Science Fiction
Dictionary
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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)
1930 The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson)
A means of transmitting matter wirelessly.
1930 Ascension-Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A tower to which the space craft is attached, holding it vertical for its flight upward.
1930 Autonomous Ship (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A sea-going vessel that can leave port, traverse vast distances, and then dock, entirely without human assistance.
1930 House Cleaning Device (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A robotic means of thorough home cleaning.
1930 Supervision Robot (Squid) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A wheeled device with tentacular grasping limbs.
1930 Leading Machine (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
An exploratory device; it takes the form of an autonomous motorcycle.
1930 Vision-Based Autonomous Cars (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A vehicle that uses a visual sensor to gather information sufficient to safely drive.
1930 Electrical Brain (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A mechanism that grants memory an intelligence to machines.
1930 Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A substance as strong as metal that you can see through.
1930 Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass.
1930 Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass.
1930 Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off.
1930 Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Early name for a defensive force field.
1930 Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley)
Wide angle Ray of death!
1930 Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A plane powered entirely by solar energy.
1930 Space-Walker (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton)
Tall cylinder with a window at eye-level, and pincer-claws controlled by the wearer.
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 Ring-Table (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that creates a 'group mind', a single mind, from the many gathered around it.
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 Gun (Handheld) (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy.
1930 Planet City (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
A planet the surface of which is entirely covered over, forming one single city.
1930 Visiphone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
Visual as well as audio communication.
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 Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source.
1930 Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Magnifies even the smallest sound.
1930 Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A bar of solidified light.
1930 Nose-Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Rocket blasts from the front of a ship, to brake it.
1930 Brain Rejuvenation (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
Erase unnecessary parts of memory to make room for new impressions.
1930 Automatic Car (Autonomous) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle.
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 Electric Plane (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
An airplane powered entirely by electricity.
1930 Synthetic Life (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements.
1930 Artificial Eyes (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey)
Eyes that are the duplicate of what humans are born with, produced entirely artificially from elements.
1930 Sound-Killing Air Fluid (from The Noise Killer by A.M. McNeill)
A means to eliminate all of the noise made by machines in a city, leaving the voices of human beings.
1930 Air-Shoes (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed.
1930 Force-Field (from A Subterranean Adventure by George Paul Bauer)
A barrier to objects, created by projected forces.
1930 Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Extremely dense material.
1930 Rubber Soled Feet (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff)
Silent padding for clanky robots.
1930 Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
An airlock on a spacecraft.
1930 Funnel-Shaped Landing Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A special purpose landing dock area that is wider at the top until the craft is captured toward the bottom.
1930 The Sleep (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves)
Use of a special technique to lessen the supplies required for long space voyages.
1930 Exodus Ship (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves)
A generation ship to save a culture from extinction.
1930 Radio-Controlled Mechanical Man (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff)
A remote-controlled robot.
1930 Trans-Oceanic Rocket Ship (from Berlin to New York in One Hour by Max Valier)
Rocket-propelled airplanes making short work of long trips on Earth.
1930 Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An armor-plated space suit.
1930 Puff-Pipe (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Pipe with lighting built in.
1930 Indoor Stadium (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
An entirely enclosed baseball stadium.
1930 Theater Seat Indicators (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Vacant seats are clearly shown.
1930 Spectrumoscope (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Provides sight directly to the brain-cells of the sightless.
1930 Bird-Like Robots (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Robotic birds used in a stage play.
1930 Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek)
A durable form of magnesium.
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 Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell)
Agricultural robots.
1930 Iron Fingers (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Special metal manipulators set on the hull of a space craft, and manipulated from the inside.
1930 Engineless Automobile Hover (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
No engine, no steering wheel, yet it runs.
1930 Space Fleet (from Through the Meteors by L.H. Morrow)
A group of mighty ships capable of space travel - and fighting.
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 Space-Phone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker)
A device for communicating with space ships, both ship-to-ship and ground-to-ship.
1930 Tabletop Display (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg)
A display monitor built into a flat, horizontal table surface.
1930 Asteroid Space Flyer (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Specialized one-man craft for exploring asteroids.
1930 Robot Doctor (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
A mechanical physician.
1930 Dome Shelter (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon.
1930 Spherical Tires (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Tires that are shaped like balls, rather than like squat cylinders.
1930 Interplanetary-Liner (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny)
A vast passenger ship in space.
1930 Warp of Space (from In 20000 A.D.! by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A fault or pucker in spacetime.
1930 Astronaut (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
A person who travels in space.
1930 Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms.
1930 Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
An offensive, man-portable heat ray.
1930 Group Mind (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon)
A shared consciousness between a number of individuals.
1930 Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Small, private flyers for business commuting.
1930 Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind.
