This can be anything from Hyperspace in Star Wars, Warp Drive in Star Trek, travel through the Warp in Warhammer 40k or anything else.
I’ve always liked “slow” FTL travel, where going a few light-years still takes a few days or so. I also really like travel through an alternate dimension like in 40k, Event Horizon, Witchspace in Elite Dangerous.
I wanna know your favorite versions, or do you prefer stories that obey the laws of known physics, like the Expanse or Rimworld?
I prefer the STL in Card’s Ender’s Game series. They asymptotically approach the speed of light so the passengers only have several weeks pass when travelling to far flung locations but the universe around them experiences a normal passage of time which may be tens of years. This has really big implications on the plots in several stories.
They do have an ansible communications system that does allow instantaneous communication over astronomical distances.
goes Plaid
Hell yes Hitchiker’s haha
It’s a Spaceballs reference
No mention of Futurama? Screw moving the ship, just move the universe around it!
I love the idea that navigators in Dune ripped a line of space cocaine to forsee the best path through folded space for travelling.
Space cocaine is the best take on spice I’ve ever seen.
Challenge accepted
I read all of that in Peter Capaldi’s voice. You made my day
I like the kind where they didn’t try to explain it. Trying to show how they make their sausage never works out well. I can suspend disbelief for FTL but not for their stupid explanations
I wouldn’t say it was my favourite FTL but it has some interesting implications.
The artificial wormholes of The Algebraist by Ian Banks. I can’t say too much if you haven’t already read it, but it’s artificial wormholes that have to be transported sublight.
All the new wormholes are of course lovely and high capacity, but much of the network is still the original tiny little ones first installed. So your military at least uses kilometer long needle ships that can fit through these small points.
Think fitting an aircraft carrier through a Stargate.
Farnsworth: These are the dark matter engines I invented. They allow my starship to travel between galaxies in mere hours.
Cubert: That’s impossible. You can’t go faster than the speed of light.
Farnsworth: Of course not. That’s why scientists increased the speed of light in 2208.
Infinite Improbably Drive in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
I love the Farcaster network of the World Web from Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos (for anyone who hasnt read the books, they’re essentially frameless stargates that are always on). Such a cool concept of being able to build a series of them linking the main commercial streets of the biggest cities on different planets together; thus making one gigantic and near endless market across hundreds of worlds… and anyone can just walk from one planet to another across hundreds or thousands of light years.
What I really like about that book series though is that the Farcasters are not the only means of FTL… and that there are sound reasons to use another method over them OR even to oppose your planet getting connected to the Farcaster network. Just seriously good world building.
In the later books, the alternative FTL is wild too. The acceleration is so brutal that on every jump, you will be smashed to a pulp and then spend days being put back together.
“Raspberry Jam Delta V” everyone gets inside “Resurrection Creches”. Which just hold your goo for later reassembly.
Funny thing is that, while a similar principle, they’re safer and more ethical than the Star Trek “suicide booth” transporters.
Oh, but they had those too. Imagine a luxury house linked together by instant transporters, so you go to a platform on an ocean planet to poop.
