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

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

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1600-1899  1900-1939  1940's  1950's  1960's  1970's  1980's  1990's  2000's  2010's

Date Device Name (Novel Author)
1980 Fuligin (from The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe)
1980 Solar-Powered UAV (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1980 Boosterspice - anti geriatric drug (from Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven)
1980 Deep-Radar (from Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven)
1980 Absolute Black - so dark, you can't see it (from Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams)
1980 Wunderland Treatymaker - peace through power mining (from Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven)
1980 Tracer-Bird - the birdie watches you (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1980 Optic Prosthesis (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1980 Wristband Viewer (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1980 Artificial Butterfly (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1980 Food Factory - fast food from outer space (from Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederik Pohl)
1980 Watercouch (from Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederik Pohl)
1980 Autonomously Recharging UAV (from Changeling by Roger Zelazny)
1981 Virtual world metaphor - early use (from True Names by Vernor Vinge)
1981 Gravity Whip - zero g on a budget (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1981 Data Space (from True Names by Vernor Vinge)
1981 Personality Simulator (from True Names by Vernor Vinge)
1981 Virtual World Kiss (from True Names by Vernor Vinge)
1981 International Fantasy Gaming Society (IFGS) - the fictional basis for the real one (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1981 Monitored In-Home Security Camera (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Robot Probes (Arr-twos) - remote-controlled eyes and ears (from Oath of Fealty by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle))
1981 Iceberg Water Tub - fresh water mountain (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Dream Park - theme park ancestor (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1981 Mechanical Mole - Underground vehicle (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Portal (from True Names by Vernor Vinge)
1981 Briefcase Console - the original notebook computer (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Communications Implant - I think therefore I network (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Todos Santos Independency - maximize your green space (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Cyborg Dolphin (Jones) - war surplus named Jones (from Johnny Mnemonic by William Gibson)
1981 Telepresence Bulldozer - robotics for remote operation (from Oath of Fealty by Jerry Pournelle (w/L. Niven))
1981 Mattress Sleep Sensor - foolproof anti-sleep (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1981 Underground MagLev Train (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1981 Big Noodle (from The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick)
1981 Sleeve Watch - multipurpose clothing (from Dream Park by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
1982 Designer Eyes (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Mindwipe - you may not want your mind (from Mindkiller by Spider Robinson)
1982 Advertising Airship (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Flying Car (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Voight-Kampff Test - are you human? (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Micro Label (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Full-Motion Building Advertising Facade - a new life awaits (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Virtual Reality (Virtual Matrix) - early usage (from The Judas Mandala by Damien Broderick)
1982 Beanstalk (from Friday by Robert Heinlein)
1982 Public Eye (from Friday by Robert Heinlein)
1982 Automated Travel Bureau (from Friday by Robert Heinlein)
1982 Matrix - shared virtual reality (from Burning Chrome by William Gibson)
1982 Cyberspace - the original consensual hallucination (from Burning Chrome by William Gibson)
1982 Esper Photo Analysis - zoom way in (from Blade Runner by Ridley Scott)
1982 Shipstone - lots of power (from Friday by Robert Heinlein)
1982 SAL 9000 (from 2010 by Arthur C. Clarke)
1982 Command Microphone - for Battle Commanders (from Diplomat At Arms by Keith Laumer)
1983 Speedcap - late? Go ballistic! (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Revitalizer Console. - perk up your bloodstream (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Post Office - special package delivery (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Wimp - body without a mind (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Big Computer - wide-screen Jehovah (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Timepress - time in a bottle (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Gnome - built into life support (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Tether Space Station (from Tank Farm Dynamo by David Brin)
1983 Cerebral Microprocessors (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 People-Sorter - catalog them quickly (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Twonky - trashes the time stream (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 Spark Plug (Systematician) (from Dream Thief by Stephen Lawhead)
1983 Time Capsule - time traveler's use them (from Millenium by John Varley)
1983 AM-280 Needle Rifle (from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold)
1983 Luggage - sentient container (from The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett)
1983 Nullboxing Bubble (from Streetlethal by Steven Barnes)
1983 Scooter - zipping around the moon (from Against Infinity by Gregory Benford)
1983 Handbag Computer (from The Futurological Congress by Stanislaw Lem)
1984 Comeye - portable video camera (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Biologics - organic computing (from Blood Music by Greg Bear)
1984 Nullentropy Bin - world's best salad crisper (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 No-Globe (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Medically Applicable Biochip - a microarray (from Blood Music by Greg Bear)
1984 House Records -10K years of information management (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Pulse-Timer (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Life-shield Blanket - save from sensors (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 House Records Archivist - forget holographic memories (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Agony Box - testing for humans (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Datacase - a status-thin briefcase for electronics (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Intellectual Cell - cellular computing (from Blood Music by Greg Bear)
