Weapons In Science Fiction
Strange and exotic weapons are a recurring theme in science fiction. In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now been made a reality. Other science fiction weapons remain purely fictional, and are often beyond the realms of physical possibility.
At its most prosaic, science fiction features an endless variety of sidearms, mostly variations on real weapons such as guns and swords. Among the best-known of these are the phaser used in the Star Trek television series, films and novels and the lightsaber featured in the Star Wars fictional universe.
In addition to entertainment value and purpose, themes of weaponry in science fiction sometimes touch on deeper concerns, often motivated by contemporary concerns of the outside world.
Read more about Weapons In Science Fiction: Weapons in Early Science Fiction, Lasers and Particle Beams, Plasma Weaponry, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Powered Armor and Fighting Suits, Cyberwarfare and Cyberweapons, Doomsday Machines, The Sentient Weapon, War On The Mind, The Carrying of Weapons in Science Fiction, Parallels Between Science Fiction and Real-world Weapons
Famous quotes containing the words weapons, science and/or fiction:
“When it comes to my own turn to lay my weapons down, I shall do so with thankfulness and fatigue, and whatever be my destiny afterward, I shall be glad to lie down with my fathers in honour. It is human at least, if not divine.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)
“Magic is akin to science in that it always has a definite aim intimately associated with human instincts, needs, and pursuits. The magic art is directed towards the attainment of practical aims. Like other arts and crafts, it is also governed by a theory, by a system of principles which dictate the manner in which the act has to be performed in order to be effective.”
—Bronislaw Malinowski (1984–1942)
“The beginning of human knowledge is through the senses, and the fiction writer begins where human perception begins. He appeals through the senses, and you cannot appeal to the senses with abstractions.”
—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964)