Science Fiction
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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)
2010 Disabler (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A device that drains power quickly from an electric vehicle.
2010 Darknet Farm (from Freedom by Daniel Suarez)
A farm that uses computer networked information systems to achieve sustainable agriculture in a community.
2010 Metallic Display Scroll (from Freedom by Daniel Suarez)
A rollable video screen.
2010 Angel Teeth (from Freedom by Daniel Suarez)
Essentially a spear dropped from a great height (or from orbit) with a guidance system.
2010 Alien Trojan (from Out of the Dark by David Webber)
Malware from another world!
2010 Aeromuse Pillow (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A pillow that doubles as a music player.
2010 Rocket Pine (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
Genetically engineered trees for wood pulp.
2010 Necap (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A device that burns out neural connections.
2010 Office Hand (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A robotic hand with each finger customized for a different function.
2010 Neural Lace (from Surface Detail by Iain M Banks)
An interface between the brain and computer facilities.
2010 Nutrient Extractor and Maximizer (NEM) (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
Device that replaces and extends the capabilities of the human digestive system.
2010 Ugly T-Shirt (from Zero History by William Gibson)
Uses disruptive patterning to make the wearer invisible to computerized surveillance techniques.
2010 Humeld (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A human being with augmented body parts.
2010 Barker (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
A device that scans for nearby medical implants, and allows the operator to take control.
2010 Power Stilts (from The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster)
Platforms that push inundated cities ever higher.
2010 Millenniaire (from The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi)
A person with much more Time than an ordinary person.
2011 Virtual Punishment (from Complete Sentence by Joe Haldeman)
It seems like decades in prison.
2011 Onionskin Transparent Jeans (from Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart)
See-through pants.
2011 DNA Publishing (from Spiral by Paul McEuen)
Encode a poem or story in DNA, then multiply.
2012 Autonomous Assassination Drone (from Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez)
A flying UAV that is self-guided to a target, destroys the target, and is capable of destroying itself after mission completion.
2012 Brain-Jacking (from Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez)
Using insects for surveillance.
2012 Parent Drone (from Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez)
A drone platform that launches smaller drones.
2012 Wildcode (from The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi)
A vast, actual desert comprised of nanites, nanomachines.
2012 Robotic Eel (from Re:Set by Susan Beetlestone)
A five-foot long artificial eel, controlled by an operator.
2012 Eel Operator (from Re:Set by Susan Beetlestone)
A surgically modified human being able to operate a robotic eel
2012 DNA Music Storage (from Year Zero by Rob Reid)
Encoding music in junk DNA.
2014 Cosmoline (Warm Sleep) (from War Dogs by Greg Bear)
Special gel that offers healing and hibernation for space travelers.
2014 Oxygen Fountain (from War Dogs by Greg Bear)
A small factory for making oxygen on the Martian surface.
2014 Replaced Worker Benefits (from Spark by John Twelve Hawks)
Compensation for people whose jobs are taken by robots.
2014 Nubot (from Spark by John Twelve Hawks)
An android that directly replaces a human at their job.
2014 EYE Program (from Spark by John Twelve Hawks)
A massive government database on civilians.
2014 Norm-All Program (from Spark by John Twelve Hawks)
A set of algorithms that determine a reasonable location for every citizen.
2014 Timeout (from War Dogs by Greg Bear)
The part of a Skyrene's life that is spent in Warm Sleep travel between Earth and the destination planet.
2014 Puff (Puff Balls) (from War Dogs by Greg Bear)
Material that is used to help Skyrines dropped to the surface of Mars get rid of some of that excess velocity.
2014 Skintight (from War Dogs by Greg Bear)
Specialized space suit for low atmospheric pressure environments like Mars.
2014 Freedom ID (from Spark by John Twelve Hawks)
A chip inserted into the hand for identification (and surveillance) purposes.
2015 Vehicle Seeds (from Killing Titan by Greg Bear)
A matrix of materials and instructions that allow vehicles to grow themselves when placed in an environment of plentiful materials.
2015 Public Urine Collection (from The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi)
Arcologies offer public latrines, then collect for reclamation.
2015 Centipede (from Killing Titan by Greg Bear)
Perfect craft for crawling through slushy, frozen lakes - on Titan.
2015 Cranial Amplified Programming CAP (from Killing Titan by Greg Bear)
An aid to learning, which you apply directly to your skull.
2015 Clearsac (from The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi)
A simple device that filters water perfectly for reuse.
2015 Face Recognition Sunglasses (from The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi)
Sunglasses that connect with a remote database to perform face recognition.
2015 Jonnytruck (from The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi)
A movable bathroom for hire; cost is offset by reclamation.
2016 Crowdcutter (from Infomocracy by Malka Older)
A device worn to part crowds.
2016 Logical Pathogen (from The Medusa Chronicles by Alastair Reynolds (w/S. Baxter))
Malware concealed in DNA.
2017 Hotello (from New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson)
A portable room within a room.
2017 Wristpad (from New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson)
A tablet computer worn on the wrist.
2017 Superscraper (from New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson)
Buildings that are hundreds of stories tall.
2019 OLED Body Film (from Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan)
Attaching or implanting flexible screen material to the body as decoration.
2019 VEIL (from Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel by Neal Stephenson)
A wearable device used to foil facial recognition systems.
2019 Forward Warehousing (from Stealing Worlds by Karl Schroeder)
Using the trunks of cars as little warehouses.

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

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Dictionary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
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SF in the News

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REALLY Remote Control Excavators
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Ultra-Realistic Robotic Arowana Robo-Fish
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GITAI R1 Lunar Rover Like NASA Robonaut Centaur
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Meshworm Soft Robot, With Peristaltic Crawling, Is Getting Better
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Mushroom 'Robot' Is Just A Start
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Tesla Electric 'Giga Train' Operational In Germany
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DOTPad Braille Device Offers Live Access
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Biohybrid Robot Combines Living Muscle With Artificial Materials
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Biohybrid Robots Made Of Living And Synthetic Materials
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Drug Induces Hibernation-Like State In Humans
re: Robert Heinlein
(8/13/2024)

Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
re: Poul Anderson
(8/11/2024)

AI Note-Taking From Google Meet
re: David H. Keller
(8/9/2024)

Qore IcePlates Are Personal Cooling Suits
re: Neal Stephenson
(8/7/2024)

P1 Just The Latest Robot To Take A Beating From Humans
re: Philip K Dick
(8/5/2024)

Waymo Cars Shout At Each Other, Autonomously
re: Isaac Asimov
(8/2/2024)

Your Solar Electric Paint Is Ready, Larry Niven
re: Larry Niven
(8/1/2024)

How Long Till We Have These Tattoos?
re: Paul Di Filippo
(7/30/2024)

(See More Science Fiction in the News)

 

 

 

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