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
 |
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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| Date | Device Name (Novel Author) |
| 1900 | Aerocar (from The Abduction of Alexandra Seine by Fred C. Smale) A personal flying vehicle. |
| 1901 | Translatophone (from My Translatophone by Frank Stockton) A device that performs mechanical translation of one language into another. |
| 1901 | Cavorite (from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells) An antigravity metal; when it cools, whatever it covers will be impervious to gravitational forces. |
| 1901 | Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) A special suit and apparatus for survival on the surface of the Moon. |
| 1901 | Homeworld (Home-World) (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) One's planet of origin. |
| 1903 | Vandelite Gun (from The World Masters by George Griffith) An artillery device that freezes the explosive material for firing so it doesn't explode in the gun when it fires. |
| 1903 | Joystick Controls w/Remote Display (from The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells) A fire-by-wire remote-controlled weapon system. |
| 1903 | Death-Ray (from The World Masters by George Griffith) A thin ray of electric light that melts flesh away from the bone. |
| 1903 | Aerial Navies (from The World Masters by George Griffith) Use of vast numbers of air-ships (planes) to overwhelm land defenses. |
| 1904 | The Terror (from Master of the World by Jules Verne) An amazing vehicle capable of attaining tremendous speeds - in many different ways. |
| 1905 | Glass Dome (from A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells) Protective cover for cities. |
| 1907 | Gravitation Screen (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) Shields a spacecraft from the gravity of a planetary body. |
| 1907 | Neutral (Point) (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) The point at which the gravitational pull of the sun and that of a planet cancel each other out. |
| 1907 | Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum) A mechanical man. |
| 1907 | Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) Network of communication in the solar system. |
| 1908 | Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Spacefraft fueled by radioactive materials. |
| 1908 | Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Material that negates weight. |
| 1909 | Machine Apartment (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) Each person lives isolated in their own room, supported by a vast planetary machine. |
| 1909 | Video Communicator (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) A device that carried both voice and image, letting the two parties see each other. |
| 1909 | Breed Humans For Machines (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) Carefully cull the strong, resilient humans in favor of weakness, that the human race might be more adapted to life in the Machine. |
| 1909 | The Book of the Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) The only book needed for life in the vast Machine. |
| 1909 | Telemedicine Apparatus (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) First reference to a device that allows physicians to examine or aid patients at a distance. |
| 1909 | The Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) A single vast contrivance that supplied all the needs of the world's millions of solitary inhabitants. |
| 1909 | Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) The first reference to a tablet-sized, handheld screen. |
| 1910 | Automaton Chessplayer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce) The first chess-playing computer. |
| 1911 | Artificial Cloth (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The creation of fabrics without organic natural fibers. |
| 1911 | Steelonium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode. |
| 1911 | Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Uneasiness associated with space travel. |
| 1911 | Language Rectifier (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first reference to machine-translation of human languages. |
| 1911 | Personalized News (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First reference to news that is customized to the needs of each individual subscriber. |
| 1911 | Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First fictional reference to a fax machine. |
| 1911 | Actinoscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device that used a pulsating polarized ether wave to judge the distance to an object (a RADAR) |
| 1911 | Aerocab (Aeroflyer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A electric flying taxi, or car. |
| 1911 | Automatic-Electric Packing Machine (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device able to pack randomly shaped objects combined into a single package automatically. |
| 1911 | Menograph (Mind-Writer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Direct translation of thought to paper. |
| 1911 | Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The lightest metal. |
| 1911 | Detectophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine. |
| 1911 | Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Streetlights provide sunlight at night. |
| 1911 | Telephot (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device that combined the functions of telephone and television; a phone with a screen. |
| 1911 | Demagnitizing Ray (from The Lord of Labour by George Griffith) A beam of radiation that makes even the strongest steel as brittle as chalk. |
| 1911 | Tele-Motor-Coasters (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Powered skates for personal transportation. |
| 1911 | Hypnobioscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first fictional reference to sleep teaching. |
| 1911 | Sub-Atlantic Tube (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points. |
| 1911 | Electric Rifle (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton) A device that shoots an electrical charge. |
| 1911 | Gravity Nullification (Gravity Screen) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Gravity annulled in its entirety in a small area. |
| 1911 | Helio-Dynamophores (Sun-Power-Generators) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Photo-electric elements which transformed the solar heat direct into electric energy. |
| 1911 | Gyrocar (from Two Boys in a Gyrocar the story of a New York to Paris motor race by Kenneth Brown) A two-wheeled, self-balancing automobile. |
| 1912 | Automated Restaurant (from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Food is prepared and served entirely automatically. |
| 1913 | Poison Space Cloud (Etheric Poison) (from The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle) A deadly cloud of gas large enough to envelop the solar system. |
| 1914 | Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that stores sunlight itself for use as an energy source. |
| 1914 | Sustained Atomic Reaction (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) The idea that a sustained reaction could lead to an atomic explosion. |
| 1914 | Radioactive Ruin (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) The aftermath of atomic war is generations of ruin. |
| 1914 | Artificial Food (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) Food produced without soil, chemically. |
| 1914 | Atomic Bomb (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) A weapon that uses an atomic chain reaction as an explosive force. |
| 1915 | Visaphone System Zoom Call (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) An amazingly early description of a modern zoom call on a big screen monitor. |
| 1915 | Food Tablet (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) All of your nutrients in one easy-to-swallow form factor. |
| 1915 | Pocket wireless phone (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) An entirely portable, pocket-sized, telephone. |
| 1917 | Tele-Photophonic Attachment (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A device that permits a telephone funnel to see as well as hear. |
| 1917 | Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A kind of two-way public loudspeaker. |
| 1917 | Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) Public news outlets |
| 1917 | Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A weapon that projects a beam of destructive force. |
| 1918 | Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay) A flying bus. |
| 1918 | Photophone (from The Planeteer by Michael Flynn) A device that provided a view of the other booth. |
| 1918 | Magnetic Elevator (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion. |
| 1920 | Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt) Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes. |
| 1920 | Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) The manufacture of artificial organs, digestive tract, veins - body parts. |
| 1920 | Robot (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) A (usually human-shaped) artifact with the same kinds of abilities as a human - this is the first use of the word 'robot'. |
| 1920 | Robotess (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) A female robot. |
| 1921 | Phonographic Locks (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie) Doors that open using voice recognition. |
| 1921 | Pocket-Wings (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie) Individual powered flight. |
| 1922 | Membrane (from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin) A listening device. |
| 1923 | Networked Telephone Answering Machine (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) A device that would accept verbal messages and store them for replay from any remote station. |
| 1923 | Wireless Access Point (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) Infrastructure that provides power and wireless communication. |
| 1923 | Parallel Universe (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) An entirely separate realm or universe that exists along with our own; it may be wildly different or vary from ours by only a tiny degree. |
| 1923 | Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) (from Acoustic Apparatus by Hugo Gernsback) A device that used bone conduction to transmit sound. |
| 1923 | Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle) A man from the future with an embedded mechanism to manipulate time. |
| 1925 | Blaster (from When the Green Star Waned by Nictzin Dyalhis) A device that shoots a beam of energy that destroys whatever is in its path. |
| 1925 | Quadraturin (from Quadraturin by Sigizmund Krzhizhanowsky) Substance that creates more space when applied to walls, floors and ceilings. |
| 1926 | Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain) Very early fictional element, courtesy of metallurgists. |
| 1926 | Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) Creating living beings from inorganic elements. |
| 1926 | Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) A ray that reduces an organic being to ash instantly. |
| 1926 | Robot Wheel (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous vehicular robot in the shape of a gigantic wheel. |
| 1926 | Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) A non-organic device structured like a human brain. |
| 1926 | Vacuum Suit (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) An early description of a space suit, and the first use of this now archaic phrase. |
| 1926 | Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex) A vehicle for space travel. |
| 1926 | Computer Vision (Artificial Eye) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) A device which, attached to a suitable computer, will allow the device to see. |
| 1926 | Flexible Metal Arms (Tentacles) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An interesting description of how mechanical tentacles might function. |
| 1926 | Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) An engine which utilizes atomic energy. |
| 1926 | Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A device that shrinks and expands its wearer. |
| 1926 | Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A spacesuit helmet that can be seen through. |
| 1926 | Tentacle Machines (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) Enormous robots, cylindrical of body, tentacular of arms, autonomous of brain, sinister of intent. |
| 1926 | Gyro-Hat (from An Experiment in Gyro-Hats by Ellis Parker Butler) Hidden in a top hat, this device cures staggering and reeling, for whatever reason. |
| 1927 | Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that paralyzes the muscles. |
| 1927 | Repulsor Ray (from The Time-Raider by Edmond Hamilton) Fires an invisible beam of electrons for propulsion. |
| 1927 | Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that pulled warmth from anything it was aimed at. |
| 1928 | Mother World (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) One's home planet, or the origin world of one's species. |
| 1928 | Space-Lanes (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Well-traveled routes through outer space. |
| 1928 | Psychophonic Nurse (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A child-care robot - a nanny bot. |
| 1928 | Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller) A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use. |
| 1928 | De-atomizing Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Beam of energy causes matter to fly apart. |
