Aliens Never Invented the Wheel: Difference between revisions

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* In ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', Arthur Dent can never seem to find a cup of tea. At one point, a computer is so stumped by the concept of tea that it effectively shuts down.

** And then there's the alien race mentioned which invented the deodorant spray before the wheel, so at least for some time, they'd fit this trope. In their case, it's [[Rule of Funny|amusingly]] justified, since they're a species with ''fifty freaking arms.''

* In ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' it is hinted that the tripod-using ~~Aliens~~ skipped the invention of the wheel. There's an odd variation on the trope regarding disease - it's described that their own hygienic procedures were so successful that they've effectively forgotten what pathogens ''are'', so have no defence against them.

* In [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The War of the Worlds (novel)|The War of the Worlds]]'' it is hinted that the tripod-using Martians skipped the invention of the wheel. There's an odd variation on the trope regarding disease - it's described that their own hygienic procedures were so successful that they've effectively forgotten what pathogens ''are'', so have no defence against them.

* In ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', the Lilliputians clearly know nothing about gunpowder or firearms, given their reaction to Gulliver's pistol. They are also confused by his snuffbox, pocket watch, jackknife, and shaving razor, although they do figure out what his comb and handkerchief are for.

* The [[Discworld]] books invert this with a few throwaway mentions of slood - something which is supposedly easier to discover than fire, and only slightly more difficult to discover than water.