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)
1705 Cogitator (The Chair of Reflection) (from The Consolidator by Daniel Defoe)
A device which improves the rationality of the thinking processes.
1726 Laputa (from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift)
A floating island or rock in the air.
1726 Bio-Energy (from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift)
The first reference to extracting electricity from organic materials.
1726 Geometric Modeling (from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift)
The first recorded use of geometric figures to directly represent, or model, living beings.
1726 Knowledge Engine (from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift)
The first reference to a machine that could create sentences or write books.
1727 Androide (from Cyclopaedia by Ephraim Chambers)
A device having the form or likeness of a man.
1828 Steam-Propelled Moving Houses (from The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century by Jane Webb Loudon)
Otherwise ordinary residences that move from place to place, powered by steam.
1828 Mail-Post Letter-Ball (from The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century by Jane Webb Loudon)
A system of sending mail quickly from town to town via steam-cannon-powered hollow spheres.
1828 Barrels of Air (from The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century by Jane Webb Loudon)
A very early mention of a means for breathing once above the Earth's atmosphere.
1828 Stage Balloon (from The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century by Jane Webb Loudon)
A regular means of conveyance, like a train or carriage.
1864 Whispering Gallery (from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne)
A means of communication in specifically shaped spaces.
1866 Paper Steel (from Robur-the-Conqueror by Jules Verne)
Specially treated paper that forms material as hard as steel.
1867 Water-Springs (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
Using water to cushion the living space of a spacecraft from the effects of acceleration.
1867 Launching Facility (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
A specific spot with support for a space launch.
1867 Free Return Trajectory (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
The idea that it would be possible for a projectile to go around the Moon and then return to Earth.
1867 Columbiad (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
An enormous cannon, sufficient in size to send a projectile to the Moon.
1867 Gourmet Space Cuisine (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
The finest in French cuisine, in outer space.
1867 Light Pressure Propulsion (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
First mention of the idea that light itself could be a form of propulsion for spacecraft.
1867 Splashdown (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
The use of water as a medium for landing one's space ship in.
1867 Communicate with Extraterrestrials (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
Early plan to communicate with life on planets removed from the earth.
1867 Projectile-Vehicle (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
A projectile, or shot, capable of enclosing passengers and being safely hurled to the moon by an enormous cannon.
1867 Retro-Rockets (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
Small boosters to provide a thrust counter to the current velocity of the spacecraft, slowing it down or stopping its progress altogether.
1867 Weightlessness (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
The state experienced in free fall; a space traveler's weight is apparently reduced to zero.
1867 Air Renewal (from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne)
Re-oxygenating the air within the projectile spacecraft.
1868 Burn the Ship (from Around the World in 80 days by Jules Verne)
Utilize parts of the ship as fuel for forward movement.
1869 Brick Moon (from The Brick Moon by Edward Everett Hale)
An artificial satellite or space station with living quarters for passengers.
1869 Flywheel Launcher (from The Brick Moon by Edward Everett Hale)
Gigantic flywheels that build up enough power to launch a spacecraft - hurl it into the heavens!
1872 Mechanical Consciousness (from Erewhon by Samuel Butler)
The notion that machines may develop a form of consciousness.
1875 Diving Apparatus (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
Equipment used to go for walks on the sea bed; the direct ancestor of modern scuba diving equipment.
1875 Undersea Mining (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
Conducting mining operations on the sea floor.
1875 Nautilus (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
The wondrous submarine of Captain Nemo; the instrument of his escape from humanity and his revenge upon it.
1875 Leyden Ball (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
Device for hunting underwater; transfers a powerful electrical charge to the prey.
1875 Electrify the Rail (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
Use of substantial electrical charge applied to outer hull to repel potential boarders.
1877 Telepomp (Matter Transmission) (from The Man Without a Body by Edward Page Mitchell)
A device that transmitted matter from one place to another.
1879 Planetary Telegraphing (from In the Deep of Time by George Parsons Lathrop)
A method for communicating with dwellers on other planets in the solar system.
1879 Vivification (from In the Deep of Time by George Parsons Lathrop)
A process by which the body can be preserved for centuries at body temperature and then revived.
1879 Home News Printer (from The Senator's Daughter by Edward Page Mitchell)
A device that prints out the newspaper of your choice right in your own home.
1879 Suspended Animation (Frigorific Process) (from The Senator's Daughter by Edward Page Mitchell)
Very early reference to cryogenic storage.
1879 Compact Food Pastilles (from The Senator's Daughter by Edward Page Mitchell)
One small tablet is a month's worth of food.
1880 Apergy (Apergion) (from Across the Zodiac by Percy Greg)
An antigravity substance with sufficient power to propel a space ship from the Earth to Mars.
1880 Astronaut (from Across the Zodiac by Percy Greg)
The first instance of this phrase, it denotes a space-going vessel.
1881 Dutch Clock (Time Machine) (from The Clock That Went Backward by Edward Page Mitchell)
A tall Dutch clock with hands that move... backward.
1881 Chemical Production of Food (from Mizora: A Prophecy by Mary E. Bradley Lane)
Creation of food in the laboratory rather than in the field.
1887 Anacronopete (Time Machine) (from El Anacronopete by Enrique Gaspar)
A flying electric-powered time machine.
1888 Mall (Great City Bazaar) (from Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy)
An aggregation of shops under one roof.
1888 Credit Card (from Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy)
A simple card that is used in place of money
1888 Telephonic Music Room (from Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy)
Places where a person could go, at any time, to share in musical performances happening at some distance away.
1889 Recorded News (from In the Year 2889 by Jules Verne)
This is the basic idea behind Tivo and VCRs.
1889 Phonotelephote (from In the Year 2889 by Jules Verne)
A means of transmitting and receiving both voice and picture for a personal conversation.
1889 Live News (from In the Year 2889 by Jules Verne)
The modern concept of a news broadcast.
1889 Atmospheric Advertising (from In the Year 2889 by Jules Verne)
A means of mass advertising to cities and countries.
1889 Straightening the Earth's Poles (from The Purchase of the North Pole (Topsy Turvy) by Jules Verne)
By means of a suitable force, push the Earth until the planet's axis of rotation is perpendicular to the ecliptic.
1889 Electrified Fence (from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain)
A wire fence carrying an electrical charge sufficient to deter crossing the boundary.
1893 War-Balloon (Navigable Aerostat) (from The Angel of the Revolution by George Griffith)
Enormous dirigible airships used for war.
1893 Air-to-Surface Missile (from The Angel of the Revolution by George Griffith)
Very early description of a projectile fired from an airship into a surface target.
1893 Air-Ship (VTOL Airship) (from The Angel of the Revolution by George Griffith)
A flying machine capable of vertical take-off and landing.
1894 Magnetic Railroads (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A scheme for powering railroads using enormous electromagnets.
1894 Arctic Signal Light (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A means of communicating with spacecraft from the surface of the Earth.
1894 Space-ship (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A space-going vessel.
1894 Electric Protection-Wires (Electrified Fence) (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
An electric fence.
1894 Aeriduct (Rain Maker) (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A specific means of producing rain.
1894 Wind Power Generation (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A very early description of the use of solar powered 'farms' for generating electrical power on a large scale.
1894 Double-Door Vestibule (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A special doorway leading from the interior of a spacecraft leading out into space which maintains the air pressure within the craft.
1894 Rooftop Windmill (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Renewable energy source for the home.
1894 Global Climate Control (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Adjust the Earth's axis so the seasons are more temperate and uniform.
1894 Marine Spider (Hydrofoil) (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A very early mention of the hydrofoil concept.
1894 Electric Phaetons (Electric Cars) (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Vehicles whose motive power is entirely derived from electricity.
1894 Instantaneous Kodaks (Traffic Control) (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Use of cameras to help police officers enforce speed limits.
1894 Vehicle Energy Reclamation (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Reclaiming the energy gained by climbing a hill on the way back down.
1894 Electric Car Recharging Station (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A public place for recharging electric cars.
1894 Magnetic Eyes (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
A device that permits remote monitoring of people or other objects.
1894 Windmill Mast (from A Journey In Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor IV)
Enclosed machinery in large masts powers ships.
1895 Atomic Energy (from The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie)
Splitting the atom to create a destructive force.
1895 Time Machine (from The Time Machine by H.G. Wells)
A device allowing the rider to move freely in the temporal dimension, just as we ordinarily do in the two physical dimensions normal to gravity.
1895 Government Lethal Chamber (from The Repairer of Reputations by Robert W. Chambers)
A legal suicide booth.
1895 Atomic Microscopy (from The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie)
A device that can actually visualize a individual molecule and its parts.
1895 Manufactured Wife (from A Wife Manufactured to Order by Alice W. Fuller)
A wife made to order, programmed to meet her husband's requirements.
1895 Undersea City (from The Crystal City Under the Sea by Andre Laurie)
A great city under the sea, covered by a crystal dome.
1895 Submarine Tube (from An Express of the Future by Jules Verne)
A means of transport between Europe and North America via underwater tubes.
1896 Monsters Manufactured (from The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells)
Dr. Moreau demonstrates the plasticity of the organic form.
1896 Fulgurator (from Facing The Flag by Jules Verne)
An 'autopropulsive projectile'.
1897 Invisibility (from The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells)
The idea that it is possible to make a person invisible using some sort of optical technology to alter the body.
1897 Magnetic Shell (from The Great Stone of Sardis by Frank Stockton)
A munition that is powerfully attracted to ferrous ships.
1897 Photic Borer (Artesian Ray) (from The Great Stone of Sardis by Frank Stockton)
A ray of energy that illuminates a cross-section of Earth as it goes through solid earth and rock.
1897 Electric Gun (Mass Driver) (from A Trip to Venus by John Munro)
A device that used electromagnetic energy to accelerated capsules into orbit.
1897 Gravitational Wave Viewer (from Two Planets by Kurd Lasswitz)
A device used to see at astronomical distances.
1897 Automatic Shell (from The Great Stone of Sardis by Frank Stockton)
A projectile that bores through obstacles - even the Earth!
1898 Tripod (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
An enormous metallic robot.
1898 Biological Warfare (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
The use of microorganisms to defeat an enemy; this is the first reference in science fiction that I can find to this concept.
1898 Asteroid Mining (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
The mining of asteroid ore, accomplished by traveling to these tiny bodies.
1898 Air-Tight Suit (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
An special outfit that would allow a person to survive in vacuum.
1898 Red Weed (Terraforming Plant) (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
A plant brought by the Martians that grew on Earth.
1898 Quasi-Muscles (Sham Musculature) (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
A means of giving motive power to robots or machines that is similar to animal musculature.
1898 Space Walk (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
Going outside your space craft for a short time.
1898 Robot Biomimicry (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
Endowing robots with an organic-appearing fluidity, rather than mechanical motion.
1898 Robot Spider (Handling Machine) (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
Multipurpose device used almost as an extension of the Martian's own bodies.
1898 Heat Ray (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
First use of what appears to be a laser weapon.
1898 Steel Tentacle (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
Flexible robotic steel limbs that can both support a vehicle and grasp objects.
1898 Aerial Telegraph (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
Communication between individuals in spacesuits.
1898 Disintegrator (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
A device that causes objects to burst into molecular pieces.
1898 Black Smoke (from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells)
A smoke or vapor dispensed in canisters.
1898 Electrical 'Tether' (from Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss)
A device to make sure an astronaut could return from a free space walk.
1899 Electric-Automatic Housemaid Robot (Automaton) (from Ely's Automatic Housemaid by Elizabeth Bellamy)
A very early description of a robot to help around the house.
1899 Networked World (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
Very early description of our dependence on technology and communication.
1899 Electric-Automatic Household Robot Cook (from Ely's Automatic Housemaid by Elizabeth Bellamy)
A robot chef - an Electric-Automatic Household Benefi­cent Genius!
1899 DVD/VCR (Entertainment Player) (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A device that accepts stored moving picture entertainment and makes it available for viewing.
1899 Automatic Door (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A wall strip that rolls up automatically to let you through.
1899 Moving Roadway (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A roadway that is in motion, with seats and kiosks, that goes around curves.
1899 Moving Picture Player (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A machine that plays recorded pictures back for a single person - a combination DVD player and screen.
1899 Individualized Clothing Manufacture (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A device that will produce suits of clothing based on measurement data gathered.
1899 Babble Machine (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
Not just television - this describes what we call 'the idiot box' (technology and media).
1899 Automated Surface Measurement (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A mechanical method of accurately measuring a surface.
1899 Eadhamite (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
Synthetic material that creates extremely smooth roads.
1899 Kinetiscope Appliance (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
A small object that could show a variety of artificially created or extrapolated images.
1899 Town In One Building (from When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells)
This is the basic idea behind an arcology, or other single structure that is intended to provide living space and mall.
1900 Aerocar (from The Abduction of Alexandra Seine by Fred C. Smale)
A personal flying vehicle.
1901 Cavorite (from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells)
An antigravity metal; when it cools, whatever it covers will be impervious to gravitational forces.
1901 Translatophone (from My Translatophone by Frank Stockton)
A device that performs mechanical translation of one language into another.
1901 Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
A special suit and apparatus for survival on the surface of the Moon.
1901 Home-World (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
One's planet of origin.
1903 Joystick Controls w/Remote Display (from The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells)
A fire-by-wire remote-controlled weapon system.
1903 Vandelite Gun (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
An artillery device that freezes the explosive material for firing so it doesn't explode in the gun when it fires.
1903 Death-Ray (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
A thin ray of electric light that melts flesh away from the bone.
1903 Aerial Navies (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
Use of vast numbers of air-ships (planes) to overwhelm land defenses.
1904 The Terror (from Master of the World by Jules Verne)
An amazing vehicle capable of attaining tremendous speeds - in many different ways.
1905 Glass Dome (from A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells)
Protective cover for cities.
1907 Neutral (Point) (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
The point at which the gravitational pull of the sun and that of a planet cancel each other out.
1907 Gravitation Screen (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
Shields a spacecraft from the gravity of a planetary body.
1907 Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum)
A mechanical man.
1907 Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
Network of communication in the solar system.
1908 Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
Spacefraft fueled by radioactive materials.
1908 Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
Material that negates weight.
1909 The Book of the Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
The only book needed for life in the vast Machine.
1909 The Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
A single vast contrivance that supplied all the needs of the world's millions of solitary inhabitants.
1909 Breed Humans For Machines (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
Carefully cull the strong, resilient humans in favor of weakness, that the human race might be more adapted to life in the Machine.
1909 Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
The first reference to a tablet-sized, handheld screen.
1909 Video Communicator (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
A device that carried both voice and image, letting the two parties see each other.
1909 Telemedicine Apparatus (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
First reference to a device that allows physicians to examine or aid patients at a distance.
1909 Machine Apartment (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
Each person lives isolated in their own room, supported by a vast planetary machine.
1910 Automaton Chessplayer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce)
The first chess-playing computer.
1911 Electric Rifle (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton)
A device that shoots an electrical charge.
1911 Demagnitizing Ray (from The Lord of Labour by George Griffith)
A beam of radiation that makes even the strongest steel as brittle as chalk.
1911 Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First fictional reference to a fax machine.
1911 Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Uneasiness associated with space travel.
1911 Personalized News (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First reference to news that is customized to the needs of each individual subscriber.
1911 Detectophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine.
1911 Tele-Motor-Coasters (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Powered skates for personal transportation.
1911 Steelonium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode.
1911 Language Rectifier (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The first reference to machine-translation of human languages.
1911 Sub-Atlantic Tube (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points.
1911 Hypnobioscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The first fictional reference to sleep teaching.
1911 Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
Streetlights provide sunlight at night.
1911 Telephot (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that combined the functions of telephone and television; a phone with a screen.
1911 Automatic-Electric Packing Machine (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device able to pack randomly shaped objects combined into a single package automatically.
1911 Actinoscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that used a pulsating polarized ether wave to judge the distance to an object (a RADAR)
1911 Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
The lightest metal.
1911 Aeroflyer (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
A flying car.
1911 Gyrocar (from Two Boys in a Gyrocar the story of a New York to Paris motor race by Kenneth Brown)
A two-wheeled, self-balancing automobile.
1912 Automated Restaurant (from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Food is prepared and served entirely automatically.
1914 Artificial Food (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
Food produced without soil, chemically.
1914 Atomic Bomb (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
A weapon that uses an atomic chain reaction as an explosive force.
1914 Sustained Atomic Reaction (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
The idea that a sustained reaction could lead to an atomic explosion.
1914 Radioactive Ruin (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
The aftermath of atomic war is generations of ruin.
1914 Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
A device that stores sunlight itself for use as an energy source.
1915 Food Tablet (from John Jone's Dollar by H.S. Keeler)
All of your nutrients in one easy-to-swallow form factor.
1917 Tele-Photophonic Attachment (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A device that permits a telephone funnel to see as well as hear.
1917 Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A kind of two-way public loudspeaker.
1917 Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
A weapon that projects a beam of destructive force.
1917 Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
Public news outlets
1918 Magnetic Elevator (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion.
1918 Photophone (from The Planeteer by Michael Flynn)
A device that provided a view of the other booth.
1918 Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay)
A flying bus.
1920 Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt)
Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes.
1920 Robot (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
A (usually human-shaped) artifact with the same kinds of abilities as a human - this is the first use of the word 'robot'.
1920 Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
The manufacture of artificial organs, digestive tract, veins - body parts.
1921 Phonographic Locks (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie)
Doors that open using voice recognition.
1922 Membrane (from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin)
A listening device.
1923 Parallel Universe (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
An entirely separate realm or universe that exists along with our own; it may be wildly different or vary from ours by only a tiny degree.
1923 Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) (from Acoustic Apparatus by Hugo Gernsback)
A device that used bone conduction to transmit sound.
1923 Networked Telephone Answering Machine (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
A device that would accept verbal messages and store them for replay from any remote station.
1923 Wireless Access Point (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
Infrastructure that provides power and wireless communication.
1923 Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle)
A man from the future with an embedded mechanism to manipulate time.
1925 Blaster (from When the Green Star Waned by Nictzin Dyalhis)
A device that shoots a beam of energy that destroys whatever is in its path.
1925 Quadraturin (from Quadraturin by Sigizmund Krzhizhanowsky)
Substance that creates more space when applied to walls, floors and ceilings.
1926 Gyro-Hat (from An Experiment in Gyro-Hats by Ellis Parker Butler)
Hidden in a top hat, this device cures staggering and reeling, for whatever reason.
1926 Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A ray that reduces an organic being to ash instantly.
1926 Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
Creating living beings from inorganic elements.
1926 Vacuum Suit (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
An early description of a space suit, and the first use of this now archaic phrase.
1926 Computer Vision (Artificial Eye) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
A device which, attached to a suitable computer, will allow the device to see.
1926 Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
A non-organic device structured like a human brain.
1926 Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A spacesuit helmet that can be seen through.
1926 Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A device that shrinks and expands its wearer.
1926 Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain)
Very early fictional element, courtesy of metallurgists.
1926 Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
An engine which utilizes atomic energy.
1926 Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex)
A vehicle for space travel.
1927 Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that pulled warmth from anything it was aimed at.
1927 Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that paralyzes the muscles.
1928 Hyper-space (from The Invisible Bubble by Kirk Meadowcroft)
A realm or parallel universe in which it is possible to travel much faster than light.
1928 Psychophonic Nurse (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
A child-care robot - a nanny bot.
1928 Steering a Star (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Steering a star, altering its path, taking it to a new location.
1928 Ultrophone (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A means of communication that transmits and receives simultaneously.
1928 Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Maneuver to chase down and destroy meteor showers that threaten celestial navigation.
1928 De-atomizing Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Beam of energy causes matter to fly apart.
1928 Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
An enormous council chamber, fit for a galaxy.
1928 Chest Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A voice activated wireless transmitter.
1928 Raytron Apparatus (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
A device for aerial surveillance; the image was transmitted back to the user.
1928 Needle Pipe (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
A device that could project slivers of metal at near light speed.
1928 Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective.
1928 Meteorometer (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that warned space ships in flight about oncoming meteors.
1928 Airlock (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An intermediate chamber between airless space and the interior of a space craft.
1928 Concentro (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Concentrated synthetic food rations.
1928 Pain Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Creates pain by nerve induction.
1928 Telechart (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
An interactive metal plate upon which were displayed celestial objects for interstellar navigation.
1928 Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
A means of gestating eggs to term is found.
1928 Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
A device that recorded and played back the thoughts of the user.
1928 Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller)
A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use.
1928 Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Invisible metal makes the thinnest, strongest wire.
1928 Heat Transmitter (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Device which captures solar energy close to the source and then beams it in concentrated form to outer planets.
1928 Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
A diaper that will indicate when it is wet.
1928 Ultraphone Ear-Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Wireless receivers that fit directly over the ears; they also offered noise reduction.
1928 Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A flat panel viewing display.
1928 Disintegrator Ray (Dis Ray) (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device that projects a beam reducing matter to nothingness.
1928 Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that shields an object from the effects of gravity.
1928 Anti-Gravity Belt (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device which, when worn, reduces exposure to the effects of gravitation.
1928 Flying Harness (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Device allows free movement in the air.
1928 Attractive Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A beam of radiation that pulls.
1928 Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
In essence, a bazooka.
1928 Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Ravening pale beams of light used in space battles.
1928 Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A spacecraft with a propulsion system relying on waves in spacetime itself.
1928 Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A fully space-worthy ship under private ownership.
1928 Telestereo (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A disk, upon which the projected image of the distant sender appears.
1928 Grantline Comptometer (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems.
1928 Space-Lanes (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
Well-traveled routes through outer space.
1928 Inertron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Material with all the properties of heavier metals, but lighter.
1928 Floater (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
A device that allows the user to literally float in the air
1928 Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
A marker in space.
1928 Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Device provides support for planet-side air travel.
1928 Pressure-Suit (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A pressurized suit for use in the airless void of space.
1928 Jumper (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
Inertron belt results in effective weightlessness.
1929 Electric Kitchen (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
Food preparation in space requires safe equipment.
1929 Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
A device and method for testing spacesuits.
1929 Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
An airtight spacesuit.
1929 Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Ultralight metal.
1929 Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
A viewing screen.
1929 Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer))
Human movement through outer space.
1929 Brain Placed In Metal Body (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
A robotic body with a support system for a connected organic brain.
1929 Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek)
Replacement of elements of human blood with chlorophyll.
1929 Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that neutralized the gravitational force of the sun on the earth.
1929 Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment.
1929 Ships Propelled By Light Pressure (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
Space ships that use light pressure from a distant source for propulsion
1929 O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
Ultralight zeppelin
1929 Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
Shields a large object from the effect of gravity.
1929 Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A floating taxicab.
1929 Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
Personal device stops gravity's effect.
1929 Robot Control Board (from The Robot Master by O.L. Beckwith)
Control panel with small screens showing the point of view of different robots.
1929 Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A transparent "glass" made of metal.
1929 Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A very early mention of the term.
1929 Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent)
A means of sending trains through the air.
1929 Ships With Legs (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Space ships with mechanical limbs for walking the Earth.
1929 Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A device that displays memories directly on a helmet screen.
1929 Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A very early depiction of this basic idea.
1929 Mechanical Hand (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A large robotic hand or claw, large enough to grasp a person.
1929 Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone)
Familiar name for our own sun.
1929 Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
Remote controlled robots used to perform dangerous work.
1929 Personal Metallic Record Disc (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
A stamped metal record that contains all of a person's data in a convenient form.