1930 No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer)
An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers.
1930 Mother Ship (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
A large spacecraft that serves as home base for other (usually smaller) ships.
1930 Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen.
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 Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A flat screen for viewing remote images.
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 One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
A small rocket ship with only a pilot.
1930 Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton)
Space ships taken against their will.
1930 Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity.
1930 Anti-Glare Coated Glass (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones)
Special coated glass for space craft.
1930 Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell)
Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space.
1930 Artificial Skin (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein)
Tight-fitting material that keeps the heat of the body from escaping into space.
1930 Artificial Island For Ocean Rocket Launch (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An entirely artificial, floating island used as a launch platform.
1930 Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A transparent material of great strength.
1930 Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon.
1930 Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
The transparent front of a space suit helmet.
1930 Life Tubes (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny)
Escape pods for space ships.
1930 Robot Waiter (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller)
Robotic restaurant servitor.
1931 Space Madness (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy.
1931 Ship's Telescope (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
A large telescope built into the main axis of the ship.
1931 Selenium Photo-Electric Televisor (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
A specialized photo-electric cell.
1931 Braking Disks (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Used when the ship is falling through a planetary atmosphere.
1931 Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster)
A telescope for peering into other dimensions.
1931 Ozone Radiation Shield (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Filling the gap between the inner and outer hull with ozone.
1931 Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
See other time-travelers.
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 Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes)
1931 Metal Monster with Jointed Limbs (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A large robotic device with legs.
1931 Matter Transmitter and Receiver (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that transports matter through space.
1931 Invasion Gate For Aliens (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
Using alien instructions to create a gate for alien invasion.
1931 Free Fall (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit.
1931 Zeta-Ray (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Makes and maintains vast holes - even in ocean water!
1931 Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls.
1931 Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Robots to throw off the yoke of Man?
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 Sound Nullifier (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
A barrier to sound; the cancellation of sound waves.
1931 Perfect Voice Modulation (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
Artificially creating the perfect human singing voice.
1931 Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson)
Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas.
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 Adoption of Television (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses.
1931 Lens-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson)
A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope.
1931 Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile.
1931 Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson)
Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity.
1931 Dark Side (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Referring to the unlit part of a planet's surface.
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 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 Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages.
1931 Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton)
Multi-legged transport.
1931 Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners.
1931 Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A space craft powered entirely by the sun.
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 Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
An ion drive.
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 Robotic Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov)
Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands.
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 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 City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station.
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 Magnetic Boots (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Special footgear holds spacemen to the metal deck in spite of the lack of gravity.
1931 Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells.
1931 Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A moving sidewalk.
1931 Iron Inlay Plates (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
Works perfectly with an electromagnetic table to maintain place settings.
1931 Solar Power Apparatus (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
An ingenious device to gather solar energy, melt water, power a turbine and get hydrogen and oxygen fuel from ice.
1931 Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl)
Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people.
1931 Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent)
A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents.
1931 Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
As opposed to hyperspace.
1931 Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication.
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 Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A person who does not fly, especially into space.
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 Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An accurate representation of running on the moon.
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 Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Teleconferencing done right.
1931 Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means.
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 Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon.
1931 Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A facial recognition device.
1931 Curtain (Force Barrier) (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
An easily set-up protective force barrier.
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 Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A device that accepts complex equations and solves them.
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 Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Lightweight and tough!
1931 Filling Station Moon (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier)
The idea that Man could first go to the Moon to obtain fuel or propellant.
1931 Telectroscope (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
A much better telescope than yours.
1931 Ultra-Light Vision System (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A viewing technology able to see through and even within most objects.
1931 Meteorite 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 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 Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A passenger ship in space.
1931 Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed.
1931 Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter.
1931 Landing Stage (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Parking spot for space craft.
1931 Terminator Zone (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
The area between solar illumination and shade.
1931 Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Radioactive fuel for spacecraft.
1931 Thigh Grips (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Special chair feature for space ships undergoing accelerations.
1931 Gravity Detector (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass.
1931 Spacegram (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard)
Telegrams of the space lanes.
1931 Power Planet (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A satellite that supplies the Earth with power.
1931 Skycar (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown)
A personal means of transportation that flies.
1931 Tractor Beam (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A force field used to pull objects.
1931 Space Men (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny)
Beings who travel and work in space.
1931 Foot Loops (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Hold yourself down in zero gravity situations with this low-tech device.
1931 Scanning-Disk Telescope (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A telescope which uses a television-like monitor instead of an eyepiece.
1931 Air Tank Flying (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
Using little blasts of compressed air to fly around inside a space station.
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 Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Special protective gear worn as protection in space.
1931 Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser)
A person who acts as navigator for s space ship.
1931 Machine Masters (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton)
Humans did less and less, and machines did more and more, until machines became the masters.
