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 | Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) A special suit and apparatus for survival on the surface of the Moon. |
| 1901 | Home-World (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) One's planet of origin. |
| 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. |
| 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 | Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) Network of communication in the solar system. |
| 1907 | Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum) A mechanical man. |
| 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. |
| 1908 | Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Material that negates weight. |
| 1908 | Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Spacefraft fueled by radioactive materials. |
| 1909 | Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) The first reference to a tablet-sized, handheld screen. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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. |
| 1910 | Automaton Chessplayer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce) The first chess-playing computer. |
| 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 | Steelonium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode. |
| 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 | Tele-Motor-Coasters (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Powered skates for personal transportation. |
| 1911 | Aerocab (Aeroflyer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A electric flying taxi, or car. |
| 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 | Menograph (Mind-Writer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Direct translation of thought to paper. |
| 1911 | Language Rectifier (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first reference to machine-translation of human languages. |
| 1911 | Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Streetlights provide sunlight at night. |
| 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. |
| 1911 | Gravity Nullification (Gravity Screen) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Gravity annulled in its entirety in a small area. |
| 1911 | Artificial Cloth (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The creation of fabrics without organic natural fibers. |
| 1911 | Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The lightest metal. |
| 1911 | Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Uneasiness associated with space travel. |
| 1911 | Sub-Atlantic Tube (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points. |
| 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 | Hypnobioscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first fictional reference to sleep teaching. |
| 1911 | Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First fictional reference to a fax machine. |
| 1911 | Electric Rifle (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton) A device that shoots an electrical charge. |
| 1911 | Detectophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine. |
| 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 | Helio-Dynamophores (Sun-Power-Generators) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Photo-electric elements which transformed the solar heat direct into electric energy. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 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 | Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that stores sunlight itself for use as an energy source. |
| 1915 | Food Tablet (from John Jone's Dollar by H.S. Keeler) All of your nutrients in one easy-to-swallow form factor. |
| 1917 | Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A weapon that projects a beam of destructive force. |
| 1917 | Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) Public news outlets |
| 1917 | Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A kind of two-way public loudspeaker. |
| 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. |
| 1918 | Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay) A flying bus. |
| 1918 | Magnetic Elevator (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion. |
| 1918 | Photophone (from The Planeteer by Michael Flynn) A device that provided a view of the other booth. |
| 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 | Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) The manufacture of artificial organs, digestive tract, veins - body parts. |
| 1920 | Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt) Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes. |
| 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 | Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle) A man from the future with an embedded mechanism to manipulate time. |
| 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. |
| 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 | 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 | Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain) Very early fictional element, courtesy of metallurgists. |
| 1926 | Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) A non-organic device structured like a human brain. |
| 1926 | Robot Wheel (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous vehicular robot in the shape of a gigantic wheel. |
| 1926 | Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) An engine which utilizes atomic energy. |
| 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. |
| 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 | Flexible Metal Arms (Tentacles) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An interesting description of how mechanical tentacles might function. |
| 1926 | Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex) A vehicle for space travel. |
| 1926 | Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A spacesuit helmet that can be seen through. |
| 1926 | Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) Creating living beings from inorganic elements. |
| 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 | Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) A ray that reduces an organic being to ash instantly. |
| 1926 | Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A device that shrinks and expands its wearer. |
| 1927 | Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that paralyzes the muscles. |
| 1927 | Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that pulled warmth from anything it was aimed at. |
| 1928 | Ultrophone (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A means of communication that transmits and receives simultaneously. |
| 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 | Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A device that recorded and played back the thoughts of the user. |
| 1928 | Steering a Star (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Steering a star, altering its path, taking it to a new location. |
| 1928 | Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Invisible metal makes the thinnest, strongest wire. |
| 1928 | Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A spacecraft with a propulsion system relying on waves in spacetime itself. |
| 1928 | Attractive Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A beam of radiation that pulls. |
| 1928 | Inertron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Material with all the properties of heavier metals, but lighter. |
| 1928 | Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A means of gestating eggs to term is found. |
| 1928 | Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller) A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use. |
| 1928 | Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A fully space-worthy ship under private ownership. |
| 1928 | Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Device provides support for planet-side air travel. |
| 1928 | Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A flat panel viewing display. |
| 1928 | Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) In essence, a bazooka. |
| 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 | Atoplane (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) An airplane powered by nuclear energy, capable of tremendous speed and distance. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Maneuver to chase down and destroy meteor showers that threaten celestial navigation. |
| 1928 | Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous council chamber, fit for a galaxy. |
| 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 | Videophone (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A person-to-person communication device offering sight as well as sound. |
| 1928 | Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A diaper that will indicate when it is wet. |
| 1928 | Psychophonic Nurse (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A child-care robot - a nanny bot. |
| 1928 | Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A marker in space. |
| 1928 | Space-Lanes (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Well-traveled routes through outer space. |
| 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 | Telechart (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An interactive metal plate upon which were displayed celestial objects for interstellar navigation. |
| 1928 | Pain Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Creates pain by nerve induction. |
| 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 | Flying Harness (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Device allows free movement in the air. |
| 1928 | Meteorometer (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that warned space ships in flight about oncoming meteors. |
| 1928 | Pressure-Suit (from Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A pressurized suit for use in the airless void of space. |
| 1928 | Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that shields an object from the effects of gravity. |
| 1928 | Atomic Percolator (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) Make coffee with radiation. |
| 1928 | Needle Pipe (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device that could project slivers of metal at near light speed. |
| 1928 | Raytron Apparatus (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device for aerial surveillance; the image was transmitted back to the user. |
| 1928 | Jumper (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Inertron belt results in effective weightlessness. |
| 1928 | De-atomizing Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Beam of energy causes matter to fly apart. |
| 1928 | Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective. |
| 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 | Chest Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A voice activated wireless transmitter. |
| 1928 | Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Ravening pale beams of light used in space battles. |
| 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 | Telestereo (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A disk, upon which the projected image of the distant sender appears. |
| 1928 | Grantline Comptometer (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems. |
| 1929 | Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent) A means of sending trains through the air. |
| 1929 | Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Shields a large object from the effect of gravity. |
| 1929 | Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Personal device stops gravity's effect. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone) Familiar name for our own sun. |
| 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 | Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early depiction of this basic idea. |
| 1929 | Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early mention of the term. |
| 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 | Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Using pistol rounds to maneuver in space. |
| 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 | Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A nuclear munition, fired from a cannon. |
| 1929 | Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight metal. |
| 1929 | Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A large, hand-held spear of force. |
| 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 | Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A floating taxicab. |
| 1929 | Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A device that displays memories directly on a helmet screen. |
| 1929 | Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A transparent "glass" made of metal. |
| 1929 | Air-Freighter Cargo Plane (from The Invisible Raiders by Ed Earl Repp) An enormous airplane used for transporting cargo across the country. |
| 1929 | O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight zeppelin |
| 1929 | Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) Remote controlled robots used to perform dangerous work. |
| 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 | Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) An airtight spacesuit. |
| 1929 | Cubic City (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) A city contained in a single, immense building. |
| 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 | 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 | Helium Tubes (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) Lighting that exactly mimics the frequencies of sunlight. |
| 1929 | Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) A device and method for testing spacesuits. |
| 1929 | Boring Heat Machine (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Takes tunnel boring material and turns it into building material. |
| 1929 | Electric Kitchen (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) Food preparation in space requires safe equipment. |
| 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 | Fan Ray (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) A protective ray screen in the shape of a cone. |
| 1929 | Magnetic Shoes (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Footgear magnetized for working on steel hulls. |
| 1929 | Flying Platform (from Locked Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Simple black squares that fly and hover. |
| 1929 | Shovel-Handed Digging Machines (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Huge multi-legged machines used to dig and manipulate earth. |
| 1929 | Television Sheet (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A large, flat screen television set. |
| 1929 | Governing Keyboard (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A remote-controlled robot responds to keyboard commands. |