1929 Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
A device used to artificially stimulate cell growth and development.
1929 Rocket Engine Moves Moon (from The Space Dwellers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Using the propulsive mechanism of a space ship to move a small moon or asteroid.
1929 Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
A device for seeing at a distance.
1929 Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Using pistol rounds to maneuver in space.
1929 Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A large, hand-held spear of force.
1929 Reflectocosmic Spectrometer (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A device that detects and measures cosmic rays that reflect from different metals.
1929 Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
A nuclear munition, fired from a cannon.
1929 Ship Pushes Moon (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
Altering the course of a small moon by pushing on it with a rocket motor.
1930 Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
An airlock on a spacecraft.
1930 Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A substance as strong as metal that you can see through.
1930 Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Extremely dense material.
1930 Gravity Assist (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Using the gravity and orbital speed of a celestial body to change speed and course of a spacecraft.
1930 Ray Gun (Handheld) (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy.
1930 Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A transparent material of great strength.
1930 Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A flat screen for viewing remote images.
1930 Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass.
1930 Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source.
1930 Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon.
1930 Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A bar of solidified light.
1930 Tight-Beam (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A method of communication that uses a very narrowly-focused stream of energy.
1930 Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley)
Wide angle Ray of death!
1930 Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek)
A durable form of magnesium.
1930 Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass.
1930 Planets Made Habitable (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A plan to "terraform" a planet to improve its habitability by human beings.
1930 Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A plane powered entirely by solar energy.
1930 Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Small, private flyers for business commuting.
1930 Moon Dome (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon.
1930 Spaceport (from The Birth of a New Republic by M. Breuer (w/J. Williamson))
A location on the surface of a planet used for launching vehicles into space.
1930 Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Early name for a defensive force field.
1930 Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Magnifies even the smallest sound.
1930 The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson)
A means of transmitting matter wirelessly.
1930 Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell)
Agricultural robots.
1930 Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity.
1930 Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An armor-plated space suit.
1930 Invisible Cloak (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A cloak that renders the wearer invisible.
1930 Paralyzing Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Stops body motions.
1930 Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
An offensive, man-portable heat ray.
1930 Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms.
1930 Gyroscope Seats (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Your best bet for remaining at the right angle to the force of acceleration.
1930 Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind.
1930 Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Space ships taken against their will.
1930 One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A small rocket ship with only a pilot.
1930 Home Planet (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
Usually the birthplace of your species or simply your planet of origin.
1930 Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space.
1930 Rocket Side Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
An early description of attitude jets, course correction by small emissions of gas.
1930 Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen.
1930 Asteroid From Outside Solar System (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
An asteroid or similar body that comes from outside the solar system; an interstellar body.
1930 Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off.
1930 Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
The transparent front of a space suit helmet.
1930 Artificial Island (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An entirely artificial, floating island.
1931 Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
What's left over when you've annihilated matter.
1931 Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells.
1931 Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical.
1931 Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Ray cuts through metal like butter.
1931 Free Fall (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit.
1931 Emergency Corrective Rockets (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Used when you seem to be off-course in your spaceship.
1931 Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids.
1931 Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times.
1931 City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station.
1931 Thought Screen (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A material screen that is worn by the user, upon which are projected the mental images of the user.
1931 Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A space craft powered entirely by the sun.
1931 Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson)
Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas.
1931 Propulsion Gun (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
What can you push against in space?
1931 Energy Curtain Key (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A small handheld "key" to shut off a force field.
1931 Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Lightweight and tough!
1931 Curtain (Force Barrier) (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An easily set-up protective force barrier.
1931 Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Teleconferencing done right.
1931 Artificial Atmosphere Machine (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Not just oxygen, this gives you what you need in space.
1931 Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster)
A telescope for peering into other dimensions.
1931 Gravito-Statoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An instrument used to detect the gravitational influences on a space ship.
1931 Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship.
1931 Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that confuses the cognitive functions of robots.
1931 Robot Waiter (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Robotic restaurant servitor.
1931 Robot Waiter (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Robotic restaurant servitor.
1931 Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
See other time-travelers.
1931 Metal Monster (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A large robotic device with legs.
1931 Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon.
1931 Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes)
1931 Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer.
1931 Object-Finder Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A unique device that projected a beam that found what you wanted.
1931 Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners.
1931 Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser)
A person who acts as navigator for s space ship.
1931 Attractor (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A beam capable of holding objects motionless, as well as adjusting their position.
1931 Matter Transmitter (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
Device which causes a physical object to disappear from one place and reappear in another.
1931 Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Robots to throw off the yoke of Man?
1931 Radio Meteor Detector (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A device carried by space ships that could detect meteors in space early enough to avoid them.
1931 Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
One single machine to run a civilization!
1931 Transparent Spherical Ship (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A huge sphere of quartz housing a platform for space use.
1931 Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
As opposed to hyperspace.
1931 Thought Coil (Machine Intelligence) (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Specially designed hardware that imparts intelligence to machines.
1931 Atmosphere Tester (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device used to test the composition of a sample of the atmosphere on another planet, to see if it is breathable by humans.
1931 Vision-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope.
1931 Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A suicide chamber.
1931 Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent)
A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents.
1931 Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue.
1931 Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication.
1931 Vita-Light (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
A special form of bulb or light source that could keep people who were never exposed to the sun perfectly healthy.
1931 Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
That's one way to do a plebiscite.
1931 Telucid (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
A holographic projector.
1931 Ultra-Telescope Ray (from The Moon Weed by Harl Vincent)
A transporter Ray that works over interplanetary distances.
1931 Rocket Liner (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A rocket designed for point-to-point Earth journeys; it goes well into the stratosphere.
1931 Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers.
1931 Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Impenetrable message carriers.
1931 Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits.
1931 Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Space Hounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A high explosive formed from nitrogen.
1931 Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Special protective gear worn as protection in space.
1931 Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A moving sidewalk.
1931 Ultra-Light Vision System (from Space Hounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A viewing technology able to see through and even within most objects.
1931 Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A large, passenger-carrying space ship.
1931 Deflector (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A means of pushing aside asteroids that get in the path of your space ship.
1931 Motor Torpedo (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A terrestrial torpedo, driven by ion beams.
1931 Satellite Photography for Surveillance (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Use of pictures taken from near Earth orbit for reconnaissance in a military operation.
1931 Pneumatic Tube Station (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination.
1931 Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means.
1931 Ownership of Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Who will own the machines that produce material abundance?
1931 Disruptor Tube (Disruptor Ray) (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that interrupted the very bonds between atoms.
1931 Space Helmet (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman)
Headgear for space explorers.
1931 Force-Field (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A barrier to objects, created by projected forces.
1931 Dressing Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Semi-autonomous guided devices that could dress a person in ordinary clothing.
1931 Teleradio Control (Hand Flash) (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that can call a vehicle to a driver; it drives itself in a near-autonomous fashion to the caller.
1931 Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter.
1931 Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed.
1931 Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
Multi-legged transport.
1931 Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells)
A gate through spacetime to other worlds.
1931 Power Planet (from Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A satellite that supplies the Earth with power.
1931 Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A person who does not fly, especially into space.
1931 Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A passenger ship in space.
1931 Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An accurate representation of running on the moon.
1931 Faster-Than-Light (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Describes something that exceeds the usual speed limit on physical objects of 186,282 miles per second in vacuum.
1931 Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people.
1931 Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter!
1931 Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that accepts complex equations and solves them.
1931 Photoelectric Course Warning (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson)
A means of keeping a spaceship on course using a selected star and a photoelectric cell.
1931 Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
An ion drive.
1931 Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile.
1931 Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Radioactive fuel for spacecraft.
1931 Deviatoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that registered how much your course diverged from what you intended.
1931 Synthetic Food Factories (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Food production without soil.
1931 Kundrenaline (from The Hands of Aten by H.G. Winter)
Revives even a dead man's heart.
1931 Recoil Pistol (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A handheld device that permits a spaceman to manuever in zero gravity.
1931 Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages.
1931 Tractor Beam (from Space Hounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force field used to pull objects.
1931 Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Space Hounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls.
1931 Communication Disk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A wearable device that told the time as updated from a central source.
1931 Wreck-Pack (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
An agglomeration of wrecked spacecraft drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction in the 'dead area' of the solar system.
1931 Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A graphical representation of gravitational fields.
1931 Stationary Sidewalk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway.
1931 Alpha Insert (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A special compound used to seal punctures in space craft.
1931 Self-Sustaining Space Craft (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A spacecraft ecosystem.
1931 Photograph of Earth from Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
An aerial photograph from outside the atmosphere.
1931 Sargasso of Space (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A "dead area" in which the gravitational fields of the planets are cancelled out.
1931 Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A facial recognition device.
1931 Mutation (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton)
An organism that has come into being through genetic mutation.
1931 Time Stream (from Time Stream by John Taine)
The total sequence of events considered as a kind of flow.
1931 Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson)
Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity.
1931 Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov)
Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands.
1931 Centrifugal Force Creates 'Artificial Gravity' (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Using centrifugal force in a rotating cylinder as a substitute for gravity.
1931 Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter.
1932 Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak)
Setting charges on an asteroid.
1932 Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
A base material for synthetic food.
1932 Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
Special material for space dome leaks.
1932 Ship's Magnetic Plates (Magnetic Mooring) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak)
Keeps a mining ship attached to the surface of an asteroid.
1932 Weather Machine (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A device for controlling the weather.
1932 Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh)
A force opposed to gravity.
1932 Alpha Plus (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Intervening in the physical development of humans can result in enhancements.
1932 Atomic Pistol (from Mutiny on Mercury by Clifford Simak)
Reduces the target to atomic dust.
1932 Smoke Jets (Air Leak Detection) (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
A means of determining the location of air leaks in a building built on an airless moon.
1932 Wandering Worlds (from When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer (w/P. Wylie))
Planets that are attached to no sun, and roam interstellar space.
1932 Diskoid (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A huge flying saucer.
1932 Hypnopćdia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping.
1932 Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Futuristic children's game.
1932 Space-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Special shielding worn against rays and explosives.
1932 Polarization Apparatus (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A device that caused a space ship to repel the Earth and send a space ship on its way.
1932 Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore)
Special footgear for spacemen.
1932 Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape.
1932 Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc.
1932 Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A device that output specified odors.
1932 Artificial Womb (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A room in which a human embryo waits for the necessary months as a fetus, preparing for birth (decanting).
1932 Bone-Building Compounds (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Combat heavy gravity on other planets by building greater bone density in workers and colonists.
1932 Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Three photons in one.
1932 Water to Cushion Acceleration (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell)
The use of water to cushion and protect against extreme ship accelerations.
1932 Meteor Warning System (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
A system that provided rockets in flight with early warning of meteors.
1932 Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
An early exoskeleton.
1932 Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott))
An asteroid.
1932 Space Men (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Human beings who travel and work in space.
1932 Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Device adds the tactile element to entertainment.
1932 Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
A display screen for live events.
1932 Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A slicing ray of death!
1932 Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies.
1932 Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A very early description of cloning.
1932 Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
The direction leading toward the center of the solar system.
1932 Electro-Magnet Anchor (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Attach a line to a spacecraft hull.
1932 Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space.
1932 News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
Audio news ready when you are.
1932 Electro-Gun (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
It shoots electro-bullets.
1932 Space Freighter (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
A large spacecraft used for heavy cargo; can lift off from the Earth or other planets.
1932 Electro-Bullet (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
Fired by an electro-gun.
1932 Attraction Ray (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
In effect, a tractor beam.
1932 Conveyor (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A great moving belt carrying people between cities.
1932 Negative Gravity Field (from 50th Century Revolt by A.G. Stangland)
Antigravity effect produced for space ship propulsion.
1932 Pent House (from The Pent House by David H. Keller)
An island in the sky - a hermetically sealed skyscraper isolated entirely from its surroundings.
1932 Automatic Truck (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
A cargo-carrying vehicle that autonomously drives to the selected destination.
1932 Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement.
1932 Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Reliable, controllable gravity force.
1932 Space-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft.
1932 Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs.
1932 Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Space worthy mittens for space suits.
1932 Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
Is that a moon - or a space station?
1932 Government Machine (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
The automata that constitute the entire government, all in one building.
1932 Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An escape ship.
1932 Telectroscope (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A much better telescope than yours.
1932 Pneumatic-Tube Zone (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling.
1932 Jump (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart.
1933 Human Serial Number (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
A unique number tattooed on body of a person.
1933 Food Preparation Machine (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
An automated device for the production of complete meals.
1933 Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory.
1933 Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent)
A device that opens a portal to another dimension.
1933 Granton Motor (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
Spacecraft propulsion system based on gravital radiation.
1933 Life Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew.
1933 Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
An early use of the notion of matter transmission.
1933 Electric Machine Gun (Railgun) (from The Battery of Hate by John W. Campbell)
A device that accelerates small projectiles magnetically using a strong electric current.
1933 Meteor Miner (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Someone who roams the solar system, hunting for metal in meteors.
1933 Helix Gun (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
A device for capturing ferrous meteors.
1933 Life-Tubes (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Escape pods for space ships.
1933 Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Preserves and maintains the body.
1933 Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A small vessel used to maneuver other ships.
1933 Conscious Retarded Animation (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
A kind of hibernation, but leaves the user fully conscious, but aging at an incredibly slow rate.
1933 Magnetic Boots (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Special footgear holds spacemen to the metal deck in spite of the lack of gravity.
1933 Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore)
A set route though space.
1933 Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Has the opposite effect of adrenalin.
1933 Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A bowl-shaped space helmet.
1933 Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Space suit you can live in.
1933 Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space.
1933 Flip to Brake (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
Maneuver to put the tail end (with rocket output) in the forward direction of travel to use for lowering velocity.
1933 Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Device for determining the content of meteorites.
1933 Landing on an Asteroid (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
An elaborate flight plan for landing a space ship on an asteroid.
1933 Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A space craft.
1933 Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies.
1934 Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars.
1934 Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tedious search for habitable planets by hand.
1934 Lewiston (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power.
1934 Invisibility Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A means of concealing a physical object to the naked eye.
1934 Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A very large constructed object in space.
1934 Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication.
1934 Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Faster-than-light travel achieved!
1934 Homorium (from The Last Men by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A kind of nursery that could bring a human being to maturity in a single year.
1934 Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought.
1934 Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration.
1934 Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere.
1934 Moving a Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Early use of the concept of moving a planet to a new sun.
1934 Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A silvery disc used for data record storage.
1934 Emergency Lifeboat (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small craft used as a bail-out vehicle from a large space station or spacecraft.
1934 Sound-Transposing Machine (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller)
A device that scans a printed page and reads it out loud.
1934 Protective Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An energy shield for one person.
1934 Ablative Heat (Reentry) Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A single-use shield or covering designed to accept the heat of reentry and burn off.
1934 Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A beam weapon of frightful intensity.
1934 Liquid Mirror Telescope on Mars (from Old Faithful by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A large telescope using a spinning bowl of mercury as the mirror.
1934 Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication.
1934 Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A basic unit of currency.
1934 Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots that are able to learn.
1934 Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur.
1934 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display.
1934 Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller)
A device that translated speech and typed it out for you.
1934 Spy Ray Goggles (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A form of radiation that can penetrate walls to allow the user to 'see' what is happening on the other side.
1934 Mother Ship (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A large spacecraft that serves as home base for other (usually smaller) ships.
1934 Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1934 Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia.
1934 Visiphone (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Visual as well as audio communication.
1934 Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower.
1934 Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements.
1934 Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An invisibility field.
1934 Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator.
1934 Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
Device enables the wireless transmission of power.
1934 Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
From another dimension.
1934 Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space.
1934 Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A personal flying car
1934 Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
The very fabric of space-time.
1934 Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity.
1934 Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A substance that is impervious to penetration.
1934 Robots Refuse To Serve Man (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
When robots evolve their own perspectives, and ultimately refuse to act as servants to human beings.
1934 Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it.
1934 Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red.
1934 Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
Fine wine in convenient, dried form.
1934 Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you.
1934 Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A person from another planet.
1934 Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Very thin beam of destruction.
1934 Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters.
1934 Solar Engine (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A space ship that gets it motive power from the rays of the sun.
1934 Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
1934 Wrist Search Display (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A wearable device that uses its own search beam to view scenes close by.
1935 Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo.
1935 Machine (Thinking Machine) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell)
A very early reference to a thinking machine in charge of a planet.
1935 Driverless Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle.
1935 Flame-Pistol (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Incinerates everything in its path.
1935 Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
An automated car that pays its own toll.
1935 Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly.
1935 Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus
1935 Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A taxi that does not require a driver.
1935 Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A hooded protective suit worn on Venus.
1935 Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell)
A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power.
1935 Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell)
An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity.
1935 Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect.
1935 Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions.
1935 Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III)
A device for empirically determining human emotion.
1935 No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers.
1935 Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose.
1935 First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
The initial encounter with a non-human race.
1935 Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer.
1935 Automated Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
A factory that works entirely automatic, without human guidance.
1935 Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking.
1935 Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Very early take on virtual reality hardware.
1935 Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Also, a rocket-plane.
1935 Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings)
Could positively identify a person using their scent alone.
1935 Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
Farm machinery that worked on their own.
1936 Beckerley Electrical Field (from Smothered Seas by R.M. Farley (w/SG Weinbaum))
An energy field that can protect a city or large area.
1936 Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout.
1936 Dark Vapor Bubble (from Man-Jewels for Xothar by H.G. Wells)
A kind of field that keeps an alien base provided with an atmosphere.
1936 Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A translucent glass-like fashion choice.
1936 Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
They give light.
1936 Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A thin disintegrator beam.
1936 Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft)
Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor.
1936 Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
The well-traveled paths from star to star.
1936 Electro-Telescope (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A device that could clearly image space battles from a great distance.
1936 Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst)
A tunneling device.
1936 Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Can pull an object through space.
1936 Gravity Detector (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass.
1936 Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Microminaturized vision for UAV's.
1936 Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A beam of force that repels one object from another.
1936 Giant Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
Movie screen-sized flat panel display for live televised images.
1936 Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A synthetic being having the form of a human being.
1936 Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams.
1936 Electronized Gravity Plate (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft.
1936 Probability Time Wave Tube (from Elimination by John W. Campbell)
A device that allows the user to see every possible event.
1936 Automated Search For Habitable Planets (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Automated use of telescopes and other devices to search the universe for Earth-like planets.
1936 Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings)
Shoots a length of constricting wire.
1936 Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension.
1936 Photoelectric Telescope (Photoelectric Eyes) (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
An astronomical telescope that uses the photoelectric effect to gather light, and then to present the finished image on a screen.
1936 Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A small desktop screen intercom system.
1936 Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface.
1936 Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist.
1936 Robot With Human's Brain (from Revenge of the Robot by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A very early example of encasing a human brain in a robotic body.
1936 Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance.
1936 Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon.
1936 Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Remaking or modifying an entire planet.
1936 Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell)
A clever use for the water you need to take anyway.
1936 Paralyzing Ray (Bolar Current) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A beam that forces a person to remain rooted to a particular spot.
1936 Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself.
1936 Zed-Ray (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A penetrating beam that would disclose the details inside of a closed object.
1936 Audiphone (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Communication between space suits in the airless void of space.
1936 Transparent Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A fifty-inch flat panel display that is (or can be) transparent.
1936 Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets.
1937 Etherometer (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A device that looked at the 'ether' pervading space as a means of determining gravitation field strength.
1937 Heat Generating Magnetic Disks (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Devices used to artificially raise the temperature of the surface of moons to a reasonable level.
1937 Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
A public address system consisting of buried coils.
1937 Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure.
1937 Ultra-Communicator (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A communication system that transfers voice commands from one person to selected others.
1937 Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A gun that creates a short-range energy blast.
1937 Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance.
1937 Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice.
1937 Subphoton Search Ray (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
A special ray beam that penetrates into hidden bunkers; images are caught on special film cameras.
1937 Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source.
1937 Sub-Space (from Crystallized Thought by Nat Schachner)
A dimension or a transmission medium other than our own, which allows faster-than-light communication or movement.
1937 Artificial eye (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A surgically-implanted artificial eyeball.
1937 Drop Shaft (Neutralization of Inertia) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An 'elevator shaft' in which the user can fall at the speed of gravity, then be stopped without inertia (i.e., instantly).
1937 Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
The act of firing a rocket into space.
1937 Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation.
1937 Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out.
1937 Miniature Universe (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
A microcosmic universe created in the laboratory.
1937 Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
An artificial water planet.
1937 Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle.
1937 Spectroscopic Robot Converter (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
Accepted the return of soft x-ray radiation, and translated it into Fraunhofer spectra.
1937 Reaction Pistol (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit.
1937 Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy.
1937 X Gun (X-Beam Projector) (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition.
1937 Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins)
A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order.
1937 Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes)
Living organisms of non-Earth origin.
1937 Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms.
1937 Designed Bacteria (from Seeds of Dusk by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Very early reference to the idea of bacteria designed to wipe out a particular species, and no others.
1937 Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Breathe it and die.
1937 Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships.
1937 Light Traps (Dyson Sphere) (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Surrounding a sun, a set of devices to capture or focus solar power.
1937 Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Diverts troublesome asteroids.
1937 Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner)
A means of capturing astronomical images.
1937 Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Ability to sense life.
1937 Magnetic Anchor (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull.
1937 Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
Telescope uses electronics applied to optics.
1937 Ether Eddy (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A shimmering region of space marking a break-through into another universe.
1937 Nose Tubes (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
Rocket blasts from the front of a ship, to brake it.
1937 Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere.
1937 Self-Propelled Space Suit (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A vacuum suit with a means of propelling itself built in.
1937 Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
A specialized space station, for scientific research.
1937 Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel!
1938 Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry.
1938 Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection.
1938 Space-Tanned (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways.
1938 Air-o-Stat (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Provides life-giving air in spacecraft.
1938 Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Required document for space travelers.
1938 Radium Salt (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Radioactive materials used as an assassination weapon.
1938 Magnetic Flame Gun (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
Device shoots charged positive nuclei.
1938 Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A display device.
1938 Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots.
1938 Psychode (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
A device that enables communication by thought alone.
1938 Brain-Case (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A device designed to transport a living human (or alien, if similar) brain.
1938 Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface.
1938 Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A household robot that can cook meals.
1938 Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it.
1938 Reversal Coils (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
Provide both entry into a negative universe and propulsion.
1938 Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman)
A screen technology placed very close to the eyes.
1938 Field-Projector (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that dematerializes a person and then sends forth a ray that will then rematerialize a person at the end.
1938 Control Helmet (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton)
A device which causes an entire race of people to think and feel the same as the wearer.
1938 Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi)
A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances.
1938 Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
A very small power generator that is atomic powered.
1938 Atomic-Powered Lifting Suits (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
Special exoskeletons that would allow an ordinary human being to walk in doubled gravity.
1938 Pneumatic Bumpers (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
An inflatable bumper system for ground-based motor vehicles.
1938 Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration.
1938 Magnetic Shoes (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes)
Footgear magnetized for working on steel hulls.
1938 Paralysis Ray (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A special ray that produces paralysis.
1938 Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders.
1938 Selective Television (from The Challenge of Atlantis by Arthur J. Burks)
A special kind of 'television' that let the user choose any scene around the world.
1938 Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld ray gun.
1938 Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Get to the truth.
1938 Air-Blanket (from Hollywood on the Moon by Henry Kuttner)
A dome-less protective air shield.
1938 Artificial Eye Drone (from Glimpse by Manly Wade Wellman)
A remote flying device that transmits its view to the operator.
1938 Mass Detector (Gravitator) (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
A device that finds substantial masses, particularly in the path of a space craft.
