Science Fiction & Fantasy Weekly Newsletter - Monday, June 29, 2015

Top new questions this week: What is the first reference to an internet of computers in sci-fi? Considering the internet has substantially revolutionized our way of life (you're using it right now in fact) I was wondering whether it was ever envisaged in sci-fi. I'm therefore inquiring as to ... technology history-of computers   asked by N_Soong 67 votes answered by Broklynite 108 votes What was the first Sci-Fi work to feature a spaceship? I can't believe this question hasn't been asked here before, but I haven't been able to find it, so here goes. When was the first spaceship featured in science fiction? By the time of Asimov, ... spaceship history-of origins   asked by rand al'thor 64 votes answered by Wad Cheber 113 votes What flaw in the Matrix was Neo supposed to correct? The Architect tells Neo: Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix. You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest ... plot-explanation the-matrix   asked by Wad Cheber 42 votes answered by Michael Edenfield 50 votes Why don't survivors in the Walking Dead use spears? In the Walking Dead, a wide variety of both ranged and melee weapons are shown to be used. Drawbacks of either are noted and sometimes influence the plot (guns running out of bullets, risking bites ... the-walking-dead weapon   asked by Superbest 41 votes answered by Wad Cheber 16 votes Why didn't Jupiter becoming a star kill everyone on earth and cause all kinds of problems for the solar system? In 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the climax of the film is quite bizarre. Jupiter's mass is replaced by billions of black monoliths, eventually collapsing in on itself and becoming a star. ... plot-explanation space space-exploration 2010   asked by Wad Cheber 34 votes answered by Richard 59 votes Why did the Terminator need sunglasses? In the original Terminator film, the eponymous villain procures a pair of dark glasses in order to hide his damaged eye socket and red eye. In T2: Judgement Day, the T-800 makes a great show of ... plot-explanation terminator terminator2-judgement-day   asked by Richard 32 votes answered by Praxis 56 votes What is the basis for Harry to call Dumbledore the "best teacher"? "I was safer at Hogwarts. I think I was a good teacher —" "You were the best —" (Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35, "King's Cross") That seems like a completely inappropriate statement, coming out ... harry-potter albus-dumbledore   asked by DVK 30 votes answered by bz032002 4 votes Greatest hits from previous weeks: Why did all the Ringbearers leave Middle-earth in the end? At the end of The Return of the King, Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel left Middle-earth on a ship, along with other elves. I named those five because they were all ringbearers and it ... lord-of-the-rings rings-of-power   asked by DavRob60 42 votes answered by Mark Beadles 62 votes Why do people risk death by joining Starfleet if not for money or preservation of their homes? Watching Star Trek made me think of a few "deeper" questions about Starfleet, which are all related to the Star Trek TV series. So, let's take for example the Dominion War: people are dying every ... star-trek star-trek-dominion   asked by Emissarry 63 votes answered by husker 90 votes Can you answer these? Why do battle droids have personalities? Civilian droids like protocol droids, I can see the importance of possessing sentient-like personalities. In military droids where intelligence is necessary, such as assassin or tactical droids, I can ... star-wars droids   asked by thegreatjedi 2 votes What was the name of the tv show about a guy who lives in a small town with aliens disguised as humans? SO I watched it awhile ago and I can't remember the name of this show so basically what it is about is this guy who is a detective I think and he lives in a smallish town where aliens have disguised ... story-identification aliens tv   asked by ken 2 votes Novel where bands of humans roamed a world controlled by intelligent machines I'm trying to figure out the name of a science fiction novel. In it there were bands of humans which roamed a world. The world was controlled by intelligent robots or mechanized creatures I think. ... story-identification novel   asked by Jason Nixon 5 votes New blog post: Gorilla vs. Shark? Not so fast… by Michael Edenfield on Jun 25 (This post represents my best understanding of SF&F consensus policy on “Gorilla vs. Shark” questions. Special thanks to everyone who reviewed it for me to make sure it really ...

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