50 Absurdly Weird Jobs in Science Fiction You Never Knew Existed

In Connie Willis's novel "Doomsday Book," "Time-Traveling Historians" are individuals who use advanced technology to travel back in time and study various historical periods. These historians use time travel to study historical events firsthand, but things go awry when they inadvertently end up in the middle of the Black Plague. In the story, the protagonist, Kivrin, is a time-traveling historian who is sent to the medieval era.

In Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" "Mood Organ Designers" refer to individuals responsible for creating and engineering devices known as "Mood Organs." These devices allow users to manipulate their emotions and mental states at will. In the novel's dystopian future, humanity struggles with the psychological toll of living on a decaying Earth, and mood organs provide a way for individuals to manage their emotions in the face of a challenging environment.

In Robert Heinlein's novel "Friday," "Transmatter Mailmen" are individuals who utilize advanced technology known as "transmat" to instantly teleport from one location to another. These specialized mailmen are tasked with the rapid and efficient delivery of physical mail across vast distances by utilizing transmat portals.

In Neal Stephenson's novel "The Diamond Age," "Matter Compiler Operators" are individuals who operate and manage advanced nanotechnological devices known as "matter compilers." These devices have the ability to assemble and create physical objects at the atomic level, effectively enabling the transformation of raw materials into complex structures and items. Matter Compiler Operators play a pivotal role in the futuristic society of the novel by facilitating the creation of a wide range of products and goods.

In Dan Simmons's "Hyperion Cantos" series, "Farcasters" are a central element of the universe's technological infrastructure. Farcasters create portals that allow individuals and goods to be transmitted from one farcaster terminal to another terminal across the universe. The concept of Farcasters shapes the universe's geography and society, as they influence trade, communication, and the movement of people throughout the interconnected worlds.

In Gene Wolfe's science fiction and fantasy series "The Book of the New Sun," the term "Memorious" is used to describe individuals with exceptional memory and mental abilities. These individuals possess an extraordinary capacity to remember and recall even the minute details of their lives and experiences. Severian, the protagonist and narrator of the series, is one such person with perfect recall.

In Paolo Bacigalupi's novel "The Windup Girl," "Calorie Men" are individuals who work for powerful biotechnology corporations in a future world where biogenetically engineered food sources are tightly controlled. These corporate enforcers protect the interests of their employers by ensuring that genetically modified crops and seeds, crucial for survival in a world with dwindling resources, remain under strict control.

In Wesley Chu's novel "Time Salvager," "Time Salvagers" are operatives who travel through time to recover valuable resources and artifacts from different historical periods. These salvagers work for powerful corporations in a dystopian future where Earth's resources are depleted and humanity's survival hinges on retrieving materials from the past. The concept of Time Salvagers adds a unique twist to time travel narratives, exploring the ethical complexities of altering history for the sake of the future.

In Alastair Reynolds's "Revelation Space" series, "Pattern Jugglers" are enigmatic alien organisms that inhabit the oceans of various planets. These organisms have the unique ability to absorb and store memories and consciousness from other life forms. Individuals who immerse themselves in the oceans inhabited by Pattern Jugglers experience a form of collective consciousness, merging their thoughts and memories with the vast network of the organisms.

In William Gibson's "Neuromancer," "Razorgirls" are skilled mercenaries with cybernetic enhancements who navigate the dangerous intersections of hacking and combat in a futuristic world. These fierce operatives blend their technical expertise with combat prowess, making them sought after by shadowy employers and corporate entities alike. Their augmented bodies and mastery of technology enable them to traverse both the virtual and physical realms, embodying the gritty cyberpunk essence of the novel's setting.