Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"Building one space station for everyone was and is insane: we should have built a dozen."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Planetruck | ||
| Huge vehicle for planetary surface transport. |
| AFTER THREE DAYS, twenty hours plus in space, the S.S. Selwyn fluffed to a spectacular landing on Andrigo, coming straight down from the Sun so the Greenies wouldn’t be able to spot her in that tremendous glare. The horribly twisted plants and withered trees of that pitiless desert bent and were demolished as the ship furrowed through the sand. Instantly, all was an orderly confusion, as the amid-ships gangway was let down, and the broad-tired planetruck, with a truck-bed as big as the floor of a large house, was yo-heave-hoed rolling from the ship. Then the astromen went fast at the work of loading her with hogshead after hogshead of indele-acetic acid.
 (Planetruck from 'Slave Ship to Andrigo' by Ross Rocklynne) He rammed in the starter and the planetruck leaped ahead. But Johnny Single was aboard. One terrific leap of fury had taken him into the cab, both arms around Hawk’s neck. In a threshing heap, Hawk and Single tumbled from the leaping truck, fell just free of the grinding wheels. Single drove off without a backward look, the heavily scored treads of the planetruck kicking up clouds of dusty sand. In the shallow gravity the truck rode easily, bound for the oasis where lived the tribe of Greenies. |
| Technovelgy from The Slave Ship to Andrigo,
by Ross Rocklynne. Published by Planet Stories in 1951 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the electrotruck from The Corkscrew of Space (1956) by Poul Anderson, the tractatruck from The Moon is Hell (1950) by John Campbell, the autonomous truck from Autofac (1955) by Philip K. Dick and the automatic truck from Mechnocracy (1932) by Miles J. Breurer.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Slave Ship to Andrigo
More Ideas
and Technology by Ross Rocklynne
Tech news articles related to The Slave Ship to Andrigo
Tech news articles related to works by Ross Rocklynne
| Engineer Creates Crazy Motorized Track Hospital Bed |
| Xiaomi Self-Driving Self-Balancing Scooter |
| AV-STEP To Permit Sale Of Vehicles Without Steering Wheels Or Pedals |
| 'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'...Anything was possible in my imaginary environment.'
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair...'
'We had discovered that metal was relatively impervious to the telepathic effect.'
'Detailed plans for the construction of the Gundstetter-Halone warp drive were flowing.'
'Do not waste your priceless company on the unappreciative folds of a sleep pod...'
'...so we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
'Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.'