| 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 | Overmind (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A consciousness that supersedes the minds of many individuals. |
| 1929 | Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment. |
| 1929 | Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) A device that neutralized the gravitational force of the sun on the earth. |
| 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 | 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 | Ray-Pistol (from The War of the Planets by Harl Vincent) An early version of the raygun. |
| 1929 | Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer)) Human movement through outer space. |
| 1929 | Indirect Cold Light (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Apparently source-less lighting, highly efficient, with no waste heat. |
| 1929 | Suitcase Airplane (from Suitcase Airplanes by E.D. Skinner) A diminutive, collapsible, two-passenger biplane. |
| 1929 | Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A viewing screen. |
| 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 | 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 | Instant Photography (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A photograph that develops immediately inside the camera. |
| 1929 | Chemical Brain (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A purely chemical artificial intelligence. |
| 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 | Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A device for seeing at a distance. |
| 1929 | Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek) Replacement of elements of human blood with chlorophyll. |
| 1929 | Disrupter Ray (Molecule Disrupter) (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Atoms of materials no longer adhere to each other. |
| 1929 | Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) A device used to artificially stimulate cell growth and development. |
| 1930 | Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass. |
| 1930 | Paralyzing Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Stops body motions. |
| 1930 | Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Space ships taken against their will. |
| 1930 | Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Magnifies even the smallest sound. |
| 1930 | Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source. |
| 1930 | One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) A small rocket ship with only a pilot. |
| 1930 | Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) The transparent front of a space suit helmet. |
| 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 | Invisible Cloak (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A cloak that renders the wearer invisible. |
| 1930 | Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An armor-plated space suit. |
| 1930 | Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Extremely dense material. |
| 1930 | Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass. |
| 1930 | Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) An offensive, man-portable heat ray. |
| 1930 | Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A bar of solidified light. |
| 1930 | Rubber Soled Feet (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) Silent padding for clanky robots. |
| 1930 | Life Tubes (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny) Escape pods for space ships. |
| 1930 | Moon Dome (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon. |
| 1930 | The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson) A means of transmitting matter wirelessly. |
| 1930 | Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A plane powered entirely by solar energy. |
| 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 | 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 | Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Small, private flyers for business commuting. |
| 1930 | Visiphone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Visual as well as audio communication. |
| 1930 | Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A substance as strong as metal that you can see through. |
| 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 | 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 | Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon. |
| 1930 | Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity. |
| 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 | Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms. |
| 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 | Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early name for a defensive force field. |
| 1930 | Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind. |
| 1930 | Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off. |
| 1930 | Astronaut (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) A person who travels in space. |
| 1930 | Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen. |
| 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 | Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley) Wide angle Ray of death! |
| 1930 | Robot Waiter (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic restaurant servitor. |
| 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 | Anti-Glare Coated Glass (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Special coated glass for space craft. |
| 1930 | Asteroid Space Flyer (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Specialized one-man craft for exploring asteroids. |
| 1930 | Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell) Agricultural 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 | Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek) A durable form of magnesium. |
| 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 | Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) An airlock on a spacecraft. |
| 1930 | Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space. |
| 1930 | Synthetic Life (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements. |
| 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 | Bird-Like Robots (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic birds used in a stage play. |
| 1930 | Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A flat screen for viewing remote images. |
| 1930 | Electric Plane (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) An airplane powered entirely by electricity. |
| 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 | Theater Seat Indicators (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Vacant seats are clearly shown. |
| 1930 | Exodus Ship (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves) A generation ship to save a culture from extinction. |
| 1930 | Puff-Pipe (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Pipe with lighting built in. |
| 1930 | Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A transparent material of great strength. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Brain Rejuvenation (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Erase unnecessary parts of memory to make room for new impressions. |
| 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 | 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 | Indoor Stadium (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) An entirely enclosed baseball stadium. |
| 1930 | Radio-Controlled Mechanical Man (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) A remote-controlled robot. |
| 1931 | Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that accepts complex equations and solves them. |
| 1931 | Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls. |
| 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 | Gravity Detector (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass. |
| 1931 | Force-Field (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A barrier to objects, created by projected forces. |
| 1931 | Braking Disks (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Used when the ship is falling through a planetary atmosphere. |
| 1931 | Power Planet (from Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A satellite that supplies the Earth with power. |
| 1931 | Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A facial recognition device. |
| 1931 | Spacegram (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) Telegrams of the space lanes. |
| 1931 | Ultra-Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Originating from some world other than Earth. |
| 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 | 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 | Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Lightweight and tough! |
| 1931 | City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station. |
| 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 | Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells) A opening through spacetime to other worlds. |
| 1931 | Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Teleconferencing done right. |
| 1931 | Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An accurate representation of running on the moon. |
| 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 | Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A person who does not fly, especially into space. |
| 1931 | Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue. |
| 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 | Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship. |
| 1931 | Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent) A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents. |
| 1931 | Mutation (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) An organism that has come into being through genetic mutation. |
| 1931 | Invasion Gate For Aliens (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Using alien instructions to create a gate for alien invasion. |
| 1931 | Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication. |
| 1931 | Space Madness (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A moving sidewalk. |
| 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 | Ozone Radiation Shield (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Filling the gap between the inner and outer hull with ozone. |
| 1931 | Selenium Photo-Electric Televisor (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) A specialized photo-electric cell. |
| 1931 | Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means. |
| 1931 | Adoption of Television (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses. |
| 1931 | Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times. |
| 1931 | Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) An ion drive. |
| 1931 | Space Craft (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) A ship that travels from the surface of a planet and into space. |
| 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 | Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers. |
| 1931 | Matter Transmitter and Receiver (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) A device that transports matter through space. |
| 1931 | Self-Sustaining Space Craft (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft ecosystem. |
| 1931 | Spaceyacht (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) Interplanetary spacecraft for the well-to-do. |
| 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 | Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile. |
| 1931 | Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed. |
| 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 | Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells. |
| 1931 | Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A space craft powered entirely by the sun. |
| 1931 | Asteroid Belt (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman) The circular region of space containing many small celestial bodies. |
| 1931 | Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter. |
| 1931 | Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Radioactive fuel for spacecraft. |
| 1931 | Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners. |
| 1931 | Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Special protective gear worn as protection in space. |
| 1931 | Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Pertaining to the Earth. |
| 1931 | Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter! |
| 1931 | Perfect Voice Modulation (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Artificially creating the perfect human singing voice. |
| 1931 | Sound Nullifier (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A barrier to sound; the cancellation of sound waves. |
| 1931 | Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) What's left over when you've annihilated matter. |
| 1931 | Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter. |
| 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 | Time Stream (from Time Stream by John Taine) The total sequence of events considered as a kind of flow. |
| 1931 | Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) An 'atomic fire' is started that consumes all matter in reach! |
| 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 | Rocket Float (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A sea-going floating platform for rocket launches. |
| 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 | 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 | Synthetic Food Factories (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Food production without soil. |
| 1931 | Kundrenaline (from The Hands of Aten by H.G. Winter) Revives even a dead man's heart. |
| 1931 | Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages. |
| 1931 | Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Multi-legged transport. |
| 1931 | Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A passenger ship in space. |
| 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 | Mother World (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Planet of origin. |
| 1931 | Skycar (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A personal means of transportation that flies. |
| 1931 | Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) That's one way to do a plebiscite. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson) Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 1931 | Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) As opposed to hyperspace. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Radium Repeller ray (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Move inbound asteroids aside to keep ships safe. |
| 1931 | Space-Tent (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small, portable air-tight structure used on the lunar surface. |
| 1931 | Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A large, passenger-carrying space ship. |