1938 Steel-Lined Space Boots (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
In combination with a magnetized floor, allows the user to walk in zero gravity.
1938 Teleoperated Robot Surrogate (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman)
A robot that is entirely controlled remotely by a person who sees with the point of view of the robot.
1938 Hand-Rocket (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld device that used reaction matter to aid explorers in space suits to move around easily in zero gee.
1938 Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson)
Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated.
1938 Zero-Gravity (from If Science Reached the Earth's Core by John R. Binder)
A state in which gravity is effectively absent or cancelled out.
1938 Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space.
1938 Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo.
1938 Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
A planetoid prison.
1938 Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A small gyrostabilized hovercraft.
1938 Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
Polo played with rocket-powered craft.
1938 Robotic Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
Artificial animals created using robotic elements.
1938 Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner)
Providing simple personalities to robots.
1938 Chronoscope (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson)
A device used to see into specific internals of time.
1939 Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade)
Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft.
1939 Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A variation on the force shield idea.
1939 Vacuum Cylinder (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system.
1939 Metal Desk Car (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A combination work desk and vehicle for librarians and researchers; part desk part carnival ride.
1939 Gravitic (from Question of Salvage by Malcom Jameson)
Relating to gravity.
1939 Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A device that prints a newspaper in your home.
1939 Inertia Screen (from Space Rating by John Berryman)
A device that canceled out the law of inertia to help decelerating space craft occupants.
1939 Space Marines (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
A space-based military force.
1939 Electric Brain Stimulator (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A device that coordinated the waves of the brain with an external device to improve performance.
1939 Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology.
1939 Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
Compact food for space travelers.
1939 Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond)
Protects ships from the hazards of space.
1939 Movie Pill (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Gives you the experience of having seen a movie.
1939 Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos)
Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration.
1939 Moon Skis (from Requiem by Robert Heinlein)
Special wide skis for travel on lunar powder.
1939 Ballistic Calculator (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
An on-board computer for a spaceship to calculate its course and perform other related tasks.
1939 Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel.
1939 Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures.
1939 Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1939 Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft.
1939 Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning.
1939 Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Miniaturized device for surgical precision.
1939 Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape.
1939 Needle Gun (from The Empress of Mars by Ross Rocklynne)
A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal.
1939 Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot powered by sunlight.
1939 Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts.
1939 Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system.
1939 Neuronic Receptor-Transmitter (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device which, implanted in the brain, can both transmit sight and sound, and enable control of the body by a remote operator.
1939 Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently.
1939 Neuronic Control Apparatus (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that communicated with a brain implant, granting both sight and control.
1939 Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships.
1939 Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon.
1939 Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus
1939 Torpoon (from Seed of the Arctic Ice by H.G. Winter)
Clever portmanteau of "torpedo" and "harpoon", an underwater whaling craft.
1939 Inflatable Roofed Valley (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
A habitat on an asteroid created by placing a tent-like roof over a natural valley or depression, and then inflating it.
1939 Isolation Barrage (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Device prevents eavesdropping.
1939 Mirror Grid Multiple-View Surveillance Panel (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Very modern presentation combining multiple camera viewpoints, selectable using one monitor screen.
1939 Chronovitameter (from Lifeline by Robert Heinlein)
Device that can determine a person's date of birth - and the date on which he or she will die.
1939 Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances.
1939 Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The rules of the spacelanes.
1939 Spacecraft Invisibility Electronics (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A means of rendering a spacecraft invisible to detection by electromagnetic means.
1939 Chart Cabinet (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Used in astrogation, this device can see the positions of stars and planets over a thousand year period.
1939 Hall of Euthanasia (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide.
1939 New Moon Casino Satellite (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An enormous artificial moon, it was far easier to get to than the Old Moon.
1939 Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The mightiest billboard in the Solar System!
1939 Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion.
1939 Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton)
A trading post in space.
1939 Communicator (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A small, pendant-shaped device that works to communicate over large distances.
1939 Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use.
1939 Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability.
1939 Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Using the power of a hole in the continuum.
1939 Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances.
1939 Robot Observatory (from Space Rating by John Berryman)
A fully automated astronomical observatory, placed on a planet (typically, one that does not support human life).
1939 Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid.
1939 Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality.
1939 Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool.
1939 Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water.
1939 Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Strong metal you can see through.
1939 Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Counteracts the effects of high acceleration.
1939 Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
Self-driving vehicles.
1940 Solid Power (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
A concentrated form of easily accessed energy to supply any need.
1940 Space Shuttle (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
A space-going vessel for trips from the surface of a planet to a ship in orbit, and back.
1940 Atom-Gun (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld device that sprays atomic fire.
1940 Conversion Gun (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
The ray converts the heat in an object to light.
1940 Telechronometer (from Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein)
A watch that synchronizes itself to a remote source.
1940 Tesseract House (from -And He Built A Crooked House by Robert Heinlein)
A house built in the shape of a four-dimensional figure.
1940 Tumblebug (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A monocycle; a motorcycle that balances on a single wheel.
1940 Robbie (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov)
A childcare robot.
1940 Neutronium Slippers (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton)
Special footgear to keep ones footing in lower gravities.
1940 Escape Port (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.)
Emergency egress from a space ship for one person.
1940 Atomic Blast Weapon (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Reduces the target to atoms.
1940 Asbestos Sunshade (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A means of shielding oneself from the sun's rays.
1940 Life-Ship (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp)
An emergency escape or survival craft.
1940 Robot Suicide (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder)
A robot decides to commit suicide, and sets up a mechanism to put his decision into effect.
1940 Iridium-Sponge Brain (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder)
A human-like metal brain for robots.
1940 Space Tramp (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp)
An old, slow spacecraft.
1940 Gravitational Disks (from Revolt on Io by Jack West)
Maintain your footing on those low-gravity celestial bodies.
1940 Atomic Automatic (from Revolt on Io by Jack West)
Fires a special, rocket-like bullet.
1940 Merry-Go-Round Life Suspension (Refrigerator Plant) (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox)
A device that offered cold sleep.
1940 Multi-Generation Space Voyage (Generation Ship) (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox)
A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations.
1940 Soft Speaker (from The Exalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
A device that sends a tightly-controlled beam of sound.
1940 Trumpaphone (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox)
A loud, brassy instrument.
1940 Paralyzing Gun (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Renders senseless any human in its path.
1940 Ferretscope (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A counter-surveillance tool to detect the presence of listening devices.
1940 Radium-Action Lighter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A personal device used to ignite tobacco products.
1940 Pocket-Caller (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
Private communication device that fits in your pocket.
1940 Rocket Cruiser (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A privately owned space ship.
1940 Rocket-Belt (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A single-user propulsion pack.
1940 Atom-Shifter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A device that 'softens' matter, making it possible for a person to pass through.
1940 Mind-Shield (from Slan by A.E. van Vogt)
A mental defense or barrier that prevents access to one brain by another person or device.
1940 Sunpower Screen (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
A solar cell array used to provide power for a vehicle.
1940 Steel Tortoise (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
An all-terrain vehicle, grandfather to the four-wheeler.
1940 Knockdown Cabin (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
A portable shelter; had solid walls and could be assembled quickly.
1940 Gesturing Robot (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov)
A robot that uses gestures to communicate.
1940 Vibroblade (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A knife-like weapon.
1940 Rolling Road (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A set of fast-moving strips to move people over distances.
1940 Silk-Metal (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
A very tough fabric.
1940 Hush-a-Phone (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A special kind of telephone that reduced noise while talking.
1940 Slow Glass Rod (from The Exalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
A transparent glass rod that makes light travel so slowly that it can trap light within its depths.
1940 Electro-Automatic Pistol (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman)
Circular, pocket-sized weapon.
1940 Talking Robot (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov)
An impractical robot, for display only.
1940 Refreshing Chamber (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
Replaces the bathroom in the future history of Robert Heinlein.
1940 Two-Wheeled Car (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A small passenger vehicle with two centerline wheels.
1940 Solar Reception Screen (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein)
A device for converting sunlight to electricity
1940 Telelubricator (from The Exalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Makes any surface or substance perfectly frictionless.
1940 Barrier (Force Field) (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
Force-field fence.
1940 Methuen Treatment (from The Exalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Injections that increase intelligence.
1940 Air Blast (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein)
An air dryer for personal use.
1940 Paralysis Bomb (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A device like a hand grenade that released paralyzing radiation.
1940 Hyperbolic Solenoid (from The Exalted by L. Sprague de Camp)
Device that creates and manipulates magnetic fields.
1940 Tectogenetic (from Crisis in Utopia by Norman L. Knight)
Deliberate manipulation of genes to produce unique species.
1940 Synthetic Personality (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein)
A artificial identity, a legal fiction of a person.
1940 Solar Power Screen (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe)
Absorb all solar energy, and emit electrical energy.
1940 Lighting Panel (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe)
A large panel that presents illumination without heat.
1940 Space Force (from Hindsight by Jack Williamson)
That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere.
1940 Planetfall (from Quicksands of Youthwardness by Malcom Jameson)
Making a landing on a planet from space.
1940 Test Box (from The Devil's Pocket by F.E. Hardart)
A remote-controlled device for capturing small objects from open space.
1941 Space Lawyer (Sky-Lawyer) (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
A lawyer with special knowledge of space law.
1941 Solar Station (from Reason by Isaac Asimov)
A satellite that gathers solar energy in space and then beams it to Earth (or other planetary surface).
1941 Skycar (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A personal means of transportation that flies.
1941 Joy-boat Junior (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A private space yacht, capable of suborbital journeys.
1941 Pseudogravity (from Common Sense by Robert Heinlein)
Gravity produced by artifice, rather than by a suitably large mass.
1941 Cold-Rest (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Lowering body temperature and metabolic levels, as in hibernation; also called reduced temperature somnolence.
1941 Hypnotic injunction (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A method of hypnosis that prevents people from revealing particular information.
1941 Group Ego (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A group mind; a single entity that shares a number of bodies.
1941 Astrogation (to Astrogate) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
To navigate in space.
1941 Spacegram (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
Telegrams of the space lanes.
1941 Asteroid Claim Law (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
The legal steps required in claiming an asteroid
1941 Thermatite (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
Pure energy fuel mined on asteroids.
1941 Traffic Control Camera (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated camera system that photographs license plates as cars move past on a road system.
1941 Cold-Sleep (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A state of hibernation, created by lowered temperature and metabolism.
1941 Newsbox (News-Receptor) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Also referred to as a microviewer; could search media programming for news on a particular words used in the broadcast.
1941 Golden Shuttles (Mechanical Mice) (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice A. Hugi)
Very small robots with an appetite for watch parts.
1941 Automated Hotel Reservation (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A hotel that did not use clerks; a self-service hotel.
1941 'Chatterbox' News-Receptor (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An appliance for listening to the news that lacked content controls.
1941 Bee Wing (from Slacker's Paradise by Malcom Jameson)
A flapping wing aircraft in use on Mars.
1941 Interplanetary Union Of Spacemen (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner)
An organized union of people who work in space.
1941 Automatic Speeding Fine (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner)
An automated device that not only computes the speed of a vehicle, but registers and then issues an electronic citation.
1941 Antigrav Boots (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Footgear that negate gravity.
1941 Weather Integrator (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An entire technology for controlling the weather.
1941 Controlway (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated highway system that takes full operational control of vehicles traveling upon it.
1941 Camden Speedster (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A super sports utility vehicle (SUV); it drives on the highway, the water and jumps into the air for short periods.
1941 Epileptigenic Ray (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
Ray causes uncontrollable spasms in human subjects.
1941 Instant Customized Clothing (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A machine that produced a selected item of clothing, on the spot, based on customer demand.
1941 Flitter (from Vortex Blaster by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small craft used for short-range journeys.
1941 Robopark (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An automated parking garage.
1941 Psychophone (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice A. Hugi)
A device that allows the user to tune their mind to a future reality - a time-traveling device.
1941 Solar Energy Beam (from Masquerade by Clifford Simak)
A solar energy plant on Mercury provides power for projects all over the solar system.
1941 Dewlog (from The Traitor by Karl von Rachen)
A drug with the side-effect of virtually eliminating hunger.
1941 Stunner (from Fire-Power by S.D. Gottesman)
A non-lethal weapon; typically used like a firearm but only renders its victim unconscious.
1941 Terraforming (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
The process of modifying a planetary surface to resemble those of an ideal earth; affects the entire biosphere.
1941 Robot Mother (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice A. Hugi)
A self-replicating robot, which creates a series of helper bots that adapt to conditions as needed.
1941 Space Tanned (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A tan acquired by being exposed to sunlight while outside the atmosphere.
1941 Magnetized Boots (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Special shoes to allow walking in and around a metal ship with no artificial gravity.
1941 Parking Orbit (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
An orbit from which access to the planet's surface via a small auxiliary vessel is quick and uncomplicated.
1941 Space Legs (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
The ability to walk under high gee acceleration on a space ship.
1941 Lunar Used Spacecraft Lot (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A sales lot for used spacecraft
1941 Positronic Brain (from Reason by Isaac Asimov)
A computer CPU with the capacity to rival a human brain.
1941 Paralyzing Eye (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp)
False eye contains mechanism for causing brief paralysis.
1941 Vanwinkling (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp)
Another name for time-traveling into the future.
1941 Momentum Screen (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon)
Allows a spacemen to avoid the problem of "high gee" forces on take-off.
1941 Mind Control Genetically Modified Food (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Plants that are modified to produce specific combinations of flavors.
1941 Improve Memory (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Help immortals make sense of their memories.
1941 Oxygen Freshener (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
A device that removed carbon dioxide from air and replaced it with fresh oxygen.
1941 Neoterics (from Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon)
Pure engineering genius on tap.
1941 Roving Bomb (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Special zero-gee guided bomb.
1941 Space Overalls (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Light-duty space suit.
1941 Metal Solvent Ray Thrower (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Acts like a flame thrower in space.
1941 Blastick (from The Traitor by Karl von Rachen)
A scorching beam weapon
1941 Electrono-Mirror (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Focuses the sun's rays on a planetary surface for terraforming purposes.
1941 Charted Planetoid Mines (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Charting the planetoids and minor bodies for mining purposes.
1941 Space Placers (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond)
Miners who use placer mining techniques adapted from Earth geology.
1941 Talking Speedometer (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
A gauge that tells you its value verbally
1941 A-Bomb (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald)
Abbreviation for "atomic bomb".
1941 Sleep Surrogate (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Pharmaceutical designed to make up for lost sleep.
1941 Disinto (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov)
A disintegrating ray.
1941 Slidewalk (from Sanity by Fritz Leiber)
A moving sidewalk; a conveyor belt for people.
1941 Fresher (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Short for "refreshing chamber,", it is the future of personal hygiene technology.
1941 Self-Lighting Cigarette (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A cigarette with a matchhead built in.
1941 Howard Families (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A project designed to produce a group of people with exceptionally long life.
1941 Alterable License Number (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
A device which permits a driver to alter the license plate without leaving the vehicle.
1941 Orbital Mirror (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon)
A huge reflective surface in orbit around a planet or moon, the purpose of which is to focus sunlight onto the surface.
1941 Energy Weapon (from Seesaw by A.E. van Vogt)
A device that fires pure energy, used as a weapon.
1941 Pilot Beam (from Methuselah's Children by Murray Leinster)
A signalling device that space craft in orbit descending to Earth could home in on and land.
1941 Negative Safety-Field (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A paragravity-based shield for space craft.
1941 Space Socks (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman)
Protective garments for the lower extremities.
1941 Thermalarm Relays (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Detects objects by their heat radiation, so space craft can maneuver around them.
1941 Igloo-Shaped Space Shelter (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Easy to set up on airless asteroids.
1941 Time Line (from Time Wants A Skeleton by Ross Rocklynne)
The sequence of events leading up to, and past, this moment.
1941 Robotics (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
The engineering field encompassing the creation and maintenance of robots.
1941 Anti-Robot Propaganda (from Liar by Isaac Asimov)
Human activity against robots.
1941 Identification Beacon (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Radio pulse to identify orbiting craft.
1941 Interplanetary Clearance (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Bureaucratic red tape associated with busy space ports.
1941 Rubber Soled Feet (from Reason by Isaac Asimov)
Silent padding for clanky robots.
1941 Young Blood - New Blood For Old (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Replacing the blood plasma of older people with material from younger people.
1941 Asteroid Lanes (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
Regular routes traversed by asteroids.
1941 Squeaker (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart)
Used to search out radium in asteroids.
1941 Humanoid (from Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov)
An alien with a human-like shape and appearance.
1941 Psycho-History (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell)
The application of psychology to historical data.
1941 Hypnosis Ray (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell)
Eases the words of dictators into the minds of the credulous.
1941 Sleep Destroying Field (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
Causes lack of sleep.
1941 Automatic Refueling Screen (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon)
Repels objects that are too big, and gathers small ones for fuel.
1941 Delayed Action Stereoscopic Principle (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein)
Distinguishing far off space craft by relative speed against the fixed stars.
1941 Space Rush (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner)
The Outer Space equivalent of the gold rush.
1941 Spacehound (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart)
Oddly canine, telepathic beast digs in asteroids for metal.
1941 Paragravity (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Artificial gravity.
1941 Space-Burned (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Analogous to sun-burned.
1941 Antimatter (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Contraterrene Matter (Seetee)
1941 Photophone (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A line-of-sight communications device using light beams.
1941 Asterite (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A person who was born and lived amongst the asteroids.
1941 Plastifoam (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Used to seal large leaks in space craft.
1941 Seetee Blinker (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
A marker of contraterrene matter (antimatter) asteroids, to aid in interplanetary navigation.
1941 Roboticist (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov)
A person who creates or works with robots.
1941 Fire Storm (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
When clouds of antimatter dust encountered ordinary matter spaceships.
1941 Pilot-Robot (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
The piloting gear of a space tug.
1941 Dirigible Space Armor (Working Space Suits) (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson)
Heavy-duty space suits for mining work on asteroids.
1942 Vac Suit (from Child of the Sun by Leigh Brackett)
A space suit, designed for use in vacuum.
1942 Slideway (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A slidewalk, or moving walkway, that moves people forward.
1942 Gravanol (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
A medicine or supplement that helps astronauts deal better with high accelerations.
1942 Sobriety Ray (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett)
A ray of a particular wavelength and intensity, that conferred instant sobriety on those it shone upon.
1942 Atomics (from Nerves by Lester del Rey)
The field of nuclear energy.
1942 Radiation Garment (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Clothing worn by ordinary citizens to reduce the risk of radiation exposure.
1942 The Twonky (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett)
A robotic device from the future, constructed to look like a 1940's radio cabinet.
1942 Thought-Screen (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A device that prevents other people from taking over control of your thoughts and mind.
1942 Black Coating (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A material that absorbs practically all incident light.
1942 Insosuit (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
A space suit specially designed to resist extreme heat.
1942 Three Laws of Robotics (Rules of Robotics) (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
The original formulation of Asimov's laws of robotics.
1942 Martian Sawgrass (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
Specialized variety of plant that is used to provide oxygen for space stations.
1942 Wabbler (from The Wabbler by Murray Leinster)
An autonomous underwater robot.
1942 Xenephrene Interstellar World (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings)
A planet not attached to a solar system.
1942 Venus Equilateral Relay Station (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
A converted asteroid that served as the relay station for telecommunications throughout the solar system.
1942 Broomstick Speedster (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A two-seater craft capable of spaceflight; it used radiant power to achieve orbit.
1942 Interplanetary Communications Center (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith)
The backbone for a solar system-wide communications system.
1942 Directrix Z9M9Z (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A control center ship for a vast space armada.
1942 Capillotomer (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
An automatic shaving machine
1942 Radiant Power Receptor (DeKalbs) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A device which received and used energy transmitted from a station or satellite.
1942 News Roundup (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A device that presents brief story outlines, any of which can be chosen to find details.
1942 Time Dredge (from Time Dredge by Robert Arthur)
A device that scoops up material from the past, and returns it to the present.
1942 Waldo (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A telefactoring device; also known as the Waldo F. Jones Synchronous Reduplicating Pantograph.
1942 Stasis Field (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
Energy field which prevents time from passing inside the field walls; no time passes, nobody gets hurt.
1942 Control Natural (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
A person who is allowed to have an unmodified genetic makeup.
1942 Telaudiogram (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
An interplanetary communication method.
1942 Space Tugs (from Describe a Circle by Eric Frank Russell)
Early use of familiar ocean vehicle in space.
1942 Thermodyne Heat Ray (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings)
Device focuses, and projects, a heat beam.
1942 Groundhog (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Not a space professional.
1942 Gravitation Paralysis (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Dread illness of space travelers striking when changing from very weak to very strong gravities.
1942 Meteorscope (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that probes ahead in space detecting swarms of deadly meteors.
1942 Weight-Shoes (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Devices intended to make it easier to walk on celestial bodies with weaker gravity.
1942 Vestan Parasite (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
Semi-intelligent creatures that take control of the nervous system of other animals.
1942 Electric Wall (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton)
A wall of electric force.
1942 Zero-G Ashtray (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
An ashtray designed for use on a space station.
1942 Wheelchair Space Station (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
A home in space.
1942 Energy Converter (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov)
Massive unit on the sunside of Mercury converts heat into energy, and beams it around the solar system.
1942 Auto-Clerk (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein)
An automated accounting system.
1942 Fairy Digits (Tiny Waldoes) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein)
Waldoes used for very fine work.
1942 Alien Self-Government (from Co-Operate or Else by A.E. van Vogt)
Rules to assure intelligent aliens the right to govern themselves in freedom.
1943 Force Pencil (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Device straps to forearm, projects a force beam.
1943 Meteor-Spotting Radar (from Recoil by George O. Smith)
A device to warn spacecraft of oncoming meteors.
1943 Pain Canopy (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Pain by nerve induction improves interrogation.
1943 Usuform Robot (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A robot designed strictly along functional lines.
1943 Impervium (from Clash by Night by Lawrence O'Donnell)
Unique material is impenetrable and indestructible.
1943 Usuform Robot Bartender (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A robotic bartender that is designed along purely functional lines.
1943 Verhaeren Factor (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
Provides autonomous robots with the capacity for independent creative action.
1943 Robot Taste Buds (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
A sensor for robots that would allow it to taste foods like a human being.
1943 Robot Chef (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher)
Creative, autonomous robotic cook.
1943 Micro Book (Microbook) (from One Way Trip by Anthony Boucher)
A very small volume, possibly an electronic book.
1943 Rod of Wrath (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A sword made of light.
1943 Flame Barrier (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A form of protective force field.
1943 Plastibulb (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
A squeezable drink container.
1943 Treatment of Extramundane Aborigines (from Symbiotica by Eric Frank Russell)
Laws for aliens on their own planet.
1943 Royalties For Imitation Learning Subjects (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher)
A payment to people who are used as subjects for imitation learning by robots.
1943 Deceleration Chambers (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
Stressed, the ship breaks apart into parts that may survive.
1943 Inviolability Field (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A kind of field of force built into a robe, to protect an individual person.
1943 Adjustable House (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A house with elastic walls and structural members, the shape of which can be changed.
1943 Manshell (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A spaceship large enough for just one man; also an escape pod.
1943 Visigraphic Crowd Emotional Record (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A graphic record of the emotions of a crowd.
1943 Space Weather Map (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt)
A map that details hazardous space conditions.
