Home | Glossary | Timeline | New

Science Fiction in the News Articles
Related to material in The Fountains of Paradise
by Arthur C. Clarke

Classic Clarke; this novel is a great exemplar of his careful, reasoned style. The novel intertwines two stories; the first that of a king long dead and his obsession with his mountain paradise, and the second a modern story of a man who wanted to build a tower to the heavens. Highly recommended; this is also a great place to learn about space elevators.

('Fountains of Paradise' by Arthur C. Clarke)

Science fiction in the News articles describe real-world events that relate to the ideas and inventions in sf novels and movies. Select a news article:

The Dawn Of Orbiting Manufacturing In 2020?
   'It can be mass-produced only in the orbiting factories.' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Terminator Tether - EDT Solution To Space Debris Update
   Studies have shown that low Earth orbit is not a limitless resource and should be managed more carefully. Some sort of debris-mitigation measures are needed to solve the problem of old, unusable satellites and space junk.

Liftport Closer To Space Elevator Goal
   Liftport Group has moved closer to making a working space elevator this past week.

NanoTerminator Prevents Annoying Space Debris Build-Up
   The journal Science puts out more predictions on space junk; manga author already has the answer.

Space Elevator Downer
   Space elevators going up, or going down - read this article and its references and decide for yourself.

Robotic Cable Inspection System
   This unique robot operates under very difficult and constrained conditions; we need one of these for the space elevator program, too.

Debris Cloud From Chinese ASAT A Menace To Space Lanes
   Arr, best keep a weather eye for Chinese weather satellite debris whilst passing through the debris cloud...

Huge Crustacean From 400 Million B.C.
   Scientists are staggered by the size of this behemoth from 400 million B.C.

zeroHouse Self-Sufficient In Power, Water
   This unusual house design results in a dwelling that is not limited to placement on the 'grid' - you could live practically anywhere.

Nanofibers In Unlimited Lengths Now Available
   I don't need fibers that are actually unlimited; nanotubes that were long enough to reach the ISS are probably long enough...

Yotify Scouts Work The Web For You
   Nifty application site offers 'google alerts on steroids' which sf fans will certainly recognize from some of their favorite novels.

Space Debris Cleanup Suggestions Ignored
   It's not like writers didn't do everything they could to sound the alarm - and suggest solutions.

ESA Space Claw To Grab Space Junk
   Now, where have I seen this idea before?

Laser Thruster 'Tractor Beams' For Space Junk
   Here's a suggestion for removing space junk; is it more or less far-fetched than some of the ideas of sf writers?

EPI Life First ECG Mobile Phone
   The world's first cell phone with a built-in ECG monitor.

Space Junk-Eating Pod-Craft
   Some day, a solution to the problem of orbital debris will get off the ground.

AliveCor Claims Apple Watch Infringes ECG Patents
   '...a sweet mezzo-soprano voice remarked in a conversational tone: "I think you should sit down and rest for about ten minutes.' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

CleanSpace One Goal: De-Orbit Space Debris
   OK, earthlings: Let's get rid of space debris once and for all!

Japanese Company To Build Space Elevator?
   Establish an elevator system linking Earth to space!

Carbon Nanotube Knife Like Cheese Slicer
   Fascinating development in materials science, predicted by Clarke thirty years ago for sf fans.

Wavii Follows Your Selected News
   SF writers have been fascinated with the idea of personalized news for a long time.

Space Debris Cleanup - Use Harpoons Or Gas Clouds?
   '...satellites of all shapes and sizes... had been accumulating in Earth orbit... Now it had to be located, and somehow disposed of.'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Could Ground-Based Lasers De-Orbit Space Junk?
   'Then their lasers vaporized the smaller satellites...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Australians To Zap Space Junk Ala Arthur C. Clarke
   '[They] could easily pinpoint the debris of the early Space Age.'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

First 3D Printer In Space?
   'It can be mass-produced only in the orbiting factories...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Tracking Spinning Space Junk
   'Loose nuts and bolts... had been accumulating in Earth orbit'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Diamond Nanothreads For Space Elevators?
   'Continuous pseudo-one dimensional diamond crystal.'- Arthur C. Clarke.

Should You Put Your Virtual Assistants In Your Will?
   'The most important was the design of the Personal Interest Profile.'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

'Diamond Nanothreads' Now, Someday Space Elevators?
   'It is a continuous pseudo-one dimensional diamond crystal'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Students! NASA Wants To 3D Print Your Tool Design In Space!
   'Mass-produced only in the orbiting factories...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1979

Zap Space Debris With Telescope Laser On ISS
   '... their lasers vaporized the smaller satellites...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Canada's Inflatable Space Elevator Tower
   "...establish an elevator system linking Earth to space?"- Arthur C. Clarke, 1976.

Jeff Bezos Wants Orbiting Factories (Clarke-style)
   'Only in the orbiting factories...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

New Laser Space Debris Clearing More Subtle Than Clarke's
   Rather than nudge them up, nudge them down.

Carbyne, The Ultimate Form Of Carbon
   'A continuous pseudo-one dimensional diamond crystal...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Space Elevator Planned By Obayashi Corp
   'And so to establish an elevator system linking Earth to space?' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1976.

Childhood Dreams Of Space Realized! Space Junk Problem Solved!
   'Give the noble daydreams a rest, you preachy rookie. Astronauts are wage slaves like everyone else!' - Planets, 2003.

Archinaut Orbiting Robotic Factory
   'Mass-produced only in the orbiting factories...'- Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Nifty New SDS Space Debris Sensor For ISS
   'Their radars... could easily pinpoint the debris of the early Space Age.' Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Made In Space To Manufacture Optical Fiber In Orbit
   'Mass-produced only in the orbiting factories...' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Elon Musk Tweets Versions Of Clarke's Operation Cleanup
   'Fortunately, the old orbital forts were superbly equipped for this task.' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Orbital Manufacturer 'Made in Space' Gets $73 Million NASA Contract
   'Mass-produced in the orbiting factories...' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Starlink Satellites Leading Edge On-Orbit Debris Mitigation
   Propulsion-assisted orbital decay, brought to you by SpaceX.

3D Printed 'Blisk' Manufactured In Orbit
   'It can be mass-produced only in the orbiting factories...' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1978.

Space Construction Tools For Large Structures By OAC
   'Mass-produced in the orbiting factories...'

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

Science Fiction
in the News

More SF in the News