Science Fiction
Dictionary
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Timeline of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)

Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.

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1600-1899  1900-1929  1930's  1940's  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000+

Date Device Name (Novel Author)
1900 Aerocar (from The Abduction of Alexandra Seine by Fred C. Smale)
A personal flying vehicle.
1901 Translatophone (from My Translatophone by Frank Stockton)
A device that performs mechanical translation of one language into another.
1901 Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
A special suit and apparatus for survival on the surface of the Moon.
1901 Homeworld (Home-World) (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
One's planet of origin.
1901 Cavorite (from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells)
An antigravity metal; when it cools, whatever it covers will be impervious to gravitational forces.
1903 Absolute Black (from The Shadow and the Flash by Jack London)
A material which, when covering an object, will reflect no light whatsoever.
1903 Vandelite Gun (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
An artillery device that freezes the explosive material for firing so it doesn't explode in the gun when it fires.
1903 Death-Ray (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
A thin ray of electric light that melts flesh away from the bone.
1903 Joystick Controls w/Remote Display (from The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells)
A fire-by-wire remote-controlled weapon system.
1903 Aerial Navies (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
Use of vast numbers of air-ships (planes) to overwhelm land defenses.
1904 The Terror (from Master of the World by Jules Verne)
An amazing vehicle capable of attaining tremendous speeds - in many different ways.
1905 Glass Dome (from A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells)
Protective cover for cities.
1907 Neutral (Point) (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
The point at which the gravitational pull of the sun and that of a planet cancel each other out.
1907 Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
Network of communication in the solar system.
1907 Gravitation Screen (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
Shields a spacecraft from the gravity of a planetary body.
1907 Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum)
A mechanical man.
1907 Lifeboat (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew.
1908 Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
Material that negates weight.
1908 Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
Spacefraft fueled by radioactive materials.
1909 Video Communicator (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
A device that carried both voice and image, letting the two parties see each other.
1909 Machine Apartment (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
Each person lives isolated in their own room, supported by a vast planetary machine.
1909 Public Call (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
A form of communication in which a group of people would remain isolated, but through technology could see and hear each other.
1909 Breed Humans For Machines (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
Carefully cull the strong, resilient humans in favor of weakness, that the human race might be more adapted to life in the Machine.
1909 The Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
A single vast contrivance that supplied all the needs of the world's millions of solitary inhabitants.
1909 Telemedicine Apparatus (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
First reference to a device that allows physicians to examine or aid patients at a distance.
1909 Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
The first reference to a tablet-sized, handheld screen.
1909 Machine Music (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
Entertainment from the Great Machine.
1909 The Book of the Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
The only book needed for life in the vast Machine.
1910 Automaton Chessplayer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce)
The first chess-playing computer.
1911 Electric Rifle (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton)
A device that shoots an electrical charge.
1911 Artificial Cloth (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The creation of fabrics without organic natural fibers.
1911 Demagnitizing Ray (from The Lord of Labour by George Griffith)
A beam of radiation that makes even the strongest steel as brittle as chalk.
1911 Detectophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine.
1911 Aerocab (Aeroflyer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A electric flying taxi, or car.
1911 Sub-Atlantic Tube (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points.
1911 Telephot (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that combined the functions of telephone and television; a phone with a screen.
1911 Hypnobioscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The first fictional reference to sleep teaching.
1911 Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Uneasiness associated with space travel.
1911 Gyrocar (from Two Boys in a Gyrocar the story of a New York to Paris motor race by Kenneth Brown)
A two-wheeled, self-balancing automobile.
1911 Tele-Motor-Coasters (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Powered skates for personal transportation.
1911 Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First fictional reference to a fax machine.
1911 Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The lightest metal.
1911 Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Streetlights provide sunlight at night.
1911 Automatic-Electric Packing Machine (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device able to pack randomly shaped objects combined into a single package automatically.
1911 Radar (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Detection of objects at a distance.
1911 Steelonium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode.
1911 Appetizer (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
An amazing adjunct to science-based restaurants; a room that increases appetite with gas!
1911 Personalized News (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First reference to news that is customized to the needs of each individual subscriber.
1911 Gravity Nullification (Gravity Screen) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Gravity annulled in its entirety in a small area.
1911 Helio-Dynamophores (Sun-Power-Generators) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Photo-electric elements which transformed the solar heat direct into electric energy.
1911 Menograph (Mind-Writer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Direct translation of thought to paper.
1911 Actinoscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that used a pulsating polarized ether wave to judge the distance to an object (a RADAR)
1911 Gas-Accumulators (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Storage for electricity enough to power a city.
1911 Language Rectifier (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The first reference to machine-translation of human languages.
1912 Automated Restaurant (from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Food is prepared and served entirely automatically.
1913 Poison Space Cloud (Etheric Poison) (from The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle)
A deadly cloud of gas large enough to envelop the solar system.
1914 Radioactive Ruin (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
The aftermath of atomic war is generations of ruin.
1914 Sustained Atomic Reaction (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
The idea that a sustained reaction could lead to an atomic explosion.
1914 Atomic Bomb (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
A weapon that uses an atomic chain reaction as an explosive force.
1914 Artificial Food (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
Food produced without soil, chemically.
1914 Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
A device that stores sunlight itself for use as an energy source.
1914 Atomic Engine (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
A motor running on atomic fuel.
1915 Food Tablet (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler)
All of your nutrients in one easy-to-swallow form factor.
1915 Zoom Call Visaphone System (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler)
An amazingly early description of a modern zoom call on a big screen monitor.
1915 Pocket wireless phone (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler)
An entirely portable, pocket-sized, telephone.
1916 Scientifiction (from Thought Transmission on Mars by Hugo Gernsback)
Writing that combines science and fiction.
1917 Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A weapon that projects a beam of destructive force.
1917 Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
Public news outlets
1917 Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A kind of two-way public loudspeaker.
1917 Tele-Photophonic Attachment (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A device that permits a telephone funnel to see as well as hear.
1918 Photophone (from The Planeteer by Homer Eon Flint)
A device that provided a view of the other booth.
1918 Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay)
A flying bus.
1918 Magnetic Elevator (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion.
1920 Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt)
Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes.
1920 Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
The manufacture of artificial organs, digestive tract, veins - body parts.
1920 Robot (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
A (usually human-shaped) artifact with the same kinds of abilities as a human - this is the first use of the word 'robot'.
1920 Robotess (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
A female robot.
1921 Phonographic Locks (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie)
Doors that open using voice recognition.
1921 Pocket-Wings (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie)
Individual powered flight.
1922 Membrane (from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin)
A listening device.
1923 Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) (from Acoustic Apparatus by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that used bone conduction to transmit sound.
1923 Networked Telephone Answering Machine (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
A device that would accept verbal messages and store them for replay from any remote station.
1923 Parallel Universe (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
An entirely separate realm or universe that exists along with our own; it may be wildly different or vary from ours by only a tiny degree.
1923 Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle)
A man from the future with an embedded mechanism to manipulate time.
1923 Wireless Access Point (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
Infrastructure that provides power and wireless communication.
1924 Hyperspace (from The Statement of Archibald Swayne by Burton Peter Thom)
A realm or parallel universe in which it may be possible to travel much faster than light.
1925 Quadraturin (from Quadraturin by Sigizmund Krzhizhanowsky)
Substance that creates more space when applied to walls, floors and ceilings.
1925 Blaster (from When the Green Star Waned by Nictzin Dyalhis)
A device that shoots a beam of energy that destroys whatever is in its path.
1925 Human Head Transplant (from Professor Dowell's Head by Alexander Belaev)
Putting a human head on a new body, surgically.
1926 Liquid Metal Telescope (Solid) (from The Infinite Vision by Charles C. Winn)
A large LMT made solid.
1926 Computer Vision (Artificial Eye) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
A device which, attached to a suitable computer, will allow the device to see.
1926 Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex)
A vehicle for space travel.
1926 Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A device that shrinks and expands its wearer.
1926 Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
An engine which utilizes atomic energy.
1926 Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
A non-organic device structured like a human brain.
1926 Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A ray that reduces an organic being to ash instantly.
1926 Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
Creating living beings from inorganic elements.
1926 Vacuum Suit (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
An early description of a space suit, and the first use of this now archaic phrase.
1926 Automatic Judge (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie)
Automatically listens to the plaintiff and defendant and provides a just verdict.
1926 Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain)
Very early fictional element, courtesy of metallurgists.
1926 Electric Typewriter (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie)
A typewriter that used the power of electricity to strike the letters onto the paper, rather than the finger muscles of the typist.
1926 Tentacle Machines (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
Enormous robots, cylindrical of body, tentacular of arms, autonomous of brain, sinister of intent.
1926 Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A spacesuit helmet that can be seen through.
1926 Gyro-Hat (from An Experiment in Gyro-Hats by Ellis Parker Butler)
Hidden in a top hat, this device cures staggering and reeling, for whatever reason.
1926 Flexible Metal Arms (Tentacles) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
An interesting description of how mechanical tentacles might function.
1926 Robot Wheel (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
An enormous vehicular robot in the shape of a gigantic wheel.
1926 Vocal Typewriter (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie)
A device that accepts spoken dictation and produces printed copy.
1927 Repulsor Ray (from The Time-Raider by Edmond Hamilton)
Fires an invisible beam of electrons for propulsion.
1927 Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that pulled warmth from anything it was aimed at.
1927 Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that paralyzes the muscles.
1927 Artificial Sun (from The Bride of Osirus by Otis Adelbert Kline)
Use of a single large artifact to provide sunlight to a city or a world.
1927 Weather in Space (from Around the Universe by Ray Cummings)
The idea that weather concepts could be applied to interplanetary space.
1927 Tin Foil Hat (Metal Foil Caps) (from The Tissue-Culture King by Julian Huxley)
A metal device that protects the user from unwanted telepathic intrusions.
1928 Negative Acceleration (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Turning a torchship through a half-circle, thereby applying force in the direction of motion, slowing the ship down.
1928 De-atomizing Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Beam of energy causes matter to fly apart.
1928 Steering a Star (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Steering a star, altering its path, taking it to a new location.
1928 Grantline Comptometer (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems.
1928 Telestereo (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A disk, upon which the projected image of the distant sender appears.
1928 Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A fully space-worthy ship under private ownership.
1928 Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A spacecraft with a propulsion system relying on waves in spacetime itself.
1928 Attractive Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A beam of radiation that pulls.
1928 Raytron Apparatus (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
A device for aerial surveillance; the image was transmitted back to the user.
1928 Universal Sterilization Law (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
All young people were sterilized, and replacement people were generated artificially.
1928 Ultrophone (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A means of communication that transmits and receives simultaneously.
1928 Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Invisible metal makes the thinnest, strongest wire.
1928 Airlock (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An intermediate chamber between airless space and the interior of a space craft.
1928 Space-Lanes (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Well-traveled routes through outer space.
1928 Atomic Percolator (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent)
Make coffee with radiation.
1928 Floater (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device that allows the user to literally float in the air
1928 Neutralizing Wall (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent)
A barrier that stops electrical and mechanical vibrations, rendering the protected area effectively invisible.
1928 Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Device provides support for planet-side air travel.
1928 Atoplane (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell)
An airplane powered by nuclear energy, capable of tremendous speed and distance.
1928 Heat Transmitter (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Device which captures solar energy close to the source and then beams it in concentrated form to outer planets.
1928 Telechart (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
An interactive metal plate upon which were displayed celestial objects for interstellar navigation.
1928 Pain Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Creates pain by nerve induction.
1928 Meteorometer (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that warned space ships in flight about oncoming meteors.
1928 Mother World (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell)
One's home planet, or the origin world of one's species.
1928 Harvest Power From Stray Energy (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent)
A means of collecting enough energy from stray electronic impulses to power a device.
1928 Disintegrator Ray (Dis Ray) (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device that projects a beam reducing matter to nothingness.
1928 Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
A diaper that will indicate when it is wet.
1928 Psychophonic Nurse (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
A child-care robot - a nanny bot.
1928 Fur Pressure-Suit (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A warm pressurized suit for use in the airless void of space.
1928 Chest Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A voice activated wireless transmitter.
1928 Ultraphone Ear-Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Wireless receivers that fit directly over the ears; they also offered noise reduction.
1928 Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective.
1928 Inertron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Material with all the properties of heavier metals, but lighter.
1928 Jumper (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Inertron belt results in effective weightlessness.
1928 Anti-Gravity Belt (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device which, when worn, reduces exposure to the effects of gravitation.
1928 Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A flat panel viewing display.
1928 Concentro (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Concentrated synthetic food rations.
1928 Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
In essence, a bazooka.
1928 Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
A means of gestating eggs to term is found.
1928 Needle Pipe (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
A device that could project slivers of metal at near light speed.
1928 Flying Harness (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Device allows free movement in the air.
1928 Videophone (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent)
A person-to-person communication device offering sight as well as sound.
1928 Aeroplane Baseball (from The Educated Pill by Bob Olsen)
A standard-sized baseball making possible non-standard pitches.
1928 Atomobile (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell)
An atomic-powered car.
1928 Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Ravening pale beams of light used in space battles.
1928 Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Maneuver to chase down and destroy meteor showers that threaten celestial navigation.
1928 Metal Worms (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius)
Huge wriggling metal war engines.
1928 Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
An enormous council chamber, fit for a galaxy.
1928 Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that shields an object from the effects of gravity.
1928 Stilt-Legged Chairs (Walking Chairs) (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius)
An alien conveyance.
1928 Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller)
A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use.
1928 Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
A device that recorded and played back the thoughts of the user.
1928 Decay Ray (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius)
A mysterious ray that seems to hasten Time for whatever it illuminates.
1928 Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A marker in space.
1928 Spacecraft Landing Wings (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius)
A means of cutting speed from orbit, then landing.
1929 Cubic City (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.)
A city contained in a single, immense building.
1929 Brain Placed In Metal Body (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
A robotic body with a support system for a connected organic brain.
1929 Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer))
Human movement through outer space.
1929 Ray-Pistol (from The War of the Planets by Harl Vincent)
An early version of the raygun.
1929 Flying Platform (from Locked Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Simple black squares that fly and hover.
1929 Ships Propelled By Light Pressure (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
Space ships that use light pressure from a distant source for propulsion
1929 Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that neutralized the gravitational force of the sun on the earth.
