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"Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together."
- Ray Bradbury
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| Pilot Beam | ||
| A signalling device that space craft in orbit descending to Earth could home in on and land. |
Very early description of this useful idea.
| “Anything else before we clear?”
asked Lazarus. “Oh, yes — Zack,
we’d better arrange a place for me
to ground, or. I may shorten a lot of
lives with my blast.”
“That’s true. I’ve planned on it. Make your approach from the south. I’ll have your berth marked in the usual fashion.” “Better give him a pilot beam to come in on, too,” Ford warned. “Why?” asked Lazarus. “I don’t need one. I could set her down on the top of the Washington Monu- ment.” “Not tomorrow night you couldn’t. Don’t be surprised at the weather.” |
| Technovelgy from Methuselah's Children,
by Murray Leinster. Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Here's the landing sequence:
He wheedled her in, cut his last
jet as she scraped, and slapped a se-
ries of levers; the great cargo ports
rumbled open, and the rain beat in.
Compare to the space-beacon from Exploration Team, the 1956 story by Murray Leinster.
The thought was cut short by an
urgent signal from his board; he had
picked up Barstow’s pilot beam.
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'...Anything was possible in my imaginary environment.'
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair...'
'We had discovered that metal was relatively impervious to the telepathic effect.'
'Detailed plans for the construction of the Gundstetter-Halone warp drive were flowing.'
'Do not waste your priceless company on the unappreciative folds of a sleep pod...'
'...so we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
'Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.'
