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"Poised between intransigent scepticism and uncritical credulity, it [science fiction] is par excellence the literature of the open mind."
- John Brunner

Force-Ray  
  A large, hand-held spear of force.  


(Buck Rogers force-ray brandished)


( Buck Rogers force-ray in use)

From Buck Rogers, 2430 AD, by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins).
Published by Not Known in 1929
Additional resources -

Compare to the blaster from When the Green Star Waned (1925) by Nictzin Dyalhis, the stationary automatic blaster from Red Planet (1949) by Robert Heinlein, the neutron disruption blaster from The Complete Paratime (1951) by H. Beam Piper and the meteor blasters from First Contact (1945), by Murray Leinster.

Compare also to the heat ray from War of the Worlds (1898) by HG Wells, the death-ray from The World Masters (1903) by George Griffiths, the pencil heat ray from Brigands of the Moon (1930) by Ray Cummings and the flesh gun from The Computer Connection (1974) by Alfred Bester.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD
  More Ideas and Technology by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)
  Tech news articles related to Buck Rogers, 2430 AD
  Tech news articles related to works by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)

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