1929 Free Fall (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit.
1929 Disrupter Ray (Molecule Disrupter) (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
Atoms of materials no longer adhere to each other.
1929 Local Time Clock (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
A clock for use in airships that always indicates the time for the place they are flying over.
1929 Indirect Cold Light (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
Apparently source-less lighting, highly efficient, with no waste heat.
1929 Instant Photography (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
A photograph that develops immediately inside the camera.
1929 Diagnostic Type Sense Transmitter (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
Allows the doctor to directly feel the same sensations that the patient feels.
1929 Steering Shot Pistol (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
The simplest way to move in space, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
1929 Space Ship Starting Track (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
A sloped track to assist a space ship taking off.
1929 Massive Open Learning (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller)
Teach using standard videos prepared by the best teachers.
1929 Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A transparent "glass" made of metal.
1929 Anti-Fatigue Pill (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
A pill that counteracts the effects of fatigue and lack of sleep.
1929 Television Sheet (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller)
A large, flat screen television set.
1929 Hyperstereoscope (from The Book of Worlds by Miles J. Breuer)
A book of three-dimensional pages.
1929 Predictograph (from Futility by S.P. Meek)
Capable combining and projecting hundreds of complex curves into the future.
1929 Overmind (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg)
A consciousness that supersedes the minds of many individuals.
1929 Transparent Aluminum (from The Space Hermit by E. Edsel Newton)
Invisible light steel.
1929 Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
Remote controlled robots used to perform dangerous work.
1929 Personal Metallic Record Disc (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
A stamped metal record that contains all of a person's data in a convenient form.
1929 Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
A device used to artificially stimulate cell growth and development.
1929 Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
A device for seeing at a distance.
1929 Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Ultralight metal.
1929 Space Craft (from Night-Thing by Wilford Allen)
A ship that travels through the airless void of space.
1929 Inurbanity (Inurbane) (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.)
Criminal penalties for persons who are unable to behave properly in crowded cubic cities.
1929 Governing Keyboard (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller)
A remote-controlled robot responds to keyboard commands.
1929 Sunparlor (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.)
A vast esplanade enclosed in glass, to permit sunbathing without leaving an immense building.
1929 Pay Per View TV (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller)
The broadcast of games and matches to private televisions for a fee.
1929 Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent)
A means of sending trains through the air.
1929 Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
Personal device stops gravity's effect.
1929 Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
Shields a large object from the effect of gravity.
1929 Robot Control Board (from The Robot Master by O.L. Beckwith)
Control panel with small screens showing the point of view of different robots.
1929 Fan Ray (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips)
A protective ray screen in the shape of a cone.
1929 Moon Weaponized (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A military application of moons, planetoids and asteroids; dropping them from space.
1929 Shovel-Handed Digging Machines (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips)
Huge multi-legged machines used to dig and manipulate earth.
1929 Boring Heat Machine (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips)
Takes tunnel boring material and turns it into building material.
1929 Helium Tubes (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.)
Lighting that exactly mimics the frequencies of sunlight.
1929 Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A device that displays memories directly on a helmet screen.
1929 Robots Take Human Jobs (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller)
Robots displace human beings in the workforce.
1929 Position Locator Display (from Flight of the Eastern Star by Ed Earl Repp)
Screen shows the position of hundreds of aircraft;
1929 Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek)
Replacement of elements of human blood with chlorophyll.
1929 Rocket Engine Moves Moon (from The Space Dwellers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Using the propulsive mechanism of a space ship to move a small moon or asteroid.
1929 Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
A device and method for testing spacesuits.
1929 Artificial Blood (Synthetic Blood) (from The Eternal Professors by David H. Keller)
A manufactured substitute for the genuine article.
1929 Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone)
Familiar name for our own sun.
1929 Air-Freighter Cargo Plane (from The Invisible Raiders by Ed Earl Repp)
An enormous airplane used for transporting cargo across the country.
1929 Atmospheric Pressure Control Plane (from Around the World in 24 Hours by R.H. Romans)
A vessel that flies by creating pockets of high and low pressure.
1929 Rescue Nets (from Flight of the Eastern Star by Ed Earl Repp)
Nets raised around the circumference of a vast air transport.
1929 Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
A viewing screen.
1929 Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A floating taxicab.
1929 Telephone Wire Tether (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
A communication line that connects people floating in space beside a spaceship with the ship and with each other.
1929 Deflector (from Islands in the Air by L.H. Morrow)
In this case a gravity deflector, but the first use of the word 'deflector'.
1929 Electric Kitchen (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
Food preparation in space requires safe equipment.
1929 Magnetic Shoes (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve)
Footgear magnetized for working on steel hulls.
1929 Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment.
1929 Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
An airtight spacesuit.
1929 Suitcase Airplane (from Suitcase Airplanes by E.D. Skinner)
A diminutive, collapsible, two-passenger biplane.
1929 Reflectocosmic Spectrometer (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A device that detects and measures cosmic rays that reflect from different metals.
1929 Ship Pushes Moon (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Altering the course of a small moon by pushing on it with a rocket motor.
1929 Gyrocosmically Stabilized Interplanetary Rocket (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A mouthful, perfect for trips to the larger asteroids.
1929 O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Ultralight zeppelin
1929 Aircycle (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Motorcycle for the air with gravimetric coils instead of wheels.
1929 Spinner Ship (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Pinwheel rockets created centrifugal forces like gravity.
1929 Space Sailing (from The World, The Flesh And The Devil by J.D. Bernal)
Using the solar wind to propel a space vessel.
1929 Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A large, hand-held spear of force.
1929 Mechanical Hand (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A large robotic hand or claw, large enough to grasp a person.
1929 Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A nuclear munition, fired from a cannon.
1929 Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Using pistol rounds to maneuver in space.
1929 Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A very early mention of the term.
1929 Chemical Brain (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg)
A purely chemical artificial intelligence.
1929 Ships With Legs (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Space ships with mechanical limbs for walking the Earth.
1929 Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A very early depiction of this basic idea.
1930 Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass.
1930 Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A flat screen for viewing remote images.
1930 Radio-Controlled Mechanical Man (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff)
A remote-controlled robot.
1930 Funnel-Shaped Landing Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A special purpose landing dock area that is wider at the top until the craft is captured toward the bottom.
1930 Life Tubes (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny)
Escape pods for space ships.
1930 Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
An airlock on a spacecraft.
1930 Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
The transparent front of a space suit helmet.
1930 Gyroscope Seats (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Your best bet for remaining at the right angle to the force of acceleration.
1930 Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Small, private flyers for business commuting.
1930 Television 'Phone (from The Sword and the Atopen by Taylor H. Greenfield)
A video call.
1930 The Sleep (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves)
Use of a special technique to lessen the supplies required for long space voyages.
1930 Artificial Island For Ocean Rocket Launch (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An entirely artificial, floating island used as a launch platform.
1930 Tabletop Display (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
A display monitor built into a flat, horizontal table surface.
1930 Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Magnifies even the smallest sound.
1930 Shuttle (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny)
A space craft that travels point to point in space.
1930 Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A transparent material of great strength.
1930 Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Space ships taken against their will.
1930 Robot Doctor (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
A mechanical physician.
1930 Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space.
1930 Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind.
1930 Air-Shoes (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed.
1930 Astronaut (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
A person who travels in space.
1930 Electromagnetic Gun (from The Moon Conquerors by R.H. Romans)
An electromagnetic railgun angled up a mountainside, which uses electricity for the power to launch a space ship.
1930 Spherical Tires (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Tires that are shaped like balls, rather than like squat cylinders.
1930 Asteroid Space Flyer (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Specialized one-man craft for exploring asteroids.
1930 Anti-Glare Coated Glass (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Special coated glass for space craft.
1930 Iron Fingers (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Special metal manipulators set on the hull of a space craft, and manipulated from the inside.
1930 Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Extremely dense material.
1930 Artificial Skin (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein)
Tight-fitting material that keeps the heat of the body from escaping into space.
1930 Ascension-Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A tower to which the space craft is attached, holding it vertical for its flight upward.
1930 Mother Ship (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A large spacecraft that serves as home base for other (usually smaller) ships.
1930 Robot Waiter (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Robotic restaurant servitor.
1930 One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A small rocket ship with only a pilot.
1930 Rubber Soled Feet (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff)
Silent padding for clanky robots.
1930 Nearside (Near Side) (from The Moon Master by Charles W. Diffin)
The side of the moon closest to the earth.
1930 Visiphone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
Visual as well as audio communication.
1930 Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off.
1930 No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers.
1930 Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen.
1930 Asteroid From Outside Solar System (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
An asteroid or similar body that comes from outside the solar system; an interstellar body.
1930 Space-Phone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
A device for communicating with space ships, both ship-to-ship and ground-to-ship.
1930 Gravity Assist (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Using the gravity and orbital speed of a celestial body to change speed and course of a spacecraft.
1930 Space Fleet (from Through the Meteors by L.H. Morrow)
A group of mighty ships capable of space travel - and fighting.
1930 Warp of Space (from In 20000 A.D.! by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A fault or pucker in spacetime.
1930 Spectrumoscope (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Provides sight directly to the brain-cells of the sightless.
1930 Theater Seat Indicators (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Vacant seats are clearly shown.
1930 Indoor Stadium (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
An entirely enclosed baseball stadium.
1930 Puff-Pipe (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Pipe with lighting built in.
1930 Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass.
1930 Nose-Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Rocket blasts from the front of a ship, to brake it.
1930 Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A bar of solidified light.
1930 Rocket Side Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
An early description of attitude jets, course correction by small emissions of gas.
1930 Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek)
A durable form of magnesium.
1930 Planets Made Habitable (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A plan to "terraform" a planet to improve its habitability by human beings.
1930 Dome Shelter (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon.
1930 Trans-Oceanic Rocket Ship (from Berlin to New York in One Hour by Max Valier)
Rocket-propelled airplanes making short work of long trips on Earth.
1930 The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson)
A means of transmitting matter wirelessly.
1930 Interplanetary-Liner (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny)
A vast passenger ship in space.
1930 Automatic Car (Autonomous) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle.
1930 Autonomous Ship (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A sea-going vessel that can leave port, traverse vast distances, and then dock, entirely without human assistance.
1930 Space-Walker (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton)
Tall cylinder with a window at eye-level, and pincer-claws controlled by the wearer.
1930 Spaceport (from The Birth of a New Republic by M. Breuer (w/J. Williamson))
A location on the surface of a planet used for launching vehicles into space.
1930 Ring-Table (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that creates a 'group mind', a single mind, from the many gathered around it.
1930 Electrical Brain (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A mechanism that grants memory an intelligence to machines.
1930 Vision-Based Autonomous Cars (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A vehicle that uses a visual sensor to gather information sufficient to safely drive.
1930 Leading Machine (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
An exploratory device; it takes the form of an autonomous motorcycle.
1930 Bird-Like Robots (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Robotic birds used in a stage play.
1930 House Cleaning Device (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A robotic means of thorough home cleaning.
1930 Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley)
Wide angle Ray of death!
1930 Exodus Ship (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves)
A generation ship to save a culture from extinction.
1930 Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source.
1930 Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An armor-plated space suit.
1930 Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon.
1930 Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity.
1930 Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A substance as strong as metal that you can see through.
1930 Supervision Robot (Squid) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A wheeled device with tentacular grasping limbs.
1930 Invisible Cloak (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A cloak that renders the wearer invisible.
1930 Electric Plane (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
An airplane powered entirely by electricity.
1930 Group Mind (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A shared consciousness between a number of individuals.
1930 Tight-Beam (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A method of communication that uses a very narrowly-focused stream of energy.
1930 Artificial Eyes (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
Eyes that are the duplicate of what humans are born with, produced entirely artificially from elements.
1930 Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Early name for a defensive force field.
1930 Paralyzing Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Stops body motions.
1930 Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell)
Agricultural robots.
1930 Brain Rejuvenation (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
Erase unnecessary parts of memory to make room for new impressions.
1930 Sound-Killing Air Fluid (from The Noise Killer by A.M. McNeill)
A means to eliminate all of the noise made by machines in a city, leaving the voices of human beings.
1930 Synthetic Life (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements.
1930 Planet City (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
A planet the surface of which is entirely covered over, forming one single city.
1930 Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
An offensive, man-portable heat ray.
1930 Engineless Automobile Hover (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
No engine, no steering wheel, yet it runs.
1930 Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms.
1930 Force-Field (from A Subterranean Adventure by George Paul Bauer)
A barrier to objects, created by projected forces.
1930 Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A plane powered entirely by solar energy.
1930 Ray Gun (Handheld) (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy.
1931 Matter Transmitter (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
Device which causes a physical object to disappear from one place and reappear in another.
1931 Spaceyacht (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
Interplanetary spacecraft for the well-to-do.
1931 Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer.
1931 Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A person who does not fly, especially into space.
1931 Teleradio Control (Hand Flash) (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that can call a vehicle to a driver; it drives itself in a near-autonomous fashion to the caller.
1931 Pneumatic Tube Station (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination.
1931 Attractor (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A beam capable of holding objects motionless, as well as adjusting their position.
1931 Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A moving sidewalk.
1931 Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means.
1931 Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A passenger ship in space.
1931 Communication Disk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A wearable device that told the time as updated from a central source.
1931 Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed.
1931 Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter.
1931 Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Radioactive fuel for spacecraft.
1931 Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Impenetrable message carriers.
1931 Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical.
1931 Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson)
Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity.
1931 Object-Finder Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A unique device that projected a beam that found what you wanted.
1931 Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers.
1931 Telectroscope (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A much better telescope than yours.
1931 Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter!
1931 Emergency Corrective Rockets (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Used when you seem to be off-course in your spaceship.
1931 Sargasso of Space (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A "dead area" in which the gravitational fields of the planets are cancelled out.
1931 Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A graphical representation of gravitational fields.
1931 Wreck-Pack (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
An agglomeration of wrecked spacecraft drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction in the 'dead area' of the solar system.
1931 Thought Screen (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A material screen that is worn by the user, upon which are projected the mental images of the user.
1931 Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits.
1931 Meteorite Deflector (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A means of pushing aside asteroids that get in the path of your space ship.
1931 Transparent Spherical Ship (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A huge sphere of quartz housing a platform for space use.