1943 Stratoyacht (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A privately-owned pleasure craft capable of attaining orbit.
1943 Durasteel (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
More durable than steel?
1943 Airpolo (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
Polo played in mid-air with special aircraft and helium-filled balls.
1943 Viewscreen Pentagon (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A display with a central, pentagonal display surrounded by square displays attached to the sides.
1943 Off-World (from Judgement Night by C.L. Moore)
Not of Earth.
1943 Space Cadet (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A young person training to be a spaceman.
1943 Coldlight (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A means of producing illumination that does not produce heat.
1943 Filmag (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A video magazine.
1943 Aladur (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
High tensile strength, lightweight material.
1943 Pneumo-Slacks (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
Pants that make you look beefier.
1943 Vastening (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett)
It's hard to describe, but it's a robotic sense perception.
1943 Personality Alteration (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Permanent alternation of personality, the tools of the trade.
1943 Rocketeer (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat)
A person who pilots rockets.
1943 Solidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Long distance projection of three-dimensional images.
1943 Zeroentropy Spray (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
A method of reducing the disorder of an object as much as possible, reducing the temperature close to absolute zero.
1943 Telesolidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber)
Projects three-dimensional images at great distances.
1944 Robotic Arm (from City by Clifford Simak)
A specialized robotic reaching and grasping device.
1944 Relations with Extraterrestrial Life (from Ogre by Clifford Simak)
Instructions to earth citizens on how to behave when encountering alien civilizations.
1944 Battle Integrator (from The Bureaucrat by Malcom Jameson)
A three-dimensional representation of warfare in space.
1944 Star Base (from Star Base X by R.M. Williams)
An installation or station at an important interstellar location.
1944 Asteroid Mining Robot (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous robot able to effectively mine asteroids.
1944 Robot Voice (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
A voice box for a robot that is an analog of the human voice system.
1944 Energy Screen (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
A field of force.
1944 Multiple Robot Team (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov)
A set of robots, with the leader able to coordinate the activities of less intelligent subsidiary robots.
1944 Robot Lawn Mower (from City by Clifford Simak)
An automated lawn mower.
1944 Life Blanket (from Ogre by Clifford Simak)
Sentient moss which, when draped over the shoulders of a human being, becomes fully self-aware, providing valuable services.
1944 Automatic Massager (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
An autonomous massage machine with robotic arms and hands.
1944 Eternity Drug (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt)
A medication that puts a person into a deep hibernation-like sleep for decades at a time.
1944 Suit-Radio (from Long Way by George O. Smith)
A means of communication between two individuals clad in space suits.
1945 Vision Plate (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
A flat panel monitor.
1945 Electronic Locator (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt)
A device that determines the location of a person.
1945 Meteor Blasters (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
Energy beams that would destroy space debris or rocks that lay in the path of a spacecraft.
1945 Geosynchronous Satellite (from V2 for Ionospheric Research by Arthur C. Clarke)
A communications satellite that appears to "hover" over one spot on the earth's surface; it goes around the earth in twenty-four hours.
1945 Sleeve Communicator (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
An electronic device controller built into clothing.
1945 Plastic Constructor (3D Printer) (from Things Pass By by Murray Leinster)
A 3D printer - for spaceships.
1945 Videophone (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt)
A person-to-person communication device that can transmit both picture and sound.
1945 Games Machine (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt)
A vast computer system.
1945 Overdrive (from First Contact by Murray Leinster)
A propulsion technology that allows a craft to travel at faster-than-light speed.
1945 Escapecraft (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster)
A small spacecraft used when abandoning the main ship.
1945 Ship Hull Thermobatteries (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster)
Solar activated and charged batteries built into the hull of a spacecraft.
1946 Pocket Universe (from Pocket Universes by Murray Leinster)
A created, separate space within the normal space of the universe.
1946 Star Travel (from Forgotten World by Edmond Hamilton)
Undertaking a journey between the stars.
1946 Gravity Port (from Shadow Over Venus by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Used for refueling.
1946 Logics Service (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
A networked service that retains all of your personal information, schedules and phone messages online.
1946 Asteroid Mine (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
The practice of seeking out and mining asteroids for their ore.
1946 Logics (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
Machines that let you request information, and then display it for you on a screen.
1946 Tanks (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
Device that provides mass storage of information.
1946 Plastic Igloo (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
A heavy plastic shelter for use in airless environments.
1946 Mining Worm (Robot) (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell)
An autonomous mining robot shaped like a worm.
1946 Carson Circuit (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster)
A means of distinguishing betweem millions of different information sources - the secret of the Internet.
1946 Roboticist (from Evidence by Isaac Asimov)
A person who works on robots.
1946 Spotcast (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner)
A new form of one-to-many communication.
1946 Robot Bus (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner)
An autonomous vehicle to transport groups of people.
1947 Psychoscanner (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
A device capable of taking impressions, feelings and memories from living brains; it can be used on animals as well.
1947 Wango Wave (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Energy surge that accompanies the entrance into, and exit from, overdrive outside of normal space.
1947 Hedgerly Effect (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith)
A means of producing a gravitational field artificially.
1947 Synchrophased Power Beams (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Focuses energy beams from multiple planets on the same object.
1947 Gravitic Generator (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith)
A device that produces an artificial gravity field.
1947 Planet-Smasher (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster)
Devices capable of destroying an entire planet.
1947 Gyrocab (from You Are Forbidden! by Jerry Shelton)
A flying taxi.
1947 Mechanical Funeral (from The Coffin by Ray Bradbury)
An entirely autonomous burial rite.
1947 Ion Drive (from Equalizer by Jack Williamson)
A space drive that emits a stream of ions as reaction mass; it starts out slow but builds up to interstellar speeds.
1947 Space-Dory (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen)
A small spacecraft sometimes used as a life boat.
1947 Prime Directive (from With Folded Hands by Jack Williamson)
The first and most important rule; usually protective.
1947 Asteroid Nets (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen)
Capturing small asteroids or fragments using rocket nets.
1948 Telescreen (from 1984 by George Orwell)
Very early use of the idea of using technology to monitor human activity at a distance.
1948 Tag-Along Balloon (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein)
A bladder-like device that both finds and temporarily fixes leaks in moon tunnels or space station habitats.
1948 Crimestop (from 1984 by George Orwell)
The faculty of stopping short, as though by instict, at the threshold of any dangerous thought.
1948 Gravity Centrifuge (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Used in low gravity environments to build up muscle for visits to Earth, or other high gravity worlds.
1948 Moonquake-Proof Habitats (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein)
Moonbases that are built to withstand quakes on the Moon.
1948 Doublethink (from 1984 by George Orwell)
A mental discipline that is an exact contradiction to the basic principles of scientific inquiry.
1948 Learning-Cap (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
A special metal helmet for electro-education.
1948 Microwavable Food (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Food that is prepared specifically for use in a microwave (high-frequency) oven.
1948 Rewriting History (from 1984 by George Orwell)
Use of sophisticated technology to continuously rewrite the historical record.
1948 High-Frequency Oven (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
This describes the essence of a microwave.
1948 Atmospheric Braking (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
Using a planet's atmosphere to gradually decelerate a spacecraft.
1948 Star Drive (from Genius by Poul Anderson)
The propulsion unit for an interstellar space craft.
1948 Novel-Writing Machines (from 1984 by George Orwell)
A device that automatically produces fiction.
1948 Solidograph-Projector (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper)
A device that projected a 3D image of objects or a person.
1948 Memory Hole (from 1984 by George Orwell)
A receptacle for unwanted documents.
1948 Personal Rocket Jet (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
A small, handheld jet pack that can be used to maneuver freely in space.
1948 Moonbase (or Moon Base) (from 240,000 Miles Straight Up by L. Ron Hubbard)
A base of operations on Earth's moon.
1948 Portable Telephone (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein)
The essence of a cell phone.
1948 Precog (v) (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper)
To see the future.
1948 Space Ark (from Decision Illogical by N.B. Wilkinson)
A very large ship used to transport a large group of people.
1948 Speakwrite (from 1984 by George Orwell)
A dictation machine that also transcribes the speech into typed words.
1948 Brain Erasure (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
Deleting selected knowledge from the brain using electrical impulses.
1948 Electro-Education (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton)
The latest thing in electrically stimulated learning.
1948 Versificator (from 1984 by George Orwell)
A device that composes words to music.
1949 Quizzer (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
An autonomous mind-probe.
1949 Gee (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret Saint Clair)
Using the standard letter designation in physics for gravity.
1949 Skimmer (from Lost Ulysses by W.L. Bade)
Low-flying, hovering vehicle.
1949 Spacewarp Drive (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown)
A means of faster-than-light travel.
1949 Desert Cabbage (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
A giant plant that regulates its internal temperature even on Mars.
1949 'Fresher (from Gulf by Robert Heinlein)
Short for 'refreshing chamber', a device that performs various personal services.
1949 Mind-Lock (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A device that confines a mind within its own shielded area.
1949 Vivo-Gel (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
Semi-living material.
1949 Visiglobe (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A display that provided a spherical, 3D visualization of a scene.
1949 Mind-Parasite (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
Takes over the cognition of a host organism.
1949 Telepath Transmitter (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A device for long distance communication that makes use of telepathy.
1949 Repulsor (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown)
A device that inhibits the action of a spacewarp drive.
1949 Metal Calculator Planet (from Limiting Factor by Clifford Simak)
A planet covered entirely with machinery to a height of twenty miles and covered with a metal roof.
1949 Emergency Treatment Tank (Chamber) (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
A fully enclosed regeneration device.
1949 Synthetigrav (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz)
General term for any of the fields produced by synthetic gravity devices.
1949 Stationary Automatic Blaster (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
An automated defensive blaster.
1949 Self-Igniter (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A self-lighting cigarette.
1949 Space Scurvy (Kenoalgia) (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret Saint Clair)
A wasting disease of space travel.
1949 Three Generation Work (Century Piece) (from The Sub-Standard Sardines by Jack Vance)
An artwork created by three consecutive generations of artists, in exactly one century.
1949 Herculoy (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A very strong alloy like steel.
1949 Fluor Strips (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret Saint Clair)
Lighting long narrow devices.
1949 Shari (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret Saint Clair)
A multipurpose net worn as clothing.
1949 Painted Masks (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein)
Children choose to decorate otherwise uniform equipment masks.
1949 Resilian (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance)
A natural fiber that is as strong as steel.
1949 Bolt Anti-Grav (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret Saint Clair)
This device produces a torus-shaped discharge that causes weightlessness.
1950 Anti-Tri-D Shot (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
Counteracts the deadly pesticide Tri-D.
1950 Building With Lunar Materials (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell)
Using a planet's materials to make what you need.
1950 Tractatruck (from The Moon is Hell by John W. Campbell)
Combination tractor and truck used for hauling and exploration.
1950 Hybrid Mass Driver (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein)
A device for launching space craft on the first stage of a journey to space.
1950 Tri-D (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
A remarkable pesticide.
1950 Diaheliper (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
Offers delivery of diapers by air.
1950 Haberman (from Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith)
Modified humans controlled by cybernetic implants.
1950 Nexialist (from Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt)
A person with a coordinative knowledge across a variety of sciences.
1950 Culture Tank (from Needle by Hal Clement)
Germs that eat garbage and produce oil.
1950 Computer-Controlled House (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A residence that is an autonomous robotic system.
1950 Walker Wagon (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
Robotic vehicle with a trough-like body and many mechanical legs.
1950 Underpeople (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith)
An animal modified to be human in shape and intellect.
1950 The Machines (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov)
A few of these can run a planetary economy.
1950 Yeast Steak (from The Evitable Conflict by Isaac Asimov)
Growing custom strains of yeast as food.
1950 Two-Wheeled Ground Car (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A gyro-stabilized vehicle like an enclosed motorcycle.
1950 Sand Ship (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A wind-powered vehicle in the desert.
1950 Gravity Drive (from Star Ship by Poul Anderson)
A spaceship propulsion method that uses gravity or gravity waves.
1950 Torch (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
The orifice from which issued the reaction mass of an atomic powered space craft.
1950 Fontema (from First Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A strange two 'wheeled' animal.
1950 Earthport (from The Ballad of Lost C'Mell by Cordwainer Smith)
A massive spaceport that reared up from the surface of the earth to the edge of the atmosphere.
1950 Quickthaw (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A microwave oven to heat food items quickly.
1950 Space Platform (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
The Space Platform for Checking Aggression is a military orbital weapons platform.
1950 Shuttle (from Stars are Styx by Theodore Sturgeon)
A space craft that travels point to point in space.
1950 Stratovideo (Television Plane) (from The Morning of the Day They Did It by E.B. White)
An aircraft with studios that continuously broadcast line-of-sight television.
1950 Mass-Conversion Ship (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A spacecraft that uses the ultimate in fuel sources.
1950 Syntho-Steak (from Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
Artificially produced meat.
1950 Automatic Light Switch (from The Man Who Sold The Moon by Robert Heinlein)
A device that senses if an illuminated room is empty, and turns off the light.
1950 Voice-Clock (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A clock that could state the time out loud.
1950 Helicab (from Heli-Cab Hack by John Weston)
A taxi cab that flies using helicopter rotors.
1950 Robot Mice (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
Tiny cleaning robots.
1950 Robotic Dishwasher (from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury)
A fully automated solution to the dishwashing problem.
1950 FTL (from The Enchanted Forest by Fritz Leiber)
Abbreviation for "faster than light".
1950 Regeneration Tank (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
A nutrient bath large enough to enclose a person that preserved life and treated disease.
1950 Hive-Mind (from Second Night of Summer by James Schmitz)
A group mind.
1950 Nucleocat Cureall (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
Only human cells can survive contact.
1950 Shipboard Medical Treatment (from Contagion by Katherine MacLean)
An elaborate system to guard against infection in returning space explorers.
1951 Microwire (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A very thin wire used for recording purposes.
1951 Anti-Spying Device (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Foolproof means of defending against spy beams.
1951 Neutron Disruption Blaster (from The Complete Paratime by H. Beam Piper)
Beam pistol which splits neutrons into protons and electrons, releasing enormous energy.
1951 Movable Slideway (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A slideway (moving sidewalk) that can be extended to a spaceship to ease the debarkation process.
1951 Mechanical Teacher (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A computer device able to teach children.
1951 Half-Sphere Force Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A protective force field that can manifest even as a half-sphere.
1951 Pocket Nucleo-Bulb (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A nuclear-powered pocket-sized flashlight.
1951 Machine Test Scoring (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A device that scans a specially prepared grade sheet and determines a student's score.
1951 Personal Force-Shield (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A portable force-shield small enough to be carried by a single man.
1951 The Veldt (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
A nursery that comes alive for the viewer.
1951 Telebook (from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov)
A book made available in text on a television screen.
1951 Winged Rocket Shuttle (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A sort of plane that briefly reached space while traveling between points on a planet.
1951 Surrogate Skin (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
False skin that is sprayed onto damaged areas.
1951 Flying Saucer (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
Spacecraft flown by the androgynes of Titan - under control of the Puppetmasters.
1951 Agricultural World (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Planet set aside for the production of food for another world.
1951 Molecule Matrix (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
Storing information in individual molecules and atoms.
1951 Neuronic Whip (from The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov)
A weapon that stimulated the nerve endings to cause extreme discomfort.
1951 Helmet-Mounted Display Screen (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
A small electronic display mounted for easy viewing.
1951 Shuttle Ship (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A spacecraft that could take off from a planet, rendezvous with an object in orbit, and fly back to the surface like a glider.
1951 Guided Missile Control Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An orbital missile base.
1951 Vibratory Mass Penetrator (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
A device that allows a person to walk through earth and even solid rock.
1951 Robass (from The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher)
A robotic beast of burden.
1951 Autocab (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An fully automated taxi cab.
1951 Martian Perambulator (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A mechanized transport for heavy gravity environments for beings born in lower gravity environments.
1951 Security Restraint Field (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A force field that restricts personal movement.
1951 Psychohistory (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Branch of mathematics describes the behavior of human beings en masses.
1951 Space Transfer Station (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
An orbiting space station primarily used as a stepping-off point from Earth.
1951 Spinning Pressurized Drum (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
Put a spin on just a part of a space station.
1951 Powered artificial exoskeleton (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A robotic device designed to support someone too weak to comfortably move in high gravity.
1951 Ultrawave Relay (or Hyperwave Relay) (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Instantaneous, faster-than-light communication system.
1951 Dominator (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Device implants a psychological block.
1951 Asteroid Garden (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A method for building a greenhouse on a small, airless body.
1951 Suction Mail Tube (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An evacuated tube system carrying mail to residences.
1951 Self-Adjusting Furniture (from First He Died (Time and Again) by Clifford Simak)
Automatic adjustment for a perfect fit.
1951 Robotic Chess Expert (from First He Died (Time and Again) by Clifford Simak)
A robot that plays chess at a level that no human can match.
1951 Metal Foil Advertisement (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An advertising circular made out of metal.
1951 Mentophone (from First He Died (Time and Again) by Clifford Simak)
A device that facilitates long-distance telepathy.
1951 Odorophonics (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
A system capable of reproducing selected scents capable of fooling the human nervous system.
1951 Zag House (from First He Died (Time and Again) by Clifford Simak)
A means of implanting dreams.
1951 Cold-Sleep (from Between Planets by Robert Heinlein)
A form of induced suspended animation, in which a person enters a state like hibernation.
1951 Vocalex Kitchen (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Voice command automatic kitchen.
1951 Airtight Tent (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A temporary structure for living on an airless moon or asteroid.
1951 Flavor-Fix Rheostat (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Technology makes sure that the flavor of automatically-produced food is perfect.
1951 Self-Sealing Plastic (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Transparent sheeting with a layer of material that would flow to staunch tiny leaks.
1951 Ontogenetic Adaptation (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Immediate genetic-level ability to eat alien plants.
1951 Teledar (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Three-dimensional television.
1951 Dirt-Farming (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
An archaic method of food production.
1951 Robot Comedian (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Joke-telling feature added to a standard butler robot.
1951 Jump Through Hyperspace (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Device that makes faster-than-light travel possible.
1951 Atom-Driven Drill (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An atomic-powered auger, for use in drilling deep into asteroids.
1951 Trantor (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A city that covers the entire surface of the planet.
1951 Meson Filter (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Provides robots with the ability to tell the difference between jokes that provide a chuckle and jokes that provide a belly laugh.
1951 Variable Modifier (from The Jester by William Tenn)
Provides the capability of altering standard jokes to fit new circumstances.
1951 Personal Capsule (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
An impenetrable device containing information for your eyes only.
1951 Butler-Valet Robot (from The Jester by William Tenn)
A gentleman's servant, roboticized.
1951 Selector Card (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
Pneumatic delivery of book films by using a mechanical form of data storage; selector cards - probably punch cards.
1951 Genetic Engineering (from Dragon's Island by Jack Williamson)
Direct manipulation of genetic material
1951 Vat Meat (Albert) (from The End of the Line by James Schmitz)
Meat grown in a vat.
1951 Asteroid Homesteaders' School (from Asteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An institution of learning where regular folks learned how to start a farm on an asteroid.
1951 Polaron Beam (from Earthlight (Novella) by Arthur C. Clarke)
A unique beam of energy that scatters some of its light at right angles to the direction of propagation.
1951 Spy Beam (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A surveillance device that projects energy into a room, revealing conversation taking place.
1951 Happylife Home (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
An automated multi-media home, which provided the good life to its inhabitants.
1951 Force-Field Penknife (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized knife, the blade of which is a force-field.
1951 Negative Molecular Motion (from The Universe Between by Alan E. Nourse)
A state of matter that has a temperature below absolute zero.
1951 Directional Ticket (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A ticket that also has the property of glowing while you are going toward what you bought.
1951 Audio Relay (from The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein)
A communication device implanted behind the ear; also used as an alarm for wake-up calls.
1951 Plasto-Textile (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A fabric that cannot be stained.
1951 Finger Watch (from Key Decision by H.B. Fyfe)
A ring that contains a working timepiece and a display.
1951 Gravitic Repulsion Elevator (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion.
1951 Pail of Air (from A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber)
A small bucket filled with (liquid) air.
1951 Static Field (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A defense against a spy beam.
1951 Nuclear Shears (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Device uses nuclear power to accomplish basic shop tasks.
1951 Calculator Pad (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Used to make psychohistoric calculations
1951 Coffee Cube (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth)
Concentrated coffee that boils itself!
1951 Suspensine (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson)
Slows biological functions enough to survive in airless space - for a time.
1951 Oxygen Weeds (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke)
Plants that create oxygen on a planet with little breathable air.
1951 Oxygen Concentrator (from Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson)
Gathers oxygen from a thin atmosphere until it is breathable, supporting life.
1951 Smarter People Having Fewer Children (from The Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth)
The original argument that less suitable human pairs are having proportionally more children.
1951 Ultra-Light (from Rock Diver by Harry Harrison)
Allows the user to see into rock or other solid matter.
1951 Air Speedster (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Highly maneuverable air vehicle for hunting.
1951 Single Vehicle Tunnel (from Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A small diameter tunnel that accepts a single vehicle to a single destination.
1951 Sun Dome (from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury)
Used on Venus to give relief from the endless rain.
1951 Space Station One (from The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke)
Describes an early space station similar to the International Space Station, that grew over time by accretion.
1952 Automatic Pilot (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device to control the movement of aircraft using computer components.
1952 Personal Solar Plant (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
A single-home solar-powered energy source.
1952 Coffiest (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
It's coffee that you can't live without.
1952 Barytrine Field (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
Very large scale stasis field.
1952 Tiny Nuclear Generator (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A complete nuclear-based generator of power no bigger than a walnut.
1952 Toaster (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
A handheld beam weapon.
1952 Medical Use for Weightlessness (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Early reference to the idea of using a weightless environment for medical purposes.
1952 Spray-On Gloves (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
Fashionable evening gloves that are sprayed onto the hand and arm.
1952 Space Beacon (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
An ordinary sun is transformed into a beacon for use by spacecraft when in hyperspace.
1952 Spray-On Clothing Web (from Abercrombie Station by Jack Vance)
A 'web' clothing foundation that can be sprayed on and then molded by a couturier.
1952 Retinal Projection (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A method for projecting advertisements directly on the retina.
1952 Compulsive Subsonics (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
An advertising agency works with every part of the audience's brain.
1952 Gravital Unit (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Device that maintains Earth-comparable gravity on an asteroid.
1952 Flat Cat (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein)
A nearly two-dimensional furry little beast.
1952 Tourist Rocket (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A cheap, unpleasant way to do space travel.
1952 Monoline (from Big Planet by Jack Vance)
A wind-driven overland transport.
1952 Airjeep (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A small military air vehicle.
1952 Wall-Light (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
The walls of a room provide illumination.
1952 Lunocycle (Lunar Bicycle) (from The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein)
A bicycle specially adapted for lunar travel.
1952 Animal-tissue Culture Vat (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A means of producing artificial meat for food.
1952 Ullran Enunciator (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Special prosthesis needed to aid humans in speaking an alien language.
1952 Electronic Spy (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
An autonomous device that kept itself hidden while keeping track of an individual's activity.
1952 Off-Planet (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Away from a planet, towards another or into space.
1952 Plastissue (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Artificial flesh.
1952 Magneslippers (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
Shoes that adhere to metal space ship floors, useful in null gravity situations.