| 1931 | Free Fall (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit. |
| 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 | Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson) Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity. |
| 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 | Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A high explosive formed from nitrogen. |
| 1931 | Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A graphical representation of gravitational fields. |
| 1931 | Telephotography (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel) Sending pictures over a distance, displaying them on a vast screen. |
| 1931 | Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser) A person who acts as navigator for s space ship. |
| 1931 | Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster) A telescope for peering into other dimensions. |
| 1931 | Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A suicide chamber. |
| 1931 | Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Ray cuts through metal like butter. |
| 1931 | Reaction Attachment (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Independent maneuvering for space suits. |
| 1931 | Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Impenetrable message carriers. |
| 1931 | Optophone (Opto) (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A video call system. |
| 1931 | Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that confuses the cognitive functions of robots. |
| 1931 | Metal Monster with Jointed Limbs (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A large robotic device with legs. |
| 1931 | Zeta-Ray (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Makes and maintains vast holes - even in ocean water! |
| 1931 | Lens-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope. |
| 1931 | Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) See other time-travelers. |
| 1931 | Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Robots to throw off the yoke of Man? |
| 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 | Tractor Beam (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force field used to pull objects. |
| 1931 | Iron Inlay Plates (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Works perfectly with an electromagnetic table to maintain place settings. |
| 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 | Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov) Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands. |
| 1931 | Telucid (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) A holographic projector. |
| 1931 | Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) One single machine to run a civilization! |
| 1931 | Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical. |
| 1931 | Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people. |
| 1931 | Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids. |
| 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 | Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer. |
| 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 | 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 | Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes) |
| 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 | Telepadion Instructor (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain. |
| 1931 | Ultra-Telescope Ray (from The Moon Weed by Harl Vincent) A transporter Ray that works over interplanetary distances. |
| 1932 | Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) A base material for synthetic food. |
| 1932 | Protolectric Gun (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) Fires twin beams of protons and electrons. |
| 1932 | Neo-Crystal (from Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith) Unbreakable transparent window material. |
| 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 | Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) Special material for space dome leaks. |
| 1932 | Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak) Setting charges on an asteroid. |
| 1932 | Space-Tanned (from Slaves of Mercury by Warren Hammond) The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways. |
| 1932 | Emergency Space-Suit (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) A compacted space-suit stored for emergency use. |
| 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 | Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) An early exoskeleton. |
| 1932 | Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc. |
| 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 | 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 | Time-Space Television (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) A device for seeing into the past. |
| 1932 | Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Device adds the tactile element to entertainment. |
| 1932 | Sol-Ido (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) The universal language of interplanetary travelers. |
| 1932 | Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) An asteroid. |
| 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 | 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 | Violet Shrink Ray (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A miniaturization ray. |
| 1932 | Laboratory Planet (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature. |
| 1932 | Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) Is that a moon - or a space station? |
| 1932 | Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore) Special footgear for spacemen. |
| 1932 | Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) A display screen for live events. |
| 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 | Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A slicing ray of death! |
| 1932 | Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies. |
| 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 | Intergalactic (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Going between galaxies. |
| 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 | Gravity Beam (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom. |
| 1932 | Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A device that output specified odors. |
| 1932 | Space Force (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere. |
| 1932 | Landing-Cradle (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface. |
| 1932 | Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) An escape ship. |
| 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 | Pneumatic-Tube Zone (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape. |
| 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 | News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) Audio news ready when you are. |
| 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 | Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Futuristic children's game. |
| 1932 | Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping. |
| 1932 | Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A very early description of cloning. |
| 1932 | Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh) A force opposed to gravity. |
| 1932 | Ether-Traffic (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) The communications spectrum of the solar system. |
| 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 | Space Men (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) Human beings who travel and work in space. |
| 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 | Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement. |
| 1932 | Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Reliable, controllable gravity force. |
| 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 | 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 | 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-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft. |
| 1932 | Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) The direction leading toward the center of the solar system. |
| 1932 | Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs. |
| 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-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) Special shielding worn against rays and explosives. |
| 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 | Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space. |
| 1932 | Telectroscope (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A much better telescope than yours. |
| 1932 | Reaction Pistol (from Martian Guns by Stanley D. Bell) A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit. |
| 1932 | Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Three photons in one. |
| 1932 | Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Space worthy mittens for space suits. |
| 1933 | Space-Sailor (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A spaceman; someone who makes his living by voyaging in space. |
| 1933 | Etheric Propulsion-Vibrations (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) Faster-than-light travel. |
| 1933 | Belt Automatic-Equalizers (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) The wearer's experience of gravity will be just like Earth's. |
| 1933 | Tubular Space-Gangway (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A means of traversing the short distance between two ships in space. |
| 1933 | Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A small vessel used to maneuver other ships. |
| 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 | Human Serial Number (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) A unique number tattooed on body of a person. |
| 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 | Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory. |
| 1933 | Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Has the opposite effect of adrenalin. |
| 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 | Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Preserves and maintains the body. |
| 1933 | Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies. |
| 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 | Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A bowl-shaped space helmet. |
| 1933 | Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A space craft. |
| 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 | Drink the Fungi (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat) A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores. |
| 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 | 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 | Meteor Miner (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Someone who roams the solar system, hunting for metal in meteors. |
| 1933 | Iron Man Robot With Human Brain (from Iron Man by Paul Ernst) A huge robot with a tub containing a human brain. |
| 1933 | Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Space suit you can live in. |
| 1933 | Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Device for determining the content of meteorites. |
| 1933 | Helix Gun (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) A device for capturing ferrous meteors. |
| 1933 | Checker-City (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings. |
| 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 | Space-Suit Rockets (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) Attached rockets allow movement in zero-gee space. |
| 1933 | Solar-Powered Electric Helicopter (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by James Patrick Kelly) An electric helicopter, with sun cells. |
| 1933 | Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore) A set route though space. |
| 1933 | Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent) A device that opens a portal to another dimension. |
| 1933 | Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space. |
| 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 | Cosmo-Craft (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) A spacecraft for traveling through time and space. |
| 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. |
| 1934 | Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur. |
| 1934 | Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A substance that is impervious to penetration. |
| 1934 | Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red. |
| 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 | Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) Device enables the wireless transmission of power. |
| 1934 | Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz) A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality. |
| 1934 | Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it. |
| 1934 | Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) Fine wine in convenient, dried form. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Invisibility Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of concealing a physical object to the naked eye. |
| 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 | Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A basic unit of currency. |
| 1934 | Black Cube Teaching Machine (from The Flame From Mars by Jack Williamson) A device that offers recorded images, teaching the user. |
| 1934 | Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Faster-than-light travel achieved! |
| 1934 | Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A silvery disc used for data record storage. |
| 1934 | Automatic Parking (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar. |
| 1934 | Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought. |
| 1934 | Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication. |
| 1934 | Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration. |
| 1934 | Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots that are able to learn. |
| 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 | Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere. |
| 1934 | Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A beam weapon of frightful intensity. |
| 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 | Moving a Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early use of the concept of moving a planet to a new sun. |
| 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 | Electron Gun (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner) How to add a lot of electrons to a lot of positrons? |
| 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 | Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. |
| 1934 | Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) From another dimension. |
| 1934 | Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters. |
| 1934 | Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller) A device that translated speech and typed it out for you. |