1931 Faster-Than-Light (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Describes something that exceeds the usual speed limit on physical objects of 186,282 miles per second in vacuum.
1931 Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship.
1931 Radio Meteor Detector (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A device carried by space ships that could detect meteors in space early enough to avoid them.
1931 Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
What's left over when you've annihilated matter.
1931 Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people.
1931 Landing Arms (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
Arms that poke out from a space craft to allow it to land on solid ground, in gravity.
1931 Power Planet (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A satellite that supplies the Earth with power.
1931 Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times.
1931 Atmosphere Tester (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device used to test the composition of a sample of the atmosphere on another planet, to see if it is breathable by humans.
1931 Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent)
A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents.
1931 Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
As opposed to hyperspace.
1931 Cometeering (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
Exploring a comet!
1931 Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue.
1931 Gravito-Statoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An instrument used to detect the gravitational influences on a space ship.
1931 Command-Disk (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that sends out audible tones to control flesh-monsters.
1931 Deviatoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that registered how much your course diverged from what you intended.
1931 Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication.
1931 Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An accurate representation of running on the moon.
1931 Self-Sustaining Space Craft (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A spacecraft ecosystem.
1931 Propulsion Gun (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
What can you push against in space?
1931 Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
Multi-legged transport.
1931 Spacegram (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard)
Telegrams of the space lanes.
1931 Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
See other time-travelers.
1931 Zeta-Ray (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Makes and maintains vast holes - even in ocean water!
1931 Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners.
1931 Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A space craft powered entirely by the sun.
1931 Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells.
1931 Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter.
1931 Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
An ion drive.
1931 Skycar (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
A personal means of transportation that flies.
1931 Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages.
1931 Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile.
1931 Kundrenaline (from The Hands of Aten by H.G. Winter)
Revives even a dead man's heart.
1931 Photograph of Earth from Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
An aerial photograph from outside the atmosphere.
1931 Motor Torpedo (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A terrestrial torpedo, driven by ion beams.
1931 Satellite Photography for Surveillance (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Use of pictures taken from near Earth orbit for reconnaissance in a military operation.
1931 Metal Monster with Jointed Limbs (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A large robotic device with legs.
1931 Vita-Light (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
A special form of bulb or light source that could keep people who were never exposed to the sun perfectly healthy.
1931 Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
That's one way to do a plebiscite.
1931 Telucid (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
A holographic projector.
1931 Mutation (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton)
An organism that has come into being through genetic mutation.
1931 Time Stream (from Time Stream by John Taine)
The total sequence of events considered as a kind of flow.
1931 Ultra-Telescope Ray (from The Moon Weed by Harl Vincent)
A transporter Ray that works over interplanetary distances.
1931 Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes)
1931 Magnetic Boots (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Special footgear holds spacemen to the metal deck in spite of the lack of gravity.
1931 Lens-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope.
1931 Space Men (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny)
Beings who travel and work in space.
1931 Stationary Sidewalk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway.
1931 Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Ray cuts through metal like butter.
1931 Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids.
1931 Thigh Grips (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Special chair feature for space ships undergoing accelerations.
1931 Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A facial recognition device.
1931 Artificial Atmosphere Machine (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Not just oxygen, this gives you what you need in space.
1931 Alpha Insert (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A special compound used to seal punctures in space craft.
1931 Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that accepts complex equations and solves them.
1931 Rocket Liner (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A rocket designed for point-to-point Earth journeys; it goes well into the stratosphere.
1931 Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Lightweight and tough!
1931 Recoil Pistol (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A handheld device that permits a spaceman to manuever in zero gravity.
1931 Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Robots to throw off the yoke of Man?
1931 Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Teleconferencing done right.
1931 Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells)
A opening through spacetime to other worlds.
1931 Curtain (Force Barrier) (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An easily set-up protective force barrier.
1931 Robotic Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov)
Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands.
1931 Energy Curtain Key (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A small handheld "key" to shut off a force field.
1931 Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
One single machine to run a civilization!
1931 Thought Coil (Machine Intelligence) (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Specially designed hardware that imparts intelligence to machines.
1931 Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A suicide chamber.
1931 Dressing Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Semi-autonomous guided devices that could dress a person in ordinary clothing.
1931 Ownership of Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Who will own the machines that produce material abundance?
1931 Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser)
A person who acts as navigator for s space ship.
1931 Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon.
1931 Ultra-Light Vision System (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A viewing technology able to see through and even within most objects.
1931 Synthetic Food Factories (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Food production without soil.
1931 Centrifugal Force Creates 'Artificial Gravity' (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Using centrifugal force in a rotating cylinder as a substitute for gravity.
1931 Spacehound (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An experienced spaceman.
1931 Dark Side (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Referring to the unlit part of a planet's surface.
1931 Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster)
A telescope for peering into other dimensions.
1931 Thought Shield (from Back to 20,000 A.D. by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that removes intrusive thoughts from your mind.
1931 Space Navy (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry)
Spacefaring professional soldiers.
1931 Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
A ray that discombobulates robots of all kinds.
1931 Gravity Neutralizers (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry)
The force of gravity is suspended!
1931 Telepadion Instructor (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard)
A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain.
1931 Meteor Hulls Ship (from Moon People Of Jupiter by Isaac R. Nathanson)
A small meteor tears all the way through a ship
1931 Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Pertaining to the Earth.
1931 Foot Loops (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Hold yourself down in zero gravity situations with this low-tech device.
1931 Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls.
1931 Sound Nullifier (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
A barrier to sound; the cancellation of sound waves.
1931 Message Cylinder (Message Bomb) (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel)
A means of sending dispatches from space via a small projectile dropped from orbit; effectively a message rocket.
1931 Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An 'atomic fire' is started that consumes all matter in reach!
1931 Hand Grip (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Means of pulling oneself through a space ship at zero gravity.
1931 Tractor Beam (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force field used to pull objects.
1931 City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station.
1931 Air Tank Flying (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Using little blasts of compressed air to fly around inside a space station.
1931 Sapience (from The Planet Entity by E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith))
The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom.
1931 Magnetic Ray (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny)
A powerful magnetic beam.
1931 Ultra-Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Originating from some world other than Earth.
1931 Terminator Zone (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
The area between solar illumination and shade.
1931 Landing Stage (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Parking spot for space craft.
1931 Adoption of Television (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses.
1931 Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson)
Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas.
1931 Scanning-Disk Telescope (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A telescope which uses a television-like monitor instead of an eyepiece.
1931 Telephotography (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel)
Sending pictures over a distance, displaying them on a vast screen.
1931 Observation Room Recreation Center (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A vast internal space in a space station, often used for exercise and amusement.
1931 Blue Beam (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton)
A pitiless pale blue beam of death!
1931 Machine Masters (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton)
Humans did less and less, and machines did more and more, until machines became the masters.
1931 Invasion Gate For Aliens (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
Using alien instructions to create a gate for alien invasion.
1931 Space-Tent (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A small, portable air-tight structure used on the lunar surface.
1931 Photoelectric Course Warning (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson)
A means of keeping a spaceship on course using a selected star and a photoelectric cell.
1931 Matter Transmitter and Receiver (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that transports matter through space.
1931 Perfect Voice Modulation (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
Artificially creating the perfect human singing voice.
1931 Radium Repeller ray (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones)
Move inbound asteroids aside to keep ships safe.
1931 Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Special protective gear worn as protection in space.
1931 Asteroid Belt (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman)
The circular region of space containing many small celestial bodies.
1931 Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A high explosive formed from nitrogen.
1931 Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A large, passenger-carrying space ship.
1931 Rocket Float (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent)
A sea-going floating platform for rocket launches.
1931 Disruptor Tube (Disruptor Ray) (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that interrupted the very bonds between atoms.
1931 Iron Inlay Plates (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Works perfectly with an electromagnetic table to maintain place settings.
1931 Filling Station Moon (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
The idea that Man could first go to the Moon to obtain fuel or propellant.
1931 Reaction Attachment (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones)
Independent maneuvering for space suits.
1931 Ozone Radiation Shield (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Filling the gap between the inner and outer hull with ozone.
1931 Selenium Photo-Electric Televisor (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
A specialized photo-electric cell.
1931 Solar Power Apparatus (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
An ingenious device to gather solar energy, melt water, power a turbine and get hydrogen and oxygen fuel from ice.
1931 Ship's Telescope (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
A large telescope built into the main axis of the ship.
1931 Air-Dock (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
A docking mechanism that seems to catch a descending space-ship in mid-air.
1931 Prison Planet (Penal Settlement) (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
A prison so far from Earth.
1931 Porter Televox-Robot (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A robot that carries your bags through the passageways of space liners.
1931 Reflected Artificial Sun (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
Sending light to another planet via mirror.
1931 Ten Million Mile Searchlight (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
You need to see where you're going.
1931 Gravity Detector (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass.
1931 Space Madness (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy.
1931 Braking Disks (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Used when the ship is falling through a planetary atmosphere.
1931 Jetta Tube (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
Spray causes immediately a trance-like state where a person’s body becomes rigid.
1931 Optophone (Opto) (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent)
A video call system.
1931 Needle Gun (from In the Spacesphere by Charles Cloukey)
A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal.
1931 Multigyros (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau)
Allows known stable movement in four dimensions, thus making space travel possible.
1932 Vacuum Cylinder (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system.
1932 Water Pool Cushions Acceleration (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell)
The use of water to cushion and protect against extreme ship accelerations.
1932 Space Marine (from Captain Brink of the Space Marines by Bob Olsen)
A space-based military force, or members of such a force.
1932 Mirror Grid Multiple-View Surveillance Panel (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Very modern presentation combining multiple camera viewpoints, selectable using one monitor screen.
1932 Pneumatic-Tube Zone (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling.
1932 Gravity Beam (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom.
1932 Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Device adds the tactile element to entertainment.
1932 Neo-Crystal (from Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith)
Unbreakable transparent window material.
1932 News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
Audio news ready when you are.
1932 Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott))
An asteroid.
1932 Isolation Barrage (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Device prevents eavesdropping.
1932 Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A device that output specified odors.
1932 Jump (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart.
1932 Meteor Warning System (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
A system that provided rockets in flight with early warning of meteors.
1932 Negrian Death Ray (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A ray that causes the cessation of life processes.
1932 Violet Shrink Ray (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
A miniaturization ray.
1932 Laboratory Planet (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature.
1932 Pent House (from The Pent House by David H. Keller)
An island in the sky - a hermetically sealed skyscraper isolated entirely from its surroundings.
1932 Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
Is that a moon - or a space station?
1932 Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs.
1932 Sol-Ido (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
The universal language of interplanetary travelers.
1932 Time-Space Television (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
A device for seeing into the past.
1932 Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak)
Setting charges on an asteroid.
1932 Government Machine (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
The automata that constitute the entire government, all in one building.
1932 Electro-Magnet Anchor (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Attach a line to a spacecraft hull.
1932 Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
An early exoskeleton.
1932 Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An escape ship.
1932 Reaction Pistol (from Martian Guns by Stanley D. Bell)
A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit.
1932 Flame Projector (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
Handheld device shoots flame.
1932 Space-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Special shielding worn against rays and explosives.
1932 Ship's Magnetic Plates (Magnetic Mooring) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak)
Keeps a mining ship attached to the surface of an asteroid.
1932 Emergency Space-Suit (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
A compacted space-suit stored for emergency use.
1932 Atomic Pistol (from Mutiny on Mercury by Clifford Simak)
Reduces the target to atomic dust.
1932 Torpoon (from Seed of the Arctic Ice by H.G. Winter)
Clever portmanteau of "torpedo" and "harpoon", an underwater whaling craft.
1932 Automatic Truck (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
A cargo-carrying vehicle that autonomously drives to the selected destination.
1932 Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Space worthy mittens for space suits.
1932 Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
The direction leading toward the center of the solar system.
1932 Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A very early description of cloning.
1932 Earth Normal (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
Using the earth standard.
1932 Wandering Worlds (from When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer (w/P. Wylie))
Planets that are attached to no sun, and roam interstellar space.
1932 Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh)
A force opposed to gravity.
1932 Negative Gravity Field (from 50th Century Revolt by A.G. Stangland)
Antigravity effect produced for space ship propulsion.
1932 Space Freighter (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
A large spacecraft used for heavy cargo; can lift off from the Earth or other planets.
1932 Disk-Shaped Landing Pads (from The Swordsman of Sarvon by Charles Cloukey)
Used instead of typical landing gear with wheels.
1932 Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
A base material for synthetic food.
1932 Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
Special material for space dome leaks.
1932 Smoke Jets (Air Leak Detection) (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
A means of determining the location of air leaks in a building built on an airless moon.
1932 Transfer Tube Between Ships (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell)
A means of going between ships in space without needing space suits.
1932 Electro-Gun (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
It shoots electro-bullets.
1932 Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Reliable, controllable gravity force.
1932 Alpha Plus (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Intervening in the physical development of humans can result in enhancements.
1932 Daisy Projector (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell)
Beam of energy penetrates the Heaviside layer to enable communication from planet to planet.
1932 Ether-Traffic (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott))
The communications spectrum of the solar system.
1932 Malthusian Belt (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Readily available oral contraceptives.
1932 Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Three photons in one.
1932 Light Beam Propulsion (Light-Ship) (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
Use of brilliant light as motive power for a space ship.
1932 Luminous Stake-Markers (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
Illuminated pole designating a staked claim on the surface of a planet, moon or asteroid.
1932 Landing-Cradle (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface.
1932 Ostler Insulation Beam (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
A beam of energy stretching from one planet to another that protects space craft from radiation.
1932 Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
A display screen for live events.
1932 Automatics (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Machinery capable of running some aspect of a space ship's operation on its own.
1932 Bone-Building Compounds (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Combat heavy gravity on other planets by building greater bone density in workers and colonists.
1932 Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies.
1932 Space-Tanned (from Slaves of Mercury by Warren Hammond)
The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways.
1932 Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement.
1932 Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape.
1932 Electric Boat (from The Great Drought by S.P. Meek)
A surface vessel powered by electricity.
1932 Shock-Rod (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
Knock out stick.
1932 Space Force (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere.
1932 Intergalactic (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Going between galaxies.
1932 Spaceboat (from Waves of Compulsion by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Runabout for outer space.
