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"As a writer, I don't want to chew my cud. I don't want to have to spit out and regurgitate the same stuff again."
- Harlan Ellison
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| Force-Field | ||
| A barrier to objects, created by projected forces. |
The notion of a force-field is widely used in science fiction; this is the first reference I know about.
| They approached the aero fearlessly, appearing now as suits of red and white metal with crystal head-pieces above which protruded luminous green horns. As the little figures sped upward or came to rest, these correspondingly came together or diverged, showing that by interaction between them and a force field of some sort these individual flyers were propelled. Where hands would have been, on Earth, twin pivoted ray-tubes were fastened. |
| Technovelgy from A Subterranean Adventure,
by George Paul Bauer. Published by Wonder Stories in 1930 Additional resources -
|
John W. Campbell picked up on this idea in Islands of Space (1931):
Here's another very early reference, from 1931, by 'Doc Smith writing in Space Hounds of IPC:
Compare to other early ideas about projecting force, like attractive ray from Edmond Hamilton's 1928 novel Crashing Suns or the super-photon ray from Campbell's 1932 story Invaders from the Infinite.
Arcot had used the force field that produced the directed motions of the molecules as a weapon.
He first called Mars, the home planet of Alcantro and Fedanzo, the foremost force-field experts of three planets; and was assured in no uncertain terms that those rulers of rays were ready and anxious to follow wherever Brandon and Westfall might lead.
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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.'