1931 Space-Tent (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A small, portable air-tight structure used on the lunar surface.
1931 Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times.
1931 Telepadion Instructor (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard)
A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain.
1931 Magnetic Ray (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny)
A powerful magnetic beam.
1931 Meteor Hulls Ship (from Moon People Of Jupiter by Isaac R. Nathanson)
A small meteor tears all the way through a ship
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 Lifeboat (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew.
1931 Hand Grip (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell)
Means of pulling oneself through a space ship at zero gravity.
1931 Needle Gun (from In the Spacesphere by Charles Cloukey)
A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal.
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 Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A large, passenger-carrying 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 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 Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer.
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 Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue.
1931 Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits.
1931 Spacehound (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An experienced spaceman.
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 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 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 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 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 Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone)
A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter!
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 Gravity Neutralizers (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry)
The force of gravity is suspended!
1931 Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings)
A ray that discombobulates robots of all kinds.
1931 Space Navy (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry)
Spacefaring professional soldiers.
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 Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A graphical representation of gravitational fields.
1931 Blue Beam (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton)
A pitiless pale blue beam of death!
1931 Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A high explosive formed from nitrogen.
1931 Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers.
1931 Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
One single machine to run a civilization!
1931 Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson)
Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter.
1931 Landing Arms (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
Arms that poke out from a space craft to allow it to land on solid ground, in gravity.
1931 Cometeering (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
Exploring a comet!
1931 Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
What's left over when you've annihilated matter.
1931 Optophone (Opto) (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent)
A video call system.
1931 Reaction Attachment (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones)
Independent maneuvering for space suits.
1931 Propulsion Gun (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
What can you push against in space?
1931 Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
A suicide chamber.
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 Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids.
1931 Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Ray cuts through metal like butter.
1931 Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical.
1931 Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat))
Impenetrable message carriers.
1931 Command-Disk (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton)
A device that sends out audible tones to control flesh-monsters.
1931 Porter Televox-Robot (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer)
A robot that carries your bags through the passageways of space liners.
1931 Rocket Float (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent)
A sea-going floating platform for rocket launches.
1931 Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson)
Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship.
1931 Radium Repeller ray (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones)
Move inbound asteroids aside to keep ships safe.
1931 Sapience (from The Planet Entity by E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith))
The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom.
1931 Ultra-Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Originating from some world other than Earth.
1931 Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith)
Pertaining to the Earth.
1931 Observation Room Recreation Center (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster)
A vast internal space in a space station, often used for exercise and amusement.
1931 Telephotography (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel)
Sending pictures over a distance, displaying them on a vast screen.
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 Message Cylinder (Message Bomb) (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel)
A means of sending dispatches from space via a small projectile dropped from orbit; effectively a message rocket.
1931 Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An 'atomic fire' is started that consumes all matter in reach!
1931 Asteroid Belt (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman)
The circular region of space containing many small celestial bodies.
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 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 Spaceyacht (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton)
Interplanetary spacecraft for the well-to-do.
1931 Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells)
A opening through spacetime to other worlds.
1932 Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak)
Setting charges on an asteroid.
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 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 Electro-Magnet Anchor (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Attach a line to a spacecraft hull.
1932 Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
Is that a moon - or a space station?
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 Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
Special material for space dome leaks.
1932 Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
A display screen for live events.
1932 Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat)
A base material for synthetic food.
1932 Government Machine (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
The automata that constitute the entire government, all in one building.
1932 Space-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Special shielding worn against rays and explosives.
1932 Atomic Pistol (from Mutiny on Mercury by Clifford Simak)
Reduces the target to atomic dust.
1932 Space-Tanned (from Slaves of Mercury by Warren Hammond)
The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways.
1932 Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
An early exoskeleton.
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 Negative Gravity Field (from 50th Century Revolt by A.G. Stangland)
Antigravity effect produced for space ship propulsion.
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 Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A device that output specified odors.
1932 Weather Machine (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A device for controlling the weather.
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 News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg)
Audio news ready when you are.
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 Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape.
1932 Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore)
Special footgear for spacemen.
1932 Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space.
1932 Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat)
The direction leading toward the center of the solar system.
1932 Diskoid (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A huge flying saucer.
1932 Attraction Ray (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
In effect, a tractor beam.
1932 Torpoon (from Seed of the Arctic Ice by H.G. Winter)
Clever portmanteau of "torpedo" and "harpoon", an underwater whaling craft.
1932 Alpha Plus (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Intervening in the physical development of humans can result in enhancements.
1932 Isolation Barrage (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Device prevents eavesdropping.
1932 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.
1932 Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh)
A force opposed to gravity.
1932 Electro-Gun (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
It shoots electro-bullets.
