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Quiz about The Dark Side of the Sun
Quiz about The Dark Side of the Sun

The Dark Side of the Sun Trivia Quiz


The "Dark Side of the Sun" is the name of at least two films and a BBC drama series. This quiz has no connection with any of those but is about the science-fiction book by Terry Pratchett.

A multiple-choice quiz by paper_aero. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
paper_aero
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
394,955
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
76
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The story starts and ends on the homeworld of Dom Sabalos which is in orbit about the purple star See-Why. What is the name of this planet? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The protagonist, Dom Sabalos, is due to become chairman of Sabalos industries. Sabalos industries is built on two lucky discoveries, one of which is pilac. Which of these best describes pilac? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. One of the driving factors in this story is the use of mathematics to predict the future. Which branch of maths is used here? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which of these is used to describe the role of the chairman of Sabalos Industries? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The main plot of the story is the hunt for the possible mythical race named Jokers. Which of the following is *not* an artefact left by the Jokers? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Dom Sabalos is expected (fated maybe) to find the Jokers' World, but the Jokers Institute want to prevent this. They use a robot assassin with an unusual attribute; what is this skill? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This being a Terry Pratchett novel, there is a character whose speech is written in CAPITALS. Which of these is this? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which law prevents a robot from being disassembled for following orders? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Three of these festivals are identified as being celebrated on Dom Sabalos's homeworld, and reappear with similar (or even identical) names on Discworld. Which of them is exclusive to Discworld? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the following races is defined as human under the Humanity Act? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The story starts and ends on the homeworld of Dom Sabalos which is in orbit about the purple star See-Why. What is the name of this planet?

Answer: Widdershins

See-Why is more formally called CY Aquirii, and is identified as having two orbiting planets, one of which is Widdershins.
The other options are all listed in the book; Terra Novea, or New Earth, is described as being "metal-rich and dynamically technological", Eggplant is a place where the vegetarians had to be ferocious due to the aggressive flora and Quaducquakucckuaquekekecqac is the homeworld of the cannibalistic Drosk.
2. The protagonist, Dom Sabalos, is due to become chairman of Sabalos industries. Sabalos industries is built on two lucky discoveries, one of which is pilac. Which of these best describes pilac?

Answer: Death-immunity drug

It is found in much the same way as a pearl, inside large bivalves known as dagons. Pilac is described as "one of the growing number of death-immunity drugs ...without many of the unfortunate drawbacks of the other twenty-six."
Dom's great-grandfather had discovered this by luck, his son was also lucky and in due course caused the discovery of a green slime substance which could regenerate lost limbs and bodies of living creatures.
3. One of the driving factors in this story is the use of mathematics to predict the future. Which branch of maths is used here?

Answer: Probability math

The correct answer is probably the least interesting option. Probability maths (abbreviated to p-maths) is "a set of nine equations which can be used to predict the future". The immediate problem is that our hero, Dom, is predicted to die at noon on the day after the story starts, not that he knows it.
Psychohistory is found in the Foundation books written by Isaac Asimov. The alternative options are both real studies in mathematics.
4. Which of these is used to describe the role of the chairman of Sabalos Industries?

Answer: The board needs a chairman like mathematics needs a zero

The full quote is, "The board needs a chairman like mathematics needs a zero, but being a zero had big disadvantages." It is a ceremonial role; the real power of Sabalos Industries lies with the managing director, who at the time of the novel is Dom's grandmother.
The quote starting "one word from the chairman" was used about the Chinese leader, Chairman Mao. The "six people in the universe" quote is a reference to Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. The remaining quote is just a general comment with no known history.
5. The main plot of the story is the hunt for the possible mythical race named Jokers. Which of the following is *not* an artefact left by the Jokers?

Answer: Disc shaped world

"The Dark Side of the Sun" was Terry Pratchett's first adult novel and it predates any of his Discworld novels. But his second science-fiction novel, "Strata", does include a disc-shaped world.
Of the other options the chain stars are of note, two stars shaped like doughnuts, and linked like a chain.
The artefacts left by the Jokers are all more than five million years old. But all known races in the galaxy are less than five million years old. All these races have also originated in a sphere 200 light years diameter, everywhere else appearing to be devoid of life.
6. Dom Sabalos is expected (fated maybe) to find the Jokers' World, but the Jokers Institute want to prevent this. They use a robot assassin with an unusual attribute; what is this skill?

Answer: Luck

The concept of luck as an attribute appears several times in this novel. Ways, the robot assassin, is programmed to be lucky. The Sabalos family appear destined to be lucky. Finally, the elusive Jokers built their new bodies with a genetic twist so that they are considered lucky.
7. This being a Terry Pratchett novel, there is a character whose speech is written in CAPITALS. Which of these is this?

Answer: First Sirian National Bank

Death, as a character does not appear in "The Dark Side of the Sun", the other three do. However the "First Sirian National Bank", a living planet is the one whose speech is rendered in capital letters. Somehow it seems apt that a living organism of such a size should be represented in this way.
8. Which law prevents a robot from being disassembled for following orders?

Answer: Eleventh law of robotics, clause C, as amended

The first, second and third laws of robotics occur in the works of Isaac Asimov and are as concise as Isaac Newton's laws of physics. Terry Pratchett, on the other hand, foresaw a set of rules constructed by politicians and bureaucrats.
9. Three of these festivals are identified as being celebrated on Dom Sabalos's homeworld, and reappear with similar (or even identical) names on Discworld. Which of them is exclusive to Discworld?

Answer: Samedi Nuit Mort

In "The Dark Side of the Sun" both Soul Cake Day and the Eve of Small Gods are festivals in the Sadhimist religion. Discworld also has Soul Cake Day and the Eve of Small Gods.
However, in "The Dark Side of the Sun" Soul Cake Day is referred to as Soul Cake Friday; in "Guards, Guards" this has become Soul Cake Thursday, whilst elsewhere in the Discworld novels it is referred to as Soul Cake Tuesday. It should also be noted that the eating of soul cakes is claimed to be the origin of the roundworld tradition of trick-or-treat at Halloween.
Hogswatch also appears in both "The Dark Side of the Sun" and Discworld but Samedi Nuit Mort is only found in the Discworld, in the book "Witches Abroad".
10. Which of the following races is defined as human under the Humanity Act?

Answer: Phnobes

Phnobes, along with Drosks and humans, are considered human, being bipedal and products of evolution in a temperate climate. Additionally, the First Sirian National Bank is considered human, but he is not a species.
Of the other species, Creapii are considered supra-human. Tarquins live in stars and Sun-Dogs are best described as a natural inter-stellar transportation service.
Source: Author paper_aero

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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