| 1928 | Raytron Apparatus (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device for aerial surveillance; the image was transmitted back to the user. |
| 1928 | Telestereo (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A disk, upon which the projected image of the distant sender appears. |
| 1928 | Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous council chamber, fit for a galaxy. |
| 1928 | Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Maneuver to chase down and destroy meteor showers that threaten celestial navigation. |
| 1928 | Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Ravening pale beams of light used in space battles. |
| 1928 | Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A marker in space. |
| 1928 | Atoplane (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) An airplane powered by nuclear energy, capable of tremendous speed and distance. |
| 1928 | Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A spacecraft with a propulsion system relying on waves in spacetime itself. |
| 1928 | Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A diaper that will indicate when it is wet. |
| 1928 | Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A device that recorded and played back the thoughts of the user. |
| 1928 | Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A means of gestating eggs to term is found. |
| 1928 | Needle Pipe (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device that could project slivers of metal at near light speed. |
| 1928 | Atomic Percolator (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) Make coffee with radiation. |
| 1928 | Harvest Power From Stray Energy (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A means of collecting enough energy from stray electronic impulses to power a device. |
| 1928 | Neutralizing Wall (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A barrier that stops electrical and mechanical vibrations, rendering the protected area effectively invisible. |
| 1928 | Universal Sterilization Law (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) All young people were sterilized, and replacement people were generated artificially. |
| 1928 | Grantline Comptometer (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems. |
| 1928 | Steering a Star (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Steering a star, altering its path, taking it to a new location. |
| 1928 | Attractive Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A beam of radiation that pulls. |
| 1928 | Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A fully space-worthy ship under private ownership. |
| 1928 | Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) In essence, a bazooka. |
| 1928 | Videophone (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A person-to-person communication device offering sight as well as sound. |
| 1928 | Hyper-space (from The Invisible Bubble by Kirk Meadowcroft) A realm or parallel universe in which it is possible to travel much faster than light. |
| 1928 | Meteorometer (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that warned space ships in flight about oncoming meteors. |
| 1928 | Airlock (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An intermediate chamber between airless space and the interior of a space craft. |
| 1928 | Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Invisible metal makes the thinnest, strongest wire. |
| 1928 | Ultrophone (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A means of communication that transmits and receives simultaneously. |
| 1928 | Inertron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Material with all the properties of heavier metals, but lighter. |
| 1928 | Anti-Gravity Belt (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device which, when worn, reduces exposure to the effects of gravitation. |
| 1928 | Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A flat panel viewing display. |
| 1928 | Concentro (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Concentrated synthetic food rations. |
| 1928 | Floater (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device that allows the user to literally float in the air |
| 1928 | Disintegrator Ray (Dis Ray) (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device that projects a beam reducing matter to nothingness. |
| 1928 | Jumper (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Inertron belt results in effective weightlessness. |
| 1928 | Flying Harness (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Device allows free movement in the air. |
| 1928 | Heat Transmitter (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Device which captures solar energy close to the source and then beams it in concentrated form to outer planets. |
| 1928 | Negative Acceleration (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Turning a torchship through a half-circle, thereby applying force in the direction of motion, slowing the ship down. |
| 1928 | Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that shields an object from the effects of gravity. |
| 1928 | Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Device provides support for planet-side air travel. |
| 1928 | Telechart (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An interactive metal plate upon which were displayed celestial objects for interstellar navigation. |
| 1928 | Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective. |
| 1928 | Chest Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A voice activated wireless transmitter. |
| 1928 | Ultraphone Ear-Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Wireless receivers that fit directly over the ears; they also offered noise reduction. |
| 1928 | Pain Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Creates pain by nerve induction. |
| 1928 | Pressure-Suit (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A pressurized suit for use in the airless void of space. |
| 1929 | Overmind (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A consciousness that supersedes the minds of many individuals. |
| 1929 | Ship Pushes Moon (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Altering the course of a small moon by pushing on it with a rocket motor. |
| 1929 | Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A large, hand-held spear of force. |
| 1929 | Reflectocosmic Spectrometer (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A device that detects and measures cosmic rays that reflect from different metals. |
| 1929 | Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A nuclear munition, fired from a cannon. |
| 1929 | Rocket Engine Moves Moon (from The Space Dwellers by Raymond Z. Gallun) Using the propulsive mechanism of a space ship to move a small moon or asteroid. |
| 1929 | Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early mention of the term. |
| 1929 | Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Using pistol rounds to maneuver in space. |
| 1929 | Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight metal. |
| 1929 | O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight zeppelin |
| 1929 | Air-Freighter Cargo Plane (from The Invisible Raiders by Ed Earl Repp) An enormous airplane used for transporting cargo across the country. |
| 1929 | Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early depiction of this basic idea. |
| 1929 | Mechanical Hand (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A large robotic hand or claw, large enough to grasp a person. |
| 1929 | Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone) Familiar name for our own sun. |
| 1929 | Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A floating taxicab. |
| 1929 | Ships With Legs (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Space ships with mechanical limbs for walking the Earth. |
| 1929 | Space Craft (from Night-Thing by Wilford Allen) A ship that travels through the airless void of space. |
| 1929 | Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer)) Human movement through outer space. |
| 1929 | Brain Placed In Metal Body (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) A robotic body with a support system for a connected organic brain. |
| 1929 | Ships Propelled By Light Pressure (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) Space ships that use light pressure from a distant source for propulsion |
| 1929 | Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) A device that neutralized the gravitational force of the sun on the earth. |
| 1929 | Ray-Pistol (from The War of the Planets by Harl Vincent) An early version of the raygun. |
| 1929 | Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) An airtight spacesuit. |
| 1929 | Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment. |
| 1929 | Flying Platform (from Locked Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Simple black squares that fly and hover. |
| 1929 | Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) A device and method for testing spacesuits. |
| 1929 | Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek) Replacement of elements of human blood with chlorophyll. |
| 1929 | Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A viewing screen. |
| 1929 | Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A device that displays memories directly on a helmet screen. |
| 1929 | Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A device for seeing at a distance. |
| 1929 | Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) A device used to artificially stimulate cell growth and development. |
| 1929 | Personal Metallic Record Disc (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) A stamped metal record that contains all of a person's data in a convenient form. |
| 1929 | Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) Remote controlled robots used to perform dangerous work. |
| 1929 | Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent) A means of sending trains through the air. |
| 1929 | Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Personal device stops gravity's effect. |
| 1929 | Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Shields a large object from the effect of gravity. |
| 1929 | Robot Control Board (from The Robot Master by O.L. Beckwith) Control panel with small screens showing the point of view of different robots. |
| 1929 | Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A transparent "glass" made of metal. |
| 1929 | Magnetic Shoes (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Footgear magnetized for working on steel hulls. |
| 1929 | Diagnostic Type Sense Transmitter (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Allows the doctor to directly feel the same sensations that the patient feels. |
| 1929 | Shovel-Handed Digging Machines (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Huge multi-legged machines used to dig and manipulate earth. |
| 1929 | Chemical Brain (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A purely chemical artificial intelligence. |
| 1929 | Governing Keyboard (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A remote-controlled robot responds to keyboard commands. |
| 1929 | Disrupter Ray (Molecule Disrupter) (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Atoms of materials no longer adhere to each other. |
| 1929 | Fan Ray (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) A protective ray screen in the shape of a cone. |
| 1929 | Atmospheric Pressure Control Plane (from Around the World in 24 Hours by R.H. Romans) A vessel that flies by creating pockets of high and low pressure. |
| 1929 | Boring Heat Machine (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Takes tunnel boring material and turns it into building material. |
| 1929 | Helium Tubes (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) Lighting that exactly mimics the frequencies of sunlight. |
| 1929 | Inurbanity (Inurbane) (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) Criminal penalties for persons who are unable to behave properly in crowded cubic cities. |
| 1929 | Sunparlor (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) A vast esplanade enclosed in glass, to permit sunbathing without leaving an immense building. |
| 1929 | Cubic City (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) A city contained in a single, immense building. |
| 1929 | Local Time Clock (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A clock for use in airships that always indicates the time for the place they are flying over. |
| 1929 | Robots Take Human Jobs (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) Robots displace human beings in the workforce. |
| 1929 | Massive Open Learning (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) Teach using standard videos prepared by the best teachers. |
| 1929 | Suitcase Airplane (from Suitcase Airplanes by E.D. Skinner) A diminutive, collapsible, two-passenger biplane. |
| 1929 | Electric Kitchen (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) Food preparation in space requires safe equipment. |
| 1929 | Indirect Cold Light (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Apparently source-less lighting, highly efficient, with no waste heat. |
| 1929 | Anti-Fatigue Pill (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A pill that counteracts the effects of fatigue and lack of sleep. |
| 1929 | Instant Photography (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A photograph that develops immediately inside the camera. |