1932 Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Device adds the tactile element to entertainment.
1932 Electro-Bullet (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
Fired by an electro-gun.
1932 Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies.
1932 Speed Belt (Ribbon Conveyor) (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A great moving belt carrying people between cities.
1932 Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
A slicing ray of death!
1932 Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner)
Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc.
1932 Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott))
An asteroid.
1932 Water Pool Cushions Acceleration (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell)
The use of water to cushion and protect against extreme ship accelerations.
1932 Reaction Pistol (from Martian Guns by Stanley D. Bell)
A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit.
1932 Vacuum Cylinder (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system.
1932 Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
A very early description of cloning.
1932 Earth Normal (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
Using the earth standard.
1932 Luminous Stake-Markers (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
Illuminated pole designating a staked claim on the surface of a planet, moon or asteroid.
1932 Light Beam Propulsion (Light-Ship) (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
Use of brilliant light as motive power for a space ship.
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 Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Three photons in one.
1932 Spaceboat (from Waves of Compulsion by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Runabout for outer space.
1932 Shock-Rod (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer)
Knock out stick.
1932 Daisy Projector (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell)
Beam of energy penetrates the Heaviside layer to enable communication from planet to planet.
1932 Intergalactic (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Going between galaxies.
1932 Laboratory Planet (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature.
1932 Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun)
An escape ship.
1932 Landing-Cradle (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface.
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 Rotating Hollow Planetoid Habitat (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell)
An asteroid (or planetoid) hollowed out, spun for artificial gravity, used as a habitat.
1932 Protolectric Gun (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell)
Fires twin beams of protons and electrons.
1932 Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Futuristic children's game.
1932 Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping.
1932 Electric Boat (from The Great Drought by S.P. Meek)
A surface vessel powered by electricity.
1932 Ostler Insulation Beam (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly)
A beam of energy stretching from one planet to another that protects space craft from radiation.
1932 Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Space worthy mittens for space suits.
1932 Neo-Crystal (from Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith)
Unbreakable transparent window material.
1932 Jump (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart.
1932 Gravity Beam (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom.
1932 Emergency Space-Suit (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner)
A compacted space-suit stored for emergency use.
1932 Space-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft.
1932 Ether-Traffic (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott))
The communications spectrum of the solar system.
1932 Space Force (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere.
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 Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
Reliable, controllable gravity force.
1932 Anti-Gravity Drive (from The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell)
Electric force curves space.
1932 Disk-Shaped Landing Pads (from The Swordsman of Sarvon by Charles Cloukey)
Used instead of typical landing gear with wheels.
1932 Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger)
A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs.
1932 Automatics (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings)
Machinery capable of running some aspect of a space ship's operation on its own.
1932 Time-Space Television (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
A device for seeing into the past.
1932 Sol-Ido (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
The universal language of interplanetary travelers.
1932 Flame Projector (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent)
Handheld device shoots flame.
1932 Negrian Death Ray (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell)
A ray that causes the cessation of life processes.
1932 Violet Shrink Ray (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson)
A miniaturization ray.
1932 Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore)
A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement.
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 Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A space craft.
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 Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent)
A device that opens a portal to another dimension.
1933 Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A bowl-shaped space helmet.
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 Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
An early use of the notion of matter transmission.
1933 Space-Sailor (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A spaceman; someone who makes his living by voyaging in space.
1933 Etheric Propulsion-Vibrations (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
Faster-than-light travel.
1933 Belt Automatic-Equalizers (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
The wearer's experience of gravity will be just like Earth's.
1933 Tubular Space-Gangway (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A means of traversing the short distance between two ships in space.
1933 Checker-City (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton)
A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings.
1933 Historical Listening Machine (from The Machine That Knew Too Much by A.T. Locke)
Device can hear sounds from down through the ages.
1933 Drink the Fungi (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat)
A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores.
1933 Granton Motor (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
Spacecraft propulsion system based on gravital radiation.
1933 Transfer Cable (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson)
Move between two ships in space.
1933 Space-Suit Rockets (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly)
Attached rockets allow movement in zero-gee space.
1933 Vibratium Wall Time Machine (from Ancestral Voices by Nat Schachner)
An element that is unstable in time makes time travel possible and enables the Grandfather Paradox.
1933 Iron Man Robot With Human Brain (from Iron Man by Paul Ernst)
A huge robot with a tub containing a human brain.
1933 Cosmo-Craft (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
A spacecraft for traveling through time and space.
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 Crystal Cylinder Ship (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat)
A transparent space ship in the shape of a cylinder.
1933 Lunar Tunnel (Human Pendulum) (from Captive of the Crater by D.D. Sharp)
A tunnel through the center of the moon, and the man who fell through it.
