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"This category [science fiction] excludes rocket ships that make U-turns, serpent men of Neptune that lust after human maidens, and stories by authors who flunked their Boy Scout merit badge tests in descriptive astronomy."
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In The Tactful Saboteur, Frank Herbert describes a chair in common use in this alternative world. This short story shows the variety of Herbert's creativity; he not only imagines interesting machines and devices, but also thinks about the possibilities in genetic alteration of existing species to serve basic needs.
At this point in the story, saboteur extraordinary Jorj X. McKie meets with Pan-Spechi Panthor Bolin.
The chairdogs seemed to be able to sense the mood of the person (or being) sitting in it, reacting to stress with mild massage. Don't you wish you could find an ergonomic chair that worked as hard as a chairdog to make you comfortable? Obviously, we're a long way from being able to genetically modify a complex animal like a dog. However, this invention has clear roots in the past. A chairdog reminds me of horsehair chairs; my grandmother had one in her living room. I can only hope that the hair on a chairdog is more comfortable. The "grain" on her horsehair chair was in line with how you sat in the chair, and the net result was that you were constantly sliding out of the chair; it was impossible to retain an upright position.
Here's another look at chairdogs from Herbert's Whipping Star:
My daughter wants to know if there are different breeds of chairdog; maybe a small bichon chairdog for her. I think I'd need something based on a Great Dane...
Take a look at the entry for suspensor chair, from Dune, also by Frank Herbert. Comment/Join this discussion ( 6 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
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Science Fiction
Timeline
China Steals Strato Airship Design From Google App Engine
'...war-balloons, or, as it would be more correct to call them, navigable aerostats.'
Should AIs and AI Robots Demand Rights?
'This robot is a creature... It is a manlike being. Therefore, like any other talking, thinking man, he is entitled to a court trial!'
3D-Printed Exoskeleton Learns From Your Hand
'...small electric motors at the principal joints worked the prosthetic framework by means of steel cables...'
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