1952 Gas Giant (from Solar Plexus by James Blish)
Large planet consisting primarily of gas with a solid core.
1952 Nuclear-Field Depressor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A device that causes nuclear-powered devices to stop working.
1952 Solar-powered Prefab House (from Ring Around the Sun by Clifford Simak)
A pre-built house that can live off the grid.
1952 Self-Repairing Robot (from Accidental Flight by W.F. Wallace)
A mechanism that can detect faults in itself and repair them.
1952 Free Robot (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A robot without a master.
1952 Robot Cab Driver (from A Present for Pat by Philip K. Dick)
You think you have problems? Robots have the worst problems of anyone.
1952 Airplane Window Ads (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
An airplane window that allows you to - see advertisements!
1952 Recorded Books (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
Electronically recorded books.
1952 Stun Pistol (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A hand-held device that causes unconsciousness.
1952 Levitating Path (from A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury)
Anti-gravity metal used to make a floating walkway.
1952 Soot-Extractor Nostril Plugs (Antisoot Plugs) (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A small device worn to filter industrial pollutants out of breathing air.
1952 Menslator (from Troubled Star by George O. Smith)
A translator that works by examining the mental image of what you are trying to say.
1952 Psychic Probe (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A device capable of discerning truthful information in a living human brain.
1952 Panatrope (from Surface Tension by James Blish)
A device that modifies human dna to ensure survival in harsh alien environments.
1952 Triple Airlock (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
Special device to protect against extremely corrosive atmospheres.
1952 Flavor-Capsule (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A small pill used to turn ordinary water into a flavored beverage.
1952 Visi-Sonor (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
An entertainment device which appeared to create both sound and light by acting directly on brain cells. It also stimulated emotions directly.
1952 Mnemiphot (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
A device used to search for information, which is then presented on a convenient screen.
1952 Automated Wake-Up Call (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
A device that provides automated wake-up calls.
1952 Kite-Copter Car (from The Kokod Warriors by Jack Vance)
An observation car suspended below a device that supplies lift.
1952 Chicken Little (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Very early reference to meat grown in a vat for food.
1952 Hypnoteleset (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device that guarantees quick, surrogate sleep.
1952 Prism Window (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A device for getting a better view of the ground from inside an airplane.
1952 Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A zero-g way to enjoy water.
1952 Contragravity Suit (from Uller Uprising by H. Beam Piper)
A suit with antigravity.
1952 Broomstick (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
Device to ease movement in a zero-gravity environment.
1952 Robodore (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A robot specialized for use as a stevedore, emptying the contents of ships in port.
1952 Water Bulb (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A zero-gee dispenser of liquids.
1952 Pocket Projector (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A personal device for replaying media.
1952 Plasticocoon (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Holds a prisoner motionless.
1952 Hilsch Vortex Tube (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A T-shaped device that admits air under pressure and outputs hot air from side and cold from the other.
1952 Robotic Law Tape Safety Valve (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A specific impulse that warns robots contemplating breaking the laws set forth for their behavior.
1952 Ribbon World (from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov)
A planet that presents the same face to its sun has a small habitable area - the ribbon between light and dark.
1952 Robot Manumission (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
The freeing of a robotic being from a state of being owned property.
1952 Silencer-Padding (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
Robots need to have special padding on the bottoms of their lower limbs, so they don't clank as they walk.
1952 Chlorella Plantation (from The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A skyscraper designed for food production.
1952 Robot Ramp (from Robot Unwanted by Daniel Keyes)
A special means of ingress and egress solely for use by mechanical help.
1952 Vision Strip (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara)
A circular vision strip for robots.
1952 Depilatory Soap (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
A labor-saving combination of soap and a agent that removes hair.
1952 Tree-Grown Wood (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
The natural product, obtained by cutting down a living tree.
1952 Light Absorbing/Emitting Ink (from Gravy Planet by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth))
Ink that can absorb light and then emit it in a burst for advertising purposes.
1952 Law of Contact (from Orphans of the Void by Orville Shaara)
Non-interference in the development of other worlds.
1952 Cylinder Space Suit (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
A mostly rigid, cylindrical space suit.
1952 Beeper (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
A handheld radar set, used to find items that have drifted off.
1952 Lead-Bodied Android (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
A robot designed for use in the nuclear industry.
1952 Flesh Men (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
Thinking beings that are not mechanical robots - human beings.
1952 Robot Strike (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
When robots refuse to work.
1952 Leak Disk (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
Simple device to temporarily close a leak in a spacecraft.
1952 Analogue Treatment (from Ticket to Anywhere by Damon Knight)
Hypnotic drug treatment that normalizes behavior in humans.
1952 Zero 'g' (Zero Gee) (from Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke)
In a ship in orbit, in free fall.
1952 Earther (from Make Mine Mars by C.M. Kornbluth)
A person born on planet Earth.
1952 Droid (First Use) (from Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf)
Contraction of "android".
1953 Merc-Pool (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
A device that stores information in vibration patterns on a mercury surface.
1953 Sunlight Blocker (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A roughly circular field which denies sunlight to an area of a planet.
1953 Yeast-Culture Vats (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
Using cultured yeast as the basis for food production.
1953 Worldcraft Bubble (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
An incredibly detailed mechanical simulation of a world.
1953 Green Bullet (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A very compact (for 1950) radio transceiver, worn in the ear like a hearing aid.
1953 Mechanical Hound (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
An eight-legged robotic "hound" with hypodermic poison fangs.
1953 Parlor Wall (TV Parlor) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
The original "big screen TV" takes up an entire wall of a room.
1953 Seashell Radio (Thimble Radios) (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Small radios that fit into the ears like hearing aids or ear buds.
1953 Electronic-Eyed Snake (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A fully automated stomach pump.
1953 Salamander (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Name given to the fire trucks of the future, which carry kerosene rather than water, and are used to burn houses.
1953 Self-Sufficient House (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A single family residence that required no surrounding infrastructure.
1953 Torchship (from Sky Lift by Robert Heinlein)
A spaceship capable of high acceleration.
1953 Automatic Ticket Machine (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
Get your ticket to Trantor automatically.
1953 Air-Propelled Train (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
A silent means of mass transit.
1953 Big Flue (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Enormous incinerators serviced directly by helicopter.
1953 Robot Psyche Tester (from Colony by Philip K. Dick)
An automated psychiatric evaluation device.
1953 Sideglance Robe (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
A dress that is invisible or opaque, depending on how you look at it.
1953 Ring Road (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein)
A magnetically levitated train.
1953 Legislation Analyzer (from The Trouble With Bubbles by Philip K. Dick)
Device analyzes potentially biased bills.
1953 Hypertracer (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A device that allows a pursuer to follow a spaceship through hyperspace.
1953 Claws (Attack Robot) (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick)
Autonomous guard robots that attack living tissue.
1953 Space Weakness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Early description of what happens to the human body in zero gravity.
1953 Thigh Grips (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Special chair feature for space ships undergoing accelerations.
1953 Robot Door (from Colony by Philip K. Dick)
Automated door has some decision-making capabilities, in addition to speech recognition capabilities.
1953 Brains (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder)
An electronic brain that is able to do problem solving. This idea seems to be the impetus behind current artificial intelligence that seeks to solve problems, rather than to simulate human intelligenc
1953 Rolov (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil)
A specialized robot for the bedroom.
1953 Dressing Machine (from Roll Out the Rolov! by Christopher Anvil)
A robotic device to serve as a mechanical dresser.
1953 Preserving Machine (from The Preserving Machine by Philip K. Dick)
A device that would create a unique animal from a piece of classical music.
1953 Lens Image (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A presentation of the night sky, calculated for any planet or point in space.
1953 Machine Evolution (from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick)
An early look at the idea that machines can evolve all by themselves, physically and intellectually.
1953 Spot-Wavex Scrambler (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
Provides a more personalized experience of television, by letting the announcers talk to you personally.
1953 Short-Wave Surgical Knife (from Boomerang by Eric Frank Russell)
A means of performing an internal cut without breaking the skin.
1953 Permanent Skywriting (from Soap Opera by Alan Nelson)
Non-wispy skywriting letters.
1953 Sliver Gun (from The Unreliable Perfumist by Margaret Saint Clair)
A firearm that shoots fine darts.
1953 Control Screen (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
An alien display device.
1953 Vistascreen (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
Large screen entertainment.
1953 Planet Buster (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A bomb so powerful it could destroy a planet.
1953 Planetary Globe (from Star of Wonder by Julian May)
A craftsman's model of a planet.
1953 Morality Rating-Computer (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A computer system able to determine moral deviancy.
1953 City Ship (from Star of Wonder by Julian May)
A generation ship, a spacecraft that carries a people to another star.
1953 Spacecraft Ejection Seat (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
An ejection seat for spacecraft, to be used in the event of problems during launch.
1953 Zero-G Cups (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Cups that were specially designed to be usable under zero gravity conditions.
1953 Garbage Screen (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Use of bits of metal to confuse radar targeting of space stations.
1953 Artificially Pulsating Star (from The Cosmic Blinker by Eando Binder)
A star that has been modified to pulsate with a message to the entire universe.
1953 Space Wagon (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
A space vehicle without a cabin, used for short-range towing.
1953 Robot Pianist (from Virtuoso by Herbert Goldstone)
A robot learns the fine art of playing classical music on the piano.
1953 Voice-Activated Door (from Assignment to Aldebaran by Kendall Foster Crossen)
A door that opens upon verbal command.
1953 Space Flight Simulator (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Very early description of a way to practice flying in space while still on Earth.
1953 Pocket Phone (or pocketphone) (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein)
A telephone that is not hard wired to the network; a mobile or cell phone.
1953 Robotic Conductor (from Paycheck by Philip K. Dick)
A robot charged with conductor's duties aboard a bus or other public transportation.
1953 Pinlight (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith)
Thimble-sized photonuclear bomb.
1953 Sound Analysis (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein)
Improving language teaching by showing the waveform of a spoken word or phrase, and comparing it to standard speech.
1953 Speedtalk (from Assignment in Eternity by Robert Heinlein)
A constructed language that uses a single sound to stand for a word, achieving great improvements in communication speed.
1953 R. Daneel Olivaw (from Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov)
A human-like robot, skilled in police work.
1953 Prime Radiant (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A projector that puts all of a vast collection of writings on the wall of a special conference room. You could interact with it by writing on the wall; changes were stored.
1953 Gravity-Simulator Harness (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Device that simulates gravity's effect on muscles to keep in shape while in space.
1953 Transcriber (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A automated transcriptionist - a machine which perfectly translates human speech into words on paper.
1953 Pushpot (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
An independent rocket motor that can attach itself to an object bound for space.
1953 Magnetic-Soled Shoes (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
A means of walking on a surface in zero gravity.
1953 Inflatable Air Lock (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Air lock making use of inflatable side walls to achieve large size.
1953 Robant (from The Impossible Planet by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic servant.
1953 The Shed (from Space Tug by Murray Leinster)
Enormous building needed to assemble giant space craft or space stations.
1953 Planoforming (from The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith)
A form of "faster than light" travel allows for interstellar travel.
1953 Private Flyer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
A privately-owned air vehicle that used no control surfaces for maneuvering.
1953 Voice in the Ear (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Project a voice or sound to one individual's ears only.
1953 Stardrive (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Propulsion method that quickly brings a ship's speed to nearly that of light.
1953 Autonomous Car Intercommunication (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
Automatic cars talk to each other about everything.
1953 Self-Cleaning Autonomous Car (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An automatic vehicle that keeps itself clean.
1953 Laws Against Human Drivers (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety.
1953 Positronic Motor (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
A combination of motor and brain; an engine with a cerebellum and a carburetor.
1953 Automatobus (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous or self-driving bus seating a number of people.
1953 Automatobile (from Sally by Isaac Asimov)
An autonomous private car.
1953 Panoramic Viewer (from Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke)
Permits observation at a distance, as well as the projection of a holographic image.
1953 Dirtside (from Starman Jones by Robert Heinlein)
The surface of a planet.
1953 Plasta-Skin (from Star Rangers (The Last Planet) by Andre Norton)
Artificial Skin
1953 Leady (from The Defenders by Philip K. Dick)
A radiation-resistant robot.
1953 Visicastor (from Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
A person who presents video broadcasts.
1953 Space Phobia (from Let 'em Breathe Space! by Lester del Rey)
When astronauts have had enough.
1953 Buttered Toast Robot (from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)
What it says on the tin.
1954 Guide-Beam (from Time Pawn by Philip K. Dick)
A wireless means of controlling and directing the movement of a passenger vehicle.
1954 The Dip (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick)
A device that randomly dredges up things from the past... or the future.
1954 Human Quarter (from James P. Crow by Philip K. Dick)
A ghetto for human beings; in this case, in a world of robots.
1954 Hopper (from Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus by Isaac Asimov)
A vehicle with a single leg and rotors to enhance 'hang time.'
1954 Mother-Scanner (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
A device that can see your future through your next birth.
1954 Inorganic Evolution (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
A process by which robots could alter their own structure, or the ways that they interact with other robots, to adapt to a changing world.
1954 Robot Guard (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
Very early reference to a guard robot.
1954 Dermal-Mist Spray (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick)
Very refreshing for suburbanites.
1954 Shatter-Gun (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A hand-held device that literally scrambles the brains of the victim.
1954 Cephaloscope (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A device used to detect lying.
1954 Voicewriter Screen (Computer Monitor) (from Granny Won't Knit by Theodore Sturgeon)
A screen that displays characters.
1954 One-Way Passage (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A different way to assure permanent egress.
1954 Mechanical Bride (from The Mechanical Bride by Fritz Leiber)
A perfect robotic replica of a woman.
1954 Space Capsule (from Space Capsule by E.R. James)
A minimal space craft.
1954 Robot Farmer (from The Turning Wheel by Philip K. Dick)
A humanoid robot used for agriculture.
1954 Mecho-Clothing (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Apparel created entirely by machines.
1954 Mnemonic Service (from Sucker Bait by Isaac Asimov)
Dedicated humans who collected bits of data in hopes of catching key correlations between fields of study.
1954 Pod-Chair (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A living chair, grown by the Iszc to perform its function.
1954 Synapsis-Coils (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Human-like storage for computers.
1954 Gravity neutralizing paint (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
Paint or coating that neutralized the effects of gravity on whatever it was painted on.
1954 Sceneshifter (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
An automated display device that produced random pictorial presentations.
1954 Suit-Shield Fabric (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
A kind of mesh fabric that could absorb energy bolts.
1954 Airmakers (from The Big Rain by Poul Anderson)
Machine to create breathable air from the constituent materials on an alien planet.
1954 Histo-Research (from The Meddler by Philip K. Dick)
Historical research using a time machine.
1954 Mechanical Tune-Maker (from Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick)
An electromechanical device that created unique music.
1954 Lash-Tube (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
Device emits an energy beam.
1954 Trace Web (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
A small, handheld device that contacts (and even instantiates) the larger network.
1954 Self-Selling Robot (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A robot that sells itself.
1954 Web (Data Network) (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
An information network.
1954 Relay (from Souvenir by Philip K. Dick)
A central information system used to coordinate all of human culture and technology.
1954 Hypno-Motor Control (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A means of controlling the body remotely, cutting off the need for local control (ie, by your mind).
1954 Sales Robot (Robot Salesman) (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Fully automated robots giving untiring, incessant sales pitches to customers.
1954 Repair Robots (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
Autonomous robots that carry out maintenance functions on a space ship.
1954 Jiffi-scuttler (from Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick)
A device providing near instantaneous travel between two points.
1954 Universal Dictionary (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A machine that provided references to anything known.
1954 Reading Plate (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A flat screen that provided computer output for viewing.
1954 Plastirobe (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A dress that varies in opacity by distance.
1954 Visual Ad (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
An advertisement that forces its way directly into the brain of the viewer.
1954 Boat-Tree (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A tree, the pods of which can be grown as boats.
1954 Retinal Vid-Screen (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
A tiny display surgically implanted directly in the retina of the eye.
1954 Nanomachine Swarm (Black Cloud) (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
A cloud of tiny machines, able to work together autonomously.
1954 Truth Meter (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A lie detector.
1954 Copter Harness (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A single person flying machine.
1954 Law Clerk Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A robotic lawyer.
1954 TBR (Talk Between Robots) Circuit (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A special means of communications used by robots to speak with each other.
1954 Automatic Companion Robot (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
A robotic replacement for a pet or friend.
1954 Consumption Robots (from The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl)
Humanoid robots placed in the position of consuming material goods to relieve human beings of the burden.
1954 Central Guide-Beam (from Shell Game by Philip K. Dick)
A kind of signal that demonstrates the best possible path to a destination in space and even provides motive power.
1954 Commute Ship (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Spacecraft used for traversing daily grind between Earth and the planet you work on.
1954 Compassion Circuit (from Compassion Circuit by John Wyndham)
A special robotic component that allows the robot to weigh harm and benefit in carrying out commands.
1954 Radiant (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A chip that is injected into the shoulder, providing positioning and information about the subject.
1954 Tri-Type Record (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A printed card that stores information about a person, including a perfect three-dimensional representation.
1954 Sentry Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A set of trees that will allow only those with the safe signal to pass.
1954 Radiant Shield (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A device that would effectively prevent an implanted radiant from being detected or read.
1954 Metal Insects (from The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem)
Small autonomous flying winged robots.
1954 House Trees (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Living trees grown as houses; large hollow pods serve as living spaces.
1954 Spacelanes Traffic Jam (from Sales Pitch by Philip K. Dick)
Fanciful description of commuters in space.
1954 Feeler-Planes (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Special sensors that make extremely detailed three-dimensional models.
1954 Anti-Gerasone (from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
Cheap immortality comes to your neighborhood convenience store.
1954 Prethink (from The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick)
The ability to predict the future in a routine perceptual manner.
1954 Tanglefoot Field (from The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein)
A force field that would not harm but merely entangle and stop anyone (or anything) caught in it.
1954 One-Man Car (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
A small transport vehicle.
1954 Polarized Window (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Rather than curtains, use the window to control the light.
1954 Roboscribe (from End as a Robot by Richard Marsten)
A robotic writer of hard-bitten detective yarns.
1954 Finger Jet Bath (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
The ultimate in luxury tubs.
1954 Public Vehicle Tube (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Underground transportation tubes.
1954 Thought Pattern Divination (from The Houses of Iszm by Jack Vance)
Attempting to construct the thoughts of a person by imitating their actions.
1955 Probe Screen Hood (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick)
A device that blocks attempts to see into the contents of the brain mind.
1955 Space Craft Rope Ladder (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
Equipment used for debar king from a space craft.
1955 Multivac (from Franchise by Isaac Asimov)
A computer with millions of facts.
1955 Central City (Lunar Habitat) (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
An early example of a non-military lunar habitat.
1955 Guard Robot (from The Hood Maker ('Immunity') by Philip K. Dick)
Early reference to a robot performing the functions of a security guard.
1955 Monocab (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A single compartment monorail car.
1955 Simulacrum Window (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A 'window' that provides a realistic outdoor view in an interior room.
1955 Light-Absorbing Paint (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
Space stealth!
1955 Neck-Phone (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
An implanted telecommunications device.
1955 Autofac (Nanorobots) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Very small robots working on self-replication
1955 Visual Report Screen (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick)
A device that allows a robot nanny to let the owners view what the robot sees from a remote location.
1955 Diabological Armory (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
A set of verbal tools based on a higher form of reasoning.
1955 Agile Recording Robot (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A recording machine that moves toward its subject.
1955 Inflatable Lunar Resort (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
An inflatable structure on the moon, intended to provide rest and relaxation to lunar residents.
1955 Hand Wave Control (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Control an electronic or other device with gestures.
1955 Protine (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A mutant algae that can be engineered to look and taste similar to normal food.
1955 Magnetic Grapple-Beams (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Short range magnetic field to guide flying cars and park them properly.
1955 Stiletto Beam (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A beam of molten metal, projected electromagnetically.
1955 Robot Taxi (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
A taxicab with a robotic driver.
1955 Dashboard TV (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
A television placed in the dashboard of your car or similar vehicle.
1955 Scout-Base (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
1955 Commute Disk (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
Flying autonomous commuter vehicle.
1955 Lunar Monorail (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
A monorail constructed above the surface of the Moon.
1955 Swibble (from Service Call by Philip K. Dick)
An artificially evolved telepathic metazoan-based mind control device.
1955 Bore-Pellets (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick)
Anti-underground bomb shelter ordinance.
1955 Robot Gardener (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous gardening robot, taking care of plants in parks or fields.
1955 Artigraft (from Solar Lottery by Philip K. Dick)
Artificial skin graft.
1955 Automatized Factory (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
A factory consisting of machines with imposed human abilities.
1955 Nanny Robot (from Nanny by Philip K. Dick)
A child-care robot with a surprisingly competitive side.
1955 Schrieber Analyzer (from Diabologic by Eric Frank Russell)
Superior automatic air testing - for the discriminating space traveler.
1955 Generation Ship (from Star Ship by E.C. Tubb)
A spacecraft that carries a complete social group over many years.
1955 Unit Analyst Robot (from The Chromium Fence by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic psychoanalyst.
1955 Ramsbotham Gate (from Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein)
A means of getting from point A to point B without traversing the space in-between.
1955 Robot Surgeon-Hand (from War Veteran by Philip K. Dick)
A skilled surgical robot that attaches at the end of the surgeon's arm.
1955 Aircab (from Time Crime by H. Beam Piper)
A flying autonomous taxi cab.
1955 Grill-Screen Adaptor (from Foster, You're Dead by Philip K. Dick)
Approved General Electronics Corporation solution for bomb shelters, in response to Soviet bore-pellets.
1955 Human Habit Pattern Machines (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
Imposing human habits onto machines.
1955 Automatic Ore Cart (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous truck for raw ore processing.
1955 Electronic Analogue of Living Brain (from The Tunnel Under The World by Frederik Pohl)
Imposing the abilities of a human brain into a computer
1955 Search-Bug (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An exploratory robot.
1955 Slide Rule w/Radio Attachment (from Mission to the Stars by A.E. van Vogt)
Slide rule communicates results immediately with computer.
1955 Raw Material-Tropic (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Moves towards desirable raw materials.
1955 Robot Factory Representative (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
An ambulatory agent of an automatic factory.
1955 Finely Divided Dust Propellant (from Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke)
Reaction mass to drive spacecraft.
1955 Synthetic Milk (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Milk made without cows.
1955 Pizzled (Semantic Garble) (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Use of nonsensical statements to deliberately confuse an artificial intelligence.
1955 Automatic Factory (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
Manufacturing facility that functions entirely autonomously.
1955 Autonomous Truck (from Autofac by Philip K. Dick)
A truck that drives itself and unloads itself.
1956 Robotic Hand (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
A dexterous manipulator for robots.
1956 Floating Lunar Dust (from Dust Rag by Hal Clement)
Electrostatically charged particles that float above the surface of the Moon.
1956 Flexible Frank (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
An all-purpose household robot.
1956 Planet-Busting Bomb (from Testing by J.J. Ferrat)
A munition with sufficient power to destroy an entire planet.
1956 Blue Collar Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
An autonomous robot required to find its own work.
