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
"[Science fiction is] anything that turns you and your social context, the social you, inside out."
- Gregory Benford
 |
| Dead Spot | ||
| A small planet in space has unusual properties. |
| ...the rockets sent trembling
vibrations through the ship. Instruments showed an exhaust velocity that should have sent the craft scudding outward into the spaceways. But Procrustes, behind them now, grew no
smaller and the dim, pin-point of the
.. sun far ahead grew no brighter.
"Something's the matter with the mixture—we're getting no acceleration!" exclaimed Lucas. "I suppose we'd better land on this thing—asteroid or whatever it is—and make some repairs." Layden shook his head as the craft once more was wheeled about. Again the rocket motors sent volcanic blasts into the ether—this time with the ship's nose pointed toward Procrustes. But the planet grew no nearer. "We're stuck!" exclaimed Jim Vorhees, the second pilot. "Something's holding us here!" Lucas glanced at Layden, who nodded. "I nearly got stuck here once before," said Layden. "I've named this planet Procrustes, the dead spot in the universe, where no laws seem to be in force!" |
| Technovelgy from Interplanetary Graveyard,
by R.R. Winterbotham. Published by Amazing Stories in 1939 Additional resources -
|
How does it work? It's complicated...
"There's a funny thing about this world. Magnetic conditions in the vicinity of the planet operate along the same lines as the Fitzgerald contraction, only, of course, it's quite different.
"The nearer we get to the planet, the closer the atoms in our bodies are packed. As a result we get smaller, but we don't realize it. We only know that the relative distance to the planet remains the same. No matter how close we go to the planet, we'd still be just as
far away, because the nearer we get, the smaller we become. Our ship, our
rocket fuel, our instruments, everything
decreases in the same proportion.
The interplanetary graveyard idea is also known by another name - the Sargasso of Space. Compare to the sargasso asteroid from The Stars My Destination (1956) by Alfred Bester.
You see, we're stuck in spacial mud—so to speak—and it'll hold us tighter than any terrestrial mud you've ever seen, because of a peculiar magnetic phenomenon that is inherent to Procrustes..."
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Interplanetary Graveyard
More Ideas
and Technology by R.R. Winterbotham
Tech news articles related to Interplanetary Graveyard
Tech news articles related to works by R.R. Winterbotham
| SETI Suggests Prospecting The Solar System Without Landing |
| Cislunar Space And The Space Lanes of Golden Age Science Fiction |
| NASA Moonbase Update |
| The Solar Oberth Slingshot |
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> |
|
|
|
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
'Space-sickness is one of the most unpleasant sensations that a human being can experience. Not all are subject to it...'
'...I saw a nice black heavy-looking cloud sailing by just now, and I can get the electrical machine out in five minutes to draw it down.'
'From a distance it could resolve the cosmic rays reflected from various substances.'
'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