1932 Space-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft.
1932 Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore)
Special footgear for spacemen.
1932 Anti-Gravity Drive (from The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell)
Electric force curves space.
1932 Protolectric Gun (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell)
Fires twin beams of protons and electrons.
1932 Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space.
1932 Artificial Womb (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A room in which a human embryo waits for the necessary months as a fetus, preparing for birth (decanting).
1932 Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Futuristic children's game.
1932 Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping.
1932 Weather Machine (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A device for controlling the weather.
1932 Electro-Bullet (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
Fired by an electro-gun.
1932 Polarization Apparatus (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A device that caused a space ship to repel the Earth and send a space ship on its way.
1932 Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc.
1932 Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A slicing ray of death!
1932 Rotating Hollow Planetoid Habitat (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell)
An asteroid (or planetoid) hollowed out, spun for artificial gravity, used as a habitat.
1932 Diskoid (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A huge flying saucer.
1932 Speed Belt (Ribbon Conveyor) (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A great moving belt carrying people between cities.
1932 Attraction Ray (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
In effect, a tractor beam.
1933 Food Preparation Machine (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
An automated device for the production of complete meals.
1933 Space-Sailor (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A spaceman; someone who makes his living by voyaging in space.
1933 Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory.
1933 Granton Motor (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
Spacecraft propulsion system based on gravital radiation.
1933 Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space.
1933 Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore)
A set route though space.
1933 Magnetic Anchor (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson)
A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull.
1933 Transfer Cable (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson)
Move between two ships in space.
1933 Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
An early use of the notion of matter transmission.
1933 Flip to Brake (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
Maneuver to put the tail end (with rocket output) in the forward direction of travel to use for lowering velocity.
1933 Helix Gun (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
A device for capturing ferrous meteors.
1933 Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Space suit you can live in.
1933 Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Device for determining the content of meteorites.
1933 Etheric Propulsion-Vibrations (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
Faster-than-light travel.
1933 Tubular Space-Gangway (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A means of traversing the short distance between two ships in space.
1933 Human Serial Number (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
A unique number tattooed on body of a person.
1933 Drink the Fungi (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat)
A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores.
1933 Electric Machine Gun (Railgun) (from The Battery of Hate by John W. Campbell)
A device that accelerates small projectiles magnetically using a strong electric current.
1933 Checker-City (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings.
1933 Crystal Cylinder Ship (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat)
A transparent space ship in the shape of a cylinder.
1933 Meteor Miner (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Someone who roams the solar system, hunting for metal in meteors.
1933 Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A space craft.
1933 Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A small vessel used to maneuver other ships.
1933 Vibratium Wall Time Machine (from Ancestral Voices by Nat Schachner)
An element that is unstable in time makes time travel possible and enables the Grandfather Paradox.
1933 Solar-Powered Electric Helicopter (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by James Patrick Kelly)
An electric helicopter, with sun cells.
1933 Lunar Tunnel (Human Pendulum) (from Captive of the Crater by D.D. Sharp)
A tunnel through the center of the moon, and the man who fell through it.
1933 Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent)
A device that opens a portal to another dimension.
1933 Space-Suit Rockets (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
Attached rockets allow movement in zero-gee space.
1933 Landing on an Asteroid (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
An elaborate flight plan for landing a space ship on an asteroid.
1933 Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A bowl-shaped space helmet.
1933 Iron Man Robot With Human Brain (from Iron Man by Paul Ernst)
A huge robot with a tub containing a human brain.
1933 Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies.
1933 Historical Listening Machine (from The Machine That Knew Too Much by A.T. Locke)
Device can hear sounds from down through the ages.
1933 Conscious Retarded Animation (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
A kind of hibernation, but leaves the user fully conscious, but aging at an incredibly slow rate.
1933 Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Preserves and maintains the body.
1933 Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Has the opposite effect of adrenalin.
1933 Belt Automatic-Equalizers (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
The wearer's experience of gravity will be just like Earth's.
1933 Cosmo-Craft (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
A spacecraft for traveling through time and space.
1934 Beam Car (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
A vehicle like an elevator car, but which travels on a radio and magnetic beam, from the surface of a planet up to a satellite.
1934 Metallic Fingers (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Robot fingers.
1934 Stratoplane (from Colossus by Donald Wandrei)
An airplane that flies up to the edge of the atmosphere.
1934 Space Mittens (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Protect your hands in space.
1934 Gyrocars with Photo-Electric Braking (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown)
Force the tires into maximum contact with the road, then use photo-electric sensors to control braking and turns.
1934 Evacuating Arms (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Empty out the contents of an airlock exposed to space.
1934 Silica Sphere (Dyson sphere) (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
An enclosed environment, excavated on Mars, and then placed into the heavens (it's Phobos)
1934 Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1934 Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia.
1934 Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A very large constructed object in space.
1934 Aliens Speak English (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi)
The skeleton men of Mercury speak English, but have a good reason for it.
1934 Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller)
A device that translated speech and typed it out for you.
1934 Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A substance that is impervious to penetration.
1934 Liquid Mirror Telescope on Mars (from Old Faithful by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A large telescope using a spinning bowl of mercury as the mirror.
1934 Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Faster-than-light travel achieved!
1934 Robots Refuse To Serve Man (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
When robots evolve their own perspectives, and ultimately refuse to act as servants to human beings.
1934 Invisibility Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A means of concealing a physical object to the naked eye.
1934 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display.
1934 Lewiston (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power.
1934 Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality.
1934 Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower.
1934 Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator.
1934 Metal Message In Space (from The Menace From Space by John Edwards)
A message sent to other worlds, inscribed on metal.
1934 Self-Aware Robot (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
A robot that thinks and reasons for itself.
1934 Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
Fine wine in convenient, dried form.
1934 Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it.
1934 Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red.
1934 Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication.
1934 Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A silvery disc used for data record storage.
1934 Robot-Surgeon (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
A perfect robot for perfected human beings.
1934 Protective Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An energy shield for one person.
1934 Emergency Lifeboat (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small craft used as a bail-out vehicle from a large space station or spacecraft.
1934 Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An invisibility field.
1934 Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
The very fabric of space-time.
1934 Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A beam weapon of frightful intensity.
1934 Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration.
1934 Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A basic unit of currency.
1934 Moving a Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Early use of the concept of moving a planet to a new sun.
1934 Energy Weapon (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A device that fires pure energy, used as a weapon.
1934 Aircab (from The Barrier by Harl Vincent)
A flying autonomous taxi cab.
1934 Space Station (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley)
An outpost in space, usually in a fixed position or steady with respect to other bodies in space.
1934 Rocket Suit (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley)
A space suit with its own means of motive power.
1934 Astrographer (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley)
A person who makes maps of space and its features, like meteors or gas clouds.
1934 Twilight Belt (from The Mystery of the Twilight Belt by J.N.T. Lintott)
The narrow zone of livable territory on a tidally-locked planet.
1934 Electro-Telescope (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi)
A device that could clearly image space battles and space ships, even from a great distance.
1934 Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur.
1934 Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere.
1934 Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters.
1934 Levitators (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space.
1934 Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A personal flying car
1934 Robot Skin Covering (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Realistic covering for the bodies of robots.
1934 Robot-Control Wave Band (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Special command circuit for robots.
1934 General Strike of the Robots (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
All over the world, robots cease their labors.
1934 Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tedious search for habitable planets by hand.
1934 Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space.
1934 Ablative Heat (Reentry) Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A single-use shield or covering designed to accept the heat of reentry and burn off.
1934 Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A person from another planet.
1934 Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you.
1934 Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
1934 Robot Baby (from Life Everlasting by David H. Keller)
An infant robot.
1934 Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
From another dimension.
1934 Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements.
1934 Mutant (from The 100th Generation by Nat Schachner)
A new organism resulting from an alteration in the DNA sequence of its genome or chromosome.
1934 Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity.
1934 Spy Ray Goggles (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A form of radiation that can penetrate walls to allow the user to 'see' what is happening on the other side.
1934 Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Very thin beam of destruction.
1934 Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication.
1934 Solar Engine (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A space ship that gets it motive power from the rays of the sun.
1934 Homorium (from The Last Men by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A kind of nursery that could bring a human being to maturity in a single year.
1934 Wrist Search Display (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A wearable device that uses its own search beam to view scenes close by.
1934 Electron Gun (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner)
How to add a lot of electrons to a lot of positrons?
1934 Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought.
1934 Black Cube Teaching Machine (from The Flame From Mars by Jack Williamson)
A device that offers recorded images, teaching the user.
1934 Automatic Parking (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar.
1934 Positron Beam (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner)
Vast numbers of positrons, the antimatter counterpart of the electron, are beamed around the Earth.
1934 Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars.
1934 Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
Device enables the wireless transmission of power.
1934 Sound-Transposing Machine (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller)
A device that scans a printed page and reads it out loud.
1934 Communicator (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small device that works to communicate over large distances.
1934 Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots that are able to learn.
1934 Laws Against Human Drivers (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown)
The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety.
1935 Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings)
Could positively identify a person using their scent alone.
1935 New Suns From Old (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
Creating new stars by crashing together the cinders of dead stars.
1935 Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III)
A device for empirically determining human emotion.
1935 Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Also, a rocket-plane.
1935 Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell)
An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity.
1935 Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking.
1935 Unattended Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
A factory that works entirely automatically, without human guidance.
1935 First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
The initial encounter with a non-human race.
1935 Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose.
1935 Galatea - Virtual Person (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
An entirely artificial creation placed in the mind of the user.
1935 Sink Hole of Space (from Star Ship Invincible by Frank K. Kelly)
A rip in space, a hole that pulls in passing objects.
1935 Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
Farm machinery that worked on their own.
1935 Danler Spacial Chart (from Star Ship Invincible by Frank K. Kelly)
A representation of space around a ship.
1935 Doughpot (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A mass of white, dough-like protoplasm, ranging in size from a single cell to perhaps twenty tons of mushy filth.
1935 Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions.
1935 Machine (Thinking Machine) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell)
A very early reference to a thinking machine in charge of a planet.
1935 Ball-Taxi (from Earth Rehabilitators, Consolidated by Henry J. Kostkos)
A floating, spherical cab.
1935 Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A taxi that does not require a driver.
1935 Micro-Telescope (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
An astronomical instrument for looking at objects in a miniature universe.
1935 Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo.
1935 Meteor Swarm Mining (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach)
A fleet of ships hunting for meteoric iron - in space!
1935 Magno-Bars (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach)
Electromagnet-tipped rods used by meteor miners to capture iron-rich asteroids in space.
1935 Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer.
1935 Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell)
A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power.
1935 Time Line (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn)
Time seen linearly, as a distinguishable series of events.
1935 Micro-Cosmos (Microcosm) (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
The universe in miniature.
1935 Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A hooded protective suit worn on Venus.
1935 Space Traffic (from Satan in Exile by Arthur William Bernal)
The movement of numbers of ships through space.
1935 Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
An automated car that pays its own toll.
1935 Air-Tight Cities (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
Cities with breathable air constructed on worlds with no atmosphere.
1935 Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect.
1935 Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly.
1935 Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus
1935 Electric Menu (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn)
Ordering of food is automated, without waiters.
1935 Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Very early take on virtual reality hardware.
1936 Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst)
A tunneling device.
1936 Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings)
Shoots a length of constricting wire.
1936 Robot With Human's Brain (from Revenge of the Robot by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A very early example of encasing a human brain in a robotic body.
1936 Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A small desktop screen intercom system.
1936 Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself.
1936 Dark Vapor Bubble (from Man-Jewels for Xothar by H.G. Wells)
A kind of field that keeps an alien base provided with an atmosphere.
1936 Photoelectric Telescope (Photoelectric Eyes) (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
An astronomical telescope that uses the photoelectric effect to gather light, and then to present the finished image on a screen.
1936 Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets.
1936 Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft)
Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor.
1936 Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell)
A clever use for the water you need to take anyway.
1936 Husk of an Atom (from The Roaring Blot by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A negative universe substance.
1936 Asteroid Lanes (Blasted) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
Actually clearing safe routes through asteroid belts.
1936 Meteor Particles (Sand Blast) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
Tiny sand-sized asteroids sand-blasting the hull of a spacecraft.
1936 Automat (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Unusual name for an intelligent robot; short for "automaton"?
1936 Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon.
1936 Probability Time Wave Tube (from Elimination by John W. Campbell)
A device that allows the user to see every possible event.
1936 Sounding Projectile (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Provides a way to tell whether there’s a soldid surface on a cloudy planet.
1936 Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension.
1936 Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout.
1936 Automated Search For Habitable Planets (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Automated use of telescopes and other devices to search the universe for Earth-like planets.
1936 Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Remaking or modifying an entire planet.
1936 Synthetic Intellect (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device for providing a robot with intelligence.
1936 Beckerley Electrical Field (from Smothered Seas by R.M. Farley (w/SG Weinbaum))
An energy field that can protect a city or large area.
1936 Bladder Birds (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
Alien life well adapted.
1936 Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A synthetic being having the form of a human being.
1936 Space Legs (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
The ability to walk under high gee acceleration on a space ship.
1936 Solar Radiant Energy Weapon (from The Weapon by Raymond Z. Gallun)
The device absorbs solar rays and then emits a powerful, coherent ray.
1936 Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface.
1936 Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A beam of force that repels one object from another.
1936 Time Travel Back Pack (from Tryst in Time by C.L. Moore)
A handy time machine you can conveniently wear.
1936 Emergency Repulsion Ray (from Earth-Venus 12 by Gabriel Wilson)
A handheld means of propulsion in space.
1936 Golden Ray of Synchronized Vibrations (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
Disrupts matter by hurling electrons out of their energy states and scattering them.
1936 Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Can pull an object through space.
1936 Rocketrix (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
A female rocket pilot.
1936 Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance.
1936 Audiphone (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Communication between space suits in the airless void of space.
1936 Zed-Ray (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A penetrating beam that would disclose the details inside of a closed object.
1936 Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A translucent glass-like fashion choice.
1936 Teaching Machine (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
A helmet placed on the head focuses illimitable knowledge into even the head of an earth man.
1936 Transparent Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A fifty-inch flat panel display that is (or can be) transparent.
1936 Robot Language (from Frankenstein - Unlimited by H.A. Highstone)
Specialized talk that machines developed for their own use.
