Ralph 124C 41+
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| Author | Hugo Gernsback |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | |
| Released | 1911 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | na |
| Preceded by | none |
| Followed by | none |
Ralph 124C 41+, by Hugo Gernsback, is an early science fiction novel, written in 1911. It starts with the titular protagonist saving the life of the heroine by directing energy remotely at an approaching avalanche. As the novel goes on, he describes the technological wonders of the modern world, frequently using the infamous phrase "As you know..." The hero finally rescues the heroine by travelling into space on his own rocketship to rescue her from the villain's clutches. Though hugely influential at the time, and filled with science fictional ideas, the plot, characters, and writing strike most modern readers as shallow and old-fashioned.
Some successful predictions from this novel include television, remote-control power transmission, televised phone calls, transcontinental air service, solar energy in practical use, sound movies, synthetic milk and foods, artificial cloth, voiceprinting, tape recorders, and spaceflight.
The title itself is a play on words meaning "one to foresee for one."
Besides the wordplay in the title, it contains "...the first accurate description of radar, complete with diagram..." according to Arthur C. Clarke in his "non-genre" novel Glide Path (1963).
- "A pulsating polarized ether wave, if directed on a metal object can be reflected in the same manner as a light-ray is reflected from a bright surface or from a mirror...", [1]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Gernsback, Hugo. RALPH 124C 41+.
