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"SF looks towards an imaginary future, while fantasy, by and large, looks towards an imaginary past."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| Geodynes | ||
| Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself. |
This is not a faster-than-light technology; the spacecraft are described as moving around in the solar system.
| The Invincible was now driving outward from the sun, away from yellow-red Mars and the greenish fleck of Phobos. Her humming geodynes - electromagnetic geodesic deflectors, in the language of the engineers - acted to deflect every atom of ship, load, and crew very slightly from the coordinates of the familiar continuum of the four dimensions, so the the vessel was driven around space-time, rather than through it, by a direct reaction against the warp of space itself. |
| Technovelgy from The Cometeers,
by Jack Williamson. Published by Street and Smith in 1936 Additional resources -
|
This early discussion of a spacecraft propulsion system has me wondering. When we talk about a "space warp" I've always thought that referred to "warp" in the sense of bending or twisting to a new shape.
However, I'm now curious if it started as a reference that builds on the "fabric of space" metaphor. In this context, the "warp of space" refers to the structure of space; in fabric-maker lingo, the "warp" of a fabric is a set of threads that run lengthwise. The "woof" (or sometimes "weft") of a fabric is the set of threads that run crosswise to the warp.
I don't need to ask about the "woof" of space-time; that, of course, belongs to Chewbacca ;)
Compare to these propulsion systems: Light Pressure Propulsion (1867),
apergy (1880),
Beam-Powered Propulsion (1931), geodesic inflexors from Star of Dreams (1931) by Jack Williamson,
Granton motor (1933),
Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (1928),
geodynes (1936),
ion drive (1947),
Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (1934),
stardrive (1953),
solar sail (light sail) (1962),
Lyle drive (1961),
laser cannon (1966),
Bussard ramjet (1976),
asymptotic drive (1976),
Interstellar Laser Propulsion System (1985).
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and Technology from The Cometeers
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Tech news articles related to works by Jack Williamson
| Beautiful Visualization of Dawn Spacecraft |
| Tumblin' Tumbleweed Rovers To Eplore Mars |
| Tentacled Robot Captures Space Debris |
| Reflect Orbital Sunlight On Demand |
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'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
'Then he became aware of a gentle pressure pushing him away from the ship.'
'And now they wre busily transforming all their companions, and so on, and so on...'
'Why, a clockwork dancer, or, better still, one that would go by electricity and never run down...'
'Maybe the individual intelligence of each Cubic pools into a group intelligence...'
'Looks like she has bought the Avatar Construction Set and put together her own...'
'Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of midday.'
