John W. Campbell: Difference between revisions

** "Elimination" is the story of a potentially world-changing invention that destroyed its inventors; in the frame story, a patent attorney tells the story to make the point that some inventions are best left undeveloped.

* [[Hard Light]]: In the Arcot, Morey and Wade series.

* [[No Waterproofing in The Future]]: In "Out of Night", the [[Vichy Earth|occupying]] Sarn give their outnumbered [[Les Collaborateurs|human supporters]] personal force fields and energy weapons to use against the [[La Résistance|rebels]]. The force field emitters explode, killing the bearer, if the field's splashed with water. Justified, as the Sarn's hidden agenda is to {{spoiler|cull strong-willed humans on ''both'' sides of the conflict; they intentionally hand out sub par equipment so their supporters don't have a [[Curb Stomp Battle]]}}.

* [[Organic Technology]]: ''The Double Minds'' is set on Ganymede, where electricity was never discovered. Light bulbs are powered by fluorescent bacteria and cars have muscles instead of motors. Unlike most examples of Organic Technology, the story clearly states that Ganymedian gadgets are a poor substitute for electric-powered technology. A bit of an [[Unbuilt Trope]], considered that it was written in 1937.