| 1934 | Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A person from another planet. |
| 1934 | Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication. |
| 1934 | Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Very thin beam of destruction. |
| 1934 | Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An invisibility field. |
| 1934 | Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) The very fabric of space-time. |
| 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 | 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display. |
| 1934 | Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
| 1934 | Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia. |
| 1934 | Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator. |
| 1934 | Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower. |
| 1934 | Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars. |
| 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 | Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity. |
| 1934 | Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A very large constructed object in space. |
| 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 | Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space. |
| 1934 | Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tedious search for habitable planets by hand. |
| 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 | Protective Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An energy shield for one person. |
| 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 | Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you. |
| 1934 | Baby Robot (from Life Everlasting by David H. Keller) An infant robot. |
| 1934 | Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A personal flying car |
| 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 | Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements. |
| 1934 | Lewiston (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power. |
| 1935 | Flame-Pistol (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Incinerates everything in its path. |
| 1935 | Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly. |
| 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 | Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer. |
| 1935 | Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect. |
| 1935 | Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus |
| 1935 | Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell) A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power. |
| 1935 | Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions. |
| 1935 | Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Also, a rocket-plane. |
| 1935 | No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers. |
| 1935 | Automated Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) A factory that works entirely automatically, without human guidance. |
| 1935 | Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell) An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity. |
| 1935 | First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) The initial encounter with a non-human race. |
| 1935 | Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A hooded protective suit worn on Venus. |
| 1935 | Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings) Could positively identify a person using their scent alone. |
| 1935 | Driverless Car (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle. |
| 1935 | Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking. |
| 1935 | Time Line (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Time seen linearly, as a distinguishable series of events. |
| 1935 | Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) An automated car that pays its own toll. |
| 1935 | Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III) A device for empirically determining human emotion. |
| 1935 | Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose. |
| 1935 | Meteor Swarm Mining (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach) A fleet of ships hunting for meteoric iron - in space! |
| 1935 | Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) Farm machinery that worked on their own. |
| 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 | Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A taxi that does not require a driver. |
| 1935 | Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Very early take on virtual reality hardware. |
| 1935 | New Suns From Old (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Creating new stars by crashing together the cinders of dead stars. |
| 1935 | Air-Tight Cities (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Cities with breathable air constructed on worlds with no atmosphere. |
| 1935 | Electric Menu (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Ordering of food is automated, without waiters. |
| 1935 | Micro-Cosmos (Microcosm) (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) The universe in miniature. |
| 1935 | Micro-Telescope (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) An astronomical instrument for looking at objects in a miniature universe. |
| 1935 | Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo. |
| 1936 | Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist. |
| 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 | 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 | Nutrient Gelatin Tank (from The Isotope Men by Nat Schachner) Essential hardware for creating a new, improved humanity - isotope men! |
| 1936 | Audiphone (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Communication between space suits in the airless void of space. |
| 1936 | Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) They give light. |
| 1936 | Electronized Gravity Plate (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft. |
| 1936 | Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft) Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor. |
| 1936 | Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Can pull an object through space. |
| 1936 | Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) Microminaturized vision for UAV's. |
| 1936 | Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams. |
| 1936 | Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon. |
| 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 | 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 | Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A small desktop screen intercom system. |
| 1936 | Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A beam of force that repels one object from another. |
| 1936 | Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A synthetic being having the form of a human being. |
| 1936 | Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) The well-traveled paths from star to star. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself. |
| 1936 | Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A translucent glass-like fashion choice. |
| 1936 | Jupiter Mining Shoes (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Specialized footgear for walking on the Great Red Spot. |
| 1936 | Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings) Shoots a length of constricting wire. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout. |
| 1936 | Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A thin disintegrator beam. |
| 1936 | Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell) A clever use for the water you need to take anyway. |
| 1936 | Multi-Generation Space Voyage (Generation Ship) (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations. |
| 1936 | Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Remaking or modifying an entire planet. |
| 1936 | Probability Time Wave Tube (from Elimination by John W. Campbell) A device that allows the user to see every possible event. |
| 1936 | Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst) A tunneling device. |
| 1936 | Molecule Replacement Lamp (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A means of attaining practical invisibility. |
| 1936 | Automat (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) Unusual name for an intelligent robot; short for "automaton"? |
| 1936 | Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance. |
| 1936 | Husk of an Atom (from The Roaring Blot by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A negative universe substance. |
| 1936 | Synthetic Intellect (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device for providing a robot with intelligence. |
| 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 | Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface. |
| 1936 | Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension. |
| 1936 | Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets. |
| 1937 | Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins) A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order. |
| 1937 | Antron (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D) A single particle of antimatter - an antiproton. |
| 1937 | Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner) A means of capturing astronomical images. |
| 1937 | Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) An artificial water planet. |
| 1937 | Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice. |
| 1937 | Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes) Living organisms of non-Earth origin. |
| 1937 | Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel! |
| 1937 | Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Diverts troublesome asteroids. |
| 1937 | Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships. |
| 1937 | Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) A specialized space station, for scientific research. |
| 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 | Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Breathe it and die. |
| 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 | 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 | Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A gun that creates a short-range energy blast. |
| 1937 | Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source. |
| 1937 | Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure. |
| 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 | Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation. |
| 1937 | Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) A public address system consisting of buried coils. |
| 1937 | Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out. |
| 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 | Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy. |
| 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 | 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 | Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) Telescope uses electronics applied to optics. |
| 1937 | Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) The act of firing a rocket into space. |
| 1937 | Artificial eye (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A surgically-implanted artificial eyeball. |
| 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 | 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 | Magnetic Anchor (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull. |
| 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 | 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 | Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle. |
| 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 | Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms. |
| 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 | Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance. |
| 1937 | Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere. |
| 1937 | Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Ability to sense life. |
| 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. |
| 1938 | Multispecies Hotel (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets. |
| 1938 | Transfer Refuge (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A portable environment chamber, able to support unique and different lifeforms. |
| 1938 | Space Dock (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) Like a port for spacecraft; they can deliver their passengers and cargo. |
| 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 | Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman) A screen technology placed very close to the eyes. |
| 1938 | Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) A planetoid prison. |
| 1938 | Robotic Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) Artificial animals created using robotic elements. |
| 1938 | Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner) Providing simple personalities to robots. |
| 1938 | Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson) Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated. |
| 1938 | Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space. |
| 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 | Chronoscope (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson) A device used to see into specific internals of time. |
| 1938 | Etherphone Receiver (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A special earpiece to hear coded updates. |
| 1938 | Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo. |
| 1938 | Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A small gyrostabilized hovercraft. |
| 1938 | Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Polo played with rocket-powered craft. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 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 | Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) A very small power generator that is atomic powered. |
| 1938 | Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi) A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances. |
| 1938 | Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection. |
| 1938 | Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots. |
| 1938 | Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A household robot that can cook meals. |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Required document for space travelers. |
| 1938 | Cube Being (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) A living being comprised of linked cubes. |
| 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 | Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry. |
| 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 | 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 | Brain-Case (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A device designed to transport a living human (or alien, if similar) brain. |
| 1938 | Artificial Eye Drone (from Glimpse by Manly Wade Wellman) A remote flying device that transmits its view to the operator. |
