“A sonic stunner was a surer bet than a hypothetical, undependable psi power. It was real, cold and hard in his hand.”

— Larry Niven

Source: A Gift From Earth (1968), Ch. 12 : The Slowboat
Context: He was sick of having to be afraid. It was a situation to drive a man right out of his skull. If he stopped being afraid, even for an instant, he could be killed! But now, at least for the moment, he could stop listening for footsteps, stop trying to look in all directions at once. A sonic stunner was a surer bet than a hypothetical, undependable psi power. It was real, cold and hard in his hand.

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Larry Niven138

American writer 1938

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