Device Name |
Book/Story |
Author |
Date |
Laboratory Planet A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature. |
The Pygmy Planet |
Williamson |
1932 |
Lado-Acheson System A device for "pumping in" sunlight into an enclosed space habitat. |
Neuromancer |
Gibson |
1984 |
Laminated Mouse Brain Computer A computing device that makes use of neurons from a mouse. |
Think Blue, Count Two |
Smith |
1962 |
Landing on an Asteroid An elaborate flight plan for landing a space ship on an asteroid. |
Murder on the Asteroid |
Binder |
1933 |
Landing on the Moon Men from the earth land on the Moon. |
Somnium (The Dream) |
Kepler |
1634 |
Landing Pit (Drydock and Construction) A cylindrical hole with anti-gravity screens for use in spacecraft landings and repair. |
The Stars My Destination |
Bester |
1956 |
Landing Stage Parking spot for space craft. |
Atomic Fire |
Gallun |
1931 |
Landing-Cradle A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface. |
The Radium World |
Kelly |
1932 |
Landing-Grid A constructed landing area on a planetary surface for space craft. |
Sand Doom |
Leinster |
1955 |
Landspeeder A small repulsion-based hovercraft capable of high speeds over flat terrain. |
Star Wars |
Lucas |
1976 |
Langston Field A protective energy shield. |
The Mote in God's Eye |
Niven (w/J. Pournelle) |
1974 |
Language Rectifier The first reference to machine-translation of human languages. |
Ralph 124c 41 + |
Gernsback |
1911 |
Lanson Screen An elliptical shield of force large enough to enclose a city. |
The Lanson Screen |
Zagat |
1936 |
Laputa A floating island or rock in the air. |
Gulliver's Travels |
Swift |
1726 |
Laser Cannon A laser source powerful enough to provide significant light pressure to a "light sail." |
Neutron Star |
Niven |
1966 |
Laser Finger Special powered suit add-on makes you even quicker on the draw. |
The Forever War |
Haldeman |
1974 |
Laser Rifle A laser weapon shaped (and fired) like a traditional rifle. |
Door to Anywhere |
Anderson |
1966 |
Laser-Induced Plasma Shoots lightning from your fingertips. |
Daemon |
Suarez |
2006 |
Lasgun A continuous-wave laser projector; can be used as a weapon or as a cutting tool. |
Dune |
Herbert |
1965 |
Lash-Tube Device emits an energy beam. |
The Golden Man |
Dick |
1954 |
Launch Shock Astronauts need protection from the shock of being launched into space. |
Somnium (The Dream) |
Kepler |
1634 |
Launching Cradle A place for a spherical space craft to sit in gravity. |
Needler |
Garrett |
1957 |
Launching Facility A specific spot with support for a space launch. |
From the Earth to the Moon |
Verne |
1867 |
Launching Laser A set of very high-powered lasers used to power spacecraft. |
The Fourth Profession |
Niven |
1971 |
Law Clerk Robot A robotic lawyer. |
The Midas Plague |
Pohl |
1954 |
Law Expert System (LEX) Software capable of rendering a legal opinion. |
The Moat |
Egan |
1991 |
Law of Contact Non-interference in the development of other worlds. |
Orphans of the Void |
Shaara |
1952 |
Laws Against Human Drivers The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety. |
Photo Control |
Brown |
1934 |
Lawyer Program Software that could listen to legal argument. |
Earth |
Brin |
1990 |
Lead-Bodied Android A robot designed for use in the nuclear industry. |
Robots of the World! Arise! |
Wolf |
1952 |
Leading Machine An exploratory device; it takes the form of an autonomous motorcycle. |
Paradise and Iron |
Breuer |
1930 |
Leady A radiation-resistant robot. |
The Defenders |
Dick |
1953 |
Leaf Screens Bioform displays grown from plants offering flat surfaces - like leaves. |
Sparrowhawk |
Easton |
1990 |
Leak Disk Simple device to temporarily close a leak in a spacecraft. |
Islands in the Sky |
Clarke |
1952 |
Learning Robot A robot that learns from its own experiences. |
Callahan and the Wheelies |
Barr |
1960 |
Learning-Cap A special metal helmet for electro-education. |
The Knowledge Machine |
Hamilton |
1948 |
Lecton A device that would read aloud an electronic text book. |
Return from the Stars |
Lem |
1961 |
Legislation Analyzer Device analyzes potentially biased bills. |
The Trouble With Bubbles |
Dick |
1953 |
Lens Image A presentation of the night sky, calculated for any planet or point in space. |
Second Foundation |
Asimov |
1953 |
Lens-Tube A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope. |
The Doom From Planet 4 |
Williamson |
1931 |
Lethe-Mirror Induces sleepy mindedness. |
The World Jones Made |
Dick |
1956 |
Levitating Path Anti-gravity metal used to make a floating walkway. |
A Sound of Thunder |
Bradbury |
1952 |
Levitator Pack Handy anti-gravity when you need it. |
Gears for Nemesis |
Gallun |
1942 |
Levitators Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space. |