| 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 | 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 | Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface. |
| 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 | Eros Ship-Planetoid (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth) A vast cylindrical ship, long thought to be a planetoid. |
| 1938 | Atomic Explosive (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A handheld bomb that melted its way into an armored door, then detonated. |
| 1938 | Liquid Metal (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes) Metal that can be sprayed on. |
| 1938 | Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Get to the truth. |
| 1938 | Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A display device. |
| 1938 | Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it. |
| 1938 | Buggaroo (from The Secret of the Canali by Clifton B. Kruse) Martian creature for transportation. |
| 1938 | Emergency Air-Suit (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) A light-duty space suit. |
| 1938 | Artificially Produced Speech (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) Speech produced by mechanical means, rather than with vocal chords. |
| 1938 | Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders. |
| 1938 | Time Tunnel (from Rule 18 by Clifford Simak) A gateway into the past. |
| 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 | 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 | Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration. |
| 1938 | Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld ray gun. |
| 1938 | Rocketeering (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Racing around in rockets |
| 1939 | Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning. |
| 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 | Polyceltron Iconoscope Televisor (from Newscast by Harl Vincent) A portable camera and microphone setup that could broadcast on-the-spot news. |
| 1939 | Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system. |
| 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 | Space Marines (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) A space-based military force. |
| 1939 | Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton) A trading post in space. |
| 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 | Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Using the power of a hole in the continuum. |
| 1939 | Robot Surgery (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn) Robots operate an advance operating theater. |
| 1939 | Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Strong metal you can see through. |
| 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 | Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft. |
| 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 | Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey) A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
| 1939 | Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Counteracts the effects of high acceleration. |
| 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 | Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus |
| 1939 | Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability. |
| 1939 | Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures. |
| 1939 | Spacedog (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Experienced hands on space ships. |
| 1939 | Needle Gun (from The Empress of Mars by Ross Rocklynne) A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal. |
| 1939 | Gravitic (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Relating to gravity. |
| 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. |
| 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 | Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) Self-driving vehicles. |
| 1939 | Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) Miniaturized device for surgical precision. |
| 1939 | Extraecliptic Travel Lanes (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Organized interplanetary travel using routes not confined to the ecliptic. |
| 1939 | Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships. |
| 1939 | Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion. |
| 1939 | Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos) Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration. |
| 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 | Communicator (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A small, pendant-shaped device that works to communicate over large distances. |
| 1939 | Transparent Car Roof (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) You can see through the roof of the car. |
| 1939 | Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) Compact food for space travelers. |
| 1939 | Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape. |
| 1939 | Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool. |
| 1939 | Electrical Valet (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner. |
| 1939 | Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances. |
| 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 | 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 | Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology. |
| 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 | Identification Ring (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) An apparently ordinary ring, which minutely describes and identifies its wearer. |
| 1939 | Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot powered by sunlight. |
| 1939 | Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A variation on the force shield idea. |
| 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 | Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel. |
| 1939 | Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water. |
| 1939 | Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The mightiest billboard in the Solar System! |
| 1939 | Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts. |
| 1939 | Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid. |
| 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 | Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The rules of the spacelanes. |
| 1939 | Stereoscopic Vernier and Cube (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) A means of photographing in depth. |
| 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 | Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon. |
| 1939 | Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances. |
| 1939 | Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use. |
| 1939 | Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade) Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft. |
| 1939 | Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently. |
| 1939 | Movie Pill (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Gives you the experience of having seen a movie. |
| 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 | Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A device that prints a newspaper in your home. |
| 1939 | Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond) Protects ships from the hazards of space. |
| 1940 | Telelubricator (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp) Makes any surface or substance perfectly frictionless. |
| 1940 | Mind-Shield (from Slan by A.E. van Vogt) A mental defense or barrier that prevents access to one brain by another person or device. |
| 1940 | Slow Glass Rod (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp) A transparent glass rod that makes light travel so slowly that it can trap light within its depths. |
| 1940 | Methuen Treatment (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp) Injections that increase intelligence. |
| 1940 | Hyperbolic Solenoid (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp) Device that creates and manipulates magnetic fields. |
| 1940 | Soft Speaker (from The Exhalted by L. Sprague de Camp) A device that sends a tightly-controlled beam of sound. |
| 1940 | Lighting Panel (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe) A large panel that presents illumination without heat. |
| 1940 | Steel Tortoise (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) An all-terrain vehicle, grandfather to the four-wheeler. |
| 1940 | Sunpower Screen (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) A solar cell array used to provide power for a vehicle. |
| 1940 | Knockdown Cabin (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) A portable shelter; had solid walls and could be assembled quickly. |
| 1940 | San-Ray Projector (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.) Device produces a habit-forming, nerve-tingling ray that clouds the mind. |
| 1940 | Air Blast (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) An air dryer for personal use. |
| 1940 | Refreshing Chamber (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) Replaces the bathroom in the future history of Robert Heinlein. |
| 1940 | Telechronometer (from Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein) A watch that synchronizes itself to a remote source. |
| 1940 | Gravitational Disks (from Revolt on Io by Jack West) Maintain your footing on those low-gravity celestial bodies. |
| 1940 | Solar Power Screen (from Let There Be Light by Lyle Monroe) Absorb all solar energy, and emit electrical energy. |
| 1940 | Vacuum Wall Compartments (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) Shielding against heat by using walls with evacuated sections. |
| 1940 | Humanoid (from Homo Sol by Isaac Asimov) An alien with a human-like shape and appearance. |
| 1940 | Atomic Automatic (from Revolt on Io by Jack West) Fires a special, rocket-like bullet. |
| 1940 | Vibroblade (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein) A knife-like weapon. |
| 1940 | Test Box (from The Devil's Pocket by F.E. Hardart) A remote-controlled device for capturing small objects from open space. |
| 1940 | Moon Skis (from Requiem by Robert Heinlein) Special wide skis for travel on lunar powder. |
| 1940 | Life-Ship (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp) An emergency escape or survival craft. |
| 1940 | Space Tramp (from The Invisible World by Ed Earl Repp) An old, slow spacecraft. |
| 1940 | Tumblebug (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein) A monocycle; a motorcycle that balances on a single wheel. |
| 1940 | Planetary ID Card (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) Identification for every person on every planet in the solar system. |
| 1940 | Autosight Achronic Beam (from Hindsight by Jack Williamson) A range-finder for weaponry that isn't limited by time, for the ultimate in accuracy. |
| 1940 | Air Scooter (from Space Double by Nat Schachner) A flying personal vehicle. |
| 1940 | Cyclotronic Ore-Hurler (from Exit From Asteroid 60 by D.L. James) Using the magnetic properties of an asteroid to send ore hurling across space! |
| 1940 | Voder (from Exit From Asteroid 60 by D.L. James) Device that produces speech by purely mechanical means. |
| 1940 | Rolling Road (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein) A set of fast-moving strips to move people over distances. |
| 1940 | Solar Reception Screen (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein) A device for converting sunlight to electricity |
| 1940 | Bifocal TV Screen Lenses (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) Using the bottom lens of bifocals as a TV screen. |
| 1940 | Barrier (Force Field) (from Coventry by Robert Heinlein) Force-field fence. |
| 1940 | Floating Villa (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) An artificial island several acres in extent. |
| 1940 | Darkened Glass Face Plate (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) The use of darkened glass on the face plate of a space suit helmet to protect the wearer from solar radiation. |
| 1940 | Dream-Machine (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) The mechanism that sent standardized dreams into the brain. |
| 1940 | Dream-Adventures (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) Dreams sent directly to the brain are more popular than movies. |
| 1940 | Dream-House (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) An establishment wherein one could find the finest dream adventures placed in his own mind. |
| 1940 | Solar Station Switch Room (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) A power station for the entire solar system. |
| 1940 | Stratospheric Traffic (from The Great God Awto by Clark Ashton Smith) Bad traffic at every level. |
| 1940 | Hydroponics (from The Hydroponic Monster by Maria Moravsky) Growing food without soil, typically from water saturated with nutrients. |
| 1940 | Double-Pane Vacuum Window (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) Double-pane glass separated by vacuum. |
| 1940 | Hush-a-Phone (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein) A special kind of telephone that reduced noise while talking. |
| 1940 | Death-Capsule (from Doom Over Venus by Edmond Hamilton) A tiny implanted explosive capsule can be activated remotely. |
| 1940 | Tesseract House (from -And He Built A Crooked House by Robert Heinlein) A house built in the shape of a four-dimensional figure. |
| 1940 | Escape Port (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.) Emergency egress from a space ship for one person. |
| 1940 | Conversion Gun (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.) The ray converts the heat in an object to light. |
| 1940 | Merry-Go-Round Life Suspension (Refrigerator Plant) (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox) A device that offered cold sleep. |
| 1940 | Solid Power (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton) A concentrated form of easily accessed energy to supply any need. |
| 1940 | Planetfall (from Quicksands of Youthwardness by Malcolm Jameson) Making a landing on a planet from space. |
| 1940 | Atom-Gun (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld device that sprays atomic fire. |
| 1940 | Neutronium Slippers (from Revolt on the Tenth World by Edmond Hamilton) Special footgear to keep ones footing in lower gravities. |
| 1940 | Tectogenetic (from Crisis in Utopia by Norman L. Knight) Deliberate manipulation of genes to produce unique species. |
| 1940 | Robbie (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov) A childcare robot. |
| 1940 | Two-Wheeled Car (from The Roads Must Roll by Robert Heinlein) A small passenger vehicle with two centerline wheels. |
| 1940 | Atomic Blast Weapon (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) Reduces the target to atoms. |
| 1940 | Ferretscope (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein) A counter-surveillance tool to detect the presence of listening devices. |