| 1929 | Pay Per View TV (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) The broadcast of games and matches to private televisions for a fee. |
| 1929 | Television Sheet (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A large, flat screen television set. |
| 1930 | Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source. |
| 1930 | Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A substance as strong as metal that you can see through. |
| 1930 | Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Magnifies even the smallest sound. |
| 1930 | Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) An airlock on a spacecraft. |
| 1930 | Indoor Stadium (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) An entirely enclosed baseball stadium. |
| 1930 | Ray Gun (Handheld) (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy. |
| 1930 | Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A bar of solidified light. |
| 1930 | Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass. |
| 1930 | Radio-Controlled Mechanical Man (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) A remote-controlled robot. |
| 1930 | Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass. |
| 1930 | Robot Waiter (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic restaurant servitor. |
| 1930 | Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind. |
| 1930 | Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space. |
| 1930 | Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A plane powered entirely by solar energy. |
| 1930 | Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity. |
| 1930 | Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon. |
| 1930 | Electric Plane (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) An airplane powered entirely by electricity. |
| 1930 | Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley) Wide angle Ray of death! |
| 1930 | Artificial Island For Ocean Rocket Launch (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein) An entirely artificial, floating island used as a launch platform. |
| 1930 | Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) The transparent front of a space suit helmet. |
| 1930 | Asteroid From Outside Solar System (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) An asteroid or similar body that comes from outside the solar system; an interstellar body. |
| 1930 | Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen. |
| 1930 | Life Tubes (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny) Escape pods for space ships. |
| 1930 | Bird-Like Robots (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic birds used in a stage play. |
| 1930 | Spectrumoscope (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Provides sight directly to the brain-cells of the sightless. |
| 1930 | Visiphone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Visual as well as audio communication. |
| 1930 | Synthetic Life (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements. |
| 1930 | Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek) A durable form of magnesium. |
| 1930 | The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson) A means of transmitting matter wirelessly. |
| 1930 | Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Small, private flyers for business commuting. |
| 1930 | Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A transparent material of great strength. |
| 1930 | Gyroscope Seats (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Your best bet for remaining at the right angle to the force of acceleration. |
| 1930 | Tight-Beam (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A method of communication that uses a very narrowly-focused stream of energy. |
| 1930 | Puff-Pipe (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Pipe with lighting built in. |
| 1930 | Artificial Eyes (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) Eyes that are the duplicate of what humans are born with, produced entirely artificially from elements. |
| 1930 | Sound-Killing Air Fluid (from The Noise Killer by A.M. McNeill) A means to eliminate all of the noise made by machines in a city, leaving the voices of human beings. |
| 1930 | Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell) Agricultural robots. |
| 1930 | Planets Made Habitable (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A plan to "terraform" a planet to improve its habitability by human beings. |
| 1930 | Theater Seat Indicators (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Vacant seats are clearly shown. |
| 1930 | Invisible Cloak (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A cloak that renders the wearer invisible. |
| 1930 | Rubber Soled Feet (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) Silent padding for clanky robots. |
| 1930 | Spherical Tires (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Tires that are shaped like balls, rather than like squat cylinders. |
| 1930 | Space-Walkers (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton) Tall cylinders with a window at eye-level, and pincer-claws controlled by the wearer. |
| 1930 | Air-Shoes (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg) Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed. |
| 1930 | Ring-Table (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton) A device that creates a 'group mind', a single mind, from the many gathered around it. |
| 1930 | Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An armor-plated space suit. |
| 1930 | Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early name for a defensive force field. |
| 1930 | Asteroid Space Flyer (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Specialized one-man craft for exploring asteroids. |
| 1930 | The Sleep (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves) Use of a special technique to lessen the supplies required for long space voyages. |
| 1930 | Anti-Glare Coated Glass (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Special coated glass for space craft. |
| 1930 | Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms. |
| 1930 | Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) An offensive, man-portable heat ray. |
| 1930 | Astronaut (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) A person who travels in space. |
| 1930 | Paralyzing Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Stops body motions. |
| 1930 | Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A flat screen for viewing remote images. |
| 1930 | Robot Doctor (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) A mechanical physician. |
| 1930 | Mother Ship (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A large spacecraft that serves as home base for other (usually smaller) ships. |
| 1930 | Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Space ships taken against their will. |
| 1930 | Trans-Oceanic Rocket Ship (from Berlin to New York in One Hour by Max Valier) Rocket-propelled airplanes making short work of long trips on Earth. |
| 1930 | One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) A small rocket ship with only a pilot. |
| 1930 | Planet City (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) A planet the surface of which is entirely covered over, forming one single city. |
| 1930 | Gravity Assist (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Using the gravity and orbital speed of a celestial body to change speed and course of a spacecraft. |
| 1930 | Moon Dome (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon. |
| 1930 | Spaceport (from The Birth of a New Republic by M. Breuer (w/J. Williamson)) A location on the surface of a planet used for launching vehicles into space. |
| 1930 | Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off. |
| 1930 | Rocket Side Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) An early description of attitude jets, course correction by small emissions of gas. |
| 1930 | Iron Fingers (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Special metal manipulators set on the hull of a space craft, and manipulated from the inside. |
| 1930 | Brain Rejuvenation (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Erase unnecessary parts of memory to make room for new impressions. |
| 1930 | Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Extremely dense material. |
| 1930 | Exodus Ship (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves) A generation ship to save a culture from extinction. |
| 1931 | Mutation (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) An organism that has come into being through genetic mutation. |
| 1931 | Time Stream (from Time Stream by John Taine) The total sequence of events considered as a kind of flow. |
| 1931 | Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) As opposed to hyperspace. |
| 1931 | Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times. |
| 1931 | Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent) A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents. |
| 1931 | Sound Nullifier (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A barrier to sound; the cancellation of sound waves. |
| 1931 | Adoption of Television (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses. |
| 1931 | Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) What's left over when you've annihilated matter. |
| 1931 | Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells) A opening through spacetime to other worlds. |
| 1931 | Space-Tent (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small, portable air-tight structure used on the lunar surface. |
| 1931 | Radio Meteor Detector (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A device carried by space ships that could detect meteors in space early enough to avoid them. |
| 1931 | Power Planet (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A satellite that supplies the Earth with power. |
| 1931 | Telephotography (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel) Sending pictures over a distance, displaying them on a vast screen. |
| 1931 | Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A space craft powered entirely by the sun. |
| 1931 | Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication. |
| 1931 | Skycar (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A personal means of transportation that flies. |
| 1931 | Magnetic Boots (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) Special footgear holds spacemen to the metal deck in spite of the lack of gravity. |
| 1931 | Message Cylinder (Message Bomb) (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel) A means of sending dispatches from space via a small projectile dropped from orbit; effectively a message rocket. |
| 1931 | Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A suicide chamber. |
| 1931 | Machine Masters (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton) Humans did less and less, and machines did more and more, until machines became the masters. |
| 1931 | Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An accurate representation of running on the moon. |
| 1931 | Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means. |
| 1931 | Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) An 'atomic fire' is started that consumes all matter in reach! |
| 1931 | Rocket Float (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A sea-going floating platform for rocket launches. |
| 1931 | Communication Disk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A wearable device that told the time as updated from a central source. |
| 1931 | Ultra-Light Vision System (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A viewing technology able to see through and even within most objects. |
| 1931 | Stationary Sidewalk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway. |
| 1931 | Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) An ion drive. |
| 1931 | Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed. |
| 1931 | Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A moving sidewalk. |
| 1931 | Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Teleconferencing done right. |
| 1931 | Recoil Pistol (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A handheld device that permits a spaceman to manuever in zero gravity. |
| 1931 | Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Lightweight and tough! |
| 1931 | Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A facial recognition device. |
| 1931 | Rocket Liner (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A rocket designed for point-to-point Earth journeys; it goes well into the stratosphere. |
| 1931 | Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that accepts complex equations and solves them. |
| 1931 | Alpha Insert (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A special compound used to seal punctures in space craft. |
| 1931 | Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship. |
| 1931 | Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Multi-legged transport. |
| 1931 | Motor Torpedo (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A terrestrial torpedo, driven by ion beams. |
| 1931 | Photograph of Earth from Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) An aerial photograph from outside the atmosphere. |
| 1931 | Self-Sustaining Space Craft (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft ecosystem. |
| 1931 | Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile. |
| 1931 | Ultra-Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Originating from some world other than Earth. |
