Science Fiction Dictionary
A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Latest By
Category:


Armor
Artificial Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work

"I am not a speed reader. I am a speed understander."
- Isaac Asimov

Atoplane  
  An airplane powered by nuclear energy, capable of tremendous speed and distance.  

The atoplanes were capable of indefinite flight, and the swiftest of them could go two thousand miles an hour. Gargantuan atolincrs made daily roundtrips from both Europe and America. Ships had practically vanished from the seas, and railroads from the land. Atomobiles, Speeding along hard-surfaced roads that radiated everywhere, transported passengers and some of the lighter freight. Most of the passenger travel, however, was in small, privately owned atoplanes which had a speed of about five hundred miles an hour. Every city had its atofield, and many of the older houses and nearly all of the office and industrial buildings had been covered with flat-topped structures affording landing stages, while all of the new buildings were being constructed on this plan. Elevators, opening on the roofs, provided descent into the structures. Equipped with super-helicopters, the machines needed only their own displacement in which to land or rise. Atoheat supplied warmth in all buildings, while all but the smaller dwellings used atolight for illumination.


The principal metamorphosis caused by the development of the atoplane had to do with the redistribution of population in nearly all countries. The population of the large cities had decreased in keeping with the growth of suburban life, while new communities had sprung up like mushrooms, especially on the sides of mountains, the residents flying to and from the cities which were still the centers of industry, education, science, art and amusement.

From The Moon of Doom, by Earl L. Bell.
Published by Amazing Stories Quarterly in 1928
Additional resources -

Because of the disaster enfolding both planets, it was possible to pilot atoplanes directly to the Moon!


Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |

Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from The Moon of Doom
  More Ideas and Technology by Earl L. Bell
  Tech news articles related to The Moon of Doom
  Tech news articles related to works by Earl L. Bell

Atoplane-related news articles:
  - Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Like Thunderbirds' Fireflash?

Articles related to Vehicle
CAVForth Autonomous Bus Of Scotland
Seoul Self-Driving 42dot Bus Unveiled
Electric Jet Boats From Enevate and Sealence Collab
Alcohol-Sensing Cars - NTSB Catches Up With Philip K. Dick (1963)

Want to Contribute an Item? It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add it here.

<Previous
Next>

Google
  Web TechNovelgy.com   

 

 

Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's   1950's
1960's   1970's
1980's   1990's
2000's   2010's

Science Fiction in the News

Japan's LignoSat Space Wood Satellite And Dan Simmons' Treeship
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'

Skyline Robotics Instantiates Heinlein's 'Window Willie' Skyscraper Robot
'Do you know what window washing used to cost by the hour?'

Drone Bombings In Moscow Foreseen 100 Years Ago
'Once the target is confirmed, it uses an IR laser to send a coded signal back to the parent, clearing it to attack.'

I Didn't Know You Can Already Buy Flesh Putty
'I filled your bullet hole with flesh putty and the lattice.'

'A Sign in Space' Gives Practice In Decoding ET Messages
'... it will be easy to form an alphabet which shall enable us to converse with the inhabitants of the moon.'

Melting Permafrost Endangers Infrastructure
'From the tower's huge octagonal base radiate wide silvery strips...'

EELS Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor For Enceladus
'It was about five feet long... a black bullet head and red camera eyes.'

Lazy Lawyer's Trust In ChatGPT Misplaced
'The Law Society has strict rules on the use of pseudo-intelligent software...'

Paradromics Implant FDA 'Breakthrough Device'
'I used my implant to tell MILLIE what we wanted...'

Mice, At Least, Can Sober Up Quickly
'Then draw some aldodote-vitamin pills from the medic.'

More SF in the News

More Beyond Technovelgy

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

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.