Ray Cummings:
Science Fiction Technology and Ideas
Ray Cummings (1877-1957) was a prolific author, writing hundreds of sf stories and novels. He learned about inventing worlds and technology in the best way possible; he did technical writing and editing while working with inventor Thomas Edison.


(Ray Cummings)

Invention/Technology Source Work (Publication Date)

Artificial Gravity - first mention
Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Asteroid From Outside Solar System
An asteroid or similar body that comes from outside the solar system; an interstellar body.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Audiphone
Communication between space suits in the airless void of space.

Blood of the Moon (1936)

Automatics
Machinery capable of running some aspect of a space ship's operation on its own.

Wandl, The Invader (1932)

Banning Gun
Shoots a pencil heat ray.

Voyage 13 (1938)

Bloodhound Machine
Could positively identify a person using their scent alone.

Crimes of the Year 2000 (1935)

Dome Shelter - first reference
A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Eavesdropping Ray - hears through walls
A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Electronized Gravity Plate - artificial gravity
Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft.

Blood of the Moon (1936)

Emergency Air-Suit
A light-duty space suit.

Voyage 13 (1938)

Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray)
A beam of force that repels one object from another.

Blood of the Moon (1936)

Glassite
A transparent material of great strength.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Grantline Comptometer - long before Mathematica
Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems.

Beyond the Stars (1928)

Gravity Assist - very early use
Using the gravity and orbital speed of a celestial body to change speed and course of a spacecraft.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Gravity Beam
An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom.

Wandl, The Invader (1932)

Indoor Weighted Belt
Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon.

Blood of the Moon (1936)

Invisible Cloak -long before Harry Potter
A cloak that renders the wearer invisible.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Isolation Barrage
Device prevents eavesdropping.

Wandl, The Invader (1932)

Low-scale Detectors
Magnifies even the smallest sound.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Lunar Mining - moon mining camp
Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon.

Brigands of the Moon (1930)

Next Last


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