Sci Fi compilation annual 1990s

[Dan Jones]

I have been desperately trying to recall the name of a sci-Fi annual I got one year, most likely in the late 80s or early 90s. Pretty sure it would have been British.

It had a blue cover, probably with some sort of spacecraft on it, and the only story I remember from it was an illustrated short story about alien weapon technology; specifically the weaponry was a series of razor sharp, almost invisibly-thin wires that were able to slice through materials (and unfortunate creatures) without them seeing the wires. I think the story was about an astronaut or some such character who found himself being targeted by these things and he had to escape.

I'm sorry if this is tremendously vague it if anyone out there who recognises this I'd be really grateful!

 

[Bick]

Sharp, hard to see, very thin wire is reminiscent of Niven's nanowire, as first described in Ringworld. Given the use of Known Space stuff in many of his short stories, it could perhaps be a Niven story (or a Man-Kzin war story by someone else). I can't help with the collection, however, sorry.

 

[Dan Jones]

That kind of rings a bell, the nanowire thing. Funnily enough I'm reading Mote at the moment.

Thanks for the clue, Bick!

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Shiga wire? Frank Herbert

Helpfully, the glossary for Dune provides us with this information about shigawire:

SHIGAWIRE: metallic extrusion of a ground vine. (Narvi narviium) grown only on Salusa Secundus and III Delta Kaising. It is noted for extreme tensile strength.

What did Niven call it?

 

[Dan Jones]

Shiga wire? Frank Herbert


What did Niven call it?

Nanowire apparently, which sounds right. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Frank Herbert thing. Or maybe it was a rip off of Nivens stuff.

 

[Vince W]

Niven just called it Shadow Square Wire since it was the wire that held the shadow squares together.

 

[chrispenycate]

But before the shadow square wire (same book) we get a variable sword, which is a length of monofilament in a stasis field (to keep it rigid), and later (possibly sequel) used monofilament and superconductor threads to discipline sunflowers.

Or, not in known space at all, The Descent of the Anansi (again Niven, with Steven Barnes) gives us a reel of several kilometres of the stuff, which cuts through one of the space pirates. Arthur C. Clarke uses some in 'Fountains of Paradise' but mainly as a tool (to cut through a jammed bolt), C. J. Cherryh uses it in security operations (Foreigner universe), I use it to slice comets like hard boiled eggs, and I know I've read others…

 

[J-Sun]

I have been desperately trying to recall the name of a sci-Fi annual I got one year, most likely in the late 80s or early 90s. Pretty sure it would have been British.

If it was an annual anthology and not just an anthology, that would be a small set. I don't know of any British annuals in that time period though US annuals had UK editions. If I am missing one, I'd be very interested to learn about it. And the only US annuals from 1986-1990 were those edited by Carr (his last couple to '87), Wollheim (his last five to '90), and Dozois (the first several of his main series from '84). There's also the annual Nebula volume. (Asimov/Greenberg edited an annual series that ran from '79-'92 but that was a "retro-annual" covering 1939-1964.) So, as far as I know, it'd have to be a Wollheim, Carr, or Dozois.

 

[Dan Jones]

@J-Sun I had a feeling somebody on here would be a serious enthusiast. I will definitely give this some investigation and if I find what I'm looking for, I'll give you a shout in case it's of interest.

@chrispenycate The Descent of Anansi really rings a bell, but I think it must be a different bell, because this was just one short story in a compendium or annual. It's entirely possible that Niven might have written a short story, or some jobbing writer who ripped off one of Niven's tropes.

Thanks guys.

 

[clovis-man]

Hmm. British. Invisible wire. I seem to recall that Neal Asher had such things in one or more of his tales.

 

[Dan Jones]

@clovis-man Neal Asher, eh? It could be one of his short stories from very early in his career, but I think it might be tad too early to be him.

Incidentally he lives just down the road from me