Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"The world is really so surreal these days that it's necessary for us to blunt it somehow in order to stay sane. The artist functions to short-circuit the buffering mechanism, so that people can occasionally perceive the weirdness of things as they are."
- William Gibson
 |
| Control Helmet | ||
| A device which causes an entire race of people to think and feel the same as the wearer. |
Slugger Martin is hurled into the unknown by ol' Doc Murtha's field projector and winds up on a distant planet. It seems that every member of the dominant alien race is subject to Control by higher authorities.
When he arrives, he is obviously out of Control, and is taken to see the Controller of their society.
| "There was war here on Calthor, too, many ages ago," Zura said quickly. " People fought, and rioted, and quarreled constantly with one another, because they had different mental attitudes...
"That is why our forefathers originated Control. It is a device to make certain that everyone has the same mental attitude on important questions. The wisest of our race is always the Controller. He wears the sacred Control helmet, the supreme achievement of our science, which amplifies and broadcasts the neuro-electric currents of his brain as a powerful vibration that affects every other human brain, setting up the same currents, the same basic ideas, in them all." |
| From Easy Money,
by Edmond Hamilton. Published by Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1938 Additional resources -
|
The Control helmet is never turned on full blast, because then everyone would be an automaton, a slave to the will of the Controller.
Here's what the helmet looked like:
This guy had a queer metal thing on his head, like a big diving helmet, only the front was cut away so his face showed. There were a lot of little screws or knobs on the side of this helmet, and a little ring of glowing white lights on top.
"...his square face was very brooding and heavy and thoughtful, something like an alderman worrying about his ward, only a million times more so."
Compare to the cogitator or Chair of Reflection from Daniel Defoe's 1705 story The Consolidator.
He was sitting on a dais, doing nothing. I knew then he was the big shot, for only a big shot can do nothing but sit and look wise.
(Control Helmet from 'Easy Money' by Edmond Hamilton)
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Easy Money
More Ideas
and Technology by Edmond Hamilton
Tech news articles related to Easy Money
Tech news articles related to works by Edmond Hamilton
Control Helmet-related
news articles:
- TMS Decreases Belief In God, Increases Belief In Immigrants
| 'Ring Nation' Show Predicted By William Gibson In 1999 |
| The Wanderer: Eyebot From Fallout, Eye From Zelazny |
| Small Town Wants 60 License Plate Readers |
| Pixy Flying Selfie Drone From Snap |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Then some unknown race had chanced upon the dreamers and decided to 'help them out.'
'... you had your trademark Lucky Dragon Global Interactive Video Column outside.'
'It's an Indian Air Force drone; its solar cells could power an entire farm.'
'... we were supposed to be forming five unit composites first."
'We send our eyes on their appointed rounds, and they can hover or soar or back up...'
'Light from the sun hit those little spheres and bounced.'
'... the two pairs of waldoes in the screen followed in exact, simultaneous parallelism.'
