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Forum URL: http://www.eyrie-productions.com/Forum/dcboard.cgi
Forum Name: Our Witches at War/Gallian Gothic
Topic ID: 82
Message ID: 45
#45, RE: Lack of artistic talent leads to boggle...
Posted by StClair on Sep-28-20 at 01:36 AM
In response to message #34
LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-20 AT 02:07 AM (EDT)
 
One of the protagonists (literally, Hiro Protagonist) of Stephenson's Snow Crash carries a katana in the real world for rather similar reasons. A lot of people just didn't have the proper respect for his previous Noisy-Cricket-ish sidearm. But swords, they understand.

Similarly, I've discussed with a friend the utility of carrying something that "looks like a gun" (in a culture/tech level that has them), even if the actual killing will (or can be) performed by the widget floating above your shoulder, or the orbital cannon slaved to your cyber-eye or brain implant, or what have you.

EDIT: ... and they've just informed me that on their side, this goes back to a line in one of Charles Stross' Laundry Files series, about how the weapons (very visibly) wielded by the Deep Ones in that setting are the equivalent, for our benefit, of a bayonet on an AK to a primitive -- someone who lacks the context to grasp the threat posed by an automatic rifle will still understand "sharp pointy stick".

Same concept, different expressions.