I’ve Always Wondered How Buck Rogers’ Pistol Worked

He'll save every one of us! From inferior plastics!

… wait, no I haven’t. But I really love Winchell Chung’s site Atomic Rockets. It’s all sorts of explanations of how science fiction and space opera stuff might or can’t work. Stuff like laser guns, aliens, and, of course, atomic rockets.

It’s full of old SF paperback covers, rational discussion, and a clear deep enjoyment of the subject matter. Check it!

0 thoughts on “I’ve Always Wondered How Buck Rogers’ Pistol Worked”

  1. I love it, but it kind of bums me out. I *like* seeing Cylon Raiders banking and swooping. And no windows? Boo!

    Ah, well. The stars are not for man, anyways.

  2. Yeah, well, it’s a good thing science fiction is metaphor for the present, anyway. The banking and swooping tells is they’re fighting. Babylon 5, for all its many flaws, had really neat space combat. The spacecraft — particularly the little ones — fought like *people*. They bobbed and weaved and faced each other. The pilots were in a “standing” position so their body mass was supported over their entire backs. Neat stuff.

    I don’t know about the “no windows” thing. It would depend on the material they were made of. I mean, the Space Shuttle has windows. The ISS has windows. They’re a pretty reliable technology.

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