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Quiz about Science Fiction First Lines
Quiz about Science Fiction First Lines

Science Fiction First Lines Trivia Quiz


Can you spot which famous science fiction novel the following first lines are from? (I have used the first "proper" line, not any chapter heading quotes or forewords.)

A multiple-choice quiz by Rowena8482. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Rowena8482
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
267,127
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1561
Last 3 plays: Guest 51 (5/10), Guest 62 (4/10), Guest 86 (9/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. "Just as he pulled himself up to the rock ledge, he heard a rattle and felt the first prick of fangs."
Which classic science fiction novel is this the first line of?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which science fiction novel begins with the following line?
"When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere."
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The line "Once upon a time there was a Martian called Valentine Michael Smith." begins which classic science fiction novel? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "The August sun struck in through the open window and burned on Andrew Rusch's bare legs until discomfort dragged him awake from the depths of heavy sleep." Which science fiction novel begins with this line? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which science fiction novel opens with the line "A squat grey building of only thirty-four storeys."? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "It was such a perfect day, a promise of summer with cloudless blue skies."
Which 'young adult' science fiction novel begins with this line?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which science fiction book begins with the following line?
"In Fort Repose, a river town in central Florida, it was said that sending a message by Western Union was the same as broadcasting it over the combined networks."
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "The time traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us."
Which science fiction classic opens with this line?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which classic science fiction book opens with the line "On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar" (sic) Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which science fiction classic opens with this line? -
"The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no-one has yet forgotten."
Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 22 2024 : Guest 51: 5/10
Oct 14 2024 : Guest 62: 4/10
Sep 14 2024 : Guest 86: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Just as he pulled himself up to the rock ledge, he heard a rattle and felt the first prick of fangs." Which classic science fiction novel is this the first line of?

Answer: Earth Abides

"Earth Abides" by George R Stewart was first published in 1949.
It tells the story of Isherwood Williams and a small band of survivors, left alone in San Fransisco after a plague wipes out the vast majority of humanity.
2. Which science fiction novel begins with the following line? "When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere."

Answer: Day Of The Triffids

"Day of the Triffids" by John Wyndham was first published in 1951. It was also known as "Revolt of the Triffids".
The story was adapted as a radio play by the BBC in 1957, and as a television series in 1981.
A film was made in the UK in 1962, but it differs from the book in significant ways, such as the triffids being melted by seawater!
There is a sequel called "Night of the Triffids" which was written in 2001 by Simon Clark.
3. The line "Once upon a time there was a Martian called Valentine Michael Smith." begins which classic science fiction novel?

Answer: Stranger In A Strange Land

Published in 1961, the story of Valentine Michael Smith won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1962, for author Robert A Heinlein.
4. "The August sun struck in through the open window and burned on Andrew Rusch's bare legs until discomfort dragged him awake from the depths of heavy sleep." Which science fiction novel begins with this line?

Answer: Make Room! Make Room!

"Make Room! Make Room!" by Harry Harrison, was published in 1966.
The film "Soylent Green" was based on the book, and the phrase "Soylent Green Is People" became a catch phrase, even though in the book, soylent is made from vegetables, and the 'green' bit is not mentioned.
5. Which science fiction novel opens with the line "A squat grey building of only thirty-four storeys."?

Answer: Brave New World

"Brave New World" is one of Aldous Huxley's most famous books. First published in 1932, it has remained in print ever since.
Huxley also 'revisited' the work in 1958 and considered whether the world had moved towards his vision of the then future.
The book has been made into a film in 1998, a stage play in 2003, a musical (in German) in 2006, and even a concept album by Iron Maiden, released in 2000.
6. "It was such a perfect day, a promise of summer with cloudless blue skies." Which 'young adult' science fiction novel begins with this line?

Answer: Children Of The Dust

"Children of the Dust" by Louise Lawrence was published in 1985. Telling the story of an atomic war and the aftermath for the survivors, it follows three generations of one family as they work to rebuild their corner of England.
7. Which science fiction book begins with the following line? "In Fort Repose, a river town in central Florida, it was said that sending a message by Western Union was the same as broadcasting it over the combined networks."

Answer: Alas, Babylon

"Alas, Babylon" tells the story of a small Florida town in the aftermath of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the USA by Russia. Written by Pat Frank, it was first published in 1959.
8. "The time traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us." Which science fiction classic opens with this line?

Answer: The Time Machine

Technically a novella, as it has just 38,000 words, "The Time Machine" was first published in serial form in the "New Review" throughout 1894 and 1895. In 1960 a film version was produced and directed by George Pal, which won an Oscar for the innovative special effects used.
9. Which classic science fiction book opens with the line "On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar" (sic)

Answer: Riddley Walker

"Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban, was first published in 1980, with an 'expanded edition' (containing a whole fourteen extra pages!) published in 1998.
Written in 'dialect' to reflect the imagined speech patterns of a 12 year old man in a community scraping a bare living over 2000 years after the nuclear holocaust, the major form of 'public information' comes via Punch and Judy shows.
10. Which science fiction classic opens with this line? - "The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no-one has yet forgotten."

Answer: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Jules Verne's novel was first published in French in 1870.
The original French of the title had "Seas" plural rather than sea, which clarifies the fact that the '20,000 Leagues' are distance travelled rather than depth under the water.
The first translation from French to English, was carried out in 1873, and in spite of numerous mistakes, some of which changed the entire meaning of Verne's words, it remained the standard text until a new translation was done between 1989 and 1991.
Source: Author Rowena8482

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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Rowena's Sci-fi Quizzes:

All the science fiction quizzes I have written, apart from the ones about books by Robert A. Heinlein and C. J. Cherryh which have their own quiz lists.

  1. Anne McCaffrey's "Tower and Hive" books Average
  2. Raising Dragons Average
  3. Old Man's War Average
  4. The Last Colony Average
  5. Let's Hear it for the Girls Tough
  6. Joy to the Jovian Tough
  7. Which End of the World is This? Tough
  8. Science Fiction First Lines Average
  9. Red Pill, Blue Pill Tough
  10. Xenobiology, Xenophobia, Xenophily Tough
  11. Root for the Home Team Tough
  12. Where Angels (Still) Fear to Tread Tough

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