Re: Faster Than Light Travel

> 
> IIRC (it was a LONG time ago that I read them), Brian Stableford's
"Hooded
> Swan" series was pretty unique in that it had at least three different
> types of FTL drive in use in the same setting! All I can remember is
that
> one of them was called the P-Shifter (probability shifter), I think
the
> other two were more like the usual Hyperspace/Warp types; I just
mention
> this because it is a very unusual idea to have different races using
> TOTALLY different FTL methods in the same book....
> 
> Jon (GZG)
> 

Check out Vernor Vinge "A Fire on the Deep".  In this there are 3 
different areas of the galaxy broken into the transcendent, the 
beyond, and the slowness.  In each area the way actual technologies 
work are different.  In the slowness for instance you can't travel 
faster thal light.  In the transcend just about anything is possible. 
Dependant on which area you're civilisation is in you can be more or 
less technologically advanced.	The only problem is that high tech 
stuff doesn't work in the lower areas of space.  Therefore no 
transcend techs in the slowness etc.  This creates some interesting 
possibilities.	Its a book thats well worth a read.
-----------------------------
Niall Gilsenan,
Dublin Institute of Technology,
College of Catering and Tourism,
Cathal Brugha St, Dublin 1,
Ireland.