1936 Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Microminaturized vision for UAV's.
1936 Giant Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
Movie screen-sized flat panel display for live televised images.
1936 Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist.
1936 Chronoscope (from Elimination by John W. Campbell)
A device used to see into specific internals of time.
1936 Fixing Machines (from Frankenstein - Unlimited by H.A. Highstone)
Machines that fix machines.
1936 Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
The well-traveled paths from star to star.
1936 Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams.
1936 Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
They give light.
1936 Electronized Gravity Plate (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft.
1936 Nutrient Gelatin Tank (from The Isotope Men by Nat Schachner)
Essential hardware for creating a new, improved humanity - isotope men!
1936 Paralyzing Ray (Bolar Current) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A beam that forces a person to remain rooted to a particular spot.
1936 Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A thin disintegrator beam.
1936 Electric Tractor (from World of Purple Light by Warner Van Lorne)
A farm cultivator that runs entirely on electricity.
1936 Time Loop (from The Time Entity by Eando Binder)
A series of events repeats, the stream crosses over itself.
1936 Multi-Generation Space Vessel (Generation Ship) (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations.
1936 Jupiter Mining Shoes (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Specialized footgear for walking on the Great Red Spot.
1936 Molecule Replacement Lamp (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A means of attaining practical invisibility.
1936 Radiation-Proof Oxygen Suit (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A specialized space suit for use in radium mining on Jupiter.
1936 Foam Station Sprayer (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A device that stills the stormy Great Red Spot on Jupiter.
1936 Violet-Gun (Ion Gun) (from The Brain Stealers of Mars by John W. Campbell)
Ultra-violet fury!
1936 Lanson Screen (from The Lanson Screen by Leo Zagat)
An elliptical shield of force large enough to enclose a city.
1937 Atomic Drill (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D)
An atomic-powered auger, for use in drilling deep into planets and asteroids.
1937 Ultra-Communicator (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A communication system that transfers voice commands from one person to selected others.
1937 Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle.
1937 Ether Eddy (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A shimmering region of space marking a break-through into another universe.
1937 Self-Propelled Space Suit (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A vacuum suit with a means of propelling itself built in.
1937 Robot Hands (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline)
Human-like appendages for the ends of upper limbs.
1937 Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
The act of firing a rocket into space.
1937 Drop Shaft (Neutralization of Inertia) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An 'elevator shaft' in which the user can fall at the speed of gravity, then be stopped without inertia (i.e., instantly).
1937 Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Diverts troublesome asteroids.
1937 Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel!
1937 Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner)
A means of capturing astronomical images.
1937 Space-Sphere (from When Space Burst by Edmond Hamilton)
A bubble of reality.
1937 Space Bursts (from When Space Burst by Edmond Hamilton)
When space itself inflates and eventually blows up.
1937 Space Dock (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
Like a port for spacecraft; they can deliver their passengers and cargo.
1937 Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Breathe it and die.
1937 Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships.
1937 Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
Telescope uses electronics applied to optics.
1937 Artificial eye (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A surgically-implanted artificial eyeball.
1937 Light Traps (Dyson Sphere) (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Surrounding a sun, a set of devices to capture or focus solar power.
1937 Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation.
1937 Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source.
1937 Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
An artificial water planet.
1937 Needler (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Small palm-sized weapon firing thin bolts of energy.
1937 Spaceplane (from Zarnak by Max Plaisted)
A craft able to land on Earth and take off directly for space.
1937 Black Hole (from Rift in Space by Paul Ernst)
A massive space object that emits no light.
1937 Opaque Helmet (from Wanderer of the Void by Dr. Arch Carr)
A spacesuit helmet that has no see-through components at all; fully enclosed metal.
1937 Wind-Suncatcher (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes)
A combination wind turbine and solar energy gathering device.
1937 Mechanical Cow (Nibbler) (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes)
An autonomous mechanism that performs some of the actions of an ordinary bovine.
1937 Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Ability to sense life.
1937 Subphoton Search Ray (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
A special ray beam that penetrates into hidden bunkers; images are caught on special film cameras.
1937 Sub-Space (from Crystallized Thought by Nat Schachner)
A dimension or a transmission medium other than our own, which allows faster-than-light communication or movement.
1937 Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes)
Living organisms of non-Earth origin.
1937 Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
A public address system consisting of buried coils.
1937 Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out.
1937 Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms.
1937 Heat Generating Magnetic Disks (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Devices used to artificially raise the temperature of the surface of moons to a reasonable level.
1937 Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance.
1937 Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure.
1937 Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice.
1937 Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
A specialized space station, for scientific research.
1937 Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A gun that creates a short-range energy blast.
1937 Miniature Universe (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
A microcosmic universe created in the laboratory.
1937 Locatimeter (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A method for a plane to know its location over the Earth.
1937 Robot Dog (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A mechanical, robotic dog.
1937 Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy.
1937 Designed Bacteria (from Seeds of the Dusk by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Very early reference to the idea of bacteria designed to wipe out a particular species, and no others.
1937 Etherometer (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A device that looked at the 'ether' pervading space as a means of determining gravitation field strength.
1937 Antron (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D)
A single particle of antimatter - an antiproton.
1937 Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere.
1937 Thionite (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A deadly drug.
1937 Spectroscopic Robot Converter (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
Accepted the return of soft x-ray radiation, and translated it into Fraunhofer spectra.
1937 X Gun (X-Beam Projector) (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition.
1937 Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins)
A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order.
1938 Field-Projector (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that dematerializes a person and then sends forth a ray that will then rematerialize a person at the end.
1938 Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Required document for space travelers.
1938 Tractor Boots (from Magician of Dream Valley by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Space suit footgear that has atom-driven caterpillar treads.
1938 Electronic Brain (from Alchemy of Outer Space by D.L. James)
Inorganic matter functioning as a source of intelligence and action.
1938 Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson)
Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated.
1938 Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld ray gun.
1938 Paralysis Ray (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A special ray that produces paralysis.
1938 Pneumatic Bumpers (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
An inflatable bumper system for ground-based motor vehicles.
1938 Multispecies Hotel (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets.
1938 Time Tunnel (from Rule 18 by Clifford Simak)
A gateway into the past.
1938 Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection.
1938 Hand-Rocket (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld device that used reaction matter to aid explorers in space suits to move around easily in zero gee.
1938 Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration.
1938 Tetrahedron Interference Projector (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth)
Projects a field of force around the Solar System, bending the light of stars to make them seem more distant.
1938 Eros Ship-Planetoid (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth)
A vast cylindrical ship, long thought to be a planetoid.
1938 Personality For Robots (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
Making each robot distinctive.
1938 Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it.
1938 Teleray (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi)
Destruction over great distances.
1938 Radium Salt (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Radioactive materials used as an assassination weapon.
1938 Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface.
1938 Brain-Case (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A device designed to transport a living human (or alien, if similar) brain.
1938 Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders.
1938 Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo.
1938 Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A small gyrostabilized hovercraft.
1938 Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
Polo played with rocket-powered craft.
1938 Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space.
1938 Robot Smiles (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A robot learns to give a perfect human smile.
1938 Liquid Metal (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes)
Metal that can be sprayed on.
1938 Rocketeering (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
Racing around in rockets
1938 Magnetic Flame Gun (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
Device shoots charged positive nuclei.
1938 Reversal Coils (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
Provide both entry into a negative universe and propulsion.
1938 Etherphone Receiver (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A special earpiece to hear coded updates.
1938 Banning Gun (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
Shoots a pencil heat ray.
1938 Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A household robot that can cook meals.
1938 Cube Being (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
A living being comprised of linked cubes.
1938 Individual Flyer (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman)
Personal antigravity and wing unit.
1938 Interplanetary Restaurant (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman)
An eatery and watering hole designed for use by a variety of space-faring races.
1938 Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A display device.
1938 Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry.
1938 Atomic-Powered Lifting Suits (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
Special exoskeletons that would allow an ordinary human being to walk in doubled gravity.
1938 Psychode (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
A device that enables communication by thought alone.
1938 Emergency Air-Suit (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
A light-duty space suit.
1938 Control Helmet (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton)
A device which causes an entire race of people to think and feel the same as the wearer.
1938 Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner)
Providing simple personalities to robots.
1938 Robot Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
Artificial animals created using robotic elements.
1938 Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
A planetoid prison.
1938 Teleoperated Robot Surrogate (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman)
A robot that is entirely controlled remotely by a person who sees with the point of view of the robot.
1938 Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman)
A screen technology placed very close to the eyes.
1938 Selective Television (from The Challenge of Atlantis by Arthur J. Burks)
A special kind of 'television' that let the user choose any scene around the world.
1938 Autobus (from Tidal Moon by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
Robot-guided public transportation.
1938 Air-o-Stat (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Provides life-giving air in spacecraft.
1938 Artificial Eye Drone (from Glimpse by Manly Wade Wellman)
A remote flying device that transmits its view to the operator.
1938 Lightweight Vacuum Armor (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A simplified space suit, used where conditions were similar to Earth rather than in the more rigorous conditions of space.
1938 Mech (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
An alternative name for simplified robot.
1938 Steel-Lined Space Boots (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
In combination with a magnetized floor, allows the user to walk in zero gravity.
1938 Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots.
1938 Artificially Produced Speech (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Speech produced by mechanical means, rather than with vocal chords.
1938 Air-Blanket (from Hollywood on the Moon by Henry Kuttner)
A dome-less protective air shield.
1938 Vacuum-Cupped Sandals (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
Used for walking in weightless environments.
1938 Atomic Explosive (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A handheld bomb that melted its way into an armored door, then detonated.
1938 Proxy Robot (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A remote-controlled floating telepresence robot, for use by aliens who cannot share an atmosphere.
1938 Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
A very small power generator that is atomic powered.
1938 Transfer Refuge (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A portable environment chamber, able to support unique and different lifeforms.
1938 Buggaroo (from The Secret of the Canali by Clifton B. Kruse)
Martian creature for transportation.
1938 Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Get to the truth.
1938 Mass Detector (Gravitator) (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
A device that finds substantial masses, particularly in the path of a space craft.
1938 Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi)
A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances.
1938 Zero-Gravity (from If Science Reached the Earth's Core by John R. Binder)
A state in which gravity is effectively absent or cancelled out.
1939 Chronovitameter (from Lifeline by Robert Heinlein)
Device that can determine a person's date of birth - and the date on which he or she will die.
1939 Neuronic Control Apparatus (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that communicated with a brain implant, granting both sight and control.
1939 Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships.
1939 Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
Compact food for space travelers.
1939 Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape.
1939 Neuronic Receptor-Transmitter (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device which, implanted in the brain, can both transmit sight and sound, and enable control of the body by a remote operator.
1939 Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1939 Pseudogravity (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Gravity produced by artifice, rather than by a suitably large mass.
1939 Inertia Screen (from Space Rating by John Berryman)
A device that canceled out the law of inertia to help decelerating space craft occupants.
1939 Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology.
1939 Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A variation on the force shield idea.
1939 Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Miniaturized device for surgical precision.
1939 Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently.
1939 Inflatable Roofed Valley (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
A habitat on an asteroid created by placing a tent-like roof over a natural valley or depression, and then inflating it.
1939 Ballistic Calculator (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
An on-board computer for a spaceship to calculate its course and perform other related tasks.
1939 Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel.
1939 Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system.
1939 Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning.
1939 Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft.
1939 Space Charts (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A pictorial representation of suns in space.
1939 Robot Observatory (from Space Rating by John Berryman)
A fully automated astronomical observatory, placed on a planet (typically, one that does not support human life).
1939 Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Using the power of a hole in the continuum.
1939 Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A device that prints a newspaper in your home.
1939 Portable Atomic Heater (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Compact source of energy.
1939 Metal Desk Car (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A combination work desk and vehicle for librarians and researchers; part desk part carnival ride.
1939 Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability.
1939 Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus
1939 Space-Contraction Drive (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
Slip through endless interstellar space by making the distance smaller.
1939 Electric Brain Stimulator (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A device that coordinated the waves of the brain with an external device to improve performance.
1939 Cosmic Storm (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A vast tempest in space!
1939 Galaxy Superbrain (from Short-Wave Madness by Robert Castle)
The idea that the galaxy itself is a conscious entity.
1939 Duplication Chamber (from The 4-Sided Triangle by William F. Temple)
A means of precisely duplicating an object.
1939 Colony World (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
A planet settled by a single group.
1939 Etheric Typhoon (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
The idea that space itself can have disturbances.
1939 Opti-Phone (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
Yet another name for a videophone.
1939 Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures.
1939 Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use.
1939 Polyceltron Iconoscope Televisor (from Newscast by Harl Vincent)
A portable camera and microphone setup that could broadcast on-the-spot news.
1939 Telescribe (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Creates a written record of distress signals and other reports.
1939 Mechanical Judge (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A device that makes legal decisions.
1939 Automatic Delivery Library (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A library able to deliver any volume within a few moments.
1939 Electrical Valet (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner.
1939 Stereoscopic Vernier and Cube (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
A means of photographing in depth.
1939 Robot Surgery (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn)
Robots operate an advance operating theater.
1939 Meteoric Dust Cloud (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn)
A vast cloud in space, through which the solar system moved for a decade.
1939 Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton)
A trading post in space.
1939 Transparent Car Roof (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
You can see through the roof of the car.
1939 Movie Pill (Movie Substitute) (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Gives you the experience of having seen a movie.
1939 Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond)
Protects ships from the hazards of space.
1939 Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
Self-driving vehicles.
1939 Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Counteracts the effects of high acceleration.
1939 Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos)
Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration.
1939 Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade)
Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft.
1939 Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Strong metal you can see through.
1939 Adaptene (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
Parent of all hormones, it makes possible the adaptation of the human organism to alien worlds.
1939 Identification Ring (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
An apparently ordinary ring, which minutely describes and identifies its wearer.
1939 Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The rules of the spacelanes.
1939 Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot powered by sunlight.
1939 Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The mightiest billboard in the Solar System!
1939 Gravitic (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Relating to gravity.
1939 Electric-Powered Caterpillar Shovels (from The Fortress of Utopia by Jack Williamson)
Mining equipment powered by electricity.
1939 Robot Rights (from The Trial of Adam Link, Robot by Eando Binder)
Should robots have the rights of men?
1939 New Moon Casino Satellite (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An enormous artificial moon, it was far easier to get to than the Old Moon.
