John W. Campbell:
Science Fiction Technology and Ideas
John Wood Campbell was born in 1910; he died in 1971. He received a degree in Physics from MIT in 1923, publishing his first stories when still a student. In 1937 he became editor of Astounding Stories and discovered many great talents of sf, including Asimov, Heinlein, Sturgeon, van Vogt and others. He freely offered his ideas to his writers; Isaac Asimov has credited Campbell with the Three Laws of Robotics.


(John W. Campbell [1931 Wonder Stories])

Invention/Technology Source Work (Publication Date)

Altitude Suit
Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space.

The Black Star Passes (1930)

Anti-Gravity Drive
Electric force curves space.

The Last Evolution (1932)

Atomic-Powered Lifting Suits
Special exoskeletons that would allow an ordinary human being to walk in doubled gravity.

The Brain Pirates (1938)

Automatic Cultivators
Agricultural robots.

Piracy Preferred (1930)

Automatic Parking
Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar.

Twilight (1934)

Building With Lunar Materials
Using a planet's materials to make what you need.

The Moon is Hell (1950)

Credit - first use
A basic unit of currency.

The Mightiest Machine (1934)

Daisy Projector
Beam of energy penetrates the Heaviside layer to enable communication from planet to planet.

The Derelicts of Ganymede (1932)

Darkness Bomb - infra-infra-infra fluorescence!
A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur.

The Mightiest Machine (1934)

Electric Machine Gun (Railgun) - electromagnetic acceleration
A device that accelerates small projectiles magnetically using a strong electric current.

The Battery of Hate (1933)

Electric-Space-Strain Projector - wireless power transmission
Device enables the wireless transmission of power.

The Mightiest Machine (1934)

Faster-Than-Light - ftl
Describes something that exceeds the usual speed limit on physical objects of 186,282 miles per second in vacuum.

Islands of Space (1931)

Floater (Vehicle)
A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power.

The Machine (1935)

Force-Field - an energy barrier
A barrier to objects, created by projected forces.

Islands of Space (1931)

Free Fall
Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit.

Islands of Space (1931)

Gyroscope Seats
Your best bet for remaining at the right angle to the force of acceleration.

The Black Star Passes (1930)

Helicops
Small, private flyers for business commuting.

The Black Star Passes (1930)

Intergalactic
Going between galaxies.

Invaders From The Infinite (1932)

Jump
Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart.

Invaders From The Infinite (1932)

Lux
A bar of solidified light.

The Black Star Passes (1930)

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