1984 Coffin Rack - coffin hotel (from The Science Fiction Yearbook (ed. Jerry Pournelle) by William Gibson)
1984 Planck Juice - pre-quark beverage (from Master of Space and Time by Rudy Rucker)
1984 Flexitime - you've had enough, pal (from Master of Space and Time by Rudy Rucker)
1984 Sparkers - tasty watts for aliens (from Niven's Laws by Larry Niven)
1984 Composite Expert System - interface with a heart (from Twenty Evocations by Bruce Sterling)
1984 Optic Television (from Twenty Evocations by Bruce Sterling)
1984 Contact Venom (from Twenty Evocations by Bruce Sterling)
1984 Chirpsithra Supercomputer - build your own (from Niven's Laws by Larry Niven)
1984 Proton Pack - don't cross the streams (from Ghostbusters by Harold Ramis)
1984 Ghost Trap (from Ghostbusters by Harold Ramis)
1984 No-Ship (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Wintermute (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Low-Gravity Velodrome (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Mimetic Polycarbon Suit - urban camouflage (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Meat Puppet (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Neural Cut Out Chip - makes a meat puppet (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Kuang Grade Mark Eleven Penetration Program (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Ixian Probe (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Shere - beat the brain scan (from Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert)
1984 Tug Space-going version of the ocean vehicle (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 SimStim - playback your internal experience (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Display-Induced Epileptic Seizure - you looked, you looked (from Press Enter by John Varley)
1984 Interactive Suicide Note (from Press Enter by John Varley)
1984 Edgar (from Electric Dreams by Rusty Lemorande)
1984 Computer-Created Dub (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Vat Grown Meat - no animals harmed (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Biological Circuit Fabrication (from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe by Author Unknown)
1984 Muscle Graft - got muscles? (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Microsoft - the cool kind (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Talking Head - retro output device (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Construct - persona in software (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Selected Melanin Boosting - designer tan (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 JAL Shuttle (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Implanted Microprocessor Monitor (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Temporary Quarters - interior tents (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Robot Crab - robot gardener (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Toothbud Transplant - implanted teeth (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Freeside Orbital Resort (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Nikon Eyes - cultivated eyes (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 ICE (intrusion countermeasures electronics) - anti-hacker (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1984 Mirrorshades - Surgically Inset Glasses - why buy expensive frames? (from Neuromancer by William Gibson)
1985 Fieldstim (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 CCD Eyes - metal eyes (from Stone Lives by Paul Di Filippo)
1985 Subdermal Microchannels - dayglo body mod (from Stone Lives by Paul Di Filippo)
1985 Mnemotropin - helps you build memory (from Stone Lives by Paul Di Filippo)
1985 Earmite (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 Sleep Tube (from Solstice by James Patrick Kelly)
1985 Visor - personal screen (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 Car Sound Tape - what does a hybrid sound like? (from The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert Heinlein)
1985 Tube Rack (from Solstice by James Patrick Kelly)
1985 Sentient Room - not the Radisson (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Video-Manicuring Program (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Sours (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Circumlunar - home with lunar views (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Deceleration Paste - antidote for deceleration trauma (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Mechanist Drogue (from Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling)
1985 Imp Personal Robot (from Rocheworld by Robert Forward)
1985 Wire Act (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 Millipede Train - lotsa little legs (from Eon by Greg Bear)
1985 Spetsdöd (from The Man Who Never Missed by Steve Perry)
1985 Skyball (from A Day For Damnation by David Gerrold)
1985 Military Spider (from A Day For Damnation by David Gerrold)
1985 Plug-Ups (from Passage at Arms by Glen Cook)
1985 Christmas Bush Motile Robot - very fine fingers (from Rocheworld by Robert Forward)
1985 Flying Crowbars - speed kills (from Footfall by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle))
1985 Digger Worm - mining robot (from With Friends Like These by Connie Willis)
1985 Survival Bubble (Beach Ball) - personal rescue enclosure (from Footfall by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle))
1985 Reactive Walls - club scene 2020 (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 Michael (Orion Ship) - atomic pulse rocket (from Footfall by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle))
1985 Microwave Beamer (from Limits by Larry Niven)
1985 Flash Suit - laser game suit (from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card)
1985 Battleroom - ultimate antigrav gaming (from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card)
1985 Free Play (The Mind Game) (from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card)
1985 Desk (Personal Computer) (from Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card)
1985 Smart Bullet - self-guided microshell (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Floater Camera - fly and spy (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Agricultural Robot Pest Controller - picking off the pests (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Bat Wings - enable personal flight (from Limits by Larry Niven)
1985 Beta Beam Satellite (from Limits by Larry Niven)
1985 Police Sketch Artist Software - pc-based police art (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Big Push - miles long slingshot (from Limits by Larry Niven)
1985 Freezone - artificial island community (from Freezone by John Shirley)
1985 Resting Pits (from Limits by Larry Niven)
1985 Adnix (from Contact by Carl Sagan)
1985 Sniffer Robot (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Security Guard Robot (Sentry Robot) (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Self-Propelled Road Mine (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Spider Robot (from Runaway by Michael Crichton)