1933 Solar-Powered Electric Helicopter (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by James Patrick Kelly)
An electric helicopter, with sun cells.
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 Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller)
Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory.
1933 Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Has the opposite effect of adrenalin.
1933 Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Device for determining the content of meteorites.
1933 Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Preserves and maintains the body.
1933 Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei)
Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies.
1933 Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
Space suit you can live in.
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 Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder)
A small vessel used to maneuver other ships.
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 Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore)
A set route though space.
1933 Magnetic Anchor (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson)
A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull.
1933 Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson)
An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space.
1934 Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it.
1934 Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A silvery disc used for data record storage.
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 Energy Weapon (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A device that fires pure energy, used as a weapon.
1934 Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator.
1934 Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower.
1934 Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A very large constructed object in space.
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 Black Cube Teaching Machine (from The Flame From Mars by Jack Williamson)
A device that offers recorded images, teaching the user.
1934 Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
From another dimension.
1934 Stratoplane (from Colossus by Donald Wandrei)
An airplane that flies up to the edge of the atmosphere.
1934 Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Faster-than-light travel achieved!
1934 Communicator (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A small device that works to communicate over large distances.
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 Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought.
1934 Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication.
1934 Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg)
Robots that are able to learn.
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 Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur.
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 Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space.
1934 Electron Gun (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner)
How to add a lot of electrons to a lot of positrons?
1934 Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you.
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 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.
1934 Laws Against Human Drivers (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown)
The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety.
1934 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display.
1934 Gyrocars with Photo-Electric Braking (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown)
Force the tires into maximum contact with the road, then use photo-electric sensors to control braking and turns.
1934 Baby Robot (from Life Everlasting by David H. Keller)
An infant robot.
1934 Metal Message In Space (from The Menace From Space by John Edwards)
A message sent to other worlds, inscribed on metal.
1934 Automatic Parking (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar.
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 Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars.
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 Metallic Fingers (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Robot fingers.
1934 Aircab (from The Barrier by Harl Vincent)
A flying autonomous taxi cab.
1934 Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere.
1934 Levitators (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space.
1934 Electro-Telescope (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi)
A device that could clearly image space battles and space ships, even from a great distance.
1934 Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1934 Aliens Speak English (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi)
The skeleton men of Mercury speak English, but have a good reason for it.
1934 Positron Beam (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner)
Vast numbers of positrons, the antimatter counterpart of the electron, are beamed around the Earth.
1934 Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration.
1934 Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
1934 Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
The very fabric of space-time.
1934 Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters.
1934 Robot Skin Covering (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Realistic covering for the bodies of robots.
1934 Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller)
A device that translated speech and typed it out for you.
1934 Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
A basic unit of currency.
1934 Robot-Control Wave Band (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
Special command circuit for robots.
1934 Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tedious search for habitable planets by hand.
1934 Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia.
1934 Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A personal flying car
1934 Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A beam weapon of frightful intensity.
1934 Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
An invisibility field.
1934 General Strike of the Robots (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
All over the world, robots cease their labors.
1934 Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
Very thin beam of destruction.
1934 Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A substance that is impervious to penetration.
1934 Mutant (from The 100th Generation by Nat Schachner)
A new organism resulting from an alteration in the DNA sequence of its genome or chromosome.
1934 Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates)
A person from another planet.
1934 Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication.
1934 Robot-Surgeon (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
A perfect robot for perfected human beings.
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 Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red.
1934 Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality.
1934 Space Mittens (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Protect your hands in space.
1934 Evacuating Arms (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Empty out the contents of an airlock exposed to space.
1934 Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner)
Fine wine in convenient, dried form.
1934 Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell)
Device enables the wireless transmission of power.
1934 Beam Car (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
A vehicle like an elevator car, but which travels on a radio and magnetic beam, from the surface of a planet up to a satellite.
1934 Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity.
1934 Silica Sphere (Dyson sphere) (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent)
An enclosed environment, excavated on Mars, and then placed into the heavens (it's Phobos)
1934 Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell)
A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements.
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 Self-Aware Robot (from Rex by Harl Vincent)
A robot that thinks and reasons for itself.
1935 Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A taxi that does not require a driver.
1935 Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer.
1935 Micro-Telescope (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
An astronomical instrument for looking at objects in a miniature universe.
1935 Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo.
1935 Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller)
An automated car that pays its own toll.
1935 Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions.
1935 Meteor Swarm Mining (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach)
A fleet of ships hunting for meteoric iron - in space!
1935 Air-Tight Cities (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
Cities with breathable air constructed on worlds with no atmosphere.
1935 Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III)
A device for empirically determining human emotion.
1935 Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Very early take on virtual reality hardware.
1935 Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking.
