In Science Fiction
Faster-than-light travel is often used in science fiction to denote a wide variety of imaginary propulsion methods, though not necessarily based on the Alcubierre drive or any other physical theory.
The Star Trek television series used the term "warp drive" to describe their method of faster than light travel. The Alcubierre theory, or anything similar, did not exist when the series was conceived, but Alcubierre stated in an email to William Shatner that his theory was directly inspired by the term used in the show, and references it in his 1994 paper.
Some science-fiction works, particularly of the "hard" genre, have explicitly made use of the Alcubierre theory, such as Stephen Baxter's novel Ark.
The Alcubierre drive theory is proposed as a possible reason for events occurring in the graphic novel "Orbiter" by Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran.
The Ian Douglas "Star Carrier" series exclusively uses the Alcubierre drive as the main mode of interstellar travel.
In M. John Harrison's novel Light, the character Ed Chianese, while trying to get a job with the Circus of Pathet Lao, claims that he "rode navigator on Alcubierre ships."
Read more about this topic: Alcubierre Drive
Famous quotes containing the words science fiction, science and/or fiction:
“What a phenomenon it has been—science fiction, space fiction—exploding out of nowhere, unexpectedly of course, as always happens when the human mind is being forced to expand; this time starwards, galaxy-wise, and who knows where next.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)
““You are bothered, I suppose, by the idea that you can’t possibly believe in miracles and mysteries, and therefore can’t make a good wife for Hazard. You might just as well make yourself unhappy by doubting whether you would make a good wife to me because you can’t believe the first axiom in Euclid. There is no science which does not begin by requiring you to believe the incredible.””
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“Space or science fiction has become a dialect for our time.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)