Technology in TWBU

That Which Binds Us (TWBU) is set in the near future so there had to be some cool technology. That being said, there also couldn’t be too advanced technology, otherwise, what would be the point of superstrength? Below are a handful of the things I came up!

Tensegrity suit

So, this is perhaps my favorite piece of technology in the book. So much so that I made an entire post about it! Check it out here!

Ferrofluid – ferroscope

Ferrofluid. So this is actually a real thing. From my understanding, its when a fluid (often oil) has magnetized iron saturated in it. The system is then closed in a container. Magnetic poles can then act on the ferrofluid to create awesome and mysterious effects. It is used in some space-age technology, such as high-powered telescopes.

That application was the obvious inspiration for the ferroscope in my book. The ferroscope, which looks like metal chopsticks joined by a hinge, has a thin membrane between the poles. This membrane, filled with ferrofluid, then acts as a magnifier – a telescope or magnifying glass depending on the magnification.

Likewise, the goggles all the students use are the exact same thing. The standout is Devi’s goggles which basically has a whole range of effects including magnification, infrared, night vision, and polarization. If these goggles existed, I spend any amount of money to have them, for real…

Ferrostep

This is the evolution of dubstep music. In the book, its basically just a merging of dubstep and glitch hop. I’d like to think that magnetism and ferrofluid have somehow been incorporated to add cool sound effects distinctive to ferrostep.

If you’ve read TWBU and want to enjoy the book again, subscribe to my newsletter! I’ve made a playlist of “ferrostep” (again, mostly just glitch hop) to accompany every single chapter! You can listen to the playlist and read the scene prompt – your imagination will fill in the rest!

Eviola

Aha! Another piece of technology that I really enjoyed creating. How does the eviola work? Well, actually, it originates from The Shadow Spinner!

There, Lightning magic wielders send electricity through their fingers to cause the strings to vibrate and produce sound. I’ve written an entire post about this here.

So how does the eviola work in TWBU? Um, super-advanced technology, yes, yes, that makes sense. Ok, basically, magic.

Thrusters

To me, these are actually more interesting as a plot device than as actual technology. They appear in many of the pivotal scenes of the book, but are basically just taken for granted. During the fire at Mei’s high school, the rescuer uses them. Flying with Ghary to Myer’s for the first time. The professors flying over to help them.

What are thrusters? They attach to the arms and provide a huge amount of… thrust. How you ask? Um, also magic? Or magnetism because that’s basically how I explain all the technology in this book. Hear me, people. Magnets are the currency of the future. All those crappy alphabet letters and advertisements on your fridge? Put ’em under your mattress and you’ll be sleeping on a gold mine!

Anyway, thrusters provide enough upward force to lift a human off the ground. Its a colossal amount of force which is why only people with both arm lines (bilateral upper extremities – BUEs) can properly control them.

If you really like the idea of thrusters and were disappointed they never got to use them, you’re in luck! The first year they were just a bunch of guppies. Trying to get strong, doing basic training. The second year (next book!) is where they start specializing. For Devi and Mei, who both have BUEs, that means thrusters. Pretty cool, right? Too bad Devi’s afraid of heights (alluded to in the first book, hinted at in Chapter 20: Steeping) and Mei doesn’t have the center line…