warp drive n.
a device by which a spaceship is enabled to travel through space by means of a space warp; a faster-than-light drive
SF Encyclopedia
Propulsion
FTL
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[1947
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John Barrett
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With these modern time-warp drives a small magnetic disturbance is cumulative, and the center is like the center of a cyclonic windstorm.]
Stellar Snowball in Startling Stories Mar. 89/2 -
1948
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Chester S. Geier
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The atomic engines of ordinary space vessels attained only a small fraction of the inconceivable velocity which Alward claimed for the warp-drive of the Starling.
Flight of the Starling in Amazing Stories Jan. 10/2
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[1948
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Fredric Brown
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An American scientist at Harvard had discovered the spacewarp drive. ]
What Mad Universe in Startling Stories Sept. 34/1
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1950 Amazing Adventures 12
This ship works by warp-drive. It warps space, so that it can travel even faster than light!
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1951
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Let’s see yarns about vampires, ghouls, werewolves, and other assorted spooks, as well as ray guns, six-headed Martians, galactic wars, and warp drives.
Letter in Marvel Science Stories May 128/1
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1961
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Harry Harrison
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One fact—normally of interest only to warpdrive technicians—concerns the curious propagation of radiation in warpspace.
Stainless Steel Rat (1970) 72
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1970
James Blish
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Though we are not far by warp drive from the Klingon Empire.
Spock Must Die! i. 1
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1978
Gordon Eklund
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Perhaps they never discovered the warp drive.
Starless World vi. 25
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1981
Bob Shaw
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By the turn of the century the intricacies of the Toynbee warp drive had been sufficiently mastered to permit the building of large, well-equipped exploration vessels which were safe and reliable in operation.
Galactic Tours 50
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1983
Sondra Marshak
Myrna Culbreath
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McCoy came through the door as if he had already been under full warp drive.
Triangle xiv. 79
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1985
Majliss Larson
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It’s like trying to work with a warp drive that has no magnetic field to shield you.
Pawns & Symbols (Star Trek) xi. 231
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1989
J. M. Dillard
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Sekar entered the craft and found…that it possessed warp drive and a small transporter.
Star Trek: Lost Years x. 231
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1994
David Brin
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Suppose we do have remnants of some super-duper, alien warp-drive scout ship from Algerdeberon Eleventeen.
Those Eyes in Otherness 205
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1999
Michael Jan Friedman
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They had only made a stop at Delta Vega to obtain the hardware they required to repair their warp drive.
My Brother’s Keeper i. 2
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2000
Ken MacLeod
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He’d have been absolutely fucking delighted with one that could be traversed with some kind of warp-drive or jumpgates or wormholes or similar fanciful mechanism.
Cosmonaut Keep (2001) 47
Research requirements
antedating 1948
Research History
Imran Ghory submitted a cite from a 1988 reprint of Harry Harrison's "The Stainless Steel Rat"; Jesse Sheidlower updated this to a 1970 reprint.Conrad Feinson submitted a cite from a 1968 reprint of Robert F. Young's "The Girl Who Made Time Stop".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1951 cite from a letter by Malcolm Gibbs in the May 1951 Marvel Science Stories.
Katrina Campbell submitted a 1981 cite from Bob Shaw's "Galactic Tours".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a reprint of Robert Silverberg's "Stepsons of Terra"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1958 first edition.
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1990 reprint of Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's 1982 "Sten".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a 2001 reprint of Ken McLeod's 2000 "Cosmonaut Keep".
Andrew May submitted a 1950 cite from "Exhibit one", a story by an uncredited author in a 1950 comic book, "Amazing Adventures".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1948 cite for "spacewarp drive" from Fredric Brown's "What Mad Universe".
Garson O'Toole submitted a 1948 cite from Amazing.
Last modified 2024-09-06 20:04:41
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