Sail 25 (Gateway to Strangeness) by Jack Vance:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

“Henry Belt seemed a man of a different species. His face was broad, flat, roped with cartilage and muscle, with skin the color and texture of bacon rind. Coarse white grizzle covered his scalp, his eyes were crafty slits, his nose a misshapen lump. His shoulders were massive, his legs short and gnarled.”

“He leaned back in his chair, surveyed the silent group. “You’ve heard stories about me. Why haven’t they kicked me out of the service? Incorrigible, arrogant, dangerous Henry Belt. Drunken Henry Belt.”

“The voyages average about two years long: how can a man stand it? There’s only one who could: Henry Belt. I’ve got more space-time than any man alive, and now I’ll tell you a secret: this is my last time out. I’m starting to wake up at night to strange visions.”


('Gateway to Strangeness (Sail 25)' by Jack Vance)

Select an invention:

Solar Sail (Light Sail) - propulsion for spacecraft
A form of propulsion for spacecraft; a sheet of lightweight material reflects light from the sun or other light source.

 

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
Find
new authors and technologies - Shop for yourself, your library and your lab.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction
in the News

Meta's Horizon Studio's Unique Avatars From Text Prompts
re: Neal Stephenson
(6/22/2026)

VaMEx Biomimetic Mars Robot Inspired By Skink
re: Philip K. Dick
(6/21/2026)

NEO Brain Computer Interface (BCI)
re: Iain M. Banks
(6/19/2026)

Did Frank Herbert Predict E-Ink Displays?
re: Frank Herbert
(6/17/2026)

Monolith One Giant Industrial Metal 3D-printer
re: Philip K. Dick
(6/15/2026)

'Mooncrete' Lunar Regolith Concrete (LRC)
re: William Gibson
(6/13/2026)

China's 'Magpie Drone' Ornithopter
re: Greg Bear
(6/11/2026)

MAI-Voice-2 Microsoft Text-To-Speech
re: Nat Schachner
(6/9/2026)

Tumblin' Tumbleweed Rovers To Eplore Mars
re: Clifford Simak
(6/5/2026)

Tentacled Robot Captures Space Debris
re: Makoto Yukimura
(6/3/2026)

Prufrock-MB2 Ready In Nashville
re: Paul Ernst
(6/1/2026)

DIY Robotic Content Farming
re: Schachner and Zagat
(5/29/2026)

Reflect Orbital Sunlight On Demand
re: Theodore Sturgeon
(5/27/2026)

The Amazing Lightfoot Electric Scooter With Solar Assist
re: Robert Heinlein
(5/25/2026)

More SF in the News

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.