Tom Swift Series

Tom Swift is the main character of five series of American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention and technology. Tom Swift was first published in 1910, the series total more than 100 volumes. The character was created by Edward Stratemeyer (creater of the famous Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Bobbsey Twins Series), the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The Tom Swift locale is the little town of Shopton in upstate New York, near Lake Carlopa. While some of Tom’s inventions are not well-founded in a scientific sense, others elaborated developments in the news and in popular magazines aimed at young science and invention enthusiasts. Presenting themselves as a forecast of future possibilities, they now and then hit close to the mark. Some predicted inventions that came true include “photo telephones”, vertical takeoff aircraft, aerial warships, giant cannons, and “wizard” cameras. Several inventions, including the Taser, have been inspired allegedly by Tom Swift’s fictional inventions. However some other devices, such as magnetic silencers for motors, have not appeared yet.