Lost City of Mars |
Vincent |
1934 |
Lewiston Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power. |
Triplanetary |
Smith |
1934 |
Leybyrdite Extremely tough crystalline metal. |
Subspace Explorers |
Smith |
1965 |
Leyden Ball Device for hunting underwater; transfers a powerful electrical charge to the prey. |
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
Verne |
1875 |
Librareome Project Blasting libraries into bits to create a library of perfect digitized electronic books. |
Rainbows End |
Vinge |
2006 |
Life Bank A storage facility with the genetic material that was produced by Earth's ecosystem. |
The Ophiuchi Hotline |
Varley |
1977 |
Life Blanket Sentient moss which, when draped over the shoulders of a human being, becomes fully self-aware, providing valuable services. |
Ogre |
Simak |
1944 |
Life Chamber A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment. |
The Chamber of Life |
Wertenbaker |
1929 |
Life Detector A device that was capable of detecting living tissue within a set radius. |
Cease Fire |
Herbert |
1958 |
Life Detector Shield An electronic field that is intended to shield living tissue from a Life Detector. |
Cease Fire |
Herbert |
1958 |
Life Phial Similar to a food pill, food in concentrated form. |
Improvements So Extraordinary The World Will Shudder |
Lease |
1893 |
Life Recorder Record the details of your life. |
The Dream Master (He Who Shapes) |
Zelazny |
1966 |
Life Tubes Escape pods for space ships. |
Liners of Space |
Vanny |
1930 |
Lifeboat A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew. |
Spacehounds of IPC |
Smith |
1931 |
Lifebox A device that captures a person's life experience in software. |
Soft Death |
Rucker |
1986 |
Life-Brew A non-alcoholic beverage, but similar to wine. |
In the Deep of Time |
Lathrop |
1897 |
Lifelog A life record made constantly. |
Halting State |
Stross |
2007 |
Life-shield Blanket A device that is capable of shielding the person using it against ordinary forms of detecting living beings. |
Heretics of Dune |
Herbert |
1984 |
Life-Ship An emergency escape or survival craft. |
The Invisible World |
Repp |
1940 |
Lifezone An enclosed biosphere; a pod-like greenhouse attached to a space-going vessel. |
Tides of Light |
Benford |
1989 |
Lift Chair A single occupant lifted by great birds. |
The Last Castle |
Vance |
1967 |
Light Absorbing/Emitting Ink Ink that can absorb light and then emit it in a burst for advertising purposes. |
Gravy Planet |
Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth) |
1952 |
Light Beam Propulsion (Light-Ship) Use of brilliant light as motive power for a space ship. |
The Radium World |
Kelly |
1932 |
Light Pressure Propulsion First mention of the idea that light itself could be a form of propulsion for spacecraft. |
From the Earth to the Moon |
Verne |
1867 |
Light Speed Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity. |
Out Around Rigel |
Wilson |
1931 |
Light Traps (Dyson Sphere) Surrounding a sun, a set of devices to capture or focus solar power. |
Star Maker |
Stapledon |
1937 |
Light-Absorbing Paint Space stealth! |
Earthlight |
Clarke |
1955 |
Lighting Panel A large panel that presents illumination without heat. |
Let There Be Light |
Monroe |
1940 |
Lightsaber A sword the blade of which is formed by a beam of visible light which cuts like a laser. |
Star Wars |
Lucas |
1976 |
Light-Sail Ship A spacecraft that used a huge sail moved by light pressure. |
Think Blue, Count Two |
Smith |
1962 |
Light-Sculpture A creative work that was both sculpture and light. |
Light Verse |
Asimov |
1973 |
Light-Sword A laser tuned for use as a cutting tool. |
Ringworld |
Niven |
1970 |
Lightweight Vacuum Armor A simplified space suit, used where conditions were similar to Earth rather than in the more rigorous conditions of space. |
Hotel Cosmos |
Gallun |
1938 |
Liquid Metal Metal that can be sprayed on. |
The Dual World |
Barnes |
1938 |
Liquid Mirror Telescope on Mars A large telescope using a spinning bowl of mercury as the mirror. |
Old Faithful |
Gallun |
1934 |
Lithocule Tiny intelligent building blocks. |
The Diamond Age |
Stephenson |
1995 |
Little Bird A remote-control "eye-in-the-sky" miniature drone plane (UAV). |
Darwin's Children |
Bear |
2003 |
Live Carpet A carpet made of living fibers; the backing is a digestive system. |
Queen of Angels |
Bear |
1990 |
Live Memo A paper memo or short letter that reads itself and can even argue with or exhort its reader. |
The Simulacra |
Dick |
1964 |
Live News The modern concept of a news broadcast. |
In the Year 2889 |
Verne |
1889 |
Living Advertising Character Modifying an ordinary person to create a living likeness of a company's brand symbol or character. |
