The Sword and Laser discussion
Coolest Sci-Fi Weapons

Oh - death ray eyes are cool. :)


(Bat'leths are cool, too)



And speaking of glowing swords, I'd say this is a suitable place to mention the difference between space opera and fantasy is thinner than the laser beam shot from a blaster.

Oh, yes. Harmless is just the word: that's why I like it! Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do: it is very good at opening doors! -The 10th

Back in 1991 Rob Leifield brought out X-Force, a spin off of The Uncanny X-Men. O loved the look of Cable's Rifles. But my ultimate all time favorite weapons has to be the M56 Smart Gun ( http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/M56_smart_gun ) that Vasquez and Drake use in the movie Aliens, and the M41A Pulse Rifle ( http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/M41A_Pulse_... ) the the reast of the team, including ripley uses in the same film.

The infant esper that can destroy entire star systems with a thought, from the Deathstaker series.
For style and "cool" factor Mal's side arm from Firefly.


I agree, and since OP cited light sabers as a scifi weapon, I get to cite any computer in Charles Stross' Laundry universe, but I guess specifically Bob's Jesus Phone. You can write some software and summon a hideous monster, open a portal to the moon, etc. As a software dev, I find that sort of universe appealing.
as far as more conventional weapons... the monofilament whip from Shadowrun. Heh this fictional weapon gets it's own wikipedia page.

Nothing so specific; I just meant what weapon you liked that had a cool concept behind it, not just what is the most destructive weapon.
Louie wrote: "I concur with Stan... Sonic Screwdriver."
Thirded. And I'll throw a TARDIS into the mix, if we're opening it up to those sorts of things! Kind of hard to beat time travel or the ability to retrieve anything in time or space for use. But that might just be the whole "wishing for more wishes" thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqJVv3...

Yeah, that's right. I want to kick butt with a glowing frisbee.

Yeah, that's right. I want to kick butt with a glowing frisbee."
From the first and only tron (IMO), or the second.

(Bat'leths are cool, too)"
I agree. What about the portal gun? Would you consider that "sci-fi"? You can shoot a blast on the floor, and then one on the moon and send something hurdling. You could literally destroy the world with it.

Yeah, that's right. I want to kick butt with a glowing frisbee."
No, that is a cool weapon. You're not wrong. But I think the bikes themselves are more practical and dispatching foes.


The lightsaber is a given. I mean, there really is nothing cooler.

Let's see you deflect that !

Let's see you deflect that !"
I agree. Even an expert swordsman (and the lightsaber is essentially a fancy sword) would be hard pressed to deflect a gunshot from a simple revolver.
No doubt, lightsabers look cool, but in the real world they're useless. And unless you're an expert at sword-play, you'd be as likely to cut your own arm off as anyone elses.


Yeah, the first one. It seemed like the path those took when thrown could be controled a little.


Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (or "Portal Gun") for the win. Or possibly a Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator (or "Gravity Gun")... that'd be cool too.

For those of you who haven't played the game, a little blurb from the Mass Effect Wiki:
Though a technically inaccurate label, this prototype weapon is nicknamed the "Nuke Launcher," and its high-explosive matrix generates an archetypical mushroom cloud on impact.

And it was coded in such a way that she was the only one who could release it into a knife. It's like those slap bracelets or whatever those kids these days call them.
Maybe this doesn't qualify as a weapon, but I could use it to store all my guns, books, stuffed animals, whatever, but I loved the dimensional space that Ultraviolet used to pick whatever weapon she thought was right for the task (not to mention her neat ability to change her hair color/appearance with nothing less than a thought).
A Brain Pal, hair nanites (see Andromeda TV series for examples of this as well), extra-dimensional storage, and that slap bracelet knife and I'd be set.

Also, I'm a big fan of the Sword of Omens. The coolness of a sword that grows and shoots energy cannot be overstated.
Also, while the Sonic Screwdriver is cool, it is only a weapon in the broadest sense of the word.

From Wiki...
A Lazy Gun is roughly half a metre long, 30 cm wide and 20 cm tall. The Lazy Gun is "light but massy", and weighs three times as much when turned upside down. The Lazy Gun is the only weapon known to display a sense of humour.
When the Lazy Gun is fired at humans, many different things may occur. An anchor may appear above the person, giant electrodes may appear on either side of the target and electrocute them, or an animal may tear their throat out. Larger targets such as tanks or ships may suffer tidal waves, implosion, explosion, sudden lava flows or just disappear. When fired at cities and other such targets, thermonuclear explosions are the norm, although in one instance a comet crashed into the city.

Ayesha wrote: "I've always like Wolfwood's cross/gun."
Ooh, brining in anime. Along those lines, I love Vash's gun. It's pretty badass too. Or the guns from Gungrave.
Does a Gundam count as a weapon? Cuz I'd take one of those..
Ooh, brining in anime. Along those lines, I love Vash's gun. It's pretty badass too. Or the guns from Gungrave.
Does a Gundam count as a weapon? Cuz I'd take one of those..

I'm not trying to be an ass, just looking for some clarification.

Ooh, brining in anime. Along those lines, I love Vash's gun. It's pretty badass too. Or the guns from Gungrave.
Does a Gundam count as a we..."
but vash can use the gun because he's not human

I believe it may be considered a sci-fi weapon since it requires some science to make it usable for fighting

Oh okay, I didn't remember that. Makes sense then.


I don't see why not.
If it's not too far out of your way, can you pick me up some automail?

I thought of another one, but less cool than a towel (maybe when it's in the wash?)
Most of the swords from Fred saberhagen would be awesome especially shieldbreaker
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Stross (other topics)Iain M. Banks (other topics)
I think probably one of the most famous is the lightsaber ala Star Wars, with a nice mix of the old and the new. Another favorite o mine is the Ultimate Nullifier from Fantastic Four, both the original that scared off Galactus and the Ultimate Comics version that destroys an infant universe every time it is used!