1935 Unattended Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
A factory that works entirely automatically, without human guidance.
1935 Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell)
An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity.
1935 Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein)
Farm machinery that worked on their own.
1935 New Suns From Old (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
Creating new stars by crashing together the cinders of dead stars.
1935 Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Also, a rocket-plane.
1935 Micro-Cosmos (Microcosm) (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton)
The universe in miniature.
1935 Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings)
Could positively identify a person using their scent alone.
1935 Electric Menu (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn)
Ordering of food is automated, without waiters.
1935 Magno-Bars (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach)
Electromagnet-tipped rods used by meteor miners to capture iron-rich asteroids in space.
1935 Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell)
A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power.
1935 First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
The initial encounter with a non-human race.
1935 Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster)
A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose.
1935 Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect.
1935 Doughpot (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A mass of white, dough-like protoplasm, ranging in size from a single cell to perhaps twenty tons of mushy filth.
1935 Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus
1935 Time Line (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn)
Time seen linearly, as a distinguishable series of events.
1935 Ball-Taxi (from Earth Rehabilitators, Consolidated by Henry J. Kostkos)
A floating, spherical cab.
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 Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A hooded protective suit worn on Venus.
1935 Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum)
A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly.
1936 Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Can pull an object through space.
1936 Violet-Gun (Ion Gun) (from The Brain Stealers of Mars by John W. Campbell)
Ultra-violet fury!
1936 Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
The well-traveled paths from star to star.
1936 Time Loop (from The Time Entity by Eando Binder)
A series of events repeats, the stream crosses over itself.
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 Rocketrix (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
A female rocket pilot.
1936 Lanson Screen (from The Lanson Screen by Leo Zagat)
An elliptical shield of force large enough to enclose a city.
1936 Emergency Repulsion Ray (from Earth-Venus 12 by Gabriel Wilson)
A handheld means of propulsion in space.
1936 Electric Tractor (from World of Purple Light by Warner Van Lorne)
A farm cultivator that runs entirely on electricity.
1936 Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A beam of force that repels one object from another.
1936 Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself.
1936 Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout.
1936 Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist.
1936 Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells)
A small desktop screen intercom system.
1936 Bladder Birds (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
Alien life well adapted.
1936 Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
A synthetic being having the form of a human being.
1936 Nutrient Gelatin Tank (from The Isotope Men by Nat Schachner)
Essential hardware for creating a new, improved humanity - isotope men!
1936 Solar Radiant Energy Weapon (from The Weapon by Raymond Z. Gallun)
The device absorbs solar rays and then emits a powerful, coherent ray.
1936 Meteor Particles (Sand Blast) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
Tiny sand-sized asteroids sand-blasting the hull of a spacecraft.
1936 Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets.
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 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 Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon.
1936 Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings)
A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface.
1936 Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft)
Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor.
1936 Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton)
Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension.
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 Teaching Machine (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
A helmet placed on the head focuses illimitable knowledge into even the head of an earth man.
1936 Asteroid Lanes (Blasted) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
Actually clearing safe routes through asteroid belts.
1936 Radiation-Proof Oxygen Suit (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A specialized space suit for use in radium mining on Jupiter.
1936 Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell)
A clever use for the water you need to take anyway.
1936 Chronoscope (from Elimination by John W. Campbell)
A device used to see into specific internals of time.
1936 Golden Ray of Synchronized Vibrations (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
Disrupts matter by hurling electrons out of their energy states and scattering them.
1936 Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance.
1936 Jupiter Mining Shoes (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
Specialized footgear for walking on the Great Red Spot.
1936 Molecule Replacement Lamp (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A means of attaining practical invisibility.
1936 Sounding Projectile (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Provides a way to tell whether there’s a soldid surface on a cloudy planet.
1936 Synthetic Intellect (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device for providing a robot with intelligence.
1936 Automat (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Unusual name for an intelligent robot; short for "automaton"?
1936 Husk of an Atom (from The Roaring Blot by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A negative universe substance.
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 Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst)
A tunneling device.
1936 Foam Station Sprayer (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A device that stills the stormy Great Red Spot on Jupiter.
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 Space Legs (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse)
The ability to walk under high gee acceleration on a space ship.
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 Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
They give light.
1936 Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A translucent glass-like fashion choice.
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 Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson)
Remaking or modifying an entire planet.
1936 Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings)
Shoots a length of constricting wire.
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 Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Microminaturized vision for UAV's.
1936 Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard)
A thin disintegrator beam.
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 Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams.
1936 Multi-Generation Space Vessel (Generation Ship) (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner)
A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations.
1937 Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
Telescope uses electronics applied to optics.
1937 Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
An artificial water planet.
1937 Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out.
1937 Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms.
1937 Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source.