The Stars My Destination |
Bester |
1956 |
Living Book A small creature that is used to contain and play back information. |
The World Below |
Wright |
Collins So |
Living Grass Carpet An indoor area covered with grass, in the manner of a carpet. |
Stranger in a Strange Land |
Heinlein |
1961 |
Living Machines Robots that are able to learn. |
The Mentanicals |
Flagg |
1934 |
Living Metal Cubes Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes. |
The Metal Monster |
Merritt |
1920 |
Living Space Ship A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose. |
Proxima Centauri |
Leinster |
1935 |
Lobster AI Scan a lobster brain, get a learning machine. |
Accelerando |
Stross |
2005 |
Local Time Clock A clock for use in airships that always indicates the time for the place they are flying over. |
The Silent Destroyer |
Juve |
1929 |
Localizer Devices that work together to form ad-hoc networks. |
A Deepness in the Sky |
Vinge |
1999 |
Locatimeter A method for a plane to know its location over the Earth. |
The Iron World |
Kline |
1937 |
Logical Pathogen Malware concealed in DNA. |
The Medusa Chronicles |
Reynolds (w/S. Baxter) |
2016 |
Logics Machines that let you request information, and then display it for you on a screen. |
A Logic Named Joe |
Leinster |
1946 |
Logics Service A networked service that retains all of your personal information, schedules and phone messages online. |
A Logic Named Joe |
Leinster |
1946 |
Loiter-Drone A autonomous flying device that hovers protectively over a defined area. |
The Algebraist |
Banks |
2004 |
Loitering Micro-Missile A small missile that does not need line-of-sight and can move at a slow pace until it finds its target. |
Invader on My Back |
High |
1968 |
Loogie Gun A non-violent weapon that shoots a gooey mass to immobilize a person judged to have criminal or violent intent. |
Snow Crash |
Stephenson |
1992 |
Low-Gravity Velodrome A bicycle track in an orbital resort. |
Neuromancer |
Gibson |
1984 |
Low-scale Detectors Magnifies even the smallest sound. |
Brigands of the Moon |
Cummings |
1930 |
Lucid Dreamer A machine that guarantees productive REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, and therefore dreams. |
Starfish |
Watts |
1999 |
Lucky Dragon ATM An automatic teller machine with attitude. |
All Tomorrow's Parties |
Gibson |
1999 |
Luggage A trunk made from sapient pearwood. |
The Color of Magic |
Pratchett |
1983 |
Luggage Robot Perfect helper at robotic hotels. |
The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge |
Harrison |
1970 |
Luminescent Vial A glass tube full of luminescent algae; used to provide some measure of light underground. |
The Dragon Masters |
Vance |
1962 |
Luminous Stake-Markers Illuminated pole designating a staked claim on the surface of a planet, moon or asteroid. |
The Radium World |
Kelly |
1932 |
Lunar Advertisement An 'ad' on the lunar surface that can be seen by its audience on Earth. |
Watch This Space |
Clarke |
1957 |
Lunar Concrete A building material using lunar dust or similar surface material as a main ingredient. |
Mona Lisa Overdrive |
Gibson |
1988 |
Lunar Disneyland A vast cavern excavated on the Moon - used for entertainment. Very large scale entertainment. |
The Phantom of Kansas |
Varley |
1976 |
Lunar Greenhouse Tunnel A multipurpose conservatory on the Moon. |
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress |
Heinlein |
1966 |
Lunar Ice Mining The practice of mining for ice on the moon. |
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress |
Heinlein |
1966 |
Lunar Mining Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon. |
Brigands of the Moon |
Cummings |
1930 |
Lunar Monorail A monorail constructed above the surface of the Moon. |
Earthlight |
Clarke |
1955 |
Lunar Observatory Putting an observatory on the far side of the Moon could have advantages. |
We Have Fed Our Sea |
Anderson |
1958 |
Lunar Tunnel (Human Pendulum) A tunnel through the center of the moon, and the man who fell through it. |
Captive of the Crater |
Sharp |
1933 |
Lunar Used Spacecraft Lot A sales lot for used spacecraft |
Methuselah's Children |
Heinlein |
1941 |
Lunar Web The moon ensnared by cobwebs. |
Hothouse |
Aldiss |
1962 |
Lunocycle (Lunar Bicycle) A bicycle specially adapted for lunar travel. |
The Rolling Stones |
Heinlein |
1952 |
Lux A bar of solidified light. |
The Black Star Passes |
Campbell |
1930 |
Luxobe Crystals They give light. |
Moon Crystals |
Haggard |
1936 |
Luxvid Eyes (Jensen Wide-Angle) Artificial, unmoving implanted eyes. |
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch |
Dick |
1965 |
Lyle Drive Propulsion system for use inside the solar system. |
Stranger in a Strange Land |
Heinlein |
1961 |