The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

Fascinating early Varley book; an alien race has taken over the Earth to care for its other intelligent life, paying no attention to the humans who are scattered around the solar system. Technology made available on a "hotline" beam of information apparently from the constellation Ophiuchi has allowed human beings to survive. Select an invention:

Antiholo Generator
Dispels intrusive hologram advertisements.

Centrifuge Room
A small room on a planetoid that is spun to create artificial gravity.

Genoprinter
A device that does a 'live capture' of a biometric skin sample.

Ghostsmoke
An advertisement projected onto a fine mist.

Gravity Train
An underground railway system that utilizes gravity for acceleration.

Holomist
A means of projecting a commercial message onto a fine spray.

Javelin
A spacer who modified herself to more easily live in space.

Life Bank
A storage facility with the genetic material that was produced by Earth's ecosystem.

Memory Recording
A means of recording the entirety of a person's experience and personality.

Nullfield
A field of energy that creates a barrier.

Null-Suit
A device that projects a field of force that acts like a space suit.

Pork Tree - long and lean
A plant that produces an analog to animal meat.

Symb
A symbiont life form that provides its human with life-giving energy.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction
in the News

Warfare Goes Underground In Ukraine
re: Philip K. Dick
(7/23/2026)

3D Printed Organs From Space
re: Larry Niven
(7/21/2026)

Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
re: Ernst Junger
(7/21/2026)

DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
re: Neal Asher
(7/17/2026)

How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots
re: Frederik Pohl
(7/15/2026)

The Wind Phone Calls Those Who Have Passed On
re: John Brunner
(7/13/2026)

Don't Want To Wear A TIght Shiny Bodysuit?
re: Robert Heinlein
(7/11/2026)

Light Society: Simulates Earth-Scale Society With A Billion AI Agents
re: Stanislaw Lem
(7/9/2026)

Satyress Centaur Robot Horror Reminds Everyone Of Something
re: Christopher Stasheff
(7/7/2026)

When Colds Threaten You Can't Do This - Or Can You?
re: F.L. Wallace
(7/5/2026)

Beautiful Visualization of Dawn Spacecraft
re: Isaac Asimov
(7/3/2026)

Biological War: A Scenario
re: HG Wells
(7/1/2026)

Pole-Dancing Stripperbot Robot
re: Jerome K. Jerome
(6/29/2026)

Collective Superintelligence Is At Hand!
re: Edmond Hamilton
(6/27/2026)

More SF in the News

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.