1956 Sympathetic Block (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A way to keep certain mental contents from being spoken or revealed.
1956 Refurbished Nervous System (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
Your nerves are rewired for 5-10 times the speed of a normal person.
1956 Diaspar Memory (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
The city's memory could store works of art, and reproduce them upon request.
1956 Maximum-security Booth (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A special phone booth for receiving high-security, scrambled telephone calls, calls which included 3D visuals.
1956 Solido (from Chance of a Lifetime by Milton Lesser)
Abbr. for solidograph; a device that produced a solid three dimensional image.
1956 Virtual Immortality (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A method for storing the mind and memories of a person, and recalling and reconstituting them at will.
1956 Post-Crime (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
Criminal activities after they have actually happened.
1956 Precog (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
A person with precognitive ability (can predict the future).
1956 Undercover Detective Robot (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Specialized robot masquerades as different robot types to spy on criminals.
1956 PyrE (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A thermonuclear explosive that is detonated by thought alone.
1956 Robot Trash Collectors (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Robots that drive and operate garbage trucks.
1956 Bug (from Brightside Crossing by Alan E. Nourse)
A compact vehicle for planetary surfaces - like Mercury.
1956 Electrotruck (from The Corkscrew of Space by Poul Anderson)
An autonomous truck.
1956 Puddinged (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick)
A poorly formed 3D printed copy, with an interior that was a mass of malformed material.
1956 Stasis (Cold Sleep, Hibernation) (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Hibernation for human beings, lasting for many years.
1956 Robot Bartender (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
An automated, mechanical bar tending robot.
1956 Slug (from Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert)
An underwater "barge", consisting of a giant tube for transporting oil.
1956 Human Object Recognition (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
System uses human beings as an aid to robotic object recognition.
1956 Sargasso Asteroid (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A planetoid built from natural rock and the salvaged wreckage of space craft.
1956 Whisper Line (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A means of communication between prisoners held in wide separation.
1956 Teakettle (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A standard rocket (uses hydrogen as a booster to leave the atmosphere).
1956 Cider Press (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
Device used to make acceleration above 1 gravity more tolerable for groundhogs.
1956 Vacutubes (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A system of public transportation that used partially evacuated tubes and capsules big enough for passengers.
1956 Hush Corner (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A space made private by canceling sound waves in that area.
1956 Bounce Tube (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A people-sized pneumatic tube system used for short, quick trips in the vertical dimension.
1956 Jaunte Stage (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A cleared space that existed to serve the needs of people who would jaunte (teleport) into that space.
1956 Saga (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
You become a part of the great adventures of history.
1956 Regen-Buds (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Small collection of cells that can regrow into human limbs.
1956 Analogue (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A combination of a drug and a particular mental state allow a person to devolve to an animal level of their choice.
1956 Internal Body Power Pack (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A tiny battery used to power implants.
1956 Eetee (E.T - extraterrestrial) (from Double Star by Robert Heinlein)
A sentient being not of this Earth.
1956 Hired Girl Robot (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
The amazing floor-cleaning robot!
1956 Dental Switchboard (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
A control device tied in with teeth and nerve endings.
1956 Central Computer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A computer capable of running an entire city.
1956 Empath (from Empath by J.T. McIntosh)
A being capable of telepathic empathy with others.
1956 Matter Organizer (from The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device that could cause a computer-generated image to be constructed as a real object.
1956 Mechanical Jokester (from Jokester by Isaac Asimov)
A vast computer system learns about humor.
1956 Intelligent Trash Sorting (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Robots sort the garbage - almost completely.
1956 Precrime Analytical Wing (from The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick)
Contains the precognitives and the machinery need to hear and analyze their predictions of future crimes.
1956 Landing-Grid (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
A designated landing area on a planetary surface for space craft.
1956 Mechanotherapy (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
A mechanism or device-based therapy that cures (or palliates) alcoholism.
1956 Disposal-Safe (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Device to store and, if necessary, destroy documents.
1956 Mutated Kodiak Bears (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Animals modified for increased intelligence for defense and companionship.
1956 Bendix Anxiety Reducer (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Machine-based psychotherapy.
1956 Window-Willie (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
A robot that cleaned windows by electrostatic repulsion of dust and grime.
1956 Planet Rules (from Drop Dead by Clifford Simak)
Regulations governing the behavior of the away team on a new planet.
1956 Eager Beaver (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Your friendly robot helper.
1956 Space-Boat (Rocket Boat) (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Small craft designed for descent and then take-off from a planetary surface.
1956 Thorsen Memory Tube (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Computer component that allows a machine to learn through experience.
1956 Living Advertising Character (from The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester)
Modifying an ordinary person to create a living likeness of a company's brand symbol or character.
1956 Biltong Life Form (from Pay for the Printer by Philip K. Dick)
Remarkable organic manufacturing aliens, probably indigenous to the Centaurus system.
1956 Alcoholic Reliever (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Mechanized relief from alcoholism.
1956 Home Therapy Appliances, Inc. (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
A store at which a variety of therapy devices are made available
1956 Rex Regenerator (Mechanotherapist) (from Bad Medicine by Robert Sheckley)
Mechanotherapy device cures homicidal urges.
1956 Space-Beacon (from Exploration Team by Murray Leinster)
Device used to guide a space craft into finding an inhabited planet or colony on a planet.
1956 Universal Checkbook (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Fully electronic banking system, which allows easy withdrawal of funds from any bank.
1956 Radioactive Coding for Checks (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
Special coding system to easily recognize checks.
1956 Fottengill Process (from Gypped by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.)
An early mention of the idea that energy can be derived from random noise.
1956 Anti-Heptant (from To Live Forever by Jack Vance)
A compound that erases specific areas of the brain.
1956 Juvenile (from The Man Who Japed by Philip K. Dick)
A robot designed to sneak around and spy on people.
1956 Drafting Dan (from The Door Into Summer by Robert Heinlein)
The first computer software drafting program (Computer Aided Design - CAD).
1956 Vehicle Sleep Sensor (from The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison)
Better stay awake, the machines know if you're sleeping.
1956 Invulnerable Wall (from Jackpot by Clifford Simak)
A material created by insects that grew stronger as it was compressed.
1957 Police Detection Robot (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
An automated evidence-gathering robot.
1957 The Machine (M) (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous robot able to alter its appearance and functionality at will.
1957 Bethé blasters (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Powerful enough to destroy a flying city.
1957 Needle-Gun (from Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter by Isaac Asimov)
Small palm-sized weapon.
1957 Death-Rattle (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A device that sends a signal upon brain death of the user.
1957 Proselytizing Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A robotic preacher; designed for use where believers are unwelcome.
1957 Magnetic Control of Nebulae (from The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle)
Controlling the structure and shape of nebulae using magnetic fields.
1957 Brood Assembly (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Artificially intelligent computers that can replicate themselves.
1957 Remote Control Taxicab (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A cab that is piloted by a remote operator.
1957 Spindizzy (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that made use of a relationship between electron spin, electromagnetism and gravity allowed any object to leave the Earth's surface.
1957 Project X (from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand)
A device that produces sound rays that are intolerable to living things.
1957 Machine Psychologist (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A computer that understands and uses its knowledge of human psychology to benefit human users.
1957 Neural Door Lock (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A device that provides access based on neurological data.
1957 City Fathers (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A set of computer systems which run every mechanical system in a city.
1957 Accelerated Schooling Helmet (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that stimulates the brain and imparts knowledge directly.
1957 Molecular Sieve (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device that can extract any element from seawater.
1957 Mechanical Cleaning Device (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
A small, ground-based autonomous robot doing basic janitorial work.
1957 Gravity-Polarized Explosive (TDX) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A chemical explosive that acts at an angle to the local gravitational field.
1957 Tin Cabby (Flying Robotic Taxi) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
An autonomously controlled flying taxi cab.
1957 Manshonyagger (from Mark Elf by Cordwainer Smith)
An autonomous fighting robot.
1957 Machine Surveillance (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
The use of artificially intelligent computer systems to learn by monitoring all human interaction within a city.
1957 Gravity Well (from Life Cycle by Poul Anderson)
The surface of a planet.
1957 Eavesdropper (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Device to detect the presence of recording devices.
1957 Battle Tank Display (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Three-dimensional display showing tactical information for space battles.
1957 Teleoperated Lab Robot (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A robot is used to conduct experiments in an environment too extreme for humans.
1957 Crop Algae (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Growing algae in tanks as a source of basic food stock.
1957 Accelerated Schooling (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Knowledge force-fed directly into the brain.
1957 Glass Bees (from The Glass Bees by Ernst Junger)
Walnut-sized flying automata.
1957 Storer-Gulls Wings (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein)
Recreational aid for lunar colonists; lightweight wings for cave flying.
1957 Robot Situation Neurosis (from The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)
Robots go mad when given competing instructions.
1957 Fenton Silencer (from Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device to cancel noise over a broad area.
1957 Toposcope (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A special helmet used in a form of sleep teaching.
1957 Bats' Cave (from The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein)
A natural cavern used by moon colonists for air storage - and entertainment.
1957 Dirac Transmitter (also Tranceiver or Communicator) (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device that provides instantaneous communication anywhere in the galaxy.
1957 Teleoperated Beetle Car (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A remotely-operated robotic vehicle that permitted telepresence.
1957 Inter-Universal Messenger (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
A device intended to travel to another dimension.
1957 Anti-agathic drugs (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Drugs that indefinitely postpone death from old age.
1957 Space Armor (from Cities in Flight by James Blish)
Armored space suits for use in vacuum.
1957 Peeper (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak)
A device that unlocked the dreams and fantasies inherent in the user's brain.
1957 Roller (from Shadow World by Clifford Simak)
Two passenger vehicle designed for off-road use on alien planets.
1957 Lunar Advertisement (from Watch This Space by Arthur C. Clarke)
An 'ad' on the lunar surface that can be seen by its audience on Earth.
1957 Stellar Analog Computers (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
Special systems used to calculate safe "jumps" for interstellar trips.
1957 Dropshaft (from Deeper Than the Darkness by Harlan Ellison)
An elevator shaft with no elevator - the "lift" is from gravity or suppressed inertia.
1957 Spacefaring (from Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein)
A nation or people who explore and trade in space.
1957 Jump-Along (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
Computer used for calculating jumps between stars.
1957 Jumpship (from The Lady Was A Tramp by Rose Sharon)
A spaceship capable of making interstellar jumps, that is, it could move over vast distances instantaneously.
1958 Palm Plate (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A device that scanned for a palm print prior to opening a door.
1958 Espionage Machine (from No, No, Not Rogov! by Cordwainer Smith)
A machine that makes it possible to experience the sensations of another person at a distance.
1958 Para-Beam (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A beam of energy that paralyzes the victim.
1958 Photosight (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
An automotive device that automatically follows a painted white line on the roadway, letting the car drive itself.
1958 Impactor Determines Composition (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
The use of an impactor to smash into a small celestial body; watching the impact can determine the composition of the small body.
1958 Message Tree (from A Case of Conscience by James Blish)
A tree growing out of a huge cliff of crystal provides communication for a world.
1958 Nose Gun (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison)
Weapon system located up high.
1958 Pocket Computer (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized computer.
1958 Cone of Silence (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
Distortion field that limits the carrying power of voice or other vibration; it accomplishes noise reduction with an image-vibration 180 degrees out of phase.
1958 Self-Service Cafeteria (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
Food on demand.
1958 The Hub (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance)
A large space resort consisting of inhabitable bubbles in a metal framework.
1958 Asteroid-Metal (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
Metal mined from asteroids.
1958 Flexible Wall Sheet Display (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A large clear sheet that displays information.
1958 Magnetic Pinions (from Worlds of Origin by Jack Vance)
Remote control electromagnetic handcuffs.
1958 Life Detector (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
A device that was capable of detecting living tissue within a set radius.
1958 Gyro Two-Wheeled Truck (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
A gyroscopically-stabilized truck with just two wheels.
1958 Tik-Talker (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
A method of scrambling spoken speech for encoded transmission.
1958 Chin Plates (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
A means of control within a space suit helmet; switching between options with the chin.
1958 Baby Robot (from Brother Robot by Henry Slesar)
An infant robot.
1958 Neutronic Shielding (from The Sign of the Tiger by Alan Nourse (w/Meyer))
Very high density monomolecular shielding
1958 Metamen (from The Mechanical Monarch by E.C. Tubb)
A human brain placed in a purely mechanical, robotic body.
1958 Hypo Arm (from Simulated Trainer by Harry Harrison)
A robotic arm used to autonomously deliver pharmaceuticals to patients.
1958 Edge Controls (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
A pocket-sized device using controls on the edge of the device, leaving the face for display purposes only.
1958 Police Robot (from Arm of the Law by Harry Harrison)
A fully autonomous, man-shaped robotic police officer.
1958 Life Detector Shield (from Cease Fire by Frank Herbert)
An electronic field that is intended to shield living tissue from a Life Detector.
1958 Ethical Suicide Parlor (from Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
A comfy environment in which you might commit ethical suicide, and thereby serve society.
1958 Machine Suicide (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov)
A self-aware computer system wants to destroy itself.
1958 Predictable Crime (from All the Troubles in the World by Isaac Asimov)
A criminal act that computers were able to foresee in advance.
1958 Computers Improve Computers (from The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov)
The idea that it will be possible for computers to design more advanced computers.
1958 Build A Planet With Asteroids (from And Then the Town Took Off by Richard Wilson)
The idea that it is possible to gather up enough of the asteroids in the solar system to "build" a planet out of the scraps.
1958 Walking Mill (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
The ultimate combine - giant metal centipede walks through fields, harvesting wheat, threshing, grinding and finally baking bread right in the field.
1958 Pressurized Penthouse (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
A stratospheric perch - if buildings are tall enough, you'll need this.
1958 Venus Cities Float In Atmosphere (from Bread Overhead! by Fritz Leiber)
Cloud cities on Venus.
1958 Chin Window (from Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein)
An aperture that allows an astronaut to see his own feet (greater field of view).
1959 Robot Spectra Analyzer (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
Device used to find ones position in real space.
1959 Mark IV Door Keeping Robot (from The Man Who Could Not Stop by A. Bertram Chandler)
A robotic device for responding (and scanning) people who come to your door.
1959 Grass Carpet (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
An indoor home or office floor covering - living grass.
1959 Magnetically Floating Furniture (from The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
Furniture that is suspended at the proper height using magnetic forces.
1959 Hands Free Helmet (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
The helmet of a powered suit has controls activated by head movements.
1959 Robot Judge (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Artificially intelligent legal machine - robes and all.
1959 Robotic Trash Can (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
A sensor-equipped waste can capable of autonomous cleaning - and legal judgement.
1959 Electromechanical Educator (from The Fourth R by George O. Smith)
An automated teaching machine.
1959 Metallic Marx (from The Robots Strike by Harry Harrison)
A robot who strikes for better working conditions.
1959 Hyperspace Beacon (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
Located in real space, these devices provide reference points in hyperspace to make navigation possible.
1959 Saddle (from The Big Front Yard by Clifford Simak)
A comfortable riding saddle - minus the horse.
1959 Flying Eye (from The Repairman by Harry Harrison)
A remote-controlled device for surveillance overflight.
1959 Toy Testing Dummy (from War Game by Philip K. Dick)
A child-sized device used to test suspect toys.
1959 Memo-Voice (from War Game by Philip K. Dick)
Paper memos that read themselves out loud.
1959 Personality Death (from Robot Justice by Harry Harrison)
Punishment leaves the body intact.
1959 Powered Armor (or Powered Suit) (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
An armored suit that magnifies the power of the soldier's muscles, along with other weapons.
1959 Neodog (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
Canine-derived animal, genetically engineered for increased intelligence and speech.
1959 Talking Bomb (from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein)
A psychological warfare weapon that talks to the enemy.
1960 Fluid Metal Letters (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A smooth metal display able to display words.
1960 Cold-Pack (from Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick)
Technology for indefinite cold storage of human beings.
1960 Dermal Spray (from Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick)
A color coating for the skin, applied as a jet of vapor.
1960 Power Holster (from Deathworld by Harry Harrison)
Puts the sidearm right in your hand.
1960 Chameleon Battle-Dress (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
Camouflage that allows its wearer to visually blend into the environment.
1960 Bacteria-Destroying Radiation (from Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick)
A special beam that created a sterile field for operations.
1960 Robot Tracking Device (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Small UAV robot remotely operated by an artificially intelligent computer.
1960 Spring-Rifle (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
Projectile weapon designed to be resistant to countermeasures.
1960 Indestructible Contract (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
Legal document in which can't be easily altered or damaged.
1960 Ball and Hammer Ship (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
Spaceship comprised of two sections connected by a shaft.
1960 Bolo (from Combat Unit by Keith Laumer)
An highly advanced combat tank controlled by a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence.
1960 Starlight Sail (Light Sail) (from The Lady Who Sailed The Soul by Cordwainer Smith)
A light sail capable of sailing between solar systems.
1960 Dixon Pump (from Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick)
An temporary mechanical heart to circulate blood.
1960 Semi-Conducting Graphite-Gel (from Callahan and the Wheelies by Stephen Barr)
Computer brain structured like animal brain.
1960 Hammer (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Flying blunt trauma weapon remote-controlled by an artificially intelligent computer.
1960 Interactive Blackboard (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Early description of an interactive display device for lectures and demonstrations.
1960 Vulcan 3 (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Artificially intelligent self-modifying supercomputer.
1960 Transdermal Drug Capsule (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A drug capsule that delivers medication by being placed on the skin.
1960 Adiabatic Pods (from The Lady Who Sailed The Soul by Cordwainer Smith)
Tiny space capsules large enough to hold one passenger.
1960 Learning Robot (from Callahan and the Wheelies by Stephen Barr)
A robot that learns from its own experiences.
1960 Pencil Beam (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
A thin tube-like laser beam weapon.
1960 Metal BIrds (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Surveillance robots that carried weapons, in addition to using their metal bodies.
1960 Self-Charging Robot (from Callahan and the Wheelies by Stephen Barr)
A robot that is able to autonomously find an electrical outlet and plug itself in to recharge.
1960 Art-Derm (from Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick)
Artificial skin sprayed directly on the body.
1960 Single Sheet Molecule (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
A counterfeit-proof way to output unique documents.
1960 Infiltrators (from Vulcan's Hammer by Philip K. Dick)
Surveillance devices, small and insectile.
1960 Domed Mapviewer (from Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson)
Illuminated hemispherical map display.
1961 Stellene (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A tough, transparent material used to make domes or even spacecraft.
1961 Gobathian (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
An alien medical technology that enables full body healing in the event of traumatic injury.
1961 Transo (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
Teleportation of objects and personnel, used as the basis for "Trading Post" stores across the planet.
1961 Chlorophane (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Similar to chlorophyll but synthetic and far more efficient.
1961 Pleasure Cap (from A Planet Named Shayol by Cordwainer Smith)
A device that delivers amps of pleasure directly to the brain.
1961 Mind Destroyer (from A Planet Named Shayol by Cordwainer Smith)
A method for wiping clean the mind of a human being, leaving only enough to run the body's functions.
1961 Sun-Powered Ionic Drive Motor (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A rocket propulsion system that takes solar energy to power an ion drive.
1961 Lecton (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
A device that would read aloud an electronic text book.
1961 Dromozoa (from A Planet Named Shayol by Cordwainer Smith)
Life forms that cause the human body to bud new parts for harvesting.
1961 Igloo Inflatable Moon Habitat (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
An inflatable, portable lunar shelter that can be easily moved and set up.
1961 Air-Restorer Capsule (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that re-oxygenates air in space suits.
1961 Jump Harness (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
A device small enough to be worn as a backpack, that gave booster power for jumping.
1961 Moondozer (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
A bulldozer for lunar conditions.
1961 Electrosecretary (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
An automatic transcription device.
1961 Screensaver (Inventor of) (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
Screen savers are used to prevent phosphor burnout in CRTs, and to provide restful entertainment on computer screens.
1961 Stereovision Tank (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
Three dimensional mass media (the grandson of television).
1961 Space Bubble (Bubb) (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An inflatable spacecraft.
1961 Living Grass Carpet (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
An indoor area covered with grass, in the manner of a carpet.
1961 Hunting Robe (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
A very thin, furry hunter that captures by constriction.
1961 Emotional Register (ER) (from The Primal Urge by Brian Aldiss)
A small disk worn in the forehead that discloses the emotional state of the wearer.
1961 Electronic Book Store (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
A place to pick up your electronic books.
1961 Gravitics (from Tricky Tonnage by Malcom Jameson)
The science of using gravity as a technology.
1961 Sky Ceiling (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
Ceilings that consist of large screens, on which are presented images of the sky.
1961 Mental Radio-Handicap (from Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
A device that destroys concentration.
1961 Reading Machine (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
A projector which showed text on a screen or the ceiling for easy reading.
1961 Spray-On Clothing (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
Body coverings from a spray can.
1961 Opton (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
Very early description of an electronic book, with storage media.
1961 Betrization (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
An in utero method of reducing human aggression.
1961 Parastatics (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
Means of completely eliminating injury in vehicles during crashes.
1961 Hydroponics in Space (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Growing plants for food without soil on a spacecraft.
1961 Taper (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
A device that records details about a visit to a distant planet.
1961 Calster (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
A handheld device that printed legal currency on the spot.
1961 Waterbed (Hydraulic Bed) (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
A bed that uses water instead of springs and stuffing.
1961 Interactive Map (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
A small book with a 'touch-screen' paper interactive map.
1961 Lyle Drive (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
Propulsion system for use inside the solar system.
1961 Butcher Plant (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
A plant that grows steaks (protein).
1961 Grok (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
To understand fully; become one with (from the Martial verb "to drink").
1961 Stereo Tank (from Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein)
A receiver for three-dimensional televised images.
1961 Dust-Cruiser (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
Specialized lunar transport able to negotiate dust-filled craters on the Moon.
1961 Carniculture Plants (from Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper)
Industrial plants that grow meat protein.
1961 Transmit Camera (from Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper)
A camera that both takes pictures and uploads it directly to a news station.
1961 Crystal Corn (from Return from the Stars by Stanislaw Lem)
Tiny data storage crystals.
1961 Recording Radio (from Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper)
A handheld device that both recorded sound and transmitted it live to a remote broadcasting location.
1961 Teleprinter (from Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper)
A device that printed out a copy of today's newspaper.
1961 Dimensino (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
An alien entertainment center that provides the ultimate in immersive experience.
1961 Self-Guided Rocket Bullets (from The Planet Strappers by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A rifle made for airless environments shoots rocket bullets.
1961 Star Machine (from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak)
A device that serves as a boost to psychokinetic powers of mind, enabling paranormals to send their awareness to distant planets.
1961 Dust-Ski (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
Special vehicle adapted for quick travel over powdered lunar soil.
1961 Flitterboat (from A Ship Named McGuire by Gordon Randall Garrett)
A one-man cargo space craft.
1961 IntruGrab (from The Hunch by Christopher Anvil)
A system designed to capture intruders.
1961 Astroposit (from The Hunch by Christopher Anvil)
Retro-style system provides a readout on your position anywhere in the galaxy.
1961 Plexiskin (from A Ship Named McGuire by Gordon Randall Garrett)
A means of disguise.
1961 Magnetic Soles (from A Ship Named McGuire by Gordon Randall Garrett)
Magnetized footwear for easy walking on low gravity metal surfaces.
