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An Encyclopedia of Sci-Fi Technology?
RobotWisdom asks: "Is there a wiki somewhere that I haven't found, dedicated to cataloging all the technological innovations imagined by science fiction writers? So that if someone wants to explore a particular class of innovation like weapons, or medical, or transportation, they can (eventually) easily find summaries of all the major thinking on that topic? And if it hasn't been started yet, does anyone have the wherewithal to start it?" If such a thing isn't available in one place, what sites have you found that catalog the technology of specific sci-fi mythologies?
I was reading a Wikipedia article about a Wiki vandal. It said he vandalized Wiki and this Star Trek wiki. So I was like ooh... what's this... and then it hit me. This vandal, who tried to damage this wiki, had instead inadvertently drawn my traffic to it. Thanks, Willie on Wheels! :D
Some misguided trekkies would send you to Memory Alpha, but that place is strictly bush league. If you want the best in Treknology, all the way down to fictional elements and even elementary particles, you've gotta head to Ex Astris Scientia. When I found this place, it blew my freaking mind.
Engage!
You can't win, Darth. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
David Darling has tons of info on spaceflight and advanced propulsion concepts. Some of them are present-day stuff, like ion thrusters and solar sails. Others are pure wild speculation, various forms of faster-than-light travel, etc. It's incredibly readable and quite broad.
Are you familar with ShouldExist and HalfBakery? They're also not sci-fi-specific, but a good place to check out ideas and post your own.
I like Peter F. Hamilton's rejuvenation and memory storage crystal technology. He invented the technology in one book, Misspent Youth, and then carried it over to his Commonwealth Saga. His space travel technology in the Night's Dawn trilogy isn't as interesting, but the neural implant and artificial intelligence technologies he describes in Fallen Dragon is phenomonal.
How we know is more important than what we know.
It may not be tech-specific, but Memory Alpha has the most detailed technological descriptions behind Star Trek technology that I've seen. For example, take a look at their phaser page.
Try this: http://www.technovelgy.com/ The site lists sci-fi stuff and real world instances of that tech.
I also suggest Orion's Arm. It's a "reference" for a pretty in depth sci-fi universe and has a nice encyclopedia of tech and social ideas.
http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg/index.html
My wife and I played the alphabet game of sci-fi species while on our latest road trip. When we returned home I tried to look up letters we had difficulty with. There were a few lists of species, but they were all missing one or another major component - some had Star Trek, but not Babylon 5, or had Babylon 5 but not Farscape, or, well you get the idea.
This Sci-Fi encyclopedia is a damn fine idea and I might just throw in a few submissions of my own. Where's the petition I sign to get this one rolling?
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
Not quite an Encyclopedia, but try looking at role playing games manuals, like GURPS Ultra-Tech.
Silly robot, there is life beyond the web.
Now, all of those encyclopedias of science fiction are stored in the library at the University of Texas. You very likely live nowhere near Texas. The point is that there are about a zillion encyclopedias of science fiction around, and you can find them easily. Check YOUR local library. Even if you haven't got a university library, I'll bet your local library has atleast one of these, unless, possibly, you live in a town with a very very small library. In which case you can get it through inter-library loan, or buy it cheap from a used bookseller.
Now, I'm no luddite; if somebody wants to build a gigantic science fiction wiki, terrific, have fun. I'm just annoyed that so many people now think of the Internet as the One True Source of Information, which contains All Wisdom and Knowledge. Good grief.
Star Wars Technical Commentaries - teh roxxorz
c lopedia/frontmatter/entergl.html
http://theforce.net/swtc/
Babylon 5 Tech-Manual
http://www.b5tech.com/index.htm
Uplift Universe Galactic Library
http://www.geocities.com/allianceforprogress/ency
i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
I had an Idea like this a few weeks ago and registered SciFind.net and SciFind.org with hopes to put them to this sort of use. The .com has aparently been sitting for 8 years with nothing there.
My idea is to have keyword and tech searching to help you find a particular Sci-Fi short story with the tech/plot/style/etc.. you are looking for. This would require a good and comprehensive list of technologies in order to work. My plan is to read Sci-Fi, and build the database gradually.
-John Fenley
This book, ISBN 1 85723 897 4, by John Clute and Peter Nichols, published by Orbit publishing, is a huge collection of encyclopedic entries on everything Sci-fi, from authors, to themes, literary terms, but pertaining to this discussion, the science as well. It will list the history, who talked about it or used it, the theories behind the science and the fiction of the idea, and give cross references. I have it on my shelf since I have an English Lit degree, but took a class on Sci-Fi and have been reading it all my life. It's priceless ( except for right here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031213486X/102-84 00598-1536961?v=glance&n=283155 ) and I highly recommend it.
First use of various words in Sci Fi:
http://www.jessesword.com/sf/home
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fictional_te chnology
It could always use improvement of course, but it seems fairly comprehensive already.
I have a hint for you: just go to en.wikipedia.org ... basicaly contributors are able to write about topics that interest them.
The geekness of this encyclopaedia is beyond me! There is always more information on the last "Lost" episode or any Mario game than on some XIX century poet I was searching for the other day. It's because it's voluntarily edited and
But, seriously. If you enter the fictional technology name, or the novel / movie title, you're most likely to find what you want. Of course there are other wikis or pseudo wikis, sometimes quite big but usually they are limited to one fictional universe (Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Men etc)
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/
If I could force every Hollywood writer to spend a few hours reading before they scripted another line of "sci-fi", this is where I would send them all.
Start at stardestroyer.net for Some information on Star Trek and Star Wars. It has excellent links to a number of other useful sites and the forums have more than a view people who are quite knowledgeable about a lot of areas of sci-fi and can probably recommend good sites for other universes.
http://www.uspto.gov/ ;)
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
that's excactly what I was looking for
This Wikipedia page has lots of Honorverse links within it.
David Weber (the author concerned) has plenty of well-matched technology in his books, several of which are available here, complete. You can also join Baen's Bar to ask questions and generally discuss the properties of not just the Honorverse, but basically any of the Baen-based universes.
Jim Baen, the book company's founder, recently and sadly died from a stroke but thoughtfully had already left plans in place for Baen Books to continue in his absence.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
Try http://www.technovelgy.com/
I like this one about space combat: Hammer of Thor, Lightning of Zeus