![]() |
Science Fiction
Dictionary Latest By
"Bureaucracies hide their mistakes, because people's careers are tied to those mistakes. Therefore, bureaucracies are a perfect mechanism for perpetuating mistakes."
|
![]() |
![]() The earliest mention in science fiction that I know about; in common use on Earth.
John W. Campbell used it in The Derelicts of Ganymede:
Duke Stetson pulled the releasing lever. Automatic doors opened, and a powerful spring gear drove the little twenty-foot ship clear of the gleaming monster.
Eando Binder used this phrase in Murder on the Asteroid in 1933:
Due to the constant dangers of meteors in space
which might at any moment crash through an ether
boat, each space vehicle carried one or more of the
life boats. They were simply little one-man ether
boats, miniature models of the larger craft, equipped
with small but efficient rocket motors. If for any reason the larger boat became unmanageable, damaged,
or useless as a vehicle, the passenger could then embark in the life boat and propel himself within reach
of rescue. Each life boat was equipped with a radio.
They also carried food, oxygen, and heating apparatus.
Hanson, holding the little man in his arms, smirked
as he saw the dull metal ellipsoid boat, for it entered
his plans of the moment. On its side was emblazoned
the same number as was on the outside hull of the
bigger boat — P-322-M-505.
Doc Smith used this phrase just a year later in Triplanetary:
Compare this very early use of the concept with a more famous descendant, the escape pod from George Lucas' 1976 story Star Wars. Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
resources:
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
|
![]() |
Science Fiction
Timeline
Wearable Energy Harvester
'... he had tightened the chest to gain maximum pumping action from the motion of breathing.'
Drones Participate In Buddhist Rites
'...a prayer wheel swung into view and began spinning at a furious pace.'
'Feel the AGI' OpenAI Leader Now OpenWorship
'And are all the people willing to be governed by a machine?'
Forward CarePod The AI Doctor's Office
'It's an old model,' Rawlins said. 'I'm not sure what to do.'
Mika The Robot-Boss
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...'
Yamaha Motoroid 2 No Handlebars Self-Balancing Motorcycle
'He rode the bike with an intense lack of physical grace...'
|
![]() |
![]() |
Home | Glossary
| Science Fiction Timeline | Category | New | Contact
Us | FAQ | Advertise | ![]() Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™ Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved. |
![]() |