matter transmission n.

the transportation of material objects by a process analogous to radio transmission; cf. matter transmitter n.

SF Encyclopedia


  • [1877 E. P. Mitchell in N.Y. Sun 25 Mar. 2/2

    There was no reason why matter could not be telegraphed, or to be more etymologically accurate, ‘telepomped’. It was only necessary to effect at one end of the line the disintegration of the molecules into atoms and to convey the vibrations of the chemical dissolution by electricity to the other pole, where a corresponding reconstruction could be effected.]

  • [1925 ‘R. M. Farley’ Radio Beasts in Argosy-Allstory Weekly 21 Mar. 482/1 Ralph Milne Farley bibliography

    Myles, while experimenting with the wireless transmission of matter, had accidentally projected himself through space to the planet Venus.]

  • 1931 J. Schlossel Extra-Galactic Invaders in Amazing Stories Quarterly Spring 269/2 J. Schlossel bibliography

    The attack must be launched before man completed the great matter-transmission machine he was planning… otherwise they would have the forces of the Confederation at the entrances of their underground cities.

  • 1945 G. O. Smith Special Delivery in Astounding Science Fiction Mar. 74/2 George O. Smith

    By Franks' matter transmitter to Mojave. Spacecraft to Luna. More matter transmission from Luna to Phobos. Then transshipped down to Lincoln Head, and by matter transmitter to Canalopsis.

  • 1949 H. Kuttner Time Axis in Startling Stories Jan. 42/1 page image Henry Kuttner bibliography

    Perhaps in a city of the future like this one I had expected vehicles or moving ways of endless belts. Now I saw that at intervals along the street were discs of dull metal set in the pavement. A man would step on one—and vanish. Another man would suddenly appear on another, step off and hurry toward a third disc. It was matter-transmission, applied to the thoroughly practical use of quick transportation.

  • 1953 F. Pratt Critique of Science Fiction in R. Bretnor Modern Science Fiction 75 Fletcher Pratt bibliography

    If the author is going to use speed greater than light or matter transmission, he at least owes us a reasonably plausible explanation of how these things work.

  • 1967 T. M. Disch Echo Round His Bones in New Worlds Science Fiction Jan. 140 page image Thomas M. Disch bibliography

    If matter transmission is truly instantaneous, and not just very very fast, like light, then at the exact instant of transmission, where is the object we’re transmitting? Is it here, or is it there?

  • 1975 E. Cooper in Science Fiction Monthly (vol. 2, no. 4) 11/2 page image Edmund Cooper

    When you have two molecules trying to occupy the same space at the same time, you get an atomic explosion, so matter transmission is not possible.

  • 1994 Analog Science Fiction & Fact Jan. 118/1

    But that’s matter-transmission, not time travel.

  • 2006 N. Spinrad On Books in Asimov’s Science Fiction Apr.–May 235 page image Norman Spinrad

    In this future, matter transmission is the major form of transportation of goods and humans.

Research requirements

antedating 1931
Earliest cite

J. Schlossel, "Extra-Galactic Invaders"
Research History
Cory Panshin submitted a 1953 cite from an article by Fletcher Pratt in Reginald Bretnor's "Modern Science Fiction".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1965 reprint of Henry Kuttner's 1949 "The Time Axis". Fred Galvin verified this in the 1949 first publication.
Mike Christie submitted a 1945 cite from George O. Smith's "Special Delivery".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1931 cite from "Extra-Galactic Invaders", by J. Schlossel.
Peter Reitan submitted a 1925 cite from Ralph Milne Farley for "wireless transmission of matter".

Earliest cite in the OED had been from 1958, and is now the Smith cite from 1945

Last modified 2021-08-31 15:12:38
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.