The Star Wars account of carbonite suggests that the substance was used before the invention of the hyperdrive, with early spacers (a slang term for someone who spent a large part of their life in space) using carbonite to endure long journeys. But the technique had brutal side effects, known as hibernation sickness. Little wonder that bounty hunter Boba Fett was worried Han Solo would be iced for good when encased in carbonite. The freezing process might “ice” his prize in the mafia sense of the word, as well as the literal one.
