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"I was perfectly satisfied to write science fiction knowing that it would pay very little, that it would be seen by only a very few people."
- Isaac Asimov
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| Energy Curtain Key | ||
| A small handheld "key" to shut off a force field. |
This is in some ways a unique idea from sf writers, who in the 1920's and 1930's were more inclined to deal with physical switches; also, you may want to find out more about the "Curtain" that this key controlled.
| At last they were through the Curtain. Arnim turned, took something from the voluminous pocket of his waterproof. A tiny radio-transmitter, low-powered, sending only a long dash that varied completely in wave length for a half minute. The key to the Curtain—Penger pressed the button. A coruscation of tiny flashes snapped through the wind-tossed filaments. The power was on—that apparently frail barrier hummed now with the Grendon vibration.
Britt could see the driven rain rebound from the invisible wall. Nothing, no human body, no Venusian dart, not even a high-powered electro-bullet could pass through the net. The station was safe, protected against all intrusion until the machines that produced the vibration were stilled by another pressure on the little instrument with its secret combination of frequencies. |
| From Venus Mines, Incorporated,
by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat). Published by Wonder Stories in 1931 Additional resources -
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Compare to the softener key from Larry Niven's 1973 novel Protector.
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and Technology from Venus Mines, Incorporated
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and Technology by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)
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Ever wonder how you look when you enter a new part of a spacecraft?
'Whoever launched it fired a laser cannon...'
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'About a third of the people in Manhattan have replaced their Freedom Card with a radio-frequency chip...'