| 1940 | Space Shuttle (from Hell Ship of Space by Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr.) A space-going vessel for trips from the surface of a planet to a ship in orbit, and back. |
| 1940 | Electro-Automatic Pistol (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) Circular, pocket-sized weapon. |
| 1940 | Pocket-Caller (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) Private communication device that fits in your pocket. |
| 1940 | Silk-Metal (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) A very tough fabric. |
| 1940 | Radium-Action Lighter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) A personal device used to ignite tobacco products. |
| 1940 | Rocket Cruiser (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) A privately owned space ship. |
| 1940 | Rocket-Belt (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) A single-user propulsion pack. |
| 1940 | Atom-Shifter (from The Worlds of Tomorrow by Manly Wade Wellman) A device that 'softens' matter, making it possible for a person to pass through. |
| 1940 | Talking Robot (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov) An impractical robot, for display only. |
| 1940 | Gesturing Robot (from Robbie by Isaac Asimov) A robot that uses gestures to communicate. |
| 1940 | Paralysis Bomb (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein) A device like a hand grenade that released paralyzing radiation. |
| 1940 | Synthetic Personality (from If This Goes On... by Robert Heinlein) A artificial identity, a legal fiction of a person. |
| 1940 | Paralyzing Gun (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) Renders senseless any human in its path. |
| 1940 | Trumpaphone (from The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years by Don Wilcox) A loud, brassy instrument. |
| 1940 | Iridium-Sponge Brain (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder) A human-like metal brain for robots. |
| 1940 | Asbestos Sunshade (from The Achilles Heel by Raymond Z. Gallun) A means of shielding oneself from the sun's rays. |
| 1940 | Robot Suicide (from Adam Link's Vengeance by Eando Binder) A robot decides to commit suicide, and sets up a mechanism to put his decision into effect. |
| 1941 | Astrogation (to Astrogate) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) To navigate in space. |
| 1941 | Disinto (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov) A disintegrating ray. |
| 1941 | Energy Weapon (from Seesaw by A.E. van Vogt) A device that fires pure energy, used as a weapon. |
| 1941 | Self-Lighting Cigarette (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A cigarette with a matchhead built in. |
| 1941 | Orbital Mirror (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon) A huge reflective surface in orbit around a planet or moon, the purpose of which is to focus sunlight onto the surface. |
| 1941 | Weather Integrator (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An entire technology for controlling the weather. |
| 1941 | Positronic Brain (from Reason by Isaac Asimov) A computer CPU with the capacity to rival a human brain. |
| 1941 | Stunner (from Fire-Power by S.D. Gottesman) A non-lethal weapon; typically used like a firearm but only renders its victim unconscious. |
| 1941 | Neoterics (from Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon) Pure engineering genius on tap. |
| 1941 | Oxygen Freshener (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) A device that removed carbon dioxide from air and replaced it with fresh oxygen. |
| 1941 | Parking Orbit (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An orbit from which access to the planet's surface via a small auxiliary vessel is quick and uncomplicated. |
| 1941 | Instant Customized Clothing (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A machine that produced a selected item of clothing, on the spot, based on customer demand. |
| 1941 | Newsbox (News-Receptor) (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Also referred to as a microviewer; could search media programming for news on a particular words used in the broadcast. |
| 1941 | Magnetized Boots (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) Special shoes to allow walking in and around a metal ship with no artificial gravity. |
| 1941 | Blastick (from The Traitor by Kurt von Rachen) A scorching beam weapon |
| 1941 | Sleep Surrogate (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Pharmaceutical designed to make up for lost sleep. |
| 1941 | Camden Speedster (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A super sports utility vehicle (SUV); it drives on the highway, the water and jumps into the air for short periods. |
| 1941 | Mind Control Genetically Modified Food (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Plants that are modified to produce specific combinations of flavors. |
| 1941 | Cold-Sleep (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A state of hibernation, created by lowered temperature and metabolism. |
| 1941 | Automated Hotel Reservation (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A hotel that did not use clerks; a self-service hotel. |
| 1941 | 'Chatterbox' News-Receptor (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An appliance for listening to the news that lacked content controls. |
| 1941 | Talking Speedometer (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon) A gauge that tells you its value verbally |
| 1941 | Interplanetary Union Of Spacemen (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner) An organized union of people who work in space. |
| 1941 | Automatic Speeding Fine (from Old Fireball by Nat Schachner) An automated device that not only computes the speed of a vehicle, but registers and then issues an electronic citation. |
| 1941 | Joy-boat Junior (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A private space yacht, capable of suborbital journeys. |
| 1941 | Traffic Control Camera (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An automated camera system that photographs license plates as cars move past on a road system. |
| 1941 | Space Overalls (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) Light-duty space suit. |
| 1941 | Lunar Used Spacecraft Lot (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A sales lot for used spacecraft |
| 1941 | Cold-Rest (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Lowering body temperature and metabolic levels, as in hibernation; also called reduced temperature somnolence. |
| 1941 | Hypnotic injunction (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A method of hypnosis that prevents people from revealing particular information. |
| 1941 | Group Ego (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A group mind; a single entity that shares a number of bodies. |
| 1941 | Robopark (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An automated parking garage. |
| 1941 | Psychophone (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi) A device that allows the user to tune their mind to a future reality - a time-traveling device. |
| 1941 | Robot Mother (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi) A self-replicating robot, which creates a series of helper bots that adapt to conditions as needed. |
| 1941 | Slidewalk (from Sanity by Fritz Leiber) A moving sidewalk; a conveyor belt for people. |
| 1941 | Fresher (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Short for "refreshing chamber,", it is the future of personal hygiene technology. |
| 1941 | Golden Shuttles (Mechanical Mice) (from The Mechanical Mice by Maurice G. Hugi) Very small robots with an appetite for watch parts. |
| 1941 | Controlway (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) An automated highway system that takes full operational control of vehicles traveling upon it. |
| 1941 | Howard Families (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A project designed to produce a group of people with exceptionally long life. |
| 1941 | Roving Bomb (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) Special zero-gee guided bomb. |
| 1941 | Vanwinkling (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp) Another name for time-traveling into the future. |
| 1941 | Space Rush (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner) The Outer Space equivalent of the gold rush. |
| 1941 | Asteroid Lanes (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner) Regular routes traversed by asteroids. |
| 1941 | Pilot Beam (from Methuselah's Children by Murray Leinster) A signalling device that space craft in orbit descending to Earth could home in on and land. |
| 1941 | Young Blood - New Blood For Old (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Replacing the blood plasma of older people with material from younger people. |
| 1941 | Interplanetary Clearance (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Bureaucratic red tape associated with busy space ports. |
| 1941 | Space Socks (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) Protective garments for the lower extremities. |
| 1941 | Charted Planetoid Mines (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond) Charting the planetoids and minor bodies for mining purposes. |
| 1941 | Bee Wing (from Slacker's Paradise by Malcolm Jameson) A flapping wing aircraft in use on Mars. |
| 1941 | Alterable License Number (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A device which permits a driver to alter the license plate without leaving the vehicle. |
| 1941 | Paralyzing Eye (from The Best-Laid Scheme by L. Sprague de Camp) False eye contains mechanism for causing brief paralysis. |
| 1941 | Sleep Destroying Field (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon) Causes lack of sleep. |
| 1941 | Momentum Screen (from Completely Automatic by Theodore Sturgeon) Allows a spacemen to avoid the problem of "high gee" forces on take-off. |
| 1941 | Dewlog (from The Traitor by Kurt von Rachen) A drug with the side-effect of virtually eliminating hunger. |
| 1941 | Metal Solvent Ray Thrower (from Lost Rocket by Manly Wade Wellman) Acts like a flame thrower in space. |
| 1941 | Space Tunnel (from The Man Who Bought Mars by Polton Cross) An enclosed gang plank extended between space ships. |
| 1941 | Electrono-Mirror (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond) Focuses the sun's rays on a planetary surface for terraforming purposes. |
| 1941 | Space Placers (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond) Miners who use placer mining techniques adapted from Earth geology. |
| 1941 | A-Bomb (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald) Abbreviation for "atomic bomb". |
| 1941 | Epileptigenic Ray (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald) Ray causes uncontrollable spasms in human subjects. |
| 1941 | Antigrav Boots (from The Day We Celebrate by Nelson S. Bond) Footgear that negate gravity. |
| 1941 | Space Legs (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) The ability to walk under high gee acceleration on a space ship. |
| 1941 | Roboticist (from Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov) A person who creates or works with robots. |
| 1941 | Solar Car (from The Man Who Bought Mars by Polton Cross) A car the energy for which comes from the sun. |
| 1941 | Wall Screen (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) A large size display for video, anchored to a wall, or actually forming the wall itself. |
| 1941 | Bone Conduction Receiver (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald) A concealed radio receiver. |
| 1941 | Visible Halo (from Sixth Column by Anson MacDonald) Providing a religious figure with a technological sign of grace. |
| 1941 | Quench Field (from The Purple Light by E. Waldo Hunter) Stopped runaway nuclear reactions by quenching the cascades of neutrons. |
| 1941 | Floating Robot (from The Floating Robot by David Wright O'Brien) A robot that floats in mid-air. |
| 1941 | Hell-Stone (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) An incomparably beautiful and rare jewel. |
| 1941 | Chardion Field (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) Electronic 'envelope' that retained atmosphere on tiny worldlets. |
| 1941 | Geodesic Inflexors (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) Propulsion provided not by pushing against matter, but against spacetime. |
| 1941 | Delayed Action Stereoscopic Principle (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Distinguishing far off space craft by relative speed against the fixed stars. |
| 1941 | Atmospherics Switchboard (from Lie on the Beam by John Victor Peterson) Make sure each hotel room has the right atmosphere from the right planet. |
| 1941 | Automatic Refueling Screen (from Biddiver by Theodore Sturgeon) Repels objects that are too big, and gathers small ones for fuel. |
| 1941 | Anti-Robot Propaganda (from Liar by Isaac Asimov) Human activity against robots. |
| 1941 | Robotics (from Liar by Isaac Asimov) The engineering field encompassing the creation and maintenance of robots. |
| 1941 | Time Line (from Time Wants A Skeleton by Ross Rocklynne) The sequence of events leading up to, and past, this moment. |
| 1941 | Squeaker (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart) Used to search out radium in asteroids. |
| 1941 | Spacehound (from Beast of Space by F.E. Hardart) Oddly canine, telepathic beast digs in asteroids for metal. |
| 1941 | Identification Beacon (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Radio pulse to identify orbiting craft. |
| 1941 | Psycho-History (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell) The application of psychology to historical data. |
| 1941 | Hypnosis Ray (from Beyond All Weapons by Eric Frank Russell) Eases the words of dictators into the minds of the credulous. |
| 1941 | Improve Memory (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) Help immortals make sense of their memories. |
| 1941 | Moon-Terror (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) A syndrome common to people who live in less than half Earth-normal gravity. |
| 1941 | Magnetic Sandals (from Star of Dreams by Jack Williamson) Special footgear to walk in zero-gee spacecraft. |
| 1941 | Pseudogravity (from Common Sense by Robert Heinlein) Gravity produced by artifice, rather than by a suitably large mass. |
| 1941 | Space Tanned (from Methuselah's Children by Robert Heinlein) A tan acquired by being exposed to sunlight while outside the atmosphere. |
| 1941 | Flitter (from Vortex Blaster by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A small craft used for short-range journeys. |
| 1941 | Solar Energy Beam (from Masquerade by Clifford Simak) A solar energy plant on Mercury provides power for projects all over the solar system. |
