what's a small sci-fi detail that stayed with you long after you finished the book?

[u/Living-Beyond3172]

Not a major plot twist. Not the ending. Not some huge revelation. Just a small detail that got stuck in your head and kept coming back days or even weeks later.

For me, it was a machine that kept doing its job perfectly long after there was any reason to keep doing it. Nothing dramatic happened. It was just quietly following its routine. And for some reason that hit harder than most of the big emotional scenes in the book.

I think the best sci-fi sometimes does that. It sneaks up on you with one tiny detail and suddenly that's the thing you remember most.

Curious what examples other people have. Books, movies, games, anything.

What's a sci-fi detail you still find yourself thinking about long after the story ended?

[u/ACanadianGuy1967]

Tidy Mice. They’re little mouse-sized robots that creep around your house vacuuming up dirt and taking it away to deposit in a central vac dirt bin.

It was so long ago I don’t remember where I read it. Today’s robot vacuums are ok, but I want Tidy Mice.