Favorite weapons in SFF

Here’s an interesting “Mind Meld” post at SF Signal: What are your favorite weapons in fantasy and science fiction?

Various writers and readers respond to that question, including Helen Lowe, ML Brennen, Courtney Schafer, Aliette De Bodard, Martha Wells, and a bunch of others.

Let me see, let me see . . . all right, I agree with Summer Brooks about the spetsdöd, from Steve Perry’s Matadors trilogy. Those are cool little dart-shooters that are mounted on the back of your hand. I liked them a lot in that series. Also, the word “spetsdöd” is cool.

Helen Lowe likes unconventional weapons, it seems. She doesn’t recall any magic swords, but does mention Morgan’s harp in the Riddlemaster trilogy. You remember sounding the low string would shatter weapons, right? Yeah, that’s pretty cool. She also mentions “…the gauntlet that the smith, Elof, creates in Michael Scott Rohan’s The Anvil of Ice, although in this case it was intended as a weapon from the outset. Crafted from steel and magic, the gauntlet can grasp any force sent against its wearer, gather it – and send it back.” That caught my eye because I have that book in my sample folder.

Loren Rhoads mentions the Presgar gun in Anne Leckie’s Ancillary trilogy. That’s a great choice! I am figuratively jumping up and down exclaiming “Me, too!”

For me, hmm. Other than the above . . .

I never really cared for most of Jack Vance’s books, but I liked the Lyonesse trilogy — and the magic sword. What was it called? Dassenach or something like that, I think.

And from Cherryh, Morgaine’s sword Changeling. That is one scary sword.

I have just been re-reading bits of MWT’s Attolia books, so I will add: Gen’s hook. For him, that is a pretty potent weapon.

How about you all? Got a particular favorite weapon in mind?