The Sword and Laser discussion

For convenience, here's and edited glossary of Revelation Space terms from the end of the latest book, Inhibitor Phase. These things are also explained on the go. Chasm City & Yellowstone are more like minor Easter Eggs, but they're mentioned often enough. I get Conjoiners and Ultras a little mixed up, but I haven't read all the books. There's no faster-than-light "warp drive" in this universe.

Chasm City: the largest conurbation in human space, constructed around a gas-belching void on the otherwise inhospitable Yellowstone. Closely aligned economically with the Glitter Band.

Conjoiners: a human faction employing extensive mind-to-mind linkage. Emerging from Mars, Conjoiner technology made human starflight practicable.

Conjoiner drive or C-drive: propulsion system manufactured by Conjoiners and sold to various clients including Demarchists.

Demarchists: a human faction using implants to achieve real-time participatory democracy

Glitter Band: in (view spoiler)[pre-plague (hide spoiler)] years, the ring of 10,000 habitats orbiting Yellowstone

Hyperpig: pig-human chimera of human-level intelligence

Lighthugger: any large space vehicle with a relativistic cruise ceiling. [near light speed]

Ultras: a loose, anarchic affiliation of starship crews (derived from a variety of factions) who spend their entire lives on ships, often at relativistic speed.

Yellowstone: the major settled world in the Epsilon Eridani system, home to Chasm City.

This is appreciated!

I just picked up the audiobook on Libby since the ebook hold would be too long. Gonna give it a go even though this usually isn't my type of book.

I think it's also worth pointing out that Ultras are almost all mechanically enhanced cyborgs to one degree or another.

AndrewP wrote: "I think it's also worth pointing out that Ultras are almost all mechanically enhanced cyborgs to one degree or another."

Yep! As I said in the Discord channel, both Conjoiners and Ultras are enhanced. But Conjoiners go towards the hive mind while Ultras are highly individualistic.

Some more technical revelation space terms like "quickmatter":

https://revelationspace.fandom.com/wi...

Oh, so that's what foam-phase munition is. I don't think it was ever explained. It sounds cool.

Tamahome wrote: "Oh, so that's what foam-phase munition is."

Ah. My day would NOT have been complete without that!