| 1931 | Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells. |
| 1931 | Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Pertaining to the Earth. |
| 1931 | Spaceyacht (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) Interplanetary spacecraft for the well-to-do. |
| 1931 | Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people. |
| 1931 | Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers. |
| 1931 | Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A person who does not fly, especially into space. |
| 1931 | Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages. |
| 1931 | Kundrenaline (from The Hands of Aten by H.G. Winter) Revives even a dead man's heart. |
| 1931 | Teleradio Control (Hand Flash) (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that can call a vehicle to a driver; it drives itself in a near-autonomous fashion to the caller. |
| 1931 | Synthetic Food Factories (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Food production without soil. |
| 1931 | Pneumatic Tube Station (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination. |
| 1931 | Satellite Photography for Surveillance (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Use of pictures taken from near Earth orbit for reconnaissance in a military operation. |
| 1931 | Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners. |
| 1931 | Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that confuses the cognitive functions of robots. |
| 1931 | Mother World (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Planet of origin. |
| 1931 | Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson) Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity. |
| 1931 | Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Ray cuts through metal like butter. |
| 1931 | Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Robots to throw off the yoke of Man? |
| 1931 | Air Tank Flying (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Using little blasts of compressed air to fly around inside a space station. |
| 1931 | Centrifugal Force Creates 'Artificial Gravity' (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Using centrifugal force in a rotating cylinder as a substitute for gravity. |
| 1931 | Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) See other time-travelers. |
| 1931 | Reaction Attachment (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Independent maneuvering for space suits. |
| 1931 | Photoelectric Course Warning (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson) A means of keeping a spaceship on course using a selected star and a photoelectric cell. |
| 1931 | Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson) Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas. |
| 1931 | Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids. |
| 1931 | Zeta-Ray (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Makes and maintains vast holes - even in ocean water! |
| 1931 | Artificial Atmosphere Machine (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Not just oxygen, this gives you what you need in space. |
| 1931 | Asteroid Belt (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman) The circular region of space containing many small celestial bodies. |
| 1931 | Lens-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope. |
| 1931 | Metal Monster with Jointed Limbs (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A large robotic device with legs. |
| 1931 | Observation Room Recreation Center (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A vast internal space in a space station, often used for exercise and amusement. |
| 1931 | Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes) |
| 1931 | Ultra-Telescope Ray (from The Moon Weed by Harl Vincent) A transporter Ray that works over interplanetary distances. |
| 1931 | Telucid (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) A holographic projector. |
| 1931 | Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) That's one way to do a plebiscite. |
| 1931 | Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Radioactive fuel for spacecraft. |
| 1931 | Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Special protective gear worn as protection in space. |
| 1931 | Sapience (from The Planet Entity by E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith)) The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom. |
| 1931 | Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster) A telescope for peering into other dimensions. |
| 1931 | Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon. |
| 1931 | Ozone Radiation Shield (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Filling the gap between the inner and outer hull with ozone. |
| 1931 | Filling Station Moon (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) The idea that Man could first go to the Moon to obtain fuel or propellant. |
| 1931 | Iron Inlay Plates (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Works perfectly with an electromagnetic table to maintain place settings. |
| 1931 | Solar Power Apparatus (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) An ingenious device to gather solar energy, melt water, power a turbine and get hydrogen and oxygen fuel from ice. |
| 1931 | Telepadion Instructor (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain. |
| 1931 | Dressing Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Semi-autonomous guided devices that could dress a person in ordinary clothing. |
| 1931 | Ship's Telescope (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) A large telescope built into the main axis of the ship. |
| 1931 | Space Madness (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy. |
| 1931 | Braking Disks (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Used when the ship is falling through a planetary atmosphere. |
| 1931 | Ownership of Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Who will own the machines that produce material abundance? |
| 1931 | Scanning-Disk Telescope (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A telescope which uses a television-like monitor instead of an eyepiece. |
| 1931 | Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A large, passenger-carrying space ship. |
| 1931 | Radium Repeller ray (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Move inbound asteroids aside to keep ships safe. |
| 1931 | Thought Coil (Machine Intelligence) (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Specially designed hardware that imparts intelligence to machines. |
| 1931 | Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A high explosive formed from nitrogen. |
| 1931 | Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) One single machine to run a civilization! |
| 1931 | Energy Curtain Key (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A small handheld "key" to shut off a force field. |
| 1931 | Tractor Beam (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force field used to pull objects. |
| 1931 | Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls. |
| 1931 | Force-Field (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A barrier to objects, created by projected forces. |
| 1931 | City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station. |
| 1931 | Foot Loops (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Hold yourself down in zero gravity situations with this low-tech device. |
| 1931 | Curtain (Force Barrier) (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An easily set-up protective force barrier. |
| 1931 | Propulsion Gun (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) What can you push against in space? |
| 1931 | Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser) A person who acts as navigator for s space ship. |
| 1931 | Faster-Than-Light (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) Describes something that exceeds the usual speed limit on physical objects of 186,282 miles per second in vacuum. |
| 1931 | Sargasso of Space (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A "dead area" in which the gravitational fields of the planets are cancelled out. |
| 1931 | Matter Transmitter and Receiver (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) A device that transports matter through space. |
| 1931 | Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A graphical representation of gravitational fields. |
| 1931 | Wreck-Pack (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) An agglomeration of wrecked spacecraft drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction in the 'dead area' of the solar system. |
| 1931 | Free Fall (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit. |
| 1931 | Porter Televox-Robot (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A robot that carries your bags through the passageways of space liners. |
| 1931 | Blue Beam (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton) A pitiless pale blue beam of death! |
| 1931 | Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter! |
| 1931 | Meteorite Deflector (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A means of pushing aside asteroids that get in the path of your space ship. |
| 1931 | Emergency Corrective Rockets (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Used when you seem to be off-course in your spaceship. |
| 1931 | Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Impenetrable message carriers. |
| 1931 | Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A passenger ship in space. |
| 1931 | Selenium Photo-Electric Televisor (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) A specialized photo-electric cell. |
| 1931 | Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter. |
| 1931 | Thigh Grips (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Special chair feature for space ships undergoing accelerations. |
| 1931 | Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter. |
| 1931 | Perfect Voice Modulation (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Artificially creating the perfect human singing voice. |
| 1931 | Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits. |
| 1931 | Object-Finder Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A unique device that projected a beam that found what you wanted. |
| 1931 | Spacegram (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) Telegrams of the space lanes. |
| 1931 | Gravity Detector (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass. |
| 1931 | Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov) Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands. |
| 1931 | Disruptor Tube (Disruptor Ray) (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that interrupted the very bonds between atoms. |
| 1931 | Vita-Light (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) A special form of bulb or light source that could keep people who were never exposed to the sun perfectly healthy. |
| 1931 | Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical. |
| 1931 | Lifeboat (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew. |
| 1931 | Needle Gun (from In the Spacesphere by Charles Cloukey) A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal. |
| 1931 | Deviatoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that registered how much your course diverged from what you intended. |
| 1931 | Attractor (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A beam capable of holding objects motionless, as well as adjusting their position. |
| 1931 | Invasion Gate For Aliens (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Using alien instructions to create a gate for alien invasion. |
| 1931 | Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer. |
| 1931 | Gravito-Statoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An instrument used to detect the gravitational influences on a space ship. |
| 1931 | Optophone (Opto) (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A video call system. |
| 1931 | Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue. |
| 1931 | Atmosphere Tester (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device used to test the composition of a sample of the atmosphere on another planet, to see if it is breathable by humans. |
| 1931 | Transparent Spherical Ship (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A huge sphere of quartz housing a platform for space use. |
| 1931 | Thought Screen (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A material screen that is worn by the user, upon which are projected the mental images of the user. |
| 1931 | Matter Transmitter (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) Device which causes a physical object to disappear from one place and reappear in another. |
| 1932 | Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) Special material for space dome leaks. |
| 1932 | Polarization Apparatus (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A device that caused a space ship to repel the Earth and send a space ship on its way. |
| 1932 | Smoke Jets (Air Leak Detection) (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) A means of determining the location of air leaks in a building built on an airless moon. |
| 1932 | Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) A base material for synthetic food. |
| 1932 | Electro-Gun (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) It shoots electro-bullets. |
| 1932 | Electro-Bullet (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) Fired by an electro-gun. |
