Non-Stop

Non-Stop is a classic 1958 science fiction novel by Brian Aldiss. The main character, Roy Complain, is a hunter in a primitive jungle tribe. He joins the priest Henry Marapper and others on a quest to travel to the end of their world, which Complain has trouble believing is really a ship in emptiness like Marapper says. Marapper has found a map of the ship and is trying to find the control room.

The book subverts reader expectations, providing many surprises even - in some cases even especially - to fans of the genre


 * After the End
 * Air Vent Passageway:
 * Alien Kudzu: The "ponics" that fill the ship corridors are mutated plants that grow and spread extremely fast. They may also be intelligent, but it's not like anyone can talk with them.
 * All Hail the Great God Mickey: The local religion is centered around very misunderstood psychoanalytic concepts. Subconsciousness is the devil figure. and so on. Subverted though, as
 * Always Save the Girl: Notably averted.
 * Apocalyptic Log: The old captain's diary.
 * Artificial Gravity: Can be best seen by its absence in the places where the gravity-generating machinery has broken down.
 * Benevolent Precursors: You have to admit that the ship was built impressively well. It was also a nice thing to destroy all the more destructive weapons onboard before everything completely fell apart.
 * Frickin' Laser Beams: The scars of old battles are still visible in certain places.
 * Generation Ship: The entire story takes place on one.
 * Human Subspecies: Caused by an alien amino acid.
 * Heroic Lineage: Gregg Complain finds a document that shows that he is descended from the ship's ancient captain, Gregory Complain.
 * Lost Technology: Everywhere. The ceiling lights and the doors that are opened by keycards are prominent examples.
 * Low Culture, High Tech: Lost technology is everywhere, but Greene Tribe is culturally about early neolithic. The Forwarders have more social structure and are fully settled farmers.
 * Mutants: The ship is full of them.
 * Naming Your Colony World: New Earth, the planet the ship was sent to colonize.
 * Never Recycle a Building: Unlooted rooms still exist after all this time, in large part due to the low population.
 * The Plague: In the backstory.
 * Ragnarok Proofing: The ship was made to last. Partially subverted though, as
 * Self-Destruct Mechanism: Kind of.
 * Shoot Out the Lock: An ignorant character tries to do this with an air lock.
 * Stun Gun: The dazers. They can also be set to kill.
 * Swarm of Rats:
 * Telepathy:
 * Swarm of Rats:
 * Telepathy: