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"Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful."
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| Force-Field | ||
| A barrier to objects, created by projected forces. |
The notion of a force-field is widely used in science fiction; this is a very early reference.
| Arcot had used the force field that produced the directed motions of the molecules as a weapon. |
| From Islands of Space,
by John W. Campbell. Published by Amazing Stories in 1931 Additional resources -
|
Here's another very early reference, from the same year, by 'Doc Smith writing in Space Hounds of IPC:
Compare to other early ideas about projecting force, like attractive ray from Edmond Hamilton's 1928 novel Crashing Suns or the super-photon ray from Campbell's 1932 story Invaders from the Infinite.
He first called Mars, the home planet of Alcantro and Fedanzo, the foremost force-field experts of three planets; and was assured in no uncertain terms that those rulers of rays were ready and anxious to follow wherever Brandon and Westfall might lead.
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More Ideas
and Technology from Islands of Space
More Ideas
and Technology by John W. Campbell
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Tech news articles related to works by John W. Campbell
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