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Credit where credit is due.... 
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Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:00 pm
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Post Credit where credit is due....
RAH has been the largest influence in my life since I first discovered his writing at age 15 (now 42). Most importantly he taught me to think for myself and NEVER believe the propaganda; as well as teaching the life preserving skill of how to survive as a blue monkey in a cage full of pink monkeys by rubbing the blue mud in my navel when they do and practising the eleventh commandment religiously.

Anyway I just wanted to point out something and get other reader’s opinion on this - I can’t find the answer on Google which makes me think I might be right. I can’t find anyone attributing the first appearance of cell phones or the internet in literature to any specific author. Asimov fiddles around with the concept of a network which answers questions in the evolution of Multivac in The Last Question c1956 by predicting one enormous computer which is used to answer all questions which evolves to function over some kind of network as the story progresses; but no one seems to be suggesting that this pre suggests the www.

Specifics:
Space Cadet c1948 - page two refers very specifically to Mat and Tex both having phones with them which are obviously personal cell phones.

For Us, The Living, written 1938-39 but not published until c2004 - has the characters using a home terminal to request information, which is then delivered to the home printed as “photostatic copies”. Items are also purchased for home delivery using the same terminal. This sounds one hell of a lot like the modern internet to me.

So what does every one think - is it time RAH was credited with predicting both the internet and cell phones?


Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:27 pm
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Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:22 am
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Post Re: Credit where credit is due....
In Expanded Universe, Heinlein's predictions in 1951? (I think) about the world in 2001 included battery-powered personal telephones approximately the size of a pack of cigarettes. In "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" in 1965, you of course have Mike the sentient computer who runs the phone and computer communications on the Moon. Sure looks like the Internet to me -- circa perhaps 1998. ;)

Welcome to the board!

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Catherine Jefferson <ctiydspmrz@ergosphere.net>
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Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:01 pm
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Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:00 pm
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Post Re: Credit where credit is due....
Thanks for the welcome!

So I'm not imagining it then.

The influx of technology of the previous 50 years as been referenced as a result of teenage boys reading science fiction and asking "Why can't I have a communicator like on Star Trek?" and then becoming scientists so they can make these things reality.

There's another cell phone predictor - Star Trek communicators - but that was 1966 and Space Cadet predates that by 18 years.


Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:13 pm
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Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:00 pm
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Post Re: Credit where credit is due....
Just found out that the Dick Tracy watch phone appeared in 1466 - predates Space Cadet by 2 years - Thanks David (our wise and gracious forum administrator)

Next I'll see if I can find a cell phone in any of RAH's work which predates - can't argue with an excuse to re read some RAH can I :)


Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:26 pm
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Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:26 am
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Post Re: Credit where credit is due....
I have read a claim RAH used mobile phones in stories first. But I cannot remember where I read it or what story it was talking about. Was probably on a forum I used to be onany years ago. Templeton gate I believe it was called.


Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:37 am
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