| 1932 | Attraction Ray (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) In effect, a tractor beam. |
| 1932 | Conveyor (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A great moving belt carrying people between cities. |
| 1932 | Pent House (from The Pent House by David H. Keller) An island in the sky - a hermetically sealed skyscraper isolated entirely from its surroundings. |
| 1932 | Space-Tanned (from Slaves of Mercury by Warren Hammond) The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways. |
| 1932 | Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc. |
| 1932 | Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies. |
| 1932 | Diskoid (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A huge flying saucer. |
| 1932 | Weather Machine (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A device for controlling the weather. |
| 1932 | Bone-Building Compounds (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Combat heavy gravity on other planets by building greater bone density in workers and colonists. |
| 1932 | Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore) Special footgear for spacemen. |
| 1932 | Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A slicing ray of death! |
| 1932 | Jump (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart. |
| 1932 | Negative Gravity Field (from 50th Century Revolt by A.G. Stangland) Antigravity effect produced for space ship propulsion. |
| 1932 | Artificial Womb (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A room in which a human embryo waits for the necessary months as a fetus, preparing for birth (decanting). |
| 1932 | Gravity Beam (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom. |
| 1932 | Space-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft. |
| 1932 | Neo-Crystal (from Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith) Unbreakable transparent window material. |
| 1932 | Pneumatic-Tube Zone (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling. |
| 1932 | Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping. |
| 1932 | Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) An early exoskeleton. |
| 1932 | Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A very early description of cloning. |
| 1932 | Meteor Warning System (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) A system that provided rockets in flight with early warning of meteors. |
| 1932 | Space-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) Special shielding worn against rays and explosives. |
| 1932 | Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) An escape ship. |
| 1932 | Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) A display screen for live events. |
| 1932 | Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs. |
| 1932 | Space Force (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere. |
| 1932 | Emergency Space-Suit (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) A compacted space-suit stored for emergency use. |
| 1932 | Electric Boat (from The Great Drought by S.P. Meek) A surface vessel powered by electricity. |
| 1932 | Daisy Projector (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell) Beam of energy penetrates the Heaviside layer to enable communication from planet to planet. |
| 1932 | Ether-Traffic (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) The communications spectrum of the solar system. |
| 1932 | Automatics (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Machinery capable of running some aspect of a space ship's operation on its own. |
| 1932 | Light Beam Propulsion (Light-Ship) (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) Use of brilliant light as motive power for a space ship. |
| 1932 | Luminous Stake-Markers (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) Illuminated pole designating a staked claim on the surface of a planet, moon or asteroid. |
| 1932 | Landing-Cradle (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface. |
| 1932 | Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Futuristic children's game. |
| 1932 | Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Three photons in one. |
| 1932 | Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh) A force opposed to gravity. |
| 1932 | Telectroscope (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A much better telescope than yours. |
| 1932 | Earth Normal (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) Using the earth standard. |
| 1932 | Space Freighter (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) A large spacecraft used for heavy cargo; can lift off from the Earth or other planets. |
| 1932 | Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Space worthy mittens for space suits. |
| 1932 | Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Reliable, controllable gravity force. |
| 1932 | Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement. |
| 1932 | Ostler Insulation Beam (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) A beam of energy stretching from one planet to another that protects space craft from radiation. |
| 1932 | Space Men (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) Human beings who travel and work in space. |
| 1932 | Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak) Setting charges on an asteroid. |
| 1932 | Atomic Pistol (from Mutiny on Mercury by Clifford Simak) Reduces the target to atomic dust. |
| 1932 | Torpoon (from Seed of the Arctic Ice by H.G. Winter) Clever portmanteau of "torpedo" and "harpoon", an underwater whaling craft. |
| 1932 | Electro-Magnet Anchor (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) Attach a line to a spacecraft hull. |
| 1932 | Isolation Barrage (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Device prevents eavesdropping. |
| 1932 | Mirror Grid Multiple-View Surveillance Panel (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Very modern presentation combining multiple camera viewpoints, selectable using one monitor screen. |
| 1932 | Vacuum Cylinder (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system. |
| 1932 | Reaction Pistol (from Martian Guns by Stanley D. Bell) A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit. |
| 1932 | Water Pool Cushions Acceleration (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell) The use of water to cushion and protect against extreme ship accelerations. |
| 1932 | Laboratory Planet (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature. |
| 1932 | News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) Audio news ready when you are. |
| 1932 | Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape. |
| 1932 | Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space. |
| 1932 | Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) The direction leading toward the center of the solar system. |
| 1932 | Alpha Plus (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Intervening in the physical development of humans can result in enhancements. |
| 1932 | Wandering Worlds (from When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer (w/P. Wylie)) Planets that are attached to no sun, and roam interstellar space. |
| 1932 | Intergalactic (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Going between galaxies. |
| 1932 | Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) An asteroid. |
| 1932 | Flame Projector (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) Handheld device shoots flame. |
| 1932 | Negrian Death Ray (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A ray that causes the cessation of life processes. |
| 1932 | Government Machine (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) The automata that constitute the entire government, all in one building. |
| 1932 | Automatic Truck (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) A cargo-carrying vehicle that autonomously drives to the selected destination. |
| 1932 | Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) Is that a moon - or a space station? |
| 1932 | Time-Space Television (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) A device for seeing into the past. |
| 1932 | Sol-Ido (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) The universal language of interplanetary travelers. |
| 1932 | Violet Shrink Ray (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A miniaturization ray. |
| 1932 | Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A device that output specified odors. |
| 1932 | Ship's Magnetic Plates (Magnetic Mooring) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak) Keeps a mining ship attached to the surface of an asteroid. |
| 1932 | Rotating Hollow Planetoid Habitat (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) An asteroid (or planetoid) hollowed out, spun for artificial gravity, used as a habitat. |
| 1932 | Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Device adds the tactile element to entertainment. |
| 1932 | Protolectric Gun (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) Fires twin beams of protons and electrons. |
| 1933 | Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent) A device that opens a portal to another dimension. |
| 1933 | Historical Listening Machine (from The Machine That Knew Too Much by A.T. Locke) Device can hear sounds from down through the ages. |
| 1933 | Solar-Powered Electric Helicopter (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by James Patrick Kelly) An electric helicopter, with sun cells. |
| 1933 | Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) An early use of the notion of matter transmission. |
| 1933 | Granton Motor (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) Spacecraft propulsion system based on gravital radiation. |
| 1933 | Electric Machine Gun (Railgun) (from The Battery of Hate by John W. Campbell) A device that accelerates small projectiles magnetically using a strong electric current. |
| 1933 | Space-Suit Rockets (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) Attached rockets allow movement in zero-gee space. |
| 1933 | Transfer Cable (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson) Move between two ships in space. |
| 1933 | Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A bowl-shaped space helmet. |
| 1933 | Space-Sailor (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A spaceman; someone who makes his living by voyaging in space. |
| 1933 | Tubular Space-Gangway (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A means of traversing the short distance between two ships in space. |
| 1933 | Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory. |
| 1933 | Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A small vessel used to maneuver other ships. |
| 1933 | Food Preparation Machine (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) An automated device for the production of complete meals. |
| 1933 | Landing on an Asteroid (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) An elaborate flight plan for landing a space ship on an asteroid. |
| 1933 | Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Device for determining the content of meteorites. |
| 1933 | Belt Automatic-Equalizers (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) The wearer's experience of gravity will be just like Earth's. |
| 1933 | Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A space craft. |
| 1933 | Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Has the opposite effect of adrenalin. |
| 1933 | Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Preserves and maintains the body. |
| 1933 | Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space. |
| 1933 | Etheric Propulsion-Vibrations (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) Faster-than-light travel. |
| 1933 | Human Serial Number (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) A unique number tattooed on body of a person. |
| 1933 | Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies. |
| 1933 | Magnetic Anchor (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson) A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull. |
| 1933 | Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore) A set route though space. |
| 1933 | Conscious Retarded Animation (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) A kind of hibernation, but leaves the user fully conscious, but aging at an incredibly slow rate. |
| 1933 | Checker-City (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings. |
| 1933 | Vibratium Wall Time Machine (from Ancestral Voices by Nat Schachner) An element that is unstable in time makes time travel possible and enables the Grandfather Paradox. |
| 1933 | Crystal Cylinder Ship (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat) A transparent space ship in the shape of a cylinder. |
| 1933 | Iron Man Robot With Human Brain (from Iron Man by Paul Ernst) A huge robot with a tub containing a human brain. |
| 1933 | Cosmo-Craft (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) A spacecraft for traveling through time and space. |
| 1933 | Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Space suit you can live in. |
| 1933 | Lunar Tunnel (Human Pendulum) (from Captive of the Crater by D.D. Sharp) A tunnel through the center of the moon, and the man who fell through it. |
| 1933 | Flip to Brake (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) Maneuver to put the tail end (with rocket output) in the forward direction of travel to use for lowering velocity. |
| 1933 | Helix Gun (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) A device for capturing ferrous meteors. |