| 1941 | Space Lawyer (Sky-Lawyer) (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner) A lawyer with special knowledge of space law. |
| 1941 | Asteroid Claim Law (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner) The legal steps required in claiming an asteroid |
| 1941 | Thermatite (from Jurisdiction by Nat Schachner) Pure energy fuel mined on asteroids. |
| 1941 | Solar Station (from Reason by Isaac Asimov) A satellite that gathers solar energy in space and then beams it to Earth (or other planetary surface). |
| 1942 | Insosuit (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov) A space suit specially designed to resist extreme heat. |
| 1942 | Thermodyne Heat Ray (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings) Device focuses, and projects, a heat beam. |
| 1942 | Xenephrene Interstellar World (from A Brand New World by Ray Cummings) A planet not attached to a solar system. |
| 1942 | Vac Suit (from Child of the Sun by Leigh Brackett) A space suit, designed for use in vacuum. |
| 1942 | Zero-G Ashtray (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) An ashtray designed for use on a space station. |
| 1942 | Radiation Garment (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) Clothing worn by ordinary citizens to reduce the risk of radiation exposure. |
| 1942 | Thought-Screen (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A device that prevents other people from taking over control of your thoughts and mind. |
| 1942 | Time Dredge (from Time Dredge by Robert Arthur) A device that scoops up material from the past, and returns it to the present. |
| 1942 | Gravanol (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith) A medicine or supplement that helps astronauts deal better with high accelerations. |
| 1942 | Radiant Power Receptor (DeKalbs) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) A device which received and used energy transmitted from a station or satellite. |
| 1942 | Wheelchair Space Station (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) A home in space. |
| 1942 | Broomstick Speedster (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) A two-seater craft capable of spaceflight; it used radiant power to achieve orbit. |
| 1942 | Atomics (from Nerves by Lester del Rey) The field of nuclear energy. |
| 1942 | Electric Wall (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) A wall of electric force. |
| 1942 | Vestan Parasite (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) Semi-intelligent creatures that take control of the nervous system of other animals. |
| 1942 | Interplanetary Communications Center (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith) The backbone for a solar system-wide communications system. |
| 1942 | Negative Safety-Field (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) A paragravity-based shield for space craft. |
| 1942 | Waldo (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) A telefactoring device; also known as the Waldo F. Jones Synchronous Reduplicating Pantograph. |
| 1942 | Terraforming (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) The process of modifying a planetary surface to resemble those of an ideal earth; affects the entire biosphere. |
| 1942 | Three Laws of Robotics (Rules of Robotics) (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov) The original formulation of Asimov's laws of robotics. |
| 1942 | Stasis Field (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) Energy field which prevents time from passing inside the field walls; no time passes, nobody gets hurt. |
| 1942 | Energy Converter (from Runaround by Isaac Asimov) Massive unit on the sunside of Mercury converts heat into energy, and beams it around the solar system. |
| 1942 | Fairy Digits (Tiny Waldoes) (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) Waldoes used for very fine work. |
| 1942 | Alien Self-Government (from Co-Operate or Else by A.E. van Vogt) Rules to assure intelligent aliens the right to govern themselves in freedom. |
| 1942 | Auto-Clerk (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) An automated accounting system. |
| 1942 | Igloo-Shaped Space Shelter (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Easy to set up on airless asteroids. |
| 1942 | Asterite (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) A person who was born and lived amongst the asteroids. |
| 1942 | Thermalarm Relays (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Detects objects by their heat radiation, so space craft can maneuver around them. |
| 1942 | Weight-Shoes (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) Devices intended to make it easier to walk on celestial bodies with weaker gravity. |
| 1942 | Plastifoam (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Used to seal large leaks in space craft. |
| 1942 | Pilot-Robot (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) The piloting gear of a space tug. |
| 1942 | Paragravity (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Artificial gravity. |
| 1942 | Photophone (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) A line-of-sight communications device using light beams. |
| 1942 | Space-Burned (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Analogous to sun-burned. |
| 1942 | Fire Storm (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) When clouds of antimatter dust encountered ordinary matter spaceships. |
| 1942 | Venus Equilateral Relay Station (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith) A converted asteroid that served as the relay station for telecommunications throughout the solar system. |
| 1942 | Martian Sawgrass (from QRM - Interplanetary by George O. Smith) Specialized variety of plant that is used to provide oxygen for space stations. |
| 1942 | Seetee Blinker (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) A marker of contraterrene matter (antimatter) asteroids, to aid in interplanetary navigation. |
| 1942 | Dirigible Space Armor (Working Space Suits) (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Heavy-duty space suits for mining work on asteroids. |
| 1942 | Gravitation Paralysis (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) Dread illness of space travelers striking when changing from very weak to very strong gravities. |
| 1942 | Wabbler (from The Wabbler by Murray Leinster) An autonomous underwater robot. |
| 1942 | Black Coating (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A material that absorbs practically all incident light. |
| 1942 | Contraterrene Matter (Antimatter) (from Collision Orbit by Jack Williamson) Contraterrene (CT) Matter (sometimes abbreviated "Seetee"). |
| 1942 | Telaudiogram (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) An interplanetary communication method. |
| 1942 | Directrix Z9M9Z (from Gray Lensman by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A control center ship for a vast space armada. |
| 1942 | Space Tugs (from Describe a Circle by Eric Frank Russell) Early use of familiar ocean vehicle in space. |
| 1942 | Sobriety Ray (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett) A ray of a particular wavelength and intensity, that conferred instant sobriety on those it shone upon. |
| 1942 | Slideway (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) A slidewalk, or moving walkway, that moves people forward. |
| 1942 | Control Natural (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) A person who is allowed to have an unmodified genetic makeup. |
| 1942 | Capillotomer (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) An automatic shaving machine |
| 1942 | Meteorscope (from The World With A Thousand Moons by Edmond Hamilton) A device that probes ahead in space detecting swarms of deadly meteors. |
| 1942 | The Twonky (from The Twonky by Lewis Padgett) A robotic device from the future, constructed to look like a 1940's radio cabinet. |
| 1942 | News Roundup (from Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein) A device that presents brief story outlines, any of which can be chosen to find details. |
| 1942 | Groundhog (from Waldo by Robert Heinlein) Not a space professional. |
| 1943 | Space Cadet (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A young person training to be a spaceman. |
| 1943 | Pneumo-Slacks (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett) Pants that make you look beefier. |
| 1943 | Airpolo (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) Polo played in mid-air with special aircraft and helium-filled balls. |
| 1943 | Robot Taste Buds (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher) A sensor for robots that would allow it to taste foods like a human being. |
| 1943 | Force Pencil (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Device straps to forearm, projects a force beam. |
| 1943 | Space Weather Map (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt) A map that details hazardous space conditions. |
| 1943 | Flame Barrier (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt) A form of protective force field. |
| 1943 | Deceleration Chambers (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt) Stressed, the ship breaks apart into parts that may survive. |
| 1943 | Mixed Men (from The Storm by A.E. van Vogt) A mostly human being, but with an additional robot brain. |
| 1943 | Vastening (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett) It's hard to describe, but it's a robotic sense perception. |
| 1943 | Viewscreen Pentagon (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A display with a central, pentagonal display surrounded by square displays attached to the sides. |
| 1943 | Polyfrequency Neutralizer (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Dissolves projected solidographs (holograms). |
| 1943 | Plastibulb (from The Proud Robot by Lewis Padgett) A squeezable drink container. |
| 1943 | Inviolability Field (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) A kind of field of force built into a robe, to protect an individual person. |
| 1943 | Adjustable House (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) A house with elastic walls and structural members, the shape of which can be changed. |
| 1943 | Visigraphic Crowd Emotional Record (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) A graphic record of the emotions of a crowd. |
| 1943 | Personality Alteration (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Permanent alternation of personality, the tools of the trade. |
| 1943 | Zeroentropy Spray (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) A method of reducing the disorder of an object as much as possible, reducing the temperature close to absolute zero. |
| 1943 | Impervium (from Clash by Night by Lawrence O'Donnell) Unique material is impenetrable and indestructible. |
| 1943 | Telesolidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Projects three-dimensional images at great distances. |
| 1943 | Treatment of Extramundane Aborigines (from Symbiotica by Eric Frank Russell) Laws for aliens on their own planet. |
| 1943 | Durasteel (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) More durable than steel? |
| 1943 | Coldlight (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A means of producing illumination that does not produce heat. |
| 1943 | Filmag (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A video magazine. |
| 1943 | Stratoyacht (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A privately-owned pleasure craft capable of attaining orbit. |
| 1943 | Rocketeer (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A person who pilots rockets. |
| 1943 | Aladur (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) High tensile strength, lightweight material. |
| 1943 | Manshell (from Sunward Flight by Leo Zagat) A spaceship large enough for just one man; also an escape pod. |
| 1943 | Solidograph (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Long distance projection of three-dimensional images. |
| 1943 | Meteor-Spotting Radar (from Recoil by George O. Smith) A device to warn spacecraft of oncoming meteors. |
| 1943 | Robot Chef (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher) Creative, autonomous robotic cook. |
| 1943 | Verhaeren Factor (from Robinc by Anthony Boucher) Provides autonomous robots with the capacity for independent creative action. |
| 1943 | Usuform Robot Bartender (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher) A robotic bartender that is designed along purely functional lines. |
| 1943 | Royalties For Imitation Learning Subjects (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher) A payment to people who are used as subjects for imitation learning by robots. |
| 1943 | Usuform Robot (from Q.U.R. by Anthony Boucher) A robot designed strictly along functional lines. |
| 1943 | Rod of Wrath (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) A sword made of light. |
| 1943 | Off-World (from Judgement Night by C.L. Moore) Not of Earth. |
| 1943 | Micro Book (Microbook) (from One Way Trip by Anthony Boucher) A very small volume, possibly an electronic book. |
| 1943 | Pain Canopy (from Gather, Darkness! by Fritz Leiber) Pain by nerve induction improves interrogation. |
| 1944 | Robotic Arm (from City by Clifford Simak) A specialized robotic reaching and grasping device. |
| 1944 | Battle Integrator (from The Bureaucrat by Malcolm Jameson) A three-dimensional representation of warfare in space. |
| 1944 | Solar Beam (from The Long Way by George O. Smith) Obtaining solar power by means of a direct connection with the sun. |
| 1944 | Gyrocar Monorail (from The Anarch by Malcolm Jameson) A self-balancing vehicle. |
| 1944 | Energy Screen (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt) A field of force. |
| 1944 | Hollow Asteroid (from Juke Box Asteroid by Joseph Farrell) An asteroid that has been hollowed out for use as a space habitat. |
| 1944 | Robot Lawn Mower (from City by Clifford Simak) An automated lawn mower. |
| 1944 | Relations with Extraterrestrial Life (from Ogre by Clifford Simak) Instructions to earth citizens on how to behave when encountering alien civilizations. |
| 1944 | Gravitics (from Tricky Tonnage by Malcolm Jameson) The science of using gravity as a technology. |
| 1944 | Life Blanket (from Ogre by Clifford Simak) Sentient moss which, when draped over the shoulders of a human being, becomes fully self-aware, providing valuable services. |
| 1944 | Star Base (from Star Base X by R.M. Williams) An installation or station at an important interstellar location. |
| 1944 | Rust Ray Pistol (from Gambler’s Asteroid by Manly Wade Wellman) Makes the hardest steel or iron crumbly. |
| 1944 | Multiple Robot Team (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov) A set of robots, with the leader able to coordinate the activities of less intelligent subsidiary robots. |