1937 Designed Bacteria (from Seeds of the Dusk by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Very early reference to the idea of bacteria designed to wipe out a particular species, and no others.
1937 Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy.
1937 Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon)
Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation.
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 Miniature Universe (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton)
A microcosmic universe created in the laboratory.
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 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 Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins)
A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order.
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 Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance.
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 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 Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
A public address system consisting of buried coils.
1937 Space Dock (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles)
Like a port for spacecraft; they can deliver their passengers and cargo.
1937 Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure.
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 Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner)
The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice.
1937 Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A gun that creates a short-range energy blast.
1937 Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere.
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 Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner)
A means of capturing astronomical images.
1937 Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat)
The act of firing a rocket into space.
1937 Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Breathe it and die.
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 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 Opaque Helmet (from Wanderer of the Void by Dr. Arch Carr)
A spacesuit helmet that has no see-through components at all; fully enclosed metal.
1937 Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell)
Ability to sense life.
1937 Mechanical Cow (Nibbler) (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes)
An autonomous mechanism that performs some of the actions of an ordinary bovine.
1937 Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle.
1937 Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel!
1937 Thionite (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A deadly drug.
1937 Atomic Drill (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D)
An atomic-powered auger, for use in drilling deep into planets and asteroids.
1937 Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
Diverts troublesome asteroids.
1937 Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships.
1937 Robot Dog (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A mechanical, robotic dog.
1937 Wind-Suncatcher (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes)
A combination wind turbine and solar energy gathering device.
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 Locatimeter (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline)
A method for a plane to know its location over the Earth.
1937 Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner)
A specialized space station, for scientific research.
1937 Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes)
Living organisms of non-Earth origin.
1937 Antron (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D)
A single particle of antimatter - an antiproton.
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 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 Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman)
A screen technology placed very close to the eyes.
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 Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo.
1938 Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space.
1938 Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Get to the truth.
1938 Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi)
A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances.
1938 Mech (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
An alternative name for simplified robot.
1938 Autobus (from Tidal Moon by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum)
Robot-guided public transportation.
1938 Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner)
Providing simple personalities to robots.
1938 Robot Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
Artificial animals created using robotic elements.
1938 Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell)
A very small power generator that is atomic powered.
1938 Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
A small gyrostabilized hovercraft.
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 Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson)
Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated.
1938 Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak)
A planetoid prison.
1938 Interplanetary Restaurant (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman)
An eatery and watering hole designed for use by a variety of space-faring races.
1938 Individual Flyer (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman)
Personal antigravity and wing unit.
1938 Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
Polo played with rocket-powered craft.
1938 Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A household robot that can cook meals.
1938 Banning Gun (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
Shoots a pencil heat ray.
1938 Paralysis Ray (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A special ray that produces paralysis.
1938 Time Tunnel (from Rule 18 by Clifford Simak)
A gateway into the past.
1938 Rocketeering (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson)
Racing around in rockets
1938 Cube Being (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
A living being comprised of linked cubes.
1938 Liquid Metal (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes)
Metal that can be sprayed on.
1938 Eros Ship-Planetoid (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth)
A vast cylindrical ship, long thought to be a planetoid.
1938 Tetrahedron Interference Projector (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth)
Projects a field of force around the Solar System, bending the light of stars to make them seem more distant.
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 Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots.
1938 Vacuum-Cupped Sandals (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
Used for walking in weightless environments.
1938 Teleray (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi)
Destruction over great distances.
1938 Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it.
1938 Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
A handheld ray gun.
1938 Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Required document for space travelers.
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 Radium Salt (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Radioactive materials used as an assassination weapon.
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 Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton)
Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders.
1938 Buggaroo (from The Secret of the Canali by Clifton B. Kruse)
Martian creature for transportation.
1938 Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey)
A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection.
1938 Psychode (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
A device that enables communication by thought alone.
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 Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration.
1938 Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface.
1938 Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
A display device.
1938 Air-o-Stat (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes)
Provides life-giving air in spacecraft.
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 Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry.
1938 Emergency Air-Suit (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings)
A light-duty space suit.
1938 Reversal Coils (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson)
Provide both entry into a negative universe and propulsion.
1938 Artificially Produced Speech (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Speech produced by mechanical means, rather than with vocal chords.
1938 Tractor Boots (from Magician of Dream Valley by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Space suit footgear that has atom-driven caterpillar treads.
1938 Multispecies Hotel (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets.
1938 Etherphone Receiver (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A special earpiece to hear coded updates.
1938 Transfer Refuge (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A portable environment chamber, able to support unique and different lifeforms.
1938 Proxy Robot (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A remote-controlled floating telepresence robot, for use by aliens who cannot share an atmosphere.
1938 Lightweight Vacuum Armor (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A simplified space suit, used where conditions were similar to Earth rather than in the more rigorous conditions of space.
