Timeline of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)

Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.

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1600-1899  1900-1929  1930's  1940's  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000+

Date Device Name (Novel Author)
1900 Aerocar - first use of idea? (from The Abduction of Alexandra Seine by Fred C. Smale)
1901 Translatophone (from My Translatophone by Frank Stockton)
1901 Cavorite - antigravity metal (from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells)
1901 Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
1901 Home-World (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith)
1903 Vandelite Gun (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
1903 Joystick Controls w/Remote Display (from The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells)
1903 Death-Ray (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
1903 Aerial Navies (from The World Masters by George Griffith)
1904 The Terror (from Master of the World by Jules Verne)
1905 Glass Dome (from A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells)
1907 Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
1907 Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum)
1907 Neutral (Point) (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
1907 Gravitation Screen (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop)
1908 Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
1908 Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov)
1909 Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) - first reference to television (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 The Book of the Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 Breed Humans For Machines (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 Telemedicine Apparatus - first known reference (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 The Machine - supplies every need (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 Machine Apartment (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1909 Video Communicator (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster)
1910 Automaton Chessplayer - the first chess-playing computer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce)
1911 Demagnitizing Ray (from The Lord of Labour by George Griffith)
1911 Automatic-Electric Packing Machine (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Tele-Motor-Coasters - power skates (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Gyrocar (from Two Boys in a Gyrocar the story of a New York to Paris motor race by Kenneth Brown)
1911 Actinoscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Detectophone - machine translation of language (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Telephot - early videophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Steelonium - very early reference (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Hypnobioscope - learn while you sleep (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Personalized News (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Electric Rifle - Tom Swift's weapon of choice (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton)
1911 Aeroflyer (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Sub-Atlantic Tube - undersea tunnel (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1911 Language Rectifier early reference to machine translation (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback)
1912 Automated Restaurant - food from robots (from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
1914 Sustained Atomic Reaction (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
1914 Radioactive Ruin - first reference (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
1914 Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
1914 Atomic Bomb - very early reference (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
1914 Artificial Food (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells)
1915 Food Tablet - a pill for dinner (from John Jone's Dollar by H.S. Keeler)
1917 Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
1917 Tele-Photophonic Attachment (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
1917 Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
1917 Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau)
1918 Magnetic Elevator - no watches allowed (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
1918 Photophone (from The Planeteer by Michael Flynn)
1918 Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay)
1920 Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
1920 Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt)
1920 Robot - the origin of the term (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek)
1921 Phonographic Locks (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie)
1922 Membrane (from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin)
1923 Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle)
1923 Wireless Access Point (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
1923 Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) - original patent filing (from Acoustic Apparatus by Hugo Gernsback)
1923 Networked Telephone Answering Machine (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
1923 Parallel Universe (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells)
1925 Quadraturin (from Quadraturin by Sigizmund Krzhizhanowsky)
1925 Blaster - a deadly energy weapon. (from When the Green Star Waned by Nictzin Dyalhis)
1926 Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
1926 Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
1926 Vacuum Suit (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
1926 Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
1926 Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex)
1926 Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
1926 Computer Vision (Artificial Eye) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
1926 Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton)
1926 Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain)
1926 Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton)
1926 Gyro-Hat (from An Experiment in Gyro-Hats by Ellis Parker Butler)
1927 Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
1927 Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
1928 Concentro (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Inertron - light but strong (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Ultrophone - FTL communication (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 De-atomizing Ray - a disintegration beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Anti-Gravity Belt (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Psychophonic Nurse - a nanny robot (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller)
1928 Space-Lanes - like the space-ways (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Heat Transmitter - warmth to outer planets (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Airlock (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
1928 Telechart - the one indispensable aid (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Pain Ray - pain by nerve induction. (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Meteorometer - meteors ahead! (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Raytron Apparatus - aerial surveillance (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
1928 Hyper-space (from The Invisible Bubble by Kirk Meadowcroft)
1928 Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Needle Pipe - needle gun (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
1928 Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
1928 Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller)
1928 Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller)
1928 Telestereo - earliest reference to holograms? (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Vibration-Propelled Cruiser - waves in spacetime (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Attractive Ray - first use of idea? (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Floater (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Steering a Star - driving a sun (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1928 Grantline Comptometer - long before Mathematica (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings)
1928 Flying Harness (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
1928 Pressure-Suit (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith)
1928 Chest Disc - speak clearly (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Ultraphone Ear-Disc - no need for Bluetooth (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Jumper - float free (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Disintegrator Ray (Dis Ray) (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan)
1928 Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton)
1929 Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
1929 O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
1929 Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
1929 Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone)
1929 Mechanical Hand (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Ships With Legs (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Reflectocosmic Spectrometer (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Ship Pushes Moon (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins))
1929 Brain Placed In Metal Body (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
1929 Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
1929 Ships Propelled By Light Pressure (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
1929 Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton)
1929 Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker)
1929 Electric Kitchen - cooks freed from gravity (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
1929 Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)
1929 Robot Control Board (from The Robot Master by O.L. Beckwith)
1929 Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek)
1929 Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve)
1929 Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen)
1929 Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
1929 Personal Metallic Record Disc (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
1929 Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland)
1929 Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent)
1929 Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer))
1929 Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail)

1600-1899  1900-1949  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000's

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