viewplate n.
Now rare.
-
1928
page image
Philip Francis Nowlan
bibliography
I ordered my observer then to switch to the barrage itself. He got a close focus on it, but this showed little except a continuous series of blinding flashes, which, from the viewplate, lit up the entire interior of the ship.
Armageddon—2419 AD in Amazing Stories Aug. 448/1 -
1928
page image
Philip Francis Nowlan
bibliography
Again I turned to my viewplate, which was still focussed on the central section of the Sinsing works.
Armageddon—2419 AD in Amazing Stories Aug. 448/1 -
1928
page image
Philip Francis Nowlan
bibliography
Seen upon the ultroscope viewplate, the battle looked as though it were being fought in daylight, perhaps on a cloudy day, while the explosions of the rockets appeared as flashes of extra brilliance.
Armageddon—2419 AD in Amazing Stories Aug. 448/2 -
1941 Cosmic Stories July
There was even a telescreen whose eyes opened on the forward viewplate, so that the engineer could follow the maneuvering.
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1942
Fredric Brown
He took the readings from the dials about the viewplate, and hurled them as thoughts against the psychocoil of the computer, then waited while that most complicated of machines digested all the factors and prepared the answer.
Star Mouse in Planet Stories Spring 34/1 -
1953
She looked around but failed to see his tall figure and saturnine face—treacherous face, she thought—among the half-dozen passengers already reclining in plastolounges, watching the amazing panorama projected on the ceiling from the viewplate recorders in the prow and stern of the huge space-vessel.
Nightmare Tower in Fantastic Universe June–July 23/1 -
1956
Frederik Pohl
William Morrison
bibliography
He could see Drake’s looming ugly helmet over the control board, through the forward view plate.
Head Hunters in Fantastic Universe Jan. 48/1 -
1958
Robert Silverberg
Kennedy climbed in. There was a viewplate just to the left of his head.
Invaders from Earth (1987) ix. 86 -
1966
Samuel R. Delany
The Geodetic Survey Station faded from the viewplates of the sensory helmet that was lying face-up on the dashboard.
Empire Star (1977) 124 -
1976
Barry N. Malzberg
All that the intent crew and the Captain were able to see through the viewplate was a thin glaze in which a deformed parody of a human shape could be seen struggling against a nebulous background.
Best of Barry N. Malzberg 8 -
2020
Elizabeth Bear
bibliography
The hardsuit sealed over my face, obscuring my vision for a moment. For another moment, I could see clearly as the utility fog formed into the transparent viewplate. Until a sudden concussion knocked it askew, and red-black tunnel edges closed on me.
Machine xxix. 462
Research requirements
antedating 1928
Earliest cite
Philip Francis Nowlan, "Armageddon 2419 A.D."
Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1942 cite from Fredric Brown's "The Star Mouse".Fred Galvin submitted a 1935 cite from Alexander M. Phillips' "Martian Gesture".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from Jacques Jean Ferrat's "Nightmare Tower".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from Philip K. Dick's "Planet for Transients".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from William Morrison's "Divinity".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from Richard S. Shaver's "Beyond the Barrier".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1956 cite from William Morrison and Frederik Pohl's "The Head Hunters".
Alistair Durie submitted a 1928 cite from Philip Francis Nowlan's "Armageddon: 2419 A.D."
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2020 cite from Elizabeth Bear.
Last modified 2021-08-12 17:06:49
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.