in the history of science fiction.

Spoiler: Boom

Show

Umm, no. I didn't.

Cyberdecks.

A Quantum Harmonizer. (Not sure what it does, but man does it do awesome stuff when you stick it in someone's Photonic Resonance Chamber)

An Electronic Thumb

A Voight-kampff machine.

Whatever tech it took to be able to have streetdocs able to perform perfect plastic surgery in one hour or less.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Peelee]

But do lightsabers count as an SF device?

I count any plot based on technology we do not have available as science fiction.

So Star Wars is sci-fi-fantasy. Both. Not mutually exclusive.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

So Star Wars is sci-fi/fantasy. Both. Not mutually exclusive.

Nomenclature quibble: the forward slash makes them look like they are exclusive (because that's how libraries tag them, suggesting they are separate but shelved together). Maybe use dashes only? As in, sci-fi-fantasy? Or sci-fantasy? Abbreviated to sci-fan?

Which does bring to mind a question I've had: are there any stories that essentially take a "classic" fantasy world with wizards and examines how they'd work in a post-industrial setting? I can only think off the top of my head of 40k, which is unrelentingly bleak and doesn't really examine the societies beyond "everything is crumbling, all the time".

Grey Wolf

[Peelee]

Nomenclature quibble: the forward slash makes them look like they are exclusive (because that's how libraries tag them, suggesting they are separate but shelved together). Maybe use dashes only? As in, sci-fi-fantasy? Or sci-fantasy? Abbreviated to sci-fan?

I don't know what you're talking about

Which does bring to mind a question I've had: are there any stories that essentially take a "classic" fantasy world with wizards and examines how they'd work in a post-industrial setting? I can only think off the top of my head of 40k, which is unrelentingly bleak and doesn't really examine the societies beyond "everything is crumbling, all the time".

Grey Wolf

I've not read them, but isn't the Dresden files along these lines? Or Harry Potter?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I've not read them, but isn't the Dresden files along these lines? Or Harry Potter?

I haven't read the Dresden files far enough to know, but HP is definitely not what I'm looking for: the masquerade means that the wizarding world is separate from the post-industrial world, and also stuck in Victorian-age-like stasis. I'm more looking for a world where magic and elves and such exist, but isn't stuck in medieval stasis but instead has progressed to "modern" times, or even full-blown space-age magitech.

I suppose cyberpunk might work (especially setting were elves and dwarves are around), but as with 40k, I'd prefer a setting that isn't going to depress me as much as reading the news.

ETA: I suppose the Legend of Korra counts, and I did enjoy it quite a bit.

GW

[Bohandas]

I haven't read the Dresden files far enough to know, but HP is definitely not what I'm looking for: the masquerade means that the wizarding world is separate from the post-industrial world, and also stuck in Victorian-age-like stasis. I'm more looking for a world where magic and elves and such exist, but isn't stuck in medieval stasis but instead has progressed to "modern" times, or even full-blown space-age magitech.

I'd recommend the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony

EDIT:
Oh, and Discworld by Sir Terry Pratchett sort of does this too. As the series goes on the setting progresses from a late medieval/early renaissance setting into the early industrial revolution

[GolemsVoice]

I haven't read the Dresden files far enough to know, but HP is definitely not what I'm looking for: the masquerade means that the wizarding world is separate from the post-industrial world, and also stuck in Victorian-age-like stasis. I'm more looking for a world where magic and elves and such exist, but isn't stuck in medieval stasis but instead has progressed to "modern" times, or even full-blown space-age magitech.

I suppose cyberpunk might work (especially setting were elves and dwarves are around), but as with 40k, I'd prefer a setting that isn't going to depress me as much as reading the news.

ETA: I suppose the Legend of Korra counts, and I did enjoy it quite a bit.

GW

There's technically the various world of Darkness settings, which you can mix and match. Sure, most of the beings either don't interact with humanity all that often, or are actively avoiding them, but there's mages, fey. demons, all that stuff. Also, since you mentioned cyberpunk, there's obviously Shadowrun.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

There's technically the various world of Darkness settings, which you can mix and match. Sure, most of the beings either don't interact with humanity all that often, or are actively avoiding them, but there's mages, fey. demons, all that stuff. Also, since you mentioned cyberpunk, there's obviously Shadowrun.

Yes, but as I said, if I want to read about a depressing world that seems to be going from bad to worse, I read a newspaper. I don't need a fictional book for that right now.

Less cynically, I've read Gibson and even a bit of Shadowrun and 40k, and I find them too bleak. It'd be nice to see a world that, having magic, has progressed beyond castles and knights, and is NOT heading for eternal darkness regardless of what anyone does.

Let me put it another way: I enjoy steampunk. I'd like something like steampunk, but past Victorian age and it need not depend on the constraint of steam (which, after all, is just magic by another name in steampunk).

GW

[rooster707]

Let me put it another way: I enjoy steampunk. I'd like something like steampunk, but past Victorian age and it need not depend on the constraint of steam (which, after all, is just magic by another name in steampunk).

GW

When you put it like that, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson fits pretty well. A lot of it is basically steampunk, but with nanotech instead of steam.

