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)
2000 Anti-Virus Design Software (from Super-Cannes: A Novel by J.G. Ballard)
2000 Oceanic Thermal Energy Converter - energy from the sea (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Beetle - a balloon with a shell (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Napcap Capsule - snooze at will (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Floating Island - living space (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Provigil-C (from A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo)
2000 Artificial Intelligence Device (AID) (from A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo)
2000 Napcap Induction Cap - get a good night's sleep (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Bubble - undersea elevator (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes))
2000 Blurbflies (Sing. Blurbfly) - corporate gadflies create a buzz (from Nymphomation by Jeff Noon)
2000 Randominoes (from Nymphomation by Jeff Noon)
2001 Smart Contact Lenses - data from wearables (from Fast Times At Fairmont High by Vernor Vinge)
2001 Datapack - portable DRAM (from Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert)
2001 Weather Pod - self-contained meteorology lab (from Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert)
2001 Inertial Bracelet (from Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury)
2001 Wearables - computers to go (from Fast Times At Fairmont High by Vernor Vinge)
2002 Minority Report Ads (Biometric Personalized Ads) (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Provigil - sleep surrogate (from When the Devil Dances by John Ringo)
2002 Bullet-guard Overalls (from Kiln People by David Brin)
2002 Maelstrom (from Maelstrom by Peter Watts)
2002 Durachrome (from Honor of the Regiment by Keith Laumer)
2002 Manna (from Manna by Marshall Brain)
2002 Gravity Tube - e-z store (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt)
2002 Pocket Dome - handy space tent (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt)
2002 Vagus Nerve Bio-Chip (from Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold)
2002 Photo-Voltaic Robes (from Snow in the Desert by Neal Asher)
2002 Poppins - Julie Andrews android (from Kiln People by David Brin)
2002 Imprint (A Ditto Blank) - pseudo-you (from Kiln People by David Brin)
2002 Robofish (Mitsubishi Robot Turbot) - robot fish (from Slow Life by Michael Swanwick)
2002 E-Suit (Environmental Suit) (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt)
2002 Ditto Blank - mindless android (from Kiln People by David Brin)
2002 Public Iris Scanner - Mr. Anderton (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Spider Robot - swarming spider bots (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Hyperpig (from Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds)
2002 Mobile Persocom - your animated laptop (from Chobits by Manga Clamp)
2002 Data Tiles - panes of data (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Reggie the Bartending Machine - beverage, sir? (from The Outpost by Mike Resnick)
2002 Wired Glove Interface Display - gesture interface from Minority Report (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Halo - get that man a hat! (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 E-paper Newspaper (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2002 Sick Stick - instant nausea (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg)
2003 Cortical Stack - USB/WiFi flashdrive for your brain (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Automated Sentry - automatic face recognition (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Illuminum - glows with its own light (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Synthetic Sleeve - artificial body (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Needlecast - tightbeam transmission of being (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Olfactory Wakeup Call - wakey wakey eggs and bakey (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Touch Tablet (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Speaker Chips - talking books (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 External Eyelenses - make a spectacle of yourself (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Specimen Track (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Interway - computer-controlled highway (from The Tels by Paul Black)
2003 Little Bird - surveillance drone (UAV) (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 E-Sheet - disposable LCD displays (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Handipad (from Wyrmhole by Jay Caselberg)
2003 Self-Cleaning Gym Suit (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Email Shirt (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Goat/Spider Silk (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Ideator - gene identification (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Alien Tarantula (from Engine City by Ken MacLeod)
2003 Spray-on Surgical Gloves (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Automatic Hotel (Hotel Hendrix) - the hotel is your host (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Traction City Gut (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve)
2003 Municipal Darwinism (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve)
2003 Pigoon - transgenic pig (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Tuned-Laser Decontamination - zap just the bad (from Hybrids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer)
2003 Whuffie (from Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow)
2003 Alibi Archive - personal recording (from Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer)
2003 Causality-violation Device (or Weapon) (from Singularity Sky by Charles Stross)
2003 ChickieNobs (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Mandroid - a mechanical human (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Smart Wallpaper - see who you are (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Traction City - not cities in flight (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve)
2003 Happicuppa Coffee Bush - the race to the bottom (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood)
2003 Slow Gun - past defenses (from Singularity Sky by Charles Stross)
2003 E-paper Hologram (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear)
2003 Autosurgeon - doctor's robot helper (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Biolution - biological manufacturing (from The Tels by Paul Black)
2003 Philips Squeeze Gun (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan)
2003 Companion Implant - life monitor (from Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer)

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

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
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SF in the News

A Passing Drone Has Covid-19 Advice
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re: Philip K. Dick
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re: Larry Niven
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Arkangel: Automatic Visual Censoring
re: George Orwell
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re: Ray Cummings
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re: Isaac Asimov
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re: Philip K. Dick
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Drones Used To Smuggle Contraband Into Prison
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re: Pohl and Kornbluth
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FlyCroTug Micro Drones Do Heavy Lifting
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re: Various
(2/21/2020)

Robot Teaches Itself To Walk
re: Stephen Barr
(2/19/2020)

DARPA's Subterranean Challenge
re: Ridley Scott
(2/17/2020)

FCC Asks For Feedback On Repeal Of Net Neutrality
re: John Brunner
(2/15/2020)

Airbnb Has Surveillance Device Suggestions
re: Pournelle and Niven
(2/13/2020)

Prufrock The Newest Boring Machine
re: Paul Ernst
(2/11/2020)

EVs To Be Made In ICE Detroit-Hamtramck Plant
re: John Jacob Astor IV
(2/9/2020)

AI Musicians Reach For The Top Of The Charts
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Neural Net Discovers Antibiotic
re: John M. Faucette
(2/5/2020)

China Delivery Robot Development Quickens During COVID-2019 Outbreak
re: Bruce Sterling
(2/3/2020)

Via Virtual Reality, Mother Encounters Deceased Daughter
re: Stephen Baxter
(2/1/2020)

Clothes That Do Photosynthesis
re: JG Ballard
(1/30/2020)

Stratuscent Electronic Nose
re: Michael Crichton
(1/28/2020)

CIMON Companion Robot For Space Station Astronauts
re: James Blish
(1/26/2020)

Qbit Robot Bartender Also Makes Coffee
re: Alfred Bester
(1/24/2020)

(See More Science Fiction in the News)

 

 

 
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