1939 Hall of Euthanasia (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide.
1939 Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water.
1939 Spacecraft Invisibility Electronics (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A means of rendering a spacecraft invisible to detection by electromagnetic means.
1939 Sun-Engine (from Valley of Lost Souls by Eando Binder)
A device that absorbs solar rays for power.
1939 Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts.
1939 Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon.
1939 Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool.
1939 Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion.
1939 Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances.
1939 Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid.
1939 Pleasure Planet (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A vast world devoted to enjoyment.
1939 Chart Cabinet (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Used in astrogation, this device can see the positions of stars and planets over a thousand year period.
1939 Synthetic Intellect (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan)
A machine mind, created and improved by more primitive machine minds.
1939 Extra-Terra Bio-Institute (ETBI) Bio-Conditioning (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
The overarching work of adapting human beings to alien worlds.
1939 Robot-Boss (from Women's World by David C. Cooke)
A mechanical device that tells people what to do.
1939 Spacedog (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Experienced hands on space ships.
1939 Extraecliptic Travel Lanes (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Organized interplanetary travel using routes not confined to the ecliptic.
1939 Hand-Jetting (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Making use of hand-held rockets or other reaction devices to move through space.
1939 Brain-Plate (from Women's World by David C. Cooke)
Ensures the obedience of robots.
1939 Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances.
1939 Space Walk (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante)
Standard term for moving through the void of space.
1939 Ideophore (from The Fortress of Utopia by Jack Williamson)
A device that quickly and (almost?) painlessly transfers knowledge from one brain to another.
1939 Moon Valley Breathable Atmosphere (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante)
Atmosphere is retained in a deep valley on a moon or otherwise airless body.
1939 Corrosite Gas (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan)
A highly corrosive gas.
1939 Air-Mine (from The Space Visitors by Edmond Hamilton)
Fight invasion from above with an analogous method to mining the surface of the sea.
1940 Hyperbolic Solenoid (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Device that creates and manipulates magnetic fields.
1940 Solar Power Screen (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe)
Absorb all solar energy, and emit electrical energy.
1940 Atom-Shifter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A device that 'softens' matter, making it possible for a person to pass through.
1940 Humanoid (from Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov)
An alien with a human-like shape and appearance.
1940 Planetfall (from Quicksands of Youthwardness by Malcolm Jameson)
Making a landing on a planet from space.
1940 Soft Speaker (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
A device that sends a tightly-controlled beam of sound.
1940 Telelubricator (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Makes any surface or substance perfectly frictionless.
1940 Slow Glass Rod (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
A transparent glass rod that makes light travel so slowly that it can trap light within its depths.
1940 Planetary ID Card (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
Identification for every person on every planet in the solar system.
1940 Methuen Treatment (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Injections that increase intelligence.
1940 Mind-Shield (from Slan by A.E. van Vogt)
A mental defense or barrier that prevents access to one brain by another person or device.
1940 Tumblebug (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A monocycle; a motorcycle that balances on a single wheel.
1940 Dream-Adventures (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
Dreams sent directly to the brain are more popular than movies.
1940 Moon Skis (from Requiem by Robert Heinlein)
Special wide skis for travel on lunar powder.
1940 Grapple-Ray (from Exit From Asteroid 60 by D.L. James)
A version of the tractor beam idea.
1940 Electrically Heated Clothes (from Repetition by A.E. van Vogt)
Using artificial heating to counteract the cold of space.
1940 Robot Prohibition (from Robbie (Strange Playfellow) by Isaac Asimov)
Robots may not wander alone.
1940 Robots Build Robots (from Robbie (Strange Playfellow) by Isaac Asimov)
Using robot labor exclusively to build more robots.
1940 Hush-a-Phone (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A special kind of telephone that reduced noise while talking.
1940 Vibroblade (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A knife-like weapon.
1940 Synthetic Voice (from The Amazon Fights Again by Thornton Ayre)
Artificial human speech.
1940 Warp Drive (from The Tides of Time by R.M. Williams)
Traveling across the gap between universes.
1940 Solar-Powered Electric Runabout (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe)
A vehicle powered from the sun.
1940 Telechronometer (from Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein)
A watch that synchronizes itself to a remote source.
1940 Refreshing Chamber (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
Replaces the bathroom in the future history of Robert Heinlein.
1940 Air Blast (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
An air dryer for personal use.
1940 Knockdown Cabin (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
A portable shelter; had solid walls and could be assembled quickly.
1940 Sunpower Screen (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
A solar cell array used to provide power for a vehicle.
1940 Steel Tortoise (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
An all-terrain vehicle, grandfather to the four-wheeler.
1940 Barrier (Force Field) (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
Force-field fence.
1940 Solar Reception Screen (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A device for converting sunlight to electricity
1940 Rolling Road (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A set of fast-moving strips to move people over distances.
1940 Sun Plant (Solar Motor) (from The Lotus-Engine by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A huge system of mirrors collects light and focuses it on a boiler for energy.
1940 Dream-Machine (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
The mechanism that sent standardized dreams into the brain.
1940 San-Ray Projector (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
Device produces a habit-forming, nerve-tingling ray that clouds the mind.
1940 Darkened Glass Face Plate (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
The use of darkened glass on the face plate of a space suit helmet to protect the wearer from solar radiation.
1940 Vacuum Wall Compartments (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Shielding against heat by using walls with evacuated sections.
1940 Double-Pane Vacuum Window (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Double-pane glass separated by vacuum.
1940 Tesseract House (from -And He Built A Crooked House by Robert Heinlein)
A house built in the shape of a four-dimensional figure.
1940 Hydroponics (from The Hydroponic Monster by Maria Moravsky)
Growing food without soil, typically from water saturated with nutrients.
1940 Stratospheric Traffic (from The Great God Awto by Clark Ashton Smith)
Bad traffic at every level.
1940 Solar Station Switch Room (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
A power station for the entire solar system.
1940 Synthetic Flesh (from The Amazon Fights Again by Thornton Ayre)
Material resembles human flesh, handy for disguises.
1940 Test Box (from The Devil's Pocket by F.E. Hardart)
A remote-controlled device for capturing small objects from open space.
1940 Paralysis Bomb (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A device like a hand grenade that released paralyzing radiation.
1940 Lighting Panel (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe)
A large panel that presents illumination without heat.
1940 Floating Villa (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
An artificial island several acres in extent.
1940 Death-Capsule (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
A tiny implanted explosive capsule can be activated remotely.
1940 Bifocal TV Screen Lenses (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
Using the bottom lens of bifocals as a TV screen.
1940 Childcare Robot (from Robbie (Strange Playfellow) by Isaac Asimov)
A robot constructed to take care of a small child.
1940 Voder (from Exit From Asteroid 60 by D.L. James)
Device that produces speech by purely mechanical means.
1940 Cyclotronic Ore-Hurler (from Exit From Asteroid 60 by D.L. James)
Using the magnetic properties of an asteroid to send ore hurling across space!
1940 Air Scooter (from Space Double by Nat Schachner)
A flying personal vehicle.
1940 Autosight Achronic Beam (from Hindsight by Jack Williamson)
A range-finder for weaponry that isn't limited by time, for the ultimate in accuracy.
1940 Dream-House (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton)
An establishment wherein one could find the finest dream adventures placed in his own mind.
1940 Atomic Blast Weapon (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Reduces the target to atoms.
1940 Silk-Metal (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A very tough fabric.
1940 Robot Suicide (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder)
A robot decides to commit suicide, and sets up a mechanism to put his decision into effect.
1940 Tectogenetic (from Crisis in Utopia by Norman L. Knight)
Deliberate manipulation of genes to produce unique species.
1940 Electro-Automatic Pistol (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
Circular, pocket-sized weapon.
1940 Life-Ship (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp)
An emergency escape or survival craft.
1940 Asbestos Sunshade (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A means of shielding oneself from the sun's rays.
1940 Radium-Action Lighter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A personal device used to ignite tobacco products.
1940 Paralyzing Gun (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Renders senseless any human in its path.
1940 Pocket-Caller (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
Private communication device that fits in your pocket.
1940 Trumpaphone (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox)
A loud, brassy instrument.
1940 Merry-Go-Round Life Suspension (Refrigerator Plant) (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox)
A device that offered cold sleep.
1940 Two-Wheeled Car (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A small passenger vehicle with two centerline wheels.
1940 Atomic Automatic (from Revolt on Io by Jack West)
Fires a special, rocket-like bullet.
1940 Gravitational Disks (from Revolt on Io by Jack West)
Maintain your footing on those low-gravity celestial bodies.
1940 Space Tramp (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp)
An old, slow spacecraft.
1940 Synthetic Personality (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A artificial identity, a legal fiction of a person.
1940 Solid Power (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
A concentrated form of easily accessed energy to supply any need.
1940 Ferretscope (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A counter-surveillance tool to detect the presence of listening devices.
1940 Space Shuttle (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
A space-going vessel for trips from the surface of a planet to a ship in orbit, and back.
1940 Iridium-Sponge Brain (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder)
A human-like metal brain for robots.
1940 Escape Port (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
Emergency egress from a space ship for one person.
1940 Gesturing Robot (from Robbie (Strange Playfellow) by Isaac Asimov)
A robot that uses gestures to communicate.
1940 Rocket-Belt (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A single-user propulsion pack.
1940 Rocket Cruiser (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A privately owned space ship.
1940 Talking Robot (from Robbie (Strange Playfellow) by Isaac Asimov)
An impractical robot, for display only.
1940 Atom-Gun (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld device that sprays atomic fire.
1940 Neutronium Slippers (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
Special footgear to keep ones footing in lower gravities.
1940 Conversion Gun (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
The ray converts the heat in an object to light.
1941 Charted Planetoid Mines (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Charting the planetoids and minor bodies for mining purposes.
1941 Golden Shuttles (Mechanical Mice) (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi)
Very small robots with an appetite for watch parts.
1941 Space Placers (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Miners who use placer mining techniques adapted from Earth geology.
1941 Robot Mother (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi)
A self-replicating robot, which creates a series of helper bots that adapt to conditions as needed.
1941 Vanwinkling (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp)
Another name for time-traveling into the future.
1941 Docking-Cradle (from They Never Came Back by Fritz Leiber)
Holds a space craft in gravity.
1941 Momentum Screen (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon)
Allows a spacemen to avoid the problem of "high gee" forces on take-off.
1941 Solar Energy Beam (from Masquerade by Clifford Simak)
A solar energy plant on Mercury provides power for projects all over the solar system.
1941 Psychophone (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi)
A device that allows the user to tune their mind to a future reality - a time-traveling device.
1941 Anti-Robot Propaganda (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
Human activity against robots.
1941 Robotics (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
The engineering field encompassing the creation and maintenance of robots.
1941 Time Line (from Time Wants A Skeleton by Ross Rocklynne)
The sequence of events leading up to, and past, this moment.
1941 Flitter (from Vortex Blaster by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small craft used for short-range journeys.
1941 Robopark (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated parking garage.
1941 Electrono-Mirror (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Focuses the sun's rays on a planetary surface for terraforming purposes.
1941 Solar Car (from The Man Who Bought Mars by Polton Cross)
A car the energy for which comes from the sun.
1941 Space Tunnel (from The Man Who Bought Mars by Polton Cross)
An enclosed gang plank extended between space ships.
1941 Metal Solvent Ray Thrower (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Acts like a flame thrower in space.
1941 Blastick (from The Traitor by Kurt von Rachen)
A scorching beam weapon
1941 Robot Music (from The Robot God by Ray Cummings)
Music created and performed entirely by robots.
1941 Dewlog (from The Traitor by Kurt von Rachen)
A drug with the side-effect of virtually eliminating hunger.
1941 Atmospherics Switchboard (from Lie on the Beam by John Victor Peterson)
Make sure each hotel room has the right atmosphere from the right planet.
1941 Talking Speedometer (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
A gauge that tells you its value verbally
1941 Sweep Field (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Pulls in interplanetary matter for space ship propulsion.
1941 Space Overalls (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Light-duty space suit.
1941 Roving Bomb (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Special zero-gee guided bomb.
1941 Magnetized Boots (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Special shoes to allow walking in and around a metal ship with no artificial gravity.
1941 Visible Halo (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
Providing a religious figure with a technological sign of grace.
1941 Mind Control Genetically Modified Food (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Plants that are modified to produce specific combinations of flavors.
1941 'Chatterbox' News-Receptor (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An appliance for listening to the news that lacked content controls.
1941 Parking Orbit (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An orbit from which access to the planet's surface via a small auxiliary vessel is quick and uncomplicated.
1941 Moon-Terror (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
A syndrome common to people who live in less than half Earth-normal gravity.
1941 Geodesic Inflexors (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
Propulsion provided not by pushing against matter, but against spacetime.
1941 Chardion Field (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
Electronic 'envelope' that retained atmosphere on tiny worldlets.
1941 Hell-Stone (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
An incomparably beautiful and rare jewel.
1941 Lunar Used Spacecraft Lot (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A sales lot for used spacecraft
1941 Oxygen Freshener (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
A device that removed carbon dioxide from air and replaced it with fresh oxygen.
1941 Roboticist (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov)
A person who creates or works with robots.
1941 Paralyzing Eye (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp)
False eye contains mechanism for causing brief paralysis.
1941 Space Tanned (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A tan acquired by being exposed to sunlight while outside the atmosphere.
1941 Howard Families (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A project designed to produce a group of people with exceptionally long life.
1941 Bone Conduction Receiver (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
A concealed radio receiver.
1941 Uranatomic (from Backlash by Jack Williamson)
An atomic pile that generates electricity.
1941 Improve Memory (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Help immortals make sense of their memories.
1941 Controlway (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated highway system that takes full operational control of vehicles traveling upon it.
1941 Space Rush (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
The Outer Space equivalent of the gold rush.
1941 Automated Hotel Reservation (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A hotel that did not use clerks; a self-service hotel.
1941 Quench Field (from The Purple Light by E. Waldo Hunter)
Stopped runaway nuclear reactions by quenching the cascades of neutrons.
1941 Floating Robot (from The Floating Robot by David Wright O'Brien)
A robot that floats in mid-air.