1961 Farside (from A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke)
The portion of the Moon's surface that faces away from Earth.
1962 Laminated Mouse Brain Computer (from Think Blue, Count Two by Cordwainer Smith)
A computing device that makes use of neurons from a mouse.
1962 Veridicator (from Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper)
A device that measured physiologic responses (biometric data) and translated it to a set of colors that unerringly reported whether or not the measured person was telling the truth.
1962 Alcodote (from Space Viking by H. Beam Piper)
A compound that maintains sobriety while drinking.
1962 Luminescent Vial (from The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance)
A glass tube full of luminescent algae; used to provide some measure of light underground.
1962 Cataclysmite (from Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper)
A high explosive.
1962 Tand (from The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance)
A metal sculpture, made in contemplation, which has great meaning for the initiates.
1962 Psychotropic House (from The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista by J.G. Ballard)
Buildings designed to sense, and mirror, the psychological state of their owners.
1962 Plastex (from The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista by J.G. Ballard)
A combination of plaster and latex, it allows houses to change shape for you.
1962 Senso-Cells (from The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista by J.G. Ballard)
Sensors that recorded personal characteristics of the owners of a house, to better serve their needs.
1962 Serving Robot (from Space Viking by H. Beam Piper)
A non-humanoid robot designed to serve.
1962 Carniculture Vat (from Space Viking by H. Beam Piper)
Technology to grow meat sans animal.
1962 Solar Sail (Light Sail) (from Sail 25 by Jack Vance)
A form of propulsion for spacecraft; a sheet of lightweight material reflects light from the sun or other light source.
1962 Self-Healing Building (from The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista by J.G. Ballard)
A building that responds to stresses or cracks in walls by healing the damaged portion.
1962 Dumbler (from Hothouse by Brian Aldiss)
Half-sentient spores of the whistle thistle.
1962 Diamagnetic Levitation (from The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov)
Levitation accomplished using magnetic field's interference with the motion of electrons orbiting the atoms or molecules of a material.
1962 Robot Earthworm (from War With The Robots by Harry Harrison)
Autonomous swarming robots the size of earthworms, with similar earth-digging capabilities.
1962 Lunar Web (from Hothouse by Brian Aldiss)
The moon ensnared by cobwebs.
1962 Robot Librarian Filer (from The Robot Who Wanted to Know by Harry Harrison)
A device that works as a librarian, automatically filing books in the stacks.
1962 Static House (from The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista by J.G. Ballard)
A house that was once fully psychotropic and malleable, but which had been frozen in one configuration.
1962 Celestial Armamentarium (from The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance)
A small crystal planetarium, in which the stars and planets surrounding Aerlith are seen.
1962 Photonic Sail (from Think Blue, Count Two by Cordwainer Smith)
A sail that uses light pressure for propulsion.
1962 Rat-Robot (from Anything You Can Do by Gordon Randall Garrett)
A small remotely-operated surveillance robot.
1962 Light-Sail Ship (from Think Blue, Count Two by Cordwainer Smith)
A spacecraft that used a huge sail moved by light pressure.
1962 Freezebox (from Think Blue, Count Two by Cordwainer Smith)
A chamber for long term sleep between the stars.
1963 Transparent, Frictionless Coating (from Way Station by Clifford Simak)
An absolutely frictionless, impenetrable coating.
1963 Alcohol-Sensing System (from The Game Players of Titan by Philip K. Dick)
A vehicle subsystem that detected alcohol use in the driver, and then took control of the car away from the driver.
1963 Homotropic News Vending Machine (from The Game Players of Titan by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous news-selling robot, that was able to specifically seek out human beings.
1963 Sleep-Inducer (from Sunjammer by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device that electronically imposes sleep on a human being.
1963 Solar Yacht (from Sunjammer by Arthur C. Clarke)
A space craft whose motive power is light pressure on a solar sail.
1963 Solar Yacht Periscope (from Sunjammer by Arthur C. Clarke)
A device used in the small cabin of a solar yacht.
1963 Rifle Range (Virtual Shooting Range) (from Way Station by Clifford Simak)
Virtual skeet shooting gallery with clay pigeon traps created by aliens.
1963 Homeostatic Newspaper (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous news-gathering and publishing entity; abbreviated as homeopape.
1963 Ice-Nine (from Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)
A crystalline form of water so stable that in practical terms it would never melt.
1963 Rabbit-Paper (from The Game Players of Titan by Philip K. Dick)
A paper pregnancy test that showed immediate results.
1963 Desk Secretary (from The Long Result by John Brunner)
A desk with a computerized secretary built into it.
1963 Perky Pat Layout (from The Days of Perky Pat by Philip K. Dick)
A very special playset into which adults could project their very being.
1963 News Clown (from Stand-By by Philip K. Dick)
A person who delivers specially selected light news.
1963 Unicephalon 40-D (from Stand-By by Philip K. Dick)
A problem-solving supercomputer.
1963 News Receptor (from If There Were No Benny Cemoli by Philip K. Dick)
Devices used by homeostatic newspapers to gather news autonomically.
1963 Way Station Materializer (from Way Station by Clifford Simak)
By sending impulses that describe a creature from star to star, transport across the galaxy is accomplished.
1963 Multiverse (from The Sundered Worlds by Michael Moorcock)
A set or series of universes in parallel with our own.
1963 Fold Box (from Glory Road by Robert Heinlein)
A chest that is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
1963 Tattletale (from The Game Players of Titan by Philip K. Dick)
A device is attached to a criminal suspect, ensuring that his whereabouts are always known.
1963 Way Station (from Way Station by Clifford Simak)
A device used to transport individuals across the galaxy.
1963 Subliminal Billboards (from The Subliminal Man by J.G. Ballard)
Enormous outdoor billboards that are totally blank - or are they?
1963 Field-Minder (from Who Can Replace A Man by Brian Aldiss)
An agricultural robot.
1963 Jump Drive (from Ethical Engineer by Harry Harrison)
A means of propulsion used on spacecraft that allows a ship to travel from point to distant point without actually needing to traverse the space in between.
1963 Talisman (from Way Station by Clifford Simak)
Device that causes beings nearby to experience truth and peace; works only in the hands of rare adepts.
1963 Free Telephone Call (from The Subliminal Man by J.G. Ballard)
All telephone calls are free - in exchange for short commercials.
1964 Commercial Fly (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous, fly-sized manufactured creature that presents commercial advertisements.
1964 Ident-Key (from The Penultimate Truth by Philip K. Dick)
Allows the retrieval of a person's entire history of reading material, allowing the prediction of his future thinking.
1964 Reporting Machine (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic roving reporter.
1964 Creditor Jet-Balloon (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A small, hovering device that hounds debtors.
1964 Autonomic Plow (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
A set of farm implements able to combine and perform as a weapon.
1964 Poison-Bearing Invisible Glove (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
Membranous apparel for the hands, used to dispense poisons.
1964 Skin Toning (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
Using artificial means to effect a temporary change in skin color.
1964 Bibs (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
People who are put in cold-sleep because there is no niche for them in society.
1964 Auto Shovel (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
Automated mining equipment for use in space.
1964 Live Memo (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
A paper memo or short letter that reads itself and can even argue with or exhort its reader.
1964 Universal Technical Consultative Service (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
Interstellar travel plans calculated, reserved and confirmed.
1964 Color Generator (from The Killing Machine by Jack Vance)
A variable spectrum light source
1964 Robot Busboy (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic device able to autonomously clear tables in a restaurant.
1964 Adjustable Television (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
A television that allowed viewers to adjust the content of political speeches.
1964 Empathy Box (from The Little Black Box by Philip K. Dick)
A device which allows a group of people to empathize with a single person (like television lets many people view the same broadcast).
1964 Cephalotropic Dart (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A slim, short-range device that homes in on the brain wave pattern of the target.
1964 Surgical Hand (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
A specialized robotic hand used for surgery.
1964 Auto Course-Finding Pilot (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
A device that not only pilots the craft, but will also plot out a course for you.
1964 Cephalic Sniffer (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
Device can locate an individual using brain patterns.
1964 Pry-Vie (Robotic Detective) (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic private eye; autonomic detection services.
1964 Chalf-Memory Stick (from The Tactful Saboteur by Frank Herbert)
Device that organizes special dust in the shape of words and symbols.
1964 Fake-Meter (from The Killing Machine by Jack Vance)
A pocket-sized counterfeit currency detector.
1964 Single Seat Scooter (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A self-service monocycle.
1964 Rhetorizer (from The Penultimate Truth by Philip K. Dick)
A computerized assistant for writers.
1964 Identificator (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A hologram projector used to flash door signs.
1964 Walking Fort (from The Killing Machine by Jack Vance)
A biomimetic fort based on the model of a centipede.
1964 Solar Updraft Tower (from Shortstack by Leigh and Walt Richmond)
A renewable-energy scheme that generates power from air movement inside a tall chimney.
1964 Flexible Stem (from The Killing Machine by Jack Vance)
A long flexible tube that can expand and contract its length quickly.
1964 Courtarena (from The Tactful Saboteur by Frank Herbert)
A combination of a court of law, and an arena of combat, in which every participant could be called out and executed under legal circumstances.
1964 Manual Closet (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
An old-fashioned storage room for clothing, which required the user to place and organize articles of apparel by hand.
1964 Undersea Restaurant (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A restaurant located in its entirety under the sea.
1964 Agfom Potent-Shot (from Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick)
Special film allows user to take a picture of what happens in the next thirty minutes.
1964 Famnexdo (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
A set of four simulacra, one adult male, one adult female and two children; the family next door.
1964 Jet-Powered Aquaplane (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
Overpowered surface boat.
1964 Court Robo-Clerk (from The Tactful Saboteur by Frank Herbert)
A robotic law clerk.
1964 Autonomic Food-Processing System (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
Technology allows food to be prepared untouched by human hands.
1964 Syn-Cof (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
Synthetic coffee.
1964 Surface Slider (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A small, lightweight craft.
1964 Platform Flyer (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A small craft suitable for journeys close to the ground.
1964 Housefly Monitor (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A living fly that is outfitted with sensors for surveillance work.
1964 Chairdog (from The Tactful Saboteur by Frank Herbert)
A chair that is alive and partly sentient; it shapes itself to the person sitting in it.
1964 Stick-Tight (from The Star King by Jack Vance)
A general term for surveillance devices that will follow a subject and record speech or video.
1964 Word Tab (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
A feature of an e-paper document; touch the word tab and get more information.
1964 Chalf (Quick-Scribe Powder) (from The Tactful Saboteur by Frank Herbert)
A special powder that forms itself into words and symbols.
1964 Boulder (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
A device that homed in on a person's brain wave pattern; a very specific assassination device.
1964 Ampek F-a2 Recording System (from The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick)
A device that incorporated a living protoplasm, used as a recording and playback system.
1964 Artif-Org (from Cantata 140 by Philip K. Dick)
A mechanical version of a human organ.
1964 Time-Warping Construct (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A device that appears to cause alternate worlds or paraworld.
1964 Weary Deep-Sleep (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
Phildickian old-sleep.
1964 Bug Chasers (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
Anti-surveillance devices.
1964 Cholinesterase-Destroying Gas (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
Horrific anti-personnel poison.
1964 Nipple-Assist (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A multi-purpose electronic device worn upon the nipple.
1964 Jump Point (from Bill for Delivery by Christopher Anvil)
A specific location in space where an interstellar jump can be accomplished.
1964 Suicide Tooth (from Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick)
A false tooth containing poison.
1965 Civic Notification Distorter (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A device that subtly damages databases full of government information.
1965 Ornithopter (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Also called a 'thopter, it had adjustable wings and was jet-powered. Describes any plane capable of wing-beat flight in the manner of birds.
1965 CAN-D (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Illegal narcotic chewed to alter the state of colonists.
1965 Carryall (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A flying wing (aircraft); used to pick up a sandcrawler (harvester factory)
1965 Hunter-seeker (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An assassination device that floats in mid-air; kills by entering the body and following nerve pathways to vital organs.
1965 Stillsuit (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
It covers almost the entire body, provides cooling and ensures that almost no moisture is lost.
1965 Thumper (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A short stake with a spring-driven clapper at one end; used to call sandworms.
1965 Cephalic Pattern Door (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A door that only opens for specific people.
1965 Solido Projector (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Projects 3-dimensional images.
1965 Oil Lens (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Oil held in tension in an enclosing force field, used as an optical component.
1965 Model the Universe (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
A computer capacious enough to contain a representation of the entire universe.
1965 Medical Mech (from Warrior by Gordon R. Dickson)
A medical robot designed to prevent death during emergencies.
1965 Windtrap (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A device which precipitates water from the air for use by people.
1965 Factory Crawler (or Harvester Crawler) (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A mobile factory which filtered and processed the sands of Dune for the spice, mélange.
1965 Femfatalatron (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
A device that reverses an infatuation for a particular woman.
1965 Filament Paper Book (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Very small book, made for space travelers in an era when the smallest added weight was costly.
1965 Dekon Type DCQ (from Subspace Explorers by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Decontamination foam.
1965 Sietch (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A cave warren designed to protect a tribal community, with a population of thousands, with its own water supply in an endless desert.
1965 Battle Language (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A special-purpose language designed for both clear communication of information related to war, and difficulty of translation.
1965 Maula Pistol (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A spring-loaded projectile device.
1965 Dispensing Tooth (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A device shaped like a tooth that dispenses gas.
1965 Death-rattle File (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A cache of information set to destroy itself upon the death of its owner.
1965 Golden Lights (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Another unusual use of the suspensor field; lights are suspended in it.
1965 Ego-Likeness (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An extremely detailed portrait played through a shigawire projector; capable of reproducing minute movements said to convey the ego essence of a person.
1965 Imperial Handicraft Globe (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Perfectly crafted globe for planetary governors.
1965 Steel Teeth (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Artificial teeth welded to the bone.
1965 Interchangeable Hands (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Specialized manual extremities.
1965 N-e (Needle-eyeification) Weapon (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A class of weapons that had the most precise effect imaginable.
1965 Stilltent (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small, sealable enclosure which reclaimed moisture from the breath of occupants.
1965 Poison Snooper (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A device that checked food and drink for poisons.
1965 Suspensor Chair (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A chair that suspends itself above the floor.
1965 Residual Poison (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A poison that, once administered, resides in the body; only regular intake of the antidote keeps the person alive.
1965 Luxvid Eyes (Jensen Wide-Angle) (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Artificial, unmoving implanted eyes.
1965 Leybyrdite (from Subspace Explorers by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Extremely tough crystalline metal.
1965 Chromoplastic Dew Collector (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small, egg-shaped device that uses a special surface to collect morning dew on the desert planet of Arrakis.
1965 Sandsnork (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A device like a snorkel that would provide air to a tent buried by a sand storm.
1965 Handicloset (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A self-organizing closet
1965 Sheep Dip Isolator (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A non-lethal malodorant weapon.
1965 Autonomic Interviewer (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic reporter.
1965 Slow Pellet Stunner (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A projectile device that throws darts in a manner calculated to get past a force shield.
1965 Heighliner (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Enormous starship used by the Spacing Guild for interstellar travel.
1965 Remote-Cast Snooper (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small, easily concealed poison snooper.
1965 Robot Bar (from Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison)
A combination bartender and bar; a robot capable of dispensing beverages.
1965 Garbage-can Banger (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
An elaborate noise-based weapon.
1965 Doorseal (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A portable plastic seal used in temporary camps to keep moisture from escaping from dwelling places.
1965 Cutteray (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A laser used in a range of tools - including mining equipment.
1965 Pain Box (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small box which induced pain into the nerves of the hand.
1965 Truffle Skins (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Genetically unique skins are the common currency; their special genetic makeup makes forgery impossible.
1965 Distrans (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Device produces a temporary neural imprint on the nervous system of Chiroptera or birds.
1965 Bubblehead (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
A person who as undergone E therapy, and achieved the frontal lobe of their dreams.
1965 Police Control-Override (from A Plague of Demons by Keith Laumer)
A device that allows police officers to take control of an otherwise normal vehicle.
1965 Wakeshot (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An injection designed to bring a person out of sleep to full wakefulness.
1965 Dr. Smile (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
A suitcase-sized analyst; a machine that served as a psychotherapist.
1965 Battery-Powered 3D Comic Book (from The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick)
A comic book the pages of which were animated by battery power.
1965 Commuter Cooling Unit (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
A portable air conditioner for commuters.
1965 Optical-Effect Suit (from A Plague of Demons by Keith Laumer)
An invisibility garment.
1965 Suspensor Lamp (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A lamp that will float in mid-air, and will stay where you put it.
1965 Gnostotron (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
Computing device capable of producing an informational model of absolutely everything in existence.
1965 Palm Lock (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A lock or seal which can be opened only by contact with the palm of the human hand to which it has been keyed.
1965 Water Repellent Surface (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A surface that water flows over without sticking at all.
1965 Suspensor (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An energy field that can nullify gravity for small objects.
1965 Glowglobe (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Floating spherical light bulb with organic energy source.
1965 Ramscoop (from World of Ptavvs by Larry Niven)
An enormous magnetic field precedes a spaceship moving through space, directing interstellar hydrogen inward for use as fuel.
1965 Message Cylinder (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small metal object containing some form of message media and a mechanism for either playing or extruding the medium; secured communication device.
1965 Teddy Bear Robot (from I Always Do What Teddy Says by Harry Harrison)
A special toy bear given to every child in the world.
1965 Shigawire (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A very fine wire, used as a recording medium (among other things).
1965 Cardioplate (from 'Repent Harlequin' Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison)
A device that could take seconds or minutes off your life, one beat at a time (or all at once).
1965 Robomule (from Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison)
The robotic equivalent of a mule.
1965 Electronic Bard (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
A computing machine that is able to write original poetry.
1965 'Thopter (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Describes any plane capable of wing-beat flight in the manner of birds.
1965 Spatial-Postal Card (from Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison)
Mail from home - that hungry soldiers can also eat.
1965 Watertube (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Carries water to and from the catchpockets in a Fremen stillsuit.
1965 Heat-Removing Staff (from The Dead Lady of Clown Town by Cordwainer Smith)
Device absorbs all heat from its target.
1965 Catchpocket (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A small container in a stillsuit that stored reclaimed water.
1965 Voice (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Combines exceptional insight into personalty with voice modulation to achieve control over individuals.
1965 Gigagnostotron (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
Enormously powerful computing device.
1965 Filmbook (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A storage medium for information, both text and video.
1965 Mnemonic Pulse (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A feature of filmbook recordings that helps imprint knowledge on the mind of the user.
1965 Kingdom in a Box (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
An entire civilization in miniature - in an interactive box.
1965 Crysknife (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A knife blade ground from the tooth of a giant sandworm of Dune.
1965 Personalized Fashion Display (from Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison)
A set of displays that show you dressed in different uniforms.
1965 Minimic Film (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Very fine message medium.
1965 Jubba Cloak (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An all-purpose garment in common use on Arrakis
1965 Plasteel (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Extremely tough form of steel, stabilized with stravidium fibers grown into its crystal.
1965 Sapho Juice (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Unique substance enhanced the cognitive performance of Mentats.
1965 Filt-Plug (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A nose plug worn to collect moisture from exhaled air.
1965 Antithermal Shield (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
A material that protected against climate warming.
1965 Rachag (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A caffeine-style stimulant.
1965 Semuta (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A combination of a specific drug and music, which penetrated to the deepest levels of consciousness.
1965 Mentat (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A person who has been specially trained and conditioned for excellence in
1965 Fencing Mirror (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A dummy fighting instructor for the young Kwisatz Haderach-in-training.
1965 Dew Gatherers (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Devices used to gather morning dew as a source of drinking water.
1965 Implanted Steel Teeth (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Replacement teeth implanted in the jaw.
1965 Lasgun (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A continuous-wave laser projector; can be used as a weapon or as a cutting tool.
1965 Fanmetal (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
High tensile strength material; used in collapsible structures opened by "fanning" them out.
1965 Krimskell Fiber (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A "claw" fiber which will rubs against itself in such a way that, the tighter the rope is pulled, the stronger the knot becomes.
1965 Inter-Vehicle Communication (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
The ability to talk car-to-car directly.
1965 Autonomic Cab (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
An automated taxicab (without robotic driver).
1965 Smart Dust (from The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age by Stanislaw Lem)
Very tiny computers.
1965 Poison Tongue Dart (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
Weapon surgically implanted in the tongue.
1965 Filterable Virus (from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick)
A special virus that is instantly carcinomatous.
1965 Servok (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
An 'automatic' or clock-set mechanism to perform simple tasks.
1965 Paracompass (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A very specialized compass that makes use of local magnetic anomalies.
1965 Chowlock (from The Starfox by Poul Anderson)
A small opening in a space helmet for food insertion.
1965 Hypno-Ligation (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A means of psychological control over an individual.
1965 Spice (Melange) (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
The spice must flow.
1965 Gom Jabbar (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
A needle with deadly poison, used to test for humans.
1965 Communinet (from Dune by Brian Herbert)
A public data network.i
1965 Family Atomics (from Dune by Frank Herbert)
Noble houses had their own atomic weapons.
1966 Morphogen (from Fantastic Voyage (Novel) by Isaac Asimov)
A drug that party relieves the need for sleep.
1966 Dream Console (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
Device allows a therapist to enter and create dreams in patients.
1966 Autodoc (from The Warriors by Larry Niven)
An automated physician, a fully autonomous surgical robot.
1966 Ro-Womb (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
Device enfolds the patient during therapy.
1966 Life Recorder (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
Record the details of your life.
1966 Magnetic Sandals (from The Warriors by Larry Niven)
Special footgear to walk in zero-gee spacecraft.
1966 Ansible (from Rocannon's World by Ursula LeGuin)
Faster-than-light communication.
1966 Big Screen Control (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Display content from your personal device on a large shared screen.
1966 Cellphone Tranquilizing Spray (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A mild sedative administered automatically by your cellphone.
1966 Cloaking Device (from Balance of Terror by Paul Schneider)
A force field that renders an object invisible to human eyes as well as other sensor devices.
1966 Drinking Bulb (from The Warriors by Larry Niven)
A small container, used for drinks.
1966 Mike (Mycroft Holmes - Fair Dinkum Thinkum) (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A large computer that woke up - an artificially intelligent, self-aware machine.
1966 Auto-Driven Auto (Spinner) (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
A vehicle that accepts coordinates and proceeds to its destination automatically.
1966 Cellphone Credit Card (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Cellphone that can act as a credit card.
1966 Corpsicle (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Cryogenically frozen person who could (hopefully) be revived later.
1966 Photosensitive Pigment (from Cry Hope, Cry Fury! by J.G. Ballard)
Special paint that stays 'blank' until exposed to a scene.
1966 Virtual Reality Video Game (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A description of a computer game simulation played in real time as entertainment.
1966 Cellphone Voice Mail (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Callers speak into their instrument, and the content of the call is stored by the network for the user to replay at will.
1966 Death-Reversal Equipment (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Brings you back from losing a duel.
1966 Miniaturization (from Fantastic Voyage (Novel) by Isaac Asimov)
Making a physical object smaller in size.
1966 Online Job Search (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Networked assets allow ordinary people to search through nationwide job listings upon providing a short set of qualifications.
