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"It's hard to tell stories about critters that are not human. John W. Campbell tried it, in "Twilight," and everybody says it's a wonderful story, and nobody ever reads it twice."
- Jerry Pournelle
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| Airlock | ||
| An intermediate chamber between airless space and the interior of a space craft. |
How can you go between the void of space and oxygen-rich interior of your space craft?
| DuQuesne reported briefly to the two girls. All three put on space-suits and crowded into the tiny airlock. The lock was pumped down. |
| From Skylark of Space,
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith. Published by Not known in 1928 Additional resources -
|
The phrase "air lock" and the basic purpose was first used in the mid-19th century in relation to sea-going vessels.
Not all airlocks and doors were tiny; this excerpt is from The Power Planet (1931) by Murray Leinster.
Those in the observatory felt a sudden savage suction
of air. It swayed them upon their feet.
“In a hurry,” said Jimmy Cardigan grimly. “The
Commander let in the air from the Planet instead of
the tanks. He’s in a hurry, too.”
This is perhaps the earliest usage of the phrase in science fiction. However, the idea was put forward much earlier; see the entry for the double-door vestibule from Astor's 1894 novel A Journey in Other Worlds.
Then there was the clank
of the airlock door — a vast circle a hundred feet across.
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Tech news articles related to works by E.E. 'Doc' Smith
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'...we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
'What fabric can take that kind of a load? Synthetic spider silk.'