1941 Charging Arm (from Masters of Chance by William Morrison)
A specialized device allowing a robot to charge itself.
1941 Automatic Speeding Fine (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner)
An automated device that not only computes the speed of a vehicle, but registers and then issues an electronic citation.
1941 Interplanetary Union Of Spacemen (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner)
An organized union of people who work in space.
1941 Wall Screen (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
A large size display for video, anchored to a wall, or actually forming the wall itself.
1941 Epileptigenic Ray (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
Ray causes uncontrollable spasms in human subjects.
1941 Space Lawyer (Sky-Lawyer) (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
A lawyer with special knowledge of space law.
1941 Joy-boat Junior (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A private space yacht, capable of suborbital journeys.
1941 Group Ego (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A group mind; a single entity that shares a number of bodies.
1941 Pocket Phone (or pocketphone) (from Lost Legacy by Robert Heinlein)
A telephone that is not hard wired to the network; a mobile or cell phone.
1941 Cold-Sleep (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A state of hibernation, created by lowered temperature and metabolism.
1941 Cold-Rest (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Lowering body temperature and metabolic levels, as in hibernation; also called reduced temperature somnolence.
1941 Fresher (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Short for "refreshing chamber,", it is the future of personal hygiene technology.
1941 Robopsychologist (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
One who examines the thought processes of robots.
1941 Thermatite (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
Pure energy fuel mined on asteroids.
1941 Robot AI Driven Mad (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
Placing an artificial intelligence or autonomous robot in a situation in which its brain is unable to make a decision and is destroyed or driven mad.
1941 Solar Station (from Reason by Isaac Asimov)
A satellite that gathers solar energy in space and then beams it to Earth (or other planetary surface).
1941 Stunner (from Fire-Power by S.D. Gottesman)
A non-lethal weapon; typically used like a firearm but only renders its victim unconscious.
1941 Sleep Surrogate (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Pharmaceutical designed to make up for lost sleep.
1941 Astrogation (to Astrogate) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
To navigate in space.
1941 A-Bomb (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
Abbreviation for "atomic bomb".
1941 Space Socks (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Protective garments for the lower extremities.
1941 Interplanetary Clearance (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Bureaucratic red tape associated with busy space ports.
1941 Young Blood - New Blood For Old (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Replacing the blood plasma of older people with material from younger people.
1941 Hypnotic injunction (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A method of hypnosis that prevents people from revealing particular information.
1941 Pilot Beam (from Methuselah's Children by Murray Leinster)
A signalling device that space craft in orbit descending to Earth could home in on and land.
1941 Asteroid Lanes (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
Regular routes traversed by asteroids.
1941 Trajectory Ship (from Logic of Empire by Robert Heinlein)
A spaceship that takes the minimum energy route to another planet, with the passengers weightless.
1941 Steel Crocodile (from Logic of Empire by Robert Heinlein)
A boat specialized for swamps on Venus.
1941 Traffic Control Camera (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated camera system that photographs license plates as cars move past on a road system.
1941 Asteroid Claim Law (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
The legal steps required in claiming an asteroid
1941 Psycho-History (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell)
The application of psychology to historical data.
1941 Space Station (from Backlash by Jack Williamson)
A base of operations in space, typically in orbit around a larger body.
1941 Bee Wing (from Slacker's Paradise by Malcolm Jameson)
A flapping wing aircraft in use on Mars.
1941 Positronic Brain (from Reason by Isaac Asimov)
A computer CPU with the capacity to rival a human brain.
1941 Weather Integrator (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An entire technology for controlling the weather.
1941 Orbital Mirror (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon)
A huge reflective surface in orbit around a planet or moon, the purpose of which is to focus sunlight onto the surface.
1941 Delayed Action Stereoscopic Principle (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Distinguishing far off space craft by relative speed against the fixed stars.
1941 Automatic Refueling Screen (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
Repels objects that are too big, and gathers small ones for fuel.
1941 Alterable License Number (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A device which permits a driver to alter the license plate without leaving the vehicle.
1941 Sleep Destroying Field (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
Causes lack of sleep.
1941 Magnetic Sandals (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson)
Special footgear to walk in zero-gee spacecraft.
1941 Neoterics (from Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon)
Pure engineering genius on tap.
1941 Camden Speedster (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A super sports utility vehicle (SUV); it drives on the highway, the water and jumps into the air for short periods.
1941 Squeaker (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart)
Used to search out radium in asteroids.
1941 Self-Lighting Cigarette (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A cigarette with a matchhead built in.
1941 Disinto (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov)
A disintegrating ray.
1941 Spacehound (Beast) (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart)
Oddly canine, telepathic beast digs in asteroids for metal.
1941 Identification Beacon (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Radio pulse to identify orbiting craft.
1941 Instant Customized Clothing (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A machine that produced a selected item of clothing, on the spot, based on customer demand.
1941 Antigrav Boots (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Footgear that negate gravity.
1941 Hypnosis Ray (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell)
Eases the words of dictators into the minds of the credulous.
1941 Newsbox (News-Receptor) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Also referred to as a microviewer; could search media programming for news on a particular words used in the broadcast.
1942 Slideway (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A slidewalk, or moving walkway, that moves people forward.
1942 Waldo (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A telefactoring device; also known as the Waldo F. Jones Synchronous Reduplicating Pantograph.
1942 Terraforming (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
The process of modifying a planetary surface to resemble those of an ideal earth; affects the entire biosphere.
1942 Three Laws of Robotics (Rules of Robotics) (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
The original formulation of Asimov's laws of robotics.
1942 Directrix Z9M9Z (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A control center ship for a vast space armada.
1942 Vac Suit (from Child of the Sun by Leigh Brackett)
A space suit, designed for use in vacuum.
1942 Stasis Field (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
Energy field which prevents time from passing inside the field walls; no time passes, nobody gets hurt.
1942 Telaudiogram (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
An interplanetary communication method.
1942 Martian Sawgrass (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
Specialized variety of plant that is used to provide oxygen for space stations.
1942 Gravanol (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
A medicine or supplement that helps astronauts deal better with high accelerations.
1942 Venus Equilateral Relay Station (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
A converted asteroid that served as the relay station for telecommunications throughout the solar system.
1942 Groundhog (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Not a space professional.
1942 Levitator Pack (from Gears for Nemesis by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Handy anti-gravity when you need it.
1942 Antigravity Plate (Antigravity Raft) (from Co-Operate or Else by A.E. van Vogt)
A thin, circular craft that floats.
1942 Atomics (from Nerves by Lester del Rey)
The field of nuclear energy.
1942 Electric Wall (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
A wall of electric force.
1942 Cubics (from The Face of the Deep by Edmond Hamilton)
Small, square animals that can combine to create a larger entity.
1942 Concentrated Cosmic Radiation (from The Face of the Deep by Edmond Hamilton)
Passing through a region of intense radiation alters lifeforms.
1942 Chronanalyzer (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Isolate specific movements for analysis.
1942 Weight-Shoes (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Devices intended to make it easier to walk on celestial bodies with weaker gravity.
1942 Up-and-Down Orientation (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Designed and constructed as if gravity were a factor.
1942 Meteorscope (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that probes ahead in space detecting swarms of deadly meteors.
1942 Gravitation Paralysis (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Dread illness of space travelers striking when changing from very weak to very strong gravities.
1942 Black Coating (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A material that absorbs practically all incident light.
1942 Control Natural (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A person who is allowed to have an unmodified genetic makeup.
1942 Capillotomer (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
An automatic shaving machine
1942 News Roundup (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A device that presents brief story outlines, any of which can be chosen to find details.
1942 Tiny Robot Planes (from Blood on the Sun by Hal K. Wells)
A swarm of very small independently maneuverable unmanned aerial vehicles.
1942 Space Tugs (from Describe a Circle by Eric Frank Russell)
Early use of familiar ocean vehicle in space.
1942 Wabbler (from The Wabbler by Murray Leinster)
An autonomous underwater robot.
1942 The Twonky (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett)
A robotic device from the future, constructed to look like a 1940's radio cabinet.
1942 Sobriety Ray (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett)
A ray of a particular wavelength and intensity, that conferred instant sobriety on those it shone upon.
1942 Vestan Parasite (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Semi-intelligent creatures that take control of the nervous system of other animals.
1942 Dirigible Space Armor (Working Space Suits) (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Heavy-duty space suits for mining work on asteroids.
1942 Fire Storm (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
When clouds of antimatter dust encountered ordinary matter spaceships.
1942 Space-Burned (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Analogous to sun-burned.
1942 Paragravity (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Artificial gravity.
1942 Pilot-Robot (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
The piloting gear of a space tug.
1942 Plastifoam (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Used to seal large leaks in space craft.
1942 Alien Self-Government (from Co-Operate or Else by A.E. van Vogt)
Rules to assure intelligent aliens the right to govern themselves in freedom.
1942 Hive Mind (from The Face of the Deep by Edmond Hamilton)
A group mind.
1942 Energy Converter (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
Massive unit on the sunside of Mercury converts heat into energy, and beams it around the solar system.
1942 Fairy Digits (Tiny Waldoes) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Waldoes used for very fine work.
1942 Igloo-Shaped Space Shelter (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Easy to set up on airless asteroids.
1942 Insosuit (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
A space suit specially designed to resist extreme heat.
1942 Xenephrene Interstellar World (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings)
A planet not attached to a solar system.
1942 Thermodyne Heat Ray (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings)
Device focuses, and projects, a heat beam.
1942 Auto-Clerk (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
An automated accounting system.
1942 Radiation Garment (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Clothing worn by ordinary citizens to reduce the risk of radiation exposure.
1942 Negative Safety-Field (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A paragravity-based shield for space craft.
1942 Broomstick Speedster (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A two-seater craft capable of spaceflight; it used radiant power to achieve orbit.
1942 Asterite (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A person who was born and lived amongst the asteroids.
1942 Seetee Blinker (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A marker of contraterrene matter (antimatter) asteroids, to aid in interplanetary navigation.
1942 Wheelchair Space Station (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A home in space.
1942 Interplanetary Communications Center (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
The backbone for a solar system-wide communications system.
1942 Radiant Power Receptor (DeKalbs) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A device which received and used energy transmitted from a station or satellite.
1942 Time Dredge (from Time Dredge by Robert Arthur)
A device that scoops up material from the past, and returns it to the present.
1942 Zero-G Ashtray (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
An ashtray designed for use on a space station.
1942 Thermalarm Relays (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Detects objects by their heat radiation, so space craft can maneuver around them.
1942 Contraterrene Matter (Antimatter) (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Contraterrene (CT) Matter (sometimes abbreviated "Seetee").
1943 Flame Barrier (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A form of protective force field.
1943 Rocketeer (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A person who pilots rockets.
1943 Stratoyacht (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A privately-owned pleasure craft capable of attaining orbit.
1943 Filmag (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A video magazine.
1943 Off-World (from Judgement Night by C.L. Moore)
Not of Earth.
1943 Meteor-Spotting Radar (from Recoil by George O. Smith)
A device to warn spacecraft of oncoming meteors.
1943 Royalties For Machine Learning Subjects (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A payment to people who are used as subjects for imitation learning by robots.
1943 Robot Taste Buds (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
A sensor for robots that would allow it to taste foods like a human being.
1943 Rod of Wrath (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A sword made of light.
1943 Airpolo (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
Polo played in mid-air with special aircraft and helium-filled balls.
1943 Aladur (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
High tensile strength, lightweight material.
1943 Hooman (from Castaways of Eros by Nelson S. Bond)
An alternative spelling.
1943 Force Pencil (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Device straps to forearm, projects a force beam.
1943 Space Weather Map (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A map that details hazardous space conditions.
1943 Robot Cop (from Pacifist of Hell's Island by R.M. Williams)
A robotic police officer.
1943 Coldlight (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A means of producing illumination that does not produce heat.
1943 Deceleration Chambers (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
Stressed, the ship breaks apart into parts that may survive.
1943 Manshell (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A spaceship large enough for just one man; also an escape pod.
1943 Sea Robot (from The Metal Monster (Jarvis) by E.K. Jarvis)
An enormous robot able to function in the ocean.
1943 Space Cadet (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A young person training to be a spaceman.
1943 Treatment of Extramundane Aborigines (from Symbiotica by Eric Frank Russell)
Laws for aliens on their own planet.
1943 Gum Tree (from Symbiotica by Eric Frank Russell)
A huge tree that lashed out with a mind of its own.
1943 Pain Canopy (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Pain by nerve induction improves interrogation.
1943 Adjustable House (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A house with elastic walls and structural members, the shape of which can be changed.
1943 Micro Book (Microbook) (from One Way Trip by Anthony Boucher)
A very small volume, possibly an electronic book.
1943 Robot Chef (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
Creative, autonomous robotic cook.
1943 Verhaeren Factor (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
Provides autonomous robots with the capacity for independent creative action.
1943 Usuform Robot Bartender (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A robotic bartender that is designed along purely functional lines.
1943 Usuform Robot (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A robot designed strictly along functional lines.
1943 Interstellar Storm (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A vast body of both matter and anti-matter swirling through the stars.
1943 Polyfrequency Neutralizer (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Dissolves projected solidographs (holograms).
1943 Space Meteorologist (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A person who studies storms in space.
1943 Impervium (from Clash by Night by Lawrence O'Donnell)
Unique material is impenetrable and indestructible.
1943 Durasteel (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
More durable than steel?
1943 Inviolability Field (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A kind of field of force built into a robe, to protect an individual person.
1943 Visigraphic Crowd Emotional Record (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A graphic record of the emotions of a crowd.
1943 Personality Alteration (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Permanent alternation of personality, the tools of the trade.
1943 Zeroentropy Spray (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A method of reducing the disorder of an object as much as possible, reducing the temperature close to absolute zero.
1943 Pneumo-Slacks (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
Pants that make you look beefier.
1943 Plastibulb (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
A squeezable drink container.
1943 Mixed Men (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A mostly human being, but with an additional robot brain.
1943 Telesolidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Projects three-dimensional images at great distances.
1943 Vastening (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
It's hard to describe, but it's a robotic sense perception.
1943 Solidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Long distance projection of three-dimensional images.
1943 Viewscreen Pentagon (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A display with a central, pentagonal display surrounded by square displays attached to the sides.
