Funniest Moments in Science Fiction

[Mice9]

In response to JunkMonkey's (very good) survey thread (The stupidest moments in SF) I would like to initiate one for the funniest moments in SF.
A first offering (Spoiler Alert):
In Arthur C. Clarke's - Childhoods End:
Having been to the "Overlord's" planet, Jan Rodricks returns to Earth to find everyone gone. He begins to play his piano, and comes to the realization that he is "The best piano player in the world". I loved that moment.

A second offering (Spoiler Alert):
Douglas Adams' - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
Many, many different moments are possible of course, but perhaps The moment when Arthur Dent realizes he shouldn't bother being upset that the construction people are going to knock down his house, since the planet Earth is about to be demolished anyway (to make way for an interstellar highway of some sort?), and the announcement of this fact that can be heard simultaneously all over the world.

I would like to allow - as a rule - any SF story (including shorts) where the whole story is funny.

- 9.

 

[ArthurFrayn]

I'll beat everyone to the punch and put in when the robot gives Zalkawe a hat after he's recovered from a mission in Use of Weapons. That was pretty amusing.

 

[Ropie]

I'll beat everyone to the punch and put in when the robot gives Zalkawe a hat after he's recovered from a mission in Use of Weapons. That was pretty amusing.

Because all that's left of him is his head, right?

 

[ArthurFrayn]

Yes. That's the joke. I guess you didn't think it was as funny.

 

[Ropie]

Yes. That's the joke. I guess you didn't think it was as funny.

Oh no, it was pretty good. Banks is one of the few genuinely funny SF writers IMO. Quite surprisingly, given the general view of Russian / Eastern European SF, some of Lem's work is very amusing too, not in a laugh-out-loud way, though

 

[Mice9]

Hey guys - Is this Ian M. Banks you're talking about?

 

[david johnson]

lewis padgett...tremendous fun in his stories.
piers anthony had a grossly funny moment in 'chronos'. time reverses and a guy has to 'un-go' to the bathroom...chuckle...

dj

 

[Mice9]

Has anyone heard of Manuel Van Loggem?

These are all quite good so far, IMHO. Has anyone heard of Manuel Van Loggem? He wrote a short called Pairpuppets set in the future. The protagonist was a young single guy looking for a decent romance and was tired of all the android women he was meeting. He wanted a real woman, and toward the end of the story apparently found one, but ...

Spoiler:

She fell and twisted her ankle, and a recording came out of her asking to return her to such and such factory.

 

[ArthurFrayn]

Hey guys - Is this Ian M. Banks you're talking about?

Sorry -yes, Use of Weapons, Iain M. Banks, yes.

 

[david johnson]

read 'the twonky'.

dj

 

[Halcyon Dayz]

Manuel van Loggem

Has anyone heard of Manuel Van Loggem?

Manuel van Loggem (1916-1998) was a Dutch psychologist, literary writer, playwright, anthologist, essayist, critic, painter and photographer.

He wrote crime-stories, Science Fiction, fantasy, mainstream, children's books, and a handbook on dramaturgy. ("Manuel's Manual")

He also wrote the 1952 Boekenweekgeschenk, a free book you get if you purchase a book during Book Promotion Week.

Painpuppets and The Call of the Wild are the only stories of him published in English that I know off.
But he edited New Worlds from the Lowlands: Fantasy and Science Fiction of Dutch and Flemish Writers (1982)

 

[dustinm]

Star Wars Prequels

I would like to allow - as a rule - any SF story (including shorts) where the whole story is funny.

In that case I would like to nominate the entire Star Wars Prequels: the so-called Episodes I, II, III. Those were hilarious satire of the originals. I can't wait for the REAL movies to come out... What's that? Those WERE the real movies? [cry]

 

[homosap]

yep the hat in UoW is right up there, I really like Banks humour and could list various quotes and/or ship names. My all time favourite has to be from UoW when the ship, ship avatar and a drone are all trying to stop Diziet Sma finding out that they've actually lost Zakalwe and their destination is just a general volume of space.

 

[MrBF1V3]

I have a new addition/nomination for you:

http://www.abyssandapex.com/200710-wikihistory.html

Funny, some of the characters sound familiar... are there on-line archetypes?

B5

 

[JunkMonkey]

Bill The Galactic Hero (the first one, not the later sad potboilers) - the moment where our hero discovers that he can shake hands with himself.

 

[Mice9]

Bill The Galactic Hero (the first one, not the later sad potboilers) - the moment where our hero discovers that he can shake hands with himself.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with "Bill The Galactic Hero". Who is the author?

- 9.

 

[Perry Rhodan]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with "Bill The Galactic Hero". Who is the author?

- 9.

Wow. Google is your friend. That's a Harry Harrison book, same guy who did Stainless Steel Rat.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with "Bill The Galactic Hero". Who is the author?

- 9.

Mice, Seriously. Read it, it's a hoot. Don't bother with any of the Bill The Galactic Hero Meets the Dubious Co-Writers After a Fast Buck sequels. Harrison's Star Smashers of The Galaxy Rangers is pretty recommendably funny as well.

Though (and I know I am going to make at least one instant enemy here) I have just been reminded that the SF books that have made me laugh most in the last couple of years were the first couple of Perry Rhodans
Enterprise Stardust & The Radiant Dome. A goldmine of bad writing. Chock full of sentences like "A sarcastic smile dangled from his lips." and "Perry drew up his eyebrows."
OK, I'm a masochist but the sheer joy of the combination of bad writing overlaid with a thick treacling of bad translation is so delicious. Any half competent writer could tell this sort of story with their eyes shut but it takes extraordinary intellectual and creative power to come up with stuff like:

Her spaceship is unable to start. Her degenerate crew is unable to repair the damage.They simply neglected to take along the spare parts because of criminal frivolity.

or:

Klein was observing Mercant while he spoke to the assembly. There was no hint in Mercant's eyes of what was going on behind his forehead. And yet it seemed to Klein he could sense a challenging irony hidden in the LLA Chief's words.

It's genius stuff. It would be dead pure criminal frivolity to ignore it.