What are your favorite opening lines to a sci/fi novel? - Page 5

leandroide · 10-10-2009, 03:01 PM

"I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army".

This is an easy one.

L.

weateallthepies · 10-10-2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leandroide

"I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army".

This is an easy one.

L.

Old Man's War?

leandroide · 10-10-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weateallthepies

Old Man's War?

Yes!!

BenG · 10-10-2009, 10:32 PM

"Once a guy stood all day shaking bugs from his hair. The doctor told him there were no bugs in his hair. After he had taken a shower for eight hours, standing under hot water hour after hour suffering the pain of the bugs, he got out and dried himself, and he still had bugs in his hair; in fact, he had bugs all over him. A month later he had bugs in his lungs."

pilotbob · 10-10-2009, 10:35 PM

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Oh... wait, maybe this wasn't an SF novel. But, it is a great opening line.

BOb

AJW · 10-11-2009, 02:14 AM

"I lived long enough to see the cure for death; to see the rise of the Bitchun Society, to learn ten languages; to compose three symphonies; to realize my boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World; to see the death of the workplace and of work.
I never thought I'd live to see the day when Keep A-Movin' Dan would decide to deadhead until the heat death of the Universe."

sam3k · 10-11-2009, 02:26 PM

"The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed sub-category. He's got esprit up to here."

montsnmags · 10-11-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

THIS WAS A GOLDEN AGE, a time of high adventure, rich living, and hard dying... but nobody thought so. This was a future of fortune and theft, pillage and rapine, culture and vice... but nobody admitted it. This was an age of extremes, a fascinating century of freaks... but nobody loved it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I always get the shakes before a drop. I've had the injections, of course, and hypnotic preparation, and it stands to reason that I can't really be afraid. The ship's psychiatrist has checked my brain waves and asked me silly questions while I was asleep and he tells me that it isn't fear, it isn't anything important - it's just like the trembling of an eager race horse in the starting gate.

I couldn't say about that; I've never been a race horse. But the fact is: I'm scared silly, every time.

Wait, I'm confused. Are these opening lines, or just more wonderful recollections of your Convention Years, Dennis?

Cheers,
Marc

kennyc · 10-11-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Wait, I'm confused. Are these opening lines, or just more wonderful recollections of your Convention Years, Dennis?

Cheers,
Marc

Some of these seem to be opening paragraphs.

DMcCunney · 10-11-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Wait, I'm confused. Are these opening lines, or just more wonderful recollections of your Convention Years, Dennis?

Cheers,
Marc

Opening lines. I don't suppose I have to identify them.

But you did make me think about lines that coiuld be applicable to convention experiences. Maybe something from E.E Smith's Lensman series, comparing someone's intellect to that of a Zabriskan Fontema...
______
Dennis

montsnmags · 10-11-2009, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Opening lines. I don't suppose I have to identify them.

It's probably best you don't, for my sake. My mind likes the idea of them being the openings of chapters from your memoirs (a book I would certainly buy).

Cheers,
Marc

DMcCunney · 10-11-2009, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

It's probably best you don't, for my sake. My mind likes the idea of them being the openings of chapters from your memoirs (a book I would certainly buy).

Cheers,
Marc

No. I'm dull and boring. I'm just fortunate enough to know number a number of folks who aren't.
______
Dennis

kennyc · 11-06-2009, 08:17 AM

This is not one I remembered but ran across it and it is a great one. Let's see if anyone recognizes it:

"If a female figure in a white shroud enters your bedchamber at midnight on the thirteenth day of this month, answer this letter otherwise, do not."

DMcCunney · 11-06-2009, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

This is not one I remembered but ran across it and it is a great one. Let's see if anyone recognizes it:

"If a female figure in a white shroud enters your bedchamber at midnight on the thirteenth day of this month, answer this letter otherwise, do not."

Hint: the book is available in an omnibus edition in the MR ebooks section...

______
Dennis

kennyc · 11-06-2009, 08:33 AM

Yes Sir, which I just downloaded to re-read and the reason I ran across it.

I read all of these many many moons ago.

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10-10-2009, 03:01 PM	#61
leandroide Zealot Posts: 144 Karma: 92 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Vigo, Spain Device: Papyre 6.1 (Hanlin V3)	"I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army". This is an easy one. L.

10-10-2009, 10:32 PM	#64
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	"Once a guy stood all day shaking bugs from his hair. The doctor told him there were no bugs in his hair. After he had taken a shower for eight hours, standing under hot water hour after hour suffering the pain of the bugs, he got out and dried himself, and he still had bugs in his hair; in fact, he had bugs all over him. A month later he had bugs in his lungs."

10-10-2009, 10:35 PM	#65
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." Oh... wait, maybe this wasn't an SF novel. But, it is a great opening line. BOb

10-11-2009, 02:14 AM	#66
AJW Compulsive Book Collector Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northamptonshire, UK Device: COOL-ER, iPhone3G	"I lived long enough to see the cure for death; to see the rise of the Bitchun Society, to learn ten languages; to compose three symphonies; to realize my boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World; to see the death of the workplace and of work. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Keep A-Movin' Dan would decide to deadhead until the heat death of the Universe."

10-11-2009, 02:26 PM	#67
sam3k Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	"The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed sub-category. He's got esprit up to here."

11-06-2009, 08:17 AM	#73
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,930 Karma: 119747553 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2 & PW, Onyx Boox Go6	This is not one I remembered but ran across it and it is a great one. Let's see if anyone recognizes it: "If a female figure in a white shroud enters your bedchamber at midnight on the thirteenth day of this month, answer this letter otherwise, do not."

11-06-2009, 08:33 AM	#75
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,930 Karma: 119747553 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2 & PW, Onyx Boox Go6	Yes Sir, which I just downloaded to re-read and the reason I ran across it. I read all of these many many moons ago.