1985 Orbital Retirement Hotel (from Contact by Carl Sagan)
1986 Memory Biochip (from Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold)
1986 Dustplug - cover your Microsoft slot (from Count Zero by William Gibson)
1986 Slamhound (from Count Zero by William Gibson)
1986 Robot Gun (from Aliens by Alan Dean Foster)
1986 Biosoft (from Count Zero by William Gibson)
1986 Polycarbon Phone Screen (from Count Zero by William Gibson)
1986 Blaupunkt Holostage - a tabletop 3D projector (from Snake-Eyes by Tom Maddox)
1986 Orbital Terminus - airport in orbit (from Count Zero by William Gibson)
1986 Effective Human Implant Technology (EHIT) (from Snake-Eyes by Tom Maddox)
1986 Uterine Replicator (from Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold)
1987 Chiphead - circuits rule, neurons drool (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Robot Cells (Crystal-Shaped Modules) - robot building blocks (from Isaac Asimov's Odyssey : Robot City: Book1 by Michael P. Kube-McDowell)
1987 Hostage Gas (from The Uplift War by David Brin)
1987 Hushicopter (from Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain by Isaac Asimov)
1987 Moddy - no personality? No problem! (from When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger)
1987 Ice Dart - shot with an icicle (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Smart Lanes - my way IS the highway (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Superacid - smart acid (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Birthing egg - IVF without the bother (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Boomer Park - where we're going (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1987 Predator Wrist Display (from Predator by John McTieman)
1987 Electric Monk - belief on demand (from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams)
1987 Raisin - intelligent hearing aid (from Nanotime by Bart Kosko)
1988 Lunar Concrete (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Brainlock - life in the now (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Maas-Neotek Biochip (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Trode-Net - electrode webbing (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Bank Chip - a smart credit card (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 High Tech Trash Can - every beach should have one (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 House Voice - Thurber's nightmare (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Polycarbon Exo - a military exoskeleton (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Projection Rig - envy of presenters (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Korsakov's - mind control (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Suit Designer (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Cleaning Machine Warren (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Hovercraft - rides on a cushion of air (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Dornier - VTOL surveillance drone (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Sculpted Teeth (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Head-Molding Skincaps - (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Recorded Personalities (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Gravitic Lift (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Dainties - tasty spheres (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Microfarm (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Jet-Down - explore planets (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Air-Taxi - hail the skies (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 Book-Film - literary storage (from Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov)
1988 High Orbit Archipelago (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Jackleg - dodge the data cops (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 SIN (Single Identification Number) - national ID (from Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson)
1988 Flickercladding - light emission and absorption (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Video-Glasses - see in all directions at once (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Inert Resin - resinous coatings (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Steel Drugs - in a tank (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Scop - the future of food? (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Didge-Ital - (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Videoshades - be sure to get wraparound style (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Heartshirt - wear your pulse on your sleeve (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Boppers - robots do their own thing (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Data Haven - an alternative web host (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 Week Trees - quick bonsai (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Watchphone (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1988 People-Mover (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Vizzyprint - phone printer (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Twist-Box - hack your own reality (from Wetware by Rudy Rucker)
1988 Digital Running Shoes - just measure it (from Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling)
1989 Treeship (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Can City - spinning space habitat (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Voxbox - talking back (from Tekwar by William Shatner)
1989 Orbiting Penal Colony - Alcatraz in orbit (from Tekwar by William Shatner)
1989 Internet Addiction (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Worldweb All Thing (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Kamikaze Andy - not Threepio (from Tekwar by William Shatner)
1989 Hawking Mat - okay, it's a flying carpet (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Farcaster - step through to another planet (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Cybrid - person as data terminal (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Schrön Loop - ultimate portable data storage (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Free-fall Couch (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Universal Card - every planet you want to be (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Credit Wake - credit card transaction blog (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)
1989 Micromind - just a little AI (from Tides of Light by Gregory Benford)
1989 Wrist Command - very trek (from Tides of Light by Gregory Benford)
1989 Lifezone - biosphere (from Tides of Light by Gregory Benford)
1989 Fatline - FTL communication (from Hyperion by Dan Simmons)

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

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