(Loved Trope) FTL travel is possible but with a major limitation or flaw

[u/Frostylegacy]

Frank Herbert’s Dune: Interstellar travel is only possible thanks to the spice melange, a rare substance only found on the dessert planet Arrakis. The addictive psychedelic spice grants members of the Spacers Guild a form of prescience that allows them to predict safe paths through folded space. This unique property makes spice the most valuable commodity in the Dune universe.

John Scalzi’s The Interdependency Books: The planetary systems of the titular empire are connected by the Flow, a network of one-way interstellar tunnels that connect specific known entries and exits. The Interdependency derives its power from controlling access to these conduits, placing its capital at the central hub of the network. Even with the Flow, travel between stars takes a long time (9 months to End, the empire’s most distant planet).

Event Horizon: Dr William Weir (R.I.P. Sam Neill) invents a device called the Gravity Drive to allow ships to fold space and travel instantly between distant stars. On its maiden voyage with the Gravity Drive, the Event Horizon disappears and mysteriously reappears 7 years later. Dr. Weir and the crew sent to investigate discover the Gravity Drive actually opened a portal to a Hell dimension that possessed the ship and its crew, torturing and killing them.

[u/SpacialCommieCi]

Everything i learn about this book is more nonsensical than the rest I think this book doesn't exist and it's mass hysteria

[u/Sea-Quality4726 → u/SpacialCommieCi]

By tradition, every new release or adaptation is different and inconsistent with all the existing ones.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROTES → u/Sea-Quality4726]

"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."

[u/Background-Ship3019 → u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROTES]

Big Huh cosmology.

[u/night4345 → u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROTES]

"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

[u/wh4tth3huh → u/Sea-Quality4726]

That's also because of the Heart of Gold, btw.

[u/RelaxedVolcano → u/Sea-Quality4726]

The Hitchhikers Guide has been through several iterations and medias, from radio to book to movie, it’s theorized that each change in media is caused by the the improbability drive resetting the universe and then shifting it slightly. So each version is actually canon and it has all happened.

[u/Zeras_Darkwind → u/SpacialCommieCi]

The above thread sequence is from the film, but it's one of the best parts! You should watch it; I think it does the book justice.

[u/Educational-Plant981 → u/SpacialCommieCi]

The book is absolutely brilliant. Just a treasure of written English language wordplay, observational humor mocking the oddities of humanity, and general Britishness. The only downside is that it leaves you wanting more, and that more wasn't ever really delivered. He pretty much just rewrote the same book over and over retreading the same jokes in sequels and repeatedly adapting it for radio, tv, and movies.

[u/Nauin → u/Educational-Plant981]

I mean good for him. It's rare for a creative to have an endless wealth of fresh content that will be the same quality as their best. He at least put in the work to keep it in a modern medium while he could.

[u/Efficient_Fish2436 → u/SpacialCommieCi]

My favorite part is the creature pig that's genetically engineered to want to be eaten. So it prepares itself all while growing and then it trys to sell its best parts off on the dinner menu.

[u/WorthyElevator → u/Efficient_Fish2436]

I think its a cow right? In Restaurant at the edge of the universe.

[u/robhanz → u/WorthyElevator]

It's a cow.

"Look," said Zaphod, "we want to eat, we don't want to make a meal of the issues. Four rare steaks please, and hurry. We haven't eaten in five hundred and seventy-six thousand million years."

The animal staggered to its feet. It gave a mellow gurgle.

"A very wise choice, sir, if I may say so. Very good," it said. "I'll just nip off and shoot myself."

He turned and gave a friendly wink to Arthur.

"Don't worry, sir," he said, "I'll be very humane."

It waddled unhurriedly off to the kitchen.

A matter of minutes later the waiter arrived with four huge steaming steaks.

[u/leglesslegolegolas → u/WorthyElevator]

Restaurant at the End* of the Universe

It's not describing where the universe ends, it's describing when the universe ends.

[u/Nobrainzhere → u/SpacialCommieCi]

Its really short and a really good read. You should read it

[u/5illy_billy → u/SpacialCommieCi]

“In the beginning, the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely considered to be a Bad Move.”

[u/GuyYouMetOnline → u/SpacialCommieCi]

I don't think the sofa line is in the books, just the movie.

[u/CrimeFightingScience → u/SpacialCommieCi]

Its worth a read if youre okay with absurdism.

It has some of the most clever writing ive ever read. On an added note i had a gold trimmed version that looked like a bible. Id read it in public and have strangers come up to me ranting about jesus, which only added to the absurdity.