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An Encyclopedia of Sci-Fi Technology?

Posted by Cliff on from the wikipedia-has-quite-a-bit dept.

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?

5 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Ultimate Star Trek Resource by SpectreHiro · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.
  2. Spaceflight-specific, sort of. by Myself · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

  3. Orion's Arm and Technovol by PxM · · Score: 3, Informative

    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

    1. Re:Orion's Arm and Technovol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Technovelgy.com has (as of today) 1,056 science fiction ideas and inventions from 314 different works by 135 different authors. The material is cross-referenced by book, author, subject matter category, timeline and alpha-sort. Entries range from Jules Verne's "retro rockets" to Cordwainer Smith's "laminated mouse brain computer" to Robert Heinlein's "waldoes" to Larry Niven's "Ringworld" to ... you get the picture.

      I accept contributions from all readers; I'm currently redoing my site and database to allow reader additions and alterations (wiki-style). Tagging by readers is also on the way.

      The site also offers hundreds of articles about recent science and technology advances that were presaged by science fiction writers.

      Any discussion of how I can improve the site is appreciated!

      Bill Christensen
      Technovelgy.com

  4. Here's one... by RingDev · · Score: 3, Funny

    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