Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660Gernsback, Hugo
Science
Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660
Gernsback, Hugo
Science fiction
His first essay in this field was his monthly magazine, _Modern
Electrics_, the first to attempt to outline in language understandable
by American youth the newly developing science of _wireless
communication_. He made of this first venture into the publishing
business a medium wherein, amid serious newsy articles regarding
current electrical developments, his eager imagination could find full
play. The most outstanding, most extraordinary prophecies which this
young clairvoyant had at that time conceived--all based on his keen
observations and appreciation of their real significance and trend--he
chose to record in the guise of a fanciful romance bearing the
strange, cabalistic title of this book.
The author, even at that early date (1911) had a clear conception of
future television, then quite unheard of, almost undreamed of. He dubs
it "Telephot" and outlines its revolutionary utilities. His hero,
Ralph, explains to his enamorata how man has mastered weather-control.
Only today has a professor shown New York City how to end its water
famine by man-made torrential rains. Years in advance of their advent
he describes libraries of microfilm projected on large screens; and
news printed electrolytically, without printer's ink. Today we begin
to read of this as being partially commercialized. His "Menograph," or
thought recorder, is today crudely realized in our lie-detector. By
means of his "Hypnobioscope" most of scholastic studying is done while
the pupil sleeps. Who is bold enough to scoff at the possibility of
such a delightful method? For one, not I.
"Most of the studying was done while one slept," explains Ralph--a
statement truly applicable to many a somnolent student's performance
today!
Ralph explains, as of the year 2660, the resuscitation of animal
(human) life years after the body has been drained of blood. Yet only
yesterday a Russian doctor claims to have accomplished this "miracle."
His 750-year future has already begun to be realized. Many Utopias
are here foretold, such as absolutely permanent non-wearing, metallic
highways, where trolley-cars and gas-driven autos are only ancient
memories, long obsolete.
"Only electrobiles were to be seen." Here the author badly misjudged
the future trend of auto-travel, _away_ from the electric.
He foresaw far better night-illuminated streets than we have yet
attained. Let us hope that we must not wait 750 years until cities are
"as bright by night as by day"; nor New York's climate, man-controlled,
to be "the finest on Earth," with temperatures perennially at 72,
sunshine all day, rain for one hour only, every night! In that future
we shall have reliable transfer of sun energy into electric by means of
photo-electric elements responsive to ultra-violet radiation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account