ET Technology: Earliest Claims?

[Sentry]

I'm working on a project that involves some societal or cultural reverse engineering, and am looking for the earliest instances of Earthlings using ET technology. I know this idea was around long before the claims of Bob Lazar and Philip Corso (I'm skipping Prometheus and such and deaing with just the modern flying saucer era). I'm interested in both fictional and actual claims of such, but most focused on those that may have reached a mainstream audience in the H.G. Wells era up to the early 1980s.

So far, the best examples I've got:
Silas Newton's doodlebug from the Aztec affair
The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis from 1963 (the alien's name is also Newton!)

I'm sure there are a ton of others from science fiction stories and movies that I'm missing, as well as some claims of contactees. I'd sure appreciate some help in tracking them down!

 

[mike]

Some light reading here

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_extraterrestrialtech.htm




As far as Sci fi goes, one of my favourites is

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL8132347M/An_Xt_Called_Stanley

 

[Sentry]

Thanks, Mike! That's a lot of material, but there are bound to be some good leads in there. I'll also be checking out the Trebor book.

Since I first posted, I've come up with a few more. Hopefully this list will show better the kind of things I'm looking for and jog some memories.

1943 Shaver Mystery (abandoned tech under earth used by deros)
1949 Silas Newton & Leo GeBauer’s doodlebug (using Aztec saucer technology)
1953 George Van Tassel (Integratron- Venusians gave him rejuvenatione technique
1956 Forbidden Planet (abandoned tech on another world used by Earthman)
1959 Green Lantern from DC comics (alien power ring)
1963 The Man Who Fell To Earth novel by Walter Tevis (stranded alien markets ET tech)
1976 The Man Who Fell To Earth film (stranded alien markets ET tech)
1980 The Roswell Incident by Moore & Berlitz (alien technolgy recovered, studied by military)
1981 Greatest American Hero 1981 (alien power suit)

 

[mike]

In regards to sci fi, are you looking for examples of where humans use alien tech thats been given to them, or just examples of where its been found then used

 

[Sentry]

In regards to sci fi, are you looking for examples of where humans use alien tech thats been given to them, or just examples of where its been found then used

How they obtain the ET tech is not so important. I'm mostly looking for stories that precede the publication of the Roswell story in 1980s where alien technology comes into the possession of the people of Earth.

I thought there would be some easy early examples, but most of the stories I can think of have mankind triumphing over invaders by virtue alone. Flash Gordon didn't seem to adopt much from aliens beyond their sense of fashion. I can think of lots of examples of similar stories in fairy tales, myth and religion (Prometheus, Jack and the Beanstalk, Moses and the X commandments), but UFOs and science fiction are a bit tougher.

 

[mike]

Pre 1980's i would think one of the largest sources of such ideas would be the TV series Dr Who

Gerry andersons UFO, and Space1999

The tomorrow people

Arthur c clarke wrote many, most notably "childhoods end"
John christophers Tripod trilogy is another favourite

John wyndhams day of the triffids might apply, since the alien plants were "used" by humans as a source of energy, but he also wrote other stuff that might more directly apply

---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------

Some more light reading here

http://www.angelfire.com/scary/bastion_korupt/aliens.htm

The probably earliest small grey aliens are generally thought to be the ones from the 1934 novel If Tomorrow Comes by L.A. Reitmeister. SPOILER: In the "Discworld" fantasy novels by Terry Pratchett, Elves are just SGAs with the ability to shapeshift into less repulsive