• more about #ourhivemindatwork
    Counterglow: There was a pretty cheesy novel called (I'm pretty sure) Kavan that came out about that time. The cover was mostly white and had a man's bearded face... more »
    Laffinboy: I was immediately put in mind (no pun intended) of Julian May's Saga of the Pliocene Exiles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_Pliocene_Exile more »
    joetato: I prefer to completely vex the technologically impared, by using the, "Got your nose!" gag, only I change it to, "Got your epiglottis!" This REALLY ... more »
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate®: The Bible? more »
    EdgarJPublius: when I heard the description, I immediately thought of Heinlein, not Sixth Column though (although that makes a little more sense) but Farnham's Freehold more »
    Grey_Area: I'm going with Gene Wolfe on this one, only for the description of energy weapons as spears and whatnot in a dying Earth type scenario. Also...All yo... more »
    Lamar Henderson: My first thought was Davy by Edgar Pangborn, but I don't remember anything about technology as magic. more »
    GiovannaRockish: I think it might be Viriconium, by M. John Harrison. more »
    cletar: Jewel in the Skull by Moorcock? It was post-pockyclips and sword-y. more »
    Mathmos: This sounds most like Heinlein's Revolt in 2100, which I think was what Charlie had in mind in mentioning Sixth Column. more »
    capnrob: Can't be Heinlein; not post-nuclear holocaust, but, rather an Occupied America with a preserved (if damaged) social order. The Staff of Mota, in addit... more »
    cletar: Could be Larry Niven, "The Magic Goes Away." Or it's a bad description of "Lord of Light." There are some references in Lord of Light to atomic blast... more »
    capnrob: It can't be Deathworld itself; that's set on another planet, and everybody knows that the technology works and is technology. Deathworld 2 features so... more »
    Spiral: First thing I thought of was the Hawkmoon series by Michael Moorcock. There are "flame lances" and other post-apocalyptic technology, through the set... more »
    MargaretMoony: I feel that this is just a wide sweeping description of ALL Sci-fi or fantasy books from the 70's. more »
    Ed Grabianowski: It also perfectly describes this freaking awesome metal song. Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians! more »
    braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.: I like the corollary to Clarke's law: Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. That's what I feel the guiding principle... more »
    tudza: Ah, Thundarr the Barbarian, where light sabers can only cut through inanimate objects. more »
    tudza: Lord of Light counts, mostly, but it is not post-apocalypse, at least not on the planet where all the action takes place. more »
    psychiccheese: the nose stealing robots use technology to steal your nose, though to the casual observer, it looks like MAGIC. more »
  • #books

    You'd Be Surprised How Many Science Fiction Novels Can Fit This Description

    Someone over at the Straight Dope message boards asks for help identifying a novel set in a post-apocalyptic world reduced to primitivism, where the rulers use technology (lasers) disguised as magic (wand-blasts). Oddly enough, that could describe many books. More »
  • #namethesestories

    "What is the name of a movie where two boys find a monster in their school toilet?"

    The most awesome thing on the internet is when people post a vague, rambling description of a science fiction story they read, or saw — and most of the time, amazingly, someone identifies it.