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 started writing in the 1930's when I was eighteen years old. And deep inside me I'm still eighteen and it's still 1938."
- Isaac Asimov

Robot Fish (Metal Fish)  
  Fake flounders for sport fishermen on Martian canals.  

Earliest use of the idea of a "robot fish", as far as I know.

Deveet’s line tightened. He pulled in a streamlined, flapping object from which the light glistened wetly.

“Good catch,” complimented Jonner. “That’s worth a full credit.”

Deveet unhooked his catch and laid it on the bank beside him. It was a metal fish: live fish were unknown on Mars. They paid for the privilege of fishing for a certain time and any fish caught were “sold” back to the management at a fixed price, depending on size, to be put back into the lake.

“You’re pretty good at it,” said Jonner. “That’s your third tonight.”

“It’s all in the speed at which you reel in your line,” explained Deveet. “The fish move at pre-set speeds. They’re made to turn and catch a hook that moves across their path at a slightly slower speed than they’re swimming. The management changes the speeds once a week to keep the fishermen from getting too expert.”

Technovelgy from Atom Drive, by Charles Fontenay.
Published by If in 1956
Additional resources -

Compare to the robofish from Slow Life by Michael Swanwick.

At Kokomo Joe’s a 1989 story by Brooke Stauffer, contains the actual phrase:

The waves was twinklin’ in the sunshine and there was flyin’ fish around the bow thick as crickets. Once one of ’em jumped too high and landed on deck. I went to throw it back but then I seen it was busted open an’ there was wires and things sticking out of the hole. A robot fish, who’d of thought it? But there was real ones too!

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

Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Atom Drive
  More Ideas and Technology by Charles Fontenay
  Tech news articles related to Atom Drive
  Tech news articles related to works by Charles Fontenay

Robot Fish (Metal Fish)-related news articles:
  - Ultra-Realistic Robotic Arowana Robo-Fish

Articles related to Robotics
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself

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

AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'

Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'

Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'

Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'

Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'

'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...'

Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'

A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'

Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'

Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'

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.