1966 Hush Hood (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A device that cancels noise, ensuring that others cannot overhear.
1966 Voice-Enabled Smartphone (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A smartphone capable of complete voice-enabled operation.
1966 Online Employability Profile Testing (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
An online test that determines the best areas in which you might search for a job.
1966 Cyborg Pilot (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A combination of a human being (at least the thinking part) and a machine.
1966 Sand-Yacht (Land Schooner) (from Cry Hope, Cry Fury! by J.G. Ballard)
A vehicle that used wind power upon its sails to move on the land.
1966 Stellarimeter (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Used by space navigators.
1966 Self-Assembling Robots (from The Witches of Karres by James Schmitz)
Robots with the capacity to assemble themselves from components, and then switch themselves on.
1966 Discorporaphone (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
For speaking with the electronic dead.
1966 Morgue (Recall Stage) (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Storage and retrieval of frozen bodies.
1966 General Products Hull (from Neutron Star by Larry Niven)
Nearly indestructible outer skin for spaceships; pick your hull size and put what you want inside.
1966 Tensile Memory Polarized Matter (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
The same piece of material can take pre-determined shapes.
1966 TW-55 Spy (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Conscious control of facial characteristics.
1966 Extra-Factual Memory (from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick)
A "memory" placed in a person's mind by artifice, rather than by real life experience.
1966 Discorporate Sector (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
An electronic afterlife.
1966 Vivatape (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Perfectly seals cuts also helps through-skin implants heal.
1966 Voice Dialing (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Speak the name of the person and call them on the phone.
1966 Joymaker (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A networked personal digital assistant - that really is an assistant.
1966 Caller Contact List (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A list of callers kept on the phone instrument.
1966 Lunar Greenhouse Tunnel (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A multipurpose conservatory on the Moon.
1966 Auto-Navigation (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
Automatic car navigation, provided on a video console in the dashboard.
1966 Interests Profile (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
An intelligent agent; a software program with your personal tastes on file.
1966 Virtual Kiss (Tactile Net) (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A phone-like device that will communicate a kiss in a tactile manner.
1966 Reciprocal Name (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A nickname or familiar name used to specify a more completely defined full name and telephone number.
1966 Virtual Reality Construct (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A means of projecting a virtual reality experience without special headsets.
1966 Alternate Computer Personality (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A computer system that can take on complete, alternate personalities.
1966 Laser Rifle (from Door to Anywhere by Poul Anderson)
A laser weapon shaped (and fired) like a traditional rifle.
1966 Vision Implant (from The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny)
Photoelectric cell implanted in the forehead grants some vision to the blind.
1966 Gravity Planer (from The Warriors by Larry Niven)
Device that creates a gravity field.
1966 Belter (from The Warriors by Larry Niven)
A person who was born and raised in the asteroid belt around Sol.
1966 Bubbleworld (from At the Bottom of a Hole by Larry Niven)
A rigid space station that is shaped like a cylinder, rotated to achieve centripetal gravity.
1966 Diptray (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A hovering tray of drinks, used for parties.
1966 Self-Guided Tractors (from At the Bottom of a Hole by Larry Niven)
A farm vehicle that drives itself.
1966 Fusion Sunlight Tube (from At the Bottom of a Hole by Larry Niven)
Central light source for a spun cylinder space station.
1966 Filing Crystal (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Part kiosk, part storage system.
1966 Radar Mesentery (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A thick covering that supports a network of sensors.
1966 Simicolor (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
Artificial coloring for the body.
1966 TANSTAAFL (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
1966 Lunar Ice Mining (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
The practice of mining for ice on the moon.
1966 Sheem Spider Robot (from The Witches of Karres by James Schmitz)
A robotic spider.
1966 Mass-Driver Catapult (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
An escape-speed induction catapult to launch material into orbit.
1966 Laser Cannon (from Neutron Star by Larry Niven)
A laser source powerful enough to provide significant light pressure to a "light sail."
1966 Decorative Implant (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
Small devices that can be implanted subcutaneously in the body and then controlled consciously.
1966 Neuristor (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A solid-state computer component that mimics the human neuron.
1966 Networked Personal Device (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
The idea that the true power of a mobile device lies in it's backend network capabilities.
1966 Sunshades (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
Sunglasses that darken and lighten based on ambient lighting.
1966 Telepathic Transmitter (Telep-transmitter) (from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick)
A device using living alien tissue to transmit your thoughts.
1966 Sprung-Samser Treatment (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A medical treatment to extend human life.
1966 Specialized Prosthetic Arm (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A set of prosthetics that provide different functionality in place of missing arm.
1966 Eyes (from This Moment of the Storm by Roger Zelazny)
Flying remote-operated surveillance drones.
1966 Computer Humorist (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A computer acquires the ability to tell original jokes.
1966 Tru-Mem Systems (from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick)
Organic process of recalling personal events.
1966 Babel-17 (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
An alien weapon in the form of a language.
1966 Martian Print Amoeba (from Now Wait For Last Year by Philip K. Dick)
An organism able to mimic consumer goods.
1966 Chemelectric Afferent Nerve-Analogues (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
An engineered sensory skin.
1966 Sleeping Plates (from Neutron Star by Larry Niven)
A pair of plates that nullify gravity for the being(s) sleeping between them. Is null gravity the answer to your sleep problems?
1966 Artificial Gill Outfit (from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick)
A diving suit that pulls air from the water.
1966 Erased Memory (from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick)
A procedure that deletes selected memories from the human mind.
1966 Rolem (Wrestling Robot) (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A robotic wrestling companion.
1966 Garbage Device (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
Autonomous garbage collection device.
1966 Ebony Teeth (from Now Wait For Last Year by Philip K. Dick)
Completely black artificial teeth.
1966 Auto-Scan (from This Moment of the Storm by Roger Zelazny)
Automated control of remote surveillance drones.
1966 Gauzy (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A feather-light tent, made of a fabric just one molecule thick.
1966 Adam Selene (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A computer generates a human avatar for itself.
1966 Right Angle Projectile (from The Mad Metropolis by Philip E. High)
A missile that turns at right angles after being fired.
1966 Robant Bill Collector (from Now Wait For Last Year by Philip K. Dick)
A robot designed to collect overdue bills, no matter what.
1966 Surgical Homeostatic Unit (from Now Wait For Last Year by Philip K. Dick)
An autonomous surgical robot, able to drill into the body and perform surgery.
1966 Flexible Armor Suit (from Neutron Star by Larry Niven)
A pressure suit that, while flexible, becomes rigid like armor upon impact.
1966 Radson Skimmer (from This Immortal by Roger Zelazny)
A small vehicle designed for a small number of passengers; capable of low, slow flight.
1966 Virtual Keyboard (from The Age of The Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl)
A keyboard that appears at the right moment in game play.
1966 Multi-View Surveillance Display (from This Moment of the Storm by Roger Zelazny)
Lots of different video sources combined into one display.
1966 Moon As Prison (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
The moon is a prison without bars.
1966 Transparent Platisplasm Cage (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
A replacement framework for a body joint - in this case, the shoulder.
1966 Ground-to-Orbit Ferry (from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein)
A kind of space shuttle craft.
1966 Confinement Asteroid (from At the Bottom of a Hole by Larry Niven)
A place where asteroid miner's babies stay to experience some needed gravity.
1966 Antigravity Globe Arena (from Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany)
A spherical arena for wrestling.
1967 Pray-o-Mat (from Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny)
A device that would offer prayers in exchange for a few coins properly deposited.
1967 Dolphin's Hands (from Handicap by Larry Niven)
Digital prosthetic for dolphins.
1967 Floating Booths (from Handicap by Larry Niven)
Comfortable bar booths that float around and come together for conversation.
1967 Scientific Reincarnation (from Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny)
Technology to allow a person to transfer themselves to a new, healthy body.
1967 Full-Shift Set Variable (from Return Match by Philip K. Dick)
Infinite possibilities built into a game machine.
1967 Skycycle (from Handicap by Larry Niven)
A flying Harley; motorcycle of the skies.
1967 Soft Weapon (from The Soft Weapon by Larry Niven)
A device that changes its shape to alter its function.
1967 Multifunction Gun (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
Offers a selection of lethal and non-lethal alternatives.
1967 Fornixation (from Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip Jose Farmer)
Electrical stimulation of the pleasure centers of the brain.
1967 Purple Wage (from Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip Jose Farmer)
Guaranteed subsidy paid to every citizen.
1967 Embryonic Robots (from Counter Clock World by Philip K. Dick)
Very small robots, possibly a very early reference to nanotechnology in science fiction.
1967 Cloud Sculpting (from The Cloud Sculptors of Coral D by J.G. Ballard)
Using gliders and chemical showers to shape clouds artistically.
1967 Shuttlecraft (from Star Trek by Author Unknown)
A small spaceship designed for short journeys.
1967 AM (from I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison)
A supercomputer that hates.
1967 Syrup Sac (from The Last Castle by Jack Vance)
A device used to provide an efficient source of nutrition to Meks, servants of the aristocrats of Earth.
1967 Energy-Cannon (from The Last Castle by Jack Vance)
Device projects destructive power.
1967 Power-Wagon (from The Last Castle by Jack Vance)
Wagon powered by muscular creature from Etamin 9; uses carbohydrate syrup for fuel.
1967 Pray-Machine (from Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny)
A kind of energy receiver that could retrieve a soul from the radiation belt surrounding a planet.
1967 Mining Disintegrator (from The Arsenal Out of Time by David McDaniel)
A special-purpose boring machine.
1967 Sub-microscopic Medical Robots (from These Savage Futurians by Philip E. High)
Tiny robots travel the bloodstream, killing bacteria.
1967 Rogue Planet (from Satan's World by Poul Anderson)
A planet without a sun, it wanders through galactic space.
1967 Mechanical Cobra (from Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny)
An assassination device; senses brain waves to find its victim.
1967 Win-Reducing Gambling Circuit (from Return Match by Philip K. Dick)
Circuitry in a game that detects winning strategies and then alters the game to make winning more difficult.
1967 Fido (from Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip Jose Farmer)
Combination television, news camera and surveillance device.
1967 Organlegging (from The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven)
Technology needed to deal in illicitly obtained body parts.
1967 Palm Flower (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
It's like a life clock.
1967 Homer (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
A device fired from a gun that ends the life of a citizen, based on the color of their palm flower.
1967 Vapor Charge (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
A bullet that discharges gas.
1967 Sleepshop (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
A quiet place to die.
1967 Lift Chair (from The Last Castle by Jack Vance)
A single occupant lifted by great birds.
1967 Tangler (from Logan's Run by William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson))
Strong webbing in a tiny capsule, it expands to a net, capturing a suspect.
1968 Architectural Coral (from A Gift From Earth by Larry Niven)
A structure grown to a specific shape using small coral-like organisms.
1968 Wholographik (from Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner)
Hologram-style picture.
1968 Slow Glass (Scenedow) (from Light of Other Days by Bob Shaw)
A window made of Bose-Einstein Condensate that slows light to a snail's pace.
1968 Hibernaculum (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
A small, self-contained chamber in which a person could endure months of enforced sleep.
1968 Kipple (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
The collection of useless bits of trash we wallow in; all the paper and junk that is not recycled.
1968 Total Environmental and Mental Simulator (from Crown of Infinity by John M. Faucette)
An AI that could create and discard whole branches of science in pursuing the answer to a problem.
1968 Sinclair Molecule Chain (from A Gift From Earth by Larry Niven)
A monofilament fiber, used for strength.
1968 Icon Thumbsized Image (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
A very early reference to a screen icon.
1968 Mobile Lab (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
1968 Newspad Electronic Newspaper (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
An electronic version of a newspaper.
1968 Penfield Wave Transmitter (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A device that directs some sort of energy wave into a person's brain, allowing them to experience a chosen (dialed) mood.
1968 Voight-Kampff Empathy Test (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A test consisting of a set of images and questions, asked while the subject's biometric data are gathered; intended to separate humans from non-humans.
1968 Flex-Wheels (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
Special wheels designed for getting around on the Moon.
1968 Artificially Grown Organs (from A Gift From Earth by Larry Niven)
Human organs suitable for transplantation, grown outside the body.
1968 Nexus-7 Android (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
The next version after the Nexus-6.
1968 Loitering Micro-Missile (from Invader on My Back by Philip E. High)
A small missile that does not need line-of-sight and can move at a slow pace until it finds its target.
1968 Android Safety Mechanism (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A device that temporarily incapacitates an android.
1968 Disease Circuit (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A feature of robotic animals which indicated a need to repair by emulating animal sickness.
1968 Mood Organ (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A device which allows you to dial the mood you would like to have.
1968 Auto-Seal (from Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner)
Automatically deployed cover for power outlets; instant child-proofing.
1968 Oat-Tropic Circuit (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A robotic feature that caused electronic animals to move toward offered food.
1968 Nexus-6 Brain Unit (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
The processing power behind android intelligence.
1968 Robot Bird (from Invader on My Back by Philip E. High)
A small winged UAV that can mimic a bird in flight.
1968 Mining Worm (Organic) (from A Gift From Earth by Larry Niven)
Genetically altered earthworm created just for mining.
1968 Sun Goggles (from Grendel by Larry Niven)
Lenses darken in spots to block the brightness of alien suns.
1968 Mercy Rifle (from Grendel by Larry Niven)
Device fired slivers of anesthetic as darts.
1968 Steam Rifle (from Omnivore by Piers Anthony)
A gun that propels projectiles with steam.
1968 Replicant (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
An android; an artificial human being.
1968 Cyborg Collar (from A Specter is Haunting Texas by Fritz Leiber)
A device worn around the neck that controls the person for the duration of a working day.
1968 Grip Shoes (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
Shoes with velcro soles used to walk in weightless environments.
1968 Panic Alarm (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
Alarm senses intruders and instills mindless panic.
1968 Ramrobot (from A Gift From Earth by Larry Niven)
An autonomous interstellar exploration craft using gathered hydrogen for fuel.
1968 Andy (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A slang term for "android" - an artificially created humanoid being.
1968 Crackers (from The Time Mercenaries by Philip E. High)
Bouncing, explosive mines.
1968 Stasis Box (from There is a Tide by Larry Niven)
A space entirely enclosed by a Slaver stasis field, in which time does not pass.
1968 Cheekplate Container (from A Specter is Haunting Texas by Fritz Leiber)
Special compartment of an exoskeleton; provides easy access to medical supplies related to survive heavy gravity environments.
1968 False Animal Repairman (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
A specialized roboticist who repaired robotic animals.
1968 Synthesist (from Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner)
A person who did nothing but make cross-references between one field and another.
1968 HAL 9000 (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
The canonical example of an artificially intelligent computer.
1968 TMA-1 (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
The Tycho Monolith.
1968 Exoskeleton (Medical) (from A Specter is Haunting Texas by Fritz Leiber)
Specially designed for Thins, eight-foot tall microgravity humans.
1968 Karatand (from Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner)
A special glove made of impact-sensitive plastic.
1968 Electric Sheep (from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick)
An electronic farm animal; a non-organic robot covered with sheepskin that acts like a sheep.
1968 Newspad (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
A notebook-sized computer and display screen for reading news stories or other text matter.
1968 Illyrion (from Nova by Samuel R. Delany)
Super-heavy and super-stable elements with atomic numbers greater than 296.
1968 Seven Vane Starship (from Nova by Samuel R. Delany)
A faster-than-light ship with seven vanes of energy controlled by human nervous systems.
1968 Emergency Shelter (from 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke)
A small cubicle that provides a last refuge in case the spacecraft's atmosphere is lost.
1968 Sensory-Syrynx (from Nova by Samuel R. Delany)
A complex musical instrument.
1969 Ultraflash (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
A device that sterilizes the skin by a pulse of light.
1969 Caliban Beachball (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
Dwelling place for unusual lifeform who make jumpdoors possible.
1969 Gravity Web (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
Device for limiting the extent to which a person is subject to gravitational attraction.
1969 Tranquilizing Gum (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
Chewing gum with a tranquilizing agent.
1969 'Pape Machine (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
Yet another name for the homeostatic newspaper; this one has special features including news search.
1969 Toll Door (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
An apartment door that operates on a cash-only basis.
1969 Teddy (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
A very intelligent and highly mobile robotic teddy bear.
1969 Protophason Amplifier (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
Detects brain activity of those in half-life.
1969 Reality Tape (from The Electric Ant by Philip K. Dick)
The medium upon which the life experience of an electric ant - a robotic person - is presented.
1969 Disruptor Bomb (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A bomb with a very special purpose; when detonated in space, it makes it impossible to detect the center of the explosion from the dispersion of the fragments.
1969 Gyrocar (Gyro) (from The Ring by Piers Anthony (w/R. Margroff))
A gyroscopically stabilized car; a one-wheeled vehicle.
1969 Webfoam Cradle (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
1969 Teep Rod (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
A device that gathers the thoughts of an individual.
1969 Physiognomic Template (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
A method for changing the appearance of your face at will.
1969 Moratorium (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
A place that kept people in cold-pac after death, providing them a kind of half-life.
1969 Electrical Grandmother (Robot Grandma) (from I Sing The Body Electric! by Ray Bradbury)
A robotic companion.
1969 Automatic City (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A city designed to protect itself and maintain itself over millions of years.
1969 Crosswell Tape Worm (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
Device that allows you to eat without gaining weight.
1969 Automated Apartment Maintenance (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
Automated devices that would oversee the maintenance of a rented apartment.
1969 Vortal Tube (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
An energy passage providing instantaneous transportation between points across the galaxy
1969 Synthetic Flesh (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
Provides robots with realistic coverings, not just plastic.
1969 Pseudoflesh (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
Meat (protein) that is produced apart from an animal; great steaks without rumination.
1969 Mass Detector (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Hunting aid.
1969 Cold-Pac Bin (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
A special coffin-sized chamber used to maintain half-life.
1969 Self-Powered Broom (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
A broom for use in small apartments that cleans under its own power.
1969 Droud (from Death by Ecstasy by Larry Niven)
A transformer to step down house current for the wire providing current directly to the pleasure center of the brain.
1969 Padre Booth (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
Device that provides religious aid and comfort on demand.
1969 Geriatric Rooming-House (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
An apartment building with rooms built especially with the very senior citizen in mind.
1969 Ident Darts (from The Electric Ant by Philip K. Dick)
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that track individuals.
1969 Weightless Work Area (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
A small workspace within which there is no gravitational pull.
1969 Artiforg (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
An artificial organ kept 'on line' in the body.
1969 SSA Machine (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
A machine that compares two people for compatibility; it sees sub specie aeternitatis, literally 'under the aspect of eternity' or outside of time.
1969 Book of the Kalends (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
The ever-changing book without a title; the documented history of a world.
1969 Diagnostat (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A device able to diagnose and treat most human ailments.
1969 Vision Cube (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A solid-state memory device.
1969 Spray-Foam Blouse (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
Clothing that is sprayed on fresh.
1969 Memory Plastic (from Death by Ecstasy by Larry Niven)
Takes various shapes impressed into it on command.
1969 Voice Encyclopedia (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
Access to information via robotic voice recognition over the phone.
1969 Viewing Tank (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A display monitor.
1969 Ecstasy Plug (from Death by Ecstasy by Larry Niven)
An implanted module that allowed a wirehead to plug himself into ordinary house current.
1969 Automatic Vein Finder (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
A device to automatically locate veins for intravenous needle insertion.
1969 Nothing (from It was Nothing - Really! by Theodore Sturgeon)
A super-hard substance created by carefully removing material.
1969 Robotic Horse - Faithful Cybernetic Companion (from The Warlock in Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff)
A robot that is specifically designed to closely resemble a horse.
1969 Electronic Body Analyzer (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
A replacement for the human doctor.
1969 Face Dancer (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
Mimicry enhanced through genetic manipulation.
1969 Tleilaxu Eyes (Metal Eyes) (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
Tleilaxu eye surgery replaces natural eyeballs damaged or destroyed.
1969 Project Scoop (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
A space craft feature that collects dust for study.
1969 Ghola (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
A living, functioning person who is regrown or recreated from the tissues of a dead person.
1969 Multi-function Living Room (from Death by Ecstasy by Larry Niven)
A small living space with a variety of functions built-in.
1969 Float-home (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
Living entity genetically designed for use as a houseboat.
1969 Singleship (from Death by Ecstasy by Larry Niven)
A spacecraft designed for use by one person.
1969 Whologram (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
Presents a realistic illusion.
1969 Window Wavelength (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
Display's that provide 'views' as if they were windows.
1969 Psycho-Lease Encephalic Gadget (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
A device that provided the conviction that a faked scene was, in fact, real.
1969 Membrane Balloon Helmet (from The Flight of the Horse by Larry Niven)
A selectively permeable membrane worn as a helmet.
1969 Homeopape (from Ubik by Philip K. Dick)
A automated device that produces a newspaper without human assistance.
1969 Flight Stick (from The Flight of the Horse by Larry Niven)
A personal flying vehicle, stripped down to the basics.
1969 Parenthood Lottery (from Super-Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss)
A means of restricting population growth.
1969 Sniggertrance (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
The state of a person receiving a call mediated by a Taprisiot; interiorized consciousness accompanied by spastic, jerking body movements.
1969 Automatic Gun (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
A sentry gun that could target and decide to fire without any human intervention.
1969 Stillsuit Desert Boots (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
Special boots that offered parasitic power harvesting.
1969 Plastic-Eating Bacteria (from The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton)
Mutated bacteria able to 'eat' or dissolve rubber and plastic.
1969 Recording Eye (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A surveillance device that can survive being dropped from space; transmits images in a wide view.
1969 Axolotl Tank (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
A device to regenerate or reshape organic material.
1969 Jumpdoor (from Whipping Star by Frank Herbert)
The entrance to an energy passage providing instantaneous transportation between points across the galaxy.
1969 Rapid-Transit Hover Blimp (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
Public transportation for a paranoid age.
1969 Ersatz Window (from Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick)
A display device used in a room without an actual view of the outside; it shows a projection of a real scene.
1969 Flying Robot Drone Probe (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
A remote-controlled flying drone used for remote investigation and surveillance.
1969 Mole Probe (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Automated devices that seek underground routes, burrowing as they go.
1969 Drop-Capsule (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Minimal spaceship.
1969 Remote-Control Slavery (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Mental control (possibly mediated by radio waves) of individuals of other species.
1969 Voicecorder (from Whipping Star by Brian Herbert)
A device that records verbal output and determines truth or falsehood.
1969 Automated Drone Probes (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Human-sized robot probes for exploration.
1969 Device Replication (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
Manufacturing devices from a template to save space on space craft.
1969 Bot (from We All Died At Breakaway Station by Richard Meredith)
The first use of this contraction for "robot".
1969 Artificial Telepathy (from We All Died At Breakaway Station by Richard Meredith)
Using technology to determine thoughts, and then translate it to speech that could be shared electronically.
1969 Plastiskin (from We All Died At Breakaway Station by Richard Meredith)
Artificial human skin to cover prosthetics.
1969 Mnemonic Flutter System (Pulse-Sychronizer) (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
A device to imprint particular facts from a book upon the brain of the reader.
1969 Stone Burner (from Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert)
Atomic weapon which burrows deep into a planet; its radiation also attacks selected nerve tissues.
1969 Protective Field (Safety Field) (from The Man in the Maze by Robert Silverberg)
An stat