E.E. 'Doc' Smith: Science Fiction Technology and Ideas

E.E. 'Doc' Smith:
Science Fiction Technology and Ideas

Edward Elmer Smith (1890-1965) was the science fiction author who wrote the Lensman series and the Skylark series. He was born in Idaho; he received his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from George Washington University in 1919. He worked as a 'food technologist' for the Dawn Doughnut Company, then worked for the US Army from 1941-1945. His novels are considered by most fans to be the progenitors of the 'space opera' genre; Smith himself stated that he preferred to invent fictional technologies that are not strictly impossible.

Invention/Technology	Source Work (Publication Date)
Ablative Heat (Reentry) Shield - very early reference	Triplanetary (1934)
Acceleration-tank - very early reference	Triplanetary (1934)
Airlock	Skylark of Space (1928)
Artificial eye - first use of this idea?	Galactic Patrol (1937)
Dekon Type DCQ	Subspace Explorers (1965)
Drop Shaft (Neutralization of Inertia) - watch that first step	Galactic Patrol (1937)
Emergency Lifeboat - very early space rescue vehicle	Triplanetary (1934)
Ether-Wall - an invisibility field.	Triplanetary (1934)
Flying Harness	Skylark of Space (1928)
Flying Wing - Northrup's all-metal dream	Triplanetary (1934)
Fontema	First Lensman (1950)
Force-Field	Space Hounds of IPC (1931)
Groundcar (or Ground Car) - the old-fashioned present	Galactic Patrol (1937)
Leybyrdite - Perfect for space axes	Subspace Explorers (1965)
Lifeboat - early mention	Triplanetary (1934)
Matched-Frequency Separable Units	Skylark Three (1930)
Mother Ship - first use of expression	Triplanetary (1934)
Moving a Planet - early use of idea	Triplanetary (1934)
Pentavalent Nitrogen - most powerful chemical explosive.	Space Hounds of IPC (1931)
Platinum Alloy Disc - first CD or DVD?	Triplanetary (1934)

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