1938 Atomic Explosive (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A handheld bomb that melted its way into an armored door, then detonated.
1938 Magnetic Flame Gun (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson)
Device shoots charged positive nuclei.
1939 Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft.
1939 Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication.
1939 Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently.
1939 Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Counteracts the effects of high acceleration.
1939 Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond)
Protects ships from the hazards of space.
1939 Mechanical Judge (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A device that makes legal decisions.
1939 Telescribe (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Creates a written record of distress signals and other reports.
1939 Etheric Typhoon (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
The idea that space itself can have disturbances.
1939 Stereoscopic Vernier and Cube (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
A means of photographing in depth.
1939 Identification Ring (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
An apparently ordinary ring, which minutely describes and identifies its wearer.
1939 Transparent Car Roof (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell)
You can see through the roof of the car.
1939 Electrical Valet (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner.
1939 Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
Self-driving vehicles.
1939 Robot Surgery (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn)
Robots operate an advance operating theater.
1939 Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt)
Strong metal you can see through.
1939 Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton)
A trading post in space.
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 Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Using the power of a hole in the continuum.
1939 Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability.
1939 Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use.
1939 Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances.
1939 Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water.
1939 Polyceltron Iconoscope Televisor (from Newscast by Harl Vincent)
A portable camera and microphone setup that could broadcast on-the-spot news.
1939 Opti-Phone (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
Yet another name for a videophone.
1939 Air-Mine (from The Space Visitors by Edmond Hamilton)
Fight invasion from above with an analogous method to mining the surface of the sea.
1939 Corrosite Gas (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan)
A highly corrosive gas.
1939 Synthetic Intellect (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan)
A machine mind, created and improved by more primitive machine minds.
1939 Moon Valley Breathable Atmosphere (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante)
Atmosphere is retained in a deep valley on a moon or otherwise airless body.
1939 Space Walk (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante)
Standard term for moving through the void of space.
1939 Brain-Plate (from Women's World by David C. Cooke)
Ensures the obedience of robots.
1939 Robot-Boss (from Women's World by David C. Cooke)
A mechanical device that tells people what to do.
1939 Automatic Delivery Library (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz)
A library able to deliver any volume within a few moments.
1939 Adaptene (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
Parent of all hormones, it makes possible the adaptation of the human organism to alien worlds.
1939 Hall of Euthanasia (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide.
1939 Colony World (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
A planet settled by a single group.
1939 Duplication Chamber (from The 4-Sided Triangle by William F. Temple)
A means of precisely duplicating an object.
1939 Galaxy Superbrain (from Short-Wave Madness by Robert Castle)
The idea that the galaxy itself is a conscious entity.
1939 Cosmic Storm (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A vast tempest in space!
1939 Space Charts (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A pictorial representation of suns in space.
1939 Space-Contraction Drive (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
Slip through endless interstellar space by making the distance smaller.
1939 Portable Atomic Heater (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Compact source of energy.
1939 Meteoric Dust Cloud (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn)
A vast cloud in space, through which the solar system moved for a decade.
1939 Extra-Terra Bio-Institute (ETBI) Bio-Conditioning (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder)
The overarching work of adapting human beings to alien worlds.
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 Hand-Jetting (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Making use of hand-held rockets or other reaction devices to move through space.
1939 Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts.
1939 Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon.
1939 Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
Compact food for space travelers.
1939 Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell)
A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape.
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 Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships.
1939 Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The mightiest billboard in the Solar System!
1939 Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel.
1939 Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot powered by sunlight.
1939 Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey)
Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system.
1939 Space Marines (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein)
A space-based military force.
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 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 Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
Miniaturized device for surgical precision.
1939 Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun)
A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning.
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 Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology.
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 Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
A device that prints a newspaper in your home.
1939 Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.)
A variation on the force shield idea.
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 Spacecraft Invisibility Electronics (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A means of rendering a spacecraft invisible to detection by electromagnetic means.
1939 Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
The rules of the spacelanes.
1939 Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool.
1939 Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion.
1939 Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances.
1939 Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson)
A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid.
1939 Extraecliptic Travel Lanes (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Organized interplanetary travel using routes not confined to the ecliptic.
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 Spacedog (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Experienced hands on space ships.
1939 Movie Pill (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox)
Gives you the experience of having seen a movie.
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 Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade)
Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft.
1939 Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos)
Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration.
1939 Gravitic (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson)
Relating to gravity.
1939 Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures.
1939 Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam)
A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus
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 Pleasure Planet (from After World's End by Jack Williamson)
A vast world devoted to enjoyment.

1600-1899  1900-1949  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000's

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SF in the News

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(See More Science Fiction in the News)

 

 

 
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