1944 Energy Screen (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
A field of force.
1944 Solar Beam (from The Long Way by George O. Smith)
Obtaining solar power by means of a direct connection with the sun.
1944 Gravitics (from Tricky Tonnage by Malcolm Jameson)
The science of using gravity as a technology.
1944 Heliodynamic Engine (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
A motor that runs directly off of solar power.
1944 Asteroid Mining Robot (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous robot able to effectively mine asteroids.
1944 Relations with Extraterrestrial Life (from Ogre by Clifford Simak)
Instructions to earth citizens on how to behave when encountering alien civilizations.
1944 Hide in the Asteroids (from Plague by Murray Leinster)
Match speed with the asteroids and become undetectable.
1944 Suit-Radio (from The Long Way by George O. Smith)
A means of communication between two individuals clad in space suits.
1944 Braking Drive (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Coming to a stop in space.
1944 Meloderge (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Automated music player.
1944 Reserve Bracelet (from Plague by Murray Leinster)
A means of sending a message via tiny shocks in code, delivered to the wrist.
1944 Eternity Drug (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
A medication that puts a person into a deep hibernation-like sleep for decades at a time.
1944 Soldier Robots (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Autonomous mechanical military.
1944 Life Blanket (from Ogre by Clifford Simak)
Sentient moss which, when draped over the shoulders of a human being, becomes fully self-aware, providing valuable services.
1944 Simple Organisms Do Math (from Mr. Meek Plays Polo by Clifford Simak)
Insects show unusual signs of intelligence.
1944 Slidewalk (from Sanity by Fritz Leiber)
A moving sidewalk; a conveyor belt for people.
1944 Anticlamps (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Padded clamps to restrain cabin crew under acceleration.
1944 Robot Voice (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
A voice box for a robot that is an analog of the human voice system.
1944 Robotic Arm (from City by Clifford Simak)
A specialized robotic reaching and grasping device.
1944 Astrogator's Masking Goggles (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Allows better viewing of astrogation charts and displays.
1944 Planetoid With Earth Gravity (from The Soul Eaters by William Conover)
1944 Solenoid Wickets (from Saboteur of Space by Robert Abernathy)
Great hoops of metal that guided, held and then shot ships into space.
1944 Asteroids From Outside Solar System (from Mr. Meek Plays Polo by Clifford Simak)
Small bodies from beyond the solar system are captured by major planets.
1944 Automatic Massager (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
An autonomous massage machine with robotic arms and hands.
1944 Rust Ray Pistol (from Gambler’s Asteroid by Manly Wade Wellman)
Makes the hardest steel or iron crumbly.
1944 Robot Team (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
A set of robots, with the leader able to coordinate the activities of less intelligent subsidiary robots.
1944 Robot Lawn Mower (from City by Clifford Simak)
An automated lawn mower.
1944 Gyrocar Monorail (from The Anarch by Malcolm Jameson)
A self-balancing vehicle.
1944 Mal de Void (from Off the Beam by George O. Smith)
Literally, space sick.
1944 Star Base (from Star Base X by R.M. Williams)
An installation or station at an important interstellar location.
1944 Turnover (from Off the Beam by George O. Smith)
The point in a torchship's trajectory when it must flip over and point its fiery tail toward its destination to decelerate.
1944 Battle Integrator (from The Bureaucrat by Malcolm Jameson)
A three-dimensional representation of warfare in space.
1944 Hollow Asteroid (from Juke Box Asteroid by Joseph Farrell)
An asteroid that has been hollowed out for use as a space habitat.
1945 Plastic Constructor (3D Printer) (from Things Pass By by Murray Leinster)
A 3D printer - for spaceships.
1945 Star-Globe (3D Map) (from Pi in the Sky by Frederic Brown)
A celestial star map, done in three dimensions.
1945 Ship Hull Thermobatteries (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster)
Solar activated and charged batteries built into the hull of a spacecraft.
1945 Fixed Star Advertising (from Pi in the Sky by Frederic Brown)
In which the positions of the fixed stars are changed to form advertising.
1945 Overdrive (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
A propulsion technology that allows a craft to travel at faster-than-light speed.
1945 Vision Plate (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
A flat panel monitor.
1945 Meteor Blasters (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
Energy beams that would destroy space debris or rocks that lay in the path of a spacecraft.
1945 Cosmoquake (from Things Pass By by Murray Leinster)
Gravity waves ripple across the solar system.
1945 Geosynchronous Satellite (from V2 for Ionospheric Research by Arthur C. Clarke)
A communications satellite that appears to "hover" over one spot on the earth's surface; it goes around the earth in twenty-four hours.
1945 Sleeve Communicator (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
An electronic device controller built into clothing.
1945 Escapecraft (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster)
A small spacecraft used when abandoning the main ship.
1945 Dingbat (from Deadly Host by Raymond F. Jones)
An alien mechanical parasite.
1945 Electronic Locator (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt)
A device that determines the location of a person.
1945 Games Machine (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt)
A vast computer system.
1945 Matter Duplicator (from Pandora's Millions by George O. Smith)
Makes a perfect copy of any material object.
1946 Robot Bus (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner)
An autonomous vehicle to transport groups of people.
1946 Spotcast (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner)
A new form of one-to-many communication.
1946 Mining Worm (Robot) (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
An autonomous mining robot shaped like a worm.
1946 Gravity Port (from Shadow Over Venus by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Used for refueling.
1946 Logics (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
Machines that let you request information, and then display it for you on a screen.
1946 Dud (from The Fairy Chessmen by Lewis Padgett)
Mysterious silvery spheres.
1946 Tanks (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
Device that provides mass storage of information.
1946 Logics Service (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
A networked service that retains all of your personal information, schedules and phone messages online.
1946 Star Travel (from Forgotten World by Edmond Hamilton)
Undertaking a journey between the stars.
1946 Wandering Sunless Planet (from Dead Hand by Isaac Asimov)
A planet that is not bound to a star.
1946 Asteroid Mine (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
The practice of seeking out and mining asteroids for their ore.
1946 Carson Circuit (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
A means of distinguishing betweem millions of different information sources - the secret of the Internet.
1946 Pocket Universe (from Pocket Universes by Murray Leinster)
A created, separate space within the normal space of the universe.
1946 Roboticist (from Evidence by Isaac Asimov)
A person who works on robots.
1946 Plastic Igloo (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
A heavy plastic shelter for use in airless environments.
1946 Robot Cat (from The Cat and the King by Raymond F. Jones)
A biological feline with mechanical parts.
1947 Wango Wave (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Energy surge that accompanies the entrance into, and exit from, overdrive outside of normal space.
1947 Prime Directive (from With Folded Hands by Jack Williamson)
The first and most important rule; usually protective.
1947 Space-Dory (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen)
A small spacecraft sometimes used as a life boat.
1947 Psychoscanner (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
A device capable of taking impressions, feelings and memories from living brains; it can be used on animals as well.
1947 Gyrocab (from You Are Forbidden! by Jerry Shelton)
A flying taxi.
1947 Hedgerly Effect (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith)
A means of producing a gravitational field artificially.
1947 Synchrophased Power Beams (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Focuses energy beams from multiple planets on the same object.
1947 Mechanical Funeral (from The Coffin by Ray Bradbury)
An entirely autonomous burial rite.
1947 Machine Servant (from The Star of Life by Edmond Hamilton)
A wheeled plastic box with universal-joint arms.
1947 Self-Opening Box (from Child's Play by William Tenn)
Don't show this to Apple.
1947 Asteroid Nets (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen)
Capturing small asteroids or fragments using rocket nets.
1947 Vitalizer (from The Soma Racks by Margaret St. Clair)
Tired? Try Henderson's Vitalizer!
1947 Ion Drive (from Equalizer by Jack Williamson)
A space drive that emits a stream of ions as reaction mass; it starts out slow but builds up to interstellar speeds.
1947 Gravitic Generator (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith)
A device that produces an artificial gravity field.
1947 Planet-Smasher (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Devices capable of destroying an entire planet.
1947 Space-Split (from The Star of Life by Edmond Hamilton)
Access to other dimensions provided by splitting space itself.
1948 Solidograph-Projector (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper)
A device that projected a 3D image of objects or a person.
1948 Telescreen (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
Very early use of the idea of using technology to monitor human activity at a distance.
1948 Learning-Cap (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
A special metal helmet for electro-education.
1948 Personal Rocket Jet (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
A small, handheld jet pack that can be used to maneuver freely in space.
1948 Crimestop (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
The faculty of stopping short, as though by instict, at the threshold of any dangerous thought.
1948 Memory Hole (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
A receptacle for unwanted documents.
1948 Atmospheric Braking (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Using a planet's atmosphere to gradually decelerate a spacecraft.
1948 Gravity Centrifuge (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Used in low gravity environments to build up muscle for visits to Earth, or other high gravity worlds.
1948 Beltway (from The Faceless Men by Leo Zagat)
A moving sidewalk.
1948 Tag-Along Balloon (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein)
A bladder-like device that both finds and temporarily fixes leaks in moon tunnels or space station habitats.
1948 Portable Telephone (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
The essence of a cell phone.
1948 Brain Erasure (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
Deleting selected knowledge from the brain using electrical impulses.
1948 Microwavable Food (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Food that is prepared specifically for use in a microwave (high-frequency) oven.
1948 Novel-Writing Machines (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
A device that automatically produces fiction.
1948 Tubecar (from The Faceless Men by Leo Zagat)
A pneumatic tube that carries people.
1948 Automatic Defensors (from The Rull by A.E. van Vogt)
Devices that follow along with you, providing extra viewpoints.
1948 Precog (v) (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper)
To see the future.
1948 Survey Craft (from The Rull by A.E. van Vogt)
Light duty ship for use in atmosphere, to explore planets.
1948 Nerve Control Lines (from The Rull by A.E. van Vogt)
Designs that take control of human nervous systems.
1948 Speakwrite (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
A dictation machine that also transcribes the speech into typed words.
1948 Rewriting History (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
Use of sophisticated technology to continuously rewrite the historical record.
1948 High-Frequency Oven (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
This describes the essence of a microwave.
1948 Atomician Sign Language (from The Faceless Men by Leo Zagat)
Specialized sign language used by those who work with atomics.
1948 Space Ark (from Decision Illogical by N.B. Wilkinson)
A very large ship used to transport a large group of people.
1948 Asteroid Asylums (from The Square Pegs by Ray Bradbury)
Unique cultures mean unique opportunities to help the mentally ill.
1948 Moonbase (or Moon Base) (from 240,000 Miles Straight Up by L. Ron Hubbard)
A base of operations on Earth's moon.
1948 Doublethink (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
A mental discipline that is an exact contradiction to the basic principles of scientific inquiry.
1948 Moonquake-Proof Habitats (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein)
Moonbases that are built to withstand quakes on the Moon.
1948 Electro-Education (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
The latest thing in electrically stimulated learning.
1948 Star Drive (from Genius by Poul Anderson)
The propulsion unit for an interstellar space craft.
1948 Versificator (from 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by George Orwell)
A device that composes words to music.
1949 Fluor Strips (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair)
Lighting long narrow devices.
1949 Repulsor (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown)
A device that inhibits the action of a spacewarp drive.
1949 Cybernetic Brain (from The Cybernetic Brain by Charles Recour)
An artificial brain to control the movements of an prosthetic leg using nerve impulses.
1949 Space Scurvy (Kenoalgia) (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair)
A wasting disease of space travel.
1949 Metal Calculator Planet (from Limiting Factor by Clifford Simak)
A planet covered entirely with machinery to a height of twenty miles and covered with a metal roof.
1949 Synthetigrav (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
General term for any of the fields produced by synthetic gravity devices.
1949 Three Generation Work (Century Piece) (from The Sub-Standard Sardines by Jack Vance)
An artwork created by three consecutive generations of artists, in exactly one century.
1949 Bolt Anti-Grav (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair)
This device produces a torus-shaped discharge that causes weightlessness.
1949 'Fresher (from Gulf by Robert Heinlein)
Short for 'refreshing chamber', a device that performs various personal services.
1949 Gee (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair)
Using the standard letter designation in physics for gravity.
1949 Desert Cabbage (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
A giant plant that regulates its internal temperature even on Mars.
1949 Emergency Treatment Tank (Chamber) (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A fully enclosed regeneration device.
1949 Plastiskin (from Unforeseen by Roger P. Graham)
Artificial human skin to cover prosthetics.
1949 Spider Robot (from The Mystery of Element 117 by Milton K. Smith)
A mechanism in the form of a spider.
1949 Shari (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair)
A multipurpose net worn as clothing.
1949 Martian Canal Ice (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
Open water ice on the fourth planet.
1949 Herculoy (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A very strong alloy like steel.
1949 Telepath Transmitter (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A device for long distance communication that makes use of telepathy.
1949 Painted Respirator Masks (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
Children choose to decorate otherwise uniform equipment masks.
1949 Speedtalk (from Gulf by Robert Heinlein)
A constructed language that uses a single sound to stand for a word, achieving great improvements in communication speed.
1949 Sound Analysis (from Gulf by Robert Heinlein)
Improving language teaching by showing the waveform of a spoken word or phrase, and comparing it to standard speech.
1949 Self-Igniter (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A self-lighting cigarette.
1949 Mind-Lock (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A device that confines a mind within its own shielded area.
1949 Visiglobe (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A display that provided a spherical, 3D visualization of a scene.
1949 Skimmer (from Lost Ulysses by W.L. Bade)
Low-flying, hovering vehicle.
1949 Stationary Automatic Blaster (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
An automated defensive blaster.
1949 Quizzer (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
An autonomous mind-probe.
1949 Bubble Armor Space Suit (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
Steel bubble-shaped space suit.
1949 Resilian (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A natural fiber that is as strong as steel.
1949 Spacewarp Drive (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown)
A means of faster-than-light travel.
1949 Vivo-Gel (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
Semi-living material.
1949 Robot Introspection (from Unforeseen by Roger P. Graham)
A robotic brain grows and learns about itself.
1949 Mind-Parasite (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
Takes over the cognition of a host organism.

1600-1899  1900-1949  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000's

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(See More Science Fiction in the News)

 

 

 
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