This might be a difficult one for non science fiction fans. A clue: the author died a few years ago, of a heart attack I think. He was very young. It's a longer extract which might help; also longer to allow people to appreciate the vivid imagination of the writer:
The weapon-pulse was so strong it continued into the surface of the planetary fragment to a depth of several kilometres, blasting a brief, livid tunnel a hundred metres across vertically into the rock. A torrent of lava splashed out around the ship's outermost protective fields as the tunnel collapsed, the spattering, cooling rain of molten rock following the pulverized, atomised debris of the Zihdren-Remnanter ship and the centre of the blue-glowing bowl as they too flew into the colour-wild skies above Ablate.
At the boundaries of the world's truncated horizon, some larger parts of the obliterated dome, still whirling away from the initial explosion, burned bright as flame as they plunged into the surrounding curtains of light.
Deep beneath its assaulted surface, automatic systems sensed the blast and the resulting wobble in the tiny world's course, and corrected for it.
Where the little blue oasis of light and life had been there was now a larger, deeper crater, glowing white and yellow and red from its boiling centre to its ragged edge. By the time the crater surface had cooled sufficiently to show how it would look once it had solidified completely, the 8*Churkun was long gone.
Originally posted by hakimaIf we (NER and I) should ever meet I will be happy to do just that because that book is my second favourite book after My Family and Other Animals. Thanks for that because I was concerned about my blurting out the title later tonight while I slept. 🙂
BTW GBS...you should probably buy NER a beer for saving you from an unpleasant midnight scuffle with the SO...
...just saying. ..😛
Originally posted by NoEarthlyReasonThe Hydrogen Sonata by Ian Banks
This might be a difficult one for non science fiction fans. A clue: the author died a few years ago, of a heart attack I think. He was very young. It's a longer extract which might help; also longer to allow people to appreciate the vivid imagination of the writer:
The weapon-pulse was so strong it continued into the surface of the planetar ...[text shortened]... how it would look once it had solidified completely, the 8*Churkun was long gone.
Not that I knew the quote but the species name was quite telling 😉
Originally posted by NoEarthlyReasonThe Alien frowned briefly and consulted what appeared to be some species of clipboard which it was holding in its thin and spindly hand.
That's it, well done Ponderable. 🙂
[...]
"You're a j3rk," repeated the Alien,"a complete a$$hole"
*I left out a portion of the dialogue which would make it too evident 🙂
Originally posted by PonderableLife, the Universe, and Everything
The Alien frowned briefly and consulted what appeared to be some species of clipboard which it was holding in its thin and spindly hand.
[...]
"You're a j3rk," repeated the Alien,"a complete a$$hole"
*I left out a portion of the dialogue which would make it too evident 🙂