| 1933 | Meteor Miner (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Someone who roams the solar system, hunting for metal in meteors. |
| 1933 | Drink the Fungi (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat) A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores. |
| 1934 | Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia. |
| 1934 | 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display. |
| 1934 | Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars. |
| 1934 | Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A substance that is impervious to penetration. |
| 1934 | Metal Message In Space (from The Menace From Space by John Edwards) A message sent to other worlds, inscribed on metal. |
| 1934 | Robots Refuse To Serve Man (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) When robots evolve their own perspectives, and ultimately refuse to act as servants to human beings. |
| 1934 | Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) Fine wine in convenient, dried form. |
| 1934 | Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator. |
| 1934 | Homorium (from The Last Men by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A kind of nursery that could bring a human being to maturity in a single year. |
| 1934 | Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space. |
| 1934 | Sound-Transposing Machine (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller) A device that scans a printed page and reads it out loud. |
| 1934 | Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red. |
| 1934 | Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz) A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality. |
| 1934 | Baby Robot (from Life Everlasting by David H. Keller) An infant robot. |
| 1934 | Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it. |
| 1934 | Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought. |
| 1934 | Gyrocars with Photo-Electric Braking (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown) Force the tires into maximum contact with the road, then use photo-electric sensors to control braking and turns. |
| 1934 | Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tedious search for habitable planets by hand. |
| 1934 | Laws Against Human Drivers (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown) The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety. |
| 1934 | Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) Device enables the wireless transmission of power. |
| 1934 | Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A basic unit of currency. |
| 1934 | Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) The very fabric of space-time. |
| 1934 | Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A personal flying car |
| 1934 | Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you. |
| 1934 | Solar Engine (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A space ship that gets it motive power from the rays of the sun. |
| 1934 | Electron Gun (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner) How to add a lot of electrons to a lot of positrons? |
| 1934 | Black Cube Teaching Machine (from The Flame From Mars by Jack Williamson) A device that offers recorded images, teaching the user. |
| 1934 | Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower. |
| 1934 | Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication. |
| 1934 | Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots that are able to learn. |
| 1934 | Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller) A device that translated speech and typed it out for you. |
| 1934 | Positron Beam (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner) Vast numbers of positrons, the antimatter counterpart of the electron, are beamed around the Earth. |
| 1934 | Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Faster-than-light travel achieved! |
| 1934 | Automatic Parking (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar. |
| 1934 | Invisibility Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of concealing a physical object to the naked eye. |
| 1934 | Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication. |
| 1934 | Lewiston (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power. |
| 1934 | Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A very large constructed object in space. |
| 1934 | Wrist Search Display (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A wearable device that uses its own search beam to view scenes close by. |
| 1934 | Emergency Lifeboat (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A small craft used as a bail-out vehicle from a large space station or spacecraft. |
| 1934 | Mutant (from The 100th Generation by Nat Schachner) A new organism resulting from an alteration in the DNA sequence of its genome or chromosome. |
| 1934 | Electro-Telescope (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi) A device that could clearly image space battles and space ships, even from a great distance. |
| 1934 | Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements. |
| 1934 | Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity. |
| 1934 | Aliens Speak English (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi) The skeleton men of Mercury speak English, but have a good reason for it. |
| 1934 | Ablative Heat (Reentry) Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A single-use shield or covering designed to accept the heat of reentry and burn off. |
| 1934 | Spy Ray Goggles (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A form of radiation that can penetrate walls to allow the user to 'see' what is happening on the other side. |
| 1934 | Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur. |
| 1934 | Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. |
| 1934 | Protective Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An energy shield for one person. |
| 1934 | Evacuating Arms (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun) Empty out the contents of an airlock exposed to space. |
| 1934 | Space Mittens (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun) Protect your hands in space. |
| 1934 | Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An invisibility field. |
| 1934 | Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A beam weapon of frightful intensity. |
| 1934 | Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration. |
| 1934 | Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere. |
| 1934 | Moving a Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early use of the concept of moving a planet to a new sun. |
| 1934 | Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A silvery disc used for data record storage. |
| 1934 | Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) From another dimension. |
| 1934 | Stratoplane (from Colossus by Donald Wandrei) An airplane that flies up to the edge of the atmosphere. |
| 1934 | Beam Car (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) A vehicle like an elevator car, but which travels on a radio and magnetic beam, from the surface of a planet up to a satellite. |
| 1934 | Liquid Mirror Telescope on Mars (from Old Faithful by Raymond Z. Gallun) A large telescope using a spinning bowl of mercury as the mirror. |
| 1934 | Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters. |
| 1934 | Silica Sphere (Dyson sphere) (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) An enclosed environment, excavated on Mars, and then placed into the heavens (it's Phobos) |
| 1934 | Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
| 1934 | Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Very thin beam of destruction. |
| 1934 | Levitators (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space. |
| 1934 | Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A person from another planet. |
| 1935 | Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo. |
| 1935 | Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings) Could positively identify a person using their scent alone. |
| 1935 | Machine (Thinking Machine) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell) A very early reference to a thinking machine in charge of a planet. |
| 1935 | First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) The initial encounter with a non-human race. |
| 1935 | Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose. |
| 1935 | Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) Farm machinery that worked on their own. |
| 1935 | Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) An automated car that pays its own toll. |
| 1935 | Electric Menu (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Ordering of food is automated, without waiters. |
| 1935 | Doughpot (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A mass of white, dough-like protoplasm, ranging in size from a single cell to perhaps twenty tons of mushy filth. |
| 1935 | Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A taxi that does not require a driver. |
| 1935 | Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Also, a rocket-plane. |
| 1935 | Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell) A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power. |
| 1935 | Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking. |
| 1935 | Automated Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) A factory that works entirely automatically, without human guidance. |
| 1935 | Meteor Swarm Mining (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach) A fleet of ships hunting for meteoric iron - in space! |
| 1935 | Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III) A device for empirically determining human emotion. |
| 1935 | Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect. |
| 1935 | New Suns From Old (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Creating new stars by crashing together the cinders of dead stars. |
| 1935 | Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A hooded protective suit worn on Venus. |
| 1935 | Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus |
| 1935 | Time Line (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Time seen linearly, as a distinguishable series of events. |
| 1935 | Magno-Bars (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach) Electromagnet-tipped rods used by meteor miners to capture iron-rich asteroids in space. |
| 1935 | Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer. |
| 1935 | Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell) An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity. |
| 1935 | Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly. |
| 1935 | Micro-Telescope (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) An astronomical instrument for looking at objects in a miniature universe. |
| 1935 | Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions. |
| 1935 | Flame-Pistol (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Incinerates everything in its path. |
| 1935 | Air-Tight Cities (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Cities with breathable air constructed on worlds with no atmosphere. |
| 1935 | Micro-Cosmos (Microcosm) (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) The universe in miniature. |
| 1935 | Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Very early take on virtual reality hardware. |
| 1935 | Driverless Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle. |
| 1935 | No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers. |
| 1936 | Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension. |
| 1936 | Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon. |
| 1936 | Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface. |
| 1936 | Violet-Gun (Ion Gun) (from The Brain Stealers of Mars by John W. Campbell) Ultra-violet fury! |
| 1936 | Synthetic Intellect (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device for providing a robot with intelligence. |
| 1936 | Automated Search For Habitable Planets (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Automated use of telescopes and other devices to search the universe for Earth-like planets. |
| 1936 | Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets. |
| 1936 | Transparent Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A fifty-inch flat panel display that is (or can be) transparent. |
| 1936 | Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance. |
| 1936 | Sounding Projectile (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) Provides a way to tell whether there’s a soldid surface on a cloudy planet. |
| 1936 | Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell) A clever use for the water you need to take anyway. |
| 1936 | Probability Time Wave Tube (from Elimination by John W. Campbell) A device that allows the user to see every possible event. |
| 1936 | Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Remaking or modifying an entire planet. |
| 1936 | Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Can pull an object through space. |
| 1936 | Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist. |
| 1936 | Husk of an Atom (from The Roaring Blot by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A negative universe substance. |
| 1936 | Lanson Screen (from The Lanson Screen by Leo Zagat) An elliptical shield of force large enough to enclose a city. |
| 1936 | Giant Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) Movie screen-sized flat panel display for live televised images. |
| 1936 | Automat (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) Unusual name for an intelligent robot; short for "automaton"? |
