Home | Glossary | Timeline | New

The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

"Luckily for the peace of the world, crime and war are still limited by human susceptibility to clubs and bullets. But, if a way is discovered to nullify these limitations, what will become of us?"

('The Robot Terror' by Melbourne Huff)

"To what extent are we, presumably the highest development on earth, mere mechanical creatures which can be duplicated in the scientist’s work-shop? At this time of writing, an American scientist has manufactured a machine that will obey vocal commands, light a kitchen stove, put on the eggs to boil, take them from the pot when sufficiently cooked, and serve them ready to eat.

(Issue cover of 'The Robot Terror' by Melbourne Huff)

The mechanical stoker, advertised under the name of The Iron Fireman, is employed by thousands of householders to relieve them of the necessity of looking after the household heating apparatus. This machine keeps the furnace filled with coal, watches the temperature, attends to the draft, and generally performs the work of a $28-a-week janitor.

In this extraordinary story, our author has merely carried the preceding ideas a few steps further: anticipating future developments. "

Select an invention:

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
Find new authors and technologies - Shop for yourself, your library and your lab.

Science Fiction
in the News

More SF in the News