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"I have been a soreheaded occupant of a file drawer labeled 'Science Fiction' and I would like out, particularly since so many serious critics regularly mistake the drawer for a urinal."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
 |
| Radium-Action Lighter | ||
| A personal device used to ignite tobacco products. |
During the pre-war era, there was a lot of talk about atomic devices of various kinds.
| ...she held out a little cylinder of black metal. It was a radium-action lighter for cigarettes.
"I've got a hunch. This can make a coal of intense heat - like a forge in miniature." Then he switched on the lighter, and held it directly against the little tag of iron. The key grew red, then livid white, finally waxy soft as the heat melted it. |
| From The Worlds of Tomorrow,
by Manly Wade Wellman. Published by Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1940 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the pocket nucleo-bulb penlight from Foundation (1951) by Isaac Asimov.
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'Do I know protocol? Why, it's my primary function.'
'When unfolded and unrolled... it became a tough, gleaming film.'