| 1936 | Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout. |
| 1936 | Photoelectric Telescope (Photoelectric Eyes) (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) An astronomical telescope that uses the photoelectric effect to gather light, and then to present the finished image on a screen. |
| 1936 | Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself. |
| 1936 | Emergency Repulsion Ray (from Earth-Venus 12 by Gabriel Wilson) A handheld means of propulsion in space. |
| 1936 | Time Loop (from The Time Entity by Eando Binder) A series of events repeats, the stream crosses over itself. |
| 1936 | Dark Vapor Bubble (from Man-Jewels for Xothar by H.G. Wells) A kind of field that keeps an alien base provided with an atmosphere. |
| 1936 | Molecule Replacement Lamp (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A means of attaining practical invisibility. |
| 1936 | Jupiter Mining Shoes (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Specialized footgear for walking on the Great Red Spot. |
| 1936 | Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A synthetic being having the form of a human being. |
| 1936 | Foam Station Sprayer (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A device that stills the stormy Great Red Spot on Jupiter. |
| 1936 | Golden Ray of Synchronized Vibrations (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) Disrupts matter by hurling electrons out of their energy states and scattering them. |
| 1936 | Robot With Human's Brain (from Revenge of the Robot by Otis Adelbert Kline) A very early example of encasing a human brain in a robotic body. |
| 1936 | Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A beam of force that repels one object from another. |
| 1936 | Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings) Shoots a length of constricting wire. |
| 1936 | Radiation-Proof Oxygen Suit (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A specialized space suit for use in radium mining on Jupiter. |
| 1936 | Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft) Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor. |
| 1936 | Beckerley Electrical Field (from Smothered Seas by R.M. Farley (w/SG Weinbaum)) An energy field that can protect a city or large area. |
| 1936 | Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A translucent glass-like fashion choice. |
| 1936 | Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) They give light. |
| 1936 | Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A thin disintegrator beam. |
| 1936 | Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A small desktop screen intercom system. |
| 1936 | Multi-Generation Space Vessel (Generation Ship) (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations. |
| 1936 | Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst) A tunneling device. |
| 1936 | Electronized Gravity Plate (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft. |
| 1936 | Audiphone (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Communication between space suits in the airless void of space. |
| 1936 | Teaching Machine (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) A helmet placed on the head focuses illimitable knowledge into even the head of an earth man. |
| 1936 | Zed-Ray (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A penetrating beam that would disclose the details inside of a closed object. |
| 1936 | Paralyzing Ray (Bolar Current) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A beam that forces a person to remain rooted to a particular spot. |
| 1936 | Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) The well-traveled paths from star to star. |
| 1936 | Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) Microminaturized vision for UAV's. |
| 1936 | Nutrient Gelatin Tank (from The Isotope Men by Nat Schachner) Essential hardware for creating a new, improved humanity - isotope men! |
| 1936 | Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams. |
| 1937 | Ether Eddy (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A shimmering region of space marking a break-through into another universe. |
| 1937 | Nose Tubes (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) Rocket blasts from the front of a ship, to brake it. |
| 1937 | Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere. |
| 1937 | Sub-Space (from Crystallized Thought by Nat Schachner) A dimension or a transmission medium other than our own, which allows faster-than-light communication or movement. |
| 1937 | Miniature Universe (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) A microcosmic universe created in the laboratory. |
| 1937 | Atomic Drill (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D) An atomic-powered auger, for use in drilling deep into planets and asteroids. |
| 1937 | Self-Propelled Space Suit (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A vacuum suit with a means of propelling itself built in. |
| 1937 | Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out. |
| 1937 | Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle. |
| 1937 | Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes) Living organisms of non-Earth origin. |
| 1937 | Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) A specialized space station, for scientific research. |
| 1937 | Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Breathe it and die. |
| 1937 | Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) Telescope uses electronics applied to optics. |
| 1937 | Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms. |
| 1937 | Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy. |
| 1937 | Space Dock (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) Like a port for spacecraft; they can deliver their passengers and cargo. |
| 1937 | Locatimeter (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline) A method for a plane to know its location over the Earth. |
| 1937 | Artificial eye (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A surgically-implanted artificial eyeball. |
| 1937 | Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) The act of firing a rocket into space. |
| 1937 | Drop Shaft (Neutralization of Inertia) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An 'elevator shaft' in which the user can fall at the speed of gravity, then be stopped without inertia (i.e., instantly). |
| 1937 | Robot Dog (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline) A mechanical, robotic dog. |
| 1937 | Antron (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D) A single particle of antimatter - an antiproton. |
| 1937 | Ultra-Communicator (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A communication system that transfers voice commands from one person to selected others. |
| 1937 | Designed Bacteria (from Seeds of the Dusk by Raymond Z. Gallun) Very early reference to the idea of bacteria designed to wipe out a particular species, and no others. |
| 1937 | Spectroscopic Robot Converter (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) Accepted the return of soft x-ray radiation, and translated it into Fraunhofer spectra. |
| 1937 | Light Traps (Dyson Sphere) (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Surrounding a sun, a set of devices to capture or focus solar power. |
| 1937 | Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation. |
| 1937 | Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source. |
| 1937 | Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) An artificial water planet. |
| 1937 | Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins) A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order. |
| 1937 | X Gun (X-Beam Projector) (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition. |
| 1937 | Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships. |
| 1937 | Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Ability to sense life. |
| 1937 | Etherometer (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A device that looked at the 'ether' pervading space as a means of determining gravitation field strength. |
| 1937 | Heat Generating Magnetic Disks (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Devices used to artificially raise the temperature of the surface of moons to a reasonable level. |
| 1937 | Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) A public address system consisting of buried coils. |
| 1937 | Subphoton Search Ray (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) A special ray beam that penetrates into hidden bunkers; images are caught on special film cameras. |
| 1937 | Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A gun that creates a short-range energy blast. |
| 1937 | Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Diverts troublesome asteroids. |
| 1937 | Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice. |
| 1937 | Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel! |
| 1937 | Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance. |
| 1937 | Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure. |
| 1937 | Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner) A means of capturing astronomical images. |
| 1938 | Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) A planetoid prison. |
| 1938 | Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Get to the truth. |
| 1938 | Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface. |
| 1938 | Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner) Providing simple personalities to robots. |
| 1938 | Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A display device. |
| 1938 | Liquid Metal (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes) Metal that can be sprayed on. |
| 1938 | Tetrahedron Interference Projector (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth) Projects a field of force around the Solar System, bending the light of stars to make them seem more distant. |
| 1938 | Robotic Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) Artificial animals created using robotic elements. |
| 1938 | Air-o-Stat (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Provides life-giving air in spacecraft. |
| 1938 | Paralysis Ray (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A special ray that produces paralysis. |
| 1938 | Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space. |
| 1938 | Artificial Eye Drone (from Glimpse by Manly Wade Wellman) A remote flying device that transmits its view to the operator. |
| 1938 | Atomic Explosive (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A handheld bomb that melted its way into an armored door, then detonated. |
| 1938 | Artificially Produced Speech (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) Speech produced by mechanical means, rather than with vocal chords. |
| 1938 | Vacuum-Cupped Sandals (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) Used for walking in weightless environments. |
| 1938 | Banning Gun (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) Shoots a pencil heat ray. |
| 1938 | Emergency Air-Suit (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) A light-duty space suit. |
| 1938 | Time Tunnel (from Rule 18 by Clifford Simak) A gateway into the past. |
| 1938 | Lightweight Vacuum Armor (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A simplified space suit, used where conditions were similar to Earth rather than in the more rigorous conditions of space. |
| 1938 | Brain-Case (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A device designed to transport a living human (or alien, if similar) brain. |
| 1938 | Buggaroo (from The Secret of the Canali by Clifton B. Kruse) Martian creature for transportation. |
| 1938 | Psychode (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) A device that enables communication by thought alone. |
| 1938 | Reversal Coils (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) Provide both entry into a negative universe and propulsion. |
| 1938 | Magnetic Flame Gun (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) Device shoots charged positive nuclei. |
| 1938 | Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld ray gun. |
| 1938 | Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Required document for space travelers. |
| 1938 | Hand-Rocket (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld device that used reaction matter to aid explorers in space suits to move around easily in zero gee. |
| 1938 | Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry. |
| 1938 | Air-Blanket (from Hollywood on the Moon by Henry Kuttner) A dome-less protective air shield. |
| 1938 | Radium Salt (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Radioactive materials used as an assassination weapon. |
| 1938 | Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration. |
| 1938 | Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders. |
| 1938 | Proxy Robot (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A remote-controlled floating telepresence robot, for use by aliens who cannot share an atmosphere. |
| 1938 | Zero-Gravity (from If Science Reached the Earth's Core by John R. Binder) A state in which gravity is effectively absent or cancelled out. |
| 1938 | Etherphone Receiver (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A special earpiece to hear coded updates. |
| 1938 | Tractor Boots (from Magician of Dream Valley by Raymond Z. Gallun) Space suit footgear that has atom-driven caterpillar treads. |
