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Sci-Fi quiz #1

This quiz covers SF books, authors, and general content.

A multiple-choice quiz by mjalnir. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
mjalnir

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
80,636

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
972

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The main character in Ursula LeGuin's "Lathe of Heaven" creates what, when induced to dream of world unity? Hint

A planet-killer asteroid

A world of clones

An alien invasion

A plague

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The acronym H.A.L., from the books "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "2010:Odyssey Two" by Arthur C. Clark, stands for what? Hint

Highly accurate laser

Highly intelligent artificial lifeform

Heuristic algorithmic computer

Histamine allergetic linkage

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The child-sized aliens of Lusitania in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series are named what by the human inhabitants of the planet? Hint

Descolada

Formics

Pequeninos

Lusits

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Who wrote in his book of the 3000 year reign of the Tyrant. Hint

J.R.R. Tolkien

Frank Herbert

Arthur C. Clarke

Ray Bradbury

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. What is the name of the Philip K. Dick book that the movie "Blade Runner" was based on? Hint

Stranger in a StrangeLand

There and Back Again

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Foundation and Empire

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Who invented the term Robot? Hint

Karel Capek

Isaac Asimov

Jules Verne

Henry Ford

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. In Arthur C. Clarke's book "The Hammer of God", what is the name of the ship that docks and later deflects the asteroid away from Earth? Hint

Titan

Hercules

Goliath

David

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. In Michael Crichton's "The Lost World", what is the name of the dinosaurs that can blend perfectly into the background? Hint

Pachycephalosaurus

Velociraptor

Carnosaurs

Deinonychus

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. What is the machine in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series that allows instantaneous communication?

Answer: (One Word)

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In Douglas Adams's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", what is said to be the most important item for a galactic hitchhiker to have?

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The main character in Ursula LeGuin's "Lathe of Heaven" creates what, when induced to dream of world unity?

Answer: An alien invasion

A book about a man who changes reality when he dreams.

2. The acronym H.A.L., from the books "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "2010:Odyssey Two" by Arthur C. Clark, stands for what?

Answer: Heuristic algorithmic computer

According to the author and against popular belief, HAL is not just the displacement of each letter of IBM (H-I, A-B, L-M). The H comes from heuristic, the AL from algorithmic.

3. The child-sized aliens of Lusitania in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series are named what by the human inhabitants of the planet?

Answer: Pequeninos

'Ender's Game' is about a group of child prodigies who are trained for a war against a hive-minded enemy. The strongest and most talented of these is Ender Wiggen, the savior of Earth. In the second book of the series, "Speaker for the Dead", he travels to Lusitania.

The humans also nicknamed the Pequeninos (a name which is Portuguese for 'little ones') piggies, because of their appearance.

4. Who wrote in his book of the 3000 year reign of the Tyrant.

Answer: Frank Herbert

The 'Dune' series was written over a period of roughly 30 years. Frank Herbert finished 'Chapterhouse: Dune' a year before his death.

5. What is the name of the Philip K. Dick book that the movie "Blade Runner" was based on?

Answer: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Most of you who did not know this book would probably recognize the movie that is based on it, "Blade Runner", starring Harrison Ford.

6. Who invented the term Robot?

Answer: Karel Capek

Most people might have heard somewhere that Asimov created the word Robot, but in truth playwright Capek did. It stems from the Czech word for serf or forced labor. Isaac Asimov did create the Three Laws of Robotics, which described how robots must function in his novels' universe.

7. In Arthur C. Clarke's book "The Hammer of God", what is the name of the ship that docks and later deflects the asteroid away from Earth?

Answer: Goliath

Arthur C. Clarke is known by some people as a scientific prophet. Repeatedly in his books he has written of things that were later invented or discovered. This includes the description of Jupiter and its moons in 2010, and the orbital satellite communication system we take for granted today.

8. In Michael Crichton's "The Lost World", what is the name of the dinosaurs that can blend perfectly into the background?

Answer: Carnosaurs

Like chameleons of today, these fictional carnosaurs were able to perfectly blend into the background. This would include chain link fencing and foliage.

9. What is the machine in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series that allows instantaneous communication?

Answer: Ansible

The ansible is what could be considered an interstellar fax machine, It uses a network of fictional strings called philotes or rather philotic connections. These strings are naturally occuring and are strung from every point in the galaxy to every other point.

10. In Douglas Adams's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", what is said to be the most important item for a galactic hitchhiker to have?

Answer: towel

A most entertaining book full of improbability drives, intelligent dolphins, and a giant computer that calculates the meaning of the universe as being the number 42.

Source: Author mjalnir

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor nerthus before going online.
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