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
"Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Compulsive Subsonics | ||
| An advertising agency works with every part of the audience's brain. |
In this classic 1950's story, the ad agency works hard to use every bit of technology available to manipulate the public.
| "They outlawed compulsive subsonics in our aural advertising - but we've bounced back with a list of semantic cue words that tie in with every basic trauma and neurosis in American life today. |
| Technovelgy from The Space Merchants,
by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth). Published by St. Martin's Press in 1952 Additional resources -
|
When you read this story, you'll be amazed at how well it predicts the future of mass market advertising. At the time the book was written, ad agencies had only been around for about 100 years; the first American advertising agency was opened in 1941. The first big "ad blitz" was organized by none other than P.T. Barnum, who created so much hoopla with newspaper ads, handbills and broadsides advertising the appearance of Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale" to America, that she was met at the docks by 30,000 New Yorkers.
The first great American brands were created at this time; the first advertisement for Smith Brother's Cough Candy (drops) appeared in a Poughkeepsie, New York paper in 1851. (Historical note: the two brothers in the illustration are named "Trade" and "Mark.") Today, we are saturated with brand names; but in the mid-1800's, everything people bought was generic. You went to the grocery store and bought flour, salt, sugar and soap; the grocer removed it from a larger, anonymous package and wrapped it for you. You never knew the manufacturer.
The history of advertising is a great reminder of how much has changed in the last 100 years.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Space Merchants
More Ideas
and Technology by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)
Tech news articles related to The Space Merchants
Tech news articles related to works by Frederik Pohl (w/CM Kornbluth)
| Polish Turns Your Nail Into A Stylus |
| Huawei Pura X Folding Phattie Phone |
| Positioned Cybertrucks With Free Starlinks WiFi In LA |
| Will Whales Be Our First Contact? |
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
'The suit stands up and starts walking, gripping me round the calves and waist, taking the bulk of my weight off my throbbing feet.'
't came out into plain view. Darkington glimpsed a slim body and six short legs of articulated dull metal.'
'Internally it’s made up of millions of components, but the most important ones are the thinking and memory parts of the Mind proper.'
'I could look down at that face of carefully molded synthetic rubber, tinted the exact shade of the doctor's living flesh.'
'Chris, the City Fathers are not interested in your welfare; I suppose you know that. They're interested in only one thing: the survival of the city.'
'Drake was the young spatial engineer he employed to terraform the little rock...'