| 1944 | Robot Voice (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov) A voice box for a robot that is an analog of the human voice system. |
| 1944 | Eternity Drug (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt) A medication that puts a person into a deep hibernation-like sleep for decades at a time. |
| 1944 | Automatic Massager (from Far Centaurus by A.E. van Vogt) An autonomous massage machine with robotic arms and hands. |
| 1944 | Suit-Radio (from The Long Way by George O. Smith) A means of communication between two individuals clad in space suits. |
| 1944 | Mal de Void (from Off the Beam by George O. Smith) Literally, space sick. |
| 1944 | Asteroid Mining Robot (from Catch That Rabbit by Isaac Asimov) An autonomous robot able to effectively mine asteroids. |
| 1944 | Turnover (from Off the Beam by George O. Smith) The point in a torchship's trajectory when it must flip over and point its fiery tail toward its destination to decelerate. |
| 1945 | Electronic Locator (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt) A device that determines the location of a person. |
| 1945 | Games Machine (from World of Null-A by A.E. van Vogt) A vast computer system. |
| 1945 | Plastic Constructor (3D Printer) (from Things Pass By by Murray Leinster) A 3D printer - for spaceships. |
| 1945 | Cosmoquake (from Things Pass By by Murray Leinster) Gravity waves ripple across the solar system. |
| 1945 | Geosynchronous Satellite (from V2 for Ionospheric Research by Arthur C. Clarke) A communications satellite that appears to "hover" over one spot on the earth's surface; it goes around the earth in twenty-four hours. |
| 1945 | Escapecraft (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster) A small spacecraft used when abandoning the main ship. |
| 1945 | Sleeve Communicator (from First Contact by Murray Leinster) An electronic device controller built into clothing. |
| 1945 | Vision Plate (from First Contact by Murray Leinster) A flat panel monitor. |
| 1945 | Overdrive (from First Contact by Murray Leinster) A propulsion technology that allows a craft to travel at faster-than-light speed. |
| 1945 | Ship Hull Thermobatteries (from The Ethical Equations by Murray Leinster) Solar activated and charged batteries built into the hull of a spacecraft. |
| 1945 | Meteor Blasters (from First Contact by Murray Leinster) Energy beams that would destroy space debris or rocks that lay in the path of a spacecraft. |
| 1946 | Spotcast (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner) A new form of one-to-many communication. |
| 1946 | Robot Bus (from The Little Things by Henry Kuttner) An autonomous vehicle to transport groups of people. |
| 1946 | Sunless Planet (from Dead Hand by Isaac Asimov) A planet that is not bound to a star. |
| 1946 | Gravity Port (from Shadow Over Venus by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Used for refueling. |
| 1946 | Carson Circuit (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster) A means of distinguishing betweem millions of different information sources - the secret of the Internet. |
| 1946 | Tanks (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster) Device that provides mass storage of information. |
| 1946 | Logics (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster) Machines that let you request information, and then display it for you on a screen. |
| 1946 | Roboticist (from Evidence by Isaac Asimov) A person who works on robots. |
| 1946 | Logics Service (from A Logic Named Joe by Murray Leinster) A networked service that retains all of your personal information, schedules and phone messages online. |
| 1946 | Pocket Universe (from Pocket Universes by Murray Leinster) A created, separate space within the normal space of the universe. |
| 1946 | Mining Worm (Robot) (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell) An autonomous mining robot shaped like a worm. |
| 1946 | Plastic Igloo (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell) A heavy plastic shelter for use in airless environments. |
| 1946 | Star Travel (from Forgotten World by Edmond Hamilton) Undertaking a journey between the stars. |
| 1946 | Asteroid Mine (from Love Among The Robots by Emmett McDowell) The practice of seeking out and mining asteroids for their ore. |
| 1947 | Asteroid Nets (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen) Capturing small asteroids or fragments using rocket nets. |
| 1947 | Self-Opening Box (from Child's Play by William Tenn) Don't show this to Apple. |
| 1947 | Gravitic Generator (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith) A device that produces an artificial gravity field. |
| 1947 | Hedgerly Effect (from Meddler's Moon by George O. Smith) A means of producing a gravitational field artificially. |
| 1947 | Synchrophased Power Beams (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster) Focuses energy beams from multiple planets on the same object. |
| 1947 | Space-Dory (from Asteroid Justice by V.E. Thiessen) A small spacecraft sometimes used as a life boat. |
| 1947 | Gyrocab (from You Are Forbidden! by Jerry Shelton) A flying taxi. |
| 1947 | Mechanical Funeral (from The Coffin by Ray Bradbury) An entirely autonomous burial rite. |
| 1947 | Prime Directive (from With Folded Hands by Jack Williamson) The first and most important rule; usually protective. |
| 1947 | Wango Wave (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster) Energy surge that accompanies the entrance into, and exit from, overdrive outside of normal space. |
| 1947 | Ion Drive (from Equalizer by Jack Williamson) A space drive that emits a stream of ions as reaction mass; it starts out slow but builds up to interstellar speeds. |
| 1947 | Planet-Smasher (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster) Devices capable of destroying an entire planet. |
| 1947 | Psychoscanner (from Propagandist by Murray Leinster) A device capable of taking impressions, feelings and memories from living brains; it can be used on animals as well. |
| 1948 | Electro-Education (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton) The latest thing in electrically stimulated learning. |
| 1948 | Learning-Cap (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton) A special metal helmet for electro-education. |
| 1948 | Telescreen (from 1984 by George Orwell) Very early use of the idea of using technology to monitor human activity at a distance. |
| 1948 | High-Frequency Oven (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) This describes the essence of a microwave. |
| 1948 | Solidograph-Projector (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper) A device that projected a 3D image of objects or a person. |
| 1948 | Brain Erasure (from The Knowledge Machine by Edmond Hamilton) Deleting selected knowledge from the brain using electrical impulses. |
| 1948 | Speakwrite (from 1984 by George Orwell) A dictation machine that also transcribes the speech into typed words. |
| 1948 | Precog (v) (from Police Operation by H. Beam Piper) To see the future. |
| 1948 | Crimestop (from 1984 by George Orwell) The faculty of stopping short, as though by instict, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. |
| 1948 | Rewriting History (from 1984 by George Orwell) Use of sophisticated technology to continuously rewrite the historical record. |
| 1948 | Portable Telephone (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) The essence of a cell phone. |
| 1948 | Microwavable Food (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) Food that is prepared specifically for use in a microwave (high-frequency) oven. |
| 1948 | Novel-Writing Machines (from 1984 by George Orwell) A device that automatically produces fiction. |
| 1948 | Memory Hole (from 1984 by George Orwell) A receptacle for unwanted documents. |
| 1948 | Gravity Centrifuge (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) Used in low gravity environments to build up muscle for visits to Earth, or other high gravity worlds. |
| 1948 | Space Ark (from Decision Illogical by N.B. Wilkinson) A very large ship used to transport a large group of people. |
| 1948 | Star Drive (from Genius by Poul Anderson) The propulsion unit for an interstellar space craft. |
| 1948 | Personal Rocket Jet (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) A small, handheld jet pack that can be used to maneuver freely in space. |
| 1948 | Tag-Along Balloon (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein) A bladder-like device that both finds and temporarily fixes leaks in moon tunnels or space station habitats. |
| 1948 | Moonquake-Proof Habitats (from Gentlemen, Be Seated by Robert Heinlein) Moonbases that are built to withstand quakes on the Moon. |
| 1948 | Atmospheric Braking (from Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein) Using a planet's atmosphere to gradually decelerate a spacecraft. |
| 1948 | Moonbase (or Moon Base) (from 240,000 Miles Straight Up by L. Ron Hubbard) A base of operations on Earth's moon. |
| 1948 | Doublethink (from 1984 by George Orwell) A mental discipline that is an exact contradiction to the basic principles of scientific inquiry. |
| 1948 | Versificator (from 1984 by George Orwell) A device that composes words to music. |
| 1949 | Stationary Automatic Blaster (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein) An automated defensive blaster. |
| 1949 | Bubble Armor Space Suit (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) Steel bubble-shaped space suit. |
| 1949 | Metal Calculator Planet (from Limiting Factor by Clifford Simak) A planet covered entirely with machinery to a height of twenty miles and covered with a metal roof. |
| 1949 | Gee (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair) Using the standard letter designation in physics for gravity. |
| 1949 | Skimmer (from Lost Ulysses by W.L. Bade) Low-flying, hovering vehicle. |
| 1949 | 'Fresher (from Gulf by Robert Heinlein) Short for 'refreshing chamber', a device that performs various personal services. |
| 1949 | Mind-Lock (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) A device that confines a mind within its own shielded area. |
| 1949 | Vivo-Gel (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) Semi-living material. |
| 1949 | Quizzer (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) An autonomous mind-probe. |
| 1949 | Visiglobe (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) A display that provided a spherical, 3D visualization of a scene. |
| 1949 | Mind-Parasite (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) Takes over the cognition of a host organism. |
| 1949 | Telepath Transmitter (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) A device for long distance communication that makes use of telepathy. |
| 1949 | Desert Cabbage (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein) A giant plant that regulates its internal temperature even on Mars. |
| 1949 | Herculoy (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance) A very strong alloy like steel. |
| 1949 | Spacewarp Drive (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown) A means of faster-than-light travel. |
| 1949 | Fluor Strips (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair) Lighting long narrow devices. |
| 1949 | Self-Igniter (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance) A self-lighting cigarette. |
| 1949 | Resilian (from The Howling Bounders by Jack Vance) A natural fiber that is as strong as steel. |
| 1949 | Three Generation Work (Century Piece) (from The Sub-Standard Sardines by Jack Vance) An artwork created by three consecutive generations of artists, in exactly one century. |
| 1949 | Painted Respirator Masks (from Red Planet by Robert Heinlein) Children choose to decorate otherwise uniform equipment masks. |
| 1949 | Synthetigrav (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) General term for any of the fields produced by synthetic gravity devices. |
| 1949 | Emergency Treatment Tank (Chamber) (from Agent of Vega by James Schmitz) A fully enclosed regeneration device. |
| 1949 | Space Scurvy (Kenoalgia) (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair) A wasting disease of space travel. |
| 1949 | Shari (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair) A multipurpose net worn as clothing. |
| 1949 | Bolt Anti-Grav (from Sacred Martian Pig (Idris' Pig) by Margaret St. Clair) This device produces a torus-shaped discharge that causes weightlessness. |
| 1949 | Repulsor (from What Mad Universe by Frederic Brown) A device that inhibits the action of a spacewarp drive. |
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Dyson's Secret Household Robots
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re: Clifford Simak
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re: John Brunner
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re: Karen Traviss
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Robot Covered In Living Human Skin
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Dall-E 2 Creates Art To Order
re: F.L. Wallace
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SpaceX Rocket Quick Reaction Force
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Do AIs Create Their Own Language?
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Vortex Rings Of Light
re: John W. Campbell
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Google Engineer Convinced LaMDA Chatbot Is Sentient, Is Sent Home
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Sorry, Futurists! Tamagotchi Kids, Virtual Children Already Predicted By SF Writer in 2008
re: Stephen Baxter
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Tortoise Mobile Smart Stores
re: Karl Schroeder
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Solar House Concept Unfolds Solar Panels Like A Flower
re: Clifford Simak
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Musk: Defeat The Bots, Authenticate The Humans
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Lonestar Offers Lunar Storage For Ultimate In Security
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Envisioning Starship Earth Travel - In 1930 By Max Valier
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re: William Gibson
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Carbon Robotics: War Of The Worlds As A Metaphor For Weed Control
re: HG Wells
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MOOSE: Man Out Of Space Easiest or Manned Orbital Operations Safety Equipment
re: Doc Smith
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Liquid Lenses Adjust Automatically, Not Quite Dune Binoculars
re: Frank Herbert
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re: Larry Niven
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The Dune Ornithopter, Movie And Book
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(See More Science Fiction in the News)