| 1938 | Mass Detector (Gravitator) (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) A device that finds substantial masses, particularly in the path of a space craft. |
| 1938 | Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it. |
| 1938 | Transfer Refuge (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A portable environment chamber, able to support unique and different lifeforms. |
| 1938 | Multispecies Hotel (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets. |
| 1938 | Steel-Lined Space Boots (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) In combination with a magnetized floor, allows the user to walk in zero gravity. |
| 1938 | Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots. |
| 1938 | Control Helmet (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton) A device which causes an entire race of people to think and feel the same as the wearer. |
| 1938 | Field-Projector (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton) A device that dematerializes a person and then sends forth a ray that will then rematerialize a person at the end. |
| 1938 | Selective Television (from The Challenge of Atlantis by Arthur J. Burks) A special kind of 'television' that let the user choose any scene around the world. |
| 1938 | Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) A very small power generator that is atomic powered. |
| 1938 | Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Polo played with rocket-powered craft. |
| 1938 | Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A small gyrostabilized hovercraft. |
| 1938 | Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo. |
| 1938 | Chronoscope (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson) A device used to see into specific internals of time. |
| 1938 | Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson) Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated. |
| 1938 | Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection. |
| 1938 | Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A household robot that can cook meals. |
| 1938 | Cube Being (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) A living being comprised of linked cubes. |
| 1938 | Atomic-Powered Lifting Suits (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) Special exoskeletons that would allow an ordinary human being to walk in doubled gravity. |
| 1938 | Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi) A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances. |
| 1938 | Rocketeering (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Racing around in rockets |
| 1938 | Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman) A screen technology placed very close to the eyes. |
| 1938 | Eros Ship-Planetoid (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth) A vast cylindrical ship, long thought to be a planetoid. |
| 1938 | Teleoperated Robot Surrogate (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman) A robot that is entirely controlled remotely by a person who sees with the point of view of the robot. |
| 1938 | Pneumatic Bumpers (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) An inflatable bumper system for ground-based motor vehicles. |
| 1939 | Chronovitameter (from Lifeline by Robert Heinlein) Device that can determine a person's date of birth - and the date on which he or she will die. |
| 1939 | Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts. |
| 1939 | Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon. |
| 1939 | Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances. |
| 1939 | Robot Observatory (from Space Rating by John Berryman) A fully automated astronomical observatory, placed on a planet (typically, one that does not support human life). |
| 1939 | Electrical Valet (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner. |
| 1939 | Movie Pill (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Gives you the experience of having seen a movie. |
| 1939 | Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton) A trading post in space. |
| 1939 | Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A device that prints a newspaper in your home. |
| 1939 | Metal Desk Car (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A combination work desk and vehicle for librarians and researchers; part desk part carnival ride. |
| 1939 | Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Using the power of a hole in the continuum. |
| 1939 | Communicator (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A small, pendant-shaped device that works to communicate over large distances. |
| 1939 | Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently. |
| 1939 | Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures. |
| 1939 | Extraecliptic Travel Lanes (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Organized interplanetary travel using routes not confined to the ecliptic. |
| 1939 | Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The rules of the spacelanes. |
| 1939 | Spacedog (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Experienced hands on space ships. |
| 1939 | Polyceltron Iconoscope Televisor (from Newscast by Harl Vincent) A portable camera and microphone setup that could broadcast on-the-spot news. |
| 1939 | Spacecraft Invisibility Electronics (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A means of rendering a spacecraft invisible to detection by electromagnetic means. |
| 1939 | Portable Atomic Heater (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Compact source of energy. |
| 1939 | Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot powered by sunlight. |
| 1939 | Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances. |
| 1939 | Chart Cabinet (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Used in astrogation, this device can see the positions of stars and planets over a thousand year period. |
| 1939 | Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability. |
| 1939 | Gravitic (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Relating to gravity. |
| 1939 | Hall of Euthanasia (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide. |
| 1939 | New Moon Casino Satellite (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An enormous artificial moon, it was far easier to get to than the Old Moon. |
| 1939 | Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The mightiest billboard in the Solar System! |
| 1939 | Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water. |
| 1939 | Transparent Car Roof (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) You can see through the roof of the car. |
| 1939 | Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion. |
| 1939 | Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use. |
| 1939 | Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus |
| 1939 | Automatic Delivery Library (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A library able to deliver any volume within a few moments. |
| 1939 | Inflatable Roofed Valley (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) A habitat on an asteroid created by placing a tent-like roof over a natural valley or depression, and then inflating it. |
| 1939 | Ballistic Calculator (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) An on-board computer for a spaceship to calculate its course and perform other related tasks. |
| 1939 | Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Counteracts the effects of high acceleration. |
| 1939 | Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Strong metal you can see through. |
| 1939 | Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool. |
| 1939 | Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft. |
| 1939 | Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape. |
| 1939 | Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system. |
| 1939 | Hand-Jetting (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Making use of hand-held rockets or other reaction devices to move through space. |
| 1939 | Mechanical Judge (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A device that makes legal decisions. |
| 1939 | Telescribe (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Creates a written record of distress signals and other reports. |
| 1939 | Etheric Typhoon (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) The idea that space itself can have disturbances. |
| 1939 | Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A variation on the force shield idea. |
| 1939 | Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships. |
| 1939 | Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology. |
| 1939 | Inertia Screen (from Space Rating by John Berryman) A device that canceled out the law of inertia to help decelerating space craft occupants. |
| 1939 | Neuronic Receptor-Transmitter (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device which, implanted in the brain, can both transmit sight and sound, and enable control of the body by a remote operator. |
| 1939 | Identification Ring (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) An apparently ordinary ring, which minutely describes and identifies its wearer. |
| 1939 | Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey) A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
| 1939 | Stereoscopic Vernier and Cube (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) A means of photographing in depth. |
| 1939 | Space Marines (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) A space-based military force. |
| 1939 | Electric Brain Stimulator (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A device that coordinated the waves of the brain with an external device to improve performance. |
| 1939 | Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid. |
| 1939 | Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel. |
| 1939 | Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond) Protects ships from the hazards of space. |
| 1939 | Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos) Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration. |
| 1939 | Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) Miniaturized device for surgical precision. |
| 1939 | Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning. |
| 1939 | Robot Surgery (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn) Robots operate an advance operating theater. |
| 1939 | Meteoric Dust Cloud (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn) A vast cloud in space, through which the solar system moved for a decade. |
| 1939 | Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade) Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft. |
| 1939 | Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) Self-driving vehicles. |
| 1939 | Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) Compact food for space travelers. |
| 1939 | Neuronic Control Apparatus (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that communicated with a brain implant, granting both sight and control. |
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San Francisco Wants ED-209, Or Maybe Robocop
re: Harlan Ellison
(11/19/2022)
Seoul Self-Driving 42dot Bus Unveiled
re: Henry Kuttner
(11/17/2022)
T. Gondii And The Leaders Of The Pack
re: Larry Niven
(11/15/2022)
'Parastronaut' First Astronaut With Disability From ESA (Updated!)
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/13/2022)
MIT Self-Assembling Reprogrammable Materials
re: Abraham Merritt
(11/11/2022)
Mem, The All Your Memories, Super Note-Taking App
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/9/2022)
Porcine Fat Cells For 3D-Printed Whole Pork Products
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/7/2022)
LANIUS Loitering Drone Munition Scouts And Maps
re: Philip E. High
(11/5/2022)
Copilot Software AI Training Sued By Involuntary Contributors
re: Anthony Boucher
(11/3/2022)
Thin Film Dome Protects Cities From Nuclear Blasts
re: Robert Heinlein
(11/1/2022)
Mars Space Weather Alert (MSWA) System
re: AE van Vogt
(10/29/2022)
Thermite's Robot Firefighter
re: Ron Friedman
(10/27/2022)
Fabrican Dress Sprayed Directly Onto Model On Coperni Runway
re: Stanislaw Lem
(10/25/2022)
Israel Deploys Sharp Shooter AI-powered Robot Guns
re: Philip K. Dick
(10/23/2022)
Drone Loiter Munitions Now Available
re: Philip E. High
(10/21/2022)
Amazon Blimp Parent Drone Concept
re: Daniel Suarez
(10/19/2022)
Cyborg Eye Flashlight Lights Up The Room
re: Alfred Bester
(10/17/2022)
Sea Drones Attack Russian Fleet
re: Ray Naylor
(10/15/2022)
Aéroplume Blimp For One Reflects 150 Years
re: Albert Robida
(10/13/2022)
Shift Moonwalkers Help You Walk Faster? How About Tractor Treads!
re: Raymond Z. Gallun
(10/11/2022)
Hovering Over The Lunar Surface
re: Raymond F. Jones
(10/9/2022)
Electric Jet Boats From Enevate and Sealence Collab
re: Capt. S.P. Meek
(10/7/2022)
Interpol Launches Metaverse For Law Enforcement
re: Charles Stress
(10/5/2022)
Aeromine Technologies Rooftop Wind Energy
re: John Jacob Astor IV
(10/3/2022)
Roomba Hoovers Up More Than Dirt
re: Jack Williamson
(10/1/2022)
Project MARCH VII Exoskeleton Video
re: Edmond Hamilton
(9/29/2022)
VToonify Video Manicuring Program
re: Bruce Sterling
(9/27/2022)
Alien Eyes - Here On Earth!
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(9/25/2022)
New Train Station Offers Minority Report-Style Signs
re: Steven Spielberg
(9/23/2022)
The Autonomous Robotic Urethral Catheter - Would You Use It?
re: Various
(9/21/2022)
The Far Side Of The Moon, By NASA (2015) And By PAUL (1932)
re: Frank R. Paul
(9/19/2022)
LoadRunner Robot Works Alone, Or In A Group
re: Isaac Asimov
(9/17/2022)
(See More Science Fiction in the News)
