Teleportation is the theoretical transfer ofmatter orenergy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them.[1] It is a common subject inscience fiction andfantasy literature, film,video games, and television. In some situations, teleporting is presented as time traveling across space.
The use of matter transmitters in science fiction originated at least as early as the 19th century.[2] An early example of scientific teleportation (as opposed to magical or spiritual teleportation) is found in the 1897 novelTo Venus in Five Seconds byFred T. Jane. Jane's protagonist is transported from a strange-machinery-containinggazebo on Earth to planet Venus.
A common fictional device for teleportation is a"wormhole". In video games, the instant teleportation of aplayer character may be referred to as awarp.
William Shakespeare invoked a concept resembling teleportation inThe Tempest (1610–1611).[3]
Edward Page Mitchell's 1877 storyThe Man Without a Body details the efforts of a scientist who discovers a method to disassemble a cat's atoms, transmit them over atelegraph wire, and then reassemble them. When he tries this on himself, the telegraph's battery dies after only his head has been transmitted.[4]
"Travel by Wire!" is a science fiction short story by English writerArthur C. Clarke. His first published story, it was first published in December 1937. This story is a humorous record on the development of the "radio-transporter" (actually a teleportation machine), and the various technical difficulties and commercial ventures that resulted.
InAlfred Bester's 1956 novelThe Stars My Destination, psionic displacement/teleportation has become commonplace. This story is the origin of the term jaunt in the sense of personal teleportation (spelled "jaunte" in the book, from the surname, "Jaunte", of the first person to do so).[relevant?][5]
"The Jaunt" is a horror short story byStephen King first published in 1981. In the story teleportation is commonplace with the "Jaunting" technology (the term is a homage to Bester's earlier novel). It revolves around a family going on a business trip with the Jaunt and the dire consequences when the procedure goes wrong.
Anne McCaffrey'sDragonriders of Pern series featuresdragons that can teleport themselves, their bonded riders and any passengers or cargo they may be carrying anywhere their rider can visualize clearly enough.
InBuck Rogers (serial) (1939) the "elevator" is explained as "by radioactivity it breaks down the atoms of the body to their component parts and reversing polarity reassembles them wherever desired"
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) established the "transporter beam" as a means of landing personnel on a planet. Despite popular belief,Captain Kirk never actually said, "Beam me up, Scotty" in those exact words.
In the ITV 1970s children's sci-fi seriesThe Tomorrow People and itsNickelodeon remake, a group of teenagers have the ability of psychic teleportation. This was referred to as "jaunting" as in Bester's novel.
In the BBC 1970s sci-fi seriesBlake's 7, one or more crew members can be teleported in the teleportation bay onboard the Liberator Spaceship. A teleport bracelet is required, and without one teleportation is impossible.
The Transformers introduced a character namedSkywarp who was capable of teleporting from place to place.[6] Transformers also utilize a device called a "Space Bridge" to travel, usually from Cybertron to a planet in another solar system. Some Transformers like theTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen iteration ofJetfire carry onboard Space Bridges.
In theKidsongs 1991 video: "Very Silly Songs", the Kidsongs Kids and their silly adult friends, Willy and Jilly, say the magic words "One and a two and a bop bam boom" to teleport themselves from one place of Silly-Dillyville to another.
In the showOnce Upon a Time, magic users have the ability to teleport themselves and others in clouds of magical smoke.
The 1958 filmThe Fly andits 1986 remake involve a scientist who invents a teleportation process and tests it on himself, unaware that a fly is in the teleporter pod with him.
The 1976 filmLogan's Run features a teleportation network called "the circuit", which is used to bring people together for casual sex.[7]
TheDan Dare adventures in theEagle used a "telesender", originally invented by theTreens. A running joke was that Dan Dare's assistant Digby always arrived upside down. Its first appearance was inVoyage to Venus, published in 1950.[8]
Teleportation as agame mechanic is common across various genres of video games, generally referred to aswarps.Player characters in games may sometimes be transported instantly betweengame areas, for example. Such warp mechanics can be incorporated into the world as science-fiction or fantasy elements, or might function as a timeskip during relatively uninteresting travel time. From a player's perspective, such a timeskip can be experienced as teleportation.
^Mark Bellomo (2007).Transformers: Identification and Price Guide. p. 32....Skywarp was famous for his ability to teleport at will across great distances...
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