[Bohandas]

Yeah. Example: Star Wars, though seen as science fiction, is definitely fantasy. Before any of you say anything, I have two words to say to you: Space Wizards. You can call them Jedi and Sith, but that doesn't change that they are Space Wizards.

Star Trek too. I don't know why everyone always calls out Star Wars on this but never Star Trek. In terms of the sheer number of characters with magic powers (not counting in novels) I think Star Trek has got Star Wars beat. You can't throw a stone in Star Trek without hitting some kind of telepath or shape shifter

[Peelee]

Star Trek too. I don't know why everyone always calls out Star Wars on this but never Star Trek. In terms of the sheer number of characters with magic powers (not counting in novels) I think Star Trek has got Star Wars beat. You can't throw a stone in Star Trek without hitting some kind of telepath or shape shifter

Or the number of aliens that are about as alien as D&D races? For that matter, has Star Trek ever introduced the idea of a progenitor race that seeded the galaxy? Because that could resolve a lot of that issue, and add a nice mysterious history that could also exacerbate relations with some of the species.

[GilbertRobbins]

There is nothing like this.

[Bohandas]

I haven't read the Dresden files far enough to know, but HP is definitely not what I'm looking for: the masquerade means that the wizarding world is separate from the post-industrial world, and also stuck in Victorian-age-like stasis. I'm more looking for a world where magic and elves and such exist, but isn't stuck in medieval stasis but instead has progressed to "modern" times, or even full-blown space-age magitech.

I suppose cyberpunk might work (especially setting were elves and dwarves are around), but as with 40k, I'd prefer a setting that isn't going to depress me as much as reading the news.

ETA: I suppose the Legend of Korra counts, and I did enjoy it quite a bit.

GW

I recommend Star Trek and Ghostbusters (that's Harold Ramis Ghostbusters btw, not the unrelated Funamation series or Paul Feig movie)

[paddyfool]

Or the number of aliens that are about as alien as D&D races? For that matter, has Star Trek ever introduced the idea of a progenitor race that seeded the galaxy? Because that could resolve a lot of that issue, and add a nice mysterious history that could also exacerbate relations with some of the species.

Yes, they have. Guess what they called them: http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Progenitors

[rooster707]

Yes, they have. Guess what they called them: http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Progenitors

It's better than Halo, which has the Forerunners and the Precursors. Which, despite having played Halo literally as long as I can remember, I had no idea were separate races until last month.

[Bohandas]

Does [i]Star Trek[i/'s neural neutralizer count as a weapon?

What about HHGttG's Total Perspective Vortex?

[Taro]

The Spice Melange, commonly referred to simply as 'the spice' grants imortality, expanded sensory perceptions and heavy doses led to powerful abilities that include prescience.

[Potato_Priest]

Does [i]Star Trek[i/'s neural neutralizer count as a weapon?

What about HHGttG's Total Perspective Vortex?

To quote Maxim 24, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a big gun."

[Bohandas]

Yes, but as I said, if I want to read about a depressing world that seems to be going from bad to worse, I read a newspaper. I don't need a fictional book for that right now.

Less cynically, I've read Gibson and even a bit of Shadowrun and 40k, and I find them too bleak. It'd be nice to see a world that, having magic, has progressed beyond castles and knights, and is NOT heading for eternal darkness regardless of what anyone does.

Try the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony

[Spanish_Paladin]

Star Trek replicator, end of scarcity and capitalism.

[Anonymouswizard]

Star Trek replicator, end of scarcity and capitalism.

Assuming you have the energy to run it, of course.

[Spanish_Paladin]

Assuming you have the energy to run it, of course.

Of course, i take for granted the whole scenario that makes replicators viable

[Peelee]

Assuming you have the energy to run it, of course.

Just grab a Mr. Fusion. Which I maintain is the best joke that BttF had, and is woefully underappreciated.

[MrZJunior]

This isn't particularly spectacular, but as I was re-watching 2001: A Space Odyssey recently I noticed that just about every machine or appliance in the movie had some brand name attached to it. I liked the touch of realism it brought to the world and really shows how much work went into that movie.

[Haven]

The omni-tool from Mass Effect is way up there. It's a computer and a mini-fabricator with a sweet holographic interface that shows up on your arm. (It gets turned into a weapon in the 3rd game, but forget those versions.)

[Fri]

Which does bring to mind a question I've had: are there any stories that essentially take a "classic" fantasy world with wizards and examines how they'd work in a post-industrial setting? I can only think off the top of my head of 40k, which is unrelentingly bleak and doesn't really examine the societies beyond "everything is crumbling, all the time".

Grey Wolf

Check Bartimaeus Trilogy. It's basically wizardpunk, with british empire grows on the strength of magic instead of steam, and magic works around summoning (for example, a magical grenade is a sphere of glass with low level spirits trapped inside it). It follows the growth and changes of a young magician, from his start as a harry-poterish child wizard, then as a young adult working in the british government, then as an actual adult at the last book, and his partner, a mid-level snarky spirit who act as second protagonist and narrator.

[Bohandas]

I'm also partial to The Doctor's magic wand technobabble wand sonic screwdriver

[Taro]

Solid ligth.There so much we could do with that!