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
"...there's a great affinity between writing poetry and SF."
- Dan Simmons
 |
| Ether Ship | ||
| A space-going ship. |
The "ether" referred to here is an archaic scientific term - the theorized transmission medium of light and gravity in the absence of all matter - the emptiness of space.
| The thought struck me of a mode of communication. I drew from my vest a tablet, and wrote on it symbols in our hieroglyphic character expressing where I came from. With a little difficulty and some gesticulation, I made him understand our symbols, which expressed the sentence, "We, Aleriel, Arauniel, and Ezariel, come in the ether ship from the beautiful planet near the sun." When he understood what I had written, he said something to the other Martian, who expressed great astonishment and wonder. Then, having paused awhile, as if in thought, he drew from the fold of his robe a box, whence he took a sheet of a cloth-like texture, on which he traced in large and rude characters, in a system of celestial picture-writing, not the same as ours, but sufficiently like it to be intelligible to us. |
| Technovelgy from Aleriel or A Voyage to Other Worlds,
by W.S. Lach-Szyrma. Published by Wyman and Sons in 1886 Additional resources -
|
Another example from Water-Bound World (1932) by Harl Vincent:
This example comes from The Lost City of Mars (1934) by Harl Vincent:
With ever decreasing velocity the ethership Mercurianic circled Japetus, Saturn’s eighth satellite. At each convolution she drew nearer to the ominously tossing clouds which enveloped the body. The great vessel’s rocket tubes gave forth no sound.
The present venture was out of their usual line. Both had hearkened to the call of outer space as men before the days of ethership travel had hearkened to the call of the sea. Coler, the pilot, and Turjen, the engineer had been known to the ships of interplanetary lines through many a dangerous voyage.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Aleriel or A Voyage to Other Worlds
More Ideas
and Technology by W.S. Lach-Szyrma
Tech news articles related to Aleriel or A Voyage to Other Worlds
Tech news articles related to works by W.S. Lach-Szyrma
| Europa Clipper Plate Carries A Special Message |
| China Wants To Build Mega Space Ships |
| Dream Of Building Your Own Rocket? |
| Used Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Will Fly Again |
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
'Joe got out the gravity-simulator harnesses...'
'You couldn't have the capstone without the pyramid to hold it up.'
'the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...'
I'm hoping that this procedure becomes a normal part of medical practice!
'... nothing was perfected until M. Pantalon announced the completion of his automatic valet.'
'...its streets were of remarkable width, with few or no buildings so high as mosques, churches, State-offices, or palaces in Tellurian cities.'
'...it was all composed of tiny, identical cubes, carefully laid to form a tilelike surface.'
